Fort meade soundoff apr 23, 2014

assisting
Better training
prepares NCOs to
prevent suicides
page 4
UPCOMING EVENTS
Today, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Save-A-Life Tour - McGill Training Center
Saturday, 8 a.m.: Earth Day 5K Run/1-Mile Walk - Burba Lake Recreation Area
Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Family Fun Fair - McGill Training Center
Saturday, 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Prescription MedicineTake-Back Day - PX,Commissary
May 1, 7 a.m.: Monthly Prayer Breakfast - Club Meade
Coming soon
AAFES projects
mid-August opening
of new Exchange
page 3
Soundoff!´
vol. 66 no. 16 Published in the interest of the Fort Meade community April 24, 2014
photo by nate pesce
Erza De Leon blocks a shot during soccer practice Monday evening at the Youth Sports Complex. The 9-year-old is among the nearly 500 youngsters in the Child, Youth
and School Services’ spring sports program, which features soccer, T-ball, baseball and flag football. For the story, see Page 14.
Kicking off Spring

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil SOUNDOFF! April 24, 2014
Commander’s Column
Contents
News.............................. 3 Sports...................................14
Crime Watch.................. 4 Movies..................................19
Community..................17 Classified..............................21
Editorial Staff
Garrison Commander
Col. Brian P. Foley
Garrison Command
Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter
Public Affairs Officer
Chad T. Jones
Chad.T.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Chief, Command Information
Philip H. Jones
Philip.H.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Assistant Editor Senior Writer
Rona S. Hirsch
Staff Writer Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer Brandon Bieltz
Design Coordinator Timothy Davis
Supplemental photography provided
by The Baltimore Sun Media Group
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The new Army and Air Force Service’s Express
on Mapes Road has brought new traffic challenges
for vehicles and pedestrians.
As director of the Installation Safety Office,
I emphasize that pedestrian safety is a shared
responsibility between everyone who uses the
roadway.
Three weeks ago, a pedestrian warning sign
was placed at the crosswalk at the corner of 6th
Armored Cavalry and Mapes roads to create
greater awareness to drivers that pedestrians have
the right-of-way when crossing the street at this
intersection.
This week, the crosswalk at this intersection will
be repainted.
Drivers should be mindful that Maryland law
requires vehicles yield to pedestrians in a cross-
walk. Drivers must come to a complete stop
when a pedestrian is crossing the roadway in a
crosswalk.
Walking along and near major roadways can
be dangerous for pedestrians. With the onset of
spring and warmer weather, more pedestrians are
using installation roadways.
The increased pedestrian traffic due to the new
Express on Mapes Road provides a great opportu-
nity to talk about safety for pedestrians.
• Pedestrians should always make an effort to
make themselves visible to drivers. If possible,
wear bright or light-colored clothing and reflective
materials. Carry a flashlight when walking at night
and always cross streets in well-lit areas.
• When in a crosswalk, pedestrians should
never assume vehicles will stop. If possible, make
eye contact with drivers. Don’t just look at the
vehicle.
• Look across all lanes you must cross and
visually clear
each lane before
proceeding. Just
because one
motorist stops,
do not presume
drivers in other
lanes can see you
and will stop for
you.
• Drivers also
should be alert
for pedestrians
at all times. They
should scan the road and the sides of the road
ahead for potential pedestrians.
• Before making a turn, drivers should look in all
directions for pedestrians crossing the roadway.
• Drivers also should not block or park in
crosswalks.
One final safety tip: Don’t be a distracted
driver.
Distracted driving can be talking on a cell
phone. And if you haven’t heard, talking on a
handheld cell phone is now a primary violation in
Maryland that comes with a $75 fine.
Distracted driving is also texting, reading, eat-
ing, applying makeup, changing radio stations or
adjusting the climate controls in your vehicle.
Keep your mind on your driving, keep your eyes
on the road and your hands on the wheel.
Remember, crosswalk safety is everyone’s
responsibility.
Drivers and pedestrians both share the respon-
sibility to follow the rules of the road.
Use basic safety guidelines and respect each
other.
Pedestrian safety is a
shared responsibility
kirk fechter, director
Installation Safety Office
Commander’s Open Door
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley has an open door policy.
All service members, retirees, government employees, family members and
community members age 18 or older are invited to address issues or con-
cerns to the commander directly by visiting Foley’s office on Mondays from
4 to 6 p.m. at garrison headquarters in Hodges Hall, Bldg. 4551, Llewellyn
Avenue.
Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is
necessary.
For more information, call 301-677-4844.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil April 24, 2014 SOUNDOFF!
News
By Brandon Bieltz
Staff Writer
By the end of summer, the Army and Air
Force Exchange Service will be ready to open
the doors of the installation’s new Exchange.
With a modernized Exchange featuring
expanded departments and new merchandise,
the company is eyeing a mid-August open-
ing as construction nears the final stretch of
work.
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley,
who toured the facility on April 16 with Gar-
rison Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter,
said he was pleased with the progress of the
construction.
“Everything is on track for it to open on
time,” Foley said. “There are no issues. Every-
thing is going well.”
Portions of the facility are expected to be
turned over to AAFES within the next few
months to begin final steps of the process.
“We’re all excited,” said Rita Inchaurregui-
Powell, store manager. “I can’t wait.”
Construction on the 167,000-square-foot
facility began in December 2012 to replace
the current 130,000-square-foot store. The $37
million project will feature a pharmacy and a
larger food court with Starbucks, Domino’s
Pizza, Charley’s Grilled Subs, Subway, Boston
Market and Denny’s Express.
A large concession section in the front of
the facility will include a GameStop, GNC,
flower shop, engraving and watch repair, Paul
Mitchell Salon, optometry clinic, tactical shop
and a Military Clothing Store.
ThenewMilitaryClothingStorewillreplace
the current store located on Ernie Pyle Street.
Although the square footage of the new store
isslightlysmallerthanthecurrentone,thestore
will provide most of the same merchandise.
The only products that will be dropped are
those already supplied at the main Exchange.
“They’re still going to have the same amount
of selling place,” Inchaurregui-Powell said.
“They’re not going to be carrying the snacks
and health and beauty care. They’re getting rid
of that kind of stuff and just going to a stan-
dard[MilitaryClothingStore].They’rewiththe
main store, they don’t need to carry those.”
In the main store, a larger sales floor will
allow the Exchange to provide more merchan-
dise and new departments including a new gun
New Exchange nears completion
photos by nate pesce
Michele Weisshaar, general manager of the Fort Meade Consolidated Exchange;
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley; Rita Ichaurregui-Powell, Exchange general
manager; and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter tour the new Exchange’s
stock room on April 16. The 167,000-square-foot facility will replace the current
130,000-square-foot store.
shop and a 6,000-square-foot furniture concept
shop. The Exchange will expand its pets and
sporting goods sections, while also providing
an outdoor living department with plants.
Crews from Walbridge construction are
completing the administration offices and the
stock room. Workers also are installing lockers
in the dressing rooms and cabinets.
“Everything is great,” Inchaurregui-Powell
said. “They’re finishing up.”
Walbridge will turn the building over to
AAFES in phases, allowing the Exchange staff
to slowly transition to the new facility.
“They complete sections and turn those
sections to us at different times during con-
struction,”Inchaurregui-Powell said. “It’ll take
longer to do the main store to do anything.”
The stock room will be turned over first
within the next month. Shortly after, AAFES
will take control over the main sales floor,
followed by concessions and then the food
court.
Inchaurregui-Powell said the Exchange will
not open until AAFES has control over the
entire facility in August.
Once the new Exchange is open, the current
facility will be vacated and torn down to be
turned into a new parking lot.
Inchaurregui-Powell said she is aiming to
be out of the old Exchange within three weeks
to begin the demolition process, with a goal
of having a finished parking lot by the end of
November.
“The sooner we’re out of here is the sooner
they can start the demolition process and start
getting our parking lot done,” she said.
Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Latter asks questions during a tour of the
installation’s new Exchange on April 16. The $37 million project is expected to open
in mid-August and will offer expanded departments and new services.
$37 million
facility slated to
open in August

News
Story and photo by Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer
About a month ago, Sgt. 1st Class
Katie Smith ran into a Solider who she
had trained in Fort Meade’s Applied
Suicide Intervention Skills Training work-
shop.
The Soldier told Smith that a few days
after she completed the ASIST workshop,
she volunteered at a women’s shelter and
met a client who was at risk for suicide.
Smith recalled that the Soldier inter-
vened and was able to help the woman.
“You could tell how proud she [the
Soldier] was. She was confident in the
situation,” Smith said. “I was so proud
of her.”
Smith, an Advanced Individual Train-
ing platoon sergeant at the U.S. Army Sig-
nal School Detachment, was one of two
newly trained ASIST trainers to lead an
ASIST workshop for 15 service members
on April 17 at the Calvary Chapel.
ASIST is a 15-hour workshop that
teaches participants to connect, under-
stand and assist people who may be at
risk for suicide.
Fort Meade’s Army Substance Abuse
Program sponsors monthly ASIST work-
shops as part of its ongoing suicide pre-
vention/intervention efforts.
Smith, along with 22 other NCOs and
two DoD civilians, completed a five-day
ASIST Training the Trainer (T4T) ses-
sion last August that was sponsored by
ASAP.
As a newly trained ASIST trainer,
Smith is required to lead three, two-day
ASIST workshops within a year.
Marissa Pena, Fort Meade’s Suicide
Prevention Program manager, said the
new group of ASIST trainers are different
from past trainers.
“Historically, over the years, ASIST
trainers have been chaplain and chaplain
assistants or mental health professionals,”
Pena said. “These individuals have been a
great asset to the Army’s suicide preven-
tion programs. However, suicide tends to
be a very taboo subject, and many times
individuals contemplating suicide may
feel, because of the negative stigma, that
they can’t reach out to chaplains and
mental health providers for help.”
Pena said that service members may
feel that chaplains and mental health
providers will “judge them, or get them
in trouble with their career.”
For the ASIST T4T session in August,
ASAP decided to recruit NCOs whose
primary job was not of the “typical”
Suicide intervention training draws diverse NCOs
Staff Sgt. Peter Yokel (right), a training developer at Fort Meade’s Noncommissioned
Officer Academy Detachment, and Sgt. 1st Class Katie Smith, an Advanced Individual
Training platoon sergeant at the U.S. Army Signal School Detachment, demonstrate
a role-play exercise that is part of the garrison’s Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
Training curriculum on April 17 at the Calvary Chapel. Yokel and Smith are two of
more than 20 NCOs who are newly trained to lead ASIST workshops.
chaplain or mental health professional.
The aim was to recruit service members
from different military occupation spe-
cialties who could support chaplains and
mental health providers, Pena said.
“Another reason was because we need
as many people as possible in the Depart-
ment of Defense from all different jobs
and military occupational specialties to
be trained as caregivers because anyone
at anytime can be at risk for suicide,”
she said.
The NCOs who completed the train-
ing range in job occupations, including
IT specialists, communications, logistics,
and intelligence analysts, and work for
various units and organizations on post,
including the garrison, the Defense Infor-
mation School and the National Security
Agency.
“We want those ‘frontline’ workers to
be able to help and respond if their battle
buddy or co-worker might be at risk for
suicide,” Pena said.
Staff Sgt. Peter Yokel, a training devel-
oper at Fort Meade’s Noncommissioned
Officer Academy Detachment, also com-
pleted the ASIST T4T session last August.
He helped to lead the ASIST workshop
on April 17.
“They want someone in the trenches
— someone other than mental health
professionals to get the training out there
to people,” said Yokel.
Although he was assigned to complete
ASIST T4T, Yokel said he would have
signed up for the training on his own.
“It’s helping me to bring down the
number of people who are hurting, to get
down the number of suicides,” he said.
Yokel said the T4T training was unlike
any other kind of Army training.
“This makes you a combat medic, but
for mental health, and it’s much more
effective,” he said. “You work alongside
them [the person at risk for suicide]. They
connect with you, and you get to help
them when they are in need.”
Smith said that as a platoon sergeant,
she interacts with Soldiers every day.
She said Soldiers who are young and
new to the Army often feel isolated and
alone and may not be aware that there are
service members who can support them
when they need help.
“The very fact that I talk to them keeps
my door open,” Smith said, noting that
her training in suicide prevention and
intervention is an asset in her job.
“If they didn’t have anyone to talk to,
they would have been a person at risk.”
Pena said the varied job specialties of
the NCO trainers enable them to present
the ASIST curriculum in a way that their
peers can relate to and understand.
As a result, participants who complete
the training are spreading the word about
ASIST.
“The number of participants who
come to our monthly garrison ASIST
workshops have doubled,” Pena said.
“Participants are leaving the workshop
as trained caregivers in suicide first aid,
feeling confident and secure in knowing
how to aid someone at risk for suicide.
At the end of the day, [that’s] all that mat-
ters,” she said.
April 18, Larceny: An inves-
tigation revealed the victim
parked his vehicle, and when he
returned he noticed his wallet
was sitting on the dashboard.
The victim checked and found
$351 missing from the wallet.
Further investigation revealed
the vehicle was left unsecured
and unattended.
April 20, Assault: The subject stated that he and
his wife were involved in a verbal altercation, but
nothing else. Further investigation revealed the
altercation was physical.
CommunityCommunity
Crime Watch
Compiled by the Fort Meade
Directorate of Emergency Services
For week of April 14-20
• Moving violations: 76
• Nonmoving violations: 3
• Verbal warnings for traffic stops: 46
• Traffic accidents: 7
• Driving on suspended license: 7
• Driving on suspended registration: 0
• Driving without a license: 0

News
Story and photo by Brian Murphy
902nd MI Group
The 902nd Military Intelligence Group
activated a new battalion during a ceremony
Friday at Fort Meade.
The 752nd MI Battalion, a Reserve unit
with detachments in Georgia, Texas and Cali-
fornia,willprovidecounterintelligencesupport
to the 902nd MI’s counterterrorist and coun-
terespionage investigations and operations.
“Our principal mission is to provide that
specific support with qualified counterin-
telligence teams and agents,” said Lt. Col.
Anthony M. Callandrillo, commander of the
752nd MI.
When called upon, the 902nd MI’s newest
battalion will mobilize and deploy in support
of contingency counterintelligence and force
protection requirements.
“We’re going to recruit from all over,” Cal-
landrillo said. “If I’ve got a Soldier in Colo-
rado who has a unique skill set, we’re going
to have the flexibility to place them where
they best fit in. After looking at their skill
set and the mission requirements, it might be
determined they’re best suited to supporting a
field office in San Antonio or they might end
up coming to Fort Meade.
“It is interesting with the Reserves, because
you want to match a unique skill set with the
mission, and that’s not always going to be
geographically based.”
According to Callandrillo, the battalion will
also pay special attention to more than just a
Soldier’s military occupational specialty.
“One of the more exciting aspects of this
will be not simply the military qualifications
the members of the 752nd MI will have, but
what qualifications they have as a whole,” he
said. “Where people work and what they do
in their day jobs will play a part in this as
well — not just what they do when they’re in
uniform.”
While the 752nd MI is brand new, the
902nd MI activates
752nd MI Battalion
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael J. Robinson unfurls the 752nd Military Intelligence
Battalion’s guidon during an activation and assumption of command ceremony
on Friday. Col. Yvette C. Hopkins, commander of 902nd MI Group, presided over
the ceremony, with Lt. Col. Anthony Callandrillo becoming the battalion’s first
commander.
unit couldn’t arrive at a better time, said Col.
Yvette C. Hopkins, commander of the 902nd
MI.
“The timing of this activation is impec-
cable,” Hopkins said. “As the Army draws
down, there will be inherent risks associ-
ated with our foreign adversaries and insider
threats. The counterintelligence discipline is
the pivotal discipline which mitigates that risk
to the Army.”
By 70th ISR Wing Finance Office
In March, the 70th Intelligence, Surveil-
lance and Reconnaissance Wing Finance
Office started the Air Force-directed revalida-
tion of with-dependent rate Basic Allowance
for Housing.
By Dec. 31, every Airman receiving with-
dependent rate BAH must provide their servic-
ing finance office with documentation for all
dependents as part of Air Force audit readiness
efforts.
Necessary documents include the Airman’s
marriage certificate, birth certificates for chil-
dren (youngest child), and/or divorce decree
that requires child support to be properly
documented by the 70th ISR Wing Finance
Office.
The push for revalidation of dependent
documentation comes as the Air Force pre-
pares to meet financial improvement and audit
readiness requirements laid out in the 2010
National Defense Authorization Act.
The Air Force currently retains dependent
documentation for six years, which is insuf-
ficient to meet audit readiness requirements.
This one-time revalidation will ensure Air
Force compliance with audit requirements.
BeginninginMarchandcontinuingthrough
December, the finance office will contact Air-
men assigned to Fort Meade by email to notify
them of their responsibility to provide depen-
dent documentation.
The finance office will tell them exactly
which documents are required. Additionally,
Airmen who recently provided documentation
may not be required to do so again.
Once notified, Airmen will have 30 days
to provide the required documents to their
servicing finance office or have their housing
allowance status reduced to single rate.
Deployed Airmen and those on extended
leave or temporary duty will be given special
consideration in meeting the 30-day deadline.
If Airmen have a grandfathered higher
rate of BAH, and do not provide the proper
documentation or notify their local finance
office of extenuating circumstances to get an
extension, their BAH rate will be reduced to
the without-dependent rate until the proper
documentation is provided.
If this occurs, Airmen will no longer have
the higher BAH rate. It will be the current rate
of BAH based on the zip code of their current
assignment.
Airmen will be notified in numerical order
based on the last two digits of their Social
Security number.
Starting March 24, all members who have
the last digits of 00 to 09 will have until today
to bring in their supporting documentation, or
their BAH will be reduced or lose their grand-
fathered higher rate of BAH.
On April 1, members with the last two digits
of 10 to 29 were sent an email to recertify. They
have until May 1 to bring in the appropriate
documentation or to notify the Finance Cus-
tomer Service for an extension.
On April 2, members with the last two digits
of 30 to 39 were sent an email to recertify. They
will have until May 2 to bring in the appropri-
ate documentation or to request an extension.
On or about May 2, if members with the
last two digits of 10 to 39 have not provided
appropriate documentation, their BAH will be
reduced to single rate.
From then on, the notification schedule is
projected to correspond with each calendar
month and last two digits of the Airman’s
Social Security number in increments of 10
as follows:
• June: Social Security numbers ending in
40 to 49
• July: Social Security numbers ending in 50
to 59
• August: Social Security numbers ending in
60 to 69
• September: Social Security numbers ending
in 70 to 79
• October: Social Security numbers ending
in 80 to 89
• November: Social Security numbers ending
in 90 to 99
“By December, everything should be abso-
lutely completed,” said Master Sgt. Kimberly
Weiss, 70th ISR Wing Finance Office superin-
tendent. “The month ahead will give us leeway
to make sure everyone in the system gets taken
care of.”
The current schedule is subject to change.
Airmenareencouragedtomonitortheirpoten-
tial months and revalidate their documents
coinciding with their slated Social Security
number month.
“Ensuring we have the proper documenta-
tion to account for every expenditure in a very
large budget is a difficult but essential effort,”
said Dr. Jamie Morin, the assistant secretary
of the Air Force for Financial Management
and Comptroller. “Becoming audit ready will
help us demonstrate to the American public
that we are responsible stewards of taxpayer
money at a time when we must make every
dollar count.”
For more information regarding the BAH
recertification, call the Finance Customer Ser-
vice at DSN: 622-0815 or commercial at 301-
677-0815.
FinancecustomerservicehoursareMonday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: Most of the information pro-
vided came from U.S. Air Force News published
March 19 at www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/
tabid/223/Article/474979/airmen-must-revali-
date-dependents.aspx.
Fort Meade Airmen must revalidate BAH documentation

News
“First-party” cookies placed by the
actual site visited and “third-party” cook-
ies placed by an outside person or com-
pany. First-party cookies are helpful to
identify user names, passwords, specified
preferences and high-game scores.
Third-party cookies are extracting
information to form a profile on the con-
sumer and consequently deliver advertise-
ments based on this profile. An example
of a third-party cookie would be ads of
running shoes sales after browsing the top
10 marathons in the U.S.
While you may be searching a different
topic, these ads will appear on the side
and become a reminder of a topic you’ve
searched before.
There are ways to protect your infor-
mation by controlling the cookies already
embedded in each website. Locate the
privacy setting on the web browser (usu-
ally under Tools and Internet Options to
program accordingly by blocking, delet-
ing or controlling cookies).
By eliminating any cookies, you’re
eliminating the memory of each site
you visited and altered, and will have to
manually enter the information each time
the site is visited again.
Private Browsing is another option
found in Settings that keeps all your activ-
ity hidden from other users on the same
computer.
In addition to utilizing the privacy
setting, security software is also useful
in identifying other sources extracting
information from your web browsing.
By keeping the web browser up-to-date,
it leaves little room for trespassing from
other companies.
Some websites and companies have
“opt-out” cookies that give the consumer
a choice of whether the information is
used for target advertisements existing in
the form of an add-on to the browser.
Similarly, a “Do Not Track”tool allows
the consumer to monitor and set prefer-
ences not to be tracked. If companies
offer this tool and have placed a commit-
ment to honor it, they are legally required
to do so.
The next time you pull up a website,
be aware of what information you are
searching and inputting because cookies
will always remember.
For more information about how to pro-
tect your privacy, go to the Federal Trade
Commission website at ftc.gov or call the
Fort Meade Legal Assistance Office at
301-677-9504/9536.
By Joslyn Dambra
Legal Assistance Division Intern
When was the last time you set out to
complete a simple task and forgot what
it was you were supposed to do once you
reached your destination?
Thanks to technology, you no longer
have to remember on your own. While
this idea sounds life-changing, it may not
produce completely positive results.
An example used daily to help save
memory is the Internet. Every time a
website is browsed, data is collected with
information that tracks every move made
on the Internet in the form of “cookies.”
This data is then stored as memory and
can pop up instantaneously the next time
you browse the Internet as a reminder
of your activity the last time you logged
on.
In addition to acting as memory, these
cookies are used by alternate companies
to promote products, based on your
browsing behavior, that are attractive to
one’s interests.
However, cookies are not only a
reminder for the Internet-user, but also
for companies tracking each individual’s
activity to help their business succeed in
their marketing.
There are two types of cookies that
track data:
Cookies you may not want to share
By Wendy Poulson
Social Security District Manager
Glen Burnie
On Memorial Day, as we pay trib-
ute to the men and women who gave
the ultimate sacrifice for our country,
we also share some news about Social
Security disability benefits for veterans
with disabilities: a new expedited dis-
ability process.
We believe it is important to recog-
nize those who currently serve in the
military as well as those injured in the
line of duty, and consider it an honor
and a duty to serve them.
Whether the injury is physical or
mental, getting a decision about Social
Security disability benefits from the
government shouldn’t add to the prob-
lems faced by the injured.
Carolyn W. Colvin, acting com-
missioner of Social Security, recently
unveiled a new initiative to expedite
disability applications from veterans
with a Department of Veterans Affairs
disability compensation rating of 100
percent Permanent and Total.
Under the new process, Social Secu-
rity will treat these veterans’ applica-
tions as high priority and issue expe-
dited decisions, similar to the way we
currently handle disability claims from
wounded warriors.
“Our veterans have sacrificed so much
for our country, and it is only right that
we ensure they have timely access to the
disability benefits they may be eligible
for and deserve,” Colvin said.
For more information about the
new expedited process for veterans,
go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pressof-
fice/pr/2014/expedited-dib-process2-
pr.html.
Read about this new service at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/disability-
pt.htm.
The Wounded Warriors page at www.
socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors fea-
tures informative webinars, a Disability
Planner, an overview of our disability
programs and a convenient, online dis-
ability application.
Faster benefit decisions for veterans
Green Terror Army ROTC Battalion has been commissioning dynamic Army
Leaders since 1919. Contact Robert Familetti ROTC Recruiting and
Enrollment Operations Officer at 410.857.2723.
There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Many
influential government and business leaders
started with the help of Army ROTC. For more
information visit goarmy.com/rotc/leadership

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil10 SOUNDOFF! April 24, 2014
News
High five!
Garrison Commander
Col. Brian P. Foley and
Kathy Stikes, library
technician, cheer with
a group of children
during a Storytime
reading at the Post
Library Annex at Kuhn
Hall on April 17. The
reading was held to
commemorate the
Month of the Military
Child and National
Library Week.
photo by lisa r. rhodes
By Jennifer L. Evans
Tobacco Treatment Specialist
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center
It is completely normal for an indi-
vidual to try, on average, eight to nine
attempts at quitting tobacco.
Managing nicotine withdrawal can
be extremely challenging, but it does
not have to be. Prescription and over-
the-counter medications are available to
help reduce cravings and to lessen the
uncomfortable symptoms while quit-
ting.
The Kimbrough Ambulatory Care
Center Tobacco Cessation Program
offers support for TRICARE benefi-
ciaries who want to quit tobacco:
• To schedule an individualized
appointment with a clinical pharmacist
who can prescribe medications to ease
and assist with the quitting process, call
Kimbrough’s Call Center at 301-677-
8800 or for assistance at 301-677-8278.
• The online tobacco cessation sup-
port reference is ucanquit2.com.
• The 24-hour online chat line and
telephone hotline is 1-866-459-8766.
• The national tobacco cessation hot-
line is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
• An additional resource available to
any tobacco user seeking support with
quitting is 1-800-784-8669.
Many smartphones offer applications
to download for free or a small fee that
provide support during tobacco cessa-
tion. Some offer tracking of tobacco
use, motivational phrases, commentary
or techniques, while others offer incen-
tive reminders.
Studies show that as many as 70
percent of American smokers want to
quit, and that reduction in tobacco
use has favorable effects on health and
cancer risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released current cigarette
smoking rates in the United States. The
adult rate has decreased from 20.9 per-
cent in 2005 to 18.1 percent in 2012.
When thinking about, and planning
for, the quitting of tobacco, here are a
few tips to assist along the way:
1. Delay.
Nicotine within the first 30 minutes
of waking indicates a stronger addic-
tion. Modify morning routines to defer
initial tobacco use. Extending beyond
30 minutes is favorable and starts to
adjust with habit changing.
2. Decrease.
Modification and reduction are favor-
able, even if completely quitting is a
challenge. Decreasing use can be accom-
plished by daily rationing, delaying each
tobacco use, or increasing nicotine-free
zones.
3. Plan.
Much of the quitting process revolves
around changing habits. Anticipating
weaknesses and planning for alternative
actions, thoughts, coping or distractions
will help with dealing with cravings
and common associations or problem
triggers.
Identify and recognize what is needed
during the quitting process such as
reduced stress, friend and family sup-
port, or new projects.
Acknowledge important reasons for
quitting, as well as those reasons pre-
venting change.
Seek support from the many tobacco
cessation programs listed above, which
are proven to increase quit rates.
Quitting tobacco: Don’t go it alone

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil April 24, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 11
News
photo by brandon bieltz
TWO Child development centers break groundChildren from Fort Meade’s Child Development Centers and their parents join Bert Rice, director of the Directorate of Public Works; Martha McClary,
director of the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley; Francisco Jamison, Child, Youth
and School Services administrator; Derrick Troutman, acting child administrator; and Sarah Bonise, acting director of CYSS, to break ground for two
more CDCs on Friday morning. The centers will be constructed at the intersection of Ernie Pyle and 5th streets.
By Public Health Command
Whether you’re new to military service,
a seasoned warrior, a supportive spouse
or a proud retiree, you’ve undoubtedly
had days when your body or mind simply
felt “old” or didn’t perform as well as it
should.
In many cases, this may be a one-
time occurrence due to lack of sufficient
sleep, overexertion from physical activity
or another factor.
In some cases, however, your body
may be showing signs of its “RealAge”
— its biological age based on your overall
health.
How do you find out your RealAge
and take steps to maintain or reduce it?
Thanks to Operation Live Well — the
DoD’s long-term healthy living initiative
— the entire defense community can test
out a new online wellness site that will
help you calculate your RealAge, make
personalized recommendations to help
maintain or improve your lifestyle, and
provide a variety of empowering resources
to support you.
Known as UltimateMe, the secure dot-
mil site serves as a one-stop shop for
personalized health and wellness tips;
interactive tools like nutrition, sleep and
fitness trackers; access to medical experts;
workout video clips; and a social commu-
nity where you can post or blog about your
progress, comment on your friends’ activi-
ties and make new social connections.
You’ll earn virtual badges for your
progress, and you can even engage in fun
and friendly competitions with your peers
as you pursue your performance and well-
ness goals.
Representatives of DoD’s Operation
Live Well initiative hope that UltimateMe
users will share the results of their online
health and wellness assessments with their
medical providers so they can jointly make
the best decisions about maintaining or
improving their health.
“Our forces and our families face more
stress than ever before,” said U.S. Public
Health Service Capt. Kimberly Elenberg
of the Defense Health Agency. “Through
our new DoD wellness site, we can have
an immediate impact on their health and
well-being, and reduce health care costs in
the long run.
“We encourage all members of the
defense community to join UltimateMe
and discover how they can take charge of
their health, achieve better performance,
look and feel their best, and ultimately
maintain or lower their RealAge,” she
said.
UltimateMe is being pilot tested at all 14
DoD sites participating in Operation Live
Well’s yearlong Healthy Base Initiative
demonstration project.
Depending on the success of the pilot
testing, the wellness site may be continued
and/or expanded to other military installa-
tions in coming years.
You can join UltimateMe at www.
health.mil/ultimateme.
UltimateMe: a one-stop site for health, wellness

News
Story and photo by
Lt. Col. Sonise Lumbaca
Asymmetric Warfare Group
Public Affairs
The Department of Defense honored
an Army contractor with the highest
civilian award for valor at an awards
ceremony held April 14 at the Pentagon
Hall of Heroes.
David Jensen, a Wexford Group Inc.
contractor who served with the U.S.
Army Asymmetric Warfare Group as
an operational advisor until 2013, was
awarded the Office of the Secretary of
Defense Medal for Valor for his actions
while deployed to Afghanistan in 2012.
The medal recognizes government
employees and private citizens who
perform an act of heroism while risking
personal safety in the face of danger.
Jensen, a native of Lemmon, S.D.,
who served with the 75th Ranger Regi-
ment and U.S. Army Special Operations
Command before being honorably dis-
charged, now works as a Special Opera-
tions Task Force advisor at Fort Bragg,
N.C., for the Joint Improvised Explosive
Device Defeat Organization.
Maj. Gen. Mark MacCarley, the dep-
uty chief of staff for the Training and
Doctrine Command, presided over the
ceremony and presented Jensen with
the award.
“This ceremony is not only about
you [Dave], or for you, it is really
for us,” MacCarley said. “We asked
— your leaders, your supervisors — we
asked you to be here. One, because we
are going to give you a medal and say
thank you.
“But, really, because we needed, all of
us, to confirm that our lofty values - the
ones that we scribe on monuments like
duty, selfless service, loyalty - that they
mean something, and that they are more
than words just found in a dictionary.
“Those words - selfless service, duty,
loyalty, commitment to others, purpose
- they only make sense, they’re only
understandable, when Dave and men
and women like you turn those words
into visible actions of extraordinary
courage.”
While deployed to Afghanistan as
an AWG operational advisor on Sept.
10, 2012, Jensen was embedded with
Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Para-
chute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Air-
borne Division.
The AWG provides operational advi-
sory and solution development support
Former AWG advisor honored for valor
Maj. Gen. Mark MacCarley (right), the deputy chief of staff for the Training and Doctrine Command, presents Dave Jensen, a
contractor who served with the Asymmetric Warfare Group until 2013, with the Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor at the
Pentagon Hall of Heroes on April 14. As an AWG operational advisor embedded with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, Jensen risked his life to save the lives of four Soldiers after a rocket
attack hit their aircraft on Bagram Airfield on Sept. 10, 2012.
globally to Army and Joint Force Com-
manders to enhance Soldier survivabil-
ity and combat effectiveness, and enable
the defeat of current and emerging
threats.
During Jensen’s embed with Com-
pany C, they were preparing to fly out
of Bagram Airfield on a partnered air
assault operation with Afghan National
Security Forces to Parwan Province
when one of the two CH-47 Chinooks
they were to travel in was struck by a
rocket. The rocket hit the fuel tanks,
setting the aircraft on fire.
For his part, Jensen immediately
began evacuating wounded paratroopers
and ANSF members from the burning
aircraft. Despite the danger involved,
he returned to the aircraft several times
before it became engulfed in flames.
In total, Jensen evacuated four
wounded Soldiers from the wreckage.
Shortly after, he provided immediate aid
to the wounded.
“So, not only do we salute you Dave,
and applaud what you did that day, but
more importantly for each one of us out
there, we thank you for inspiring us to
do what is right, to take the high and
sometimes hard road, and to affirm all
that is great about the American Army,”
MacCarley said.
Jensen summarized his actions on
that day as situation awareness and
vigilance.
“You didn’t have time to think about
[the situation],” he said. “You didn’t
have time to plan for it. You didn’t have
time to talk about it. People with situa-
tion awareness just had to act.”
Jensen added that taking action and
remaining “switched on” is a key part
of vigilance.
“I just knew we had a problem,” he
said. “I was able to help and I tried to
fix the problem as best as I could.”
For Jensen, who resides in Whisper-
ing Pines, N.C., the honor of the recog-
nition was far from his thoughts when it
came to risking his life to save others.
“Being honored at the Pentagon Hall
of Heroes is remarkable,” Jensen said.
“I never would’ve imagined that in my
entire life. So it’s a huge honor, and I’m
very blessed to be here to be a part of
it, and very blessed to be a part of the
Asymmetric Warfare Group.”

News
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
The United States works with military
and diplomatic counterparts every day in
relationships that are central to stability
in the security environment.
In the search for the missing Malaysia
Airlines jet, nine countries are pooling
resources. During rescue operations fol-
lowing Typhoon Haiyan in the Philip-
pines last year, many countries from
around the world — including the U.S.
— worked with the Philippine govern-
ment to bring relief.
Such partnerships are not limited to
humanitarian operations. Operations
such as those in Libya, countering pirates
off Somalia, in Afghanistan and in Iraq
were performed by coalitions.
Getting the message out about all
these efforts is a part of the operational
picture, and international press officers
need to be able to work smoothly with
American counterparts.
The Public Affairs Course for Inter-
national Students is one way that inter-
national students and American offi-
cers can learn ways to work together
in humanitarian operations or on the
battlefield.
The Defense Information School hosts
the five-week class. This week, eight offi-
cers from Brazil, El Salvador, Bulgaria,
Ukraine, the Philippines and Jordan are
studying the American way of public
affairs.
The genesis of the course came from
conversations among officials at the State
Department, NATO, the United Nations
and the school about how to better work
together in a crisis, said Col. Jeremy M.
Martin, the DINFOS commandant.
“It also fits in with our curriculum
in that training international officers
supports our national strategic goals,”
he said. “The 2012 national strategic
guidance talks about building partner
capacity.”
When a coalition deploys, it is helpful
to have a common operating picture,
Martin noted.
“The PACIS program will allow us to
do that,” he said.
A good example was Philippine
typhoon relief. The November storm
was a super typhoon that may have
killed more than 10,000 people. It lev-
eled whole cities, knocked out commu-
nications, crippled essential services and
threatened to be a public health catas-
trophe. Thousands of Philippine and
Public Affairs Course builds international partnerships
international service members arrived to
provide help.
And along with them came journalists
from around the world.
Maj. Angelo Guzman was working in
his first public affairs job in the Philip-
pine armed forces when the typhoon
struck. He is now attending PACIS.
He had to learn the extent of the dam-
age and communicate that quickly and
clearly to thousands of reporters world-
wide. Guzman said he was aware of the
concept of a communications plan, but
hazy about how to implement it.
Capt. Rebeca Calles of El Salvador’s
air force said she hopes to be an instru-
ment of change in her country’s military.
In the 1980s, her country was wracked
by civil war. Today, El Salvador pro-
vides troops for peacekeeping operations
around the world. U.S. soldiers fought
alongside Salvadoran troops in Iraq.
Calles said she understands the con-
cepts of public affairs and knows what
makes a good communications effort.
“But nothing is written down,” she
said.
The Bulgarian representatives in the
class - Teodora Garkova and Antoaneta
Todorova - already are working with
their NATO allies.
“But this prepares us to work beyond
the alliance,” Garkova said.
The Brazilian officers said the course
will help them as their nation welcomes
visitors from around the globe for the
World Cup and the Olympics.
And that is a big part of this effort,
Martin said.
“To be able to have that caliber of
public affairs professional on the ground
in different regions of the world will
enhance combatant commanders’ the-
ater engagement plans, security coopera-
tion and will help to break down some
of those cultural barriers that we always
face when we come into a region,” he
said.
“We don’t understand the local cul-
ture or the local media. Having a public
affairs professional who knows how we
work and is familiar with our forces
would be an advantage.”
So it is very much a two-way street,
Martin said. U.S. officers can provide
subject expertise and technological
know-how. International officers can
provide the on-the-ground knowledge
that often makes or breaks a communi-
cations plan, Martin said.
The graduates of this class will go on
to serve around the world. The school
wants to hold two of these courses a year
and has room for about 15 officers per
class, Martin said.
Martin cited one graduate of the
program— Col. Philip Aguer Panyang
of the South Sudanese army — as a
success story. South Sudan fought a ter-
ribly destructive civil war to break away
from Sudan and has been a country only
since 2011.
“Philip came here with the intent
to develop public affairs infrastructure
for the South Sudanese army,” Martin
said. “He left here and within months
— when hostilities commenced again in
South Sudan — he was quoted in The
New York Times and the Washington
Post and on television, and his quotes
were spot on.”
On the air, Martin recalled, the South
Sudanese colonel said, “The people must
know what’s happening, and they have
that democratic right to timely, accurate
information. It’s better to talk to allay
their fears.”
Photo by Air Force Maj. Joseph Coslett
Students enrolled in the Defense Information School’s Public Affairs Course for International Students pose for a photograph
while visiting with the State Department in Washington, D.C., in April. The course provides instruction on public affairs concepts
to civilian and military personnel from U.S. partner nations. Attendees in the current course include students from Brazil, Bulgaria,
El Salvador, Jordan, the Philippines and Ukraine.

Sports
By Brandon Bieltz
Staff Writer
The nearly 500 young athletes in the Child,
Youth and School Services’ spring sports will
jump into the season this weekend as many of
the youngsters take to the field to compete for
the first time of the year.
Fort Meade’s spring sports program
includes soccer, T-ball, baseball and flag
football, with several teams in various age
groups for each sport. The program’s several
intramural teams are scheduled to begin play-
ing Friday, while the county teams’ seasons
are already underway.
During the season, the youngsters — ages
4 to 11 — will learn the fundamentals of their
respective sports.
“I tell our coaches to try to teach them
the fundaments and make sure they have fun
out there and that they’re excited to come out
and play,” said Jim Dey, assistant director of
Youth Sports. “If you do those two things, if
the kids are excited to be out there and having
fun and they’re learning stuff about the sport,
winning will take care of itself.”
Youth Sports’ largest sport this season is
soccer with approximately 250 youngsters
forming 17 intramural teams and two county
teams. During the season, the intramural
teams will sport international jerseys to tie
into the World Cup, which will be held this
summer.
For the first time, the spring sports sea-
son also features flag football as part of the
National Football League’s Play60 initiative.
In its inaugural season, CYSS is fielding nine
teams.
Dey said the sport allows youngsters to
play football without the tackling aspect of
the game, as well as provide offseason training
Spring sports kick off at Fort Meade
Jordyn Isom, 5, bats during practice at the
Youth Sports Complex. The spring sports
program features four T-ball teams and
three baseball teams this season.
RIGHT: Jaivon Blyther grabs for Joey
Holstead’s flag during drills on Monday
evening. In its inaugural flag football
season, CYSS is fielding nine teams.
Spring, summer, fall or winter...
Get involved with Youth Sports on Fort Meade, call
301-677-1105/1146/1156/1179.
for tackle football players.
“We picked up a good mix of guys who
play tackle in the fall but people who are new
to the sport or haven’t played because their
parents didn’t want them participating in
tackle,” he said.
The season also includes four T-ball teams
and three baseball teams. This season, the
intramural teams will don throwback Major
League Baseball jerseys, while the county
teams will be wearing camouflage batting
helmets.
“We really like that because we are an
Army garrison and these are military kids
or kids whose parents work to support the
military,” Dey said. “It’s kind of nice to have
some camo.”
Bryatt Smith, coach of the 7- and 8-
year-old baseball team, said the coaches are
focused on teaching the children to “hit the
ball the right way and trying to throw it.”
In his second year with the baseball team,
Nolan Wilson said he is excited to get back
onto the diamond for the season.
“I’m looking forward to doing my best and
trying to win every time,” the 8-year-old said.

Sports
TOP LEFT: A flag football
player tightens his
gloves before a drill
at the Youth Sports
Complex. Flag football
offers offseason
training for players, as
well as allowing more
youngsters to play the
game without tackling.
TOP RIGHT: Ethan Izzo,
9, kicks the soccer
ball during practice on
Monday. During the
season, the intramural
soccer teams will sport
international jerseys to
tie into the World Cup,
which will be held this
summer.
LEFT: Soccer players
Marcus Griffin II, 5, and
Joseph Duncan, 6, take
a break from practice on
Monday evening. There
are approximately 250
soccer players forming
17 intramural teams and
two county teams.

Sports
Sports Shorts
Army Ten-Miler qualifier
A qualifying run for active-duty service members interested in joining the
Fort Meade Army Ten-Miler team will be held May 2 at Murphy Field House.
Run will begin at 6:30 a.m.
The top seven women and top seven men runners will be selected to represent
Fort Meade at the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12.
To register, call 301-677-3318, or email beth.d.downs.naf@mail.mil.
Earth Day 5K
The installation’s annual Run Series kicks off Saturday with an Earth Day 5K
Run at 8 a.m. at Burba
Park.
The pre-registration
cost for individuals is
$15. Cost on the day of
the run is $25.
cost for groups of seven
to 10 is $75.
cost is $45 for a family
of three to six people.
On the day of the event,
the cost is $60 per family.
Individuals can register
for the entire season for
$60.
All pre-registered runners will receive a T-shirt.
To register, go to www.allsportcentral.com/EventInfo.cfm?EventID=51593.
For more information, call 301-677-7916.
Spring sports
Registration for spring sports is underway at Parent Central Services, 1900
Reece Road.
Spring sports include soccer, swimming, baseball, track, flag football and
basketball.
Participants can register at the CYSS Central Registration Office at 1900 Reece
Road or online at https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/webtrac/meadecyms.html.
For more information, call 301-677-1149 or 1156.
Flag Football
Child, Youth and School Services’ Youth Sports is offering NFL Flag Football
through USA Football for ages 6 to 13.
Cost is $55 per player and includes an NFL-branded jersey, flag football belt,
game shorts and participation trophy.
Two practices and one game will be held each week at the Fort Meade Youth
Sports Complex. Games will played Friday evenings.
Flag football will be played as a spring and fall sport.
For more information, call 301-677-1329 or 301-677-1179.
Coaches needed
Child, Youth and School Services’ Youth Sports is looking for coaches for
flag football and soccer.
For more information, call 301-677-1329 or 301-677-1179.
For more Fort Meade sports, visit quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.
Well, I might have finally broken the
poor girl.
It was Tuesday night and the Joneses
just made it back from T-ball practice
on Fort Meade’s fine Youth Sports
field.
We had barely taken off our shoes
when the TV was turned to “NBC
Sports” for Red Wings/Bruins Game 3.
Then, the kids began to bicker about
who was going to win between the
“Memphis Grizzly Bears and OKC” —
a reference to the Western Conference
playoff series between my daughter’s
favorite team (Oklahoma City) and the
team with my son’s favorite mascot (the
Memphis Grizzly Bears, aka Memphis
Grizzlies).
That turned into questions about the
Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
and Miami Heat. But the high-deci-
bel level debates about LeBron James,
Kevin Durant and the Stanley Cup
Playoffs aren’t what set my wife over
the edge.
In fact, the Canuck in her couldn’t
resist pointing out that Red Wings
versus Bruins was an “Original Six
matchup,” a reference to the Wings and
Boston being two of the original six
professional hockey teams along with
Toronto, Montreal, New York Rangers
and Chicago.
It was my Galaxy SIII with its MLB
Radio App that sent my bride spin-
ning.
The Tigers just started their game
against the hated White Sox, and JV
was on the mound, which of course is
a must-listen event.
So when I set my phone down to help
prepare for dinner, the game was on.
“OK, Chad,” my wife said, exasper-
ated as she set down a rather large
knife she was using to slice up some
radishes.
“This is too much!”
“Too much what?” I asked.
“Sports,” she said. “I’ve got hockey
on TV, kids arguing about basketball
in one ear, and now I’ve got to listen
to baseball?”
“And the problem is ...?”
That’s what I would have asked if it
wasn’t for the prospect of my wife going
all Michael Myers on me with her knife
and slicing me up like one of those
radishes in the
salad bowl. bit.
ly/1ifwdZA
So I begrudg-
ingly turned
off the radio
and followed
the gamecast
instead.
That doesn’t
mean I under-
stood the issue.
I merely understood that leaving the
radio on could have literally been one
of those “cut off your nose to spite
your face moments,” and that some-
times, discretion is the better part of
valor.
In fairness to my bride of 13 years,
she has come a long way regarding my
sports addiction.
She hasn’t scheduled any more din-
ner parties in October since the Mag-
glio Ordonez incident of ’06 when a
Ramadan iftar kept me from witness-
ing the greatest moment in Tigers
history during the last 30 years. bit.
ly/RLIY9u
She’s also accepted that nothing starts
a run against my teams quicker than
her coming downstairs in the middle of
a game. Conversely, I have a fairly high
winning percentage when she watches a
game from tip-off to buzzer.
So, I can’t be too upset with my
wife’s mini-meltdown even though I do
not understand it.
In fact, Laila — my wife, my love,
my much-better half — in the spirit
of Mother’s Day and considering your
services rendered and time served - five
football game weekends; basketball fol-
lowed by hockey, followed by a sports
documentary, followed by fishing;
watching your husband do everything
within his power to ensure our children
have an appropriate appreciation of
sports - I forgive you for your tempo-
rary lapse. You have the hardest job in
the world, and nobody does it better.
Moreover, the next time a “Master-
piece Classic” is on, count me in —
sports schedule permitting, of course.
If you have comments on this or any-
thing to do with sports, contact me at
chad.t.jones.civ@mail.mil or hit me up
on Twitter @ctjibber.
Sports overload? As if ...
Chad T. Jones,
Public Affairs
Officer
Jibber Jabber - Opinion

Community News Notes
The deadline for Soundoff! community
“News and Notes” is Friday at noon.
All submissions are posted at the editor’s
discretion and may be edited for space and
grammar. Look for additional community
events on the Fort Meade website at www.
ftmeade.army.mil and the Fort Meade
Facebook page at facebook.com/ftmeade.
For more information or to submit an
announcement, email Philip Jones at philip.
h.jones.civ@mail.mil or call 301-677-5602.
Save-A-Life Tour
The Army Substance Abuse Program is
sponsoring the Save-A-Life Tour at Fort
Meade today from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in
the McGill Training Center ballroom as
part of Alcohol Awareness Month.
The tour takes a “shock jock”
approach to alcohol awareness by
immersing each participant in a
multiscreen drinking-and-driving
simulation experience.
At five different and continuously
running video presentation, participants
begin the tour experience “sober.” The
videos then change to simulate levels of
alcoholic impairment.
For more information, call Samson
Robinson, the ASAP prevention
coordinator, at 301-677-7982.
Open House and
Information Fair for veterans
The VA Maryland Health Care
System is hosting a free Open House
and Information Fair on Saturday from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fort Meade VA
Outpatient Clinic, 2479 5th St.
Free parking is available just past the
clinic on the left side of the building in
a VA parking lot.
If you served in the armed forces
and received an honorable discharge,
you may qualify for health care benefits
from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
VA staff will be available to
answer questions, accept enrollment
applications, and guide veterans in
completing their application paperwork.
Veterans and their family members
also can visit information tables to
learn more about VA compensation
benefits and available VA health care
services.
All veterans are encouraged to apply
for health care with the VA Maryland
Health Care System.
file photo
FAMILY FUN FAIRFort Meade’s annual Family Fun Fair will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McGill Training Center,
8452 Zimborski Ave.
The free event is open to the public.
The event will feature performances by SKIES classes, a youth skateboard park, pony rides, inflatable and
challenge rides, informational health and Youth Services booths, arts and crafts stations, face painting, games,
raffle drawings, giveaways and prizes.
For more information, go to ftmeademwr.com.
Veterans interested in enrolling for
VA health care during the Open House
and Information Fair should bring
a copy of their discharge paperwork
(Form DD 214), a photo ID and
financial information from the previous
calendar year.
Veterans may complete the VA
health care enrollment application
at the event. They can expedite the
process by accessing the application for
health benefits (VA Form 10-10EZ) at
http://www.maryland.va.gov/patients/
eligibility.asp and bring a printed copy
of the form to the Open House and
Information Fair.
For more information, call the
Community Outreach Office for the
VA Maryland Health Care System at 1-
800-949-1003, extension 6071 or email
VAMHCSPublicRelations@va.gov.
Drug Take-Back Day
Fort Meade will host a Community
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on
Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
the Exchange.
The event is sponsored in support
of the National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Day.
The Army Substance Abuse
Program, in conjunction with the
Directorate of Emergency Services,
will collect unneeded, unused and/or
expired medications.
Remove and destroy all identifying
personal information such as
prescription labels from all medication
containers before recycling or throwing
items away.
For more information, call Samson
Robinson at 301-677-7983 or Latonia
Stallworth at 301-677-7982.
Romp ‘n Stomp Fun Fair
The annual Romp ‘n Stomp Fun
Fair will be held Tuesday from 9:30
a.m. to noon at the Youth Center, 909
Ernie Pyle Road.
The event is being held in
observance of Child Abuse Awareness
Month and the Month of the Military
Child.
For more information, call 301-
677-5590 or email Colaina Townsend,
victim advocate/parent support
coordinator at Army Community
Service, at colaina.townsend.ctr@mail.
mil.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
NEWS EVENTS

Community News Notes
Military Human
Resources Workshop
The Directorate of Human Resources
and Finance will conduct an installation
Military Human Resources Workshop
on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon
at the McGill Training Center in
Classroom 2.
For additional information and to
confirm a reservation for the workshop,
call Jannette Bolling at 301-677-2903 or
Richard Lee at 301-677-4209.
Col. Foley to Speak at
Prayer Breakfast
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P.
Foley will be the guest speaker at the
Garrison Chaplain’s Office’s monthly
prayer breakfast May 1 at 7 a.m. at
Club Meade.
There is no cost for the buffet.
Donations are optional. All Fort Meade
employees, family members and civilian
and military personnel are invited.
For more information, call Diana
Durner, Religious Services Office, at
301-677-6703.
Military Spouse Job Fair
The Fort Meade Military Spouse Job
Fair will be held May 7 from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. at McGill Training Center, 8452
Zimborski Ave.
Sponsors include the DLLR/Anne
Arundel One Stop Career Centers;
Anne Arundel Workforce Development
Corporation; Navy Fleet Family
Support Center; Navy Transition
Assistance Program; Army Community
Service; Fort Meade Directorate of
Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation; Army Career and Alumni
Program; USO; Corvias Military
Housing; and Operation Homefront.
Participating employers include:
Anne Arundel County Police,
Anne Arundel County Police 911
Communication Center, Army Air
Force Exchange Service, Cardinal
Health, Compu-Power, CyberVillage
Networkers, Diplomatic Language
Services, Enterprise Holdings/Enterprise
Rent-A-Car, Kelly Government
Resources. Lockheed Martin, Maryland
Transportation Authority Police,
Melwood Horticultural, Morgan
Stanley, National Gallery of Art, PNC
Bank, Premier Designs, Pride Industries,
Safeway, Social Security Administration,
Tapestry Solutions, Transportation
Security Administration, Environmental
Protection Agency, Secret Service,
U.S. Treasury and the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
For more information, contact Julie
Yates at julie.yates@navy.mil or call 301-
677-9017; Pamela Stangee at pamela.
stangee@navy.mil or call 301-677-9017;
or Jerome Duncan at jduncan@dllr.state.
md.us or call 410-674-5240.
AER Campaign Update
Fort Meade’s Army Emergency Relief
Fund has collected $60,077 as of Friday,
67 percent of its $90,000 goal to help
those in need.
The AER campaign runs through
May 15.
The campaign raises money and
awareness for the AER fund that
helps active-duty Soldiers, National
Guardsmen, Army Reservists,
retirees and their families in financial
emergencies by providing interest-free
loans or grants.
For more information, call Sgt. 1st
Class Nathan Kerr at 410-528-2769 or
AER Office Wallace Turner at 301-677-
5768.
Kimbrough’s Lunch and
Learn Series
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center
is hosting its next Lunch and Learn
session on May 13 at noon in the
Rascon Center (Building 2481).
The topic will be proper posture. The
session will include a posture assessment
and guidance through exercises led by
Kimbrough physical therapist Capt. Jon
Umlauf.
For more information, call Capt.
Alyson Rhodes at 301-677-8949.
CID recruiting
Monthly recruiting briefings are
conducted by the Criminal Investigation
Division on the first Tuesday of every
month at 1 p.m. at the Fort Meade CID
Office, 855 Chisholm Ave.
The next recruiting briefing is May 6.
For more information, call Sgt. 1st
Class Matthew Allen at 301-677-1687 or
go to cid.army.mil.
Miss Fort Meade Pageant
The first annual Miss Fort Meade Pag-
eant will be held June 7 at the Meade
Middle School Auditorium, 1103 26th St.
Girls ages 4-21 are eligible to compete.
Contestants must be residents of Anne
Arundel County.
The Miss Fort Meade pageant empha-
sizes academic achievement and commu-
nity involvement.
Applications and entry fees are due by
May 12.
For more information, go to the pag-
eant website at univeralsupremebeauty.
com or email usbeautyinfo@gmail.com.
Vendors needed for
Independence Day
The Fort Meade Directorate of
Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation Special Events office
is seeking food, beverage and
novelty vendors to participate in the
installation’s annual Third of July
celebration.
This is Fort Meade’s largest event of
the year.
For more information, call JJ Jordan
at 301-677-7785 or email jean.jordan@
us.army.mil.
OSC Welfare Grants
The Fort Meade Officers’ Spouses’
Club is accepting requests for the
disbursement of welfare funds.
The OSC Welfare Grants provide
assistance to various nonprofit
organizations, community and school
groups, and government entities through
financial support for special projects and
events based upon merit and need.
These funds benefit the service
members, their families, and DoD
civilians who reside in the Fort Meade
area.
Organizations requesting funds
are required to submit a completed
request form by May 1. Applications
can be found on the OSC website at
fortmeadeosc.org in the Welfare Request
tab.
All completed requests will be
reviewed and processed by the Fort
Meade OSC Welfare Committee.
A primary goal of OSC is to support
charitable activities through the Welfare
Grant program. Funds raised by the
club through various activities including
bingo, the Holiday Bazaar and golf
tournaments are dedicated to this
purpose.
Any nonprofit organization or
government entity serving the Fort
Meade community may request
assistance from the OSC.
For more information, email
communitywelfare@fortmeadeosc.org.
Education fair
The Fort Meade Army Education
Center is hosting the Armed Forces
Week Education Fair on May 6 from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McGill Training
Center, 8452 Zimborski Ave.
Two dozen colleges will present their
certificate and degree plans.
The event will feature a refreshment
table.
For more information, call 301-677-
6421.
Kids Craft Club
The Kids Craft Club for toddlers and
preschoolers will meet May 6 at 9:30
a.m. at the Arts and Crafts Center.
Fee is $5. Cost includes a craft, snack
and juice.
Space is limited. Registration is
required.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-7809.
Teen Center events
The Fort Meade Teen Center is offer-
ing the following activities:
• Fort Meade “Youth of the Year”
announcement will be Friday at 3:30
p.m.
Youth of the Year is the Boys and Girls
Clubs of Americas’s premier recognition
program for club members, promoting
service to club, community and family;
academic success; strong moral character;
life goals; and poise and public speaking
ability.
• Worldwide Operation Megaphone for
grades six to 12 on Friday from 5:30 p.m.
to 12 a.m. at the Youth Center
For more information, call 301-677-
6054.
Out About
• Cole Bros. Circus will be in
Crownsville from May 7-8 at Anne
Arundel County Fairgrounds, 1450
Generals Highway. Performances are at
4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Advance tickets costs $16 for adult
general admission. Reserved seats are
NEWS EVENTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
EDUCATION
YOUTH
RECREATION

MoviesCommunity News Notes
The movie schedule is subject to change. For
a recorded announcement of showings, call 301-
677-5324. Further listings are available on the
Army and Air Force Exchange Service website
at www.aafes.com.
Movies start Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30
p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (The Fort Meade
Theater will no longer be open on Wednesdays
and Thursdays.)
PRICES: Tickets are $5.50 for adults (12
and older) and $3 for children. 3D Movies:
$7.50 adults, $5 children.
Today through May 11
Friday: “Need for Speed” (PG-13). Fresh from
prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy
business associate joins a cross-country race with
revenge in mind. With Aaron Paul, Dominic Coo-
per, Imogen Poots.
Saturday Sunday: “Mr. Peabody and Sherman”
(PG).Thetime-travellingadventuresof anadvanced
canine and his
adopted son, as
they endeavor
to fix a time rift
they created.
With the voices
of Ty Burrell,
Max Charles,
Stephen Colbert.
(3D Sunday)
May 2: “Muppets Most Wanted” (PG). While on
a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves
wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed
by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly
sidekick. With Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina
Fey.
May 3: “Divergent” (PG-13). In a world divided by
factions based on virtues, Tris learns she’s Divergent
and won’t fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy
Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find
out what makes Divergents dangerous before it’s
too late. With Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate
Winslet.
May 4: “Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club” (PG-13).
When five struggling single moms put aside their
differences to form a support group, they find
inspiration and laughter in their new sisterhood, and
help each other overcome the obstacles that stand
in their way. With Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-
Covey, Amy Smart.
May 9 11: “Noah” (PG-13). A man is chosen by
his world’s creator to undertake a momentous mis-
sion to rescue the innocent before an apocalyptic
flood cleanses the wicked from the world. With Rus-
sell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins.
May 10: Studio Appreciation – Free Screening. Tick-
ets available at the Exchange Food Court. Seating
open to non-ticket holders 30 minutes prior to
showtime.
available for $20. VIP seats cost $23.
Advance tickets are on sale
through May 6 at Tara’s Gifts
Parties, 10 Annapolis St. and online
at GoToTheCircus.com. Free tickets
are available for children ages 12 and
younger at GoToTheCircus.com.
For more information, go to
GoToTheCircus.com or call 800-796-
5672.
• Believe In Tomorrow Children’s
Foundation’s 18th Annual Port to Fort
6K race is a family-friendly event that
will be held Saturday at historic Fort
McHenry in Baltimore. Event will
feature a team challenge for the Biggest
Military Team, T-shirts for participants,
fundraising prizes and medals for age
group winners.
Registration is $15 for service
members and their immediate
families. Register online at www.
believeintomorrow.org/p2f.
• America’s VetDogs will host the
Fourth Annual Annapolis 5K Run
Dog Walk on Sunday at 8 a.m. at Quiet
Waters Park in Annapolis. Walk-up
registration costs $45. To register online,
go to 5K.VetDogs.org.
For more information, contact
community fundraising/events manager
Jaime McGrade at 631-930-9054 or
email Jaime@VetDogs.org.
• Society of Military Widows meets for
brunch the fourth Sunday of the month
at 1 p.m. at the Lanes. The next meeting is
Sunday. For more information, call Betty
Jones at 410-730-0127.
• Calling All Dads meets the second and
fourth Monday of every month from 4 to
5 p.m. at Potomac Place Neighborhood
Center, 4998 2nd Corps Blvd. The next
meeting is Monday.
The group is for expecting fathers, and
fathers with children of all ages. Children
welcome. For more information, call 301-
677-5590 or email colaina.townsend.ctr@
mail.mil.
• Single Parent Support Group meets the
second and fourth Monday of the month
from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at School Age Services,
1900 Reece Road. The next meeting is
Monday. Free child care is provided onsite.
For more information, call 301-677-5590
or email colaina.townsend.ctr@mail.mil.
• Marriage Enrichment Group,
sponsored by Army Community Service,
meets the second and fourth Monday
of every month from 3 to 4 p.m. at
the Community Readiness Center, 830
Chisholm Ave. The next meeting is
Monday. For more information, call
Celena Flowers or Jessica Hobgood at
301-677-5590.
• Retired Officers’ Wives’ Club will hold
its May luncheon on May 6 at 11 a.m. at
Club Meade. This is its final regular meeting
of the year, with the year-end program for
the installations of officers for the 2014-2015
season.
Reservations required by May 1. The
ROWC will celebrate members’ “Every-
body’s Birthday Party.” Cost of luncheon is
$18. Call your area representative or Betty
Wade at 410-551-7082.
For more information, call Genny Bell-
inger, ROWC president, at 410-674-2550.
• Meade Rod and Gun Club meets the first
Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Perry’s
Restaurant and Odie’s Pub at 1210 Annapo-
lis Road, Odenton, in the banquet hall in
back of the building. The next meeting is
May 1. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. For more
information, call 410-674-4000.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness of
Anne Arundel County offers a free support
group for families with a loved one suffering
from mental illness on the first Thursday
of every month at 7 p.m. at the Odenton
(West County) Library, 1325 Annapolis
Road. The next meeting is May 1. For more
information, visit namiaac.org.
• Families Dealing with Deployment meets
the first and third Monday of every month
from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Meuse Forest
Neighborhood Center. Children welcome.
The next meeting is May 5. For more infor-
mation, call 301-677-5590 or email colaina.
townsend.ctr@mail.mil.
• The Retired Officers’ Wives’ Club will
sponsor a Garden Tea on June 3 at 11 a.m.
at Club Meade. Cost is $25, payable to
ROWC. Reservations are due by May 25.
For reservations or more information,
call Rebecca Conover at 443-745-3097 and
tell her if you can bring a pretty teapot for
your table.
• Women’s Empowerment Group meets
Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to provide
a safe, confidential arena for the support,
education and empowerment of women
who have experienced past or present fam-
ily violence.
Location is only disclosed to
participants. To register, call Samantha
Herring, victim advocate, at 301-677-4124
or Katherine Lamourt, victim advocate, at
301-677-4117.
• Project Healing Waters meets
Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Soldiers
and Family Assistance Center, 2462 85th
Medical Battalion Ave.
The project is dedicated to the physical
and emotional rehabilitation of wounded
warriors and veterans through fly fishing,
fly tying and outings.
For more information, call Larry
Vawter, program leader, at 443-535-5074 or
email thecarptman@msn.com.
• Spanish Christian Service is conducted
Sundays at 1 p.m. at the Cavalry Chapel
located at 8465 Simonds St. and 6th
Armored Cavalry Road.
For more information, call Elias
Mendez at 301-677-7314 or 407-350-8749.
• Cub Scout Pack 377 invites boys in
first through fifth grades, or ages 7 to 10,
to attend its weekly Monday meetings at 6
p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center.
For more information, email Cubmaster
Christopher Lassiter at pack377_cm@
yahoo.com or Committee Chairperson
Marco Cilibert at pack377_cc@yahoo.
com.
• Boy Scout Troop 379 meets Mondays
at 7 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel
Center on Rockenbach Road. The troop
is actively recruiting boys age 11 to
18. For more information, email Lisa
Yetman, at lisayetman@verizon.net
or Wendall Lawrence, Scoutmaster, at
lawrencewendall@juno.com.
• Military Council for Catholic Women
is open to all women ages 18 and older
for prayer, faith, fellowship and service
at Argonne Hills Chapel Center, 7100
Rockenbach Road. The Catholic Women
of the Chapel meets Tuesdays from 9:45
a.m. to noon when Anne Arundel County
schools are in session. Monthly programs
are held Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
For more information, email Loretta
Endres at bradanloretta@yahoo.com.
• Moms Walking Group, sponsored
by Parent Support, meets Thursdays
from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. at Potomac Place
Neighborhood Center. To register, call
Colaina Townsend or Michelle Pineda at
301-677-5590.
• American Legion Post 276 is open to
veterans and active-duty service members
at 8068 Quarterfield Road in Severn.
Breakfast may be purchased beginning at
9 a.m. Lunches may be purchased from
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Happy Hour is
from 4 to 6 p.m. Dinner may be purchased
at 6 p.m. on Fridays and the fourth
Sunday of every month.
Membership discounts are offered
for active-duty military. For more
information, call 410-969-8028 or visit
americanlegionpost276.org.
• Fort Meade E9 Association meets the
second Friday of every month at 7 a.m. in
the Pin Deck Cafe at the Lanes. The next
meeting is May 9. The association is open to
active, retired, Reserve and National Guard
E9s of any uniformed service. All E9s in this
area are invited to attend a breakfast and
meet the membership. For more informa-
tion, go to e9association.org.
MEETINGS

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