Feb elmorro 2012_web

February 2012

Fort Buchanan

The Sentinel of the Caribbean

Puerto Rican Boa gets a new home, Page 20

El MorroVol. 47 issue 7

Exchange shopper’s survey results, Page 5

Community images now available on

VITA Tax Office

RESERVE Page 6

News

Reserve Soldiers ‘more relevant’ than ever

Fort Buchanan’s Vol-unteer Income Tax As-sistance office is now accepting appointments for tax services. The of-fice, staffed by volun-teers will begin serving the Fort Buchanan com-munity Feb. 13 but those personnel eligible for free tax assistance are to call (787)707-5138 to schedule an appoint-ment.

As with all VITA ser-vices, active duty and dependents of active duty personnel have first priority for tax assis-tance.

All others interested in free tax assistance will be taken on a first come first serve basis. The VITA office will be open from until April 13, four days before the income tax deadline.

WASHINGTON -- Amidst concerns of budget and troop reductions, Reserve Soldiers remain a critical component of America’s defense, said the chief of the Army Reserve.

During his visits around the force, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve said the No. 1 question he’s asked by Soldiers is “what’s going on” with regards to budget and force cuts. Those Soldiers, Stultz said, are concerned

about the future of their jobs and their relevance in Ameri-ca’s defense.

“My answer to the Sol-diers is, ‘You are going to become even more relevant than you’ve ever been to our national security strategy,’”

Stultz said, Jan. 31, at a meet-ing of the Reserve Officer As-sociation in Washington, D.C.

The active duty Army will draw down from 570,000 Soldiers to 490,000 Soldiers over the next six years. The growth to 570,000 Soldiers

was a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dur-ing that time, Stultz said, the Army relied heavily on the Reserve to fulfill important combat support and combat

Regional director visits garrison

TOWN HALL Page 9

Voter help, Pages 10, 11

Story and photosBy Luis Delgadillo Fort Buchanan Public Affairs

In a town hall meeting Feb. 2 held at the Community Club, Col. John D. Cushman, the garrison commander and In-stallation Management Com-mand’s Atlantic Region Direc-tor spoke to members of the

workforce about the new fiscal reality facing Fort Buchanan.

The presentation covered an overview of what Fort Bu-chanan’s future will be as well as how members of the work force can get there. The event included a questions and an-swer session with the Region Director Davis D. Tindoll Jr.

“As we wind down this war, the Chief of the Army Reserve wants to maintain an opera-tional Army Reserve. To do so, we want to continue with the training programs and the things that are available to them (Reserve Soldiers) so that there is going to be a bal-ancing of requirements and au-

thorizations,” said Cushman.In other words the needs of

the Army Reserve must match budgets operating in the new fiscal reality. Such actions are taking place throughout the Department of Defense.

“It’s not just something

Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region Director, Davis D. Tindoll Jr. throws his support behind the garrison’s recent graduates of the Civilian Leader Development Program during a work force town hall meeting Feb. 2.

By C. Todd LopezArmy News Service

Tindoll bolsters support for CLDP, prepares workforce for upcoming change in a new fiscal reality

The Sentinel of the CaribbeanEl Morro

Fort Buchanan

The Command Group2February 2012

Garrison CommanderCol. John D. Cushman

Deputy to the Garrison CommanderGunnar G.F. Pedersen Jr.

Deputy CommanderLt. Col. Kenneth M. Hammond

Garrison Command Sergeant MajorCommand Sgt. Maj. Derrick T. Simpson

Public Affairs OfficerGrissel Rosa

Media RelationsPedro Silva

Command InformationLuis Delgadillo

El Morro ContributorsCapt. Taylor Opel

Luis Salazar

1st Mission Support Command Public Affairs OfficerMaj. Carlos M. Cuebas

Mailing address —Public Affairs Office

Building 390 Crane Loop Ste. 311Fort Buchanan PR, 00934-4616

Story submissions —E-mail to: [email protected]

Telephone numbers —(787)707-5762/4486 Fax: (787)707-3362

1st MSC submissions —E-mail to: [email protected]

1st MSC telephone number —(787)707-4988

El Morro is an authorized publica-tion printed in accordance with Army Regulation 360-1.

Contents of El Morro are not neces-sarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Depart-ment of Defense, Department of the Army or U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Buchanan.

El Morro is published monthly by the Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Garrison. Circulation 5,000.

All editorial content of El Morro is prepared, edited, provided and ap-proved by the U.S. Army Garrison Pub-lic Affairs Office. For guidance on how to submit items for publication e-mail the garrison Public Affairs Office.

The Editor reserves right to edit all submissions and to determine the suit-ability for inclusion in El Morro.

Every effort will be made to publish submissions in a timely manner. How-ever, time, layout, style and editorial considerations, as well as determina-tions for publication, are made by the Commander or the Public Affairs Of-ficer.

El Morro

Commander Commentary

The Army’s Backbone Command Sgt. Maj. Derrick T. Simpson

After 10 years of war the United States and our mili-tary are at a strategic revision point. Significant changes re-quire a reshaping of our pri-orities based on our mission. All these changes reflect the need to adapt to the changing nature of our military envi-ronment and fiscal realities. Our fiscal environment has changed dramatically.

The Army was given hard targets to reduce its Civilian on-board strength by 8,741 authorizations by the end of Fiscal Year 2012. These re-ductions have nothing to do with mandated sequestration actions or other potential budget cuts in the future.

The reductions must meet funded targets established by the Secretary of Defense in Resource Management Di-rective (RMD) 703A2, as re-flected in the FY 2012 Presi-

dent’s Budget. This directive withdrew

approximately $834 million in Operations and Mainte-nance funding. The Installa-tion Management Command portion of the 8,741 autho-rization decrease is 4,162 authorizations to be reduced no later than Sept. 30 of this year.

The Force Restructure Re-view served as the catalyst for these HQDA-directed decrements to OMA direct-funded civilian authoriza-tions within IMCOM. The rationale behind IMCOM’s Force Restructure Review conducted last year was: to rebalance resources across similar size garrisons; right-size to support mission criti-cal/mission essential tasks; to eliminate duplication, over-head, and excess; and to in-still a culture of savings and

cost accountability across all IMCOM garrisons.

The Army’s FY 13-17 POM has been the guiding force behind Fort Buchan-an’s decision-making pro-cess. We’ve gone through ev-ery program and budget line, making disciplined decisions based on strategic priorities. First, we went through the Manpower Assessment, and then submitted a “Reclama” for those positions that need-ed to be revised.

Now we are in the process of final approval of the as-sessment concept plan to be submitted to the U.S. Army Manpower Analysis Agency (USAMAA) in order to de-velop a new TDA that will balance our workforce re-sources. Once the concept plan is approved by the USA-MAA, it goes to the Army’s G1 for implementation. We

are still going through the process waiting for a final decision.

At Fort Buchanan, we are making thoughtful and delib-erate choices in a manner that best supports our mission. We continue to manage the talent within our workforce in a way that best supports the Army’s mission.

The Army’s guidance rec-ognizes that we are at a stra-tegic point after a decade of war, with new challenges and opportunities that call for a reshaping of our priorities.

We remain committed to take care of our Soldiers, Civilians, Families and Re-tirees and to support a ready, agile, flexible and capable force; the finest military in the world, capable of protect-ing America’s national secu-rity. I will continue to keep you informed of the process.

Often times in large organi-zations it’s necessary to have members gather together and assess if the goals of the orga-nization are being achieved. Here at Fort Buchanan we do this in the form of town hall meetings and to a greater ex-tent during meetings between the garrison commander and the directorates.

I’m speaking in general terms here but the meetings usually begin by identifying issues, developing solutions, coming up with implementa-tion plans for the solutions and in the best cases the problems are addressed. One of the dangers of having a successful meeting is the de-velopment of a false sense of comfort that an issue has been addressed appropri-ately. We are living in a time of transition and as such it is very important that we get things right.

One of the key parts of developing a solution is re-visiting that solution and

evaluating its effectiveness. Ensuring that fixes really do fix a problem is how we achieve success.

It is this evaluation pro-cess, which must be carried out more consistently in ev-ery part of our lives. Even an after action review only takes you so far, at the end of an AAR we must also consider an appropriate time to reeval-uate the training event so we can be certain that the three items we chose as “sustains” were sustained and so that the items we wanted to im-prove, in fact, did improve.

Whether it is at the end of a town hall meeting like the one recently held Feb. 2 or at the end of a successful battle training assembly. We must ask “are we doing the right things?”

In the coming years the size of our Army will be re-duced by up to 50,000 Sol-diers. This means that those who remain will be respon-sible for doing more, better.

In addition to doing more Soldiers must prepare them-selves individually to be more competitive when it comes to career progression.

At the center of this new competitive culture will be adherence to Army physical fitness and height and weight standards. Recently, the ser-geant major of the Army Raymond Chandler visited drill sergeant school at Fort Jackson, S.C. and was taken aback to discover “too many people who show up at Drill Sergeant School who don’t meet height and weight stan-dards, can’t pass the PT test or, heaven forbid, just choose to not show up.”

The Sergeant Major of the Army fully intends to hold people accountable for such transgressions and I can tell you that from where I am this is a philosophy that will take root as leaders are able to be more selective with Sol-diers who want to continue to serve. I, like other command

sergeants major will be look-ing to junior noncommis-sioned officers to enforce the standard. We are what right looks like and if you as an NCO are not toeing the line and following Army stan-dards, well then the standards will be enforced upon you.

Many of the drills ser-geants Sergeant Major of the Army Chandler spoke to were doing right and to them and to you out there in the Fort Buchanan community doing right I say drive on, keep motivating mentoring and training your Soldiers. For those who are meeting the standard, do not leave your fellow Soldiers behind. Follow up with them regu-larly and give them the tools they need so they can be suc-cessful.

Do not be complacent about your career and rec-ognize that your future is in-extricably linked to how you look, act and perform.

Army Strong.

The Sentinel of the CaribbeanEl Morro Fort Buchanan

From The Top 3February 2012

Thoughts from the Chaplain’s office

Have you ever seen the books, “Where’s Waldo?” The theme of the book is to try and identify a cartoon drawing of a scrawny man wearing a little red hat and glasses in the midst of thou-sands of other people, places and things on the same page.

The first attempts at finding Waldo can be quite frustrat-ing, and even challenging. When you begin to process what Waldo looks like and how he appears it becomes easier to find him. You can go back and look at preced-ing pages and you find him in even more places than the first time you looked.

African American/Black History: Exploring women’s rolesThe Association for the Study of African American Life and History dedicates the 2012 Annual Black History Theme to exploring African American women’s roles in and con-tributions to the making of America. From the American Revolution to the present, African American women have played a myriad of critical roles in the making of our na-tion. Their labor and leadership, their motherhood and patriotism, and their intellect and artistic expression have all enriched both the African American community and the nation at large. In slavery and freedom, their struggles have been at the heart of the human experience, and their triumphs over racism and sexism are a testimonial to our common human spirit.

African American women have played a vital role in the history of our Nation and our Army since the American Rev-olution. Their patriotism, loy-alty and leadership, coupled with their hard work, intellect and artistic expression, have enriched the African American community and the Nation as a whole. In slavery and free-dom, their struggles have been at the heart of the human expe-rience, and their fight against racism and sexism serve as a testament to their persever-ance to overcome adversity.

From Harriet Tubman, a leader and conductor of the Underground Railroad, to Rosa Parks, the mother of the modern Civil Rights Move-ment, to First Lady Michelle Obama, these courageous women serve as role models for all to emulate.

The Army has also benefit-ted from the leadership, intel-ligence and contributions of the African American women in our ranks, and today we celebrate the recent promo-tion of Major General Marcia Anderson, the Army’s first

African American female Two Star General and recog-nize Ms. Tracey Pinson, the Army’s highest ranking fe-male African American Senior Executive Service member. These women, and so many others, are expressions of a vi-brant culture in which African American women play a criti-cal role in the strength of this Nation and our Army.

We are grateful for the sacri-fices and contributions African American Women, Soldiers, Civilians and Families have played in our success. We en-courage the entire Army Fam-ily to honor publicly their con-tributions by encouraging all leaders from across the Army to plan and execute appropri-ate commemorative activities to celebrate African American/

Black History Month.Signed,

Raymond F. Chandler IIISergeant Major of the Army

Raymond T. OdiernoGeneral, United States Army Chief of Staff

John M. McHughSecretary of the Army

Writer and pastor John Ortberg uses this illustra-tion in his book, “God is Closer Than You Think”, to illustrate the point that many times in trials, struggles, hardships, or even in times of abundance and joy we seem to miss how close God re-ally is with us every day and night. Knowing how close God is to you in the obstacles of life is much like reading a “Where’s Waldo” book, the more you look, the easier He is to find.

Apostle Paul knew how to find God in even the tough-est conditions. Here is a man who was beaten, whipped, chained, and tortured for his faith, and yet still proclaimed his belief.

In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Paul writes, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not

Roman Catholic MassesSunday mornings — 11:30 a.m.

— Post ChapelConfessions: Sunday mornings

–11:00 a.m.—Post ChapelWeekdays, call 244-4981 or 707-

3904.Preparation for Confirmation,

First Communion,RCIA, etc. call 707-3904.

ProtestantCollective Protestant Service

Sunday morning — 9:00 a.m. — Post Chapel.

1st Sunday of every Month — 3 p.m. —Youth Ministry—Chapel

Annex, Bldg 292

Counseling: Call the Chapel of-fice at 707-3904 or 238-7668.

“...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20

in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Just imagine what your day might be like with that kind of attitude, really knowing the presence of God in your life.

Blessings, Chaplain Stansberry

Assistant Chaplain, Capt. Timothy Stansberry

Fort Buchanan Chapel Schedule


Fort Buchanan

News4February 2012

Austin sworn in as vice chief of staffJOINT BASE MYER-

HENDERSON HALL, Va. -- Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III was sworn in as the Army’s 33rd vice chief of staff during a ceremony here, Jan. 31.

Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh administered the oath of office and then thanked the general for his outstanding service and dedi-cation to the Army.

“I expect Lloyd to con-tinue his leadership and ad-vocacy on behalf of Soldiers and their families, just as he has in virtually every other assignment he’s held,” said McHugh. “Lloyd Austin has always led from the front, led by example -- not just telling Soldiers, but showing Sol-diers the right way, the Army way, the Lloyd Austin way.”

After the oath, McHugh presented Austin with the vice chief of staff flag, signi-fying the general’s assump-tion of responsibility.

“Lloyd Austin is, as he al-

By Courtney Dock-Abuhl Army News Service

ways has been, a full-spec-trum leader,” McHugh said. “[He is] a leader that at every level of command has dem-onstrated to his troops the right way to lead, the right way to live as a Soldier.”

After assuming responsi-bility, the general thanked his family, friends, and former leaders. He also thanked the Soldiers he’s worked with throughout his career. He said the ceremony was just as much about them as it was about him.

America’s Soldiers “con-tinue to amaze me with their continued resilience, flexibil-ity and motivation,” Austin said. “They are indeed the fabric of our Army. They’ve made every seemingly im-possible task look easy.”

Most recently, Austin served as commanding gen-eral of United States Forces - Iraq. In fact, he was the last to hold that position, as Operation New Dawn ended in December. The complex task of leaving Iraq was com-pleted, in no small part, by

American Soldiers.“Most recently in Iraq,

they’ve completed one of the most complex logistics and operational maneuvers in our nation’s history,” said Aus-tin. “They did it all without

incident and they finished ahead of schedule. They did all of this in contact with a determined enemy. I am truly humbled by and thankful for their service and their many sacrifices.”

Austin replaces Gen. Peter Chiarelli as the vice chief of staff of the Army. Chiarelli retired from the Army after 40 years of service during a ceremony held earlier in the day.

Photo by Rachel Larue

Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh swears in 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Jan. 31, 2012.

Resiliency application available on smart phonesFORT BENNING, Ga.

-- The Comprehensive Sol-dier Fitness Resiliency Goals Book, previously released as an app for iPhones and iPads, is now available for Android users.

About 5,700 people have downloaded the app since its debut last summer, said Sam Rhodes, the action officer with the Directorate of Training and Doctrine who was responsible for getting the app developed, tested, revised and ready for use.

“(That) is just the begin-ning,” he said. “We’re setting the groundwork for years to come. The future of our coun-try will be determined by how resilient our warriors are.”

The app, which helps users gain resiliency by setting and

meeting personalized goals, was spearheaded by the Sys-tems Training Branch on post and the Signal Center of Excel-lence at Fort Gordon, Ga.

A digital, interactive version of the printed CSF Resiliency Goals Book rel-eased in 2010, the app supports the Army’s CSF program by letting Sol-diers connect their Global As-sessment Tool results to prac-tical exercises and email the feedback to their supervisors.

Rhodes said the app covers “the dynamics of our life, both professional and personal.”

“In the past we have set goals during counseling ses-sions, conversations with our friends,” he said. “We never had a device in which we can set our goals and go back and actually receive reminders that we have them.” The positive impact the use of goal setting

could have on Soldiers after a deployment is “enormous,” said Rhodes, who was diag-nosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2005 after three tours in Iraq and believes resiliency could be the key to counteracting the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Rhodes, a retired command sergeant major, is now an ad-vocate for building resiliency in Soldiers.

“Goal setting has been iden-tified by research (as) the num-ber one thing that enhances performance,” he said. “If we use goal setting to improve our performance, it will increase resilience in our Soldiers be-fore, during and after their combat missions.”

When users download the app, they should make sure it’s the right one by looking for the

CSF logo with the words “goal setting” written in yellow let-ters on an Army star. The app is free.

“The Android has limita-tions,” Rhodes said, “particu-larly when it comes to devel-

oping an app that will work on as many of the devices as pos-sible. As a point of reference, the app is currently available on 934 different devices. We will continue to revise and up-date it to make it user friendly.”

Android Users:1. Go directly to https://m a r k e t . a n d r o i d . c o m /details?id=com.fa53.respro-ject2. Download the app

-- Also --1. Search the Android market for FA53.

Apple Users1. Go to the app store on your iPhone or iPad2. Search for Goal Setting

By Cheryl RodewigFort Benning Bayonet Get the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

Resiliency Goals Book AppComprehensive Soldier Fit-ness3. Download

-- Also --1. Open iTunes on your per-sonal computer2. Click on the iTunes Store on the left-hand side3. Type in Goal Setting -- Comprehensive Soldier Fit-ness4. Click on the app with the CSF icon.


NewsEl Morro Fort Buchanan February 2012

5

Ana Arroyo, a jewelry associate, with the Fort Buchanan Exchange poses for a photo while helping a customer with a Valentine’s Day purchase. Curt Knighten, Sales and Merchandise manager for the Exchange, said Arroyo, “is an exceptional customer oriented associate.”

Exchange shoppers survey reveals satisfactionPuerto Rico – At 116 years

of age, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service may not have “moves like Jagger” but its shoppers are getting plenty of satisfaction according to a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) sur-vey.

The ACSI was developed to provide information on sat-isfaction with the quality of products and services avail-able to consumers. In the latest survey, the Exchange scored higher than ever before as its operations equalled the indus-try of excellence. In addition to the ACSI, the Exchange re-lies on a Customer Service In-dex (CSI) to provide localized, real-time snapshots of the job Exchange facilities do to im-prove the value of support pro-vided to Soldier and their fam-ilies. Here at Fort Buchanan, the Exchange’s CSI score for

AAFES Public Affairs 2011 was a 88, 11 points above the overall average of 77.

“We’re excited about the satisfaction level shown by Fort Buchanan Exchange shoppers,” said the Exchange’s General Manager Tony Pares. “We continue to maintain an intense focus on customer sat-isfaction in an effort to meet, or beat, shoppers’ expecta-tions. The survey, which ad-dresses customer service and many more key issues, is ad-ministered at 130 Exchange main stores around the world. The next CSI survey will take place at Fort Buchanan in the fall 2012. “Feedback from military shoppers is an invalu-able tool in our on-going ef-fort to provide the best service possible,” said Pares. “Both the ACSI and CSI enable us to ensure that when soldier shop, the Fort Buchanan Exchange is top of mind and their first choice.”

FORT LEE, Va. – Eligible students who want to apply for the 2012 Scholarships for Military Children program still have time, but the clock is ticking. Applications must be completed and delivered – not postmarked, but delivered – to a commissary by close of business Feb. 24.

Scholarship applications are available in commissar-ies and online at http://www.commissaries.com – choose the “News & Info” tab and then the “Scholarship Info” tab. Applications are also available at http://www.mili-taryscholar.org. At least one $1,500 scholarship will be awarded at every commissary with qualified applicants.

The following are key re-minders for scholarship appli-cations, which are also avail-able in greater detail on http://www.militaryscholar.org:• Current military ID. Appli-cants and their sponsors must be enrolled in the Defense En-

Deadline nears for ‘Scholarships for Military Children’ applicationsrollment Eligibility Reporting System DEERS database and have a current military ID card. • Military family member. Ap-plicants must be a dependent, unmarried child – no older than 21, or 23 if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university – of a service member on active duty, a re-servist, guardsman or retiree, or survivor of a service mem-ber who died while on active duty or survivor of a retiree. • College bound. The student must be planning to attend, or already be attending, an ac-credited college or university, full time in the fall of 2012 or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year pro-gram.• Essay. The essay must be 500 words or less, stapled to the application and written in the following format: typed, double spaced, no more than two pages, applicant’s name in upper right-hand corner of each page. The essay topic:

“Whose four faces would you place on a 21st century Mount Rushmore-type monu-ment, and why?” The person must be nonfictional, U.S. citizen, male or female – the time frame for the selection is 1850 to 2011. • Correct address. Applicants must provide their permanent home address on the front page of the application – not their college address.• Complete package. The sub-mission package must include the following: 1) transcript or copy of applicant’s grades; 2) essay with applicant’s name on each page; 3) parent or guardian’s signature as well as the applicant’s signature on application; and 4) appli-cant’s high school College Board Code number (if avail-able).• Keep a copy. Applicants should also maintain their own copy of their application and essay.• Submit to one commissary. Applicants can only submit their application to one com-

DeCA Public Affairs missary; submitting to more than one store will disqualify the applicant from consider-ation.• No faxes or emails. Faxed or emailed applications will not

be accepted.For information, contact

Scholarship Managers at 856-616-9311 or email them at [email protected].

Courtesy photo


News6February 2012

El Morro Fort Buchanan

service support missions. The Reserve, he added, is where the bulk of combat support, or CS, and combat service sup-port, known as CSS, Soldiers reside.

“To the point where today, if you’re in the transportation community in the Guard and Reserve, you represent about 80-85 percent of the Army’s capability,” Stultz said, add-ing that for engineers, that number is about 75 percent. The Reserve components also represent about 70 percent of the Army’s medical capacity, about 85 percent of its civil affairs capacity, about 66 per-cent of the Army’s logistics capacity and about 70 percent of its military police.

The Army will continue to lean heavily on the Reserve components for these services after it draws down its own Soldiers.

“Our nation and our military are going to be dependent on access to the Reserve compo-nents,” Stultz said. And the na-tion expects the Reserve to be ready.Operational Reserve

Stultz said the Reserve will be an “operational reserve,” a term he said has been in use now for a number of years. Being an operational reserve involves capability, modular-ity and employer support.

An operational Reserve, he said starts with capability. That means a force with capabilities that can be maintained, that is ready on short notice without the need for a lot of additional training, and that is accessible.

“That, to me, is the start of a definition of an operational Reserve,” Stultz said.

An operational Reserve is a force made of Soldiers who are also civilians. Those Sol-diers must be able to maintain their military skill set even when they are not in uniform -- so when they are called upon, they are ready. To make that happen, Stultz said, the Reserve must focus on being a force that provides skill sets that are shared among both the military and the civilian com-munities.

The Reserve component is able to maintain a ready cadre of Soldiers in the medical field because many of those Sol-diers are working related jobs in the private sector. There, Stultz said, they are getting great training -- sometimes even better than what’s avail-able in the military. The same is true for engineers and other “hard skills” like electricians, carpenters and plumbers.

“To me, an operational Re-serve is where you can have those capabilities,” he said.

Stultz also said the future of the operational Reserve is go-ing to involve modularity.

Amidst concerns of budget and troop reductions, Reserve Soldiers remain a critical component of America’s defense, said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. The general spoke during a Jan. 31, 2012, meeting of the Reserve Officer Association in Washington, D.C.

Photo by C. Todd Lopez

RESERVE, From Page 1

U.S. Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the 35th Expeditionary Signal Bat-talion, 1st Mission Support Command, configures the Voice Over Internet Protocol phones during the unit’s communication exercise 2-3 Dec, 2011. As part of the event, the troops were required to conduct intense troubleshooting tasks to ensure communications was maintained at all times.

“The role of an operational Reserve in the future is going to be plug and play,” Stultz said. “Where do we need these capabilities, and can you scale them either up or down to fit what we need?”

Stultz said a modular opera-tional reserve could provide the capability needed, in the right amount.

“If I need some engineer capability, but I don’t need a whole battalion, can you give it to me?” he asked.

Soldiers in the Reserve components need jobs, and they need employers that un-derstand their service commit-ment. At the same time, the civilian employers of those Soldiers need some stability from their employees.

“If we don’t have the em-ployers and we don’t have the families, we won’t have the Soldiers,” Stultz said. “We have to make the employers part of this equation.”

The Army Reserve champi-oned the Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces program, before it was transitioned to the Department of Defense. That program now involves more than 25,000 civilian em-ployers. The partnership pro-vides good job opportunities to Soldiers, and quality em-ployees to civilian employers -- employees, Stultz said, with

background screenings who are drug free, healthy, and who possess a set of skills that are applicable in the civilian world

“There’s a value of having a Soldier as an employee,” Stultz said. “If we are going to have this operational Reserve, we are going to have to have some confidence we can get to them when we need them, and have the employers say, ‘We support you.’”What Soldiers Want

Soldiers have asked for three things from the Reserve, Stultz said. They want predictability -- and their civilian employers do too, they want the Reserve to put them and their skills to good use and above all, they don’t want their time wasted.

Stultz said the Reserve rec-ognizes that Soldiers have been to Iraq and Afghanistan -- they’ve trained hard for that, and they’ve got combat expe-rience under their belts. Now, he said, they want to main-tain that experience and skill -- they don’t’ want their time wasted with what they consid-er irrelevant training.

“Don’t expect me to show up at a drill hall and sit in a classroom and listen to some PowerPoint presentation -- that’s not relevant,” he said, relaying sentiments he’s heard from Soldiers. “Make the training worthwhile.”

To that end, Stultz said, the Reserve is investing in simu-lator training, including those for weapons systems and ve-hicle simulators. “That is what we want that Soldier to expe-rience when he comes to that drill -- something realistic.”

Trained Reserve Soldiers want to put their skills to use, Stultz said. And the Reserve knows how to do that.

“That’s were that predict-ability, that five-year model comes into play,” he said. Four years at home for a Reserve Soldier means predictability for him, his family and his em-ployer -- after that, they want the opportunity to put their training to use doing some-thing meaningful for the Re-serve.

“If you look at what’s a huge demand now, it is a lot of sta-bility, theater-engaged, securi-ty-cooperation types of work that we’ve been doing,” he said. Included in those kinds of engagements are medical readiness exercises abroad in countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Pana-ma, Columbia and Haiti.

In the past, units might have deployed to such missions for a month. Now, Stultz said, he could let units go for three months or more.

RESERVE Page 7

Photo courtesy 35th Expeditionary Signal Battalion


NewsEl Morro Fort Buchanan

7February 2012

RESERVE, From Page 6

The Reserve could provide hospital units to the Southern Command, for instance, allow-ing expansion of engagement opportunities. Engineer units, he added, could be deployed a company at a time, for 90 days each and overlapping -- “Let them build a school all through the year.”Soldier for Life

Stultz said he told the Ar-my’s chief of staff if he could change one thing about the Army, he’d like to create an Army culture that supported the notion of “a Soldier for life.”

Such a culture, he said, would provide Soldiers with the opportunity to move more easily, in either direction, be-tween the Reserve and active components.

“We have to be able to pro-

vide this continuum where you can move back and forth, as you or the Army desires,” he said.

Even Soldiers in the Indi-vidual Ready Reserve would be assigned to a particular unit for both muster and support. The effort gives Soldiers the ability to move back to mili-tary life if they want.

A “Soldier for life” culture, he said, provides Soldiers a way to continue to serve their country full time, or part time -- explaining that some Sol-diers might want to serve part time, but simply don’t’ know how to make it happen.

For the Army, he said, it helps to prevent the loss of years of training and skill.

“If we’re going to come down from 570,000 to 490,000 on the active side, think of the investment that is going to walk out the door if we don’t

have the right transition pro-gram in place,” he said.

The Reserve is working closely with the Army to mini-mize that loss of investment, Stultz said. He also stressed the importance of informing Soldiers of their options as they prepare to leave the ac-tive component. Additionally, the important relationships the Reserve has built with civilian employers makes it easier for Soldiers to find jobs as they prepare to move out of the ac-tive Army -- and that makes it easier to choose to stay in the Army as a member of the Re-serve.

“For every one of those that transitions into the reserve, that’s one less recruit to pay a bonus to, that’s one less triag-ing seat at Fort Jackson (S.C.) or Fort Benning (Ga.) -- be-cause we’ve already invested in that Soldier,” Stultz said.

Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Neddie Feliciano passed away Jan. 19, at the age of 70, due to health complications.

Command Sgt. Maj. Feli-ciano was born Sept. 9, 1941 and served as the senior non-commissioned officer in the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, while serving with the 65th US Army Reserve Com-mand, from 1986 to 1993.

“When he saw something wrong, he didn’t hesitate in making a correction” said Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Felix A. San-toni, former Commanding General of the 65th ARCOM, and current Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Puerto Rico, while reflecting

Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Neddie Feliciano

about Feliciano’s days in the command. The members of the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico express deepest sympa-thy to the family of Command Sgt. Maj. Feliciano. May he rest in peace.

By José Babilonia1st MSC Public Affairs

SAN ANTONIO – The Army has developed a Civilian Record Brief for civilian employees and their supervisors.

The one-page CRB provides a snapshot of an employee’s of-ficial data pulled from various sources: MyBiz, Defense Ci-vilian Personnel Data System, Notices of Personnel Actions (SF-50s), and Army Training Requirements and Resources System. By consolidating data onto a single page, employees will be able to easily review their personnel data, ensuring the official database information is accurate and complete.

Installation Management Command leadership empha-sizes the importance of civilian employees taking ownership of their careers and ensuring their records are correct. The CRB will serve as a vehicle to correct and update missing or outdated information such as training, awards, performance histories and education. Civilians will be able to use MyBiz to self-certify and update degrees, professional licenses, occupational certifica-tions, professional military edu-cation and technical training. It

will also enable supervisors and managers to better mentor em-ployees.

A side benefit of the CRB is the ability to use it as a founda-tion for and/or attachment to resumes and Individual Devel-opment Plans (IDPs). The CRB enables employees to include employment data not included in official records that may be of value to a future employer (such as non-Army positions, developmental assignments and military duties).

The CRB will be available to employees through the Em-ployee tab in CPOL. You may update some information using the self-service capabilities of MyBiz and CPOL Portal. To access your CRB go to http://acpol.army.mil/and log in via the Employee Portal. Click on the Employee tab and your CRB will be located under the Self Service Applications section. Changes made using MyBiz will normally be reflected in the employee’s personnel record the following day. If you encoun-ter issues when accessing your CRB, use the help desk ticket function in MyBiz.

Former 65th USARCOM command sergeant major succumbs to illness

New Civilian Record Brief provides employees a snapshot of their data

New bioelectric bandage interests Army

FORT DETRICK, Md. -- The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has ini-tiated steps to evaluate a new bioelectric bandage

Small silver and zinc dots embedded into cloth create micro-currents in the presence of moisture. This may create an anti-microbial environment and provide pain reduction.

The use of silver on burns has a long history of preventing

infections. The combination of silver, zinc, and moisture is pur-ported to create pain-reducing antimicrobial micro-currents. According to literature from the manufacturer, the results of this bandage dressing include faster healing, greater pain control, reduced incidence of infection, and decreased scarring.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the device for antimicrobial wound care, which is the primary rea-son for the Army’s genuine in-terest in the product. The ban-

dage is currently being used on hard-to-heal wounds, with mul-tiple research studies underway. Anecdotal results are promising, especially with regard to pain control. In some cases, wound pain is reported to be reduced dramatically.

The nature of the cloth con-forms well to multiple surfaces of the body. Bacterial, viral, and fungal infections are anticipated to be impacted by the antimicro-bial properties of the bandage dressing, which has tremendous potential for Soldier use.

Studies are underway with Ranger units. Recently, at a Ranger road march, a consid-erable number of Soldiers ob-tained blisters and were treated with the bandage. The results were notable, as many Soldiers reported dramatic pain relief and the ability to quickly return to the march.

The public may hear more about this bandage as indica-tions for use are expanded. Currently, indications for use are directed toward all full- and partial-thickness skin wounds, from simple abrasions and skin tears to traumatic wounds and surgical sites.

By Dan KennedyPMO Medical Devices

A new bioelectric bandage is being examined by the Army to see if it speeds up healing, provides greater pain control, reduces infection risk, and de-creases scarring.

Courtesy Photo


News8February 2012


DoD begins prorating imminent danger pay

Spc. Aaron Sellars, from Cobden, Ill., serving with 3rd Platoon, A Company, 3-1 Special Troop Bat-talion, provides security during a convoy stop, Khoshi district, Logar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2012. Service members deployed to places such as Afghanistan will now receive imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas, Pentagon officials said Feb. 2, in Washington, D.C.Photo by Spc. Austin Berner

WASHINGTON -- Service members now will receive imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas, Pentagon officials said here today.

The change, which took ef-fect yesterday, was included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service

President Barack Obama signed into law Dec. 31.

“Members will see the pro-rated amount in their Feb. 15 pay records,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.

The act called for DOD to pay service members im-minent danger pay only for the time they spend in areas that qualify for the pay. In the past, service members re-

ceived $225 per month if they spent any time that month in an area where the pay was au-thorized.

“This is a more targeted way of handling that pay,” Kirby said.

Now, service members will receive $7.50 a day for days spent in these areas. Person-nel who travel to the designat-ed areas for periods less than 30 days should keep track of

the number of days they are in the area to verify that they are paid for the correct number of days, officials said.

The military services are working to waive or remit debts for members who may have been overpaid for January, of-ficials said. The services can waive this “when there is no indication of fraud, fault, m i s r e p r e -sentation, or when mem-bers were unaware they were overpaid,” Pentagon spokeswoman Ei-leen Lainez said.

Proration is based on a 30-

Members will see the pro-rated amount in their Feb. 15 pay records,

Navy Capt. John Kirby- Pentagon spokesman

day month, which translates into a rate of $7.50 per day. It does not matter if the month is 28 or 31 days long, officials explained; if service members serve in affected areas for the complete month, they will re-

ceive the full rate of $225 per month.

The De-fense De-p a r t m e n t d e f i n e s i m m i n e n t danger pay areas as places where members are subject to the threat of

physical harm or imminent danger because of civil insur-rection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.

Service members who come under fire, regardless of location, will receive the full monthly hostile-fire pay amount of $225.

Service members will re-ceive notification of the change via emails, on the MyPay system, on social me-dia sites and via the chain of command.

Fort Buchanan’s organizational page is now available on Facebook

From Facebook.com Search “U.S. Army Garrison Fort Buchanan”

then find our government organization page.or visit

www.facebook.com/fortbuchanan

Fort Buchanan now has an official page on Facebook. Find photos, video and important news and event information

from us here by logging on and clicking “like” on our page. This month look for the snake rescue photo album, which

documented the recovery and release of an endangered Puerto Rican Boa.


NewsEl Morro Fort Buchanan February 2012

9

Marie Ramírez, an administrative assistant with the Directorate of Public Works speaks to members of the Fort Bu-chanan work force about the benefits she gained as a graduate of the Civilian Leader Development Program during the town hall meeting Feb. 2. The Fort Buchanan’s Civilian Leader Development Program has extended the deadline to apply from Feb. 14 to Feb. 29. CLDP class two is scheduled to begin in June.

Photos by Luis Delgadillo

LEADER, From Page 1

that Fort Buchanan is going through but (it’s something) the whole Army is going through,” he said.

While it’s no secret that there will be some reduction in the number of employees at Fort Buchanan Cushman expressed the need to stay fo-cused on the mission.

“I continue to ask that you continue to do what you do every single day for us. The way you do your work the way you support our custom-ers. The way you support each other because that’s really our job and we have to be commit-ted to doing that every single day,” Cush-man said.

This in-cludes sup-porting the Army Re-serve Com-mand’s em-phasis on the installation suppo r t i ng the Army Re-serve island-wide, which includes “supporting the real-property responsibility of all of the Reserve centers throughout the island,” Cushman said.

Cushman spoke about Maj. Gen. Gil Beck’s visit to the garrison the week of Jan. 23-27. Beck is the commander of the 81st Regional Support Command, and the Senior Commander for Fort Buchan-an.

“Let me tell you, that his

(Beck’s) impression of Fort Buchanan is that it is a great place, and you are great peo-ple, doing a great job,” he said.

When Cushman completed his remarks he gave the floor to Tindoll who immediately issued a challenge to garrison employees.

“I want to start with the leader development program, I had the opportunity to meet the members that took advan-tage of that opportunity, ‘you all stand up one more time,’ ladies and gentlemen these are the future leaders of this organization,” said Tindoll. “You inspired me, you fired me up, you made me believe that where we are going is go-

ing to exceed what lead-ers today, i n c l u d i n g myself, have become.”

According to program m a n a g e r s such train-ing does not guarantee a promotion at Fort Buchan-

an but instead prepares ambi-tious members of the work force to seek challenges else where and the training increas-es the likelihood of advancing one’s career.

“I challenge the various di-rectorates to send your best (through the CLDP), if you don’t send your best you’re sending the wrong people,” said Tindoll.

The other main point Tindoll

addressed with the crowd was the need for all installations to, “get smaller.”

One of the ways Tindoll said this was going to take shape was through a reduction in the amount approved that can be distributed as bonus awards. The cap for awards was 5 per-cent of an employees salary but in the 2012 fiscal year bo-nuses will be capped at 1 per-cent.

Shifting gears the Atlantic

region director turned his at-tention to the item missing from the garrison colors.

“We have the essence of a team but your lacking one thing ... the Army Commu-nity of Excellence award,” said Tindoll. “I want to see a streamer on this flag.”

Tindoll described the chal-lenges that Fort Buchanan faces in successfully compet-ing as an Army Community of Excellence and issued another

We have the essence of a team but your lacking one thing ... the Army Commu-nity of Excellence award

Davis D. Tindoll Jr.- Atlantic Region Director

challenge: to improve commu-nication and work together and overcome obstacles as a team.

The town hall meeting em-phasized the challenges that the installation faces but more than anything it served as a call to action.

To be better and do better in order to provide Soldier, Civil-ians and their Families with a quality of life commensurate with the quality of their ser-vice.

Davis D. Tindoll Jr, Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region director and Col John D. Cushman listen to a briefing given by the Director-ate of Public Works Feb. 2

The Sentinel of the CaribbeanFebruary 201210 Federal Voter Assistance Programhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/fortbuchanan_elmorro/

Election year is heating up and Fort Buchanan’s Voting Assistance Officer, Luis Cruz located in the Welcome Center, Building 152 is ready to help gar-rison Soldiers with any questions related to voting.

During this election year he was chosen by his su-periors at the Directorate of Human Resources to en-sure that Soldiers assigned to the garrison exercise their right to vote.

“The purpose of the voter assistance program is to (help) US personnel that live abroad, including Puer-to Rico, how to request and how to access the voters

absentee ballot cards,” said Cruz. His normal duties include assisting families of survivors understand the benefits they are entitled.

“There is a new system that is online and voters can go and register into this Web site and actually fill out the absentee ballot online, which is a lot easier, rather than requesting the absentee ballot and having to fill it out manually,” said Cruz.

Cruz said that if there are people who wish to fill it out absentee ballot request forms manually or with some assistance, not with selecting candidates but with the process, he is available to facilitate the pro-gram.

Soldiers from Puerto Rico who are abroad can also

Garrison voting assistance officer open for businessreceive assistance from Cruz if they have any ques-tions but ultimately they must complete the process themselves.

“He (the Soldier) has the responsibility of sending it or taking it to the elections office here in Puerto Rico,” said Cruz.

Cruz said that like him there is also a person fa-cilitating this program with the 1st Mission Support Command. The person there is Luis Camacho, a hu-man resources specialist. Cruz even has the added role of being able to provide voting assistance to units outside the 1st MSC’s subordinate units like the 2-348th Infantry Regiment or the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, which are located here at Fort Buchanan.

Though Cruz is relatively new to the program, hav-ing only complete the required training two months ago, he now knows the process and has already helped Soldiers at the garrison.

Sgt. Michele Fermin, a paralegal noncommis-sioned officer with the installation legal office visited Cruz recently and picked up her voting materials for her home state of New York.

“I did it that way last year also,” said Fermin refer-

Luis Cruz, a casualty assistance officer with the Directorate of Human Resources has been designated as the Voting Assistance Officer for Fort Buchanan’s Soldiers. While the garrison only has a few Soldiers assigned Cruz said that he would be open to helping members of the civilian work force who wish to exercise their right to vote through absentee ballot

By Luis Delgadillo Fort Buchanan Public Affairs


Fort Buchanan

Federal Voter Assistance Program 11http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortbuchanan_elmorro/

Garrison voting assistance officer open for businessreceive assistance from Cruz if they have any ques-tions but ultimately they must complete the process themselves.

“He (the Soldier) has the responsibility of sending it or taking it to the elections office here in Puerto Rico,” said Cruz.

Cruz said that like him there is also a person fa-cilitating this program with the 1st Mission Support Command. The person there is Luis Camacho, a hu-man resources specialist. Cruz even has the added role of being able to provide voting assistance to units outside the 1st MSC’s subordinate units like the 2-348th Infantry Regiment or the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, which are located here at Fort Buchanan.

Though Cruz is relatively new to the program, hav-ing only complete the required training two months ago, he now knows the process and has already helped Soldiers at the garrison.

Sgt. Michele Fermin, a paralegal noncommis-sioned officer with the installation legal office visited Cruz recently and picked up her voting materials for her home state of New York.

“I did it that way last year also,” said Fermin refer-

ring to using the voter assistance program. Fermin said that as soon as she received the memo disemi-nated by the Director of Human Resources, Maria Morales she knew who to go see about exercising her right to vote. “I just vote in the federal election,” she said

While Fermin’s experience with the process was relatively painless others don’t fare so well.

Cruz said the most common problem is, “People not knowing how to use the absentee ballot system. It’s not used quite as often as it should.”

Though Cruz can help with basic questions he said it is ultimately the responsibility of all voters to gain an understanding of the voting laws from the state they wish to vote in. Cruz said members of the com-munity should keep an eye out for him and his coun-terpart, Camacho at the 1st MSC because toward the middle of February they will host an information dis-play at the Exchange mall.

“We encourage people to vote, to use their given right to vote … we are here, we have the system in place to sit down and go over the absentee ballot (re-quest form) if they have any questions,” he said.

Luis Cruz, a casualty assistance officer with the Directorate of Human Resources has been designated as the Voting Assistance Officer for Fort Buchanan’s Soldiers. While the garrison only has a few Soldiers assigned Cruz said that he would be open to helping members of the civilian work force who wish to exercise their right to vote through absentee ballot


Features12February 2012


El Morro Sits down with DAV national service officer

1. El Morro: How long have you been a member of the Fort Buchanan community?

About six years.2. El Morro: Where did you come from?

I came from St. Peters-burg, I was actually born here but raised in the states. I was raised in Detroit, then joined the military and when I left the military the DAV hired me as a paid employee.3. El Morro: How long has the organization been serv-ing veterans in Puerto Rico?

Since about the 1970s. The organization started in 1920 by a group of people who had a common interest to help the other veterans get through the disability process and in 1932 it was chartered by congress.4. El Morro: What does your typical workday look like?

Did you visit USAG Fort Buchanan today? Let us know how was your experience in our facilities? How was our service?

It is very easy to provide feedback through: hardcopy comment card, your personal computers and now through your smartphones. Yes, now you can

provide us immediate feedback, through your smartphones:

1. Go to an iphone or Android apps store2. Download any barcode scanning application3. Scan the barcode on the office poster

When filling out the ICE comment, please make sure you answer the satisfac-tion question (“Were you satisfied with your experience at this office/facility?”). The satisfaction percentage on the ICE report is based on the number of “yes”

responses to the satisfaction question. The Overall Satisfaction question is designed to rate the customer total experience and the results are used to determine the satisfaction percentage for that particular service. If the cus-

tomer does not respond to the satisfaction question, the submission will not be included in the satisfaction percentage that is rolled up in reports.

With your feedback, our services always improve. ICE makes it better!

Ever feel like there was something missing from the El Morro?

Like perhaps your unit?

El Morro is the Fort Buchanan community newspa-per and the editorial board wants to include military

units from Fort Buchanan in its pages.

If you’re tenant unit would like stories or stand alone photos published in the El Morro contact the editor,

Luis Delgadillo at: (787)707-5762 or by e-mail at [email protected]

If you are military retiree or service member wishing to announce a garage sale or place a classified ad,

beginning in January, El Morro will launch a classifieds section. Call today for space and details.

Normally, in the morning I usually get into the office at 7 o’clock. The rest of the staff usually is in at 7:30 a.m. or 8 o’clock. We do interviews, schedule interviews, if a per-son walks in we also do walk in interviews based on what is going on and what evidence is needed to substantiate the claim. Review files to see if there is documentation that we can grab onto to help substan-tiate the claim. Also, uh, we do board of veterans appeals hearings, we do teleconfer-ences. As a matter of fact, next week we’re doing teleconfer-ence hearings. We have board members that come from the board of veterans appeals in Washington D.C. They come down and do the hearings also … so (we do) appeals, hear-ing, claims … a lot of stuff like that. We also provide service over in the hospital, the VA medical center in room 103.

5. El Morro: The veterans hearings, are those for ser-vice members who haven’t been approved for disability benefits?

Exactly, it’s part of the ap-pellate process; you file a no-

tice of disagreement with the decision. Normally, we try to avoid the whole appeals pro-cess, why, because the veteran and the family are the ones who suffer. We can request a reconsideration and say ‘hey there’s more evidence here’. We can do a local hearing with the employee at the regional office, (called the) decision review officer process, that’s more like a seasoned rating

specialist, that’s been around for many years. They have the authority to change the deci-sion that was made before and if that doesn’t satisfy the ap-peal we can go to the board of veteran’s appeals.6. El Morro: What are some common misconceptions about Disabled American Veterans, the organization?

Martinez: There are indi-viduals that do not know that

they can get benefits. You don’t have to have a missing limb; you don’t have to have a scarred face. There are people who have disabilities with psy-chiatric conditions; they have conditions that you can’t see … internal organs, especially with the IEDs improvised explosive devices. You have people who have internal inju-

As a longtime advocate of veterans, Alex(is) Martinez, supervisor, national service officer for Disabled American Veterans works day in day out to enable veterans and pre-serve the services they have. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

DAV Page 19

Courtesy graphic


Healthy Living 13El Morro Fort Buchanan February 2012

Puppy love: Choosing the right dog for you

Deciding what kind of dog to get is as important as de-ciding whether to get a dog in the first place. The American Kennel Club recognizes over 160 different breeds of dog, and each of these breeds has its own unique temperament, appearance, activity level and set of needs. You should do some serious and careful research to determine which breed of dog is right for you and your family. Here are some things to consider:

Temperament: You’re going to be living with this dog for a long time, so you need to make sure he has a person-ality you can live with. Do you want a dog that is active, or subdued? A dog that is eas-ily trained, or strong-willed? A dog that is friendly to ev-eryone he meets, or one that is loyal to family but aloof toward strangers? A dog that needs a lot of attention from family members, and lots of activity to prevent him from becoming bored and destruc-tive, or a dog that is content

to be left alone for periods of time during the day?

Size: All little puppies are adorable, of course, but they grow quickly-and some of them grow a lot. Find out how large-in height and weight-that cute puppy will become before you bring him home. Remember that larger dogs re-quire more food and space-is your yard or living room big enough to meet his needs? And keep in mind that some little dogs still need lots of room to run around and burn off energy.

Coat/Grooming Needs: All dogs need to be groomed regularly to stay healthy and clean; most dogs will shed. But some dogs shed profusely all year round; some shed in clumps for a few weeks; some dogs shed only a little bit. Long-coated dogs are beau-tiful to look at, but require a lot of effort to stay that way. Short-coated dogs are easier to care for, but may still shed, and may require protection in cold or wet weather. Dogs with fancy trims may need profes-sional grooming. Decide how much dog hair you’re willing to put up with, and how much time and energy you can af-ford, when you’re deciding

which breed is right for you.

Male or Fe-male: In gen-eral, there is no significant dif-ference in tem-perament between male and female dogs. If you are get-ting a dog for a pet, you will want to have your dog spayed or neutered, which will elimi-nate most minor differences anyway. If you plan to show or breed your dog, you must be vigilant about preventing unwanted breedings by keep-ing your intact male safely confined to your house or yard, and by keeping your intact female away from other dogs when she comes into heat twice yearly.

Puppy or Adult: The ad-vantage of getting a puppy-aside from its irresistible cute-ness-is that you can raise it by yourself from the beginning, and participate in its training and socialization every step of the way. The disadvantage is that training a puppy requires a great deal of time and pa-tience. Busy families should keep in mind that puppies can-

not be left alone for more than a few hours at a time. They need plenty of trips outside, frequent meals, and lots of interaction with people. Adult dogs-whether purchased di-rectly from a breeder or ad-opted from a rescue group-can be ideal for people who want a dog with fewer needs. Mature dogs tend to be calmer; some are already house-trained and know some basic obedience.

Health: Some breeds may be prone to hereditary diseas-es or conditions. Many breeds can be screened for certain conditions, such as hip or eye problems; this certification should be available to you when you go to look at a pup-py. Being educated about the health considerations of your chosen breed can help you to avoid or alleviate future prob-lems.

Where You Live: Consider the climate where you live, a Saint Bernard is not likely to be very happy living where the temperatures are often in the 90s, and a Chihuahua will need extra care if living in the cold of Alaska!

Start Your Search: After you have made a list of the charac-teristics you want in your new dog, you can search for differ-

By Capt. Taylor Opel, DVMFort Buchanan Veterinary Treatment Facility

NFL legend helps Army tackle behavioral health stigmaFORT BLISS, Texas, -- NFL

legend. Heisman Trophy win-ner. Named as the best running back in college football history by ESPN. These all describe Herschel Walker, best known as a running back for the Dal-las Cowboys. However, many people may not know that there are other sides to Walker.

Walker was recently on Fort Bliss to visit Soldiers and their families, as well as to help spread a message. That message was plain and simple. There is no shame in seeking help.

Walker suffers from what is known as Dissociative Iden-tity Disorder, or DID. It is more

Building 676 Sallyport St.

Appointments available for Active Duty Military, Retirees, Dependants, Coast Guard, Army National Guard, Reserv-ists, Fort Buchanan Residents, GS Employees, Fort Buchanan Security Personnel, US Cus-

toms and FBI Personnel.

Normal Business HoursMonday to Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Surgical and Dental services available

Please call 787-707-2038 to schedule an appointment.

Fort Buchanan Veterinary Treatment

Facility

commonly known as multiple personality disorder.

“Sometimes we forget just how tough life really is,” said Walker. “Sometimes we think that life is roses. I am here to tell you in a rosebush, there are a lot of thorns.”

Walker was not diagnosed with DID until after his play-ing days were over. Once he received the diagnosis, he knew it was important to himself and his family to seek help. Now he is hoping to spread that message to more out there. Walker began his visit by speaking with the Wounded Warriors of the War-rior Transition Battalion. After sharing the story of what he has had to overcome in his life,

he posed for pictures and auto-graphs.

“I love coming to places like this,” Walker told the Wounded Warriors. “All I have done is play a little football game. I am really jealous of you guys.”

Walker even shared that he has had other behavioral health issues in his family. He had a nephew who served in Afghani-stan, Sean, who he saw a change in after he returned.

“He wasn’t the same Sean I knew before he left,” said Walk-er. “When he came back, you could see that he was different. What he went through is some-thing I will never see. Whatever it is that he is going through, I want to help him.”

Walker continued his day by visiting Freedom Crossing to sign more autographs and take pictures with Soldiers and their families. He then continued to William Beaumont Army Medi-cal Center, where he visited staff and patients. Walkers visit was very welcome by the command at the WTB. It is huge to have a celebrity come forward to ad-mit something like this,” said Lt. Col. William M. Gazis, com-mander of the Warrior Transition Battalion. “Usually if they are in the public eye, they may try to hide it.”

“For Soldiers to hear him talk, makes them understand that, if he can do it, so can I. It lets our Soldiers know that they can re-

By Staff Sgt. Casey J. McGeorgeFORSCOM Public Affairs

ent breeds using many online breed databases. The AKC has good information on over 160 breeds. You may also want to go to dog shows and speak with breeders and trainers to get more information. And, of course, your veterinarian is also a great source of information and advice on choosing your new pup!

cover from seeking behavioral health help. It shows they can do anything they want to do.”

The top noncommissioned of-ficer in the battalion agreed.

“The majority of people view celebrities as iconic,” said Com-mand Sgt. Maj. Marlo V. Cross, the command sergeant major of the battalion. “We forget that they are just people. We each have challenges that we have to deal with every day.”

Walker hopes to continue to visit Fort Bliss in the future to ensure that those who need it seek the help that they need.

“I love the military,” said Walker. “No matter what it is, whatever it is that you are going through, there is help out there.”


Features14February 2012


Luis Salazar on safety: A valentine from your bikeBy Luis SalazarSafety Office Contractor

In an effort to improve the reg-istration process for all Soldiers, the new Web site through the Army IMCOM Registration Sys-tem will make registration for all courses easier to accomplish.

Registration is now required for all driving courses as well as for Motorcycle Safety Founda-tion courses.

The new address is https://apps.imcom.army.mil/AIRS

This site will provide on-line registration and management of traffic safety training courses for the Army Traffic Safety Training Program. You can view course calendars to see what courses are being offered at garrisons in your local area. It will also aid

you in successfully registering for courses electronically using a web based browser or smart phone. To view available cours-es, log on to the link above and select a region and then a garri-son from the drop down menu. From there just choose the date of the course and register.

Army Traffic Safety Training Program gets a new Web site

https://apps.imcom.army.mil/AIRS

The relationships that form be-tween motorcycles and their owners have always been a matter of great curiosity.

Some riders as part of this great love affair shower their bikes with hundreds, some-times thousands of dollars. Rid-ers will install things that will soup up the en-gine, install the latest electronic gadgets and need we say engulf themselves and their bikes in the bling bling syndrome as they deck ev-erything out in mirror shiny chrome. Notwithstanding all the money in-vested, whenever bikers talk about their bikes names like Eleonor, La Chulita and Mi Bebe are common affectionate emotions that are trans-ferred to something that is basically a concoction of metal, plastic and rub-ber. There is that sense of personality in each ride that we share and it goes beyond the aforementioned.

The love affair that most riders share with their motorcycles some-times rivals that of their wives. I know a few riders that have sworn that when they die they want their motorcycle buried with them…hmm what a thought!

You’d never say that about your wife, right? It doesn’t end there be-cause the motorcycle represents a true sense of wind in your face free-dom that just does not happen with anything else.

Maybe this is why this bonding experience is so unique. A rider once told me that he liked his motorcycle more that his girlfriend because she (the motorcycle) didn’t nag, spend his money or force him to go out on expensive dates. See what I mean? Maybe it would have been cheaper to

find a new girl-friend.

Regardless of the human rela-tions that may be involved in a rider’s life one important thing to understand is that each rider should prolong their relationship

with their motorcycle for as long as possible.

This doesn’t mean keep the bike for longer than you would want to, it really means take care of yourself in such a way that you will outlast your motorcycle. The obvious reason is that we want all riders to not only enjoy every ride they take but also ride in the safest manner possible to handle unforeseen problems.

All riders would like to ride their bikes for as long as they live so the idea here is to prolong life. Remem-ber the adage, “live to ride, ride to live”

Think about the following as a mo-torcycle’s valentine present that your bike would like to give to you on this special date in February and know that your motorcycle stands 100% behind me on this. In fact your mo-torcycle would probably tell you this but it can’t speak.

Consider these three things as

possible gifts from your motorcycle in February. Your trusty iron steed would definitely like for you to use correct personal protective equip-ment every time you ride, personally asses your risk on every ride by mak-ing good decisions and get some mo-torcycle training if you haven’t gone through training in a while.

I can almost hear those thunder-ing pipes scream out “USE YOUR PPE!!!”

Begin with a DOT helmet and good eye protection. This is critical because head and brain injuries con-tinue to be the primary cause of mo-torcycle fatalities. DOT helmets well used and worn will protect you by reducing risk of injury by over 70%. Follow that up with long sleeves, full fingered gloves, long pants and some boots that will protect you at all times.

As motorcycle riders we are con-tinually vulnerable not only to the dangers of the highway, but also of the environment and the weather. In all these cases PPE will always be a help to you. Too many motorcyclists will pay the price each year in un-needed road rash, broken limbs and sprains that would have been mini-mized by using good protective gear.

A sound decision is something that your motorcycle would definitely ap-preciate when you ride. Sound deci-sions are a good way to spend true quality time with your bike. Don’t overlook the obvious, play the “what if” game and most of all pay atten-tion to the road as you ride. Don’t be spooked by other riders tempting you to ride above your skill limit.

Stay in the zone and purpose in yourself to be aware of the risk in-

volved in your riding and the con-sequences of your actions behind the handlebars. Good riders will not depend so much on superior skills as much as on good judgment. Good judgment will let you see problems before they hatch, will keep your rid-ing style balanced and will always keep you from going off the edge.

Training is the spice of riding. As you practice riding skills on the range that are seen only in emergencies on the street you will not only learn how to react to special situations but will also have the confidence that you are using the best techniques to prepare for an emergency.

By riding out these exercises you’ll gain valuable experience and knowl-edge as you practice life saving drills.

From the Fort Buchanan Safety Of-fice we can provide all Soldiers with the Basic Rider Course, The Experi-enced Rider Course and the Military Sport Rider Course. Training classes are at no cost to Soldiers and required to be able to ride your motorcycle. Check out our courses at https://apps.imcom.army.mil/airs or call me at 787-707-2560.

Can you hear it? “Yes!” your mo-torcycle cries out. “These are my three gifts to you boss. Use you PPE, make good decisions and train.” Hope to see you soon on the highway or better yet on the range.

The love affair that most riders share with their motorcycles sometimes rivals that of their wives.

15

Ponce, PR- Approximately 100 soldiers assigned to the 475th Eng. Co., 1st Mission Sup-port Command, US Army Re-serve-Puerto Rico, came home to an emotive and happy recep-tion, Jan. 14, after a yearlong mobilization in Afghanistan.

“The 475th Eng. Co. had one of the toughest missions that any unit of this command has faced in a long time,” said Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernández, com-mander of the US Army Reserve Forces in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

As a combat heavy engi-neer company, the 475th was in charge of improving the in-frastructure in different areas of Afghanistan, to include places controlled by Taliban forces.

“We built many miles of road-ways to improve the transporta-tion around the country, allowing the security forces to have access to previously inaccessible areas. We were basically going to the Taliban’s backyard,” said 1st Lt. Mike Martinez, acting com-mander of the engineer unit.

Due to the nature of their mis-sion, approximately 70 percent of the unit’s forces were awarded the Combat Action Badge, in recognition for their performance

Home from Afghanistan

under enemy fire. In addition, at least three soldiers earned a Purple Heart decoration, for be-ing wounded in the line of duty, as a result of enemy fire. Staff Sgt. Luis Pérez-Serrano was one of the recipients of the Purple Hearts.

“It was a difficult year, but we were able to accomplish the mission successfully,” said Pérez Serrano.

The performance of the 475th validates the 1st MSC pre-de-ployment training program and the inherent strengths of the troops and families assigned to the largest US Army Reserve Command in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

By Maj. Carlos Cuebas1st MSC Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Luis Pérez-Serrano, assigned to the 475th Eng. Co. hugs his wife Janet Lugo, at the Reserve Center in Ponce, PR, shortly after returning from Afghanistan, Jan. 14. Pérez-Serrano is one of the three recipients of the Purple Heart decoration, for being wounded in the line of duty, as a result of enemy fire.

Family members and friends cheer as the buses transporting soldiers from the 475th Eng. Co., 1st Mission Support Command, arrive to the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Ponce PR, Jan. 14.

“These mobilizations teach you the value of things that you may not have appreciated be-fore,” said Staff Sgt. Marilyn Bernier, one of the few female soldiers in the unit and who su-pervised construction projects during the deployment.

“A big thank you to my fam-ily for their unwavering support. Without them, I would never have gotten here,” said Bernier.

Staff Sgt. Octavio Pérez-Colón, a Construction Equip-ment Operator with the 475th, was also happy for their return to the island.

“I am glad to finally be back home. Thanks to God all the members of the unit came back

Spc. Johnny Sabino, a member of the 475th Eng. Co., U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, hugs his daughter Nicole (8) at the Reserve Center in Ponce, PR, shortly after returning from Afghanistan, Jan. 14.

safely. This was a very difficult year with many, many missions and moments of stress, but we were able to do our job,” said Pérez-Colón. Perez-Colón’s wife, Wanda Mayoral, also ex-pressed her relieve.

“I cried a lot when I first saw my husband today. I had many mixed emotions. But this is over and he is finally here. We have a party in our neighborhood to

receive him,” said Mayoral who was also the unit’s Family Read-iness Group leader during the deployment.

“I must thank all the families for their support during this past year,” added Mayoral.

The US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico has mobilized approxi-mately 5,000 troops in direct support to the War against Ter-rorism, since the year 2001.

Spc. Walter Román, a member of the 475th Eng. Co., US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, is greeted by family members and friends at the Reserve Center in Ponce, PR, shortly after returning from Afghanistan, Jan 14, 2012.

Photos by Cadet Maria Rivera Baez

Command Sgt. Maj. Josué Maldonado, the new 393rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion senior Noncommissioned Officer, observes the candidates of the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico Audie Murphy Board, Aug. 31 2011, at the 1st MSC headquarters. Maldonado was one of the Audie Murphy Board members.

Photo provided by 389th UPAR

The 393rd Combat Sus-tainment Support Battalion (CSSB) has a new Command Sergeant Mayor (CSM) in Command Sgt. Maj. Josué Maldonado, who assumed the position voluntarily, with the interest of mobilizing with the unit in the future.

Maldonado, with nearly 22 years in the military, comes from a military family. His fa-ther served in World War II and served two tours in Korea.

Before assuming the role of the senior Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) in the 393rd CSSB, Maldonado served in the 346th Transportation Corps Battalion located in Roosevelt Roads Ceida, PR.

The new 393rd CSM de-ployed as a first Sgt. to Iraq from 2005 to 2006, with ap-proximately 122 soldiers under

his command, for a period of 12 months.

“Being a 1st Sgt. is one of the most beautiful positions that any NCO can go through, because you are taking care of people,” said Maldonado em-phatically.

“I am here for the soldiers, for my troopers, for the Ser-vice and for the things that we believe in, so I don’t have any problems to do what we have to do to conserve or to preserve our way of life,” said Maldona-do when asked about his objec-tives in this new position.

While explaining his philos-ophy as the 393rd senior NCO, Maldonado stated “just follow the rules, do what is right le-gally and morally, stay focused on the mission and in what you are doing and make it happen, ” he stated.

Maldonado also reflected on the role of the NCO and of-fered advice to the new breed

393rd CSSB has a new Senior NCO16

Photos by Staff Sgt. José Santos Santos

By José Babilonia1st MSC Public Affairs

of NCO’s in the US Army Re-serve.

“If you live according to the Army Values you should have no problem. Put passion in everything you do. Be profes-sional, stay focused, stay on line always and then you are going to become a good NCO,” the CSM said.

The new 393rd CSM also ar-ticulated his general guidance to all troops in the battalion, as they prepare for upcoming mis-sions.

“We are here to do what know better: our business. Right now our business is be-ing soldiers and that is what we are going to do. We are going to do our mission for the things in what we believe: Democracy and Freedom.”

As one of the two Combat Sustainment Support Battal-ions in the 1st MSC, the 393rd provides maintenance, trans-portation, and other logistical

support as required to Brigade elements, providing sustain-ment across the full spectrum of operations.

The 393rd CSSB is com-posed of eight other units, one

Military Police Company, one Military Police Detachment, two Quarter Master Compa-nies, three Finance Detach-ments and one Human Re-sources Company.

By 389th Finance Det Unit Public Affairs RepresentativeFor 1st MSC Public Affairs

Afghanistan- The 389th Finance Detachment is one of the 1st Mis-sion Support Command, Army Re-serve-Puerto Rico’s units currently deployed, and according to the unit commander, Capt. Jaime Soto, the unit’s members are performing out-standingly.

Soto explained that during the process of arriving to their final destination in country, the Sol-diers have been working as a team, and showing their resilience at all times, especially while waiting for transportation to get to their respec-tive places of duty in Afghanistan.

“Since the arrival in country, our Soldiers acted like champions, waiting for a flight to get to our respective Forward Operating Bas-es, which was cancelled multiple times. The troops packed and un-packed their equipment more than five times in order to arrive to their final destination,” said Soto in a re-

389th Finance Detachment update from Afghanistan

Soldiers assigned to the 389th Fin. Det., 1st Mission Support Command, US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, pose for a picture during the holidays, shortly after arriving to Afghanistan, Dec. 2011.

cent newsletter sent from Afghani-stan.

“To all our family and friends who support the members of the 389th Finance Det., we hope this first newsletter finds you well. The intent (of the newsletter is to share some of our experiences at Afghan-istan and to bring us closer togeth-er,” said Soto.

One of the main adjustments the troops had to do was regarding the weather conditions.

Soto stated that once the soldiers arrived to Afghan soil, they were informed that temperatures were going to be in the single digits.

As part of the unit’s addition-al training, the troops conducted Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Rollover training, con-ducted additional weapons training and met with their new higher head-quarters in Afghanistan.

Finally, the soldiers arrived to their place of duty, conducted their transition with the unit being re-placed and lastly took over opera-

tions in their area of responsibility. “Our soldiers are performing

well, they are constantly training

to fine tune their skills, conducting finance missions and their moral is high, “said Soto from Afghanistan.

This section is dedicated to highlight a service member from our command, in recognition to his/her hard work and dedication to the mission. Units are en-couraged to submit names every month by the 20th of the month.

1st MSC Excellence Spotlight:

Fort Buchanan, PR- Members of the United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) met in Puerto Rico to par-ticipate in the Armed Forces Generation Readiness Review (AR2) conference, which took place at the 1st Mission Sup-port Command headquarters, 21-22 Jan.

The AR2 conference had the intent of reviewing the 1st MSC’s ability to ex-ecute the Armed Forces Generation (AR-FORGEN) management processes and readiness standards.

According to current policy, ARFOR-GEN is the core process for generating a supply of forces, using effective resource management in manning, training, and equipping in order to support the de-mands of combatant commanders and other Army requirements.

Leading the USARC team were Maj. Gen. Jon J. Miller, USARC Deputy Com-mander for Operations, and Maj. Gen. Keith L. Thurgood, USARC Deputy Commander for Support.

“What we are trying to do here is to make sure we implement strategies that really work, fixing responsibilities in or-ganizations and individuals with authority and capabilities to solve the problems, as we build a progressive readiness, follow-ing the ARFORGEN model,” said Miller.

What made this conference peculiar is the fact that it not only created a forum

to identify the problems in the units, but through collaborative workshops, also identified possible real solutions.

“I like listening to these briefings be-cause they give me a very good snapshot of where the units are and how they are doing in terms of achieving the aim points that we require to deliver the capabilities that the nation needs, “said Thurgood.

According to Miller and Thurgood, all Army Reserve units, to include the 1st MSC, must maintain a high level of readiness in their formations, even af-ter the current operations in Afghanistan conclude.

“After we get out of Afghanistan, we still have to have capabilities for the Na-tion. Whether we are at Afghanistan or supporting some other humanitarian op-eration or some other situation around the world, we are still going to be needed, “said Thurgood.

“We also anticipate that there will be a demand from Combatant Commanders for Theater Security Cooperation mis-sions. Therefore, it is entirely possible that soldiers from the Army Reserve en-gage in support to Theater strategies,” said Miller.

During the AR2 conference, both 1st MSC Regional Support Group Com-manders (brigade level), Cols. Lisa D. Bailey and Marcos R. Méndez, had the opportunity to present and explain the readiness status of their commands in ar-

eas, such as personnel, medical readiness schools and physical readiness, among others.

“Historically one of the highest levels of readiness of Army Reserve units has come from Puerto Rico and I think that is, in large part, for their desire and will-ingness to serve. I have really come to respect the soldiers in the 1st MSC and those who come from Puerto Rico “said Miller.

“I want to congratulate the Army Re-serve units in Puerto Rico for their over 90 years of service. The Army Reserve in Puerto Rico has built a legacy of service and commitment to the nation that is re-ally unsurpassed,” said Thurgood refer-ring to the 90th anniversary that the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico is celebrating in 2012.

The AR2 conference ended with spe-cific products and ideas that are expected to improve the readiness of the largest US Army Reserve Command in the Carib-bean.

“This is the first time that I have seen an effort that tackled particular issues at our command, at the strategic level. The USAR staff, with the help of the 81st Re-gional Readiness Command and the 1st MSC staff have accomplished an out-standing collaborative effort, that identi-fied the main issues that affect unit readi-ness,” said Fernández at the conclusion of the AR2 conference.

17

February 2012 1st MSC Spotlight: Sgt. Alexi Carmona, age 29.

Time in service: Seven years in the US Army Reserve

Unit: 271st Human Resources Company (Postal)

Home of Record: San Juan, P.R.

Army Physical Fitness Test score (APFT): 300Push-ups: 84 repetitions Sit-ups: 85 repetitions 2 miles: 13 minutes, 15 seconds

Career Status: Carmona is an Ac-tive Guard Reserve (AGR) soldier and was mobilized with his cur-rent unit to Iraq from 2007-2008.

Future plans: Carmona is plan-ning to get married in Feb. 2012.

Quote: “I enjoy being an Active Guard Reserve soldier and work-ing to protect and serve my coun-try.”

1st MSC Excellence Spotlight: This section is dedicated to high-light a service member from the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, in recognition to his/her hard work and dedication to the mission. Units are encouraged to submit names every month by the 20th of the month.

Sgt. Alexi Carmona, assigned to the 271st Human Resources Company, car-ries the 1st Mission Support Command colors during the Armed Forces Day run at Fort Buchanan, PR.

By Maj. Carlos Cuebas1st MSC Public Affairs

Readiness is paramountMaj. Gen. Jon J. Miller, United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) Deputy Commander General for Operations, addresses the audience in his closing statement during the ARFORGEN Readiness Review (AR2), held at the Sgt. Miguel A. Ramos Hall, Fort Buchanan Puerto Rico, Jan. 21-22.

Photo by Sgt. José F. Babilonia


Around The Post18 El Morro Fort BuchananFebruary 2012

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Advertise with us for free. If you are a current, or retired, service member or disabled veteran who wishes to adver-tise your home, car or the an-nouncement of a yard sale feel free to contact Luis Delgadillo, the editor of El Morro.

AutosAdvertise with us for free. If you are a current, or retired, service member or disabled veteran who wishes to adver-tise your home, car or the an-nouncement of a yard sale feel free to contact Luis Delgadillo, the editor of El Morro.

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AutosAdvertise with us for free. If you are a current, or retired, service member or disabled veteran who wishes to adver-tise your home, car or the an-nouncement of a yard sale feel free to contact Luis Delgadillo, the editor of El Morro.

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Col. Cosme C. Torres, 1st Mission Support Command Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations(left), presents a token of appreciation to Col. (retired) Marcelo Rolón (right), as the members of the G3 Operations and Training Directorate observe in the back, 11 Dec. 2011 at the 1st MSC headquarters. Rolón retired after serving the Nation for 31 years, with combined Active and Reserve compo-nent assignments.

Col. Pablo Soto, 1st Mission Support Command Deputy Chief of Staff for Logis-tics (left)and Lt. Col. Hector Agosto, Logistic Management Division (center), present a token of appreciation to Col. (retired) Angel Sarraga (right), as mem-bers of the G4 Logistics Directorate observe in the back, 11 Dec, 2011 at the 1st MSC headquarters. Sarraga retired with 36 years of service with combined Active and Reserve component assignments.

On Dec. 11 the 1st Mission Support Command had the honor and privilege to cele-brate the Retirement Ceremo-ny of two of its distinguished officers: Colonels. Marcelo Rolón and Angel Sarraga.

Rolón retired after serving the Nation for 31 years, with combined Active and Reserve Component assignments.

Sarraga retired with 36

1st MSC holds retirement ceremony for Soldiers

years of honorable service, also with a combined Active and Reserve Component as-signments.

Both officers were accom-panied by their spouses, fam-ily and friends.

The distinguished service of these great leaders serves as an example to the upcom-ing breed of new Commis-sioned Officers and Noncom-missioned Officers in the US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico.

By Cadet María Rivera Báez1st MSC Public Affairs

Photos by Cadet María Rivera Báez

“As a Soldier in his official ca-pacity of Deputy Garrison Com-mander, Lt. Col (Gerald) Savage truly represented our Army Values,” said Grissel Rosa, the garrison public affairs officer before deliver-ing a poem she had written for Lt. Col. Savage’s retirement ceremony Jan. 12 at Fort Buchanan.

Surrounded by members of the community, which he often helped rally together, Lt. Col. Savage lis-tened as Rosa read.

“Cultivating friendship is like carving wood. It finds an expression in a number of ways. First the wood-carver begins by selecting the wood, the friend. You could know a million people but you only have very few and true friends. The type of wood is important. It could be soft, smooth, hard or have rough edges. Hard woods are more difficult to carve but have greater luster and longev-ity. Any wood can be carved but like people they’ll have different quali-ties and characteristics.”

The poem excerpt above, was a tribute to the man his family and one of his favorite hobbies, wood carving. Now Lt. Col. Savage will have more time to form two of his most precious people, his daugh-ters, Madison Rose and Riley Lynn.

A ‘Savage’ era comes to an end


Around The Post 19El Morro Fort Buchanan February 2012

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Man-agement Command’s Atlantic Region poses with Com-mander’s Award for Civilian Service awardee María Hernández and Col. John D. Cushman.

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with 30 year Civilian Service awardees Rafael Calo and Roberto A. Bras-García and Col. John D. Cushman.

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with 15-year Civilian Service awardee José A. Quiñones-Sánchez and Col. John D. Cushman.

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with civilian service awardee José Luis Rodríguez and Col. John D. Cushman.

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with 20 and 25-year Civilian Service awardees Diana Rios, Ifraín Pagán-Castro, Charlie Burgos, María Morales, Vicente Hernández, Luis A. Cruz-Montes and Col. John D. Cushman.

ries like TBI, traumatic brain injury from a concussion. A lot of times they just go through life … doing things that they don’t realize they are doing. They have hearing loss, they can’t concentrate and a lot of them lose their jobs and they don’t even realize that it could have come from the blast. The misconception is that the Dis-abled American Veterans is a group of people that gets to to-gether and drink or play domi-noes and that is not what it is. Our organization has thirteen chapters on the island. The one that I belong to is in Bay-amón. It is the second largest (in Puerto Rico) the largest is in San Juan. We basically get together and talk about things that are pertinent locally and to the chapters, like fundrais-ing events and stuff like that. That ‘s the fraternal side of the house. I have to be in that be-cause it is part of my job. Its one of those implied duties, that is normally on the week-ends. The individuals on the fraternal side are volunteers.7. El Morro: Would you say that your office performs, primarily, an administra-tive function to help veterans with their process?

Exactly, the claims process. We have also been on the base and done DTAP briefings (dis-ability transition assistance program) for the Wounded Warriors. 8. El Morro: What would you say are some important issues your organization handles for veterans locally?

Locally, it would be the claims process. It’s one of the most important things. The DAV also has a disaster relief program. We gave out approx-imately fifteen vouchers dur-ing the last hurricane. To those people who are affected we can give up to $500 dollars de-pending on the circumstances.9. El Morro: When you look at some of the issues that disabled American veterans face, do you see the specter of homelessness and unemploy-ment? Are these issues that are prevalent?

Yes they are.

10. El Morro: How is the DAV responding to those?

The DAV has programs here and in the states for the home-less. We have programs where we help them file their claims. A lot of them don’t even know (they can get benefits), they don’t even have their (DD-214) 214s and we work closely with the VA medical center and they have a homeless veterans coordinator there and (there is also) a woman’s coordina-tor. We get them pointed in the right direction and help them through that process.11. El Morro: What would you say to a younger Wound-ed Warrior today?

Absorb as much information as you can. If you have any questions, ask … ask. When you get into the representa-tion process you have to sign a form, a power of attorney VA form 21-22, make sure that you have an accredited veter-ans service organization rep-resenting you. Other fraternal organizations that are VSOs are VFW (Veterans of For-eign Wars), Purple Heart, (The Military Order of the Purple Heart) El Procurador del Vet-erano (the Veteran’s Advocate for Puerto Rico), DAV, and the American Legion; these or-ganizations are accredited by congress. There are some indi-viduals in the area that try to help veterans and their cause is worthy, however they are not able to get into the claims folder.12. El Morro: Is there any-thing you’d like to add?

The most important thing is just picking up the phone and calling someone at the VA, the DAV and any of the other ser-vice organizations are there. They are accredited to help you. A lot of times they (vet-erans) go and seek help some-where else through agencies or individual organizations that are not accredited. The intent is good, the cause is noble but from what I understand there have been people who have been charging veterans for their services. We (DAV) are nonprofit our services are free. If you want to become a mem-ber, fine. If you are a young veteran it’s (the cost) $250.

DAV, From Page 12

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with Commander’s Award for Civilian Service awardee Arlene Romero and Col. John D. Cushman.

Davis Tindoll, region director for Installation Management Command’s Atlantic Region poses with Commander’s Award for Civilian Service awardee Raymond Morales and Col. John D. Cushman.

Town Hall awardees

Around The Post20 El Morro Fort BuchananFebruary 2012 The Sentinel of the Caribbean

Fabiana Nevado, a human resources specialist with the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, has a less enthusiastic reaction to the pres-ence of the snake, which was found near the entrance to her workplace. “¿Que hacen con ella?” or (what do they do with her?”) she asked after Ramon Rivera, pest control, collected the snake. As a federally protected endangered species, Rivera relo-cates the boas to areas of the installation that are more hospitable to reptiles like the wooded areas of the installation.

Endangered boa relocated by DPW pest control pro

Members of the Fort Buchanan work force were treated to an uncommon sight and witnessed the athleticism of the endangered Puerto Rican Boa Jan. 20 when the snake was spotted slithering its way from a nearby mango tree onto a power line and finally down the side of a building across from the garrison headquarters. At left Francisco Méndez, a environmental protection specialist stands under the boa as it slithers down the power line.

Samuel McGuiness, a non-appropriated funds personnel officer with the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, reacts to the Puerto Rican Boa’s dexterity after having seen the snake inch a long a power line to its resting place coiled around a satellite dish, Jan. 20.

Ramón Rivera, with the Directorate of Public Works’ pest control of-fice attempts to remove the boa from its hiding spot behind a satellite dish. The snake coiled its tail around his wrist and began releasing a liquid that caused a nauseating stench, perhaps as a defensive move to protect against predators. “Ooooh, it stinks big time,” said Fabi-ana Nevado, a human resource specialist with the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center.

Photos by Luis Delgadillo

Top: Ramón Rivera, with the Directorate of Public Works’ pest con-trol office, displays the Puerto Rican Boa after wrestled it free of its resting place on a satellite dish outside building 193, Jan. 20.

Right: Rivera bags the snake. According to the U.S. Forest Service’s Web site the boa is listed as an endangered species and is commonly found on the ground or in trees hanging from branches or vines.

Ramón Rivera, with the Directorate of Public Works’ pest control of-fice secures the boa’s head as he begins to uncoil the from its hiding spot behind a satelite dish.

Feb elmorro 2012_web

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