M ARCH 2016 FHL 75th Anniversary U.S. A RMY G ARRISON F ORT H UNTER L IGGETT
Commander’s Notes 3
Feature: FHL 75th Anniversary 4
Employee Engagements 8
Operation Pilgrimage 10
Community Engagements 12
In the Spotlight - Melinda Way-Bonner 14
Garrison Highlights 15
Mission Highlights 16
Chaplain’s Message 17
Safety First 18
Employee Bulletin 19
Community Events/News 20
The Official Command Publication of
Fort Hunter Liggett
COMMAND TEAM
Col. Jan C. Norris
Garrison Commander
Mark Hamelin
Deputy to the Garrison Commander
Lt. Col. Michael Bailey
Deputy Garrison Commander
Command Sgt. Major Tracy Barlogio
Garrison Command Sergeant Major
GOLDEN GUIDON STAFF
Amy Phillips
Public Affairs Officer
Eric Jones
Public Affairs Specialist
The Golden Guidon is an authorized quarterly
publication for members of the U.S. Army
Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett. Contents of this
publication are not necessarily the official views
of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or the
Department of the Army, or Fort Hunter Liggett.
Submissions:
The Golden Guidon welcomes your story ideas,
photographs, and other information of interest to
the FHL community. Contact: 831-386-2690.
Command information products:
The Defense Video & Imagery Distribution
System FHL PAO Page
www.liggett.army.mil
www.facebook.com/forthunterliggett
Feedback Welcomed!
Help us create a relevant and meaningful product
to meet your information needs:
Celebrating W.R. Hearst Legacy at FHL Page 4
Operation Rising Star
3rd Place Winner
Page 14
Greetings Team Hunter Liggett!
Our Chief of Staff of the Army,
General Mark Milley recently spoke
about several myths concerning the
Army and military. One myth he
spoke of is that Armies are easy to
regenerate.
“When the Army is too small for
the conflict at hand, a common myth
is that one simply needs to recruit a
large number and put them through
basic training, and presto, you have a
unit. The reality, though, is much
more challenging. Leaders take many
years to develop the competencies
and skills necessary to wage ground
combat. A platoon sergeant will take
10-15 years while a battalion com-
mander will require 15-17 years. To-
day's weapons systems likewise take
a long time to master, especially in-
volving joint and combined fires,” said
Gen. Milley.
Similarly, premier military train-
ing bases don’t evolve overnight by
simply purchasing acres of land. It
takes years to build out infrastructure,
training ranges, garrison services and
most importantly the human capital
and expertise to sustain and operate
a base.
On January 10th, 1941, after
William Randolph Hearst sold nearly
200,000 acres of land to the Govern-
ment, the Hunter Liggett Military Res-
ervation was established. Using the
existing landmark Hacienda building
as their headquarters, senior leaders
of the 4th Army immediately began
‘transforming the cattle ranch’ into a
training base for newly recruited Ar-
my Soldiers.
Over the next 75 years, Ft.
Hunter Liggett continually evolved
into a world class training center and
total force readiness enabler for mili-
tary servicemen and women who
trained here prior to fighting our na-
tions wars, to include World War II,
the Korean War, the Vietnam War,
the Invasion of Panama, the Persian
Gulf War and the Global War on Ter-
ror. What an impressive legacy in
American history.
This year we celebrate 75 years
of excellence with a series of events.
The first event on February 24 hon-
ored the pre-military Hearst ranch era
and included a guest speaker/
historian from Hearst Castle. The
second event in early May will in-
clude a historian who will lecture on
the legacy and life of Lt. Gen. Hunter
Liggett. The final event in July will
highlight the military history of the
base and include the unveiling of a
75th Commemorative Painting with
limited edition prints for sale, along
with the opening of the Ft. Hunter
Liggett Heritage Center in the Haci-
enda. We encourage you to attend
and participate in our historical cele-
brations to honor our past.
Looking forward to Spring/
Summer 2016, our installation will
surge with troops and units participat-
ing in large scale training events to
include the Army Reserve’s WAREX/
CSTX exercises, the Army National
Guard’s 79th and 29th brigade combat
team (BCT) xCTX rotations, and the
US Marine Corps’ 11th Marine Expe-
ditionary Unit (MEU) pre-deployment
training cycle. We must posture our-
selves to provide steady and flexible
garrison support to our training cus-
tomers while here.
To support the increased popu-
lation, plans are underway to stand
up a Subway eatery by early Spring.
Base operating hours will flex to ac-
commodate our peak training period.
Thanks again for all you do eve-
ry day to make FHL a better place to
train, work and live. It takes everyone
(from the gardeners to water treat-
ment plant operators to road/ground
crews to CYSS employees to range
control personnel to emergency ser-
vice members among many others)
on the team working hard to sustain
and improve our world class training
center. A training center that took 75
years to build and one that continues
to enable readiness for our military to
preserve our Nation.
Support the Fight,
Support the Soldiers,
Support the Family!
Milpitas Ranch Photo by Frank Aston from the Julia Morgan Papers Collection
Courtesy of the California Polytechnic State University Special Collections and Archives
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT 75th ANNIVERSARY
Honoring the Hearst Legacy at Fort Hunter Liggett
Source: Historical Report of FHL by
The Sanberg Group, Inc. Feb. 2010
As early as 1908, subsidiary
companies of William Randolph
Hearst’s Piedmont Land and Cattle
Company started buying up land in
the San Antonio Valley. With his im-
mense fortune seemingly well in
place, W.R. Hearst began to expand
his father’s ranch from along the
coast, south of Monterey, to over the
Santa Lucia Mountains and into the
San Antonio Valley.
Hearst bought the Milpitas Ran-
cho from James Brown Cattle Com-
pany in 1910. In 1922, he purchased
the Rancho El Piojo and Rancho San
Miguelito from the Newhall Land and
Farming Company for a total of
35,000 acres. Rancho Los Ojitos,
Rancho Pleyto and the land where
the Dutton Hotel stood were pur-
chased in the 1920s. All these land
purchases added up to 154,000 acres
in the valley.
Hearst made the existing wood-
frame house at the Milpitas Ranch his
headquarters for holdings in the San
Antonio Valley. The ranch house was
used as the home base of operations
for his ranch manager Harry Taylor
(photo next page), who also lived
there with his family until 1929 when a
wildfire burned it down.
The Milpitas Ranch raised beef
cattle and employed 40 men - cooks,
laborers, mechanics, gardeners, irri-
gators, and cowboys.
Julia Morgan, who was already
working for Hearst on his San Simeon
house, designed the new ranch house
to be the functional headquarters of a
working ranch.
Hearst was known to live a lavish
lifestyle, however, rumors of having
wild parties at the Hacienda were
blown out of proportion. He had little
tolerance of his friends having more
than one cocktail at any of his hous-
es.
Hearst’s mistress of many years,
Marion Davies, wrote only once in her
autobiography of visits to the Milpitas
Ranch: “We’d have picnics down at
the beach, about five miles up the
coast toward San Francisco, or we’d
go on camping trips over at Mel Pe-
ter’s ranch [Milpitas]. We’d go on
horses for about eight hours. If you
didn’t want to ride horseback, there
were about twelve cars and driv-
ers.” (Davies, Marion. The Times We
Had, page 51) Mr. Peters was the
San Simeon cattle ranch supervisor.
FHL Public Affairs Office story: 75
Years of Supporting Troops
William Randolph Hearst with
architect Julia Morgan at San Simeon Castle
in 1926. Photo was taken by motion picture
director Irvin Willat who was a guest at the
castle. © Photo courtesy of Marc
Wanamaker/Bison Archives
On the left is Hearst Ranches Manager Harry Taylor and his dog Bella and her pups. He worked and lived at Milpitas Ranch until 1940
when the Army bought the land from Hearst. Ranch worker Steve Avila is on the right with his dog Jacquinto.
Photo taken November 1932. Photo courtesy of © Hearst Castle ®/CA State Parks.
More photos on page 6
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT 75th ANNIVERSARY The February 24, 2016 event was one of three events this year to celebrate the history at FHL.
The second event on May 4, will focus on the Lt. Gen. Hunter Liggett legacy with Army historian,
Michael Bigelow of the Intelligence Command as the guest speaker. The grand finale
on July 28, will focus on the military history at FHL with guest speaker Dr. Stephen Payne,
Command Historian at the Defense Language Institute.
Hearst historian Victoria Kastner was the guest speaker on
Feb. 24, providing an insightful presentation of William R.
Hearst and his legacy not only here at FHL but in the extended
area. Afterwards, Ms. Kastner conducted a book signing of her
book, “Hearst Ranch,” which includes the historic Hacienda
located on post. Almost 200 people from on and off-post
attended the event. A tour of the local historical building was
conducted at the end of the event. All photos by Xavier
Vazquez.
Community partners that are part of
the local history bought displays and
organization info to enhance the
event - Mission San Antonio, Friends
of the Mission, San Antonio Valley
Historical Association, and the
Nacitone Heritage Center.
All event photos can be found on
the FHL Facebook page or on the
FHL Defense Video & Image page.
From L-R: Command Sgt. Major
Tracy Barlogio, Mrs. Anissa Balson
(great-grand daughter of W.R.
Hearst), Lester Patterson represent-
ing the local community, Hearst
Castle Museum Director Mary
Levkoff, Hearst Castle Historian and
guest speaker Victoria Kastner, and
the FHL Commander Jan Norris.
Lester Patterson (wearing cowboy
hat) has worked at the FHL Public
Works Directorate since 1993 and is
part of the newly-opened Nacitone
Regional Interpretive Center which
aims to preserve the local history.
The Patterson family has lived in the
area since 1872. Many other FHL
employees are also long-time local
residents.
RELATIONSHIP RESILIENCY
On Feb. 15, the Religious Services Office
hosted their annual Valentine’s Dinner to
promote relationship resiliency. Participants
played a version of the Newlywed Game to
see exactly how well they know each other.
The RSO is hosting an 8-week program
called “6 Secrets to a Lasting Love” starting
on Mar. 9. For info: 831-386-2808. (Photo
by Chaplain (Col.) James Boggess).
WORKFORCE RESILIENCY
On Feb. 18, FMWR hosted a Black History
Month Observance. Col. Norris’s opening
remarks spoke of how the Army Reserve
remains highly capable and mission ready
by leveraging the strengths of a diverse, all-
volunteer force. The guest speaker was Dr.
Victor Holmes, a King City ophthalmologist,
Harvard graduate, and author of a best-
selling textbook called “The Wills Eye Manu-
al.” He spoke of overcoming challenges.
(Photo by Amy Phillips).
For info and resources: http://www.army.mil/readyandresilient/.
PHYSICAL RESILIENCY
On Jan. 8, FMWR hosted an amazing
Color Run to kick off their commit-
ment to the Army Resiliency program. The
program educates the military and civilian
workforce, and family members on the im-
portance of not only being physically fit but
mentally as well. FMWR also hosted a Go
Red For Women Walk to bring awareness of
heart disease being the #1 killer of women
on Feb. 5. A total of four fun run/walks is
scheduled and participants receive a quarter
of a medal after each event. Participants
that collect a completed medal will receive a
case to proudly display their commitment to
being Army Strong and Army Resilient.
(Photos by Xavier Vazquez)
Story and photos by Chaplain (Col.) James Boggess
The Fort Hunter Liggett Religious Support Office
(RSO) and the Camp Roberts Garrison Chaplain hosted a
multi-component Spiritual Resiliency event from January
11-15, 2016, for combat veterans currently serving in the
Army Reserve and Army National Guard.
Operation Pilgrimage was based on the historical prin-
ciples of religious pilgrimages, involved walking from the
Wagon Cave formation in the Los Padres National Forest
to the Mission San Miguel, a distance of over sixty miles, in
four days.
Pilgrimage has its roots in several different religious
and cultural expressions, including Christianity, Islam, Ju-
daism, Hinduism, Sikhism, African and Native American
Spiritual Resiliency ~ Healing Through Faith
cultures. Over the centuries, Soldiers have marched home
from war, often marching in silence, giving them ample
time to mentally process what they saw, heard, and did in
combat. The evening bivouacs gave them time to discuss
and put their experiences into perspective.
In mediaeval times, professional Soldiers often when
on a spiritual pilgrimage to holy sites as a means of recon-
necting with the divine. Many of the Native American
Tribes followed the “War Path,” a systematic ritual for trib-
al members to spend time with older veterans in order to
lay down the warrior and pick back up their previous
peace-time role. Many African Tribes had a similar pro-
cess in which returning warriors engaged in ritually-based
walks to transition from war to peace.
(Continued on page 11)
Participants on the “Tank Trail” on Day 3 of pilgrimage.
Modern Soldiers do not have these experiences as a
natural part of returning from combat. Operation Pilgrim-
age created a spiritual context, mixed with the discipline of
long-distance walking, to give the participants a safe envi-
ronment in which to explore the spiritual aspects of their
combat experience.
During the four-day event, participants explored reli-
gious coping skills and disciplines common to most reli-
gious expressions. These skills and disciplines included
experiencing silence, solitude, prayer, meditation, commu-
nity, submission, and forgiveness. The key element of the
pilgrimage was the marriage of physical movement, e.g.,
walking the path, with reflecting on past traumatic experi-
ences in light of a renewed understanding provided by ex-
ploring these religious coping skills and disciplines. The
cloistered nature of the pilgrimage allowed the participants
to build a sense of community and share their stories with
other combat veterans.
The outcome of the initial evaluation is very promis-
ing. Each participant was asked to complete two assess-
ments - a Spiritual Assessment and a Behavioral Health
Assessment – prior to and after the pilgrimage. The Spir-
Pilgrimage - continued from page 10 itual Assessment measured the use of positive and nega-
tive religious coping skills while the Behavioral Health As-
sessment measured post-traumatic stress indicators. Pre-
liminary evaluation of the Spiritual Assessment indicates
an overall positive trend in the use of positive religious
coping skills.
While the Spiritual Assessment indicated modest im-
provement across the participants, the Behavioral Health
Assessment indicated a marked reduction in post-
traumatic stress indicators. Before the pilgrimage, the as-
sessment indicated the group as a whole was at a moder-
ate risk for post-traumatic stress with three participants
showing a high risk for post-traumatic stress. After the pil-
grimage, all participants had lower scores, showing a
marked reduction in post-traumatic stress indicators. The
group as a whole was at a low risk for post-traumatic
stress and only one participant continued to show a high
risk for post-traumatic stress.
While further analysis in necessary, the results are
promising and leaders at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp
Roberts are looking to conduct another Operation Pilgrim-
age in the coming year. For more info on upcoming events
or support, call the RSO at (831) 386-2808.
Group discussions and reflections during Day 1.
The FHL Commander Col. Norris visited several local attractions in February to learn about the ar-
ea heritage and preservation efforts. Both community organizations had displays at the FHL 75th
Anniversary celebration on Feb. 24 and got a chance to share news with the workforce and resi-
dents. (Top left) The Mission San Antonio is in its final retrofitting/renovation phase to bring the his-
toric site to code and still needs $6 million to complete the project. The Mission Administrator
(pictured in blue) says the inside of the church still needs to be painted. (Top
right) The newly opened Nacitone Regional Interpretive Center was created
by a small group of locals (some of which work at FHL) to preserve and
teach people about the local heritage. The Nacitone Foundation President
Neil Whitty (pictured with Col. Norris) says there used to be more schools in
the area. (Photos by Amy Phillips)
Col. Norris was the
guest speaker at the
Estrella Warbird &
Woodland Auto Display on Feb. 3 where he in-
formed participants of the FHL mission and capabili-
ties, the five essential characteristics of the Army
profession, and a snapshot of his military career.
Many in the audience were veterans from WWII and
Vietnam War, including a WWII German pilot who
was shot down by Americans during the war! On
May 7, the museum hosts their popular annual
Wings & Wheels event which is free to the public.
(Photo by Amy Phillips)
www.ewarbirds.org
FHL donated more than a thousand pounds of food collected by the
military and civilian workforce to the Monterey County Veterans
Transition Center on Dec. 17, 2015. Pictured is FHL Commander,
Col. Jan C. Norris (left) and staff with the VTC Volunteer Coordina-
tor and VTC Program graduate, Parnell Strickland. That same night,
FHL attended the VTC’s Holiday Dinner and Col. Norris got a
On Dec. 4, 2015, FHL participated in the annual King City Christmas Parade with a Color Guard, a lighted float and
Army dependents rode on the official Santa float. Pictured is the float Range Control Soldiers built to provide shelter for
family members in case it rained like last year. The Commander and CSM were given the honor to ride in the parade lead
vehicle. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Jones)
chance to thank Veterans for their service. The VTC provides tran-
sitional housing to homeless veterans and their families, as well as
health care and life skills training. Visit https://www.dvidshub.net/
unit/FHL-PAO for the full story. Pictured left is Col. Norris providing
a FHL update to participants of the King City State of the City Ad-
dress on Jan. 27. (Photos by Amy Phillips)
voice coaches and choreographers. “They
were the real deal!”
Way-Bonner believes that all the expe-
riences, bad or good, we have in life make
us who we are. She was worried about how
she sounded and how she looked but “it all
came together,” said Way-Bonner.
Her best takeaway from the whole
Operation Rising Star experience is “Be
confident in who you are … use the gifts
God gave you … fulfill your own pur-
pose.”
Melinda Way-Bonner is the FHL
FMWR Special Events Coordinator and
served nine years in the Army as a correc-
tions specialist, aka, prison guard. She has
no formal singing training but enjoys singing
in church.
Click to read full story. Video footage of the
competitions and program information are
available at www.armymwr.com/recleisure/
promotions/operation_rising_star.aspx. This
program, along with the U.S. Army Soldier
Show, have been cancelled for 2016 due to
budget reductions.
By Amy Phillips, FHL Public Affairs Office
Melinda Way-Bonner, FHL employee,
veteran and Army spouse placed third in the
national 2015 Operation Rising Star (ORS)
competition held at Fort Sam Houston, Tex-
as, in December 2015.
“It was one of the most amazing expe-
riences that I’ll ever have,” said Way-Bonner,
“It was life changing.”
FHL, with a small population of about
400 competed against big installations such
as Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington,
with a 40,000 military and 15,000 civilian
population base to vote for their contestant.
No worries - FHL was out in full-force
to support Way-Bonner which resulted in her
getting the top online votes throughout the
competitions.
"Mrs. Way-Bonners’ accomplishment
was monumental in enhancing our sense of
community and it also helped put FHL on the
map for the world to see how great of a com-
munity we have here," said Rick Bosch, her
supervisor and Chief of Community Recrea-
tion & Business Operations Division Family
and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
(FMWR).
In the Spotlight
THINGS JUST CAME TOGETHER
This was FHL's third year participating
in the Army Entertainment program but the
first time the winner of our local competition
was selected as a top 12 finalist.
“We all rooted for Melinda and voted
until the wee hours of the mornings,” said
Bosch.
“It was humbling to see so many peo-
ple vote for me. I really appreciate the Fort
Hunter Liggett community, my old friends
from Fort Sill [Oklahoma] and my little home
town [Monmouth, Illinois], especially Rick
Bosch and Ramona Tinae,” said Way-
Bonner. “There were people I hadn’t spoken
to in 10-15 years suddenly telling me they’re
voting for me.”
It all started with an innocent karaoke
performance after a spouse appreciation
event. Remembering her singing, her co-
workers strongly encouraged her to join the
ORS competition in November.
After winning the FHL ORS competi-
tion, Way-Bonner competed with performers
from 22 garrisons throughout the world for
the top 12 finalists to face-off at Fort Sam
Houston from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5.
She spent almost three weeks at Fort
Sam Houston with professional performers,
“Never, never
did I think
I’d win!” Melinda Way-Bonner
FHL civilian employee, Army spouse and veteran, Melinda Way-Bonner was recognized by the
Command Group during the December employee town hall for her outstanding achievement.
(Photo by Xavier Vazquez)
FHL GOES
GEOTHERMAL
Geothermal energy is harnessing the
heat from the earth. Four housing units
are being converted over from electric
and propane air conditioning and heating,
and hot water systems to all electric-
ground source air conditioning heat pump
units. This will cut our utility bill in half and
help us reach our Net Zero goals. Based
upon successful testing, projects are
planned to complete the remaining hous-
ing units in 2017-2018. For more info on
how geothermal energy works: Nat’l Re-
newable Energy Lab. (Photo by Greg
Vallery)
“The Army Reserve is moving forward on the path
of sustainability as a world-wide organization,” said
Sustainability Programs Chief, Paul Wirt. “A sus-
tainable Army Reserve will enable mission resili-
ence and meet the social, environmental and eco-
nomic interests of Army Reserve communities now
and into the future.”
For more info on the Army Reserve Sustainability
Programs: usarsustainability.com.
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT
INCREASED OPTEMPO
This year, two rotations of Warrior Exercises (WAREX) and Combat Support Training
Exercises (CSTX) will be conducted at FHL by two training divisions (TD): the 78th TD
exercises in Feb.-Mar. and the 91st TD exercises in Apr.-May. In addition, the National
Guard’s 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will conduct their Exportable Combat
Training Capability exercise (XCTC) in May-June.
The 4010th U.S. Army Hospital, an Army Reserve unit from New Orleans, provided medical support to the Warrior Exercise. Physician Major Shaw is seen
treating a Soldier for a sprained ankle.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Jones)
The 458th Engineer Battalion based in Johnstown,
Penn., executed real-world projects which provided
Soldiers with hands-on experience and helped im-
prove the post infrastructure and training areas.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Jones)
Please join me in welcoming Eric Jones as the new public affairs specialist who has worked
at FHL on/off for many years as a Soldier. You’ll now see him out and about as a Dept. Army
Civilian helping me accomplish the public affairs mission. He’ll continue to serve as an Army
Reserve Soldier with the Medical Command. As always, please let me know if there’s a good
story or a person deserving the spotlight for his/her exemplary service to the community.
Happy Spring! ~ Amy Phillips, Public Affairs Officer
New PA Team Member
By Chaplain (Col.) James Boggess
Spring is a time of renewal. The
winter rains will give way to blue
skies, fair temperatures, and green
grass. March at FHL will be filled with
wildflowers as the hills burst into
blooms of purple, orange, red, blue
and yellow.
Spring can also be a time of
spiritual renewal. Often, during the
shorten days of winter, we don’t feel
like getting out so we may stop going
to our place of worship. March is a
wonderful month to re-energize our
spiritual life and build new, stronger
spiritual resiliency.
For many faiths, March marks
the beginning of a new year. For the
Baha’i faith, March 1-20 is the nine-
teen day fast called “Ala” during
which time adherents fast during day-
light hours and spend extra time in
prayer as they prepare for the Baha’i
New Year. March 14th is the start of
the Sikh New Year and March 21st is
the start of the Zoroastrian New Year.
Sikhs will also celebrate “Hola Mohal-
la” a festival that displays their skills
as warriors, musicians and poets,
while on March 28th, Zoroastrians
will celebrate the birth of Zoroaster,
their founding prophet.
In the Hindu faith many will cel-
ebrate Shivaratri on March 14, a
feast that honors lord Shiva. March
is also includes the Hindu celebra-
tion of Holi or the “Festival of Color.”
Holi celebrates the arrival of spring
and adherents throw colored water
and powder on each other.
Followers of Judaism will cele-
brate Purim on March 24th. Purim is
based on the story of Ester in the
Old Testament, who used her posi-
tion as wife to king Ahasuerus to
save the Jewish people from Ham-
an, a Persian nobleman who sought
to massacre them.
For Christians, March 2016 is a
very special month. This year Holy
Week falls in March. Holy Week is
the celebration of Christ’s death and
resurrection. Holy Week begins on
Sunday, March 20th with Palm Sun-
day which celebrates Christ en-
trance into Jerusalem. Maundy
Thursday is the day Christians re-
member the Last Supper, the last
time Christ spend time with his disci-
ples before his arrest. Good Friday
is the day Christians remember the
crucifixion and burial of Christ and
March 27th is Easter, the day Chris-
tians celebrate Christ’s resurrection.
The following Holy Week
events are available:
Mar. 24
St. Luke's Church, 6p potluck, Ves-
pers and Maundy Thursday Service
7p.
Mar. 25 - Good Friday services
The Mission Catholic Mass 3p
FHL Protestant Chapel 6p
Mar. 26
The Mission 8p Mass and Easter
Vigil
Mar. 27
FHL Easter Sunrise Service/Walk to
the Cross @ 6:30a, meet at Del
Ventura Road across from the reser-
voir. 10a Breakfast at Chapel
followed by an 11:30a cookout/
potluck and noon Egg Hunt.
The Mission Easter Mass 9a.
St. Luke’s Church 10a
FHL Chapel 10a service Keep up-to-
date with our events:
www.facebook.com/fhlrso.
spread of the virus is by reducing
mosquito breeding sites and using
pesticides to kill off the pests.
Getting residents to wear protec-
tive clothing and use insect repellent,
particularly during the hours of dawn
and dusk, can also be effective, but
difficult to encourage in hot weather.
"Everybody should take precautions.
However, it is noted that some areas
seem to be at higher risk than others,
Monterey and San Luis Obispo
Counties generally don’t see many
cases but the areas surrounding us
do.
FHL INJURIES
To date, 14 injuries (7 garrison,
7 training) were reported to the
Safety Office. The major types of in-
juries for the Garrison were body
parts caught in between equipment
and improper lifting of heavy items
which resulted in two injuries requir-
WEST NILE VIRUS
The California Department of
Public Health says Californians
should expect West Nile virus to be
an annual threat and this year's El
Nino could increase the number of
cases in 2016.
A rising number of infections is
probably due to a complex set of fac-
tors that could include changes in the
climate and changes in the die-off of
birds who carry the disease. This
year's El Nino may make things
worse. More rain and higher tempera-
tures could allow mosquitoes that
spread the disease from birds to hu-
mans to better survive the winter and
breed more aggressively this spring.
Though deaths are rare and typi-
cally involve patients who are already
vulnerable, the virus can also cause
paralysis, encephalitis and meningitis.
The most effective way to prevent the
Stressed oak trees cause damage The falling oak limbs phenomenon has been known to happen during dry years. Naturalists say it's a defense mechanism oak trees use to survive when water is scarce. It is believed that in prolonged dry heat, dehydrated oaks compensate by hoarding water. This makes limbs heavier and more likely to fall. Some-times they don't just fall - they explode off the trees! For your safety, do not park your vehicle under an oak tree and re-frain from utilizing them as shade.
ing medical attention beyond first aid.
The remaining were minor strains,
exposure to poison oak, smoke, etc.
The majority of training injuries
were vehicle accident or weather re-
lated.
All of the injuries were pre-
ventable. Stay vigilante and follow
your standard operating procedures
and always use the correct unmodi-
fied tool for the job. Before going to
any field site, make sure that you
check out with Range Operations.
Always include risk assessment
in your planning process.
SAFETY WORKS,
EXCUSES DON'T
Safety Office:
831-386-2790
831-386-2105
Eligibility conditions:
You were placed in Absent-US or
separated from Federal civilian
service to perform military service
You were released from military
service on or after 08-02-1990
You were reemployed in or re-
stored to a position covered by
CSRS or FERS
To apply, submit the Employee-
Request for TSP Make-up Contribu-
tions request along with your
DD 214(s) or military orders, and your
Military Leave and Earnings State-
ments to verify your TSP contribu-
tions while on active duty. For more
info: www.tsp.gov or
www.abc.army.mil/TSP/
TSP.htm#WhatisTSPMakeUp.
TSP Make-Up (TSPM) Civilian Employees
Called to Active Duty
Military Saves, a component
of the nonprofit America Saves and a
partner in the Department of De-
fense’s Financial Readiness Cam-
paign, seeks to motivate, support,
and encourage military families to
save money, reduce debt, and build
wealth. For more info and resources:
http://www.militarysaves.org/learn-
more-about-us/what-is-military-
saves#sthash.JMnw3pkX.dpuf
The FHL Army Community Ser-
vices (831-386-2375) and the Reli-
gious Services Office offers finan-
cial training (831-386-2808).
https://actnow.army.mil
Mar. 1 annual AER Campaign
Kickoff at DFAC 11:30a.
For the past seven years, AER
has provided an average of $77M
annually in interest free loans and
grants to Soldiers, Retirees and their
Families in support of a wide range of
financial needs. These include grants
to medically retired Wounded Warri-
ors and surviving spouses. AER is accepting applications for
the Spouse and dependents schol-
arships until May 1. More than $9
million and 4,245 scholarships were
awarded last year. For more info and
application: www.aerhq.org
WELCOME HHC COMMANDER
The FHL Command Group is proud to welcome the new Garrison HHC Commander, Maj. Montigo Hawkins who hails from Chicago. His last duty assignment was the Battalion Opera-tions Officer with the 633rd Quarter-master Battalion, Ohio. Deployments include Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj. Hawkins holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. The Garrison HHC office is located in bldg. 229.
WELCOME NEW AAFES
STORE MANAGER
Andrew Defelice comes to us from
Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Ari-
zona where he was the store Sales
Manager. He has been with AAFES
for 10 years.
Allows you to “make-up” missed
contributions to your civilian TSP
account for the period of time you
were performing active duty.
FHL Mar. 10
Resident Town Hall 5p @ Theater
Mar. 15 Employee Town Hall
2p @ Theater
Mar. 17 Women’s History Month
Noon @ Hacienda 831-386-2400
Mar. 22 March Madness
Basketball Tournament Single-elimination played
under NCAA rules. Sign-up NLT Mar. 21.
831-386-2784
Mar. 27 Easter Sunrise
Cookout & Egg Hunt 6:30a Del Venturi Rd/reservoir
831-386-2808
Mar. 31 Wine Tasting
3:30p @ Hacienda 831-386-2400
LOCKWOOD Nacitone Regional Interpretive
Center Boot Scootin’ BBQ
831-818-5265
KING CITY Mar. 5, 6
Monterey Intl Wine Competition
Salinas Valley Fairgrounds 831-385-3243
HESPERIA HALL Mar. 18 @ 5p
Apple Grafting Class/Potluck 51602 Hesperia Hall Rd
MONTEREY
American Dream U
Free business & career advice from top entrepreneurs.
Mar. 4, 9a-3p @ Naval Sup-port Activity Bldg 302
Mar. 5, 9a-1p @ Presidio of Monterey Bldg 326
Mar 18 –20 Monterey Symphony Concert
with Jennifer Johnson. Sherwood Hall, Salinas
831-646-8511
PASO ROBLES
Mar. 12 Youth Arts Foundation
FREE Visual & Performing Arts classes for kids (5-18). Registration begins @ 9a www.pryaf.org/enrollment/
3201 Spring St. 805-238-5825
Mar. 18-19 Spider-Man a Musical
by Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation drama students.
805-238-5825
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Mar. 3-6 Comedy Festival
Mission Street Theater and Steynberg Gallery
Mar. 15-20 SLO Film Fest 805-546-3456
For all community events, visit respective city websites: http://kingcitychamber.com http://www.pasorobleschamber.com http://www.seemonterey.com/events http://sanluisobispovacations.com/things-to-
DOD
Strike on ISIL Camp Protected
National Security, Pentagon Press
Secretary Says
U.S., South Korean Fighter Jets
Fly in Formation to Demonstrate
Capabilities
Carter: Premier Acquisition
Award Supports World’s Best
Fighting Force
ARMY
Zika Virus - What is it?
Researchers Mitigate Soldier
Stressors With Science
Marathon Prep Like Training
for War, Says Olympian
ARMY RESERVE
Big LOTS West:
The Army Reserve’s premier
seaport exercise
Reserve Soldier Aids Wounded
Attack Victims
Private Public Partnership
helped me, it can help you too!
IMCOM
New IMCOM Commander
Challenges Employees
to be Agile
Mentors, Mentees Seek
"Lollipop Moments"
IMCOM Employee
Helps Young Women
Realize Potential
FHL
Defense Video & Imagery