1. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK FORT DRUM MOUNTAINEER PAGE A1
BREAKING BARRIERS
Fort Drum teen
overcomes challenges,
gives back to others
B3
RULES OF THE ROAD
Fort Drum officials
announce changes
to PT policy, routes
A3
Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013 • Vol. 6 • Issue 15
TIDBITS A2 • NEWS BRIEFS A4 • OPINION-EDITORIAL A9 • PEOPLE B3• HAPPENINGS B5
SGT. 1ST CLASS KENNETH FOSS
Afghan Uniform Police and Afghan Local Police soldiers of Aban District,
Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, conduct tactical urban maneuver train-
ing mission on Thursday. Their training was provided by Security Forces
Advise and Assist Team 6, Cross Functional Team Warrior, 10th Moun-
tain Division (LI).
Aviation brigade cases colors for Afghanistan
Staff Sgt. Todd L. Pouliot
10th Combat Aviation Brigade PAO NCOIC
The 10th Combat Aviation Bri-
gade, Task Force Falcon, 10th
Mountain Division (LI), along with
four of its subordinate task forces,
cased its colors during a deploy-
ment ceremony Tuesday at
Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield. The
ceremony marks the unit’s up-
coming deployment to Afghan-
istan – its fifth deployment in
support of the global war on ter-
rorism and its fourth deployment
to Afghanistan.
The Falcon Brigade, which re-
turned from a 12-month deploy-
ment to Afghanistan in October
2011, spent the past year conduct-
ing numerous training events in
preparation for such a deploy-
ment.
Training included aerial gunner-
ies at Fort Drum; rotations to the
Joint Readiness Training Center in
Fort Polk, La., and the National
Training Center in Fort Irwin,
Calif.; high altitude mountainous
environment training in Colorado;
supporting 10th Mountain Divi-
sion’s Mountain Peak exercise;
Pathfinder live-fire operations;
field training exercises; convoy
live-fire exercises; and a brigade /
battalion command and staff avi-
ation operations exercise at Fort
Rucker, Ala.
“This brigade is ready,” said Col.
David J. Francis, 10th CAB com-
mander. “They are well-trained,
their leaders are well-trained, and
they are ready to handle the chal-
lenges that lay ahead.”
Nearly 1,800 Soldiers from the
brigade will depart over the com-
ing weeks for a nine-month de-
ployment to eastern Afghanistan.
The Falcon Brigade will join Sol-
diers of the 10th Mountain Divi-
sion’s 1st Brigade Combat Team
and 2nd Brigade Combat Team in
eastern Afghanistan.
“We embark on this deployment
at a key time for Afghanistan and
at a key time for this division,”
Francis said.“We are going to con-
tinue to enable Afghan National
Security Forces to provide security
for their own country and to fulfill
our sacred duty of supporting our
commanders on the ground.”
The task force’s aviation assets
include UH-60 Black Hawk heli-
copters, primarily for transport of
passengers and supplies; HH-60
Black Hawk helicopters for med-
ical evacuation; CH-47 Chinook
helicopters for heavy lift and pas-
senger transport; AH-64 Apache
helicopters for close air support;
and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters for
reconnaissance.
In addition, the brigade will pro-
vide critical assets for air and
ground maintenance, air traffic
control, aircraft and personnel re-
covery, intelligence, logistics, com-
munication, medical, personnel
administration, food service and
operations.
Francis recognized those within
the unit, as well as those outside,
who help prepare his Soldiers and
their Families for the deployment.
“Our volunteers work untold
thousands of hours ensuring that
our systems are prepared to sup-
port our Families, and that no
Family Member is alone,” he said.
“I think of our family readiness
group leaders who devote their
time, talent and energy to the
Families of the brigade while rais-
ing their own Families, working or
going to school.
“The support of the installation
and the local community is sec-
ond to none,” Francis added, “and
the North Country community
continues to go above and beyond
in support of the Soldiers of the
10th Mountain Division.”
The 10th CAB deployed in sup-
port of Operation Enduring Free-
dom in 2003, 2006 and 2010; the
unit deployed to Iraq in 2008 in
support of Operation Iraqi Free-
dom.
Warrior Brigade SFAAT
members teach tactics
to Afghan partners
Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth A. Foss
Cross Functional Team Warrior PAO
GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghan-
istan – Afghan Uniform Police,
Afghan Local Police and coalition
forces converged Thursday at an
Afghan National Army forward op-
eration base in Ghazni Province to
conduct tactical maneuver train-
ing and room clearing procedures,
a critical training asset required for
the types of missions they per-
form.
Security Forces Advise and As-
sist Team 6, Cross Functional
Team Warrior, 10th Mountain Di-
vision (LI), along with U.S. civilian
embedded police personnel and
law enforcement professionals,
advised the AUP and ALP of the
Aban District to safely and effec-
tively maneuver themselves
through urban environments and
quickly neutralize insurgent
threats once entering a building.
“Through this training, they will
be able to move forward very
quickly,” said 1st Lt. MichaelWard,
SFAAT 6 operations officer. “They
Division Soldiers face challenge
in Best Ranger Competition
Staff Sgt. Joel Pena
10th Mountain Division Journalist
Two out of three teams repre-
senting Fort Drum finished in 19th
and 21st place in the grueling 60-
hour David E. Grange Jr. Best
Ranger Competition held Friday
through Sunday at Fort Benning,
Ga.
This year’s Best Ranger Compe-
tition started at 5 a.m. Friday,
when 49 two-man teams lined up
at the start line for a three-mile
run and an eight-mile cross coun-
try foot march with rucksacks
weighing some 60 pounds.
“Our teams did really well this
year,” said Sgt. 1st Class Vernon
Kenworthy, who coached the 10th
Mountain Division (LI) competi-
tors.
This year’s teams were made up
of Rangers from 2nd Brigade Com-
bat Team, 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, and 10th Combat Aviation
Brigade from Fort Drum, and 4th
Brigade Combat Team from Fort
Polk, La.
Representing the division were
Team 6, made up of Capt. Ben-
jamin Hartig, commander of
Headquarters and Headquarters,
2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regi-
ment, 4th BCT, and 2nd Lt. Robert
Shalvov, 1st Battalion, 32nd In-
fantry Regiment, 3rd BCT; Team 7,
made up of Capt. Ian Kent, com-
mander of G Company, 210th
Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, and 1st Lt.
Oleg Sheynfeld, Pathfinder Com-
pany, 10th Combat Aviation Bri-
gade; and Team 8, made up of
Capt. Matthew Stapay, Headquar-
ters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd
Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, and
Capt. Ian Allen, C Troop, 3-71 Cav-
alry.
Overall, during the first day of
the competition, the Rangers aver-
aged 48 miles of walking, running
and road marching. On Day 2 and
3, Soldiers were required to com-
plete a stress shoot, prusik climb,
the mile-long Darby Queen Obsta-
cle Course and the Ranger First
Responder medevac event.
During the night foot march, the
teams had to carry full sandbags,
full five-gallon water cans and full
Meals, Ready-to-Eat boxes on top
of their 60-pound rucksack
throughout the 17.3-mile foot
march.
By the end of the first day, 25
teams had dropped from the com-
petition.
“Competitors are getting better
and stronger,” Kenworthy said.
“That showed going into the com-
petition and coming out of the
first day events. They were
stronger this year than what they
were last year.”
One Ranger who is no stranger
to the competition is Kent.
“I feel really good,” Kent said. “I
honestly think that this year was
tougher; so I feel more accom-
plished this year than I did last
year.”
“I would advise anyone that is
COURTESY PHOTO
Capt. Benjamin Hartig, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters,
2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th
Mountain Division (LI), takes a simulated casualty over a wall during the
first responder medevac event at the Best Ranger Competition last
weekend in Fort Benning, Ga.. Hartig and 2nd Lt. Robert Shalvov (not
pictured), 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, made up Team 6, which fin.
STAFF SGT. TODD L. POULIOT
Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend (facing colors), Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander, joins
Col. David J. Francis, left, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Chad A. Cuomo,
right, 10th CAB senior enlisted adviser, in casing the 10th CAB colors during a ceremony Tuesday at Wheeler-
Sack Army Airfield. The ceremony signals the unit’s upcoming nine-month deployment to Afghanistan.
See SFAAT, Page A4See BEST RANGER, Page A5

2. April 18, 2013 • The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. A3
C
The Directorate of Plans, Training, Mo-
bilization and Security has announced a
new physical training policy and route will
take effect May 5.
PT time remains 7 to 8:30 a.m.
Motorists must slow to 10 mph when
passing Soldiers / pedestrians during PT
time.
Motorists must slow to 10 mph when
passing two or more Soldiers in formation
any time of the day.
The 10 mph rule when passing Sol-
diers / pedestrians other than the PT time
is rescinded. Motorists will use caution,
and the current vehicle and traffic law
pertaining to pedestrians / vehicles is the
rule of the day.
On North Riva Ridge Loop, the portion
between Mount Belvedere Boulevard and
the entrance to Bldg. 10100 is co-use to
allow Directorate of Resource Manage-
ment and G-8 personnel access to their fa-
cility.
On South Riva Ridge Loop, the portion
between Mount Belvedere Boulevard and
the entrance to Division Annex buildings
is co-use to allow employees access to
their facilities.
On Lewis Avenue, the portion between
First Street West to Euphrates River Valley
is co-use to allow access to court, which
begins at 8 a.m.
Po Valley Road from Conway Road to
South Riva Ridge Loop is a no-PT area.
Conway Road / First Street West from
Enduring Freedom Drive to Nash Boule-
vard is a no-PT area.
The entire length of Nash Boulevard is
a no-PT area.
All “official” government-plated vehi-
cles will be allowed access to PT-only
routes to conduct normal business / mis-
sion. No special pass is required.
New PT policy, route will take effect May 5
Sgt. Steven Peterson
10th Mountain Division Journalist
The commanding general for
U.S. Army Human Resources
Command visited Fort Drum on
Monday and briefed an audience
of officers and noncommissioned
officers.
Maj. Gen. Richard Mustion pro-
vided updates on changes to eval-
uation reports and discussed ways
of retaining the quality of our per-
sonnel.
During his briefing, the discus-
sion and interaction brought up
new ideas and topics that could fa-
cilitate a better working Army.
Changes that will occur in the per-
sonnel system include the draw-
down in total number of Soldiers
and changes in evaluation reports.
Mustion focused on maintain-
ing the quality of service members
while slowly meeting the Army’s
goals of a personnel drawdown. In
past drawdowns, the Army made
cuts quickly and therefore left gaps
in certain personnel. Currently,
the goal is to keep personnel and
not make large cuts without delib-
erate planning, Mustion said. The
needs and care of those individu-
als leaving the Army also will be
taken under close consideration to
ensure veterans are taken care of
before their departure.
The general’s three main talking
points at Fort Drum were to ex-
plain the major changes to the Of-
ficer Evaluation Report, along with
a discussion of how selection oc-
curs.
According to Mustion, the most
important changes to the evalua-
tion reports concern how the
Army assesses leaders while keep-
ing them accountable by being
able to complete their mission.
The biggest difference in the new
evaluation is the direct alignment
to the manner of performance
with leadership doctrine and the
ability to show the manner of per-
formance by a rater’s comments.
Additionally, a Soldier’s potential
is clarified through his or her sen-
ior rater’s comments by getting to
the point with precise writing. The
end state is to encourage the type
of dialogue that focuses on future
leadership and improvement for
the individual Soldier.
The second goal is to get feed-
back from NCOs and officers in
reference to their concerns about
what is important to their Families
and careers in order to maintain
readiness in the Army, Mustion
said. Readiness of the Army is fa-
cilitated through dialogue at these
types of events. Feedback by offi-
cers and NCOs is important to
clarify shortages and needs within
the Army.
The Army has programs in place
to help those looking to transition
through retirement or separation.
Some of the changes include ac-
tive-duty personnel moving to Na-
tional Guard and Reserve posi-
tions in order to keep a balance
during these transitions. Other op-
tions in place are education, busi-
ness and training opportunities
that are available to those looking
at transition.
“Part of one of our major objec-
tives at Human Resources Com-
mand is to increase our engage-
ment with the Army,” Mustion
said. “That engagement is going
out and talking to the field, so that
the folks in the field have an un-
derstanding of the Army’s man-
ning priorities, of major changes
that are going on in the Army per-
sonnel system, and at the same
time, gain feedback from the
field.”
The third topic covered possible
OER updates. Excellent ideas have
come from the field for updating
the evaluation reports, Mustion
said. The importance of focusing
comments on performance to
match leadership qualities and
overall performance is the first
change being implemented.
The second major change is the
capability of a senior rater to focus
comments on overall potential in
future duties.This includes discus-
sion of how programs available
can be implemented to facilitate a
Soldier’s progression and career
path. Leaders from throughout the
Army were brought in to facilitate
the discussion and get feedback in
reference to their progression,
Mustion said.
“We will transition to three dif-
ferent OERs – one focused on
company grade and junior war-
rants, (one on) field grade and sen-
ior warrants, (and one on) strat-
egic leaders,” Mustion said.“There
will be three different reports that
focus on competency and attrib-
utes and level of performance ex-
pected at those different grade
plates.”
Mustion mentioned the 490,000
active-duty force goal the Army
must reach by the end of fiscal
year 2017. To meet that require-
ment, leadership has issued guid-
ance to drawdown at a gradual
pace the Army controls.
“We came to help clarify issues
and dispel rumors or myths,” he
said.“Feedback also helps us iden-
tify gaps in personnel programs as
we work to make things better for
the Army.”
Army Human Resources commander visits Fort Drum
Military Cleaning On & Off Post
Move In & Move Out
Post Construction Cleaning
(315) 782-6710 or 415-8661
Professional
Commercial &
Residential
Cleaning
FREE WI-FI
ON 2 BIG SCREENS
Adults $6.00
Ages 7 thru 11 $2.00
FRI., SAT., SUN., APRIL 19,20,21
CINEMA I
OBLIVION (PG13) 8:15
PLUS IDENTITY THIEF (R) 10:30
Adults $6 ~ Ages 7-11 $2 ~ Active Duty Military $5 Jr’s $4
Fri., Sat. 14th Benefit for “River Storm” Syncro Team. $1.00 of adult
admission and $1.00 of every popcorn sale donates.
CINEMA II
THE CROODS (PG13) 8:25
PLUS G.I. JOE RETALIATION (PG13) 10:20
Judee Kelly
Financial Readiness Program Manager
Coupons offer a great way to
save a few extra bucks. Some
coupon users purchase hundreds
of dollars worth of groceries and
household items for a fraction of
the original cost. During these
challenging economic times, even
consumers with expendable in-
come are using coupons. It should
be no surprise that the scammers
would figure out a way to use
those attractive money savers to
abuse consumers.
The Better Business Bureau has
warned that some scam websites
are offering fantastic coupon dis-
counts if you respond to certain
questions and give some personal
information. Scammers will then
use that information to try and
steal your identity. They use legiti-
mate-looking company logos and
other techniques to make you
think it’s safe to enter your per-
sonal information.
The BBB says that some signs of
a phony coupon include deals that
are significantly better than others
and coupons that lack expiration
dates and legal language. Then
they ask questions about personal
information when you try to
download the codes.
Families have limited incomes,
and with great legitimate coupons
offered to commissary shoppers,
they are some of the biggest
coupon users. Shoppers, beware.
If you think a coupon sounds too
good to be true, go to www.cou-
poninformationcenter.com and
click on “Counterfeit Notifica-
tions.” You’ll see a list of phony
coupons and the dates they were
issued. Keep your guard up!
The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013A2
Commanding General
Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend
Garrison Commander
Col. Gary A. Rosenberg
Public Affairs Officer
Lt. Col. David A. Konop
Garrison Public Affairs Officer
Julie Cupernall
Managing Editor
Lisa Reape Albrecht
Staff Writers
Steve Ghiringhelli
Michelle Kennedy
Melody Everly
This Army Civilian Enterprise Newspaper is
an authorized publication for members of the
U.S. Army. Contents of The Mountaineer are not
necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by,
the U.S. Government, the Department of De-
fense, Department of the Army, or Fort Drum. It
is published weekly using offset method, with a
printed circulation of 10,000. The editorial con-
tent of the publication is the responsibility of the
Fort Drum Public Affairs Office. Printed by Wa-
tertown Daily Times, Inc., a private firm in no
way connected with the U.S. Government, under
written contract with the Commander, Fort
Drum. The appearance of advertising in this
publication, including inserts and supplements,
does not constitute endorsement by the U.S.
Army, or Watertown Daily Times Inc., of the
products or services advertised. Everything ad-
vertised in this publication shall be made avail-
able for purchase, use or patronage without
regard to race, color, religion, sex, national ori-
gin, age, marital status, physical handicap, politi-
cal affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the
purchaser, user or patron.
E-Mail: Lisa.R.Albrecht.civ@mail.mil
Phone: 772-5469
Fax: 772-8295
Mailing Address:
10012 S. Riva Ridge Loop
Fort Drum, N.Y., 13602-5028
Paid advertising:
782-0400 or 1-800-724-0401
nnyads.com
Websites:
www.drum.army.mil
www.facebook.com/drum.10thmoun-
tain.com
CG’s Hotline: 772-6666
TidBits
Coupon scams offer
no bargain for shoppers
2nd BCT, Bldg. 10150
Brunch:
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Supper:
4:30 to 6 p.m.
Quote of
the Week
“We embark on this deployment at a
key time for Afghanistan and at a key
time for this division.”
Col. David J. Francis, 10th CAB commander
10th Mountain Weather
18TH WEATHER SQUADRON DETACHMENT 1
Fort Drum Around the Globe
STAFF SGT. TODD L. POULIOT
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael A. Mogg, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade
master gunner, affixes specialist rank onto the uniform of his daughter,
Miranda A. Mogg, while Miranda's mom, Maria A. Mogg, affixes rank on
her patrol cap during a ceremony Friday at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.
Miranda Mogg is an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Head-
quarters Company, 10th CAB. Both father and daughter are slated to de-
ploy to Afghanistan with the unit over the next few weeks.
Like father, like daughter
68, MOSTLY CLOUDY
BAGRAM - 61, PARTLY CLOUDY
Fire, police, medical service
telephone numbers
During an emergency, seconds
count. In the event of a fire, police or
medical emergency on post, dial
911.
During nonemergency situations,
follow these guidelines:
For nonemergency police service,
call 772-5156 / 5157.
For nonemergency fire services, call
772-4420 / 3180. For information on
fire prevention, call 772-4702.
For nonemergency medical care,
patients may schedule appoint-
ments with their primary care
provider, primary care management
team or the Acute Care Clinic by call-
ing 772-2778.

3. April 18, 2013 • The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. A5
Fort Drum, off-post agencies
join forces to fight domestic
violence, sexual assault
Fort Drum leaders kick off Month of the Military Child
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher
Meadows
10th Mountain Division Journalist
Fort Drum and 10th Mountain
Division (LI) senior leaders kicked
off the Month of the Military Child
celebration April 9 at the Com-
mons.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Townsend,
Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Di-
vision (LI) commander; Com-
mand Sgt. Maj. Rick Merritt, div-
ision senior enlisted adviser, Col.
Gary Rosenberg, Fort Drum garri-
son commander; and Command
Sgt. Maj. Mark Oldroyd, garrison
senior enlisted adviser, signed the
Month of the Military Child
proclamation.
The proclamation notes that
when Soldiers decide to serve our
country, their children serve too.
They are not in uniform, but they
serve, nonetheless.
Rosenberg thanked everybody
for coming out, but especially the
children.
“We’ve got over 18,000 children
on this (installation), and 8,100
currently with a parent deployed,”
he said. “That’s a lot of kids that
are serving their country as well.
My hat’s off to all of you, all of you
in the room, but especially the
kids today.”
And this night was all about chil-
dren. The evening starting with a
social hour and dinner that was
planned with children in mind –
pizza, chicken nuggets (in the
shape of dinosaurs), star-shaped
tater tots and other kid-friendly
foods.
They also went home after being
entertained with a book reading
and a puppet show, while their art-
work hung on the walls. The art-
work, themed “What Makes My
Family Strong,” featured many pa-
triotic colors and families enjoying
different activities together.
When asked what makes his
Family strong, Oldroyd credited
his wife.
“I see the spark in her when she’s
around Soldiers and Families,” he
said.
“It takes a special person to be
able to be an Army spouse.”
When asked why holding this
event was important, Merritt
echoed the chief of staff of the
Army, saying “the strength of our
nation is its Army, the strength of
our Army is its Soldiers, and the
strength of our Soldiers are their
Families.”
SGT. 1ST CLASS CHRISTOPHER MEADOWS
Col. Gary Rosenberg, Fort Drum garrison commander, signs the Month
of the Military Child Proclamation on April 9.
Staff Sgt. Kelly Chodkowski
10th Mountain Division Journalist
Military and civilian attorneys,
law enforcement representatives,
social workers, child protective
services employees, nurses, victim
advocates and command team
members came together to foster
good working relationships during
the 2nd Annual Sexual Assault Re-
sponse Team Seminar last week at
Fort Drum.
The two-day seminar kicked off
April 9 at the Commons with re-
marks from Brig. Gen. Walter E.
Piatt, 10th Mountain Division (LI)
deputy commanding general for
support.
The focus of this year’s SARTS
was domestic violence.
“We have a serious problem in
our Army, and it’s up to us to fix it,”
Piatt said.
Sexual assault is usually catego-
rized as a “blue on blue” offense,
meaning Soldier on Soldier. Cur-
rent issues with sexual assault
aren’t new information, but they
are being addressed more aggres-
sively through the Sexual Harass-
ment / Assault Response and Pre-
vention program. The SHARP pro-
gram looks to focus on offender
behavior and education as op-
posed to victim blaming.
Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Anne Ges-
sner, a victim advocate with the
10th Mountain Division SHARP
team, described the mentality be-
hind victim blaming.
“Offenders and society as a
whole sometimes state things like,
‘she was asking for it,’ a statement
which shifts blame for the attack
onto the victims or as I to refer to
them, survivors,” Gessner said.
“Someone who has taken all the
proper precautions and is sexually
assaulted usually feels ashamed
and confused. They even might
feel like they should have done
more to prevent the attack,” she
said.
Although the SHARP program is
still in its infancy, Gessner is a sea-
soned pro. She has been a victim
advocate under the Army’s various
programs since 2004.
Bottom line, she said,“It is never
the survivor’s fault for what has
happened to (him or her). The of-
fender made the conscious deci-
sion to violate another person.”
Capt. Jeff Gilberg, special victim
prosecutor for the Northeast re-
gion, showed a video in which a
young woman is at a bar smiling
and having fun. A man notices her
and says to a friend, “Would you
look at her? She’s asking for it!”The
video cuts away to an earlier time
when the young woman is shop-
ping. She asks the sales woman
which skirt she should choose in
order to “… encourage a guy to
have sex with me against my will.”
The video ends with an “as if”
statement from the woman. This
public service announcement il-
lustrates the common misconcep-
tion that a survivor is to blame
because of how he or she dressed
or behaved.
In regard to assaults with mili-
tary ties, “… about 90 percent of
the offenders are trained killers,”
said Bridget Ryan, an expert with
the Trial Counsel Assistance Pro-
gram of the Office of Judge Advo-
cate General, Department of the
Army. Ryan has more than 20 years
of experience prosecuting domes-
tic violence and sexual assault
cases. She now advises Army pros-
ecutors during similar cases.
Ryan spoke about common mis-
conceptions and roadblocks to
domestic violence cases.
All cases of domestic violence on
Fort Drum are directed to the
Family Advocacy Program, despite
the surge in SHARP trained per-
sonnel in uniform.
“If a survivor of domestic vio-
lence comes into my office, I’m
going to do everything I can to
help them, through the ‘warm
handoff’ to FAP and beyond,” said
Maj. Charity O’Dell, SHARP Pro-
gram manager for Fort Drum.
A warm handoff is akin to a
handshake: you can’t have one if
you are in two different places.
“We would accompany the sur-
vivor to FAP and make sure they
felt comfortable before leaving
them,” O’Dell added. “It’s impor-
tant to remember that this individ-
ual has been through a traumatic
event, and our focus is to help
(him or her) through it.”
In addition to blocks of instruc-
tion and question sessions with
each functional area’s subject-
matter experts, attendees partici-
pated in roundtable discussions
based on a fictional case.
Gilberg developed the fact pat-
tern by looking at real cases and
pulling common denominators to
ensure current issues were ad-
dressed and understood by all.
Factors such as alcohol usage, fi-
nancial dependency and child in-
volvement are present in many
cases; by using these types of de-
tails, the training can be more ef-
fective, Gilberg explained.
Throughout the seminar, the
SMEs referred to the fictional case
file to highlight their organizations
role during reporting, investiga-
tion, litigation and beyond. After
each speaker was a working party
discussion, led by the SME for that
particular area. This format al-
lowed for group dialogue and
feedback, making it easier for all to
understand each facet of the case.
The final portion of the event
took participants through a ficti-
tious court-martial for the case.
Under supervision from Gilberg,
each table came up with questions
for the victim regarding certain as-
pects of the case. This exercise was
important because “many of you
have never witnessed a court-mar-
tial, and neither have your vic-
tims,” Gilberg said.
The seminar was one of the cor-
nerstone events during Sexual As-
sault Awareness Month.There also
have been a self-defense class and
informational displays at the Ex-
change. The display tables will re-
turn to the PX on Friday and
Wednesday. Denim Day also will
be observed Wednesday.
Denim Day came about in Italy
after a guilty verdict on a rape case
was overturned because the judge
deemed the female victim’s jeans
to be too tight for the offender to
have removed them. The judge
stated the victim must have
helped the attacker, and therefore
consented to the assault. Women
of the Italian Parliament were in-
furiated and began wearing jeans
to work to protest the ruling.
Women of the California Senate
and Assembly heard about the
outrage and joined the movement.
Thus, Denim Day was born.
The final major event for SAAM
is the “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes”
event April 25. The walk is based
on “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”
events held worldwide where men
show support for victims of sexual
assault by walking a mile in high
heels. Fort Drum is taking the gen-
der angle out, because sexual as-
sault is not a “female” problem,
but an Army problem. The walk
will start at 6:50 a.m. at the North
Riva Ridge Chapel and end at the
AmeriCU parking lot. Refresh-
ments will be served at the end of
the route.
For more information, contact
the 10th Mountain Division (LI)
SHARP office at 774-2728.
STAFF SGT. KELLY CHODKOWSKI
Capt. Jeff Gilberg, special victim prosecutor, leads a discussion during
the 2nd Annual Sexual Assault Response Team Seminar held April 9-10
at the Commons. The seminar brings together individuals from all facets
of the domestic violence / sexual assault response team and gives them
an opportunity to work a fictional case together to foster good working
relationships and learning.
looking to participate in the (Best
Ranger Competition) to know
going into it that it will, hands
down, be the hardest thing they’ll
ever do,” Kent said. “They need to
fully commit themselves mentally
and physically to this competition
and allow themselves not to have
any distractions to get ready for
this event.”
Kent commented that it was a
nice change of pace, but that he
was ready to get back to his com-
pany and his Soldiers.
Sheynfeld is another Ranger
who is glad the competition is
over.
“We’ve competed with the best
teams in the Army,” he said.“We’re
glad we were able to complete it
successfully.”
Sheynfeld said everything in the
competition was difficult for him.
He said he was at his lowest point
during night orienteering, but the
support of his teammate helped
him get through it.
“Just knowing that your Ranger
buddy is going to keep going no
matter what,” Sheynfeld said.
“That gave me the confidence to
keep on going.”
To be the No. 1 team, Sheynfeld
said, requires an exceptional
amount of dedication and train-
ing. It also helps to be gifted and
talented physically and to have ex-
perience in the competition, he
added.
One Ranger who enjoyed his
first experience in the BRC was
Shalvov.
“This is one of the biggest ac-
complishments of my life,” Shal-
vov said. “It’s kind of a surreal
feeling to think that just a few
months ago I was in Infantry Offi-
cer School and then Ranger
School.
“When I showed up at my first
duty station, they told me to go try
out, and all of a sudden, here I am
running across the finish line. It
was incredible.”
Winners of this year’s BRC was
Team 34, made up of Sgt. 1st Class
Raymond Santiago and Sgt. 1st
Class Timothy S. Briggs, both from
the Rangers Training Brigade, Fort
Benning, Ga.
The winning team and teams
that completed the competition
were recognized during an awards
ceremony Monday at Marshall Au-
ditorium in McGinnis Wickham
Hall.
“I hope to take this renewed
sense of confidence to Fort Drum
and improve the combat effective-
ness of my unit,” Shalvov said.
BEST RANGER, from Page A1
COURTESY PHOTO
First Lt. Oleg Sheynfeld, Pathfinder Company, 10th Combat Aviation
Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), walks through Fort Benning, Ga.,
forest last weekend during a ruck march portion of the annual Best
Ranger Competition.
WATERTOWN – Jefferson Com-
munity College will offer handgun
safety and pistol permit training
workshops through May. Atten-
dees will learn important informa-
tion about permit requirements
and the legal responsibilities in
owning a handgun.
Topics include related New York
State Penal Law, general safety and
firearms proficiency. Proficiency
training will be taught using Jeffer-
son’s Advanced Interactive Sys-
tems (AIS) firearms simulator. The
public should note that Jefferson
Community College Policy pro-
hibits all weapons on campus.
Training will be conducted by
Chuck Ruggiero, New York state
certified instructor. Ruggiero, an
active member of the Law En-
forcement Training Directors As-
sociation of NewYork State, has 44
years of firearms experience.
Handgun safety and pistol per-
mit training will be held from 8
a.m. to noon on the first and third
Saturday of every month. The
workshop will be offered on the
following dates: Saturday, May 4
and May 18. Cost of the workshop
is $45.
Participants must bring photo
identification. Maximum atten-
dance is 12 per session. Advance
registration is required by calling
JCC’s Continuing Education Divi-
sion at 786-2438 or completing the
workshop registration form avail-
able on www.sunyjefferson.edu.
JEFFERSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
College will offer
handgun safety,
pistol permit training
The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013A4
Soldiers graduateWarrior Leader Course
Michelle Kennedy
Staff Writer
Soldiers, Family Members and
civilians gathered April 10 at the
Multipurpose Auditorium to rec-
ognize the graduates of Warrior
Leader Course Class 6-13.
Guest speaker for the ceremony
was Sgt. Maj. Giovanny Sanchez,
2nd Brigade Combat Team (Rear)
senior enlisted adviser. Sanchez
began his remarks by congratulat-
ing the graduates.
Graduating fromWLC is a rite of
passage for all noncommissioned
officers, he explained.
“You may not appreciate now
how important it is, but I will tell
you that this should be one of the
most profound days in your Army
career,” Sanchez said, adding that
NCOs in the U.S. Army are the
envy of other military organiza-
tions around the world. “By suc-
cessfully completing the Warrior
Leader Course, you have made the
fundamental transformation from
Soldier to leader.”
He noted that successful NCOs
remember what tools to keep in
their “kit bags” – Army regulations
to define the role of the NCO; NCO
Guide to define the skills, knowl-
edge and attitudes of each rank;
and the NCO Creed to guide them
in performing their duties.
Sanchez also explained that
there are four tenets that NCOs
must remember and master –
communication, fair treatment,
taking care of Soldiers and support
the chain of command.
“Keeping your subordinates in-
formed is a sergeant’s responsibil-
ity,” he said. “We as leaders must
strive to keep open lines of com-
munications, going both up and
down the chain. We need to talk
with, counsel and mentor our Sol-
diers, (because) without effective
communication, we cannot get
our message across. We must be
able to not only talk to our Sol-
diers, but talk with them.”
Leaders must ensure their Sol-
diers perform to standard by pro-
viding the best training and
support to guarantee their suc-
cess, Sanchez said.
“We need to retrain and then
continue to offer opportunities,”
he said.“We must ask ourselves,‘if
a Soldier has failed, have I done
everything possible to ensure they
could succeed?’ We must respect
others as individuals and recog-
nize the differences between us.
Our subordinates deserve to be led
by caring leaders who know how
to balance the mission with the
needs of the Soldier.”
NCOs take care of Soldiers by
providing purpose, motivation
and direction, Sanchez explained.
“We do not do it by coddling,
(because) being a Soldier is seri-
ous business,” he said. “Your Sol-
diers deserve awards, rewards and
discipline. You must equally im-
pose these, based on the Soldier’s
performance.”
Sanchez referenced the NCO
Creed, noting that leaders should
be loyal to their“seniors, peers and
subordinates alike.”
“Sergeants have a responsibility
to follow orders and give orders to
(their) squad or team,” he said.
“There is a time and a way to ask
questions. There is a major differ-
ence between providing input or
clarifying orders, and questioning
orders,” he said. “If you have con-
cerns, address it through your
chain of command; don’t com-
plain in front of your subordinates.
“After you have discussed your
issues, execute the mission to the
best of your ability, even if you
may not particularly agree with it,”
Sanchez added.
Sanchez explained that as he de-
veloped as a leader, he realized
that everything he needed to know
about leadership was outlined in
the NCO Creed.
“Understand its true meaning –
line by line – and throughout the
day, as you need to make decisions
or when a Soldier is testing you, or
as you have to recommend reward
or punishment, run your thoughts
through the NCO Creed,” he said.
“Thank you and congratulations.
God bless you all, Climb to Glory,
Army Strong.”
After concluding his remarks,
Sanchez helped to recognize the
graduating Soldiers.
Spc. Aaron D. Stewart, 3rd
Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, was
named Distinguished Honor
Graduate for his outstanding aca-
demic achievement.
Spc. Seth A. Napier, 210th
Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, was nomi-
nated by his classmates for the
Jared C. Monti Leadership Award.
Sgt. Zachary J. Diesman, 2nd
Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, was
named the Iron Warrior.
Sgt.Shane S.Earls, 1st Battalion,
32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Brigade Combat Team, received
the Commandant’s Inspection
Award.
The following Soldiers were
named to the Commandant’s List:
Sgt. Jared A. Chambliss, Sgt. Zach-
ary J. Diesman, Sgt. Shane S. Earls,
Sgt. Ryan S. Knauer, Sgt. Mark A.
Nebraski, Cpl. Joshua S. Errett,
Cpl.Wilfredo Zepedo, Spc. Oyinpr-
eye Dorgu, Spc. Joseph T. Little,
Spc. Christopher K. Markowski,
Spc. Edmond J. Nachbauer, Spc.
Seth A. Napier and Spc. MichaelW.
Newkirk.
The following Soldiers were
named Top Drill Squad: Sgt. Con-
nie M. Bonilla (squad leader), Spc.
Ryan R. Darlage, Spc. Diego F.
Ochoabriones, Spc. Gregory S.
Sundstrom and Spc. Martin K.
Tegang.
The following Soldiers were
named Top Squad: Sgt. Abraham
Chavarria, Sgt. Mathew L. Mckel-
roy, Spc. James E. Larson, Spc.
Zachary D. Loughran, Spc. Chiq-
uita A. Speedwell, Spc. Aaron D.
Stewart and Spc. Henry S. Switlik.
Staff Sgt. Francis P. Donnelly
was named Instructor of the Cycle.
Other graduates were as follows:
Sgt. Travis A. Adawag, Sgt. Brian J.
Bercot, Sgt. Christopher R. Byrd,
Sgt. Christopher N. Elmer, Sgt.
John F. Fischer, Sgt. Julio E. Her-
nandez, Sgt. Brian N. Hicks, Sgt.
David C. Hill, Sgt. Christopher A.
Knoer, Sgt. Andrew A. Ledoux, Sgt.
Jason L. Mathis, Sgt. Patrick I.
Olvecky and Sgt. Benjamin L. Par-
sons.
Also, Sgt. Eric A. Ramoscruz and
Sgt. Tyler J. Whitlinger, Cpl. Victor
E. Bueno, Cpl. Jason T. Eubanks,
Cpl. Jesus A. Graciamolina, Cpl.
Caleb S. Young, Spc. Roland At-
tamah, Spc. Corey N. Bates, Spc.
Jared A. Battista, Spc. Rafael C.
Bernard, Spc. Reeti Bhalla, Spc.
Eddie L. Boney, Spc. Andrew S.
Charbonneau, Spc. Joseph D. Coff-
man and Spc. Jason A. Cowley.
Also, Spc. Natasha R. Davis, Spc.
Soumaila Diarra, Spc. Justin A.
Evaristo, Spc. Christopher W.
Floyd, Spc. Nicholai Maxwell L.
Fuller, Spc. Jamel S. Goodson, Spc.
Anthony J. Herena, Spc. Eric C.
Holliday, Spc. Adam D. Horne, Spc.
Damichael D. Horne, Spc. E. King-
ery III, Spc. Danny J. Kintchen Jr.,
Spc. James E. Larson, Spc. C. Liv-
ingston Jr. and Spc. Yiliang Lu.
Also, Spc. Cerena R. McBride,
Spc. Lashonda S. McDonald, Spc.
James A. Miller, Spc. Trevor J. Mil-
ler, Spc. Julius D. Nabor, Spc. James
M. Panten, Spc. Adam R. Schmidt,
Spc. Shahin Shamir, Spc. Anthony
M. Sims, Spc. Joshua D. Stucker,
Spc. Ariana B. Torres and Spc.
Justin A. Zayas.
ALYSSA HENNESSY
Warrior Leader Course award winners stand to be recognized during their graduation ceremony April 10 in the
Multipurpose Auditorium. From left are Spc. Aaron D. Stewart, Distinguished Honor Graduate; Spc. Seth A.
Napier, Jared C. Monti Leadership Award winner; Sgt. Shane S. Earls, Commandant’s Inspection Award recipi-
ent; and Sgt. Zachary J. Diesman, Iron Warrior.
News Briefs
Civilian employees
seek leave donations
The following Appropriated Fund
employees have been accepted in the
Leave Recipient Program: Russell
Benton, James Haggerty and John
Smith, Directorate of Emergency
Services.
Appropriated Fund employees who
wish to donate annual leave should
complete an OPM 630A, Request to
Donate Annual Leave to Leave Recip-
ient Under the Voluntary Leave
Transfer Program, and forward it to
the Civilian Personnel Advisory Cen-
ter, Bldg. 10720, for processing.
Fort Drum will honor
civilian employees
USA MEDDAC Fort Drum will host
the Civilian of the Quarter Luncheon
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 at
the Commons. The theme is stress
awareness. The menu will include a
choice of chicken Caesar salad or
grilled raspberry chicken. The cost is
$9 per person. Tickets will be avail-
able for purchase through Friday at
Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation, Clark Hall.
DOD ID card holders may
participate in functional
fitness challenge
Fort Drum Better Opportunities for
Single Soldiers will team up with At-
kins Functional Fitness Facility staff
to offer another physically challeng-
ing event. The functional fitness chal-
lenge will begin at 10 a.m. April 25 at
the AFFF, Bldg. 4325, Conway Road.
Male and female competitors may
preregister at the AFFF or at BOSS fa-
cilities on Nash Boulevard and Jack T.
Sweet Complex. The event is open to
all DOD ID card holders 17 and older.
For more information, call BOSS at
772-7807 or the AFFF at 772-3377.
Volunteer Support Fund
plans International
Festival of Foods
The Volunteer Support Fund will host
the 22nd Annual International Festi-
val of Foods from 4:30 to 8 p.m. May
3, at the Commons. Proceeds from
the event will benefit Fort Drum vol-
unteers by offsetting child care costs.
Tickets cost $12 in advance for ages
12 and older or $15 at the door and
$5 for children ages 3-11. Admission
is free for children 2 and younger.
Technology Expo returns
to Fort Drum in May
The 2013 Fort Drum Technology
Expo will take place from 9:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m. on May 9 at the Commons.
See the latest in information technol-
ogy all in one place, at one time. The
event is free and open to all DoD,
federal, state and local government
and contractor personnel. Attendees
can preregister online by visiting
http://fdaexpo.com.
For more information, contact Fed-
eral Direct Access Expositions toll-
free at 1-877-332-3976; email Donna
Flemister, Federal Direct Access, at
donna@fdaexpo.com; or call Diana
Mullen, Garrison S6, at 772-3003.
Report security issues
to Fort Drum tip line
Fort Drum’s Directorate of Emer-
gency Services encourages everyone
to contribute to community security
by reporting suspicious behavior or
activities to 774-8477 (TIPS).
Callers to the anonymous tip line
should report odd behaviors and ac-
tivities, such as people measuring or
asking for blueprints of important
buildings; strangers asking about se-
curity protocols; a briefcase, suitcase,
backpack or package left behind; ve-
hicles left unattended in front of
buildings; and chemical smells or
fumes coming from a residence or
business. The effort is part of iWatch
Army, an antiterrorism program.
Post offers drug hotline
CID’s Drug Suppression Team has
put together a drug hotline open to
all citizens on Fort Drum. Anyone
who wishes to help stop drug abuse
and drug trafficking in the commu-
nity may call the drug hotline at 774-
WEED (9333). Report any drug
activity in your area, anytime! Calls
are confidential.
AA group meets on post
Alcoholics Anonymous will meet
from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and
Thursdays in the Fellowship Hall of
North Riva Ridge Chapel, Bldg.
10030. For details, call Ronald D.
Jacob, 772-0035.
Patriot Soldiers learn critical
air-to-ground integration
Sgt. David Edge
4th Brigade Combat Team Journalist
FORT POLK, La. – Soldiers from
2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regi-
ment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,
attended an Air to Ground Opera-
tions class March 15 here.
The Patriot Soldiers had to learn
quickly, because although the
class wasn’t long, it was packed full
of information.
“The goal of this class is to in-
form ground personnel of not only
what our capabilities are, but also
what kind of information that they
can give us to help them on the
battlefield,” said Capt. Brian T. Ed-
wards, senior captain for 3rd Avia-
tion Division, Joint Readiness
Training Center, Operations
Group.
Patriot Soldiers were happy to
learn about assets that can help
them on the ground during possi-
ble future missions.
“Having talked to my platoon
sergeant, this is definitely one of
the most informative classes that
we have taken,” said 1st Lt. Ben
Adams, leader of 3rd Platoon, B
Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th In-
fantry Regiment, 4th Brigade
Combat Team.
“It opened both of our eyes to
things that we weren’t fully aware
of that we have at our disposal.”
Patriot Soldiers learned some
new and surprising ways air oper-
ation could help them.
“As a team leader, it’s good to
know that the Apache can provide
support by fire from six clicks
(kilometers) out, which is obvi-
ously awesome to have,” said Spc.
Matthew Hokett, B Company, 2-4
Infantry Regiment. “Given the fact
that we are light infantry, during a
patrol, there are areas that we can’t
see. Air support can fly in and give
us a heads up if anything is on the
ground that we need to know
about.
“If we happen to go into one of
the cities, air support can help
guide us around or away from
high-traffic areas.”
As more Soldiers from this light
infantry brigade learn about the
capabilities of other combat arms
disciplines, the Patriot Brigade will
become stronger with that knowl-
edge and more capable to handle
what the future holds.
are very proactive in asking us for
assistance in certain areas; they
are doing exactly what they need
to be doing.”
The law enforcement profes-
sional attached to SFAAT 6 also
worked with Capt. Abdul Wahad,
AUP administrative officer, Aban
District, on how to properly collect
evidence and how to systemati-
cally use interviewing techniques
on detained suspects to effectively
obtain information.
“If we continue this training
once a week, I’m sure we will
progress to a very high standard,”
said Ali Ahmed, AUP soldier.
SFAAT 6 is responsible for advis-
ing and assisting these two police
forces as well as a Kandak unit
from the Afghan National Army.
They intend to share their tactical
knowledge on a weekly basis.
Ward said they need some assis-
tance in certain areas. They are al-
ready proficient in most things as
a force. Fine-tuning their room
clearing and evidence collecting
techniques will help them
progress into the future.
“This training today is going to
help my guys capture the enemy
and be able to search compounds
properly,” said Lt. Col. Haji Hes-
matullah Muradi, Aban District
AUP commander.
Muradi said his unit is about 80
percent self-sufficient at this
point, and he is confident his men
will be fully capable well before
the expected coalition forces de-
parture from Afghanistan in late
2014.
Coalition forces, especially the
advisory teams, have added
greatly to the success of the AUP
and ALP from Aban District by
meeting with them regularly to
identify areas where they need as-
sistance the most.
The need for this specific train-
ing was identified a couple of
weeks ago during a meeting with
unit commanders.
“We are very happy and appreci-
ate everything they have done for
us. All of you are here as a guest in
our country, and we welcome you
and will make sure you are taken
care of,” Muradi said.
The advisory team has been
working with Muradi for the past
couple of months and has seen
vast improvements in their abili-
ties to carry out kinetic operations,
but just as importantly, they have
seen their sense of pride flourish.
“I’m very happy and proud to be
serving my country. I’m proud to
be a soldier in the AUP,” Ahmed
said.
Afghan police from Aban Dis-
trict will continue to work with
SFAAT 6, taking it seriously, as if
their fellow soldier’s life depends
on it, because it does.
SFAAT, from Page A1
“... during a patrol, there
are areas that (light
infantry) can’t see. Air
support can fly in and
give us a heads up if
anything is on the
ground that we need to
know about.”
Spc. Matthew Hokett,
B Company, 2-4 Infantry
Regiment

4. April 18, 2013 • The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. A7
Sequester preparations await furlough announcement
Robert Dozier
U.S. Army Installation
Management Command
SAN ANTONIO – Employees will
have to wait a bit longer to find out
the details of their furlough, in-
cluding the exact number of non-
pay status days, as officials
attempt to minimize the impact
on mission and personnel.
Extensive planning and deliber-
ations for the release of notice of
proposed furlough letters to Army
civilians have been stalled be-
tween Congressional action and
White House budget proposals.
The reason for the delay is com-
plex. On March 21, the Pentagon
put off sending out notices to give
officials time to review the Consol-
idated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act of 2013. This
continuing resolution put $10 bil-
lion back in the budget, restored
tuition assistance for military
members and gave the services
some flexibility in the application
of the furloughs.
After a detailed review, the De-
fense Department revised the
number of non-pay status days
from 22 to 14 and delayed the start
of furloughs until mid- to late
June. Around 750,000 civilians had
been facing a 20-percent reduc-
tion in pay for the remaining
weeks of fiscal year 2013.
Congressional approval of the
defense appropriations bill late in
March reduced the shortfall in the
budget from $46 to $41 billion,
taking some of the pressure off se-
questration. Overseas operations,
however, are still the highest prior-
ity. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
directed Deputy Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter and Gen. Martin E.
Dempsey, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, to conduct an in-
tensive, departmentwide review of
how to protect the nation with
fewer resources.
How budget cuts will affect
readiness and the department’s
overall mission is of the utmost
concern, according to Hagel.
“We will have to trade at some
level and to some degree our fu-
ture readiness for current opera-
tions,” he said.
On April 2, Hagel announced he
will voluntarily commit to a partial
forfeiture of his pay during the fur-
lough period, even though he is
exempt as a political appointee.
This gesture prompted other lead-
ers, including the president of the
United States, to make similar ges-
tures of solidarity.
The White House released its
2014 budget proposal, including a
$526.6 billion defense base budget
request, April 10. This budget adds
more variables to the process. Be-
sides repealing the sequestration,
President Obama’s proposal ad-
dresses taxes and entitlement
spending and calls for a new
round of base realignment and
closure.
Meanwhile, officials across the
Army await the exact details and
wording of the furlough commu-
nication.
The Department of the Army
has requested an internal review
to gauge the impact of both a
seven-day furlough and no fur-
lough; however, there is no deci-
sion to reduce the number of days
below 14.
To accomplish a full 14-day non-
pay status furlough, U.S. Army In-
stallation Management Command
employees are expected to receive
their notification letters starting
on or about May 16. Some 27,000
IMCOM employees will be noti-
fied directly by their supervisors
under specific guidance from As-
sistant Secretary of the Army for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs
Thomas R. Lamont.
Once employees are notified,
they will be required to acknowl-
edge in writing their receipt of no-
tification. Then they will have
seven days to exercise their right to
reply. Employees may appeal
orally, in writing or both to the
designated reply official.
Lt. Gen. Mike Ferriter, IMCOM
commander, has announced that
if furloughs occur, the headquar-
ters will move to a four-day work
week. Each garrison commander
will make scheduling decisions lo-
cally in coordination with the sen-
ior commander.
Employees on garrisons under
collective bargaining agreements
should consult directly with their
union officials for any updates.
Once final furlough decision no-
tices are sent, employees may ap-
peal their agency’s decision to the
Merit System Protection Board
within 30 days from the effective
date of the furlough.
For more information on how
sequestration and furloughs affect
the IMCOM workforce, go to
http://www.imcom.army.mil/Or-
ganization/G1Personnel.aspx.
Resilience marathon offers strategies to civilian employees
Michelle Kennedy
Staff Writer
As the possibility of furlough
draws nearer, agencies across Fort
Drum are reaching out to help
civilian employees prepare for un-
certainty.
Trainers will be offering a Master
Resilience Marathon from 9:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through
April 25 at the Civilian Workforce
Training and Development Center,
Bldg. 219, Nash Boulevard.
The four-day training will allow
participants to receive all four
modules of instruction, according
to Jenn Eichner, Mobilization and
Deployment program manager
and master resilience trainer.
“The four modules cover the 12
resilience skills,” she said. “One of
the big benefits of attending the
marathon is the skills build on
each other. The resilience training
is a pyramid – you start with your
foundation and then you build on
from there.”
Resilience training is offered on
a monthly basis; however, partici-
pants receive a much more bene-
ficial experience by taking the
modules in order during the mar-
athon, Eichner explained.
“It’s really powerful when you
can take it all at the same time,”
she said. “You really get the full ef-
fect when each one works to-
gether.”
Some of the skills participants
will learn about are problem solv-
ing, getting past thinking traps,
and communication.
Many of the master resilience
training opportunities that Eich-
ner teaches are geared toward Sol-
diers and Families, but she be-
lieves it’s equally important to
reach out to civilian employees
who work at Fort Drum.
It is a tense time for civilian em-
ployees with the possibility of fur-
lough, and they are doing more
with less. Eichner said that civil-
ians are “unsung heroes” who play
a role in almost every activity that
happens at Fort Drum.
“The stronger (civilians) are – in
terms of resilience – the stronger
the mission and the stronger the
post functions,” she said. “If a civ-
ilian employee is physically and
mentally happy in his or her every-
day life, then they bring that to
work with them.
“Most people spend more time
at work than they do at home,” she
continued. “If we can bring that
positive attitude and share our
own hope and optimism at work,
it makes it a better place.”
Eichner said she fully embraces
master resilience training because
it has positively impacted her life.
“Personally, it changed me in a
very positive way,” she noted. “I
can’t say it will do that for every-
body, but it has (helped) so many
(people).
“Resilience is important in
(dealing with professional stress),
but it also helps with everyday
life,” Eichner added. “It helps es-
pecially when dealing with chil-
dren and relationships.”
At the end of the four-day work-
shop, participants get to take
home everything they received in
the class so they can continue to
practice and implement the skills
they learned. People who attend
the marathon should mentally
prepare to come in with an open
mind and be honest with them-
selves, Eichner said.
“This is not just four days
(where) they learn some stuff and
then put it on the back burner,”
she said. “We give them the ability
to increase their resilience factor.”
Employees are not required to
attend all four sessions. Informa-
tion covered on each day includes
the following:
Monday – Introduction and
activating event, thoughts and
consequences, also known as ATC
Tuesday – Thinking traps, de-
tecting icebergs and problem solv-
ing
Wednesday – Problem solving
(continued), put it in perspective
and real-time resilience
April 25 – Strengths, assertive
communication, active construc-
tive responding and praise
For those planning to attend the
final day, participants are asked to
complete and bring their VIA
Strength Survey results, which can
be accessed at www.authentichap-
piness.sas.upenn.edu.
The training includes a one-
hour lunch break. A refrigerator
and microwave are available for
use. For more information or to
sign up for the four-day Master Re-
silience Marathon, call 772-0470 /
2848 / 0509.
“The stronger (civilians)
are – in terms of
resilience – the stronger
the mission and the
stronger the post
functions.”
Jenn Eichner
5th Annual BRIAN LEONARD
FOOTBALL
CAMPCurrent Cincinnati Bengals
Running Back
Former Rutgers University
and Gouverneur High School Standout
Instruction from
College and High School Coaches
THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT POTSDAM
Brian Leonard Football Camp on Facebook • Website: www.leonardcamps.com • Phone: 732-597-3126
Sun., July 7- Thurs., July 11 (Overnight Camp)
Mon., July 8 - Thurs., July 11th (Day Camp)
Students Entering Grades 1-12 Are Eligible To Attend
Trout and Salmon Season Has Arrived!
CHARTERS
MY WAY
www.mywaycharters.com
Located In Wolcott, NY On Sodus Bay
Capt. David Urban • 315-729-2448
My Way Charters mywaycharters@gmail.com
• Offering 10% Discount For
Military And
20% Discount For
Purple Heart Recipients On
One Day Of Fishing
• Lodging Available,
Multi-Day Trips
Available
To Advertise please contact Matt Costantino at 315-661-2305 mcostantino@wdt.net
BIBLEWAY CHRISTIAN
FELLOWSHIP CENTER
520 Meade St., Watertown, NY 13601
“Jesus Is The Way, The
Truth And Life”
Sunday School
10:00 am
Worship Service
(Sunday)
11:00 am
Bible Study
(Wednesday)
7:00 pm
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
OF NORTHERN NEW YORK
Pastor John Searinger & his wife Cynthia
Come and
Join Us
Here at
“The City”
32500 NYS HWY #3/P.O.Box 321
Great Bend, NY 13643
315.493.6463
“Reaching People,
Changing Lives by the
Power of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ”
An Interdenominational Full Gospel,
Multicultural Church
Service Times: Sun. Worship Service:
8:00am “Power Hour” 10am - 12 noon
Wed. School of Ministry 7pm-8pm
Friday Foundational Bible Studies:
CHURCH GUIDE
Emergency Chaplain Support Services
24 Hour On-Call Chaplain 772-5647
Senior & Garrison Chaplain
Administrative Offices
Modular Building 449A
Corner of Oswego Ave & 4th Street West, j
ust west of Oswego & Tigris.
772-5591
Due to the closure of Main Post Chapel for renovations, all
prior religious schedules are obsolete.
Please call 772-5591 for info on
denominations not listed here
Fort Drum Religious
Service Schedule
Riva Ridge Chapel P10030
Po Valley Chapel P4405
Catholic
Protestant
Chapel Program
Sun. 1100 Mass Riva Ridge
Mon-Thur 1215 Mass Riva Ridge
Sat 1700 Mass Riva Ridge
Sat 1800 Agape Cafe Po Valley
Sun 0915 Traditional Service Po Valley
Sun 0900 Liturgical Service Riva Ridge
Sun 1230 Gospel Service Po Valley
Mon/Th 1900 LDS Studies Riva Ridge
Sun 0930 Catholic Religious Education Blg 426A/427A
Sun 1100 Sunday School Blg 426A/427A
Wed 1730 AWANA Blg 426A/427A
Sun 1730 Teens of the Chapel Youth Services
Tue 0930 Protestant Women (PWOC) Blg 426A/427A
Wed 0930 Catholic Women(MCCW) Blg 426A/427A
CORNERSTONE FAMILY
WORSHIP CENTER
“Reaching Through Relationships”
231 S. Massey Street, Watertown, NY 13601
315-788-9052
www.cfwcwatertown.com
Morning Schedule Celebration Service
at 8:30am and 10:30am
(Children’s Ministries available at 10:30 service only)
ASBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
“The church with the big red roof”
Rev. Leon VanWie, Pastor
327 Franklin Street, Watertown
Corner of Franklin, Parker and Stearling Street
Handicapped Accessible
Chapel Worship, 8:15 a.m., Sunday
Traditional Worship, 10:15 a.m., Sunday
Sunday School, 10:15 a.m.
Qualified Nursery Care: 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
315-782-3240 www.AsburyUMC.net
Weekend Masses
Sunday: 8:00am & 11:00am
St. Anthony’s
Church
28060 CTY. RT. 129 • BLACK RIVER, NY • 315-773-1717
(Off of 342 - behind Waycool Ice Cream)
www.sweethaven3.com
SWEET HAVEN HOLY CHURCH OF GOD#3
“Just a little church on the side of the road.
Loving God and loving his people”
Overseer Bobby J. Butler &
Elect - Lady Barbara Butler
Sunday School ........................9:30am-10:45am
Sunday Worship ..........................11am-1:30pm
Tuesday Joy Night/Bible Study .......7:30pm-9:30pm
• Sunday School .................9:30am
• Sunday Service ...............10:30am
• Sunday Evening Service ...6:00pm
• Wednesday Family Night ..6:45pm
CALVARY ASSEMBLY
OF GOD
HOLY FAMILY
CHURCH
129 Winthrop St.,Watertown, NY
www.holyfamilywatertown.org
Saturday Mass - 5:15pm
Sunday Mass - 9am, 11am
& 5:15pm
Weekday Mass - 9am
26200 St., Rt. 3 • Watertown NY
315-782-5019
Watertown
Baptist Temple
• Sunday School ..............10am
• Sunday Service .............11am
“Still Preaching The Book,
The Blood & The Blessed Hope!”
FORT DRUM AREA
OPEN BIBLE STUDY
We are running a race of faith. What are we running for?
We must run a race of faith acknowledged by God. If we
are running according to our own deeds or our own
decisions, it is not true faith. We must always remember
that we must run the race according to the word of God
JOIN US ONLINE FOR AN IN
DEPTH STUDY THROUGH GOD’S
WORD. ALL ARE WELCOME!
Visit at www.meetup.com/Fordtdrumareabiblestudy
Times: To be decided as a group
Contact: Melanie at fd.biblestudy@gmail.com
River
of Life
Fellowship
Sunday
Service 10am
River of Life Fellowship • 24650 Hinds Rd. on NYS Rt 37, Watertown
Guest Speakers: Reba Altizer & Her Ladies Ministry Team
From Tulsa, Oklahoma
R.S.V.P. Before April 29th by Calling (315) 786-1955
You Are Valuable
Women’s Conference
Saturday, May 4th From 9am-3pm (Free Luncheon)
(315) 654-3833
St. John’s Church
(Episcopal)
352 S. Market St., Cape Vincent, NY 13618
“When You’re Here,
You’re Family!”
Father-John Crosswaite
Sunday Service - 11am
st.johnsepcvny.org

5. Twanna Ivey
Contributing Writer
So, you survived the toddler
stage and now have a child be-
tween ages 5 and 12. During this
stage, children not only seek in-
dependence and power, but they
are also introduced to peer-pres-
sure and other negative influ-
ences.
The parenting purpose of this
stage is to build character and
serve as a buffer against risks
such as bullying, drugs and vio-
lence. Instilling morals and val-
ues as well as teaching problem
solving is vital as children face fu-
ture situations.
Structure, rules, and routines
are still critical at this stage; how-
ever, the older they get, the more
freedom should be allowed. Al-
lowing freedom and opportuni-
ties for children to make mistakes
and decisions on their own could
reduce the level of rebellion and
power struggles later. It is impor-
tant, however, that parents pro-
vide guidance as necessary.
Raising children can be a diffi-
cult job, and even more so for
single parents and military Fami-
lies. However, it can also be one
of the most fulfilling life accom-
plishments that individuals ever
experience. Most parents want
their children to become respon-
sible young adults capable of
making good decisions. There-
fore, it is important to model ap-
propriate behavior, decision
making, and healthy communi-
cation since children often learn
more from what parents do than
lessons we aim to teach. Modeled
behavior and the parent-to-child
bond are major factors in raising
responsible adults.
Communication is critical not
only when conveying rules and
consequences, but also in estab-
lishing bonds with our children.
Building healthy relationships in
which children feel they can talk
to us about problems and issues
puts parents in a position to pro-
vide guidance and support. Al-
though some situations require
parental involvement, it is impor-
tant to allow children the oppor-
tunity to handle less complex
issues on their own.
Keys to communicating effec-
tively include active listening, at-
tentiveness to feelings, and
seeking alternatives. Following up
after a solution has been chosen
reveals interest and genuine con-
cern.
Avoid unhealthy communica-
tion blocks, such as unwanted
advice, interrogating, sarcasm
and being a know-it-all. These
blocks not only damage the flow
of communication, but it may
also destroy parent-to-child
bonds. If parents talk more than
listen, children may not feel com-
fortable discussing personal is-
sues with them. It is also likely
that children will stop listening to
parents if they do not feel they
are being heard.
Additional ways to strengthen
the parent-to-child bond include
spending time with the child par-
ticipating in activities he or she
enjoys, supporting his or her in-
terests, expressing trust, and ac-
knowledging their good deeds
and accomplishments. Remem-
ber, modeling appropriate behav-
ior, healthy communication, and
decision making while also focus-
ing on the bond can be extremely
beneficial to both you and the
child during the teenage years.
The Family Advocacy Program
offers classes monthly on Middle
Year Parenting, Positive Disci-
pline, and Bullying 101: How to
Handle Bullying. These classes
are free and available to all DoD
ID card holders.
To learn more or to register for
one of these classes, contact ACS
at 772-6929.
IVEY SERVES AS A FAMILY ADVOCACY
PROGRAM SPECIALIST AT FORT DRUM.
National Medical Laboratory
ProfessionalsWeek
recognizes heroes working
behind the scenes
National Medical Laboratory
Professionals Week is a time of
recognition for more than
300,000 medical laboratory pro-
fessionals and 15,000 board-certi-
fied pathologists who interpret
more than 10 billion lab tests in
the U.S. every year and play a
vital role in every aspect of health
care.
Lab Week is held annually dur-
ing the last full week of April. This
year's observance will take place
April 21-27. The theme is "One
Lab One Team Making a Differ-
ence."
The week celebrates laboratory
medicine and recognizes the pro-
fessionalism of lab personnel and
their efforts. Since the develop-
ment of this field in the 1920s, the
laboratory science professional
has played a progressively more
critical role in the diagnosis and
prevention of disease.
Since laboratory professionals
often work behind the scenes,
few people know much about the
vital testing they perform every
day. NMLPW is a time to inform
and educate medical colleagues
and the public about the medical
laboratory.
Lab-related jobs include med-
ical lab technician, medical tech-
nologist, cytotechnologist,
pathologist, phlebotomist and
histotechnician.
At USA MEDDAC, Fort Drum,
the laboratory staff provides the
following services and support:
clinical laboratory science, which
deals with the performance of
laboratory analyses used in the
diagnosis and treatment of dis-
ease and in the maintenance of
health; reception (phlebotomy
area); chemistry; hematology;
microbiology; blood bank and a
shipping department.
Twenty civilian employees and
two Soldiers comprise the MED-
DAC Laboratory staff. Laboratory
technicians rotate between
Guthrie and Conner Troop Med-
ical Clinics each Monday through
Friday.
The goal of the Laboratory
Service Section is to ensure Sol-
dier medical readiness and to fa-
cilitate total beneficiary health
care through a customer-focused
commitment to quality care.
"We provide laboratory services
that set the standard for medical
readiness, integrated health care,
and service member and family
support," said MEDDAC Labora-
tory Chief Tina M. Allen. "We
treat our customers and our-
selves with dignity and respect,
courtesy and compassion, honor
and integrity, and (we) are com-
mitted to those we serve."
The expanding lab field has
opened many doors for trained
laboratory professionals.
According to the American So-
ciety for Clinical Pathology, a
shortage of laboratory profes-
sionals is anticipated in the
decade ahead. Many now work-
ing in the field are approaching
retirement, and there are not
enough new graduates entering
the profession to adequately
meet the needs of our nation's
health care system.
In addition, the demand for
laboratory testing is on the rise
for a number of reasons.
As Americans continue to age,
more testing is required more fre-
quently. Almost 13 percent of the
U.S. population is now older than
65. The over-85 category, which
requires the greatest amount of
health care services, is growing
rapidly.
Demand for medical labora-
tory testing is increasing due to
increases in the world popula-
tion; stronger emphasis on pre-
ventive medicine, including early
detection and patient responsi-
bility; and an explosion of new
medical technologies, such as ge-
netic testing.
Expanding medical knowl-
edge and technological develop-
ments have increased the need
for medical laboratory testing.
New and different pathogens
are contributing to increased
needs for laboratory testing. The
identification of new diseases,
like AIDS, Lyme disease and hep-
atitis C – and the resurgence of
old foes like tuberculosis – pose
serious threats to the public
health.
Unprecedented increases in
international travel (including
Soldier deployments) and immi-
gration are resulting in the im-
portation of rare or previously
unknown diseases, especially
parasitic infections and inherited
disorders, which increases the
need for laboratory testing.
More than 10 billion labora-
tory tests are performed in the
United States each year.
Laboratory tests results con-
stitute an estimated 70 percent of
the patient's medical records and
are vital to the diagnosis and
treatment of illness and disease.
To learn about career prepara-
tion, educational requirements,
scholarships, salaries and job op-
portunities for a career in labora-
tory medicine, go to
www.ascp.org.
USA MEDDAC
We want to hear from you!
E-Mail
Lisa.R.Albrecht.civ@mail.mil
Phone
772-5469
Fax
772-8295
Submissions are due by noon Friday.
Middle years pose challenges to parents
The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013 • A9
More than 71,000 young chil-
dren end up in emergency rooms
each year because they got into
medicines while their caregiver
was not looking. Any kind of
medicine and vitamin – even one
you buy without a prescription –
can cause harm if taken in the
wrong way or by the wrong per-
son.
Be prepared in case of an emer-
gency:
Call your poison control center
right away if you think your child
might have gotten into a medi-
cine or vitamin.
Program the Poison Control
number, 1-800-222-1222, into
your phone.
Protect your child:
Put medicines and vitamins up
and away – out of reach and out
of sight.
Children are curious, and they
will put all sorts of things in their
mouths. Even if you turn your
back for less than a minute, they
can quickly get into things that
could hurt them. Pick a storage
place in your home that your
child cannot reach or see. Differ-
ent families will have different
places.
Put medicines and vitamins
away every time.
This includes medicines and vi-
tamins you use every day. Never
leave them out on a kitchen
counter or at a sick child's bed-
side, even if you have to give the
medicine again in a few hours.
Ask houseguests and visitors to
keep purses, bags or coats that
have medicine in them up and
out of sight when they are in your
home.
Listen for the click to make
sure the safety cap is locked.
Always relock the cap on a
medicine bottle. If the bottle has
a locking cap that turns, twist it
until you hear the click. Remem-
ber, even though many medi-
cines have safety caps, children
may be able to open them. Every
medicine and vitamin must be
stored up and out of children's
reach and sight.
Teach your children about
medicine safety.
Teach your children what med-
icine is and why you must be the
one to give it to them. Never tell
children medicine is candy to get
them to take it, even if your child
does not like to take his or her
medicine.
Note: Fort Drum will partici-
pate in National Prescription
Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. April 27 in the Post Ex-
change lobby entrance. This is an
opportunity for those who have
accumulated unwanted or un-
used prescription drugs to safely
dispose of those medications.
FORT DRUM ARMY SUBSTANCE
ABUSE PROGRAM
Put your medicines
up, away,
out of sight
LAWN AND
GARDEN
SPRING
ALL NEW DIXIE CHOPPERS
D&D Power Sports LLC 4527 State Route 410 • Lowville, NY • (315) 376-8013
Salmon Run Mall • Watertown, NY • (315) 405-4011
0% for 48 months
and rebates up to $1600
on select models!www.dixiechopper.com
Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm,
Saturday 8am - 2pm, Sunday Closed
315-493-2680
Corner of Riverside Drive & Spring St., Carthage, NY
SIMONS FARM & HOME
Celebrating
31 Years
Serving the
CarthageArea
31
Your Pet & Garden Center
Less Time Mowing, More Time Smiling
Rt. 12, Burrville (Curve in the Road)
786-3468
Open Daily 8:00 - 5:00,
Saturday ‘Til 3:00
*Installment loan offer subject to credit approval (not all customers will qualify for all promotions) and dealer participation through April 30, 2013 on qualified new Toro Equipment
purchased in the U.S. No down payment required. Promotion fee of $125 will be added to purchase balance. See participating dealer for complete details on this and other available financing
options. **36 or 48 equal monthly payment so 2.78% or 2.08% of amount financed based on 0% APR. ***60 equal payments of 1.84% of amount financed based on 3.99% APR.
See dealer or toro.com (toro.ca for Canadian residents), for warranty details. Product availability, pricing & special promotions are subject to dealer option.
Burrville
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• Powerful Kohler or Kawasaki
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• Superior mulching performance
• Powerful Engines
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6. NOW DELIVER ON FORT DRUM
CALL US @ 519-1331
Primo’s
Italian Restaurant
25044 County Rt. 47 Great Bend
315-519-1331
Serving Lunch & Dinner ~ Tues. - Fri. 11am-9pm
Sat. - Sun. 3pm-9pm
OPENING SOON!
Opening May 2013 !!
Beaver Meadow Apartments
Located in Towne Center at Watertown
(315)788-7810
(315)788-7811(fax)
OPENING SOON!
Welcome to Beaver Meadows! Choose from
one, two or three bedroom units complete with
open floor plans, in-unit laundry hook-up and
private balconies. This community offers a
private community center with lounge, on-site
management office and fitness center. The site
features walking trails and playgrounds and is
in walking distance to shopping. Call today for
an application or find it online!

7. The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013
PEOPLE B3 •CALENDAR B5 • ACTIVITIES B5 • MOVIE TIMES B5
Surviving spouses receive
Gold Star treatment
To commemorate Gold Star
Wives Day 2013, Army Commu-
nity Service Survivor Outreach
Services and The Spa at Fort Drum
partnered to provide a Day at the
Spa for surviving spouses.
Gold Star Wives of America Inc.
is an organization of widows and
widowers whose spouses died
while on active duty in the military
services or as the result of a mili-
tary service-connected cause.This
organization was organized in
1945 by the war widows of World
War II, with Eleanor Roosevelt
signing the original incorporation
papers. Since 2010, April 5 has
been set aside to honor Gold Star
wives, because that was the date of
the first GSWA meeting 73 years
ago.
Thirteen spouses of fallen Sol-
diers came together April 6 to relax
and enjoy a brief opportunity to be
pampered, with complimentary
services provided by The Spa at
Fort Drum.
“It’s such a blessing to be with
people that understand the loss
and to feel such love and compas-
sion from people who have a giv-
ing heart,” said Elizabeth Kawehi
Rodriquez, widow of Staff Sgt.
Trinidad Rodriquez Jr. “It lifts our
hearts and spirits when people re-
member our loss and their (fallen
Soldiers’) sacrifice.”
The Spa closed its doors to the
public for four hours in order to
serve only surviving spouses on
this special day by providing man-
icures, pedicures and facials. Re-
freshments were provided to these
Gold Star spa patrons by theThou-
sand Islands High School Interact
Club as one of the many commu-
nity service activities conducted
by its student members.
“Partnerships with outside busi-
nesses and organizations help our
programs and services to grow
while allowing the community to
see the great work we do for our
Families,” said Tom Clegg, SOS
Support coordinator for the Fort
Drum Region. “We hope to inspire
others to join in our efforts to
honor the Families of our fallen.”
The Fort Drum SOS area of re-
sponsibility covers Jefferson,
Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin,
Clinton, Essex and the northern
portions of Herkimer and Hamil-
ton counties as well as the Cana-
dian border area.
“Weather and geography play a
significant factor in getting Fami-
lies together for activities and
events in the North Country,”
Clegg said.“It’s events like this that
play a key role in making sure that
those Families know that we will
always be here to assist them, that
the ultimate sacrifice they have
made is appreciated and will never
be forgotten.”
The purpose of the SOS staff is to
deliver on the Army’s commitment
to the Families of the fallen. SOS
uses a holistic and multi-agency
approach to deliver services by
providing access at garrisons and
communities closest to where
Families live.
Benefits coordinators, financial
counselors and support coordina-
tors are professionals available to
deliver individualized support
and attention to survivors across
the nation for as long as they de-
sire.
Recent changes to enhance the
Army’s commitment to Families of
the fallen include the introduction
of the Gold Star Installation Access
Card for surviving Family Mem-
bers who are not entitled to the
Dependent Identification Card
and the establishment of desig-
nated parking for surviving Fami-
lies.
To learn more about the Fort
Drum Survivor Outreach Services
office, call 772-6357. For more in-
formation about Gold Star Wives
of America, Inc., visit goldstar-
wives.org.
FORT DRUM SURVIVOR
OUTREACH SERVICES
Recreation passes
available for fishing,
turkey hunting,
birdwatching
Military personnel and their
Families, Department of Defense
civilian employees and members
of the general public are all wel-
come to fish, hunt, birdwatch and
pursue other recreational oppor-
tunities on Fort Drum training
lands.
Participants in any recreational
activity on the installation must
first obtain a Fort Drum recre-
ational access pass. Recreational
access passes are available free of
charge online at Fort Drum’s Fish
andWildlife Management website
at www.FortDrum.isportsman.net.
Passes are valid from Oct. 1
through Sept. 30.
Trout season began April 1, but
stocking trout on Fort Drum usu-
ally does not occur until the last
week of April or first week of May.
A map of stocking locations will be
on the website when the stocking
occurs. Northern pike and walleye
season begins May 4, and bass
season begins June 15.
Turkey hunting season begins in
the Northern Zone (including Fort
Drum) on May 1 and runs through
the entire month. A special youth-
only turkey hunt will take place
throughout the state Saturday and
Sunday.
Before entering the training
areas, all recreationists must first
check in daily with Range Division
by calling the Sportsman’s Hotline
at 772-7153. The Sportsman’s Hot-
line is updated at approximately 6
p.m., listing training areas that are
open the following day. Upon leav-
ing their pass number, recreation-
ists may access any training area
that is open for recreation that day.
NewYork state fishing and hunt-
ing licenses are required and avail-
able to purchase at the PX on Fort
Drum, as well as sporting goods
stores, town clerk offices and some
major discount stores.
Fort Drum recreational maps
are available at all times in the
kiosk outside the Natural Re-
sources Permit Office, Bldg. 2509,
on Route 26 between Great Bend
and Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.
The Permit Office is open on
Wednesdays only from 11 a.m. to
4 p.m.
For more information, including
fish stocking maps, wildlife view-
ing reports and notices for special
hunting and fishing opportunities,
check out Fort Drum’s Fish and
Wildlife Management website at
www.FortDrum.iSportsman.net or
search on Facebook.
FORT DRUM FISH AND WILDLIFE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Little Theatre
ofWatertown will stage
‘Elephant Song’
WATERTOWN – Little Theatre of
Watertown will present “The Ele-
phant Song,” by Nicolas Billon, be-
ginning this month in the Black
River Valley Club Cabaret Room,
131 Washington St.
Dinner theater shows will be
presented April 26 and 27 and May
2, with dinner at 7 p.m. and the
show to follow. A matinee per-
formance will be staged April 28,
with dinner at 1 p.m. and the show
to follow. Reservations required for
dinner theater; call 782-6218.
Entrees offer a choice of roast
beef with gravy and smashed po-
tatoes, chicken parmesan and lin-
guini, and garlic salmon and
smashed potatoes. All meals will
be served with rolls, vegetables,
coffee or tea, and dessert.
Cost is $30 per person, which in-
cludes dinner, tax, tip and show.
There will be no general admis-
sion on dinner theater nights.
General admission shows will be
presented at 7:30 p.m. April 25 and
May 3. Admission is $12 per per-
son.
Directed by Sherman Ward, the
show starts Jay Storey, Wayne
Thompson, Susie Curtis, Suzy
Quackenbush, Shane Coughlin,
Colton Mangon and Emily
Thompson.
The story involves an eminent
psychiatrist who has vanished
from his office. The last person to
see him is Michael, a troubled pa-
tient obsessed with all things ele-
phants. Dr Greenberg, the hospital
director, is determined to interro-
gate Michael, ignoring the head
nurse's cryptic warnings. Michael
speaks of elephants and opera –
with the occasional hint of murder
and foul play.
Fraught with mind games and
verbal tugs-of-war, “The Elephant
Song” is a cat-and-mouse game
that will keep audience members
guessing.
LITTLE THEATRE OF WATERTOWN
Jefferson Community College, Fort Drum will welcome
award-winning author, military spouse
WATERTOWN – Award-winning
author Siobhan Fallon will make
several stops in the North Country
on her reading tour promoting her
short story collection “You Know
When the Men are Gone.”
On Tuesday, Fallon will conduct
readings from her book at both
Jefferson Community College
and at McEwen Library on Fort
Drum.
“You Know When the Men are
Gone” has received major critical
praise on the national level, in-
cluding from the NewYork Journal
of Books, which proclaimed it to
be “the explosive sort of literary
triumph that appears only every
few years.”
Fallon, whose book was inspired
by her own experience as a mili-
tary spouse, expressed a keen in-
terest in reading in Watertown,
especially because of its proximity
to Fort Drum.
She said she feels that her book
has the potential to carry a great
deal of relevance for North Coun-
try residents, particularly those in
the military who know firsthand
what the recent deployments to
Iraq and Afghanistan have been
like in terms of their effects on
loved ones.
Each reading and discussion on
Tuesday will be open to the public
and free of charge. The first will
occur at JCC in Room 6-002, Jules
Center Amphitheater (Bldg. 6)
from 12:30 to 2 p.m., while the sec-
ond will be held at McEwen Li-
brary, 4300 Camp Hale Road, Fort
Drum from 4 to 5 p.m. Addition-
ally, Fallon will conduct closed
workshops with writing students
in JCC’s English concentrations
during the morning.
Fallon’s book – a series of inter-
connected stories about the lives
of military Families stationed at
Fort Hood, Texas, during a deploy-
ment for the war in Iraq – was re-
cently released in paperback. It
has received favorable compar-
isons to authors Raymond Carver
and Tim O’Brien.
Fallon has won various prizes for
it, including the Award for First
Fiction from the Texas Institute of
Letters and the 2012 PEN Center
USA Literary Award in Fiction.
Her trip to the North Country
also will include readings at SUNY
Canton on Wednesday.
For information about Siobhan
Fallon’s readings in theWatertown
area, contact the JCC English De-
partment at 786-2328.
JEFFERSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Barracks Rangers rugby
STAFF SGT. JENNIFER BUNN
The Fort Drum Barracks Rangers rugby team (in blue and red uniforms) competed in a rugby tournament
Saturday at the Monti Sports Fields on Fort Drum. The team was composed of Soldiers, past and present,
from throughout 10th Mountain Division (LI) and civilians who work on post. College and club teams
come from all over the area to participate in the tournament. The Barracks Rangers won two of the three
games they played.

8. The Mountaineer, Fort Drum, N.Y. • April 18, 2013 • B3
Fort Drum teen challenges himself,
finds unique place on stageMichelle Kennedy
Staff Writer
Brian Walsh didn’t speak until he was
almost 6. Despite an early diagnosis of
autism, which affected his ability to
communicate, the 17-year-old high
school senior has found his niche –
performing in the shoes, face paint
and costumes of other people.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Terrence and
Kathy Walsh were stationed at Fort
Drum when they welcomed their one
and only child into the world. Kathy
Walsh lives in the North Country with
Brian while he finishes his senior year
while Terrence Walsh, formerly the
10th Combat Aviation Brigade and
deputy garrison chaplain here, serves
with the G1 Command Policy and Pro-
grams Division in Washington, D.C.
Shortly after a permanent-change-
of-station move to Fort Knox, Ky., the
Walshes began noticing their 15-
month-old was regressing.
“We were (at Fort Drum) until Brian
was about a year old, and he hit all of
his milestones and started to babble,”
Kathy Walsh said. “We got to Fort
Knox, and all of a sudden we realized
that he started losing some of the lan-
guage he had acquired.”
At 18 months, Brian was evaluated
by an early intervention specialist. The
experts recommended that his parents
continue to watch and observe his de-
velopment, and they suggested some
exercises to do at home.
By age 2, Brian had regressed signifi-
cantly, Kathy Walsh said. After visiting
a developmental pediatrician at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
Ohio, Brian was diagnosed with perva-
sive developmental delay not other-
wise specified, also known as
PDD-NOS.
“(Brian) was a happy kid, but (he)
had (adverse reactions) to some stim-
ulations – flapping (hands) and no lan-
guage,” Kathy Walsh said. “He could
understand (words) but had no recip-
rocal expressive language; he would
drag you, point to things and would
communicate in other ways.”
Brian learned sign language and
began speech and occupational ther-
apy to help with his fine motor skills.
“By the time he was 4, he had en-
tered the DOD school system, and we
thought it would be good to get him
reevaluated. That’s when they told us
he had autism,” she said.
The news was bittersweet, but at
least there was a name for Brian’s diag-
nosis.
“We thought, ‘OK, what do we do
now?” she said.
At the time, there wasn’t a lot of in-
formation available about autism, but
that didn’t stop Terrence and Kathy
Walsh from finding out what was best
for their son.
“I had some friends who had chil-
dren on the (autism) spectrum, but he
was completely different from them
and they were completely different
from others,” Kathy Walsh said, adding
that the DOD school system helped
the Family get all of the information
and resources available in the area. “It
was probably the best place we
could’ve been, which is why we stayed
there until he was in the fourth grade.”
The stability that offered Brian was
extremely beneficial, Kathy Walsh said.
He had the same teachers and became
familiar with the Exceptional Family
Member Program staff.
“The EFMP office there knew us
well,” she said. “I have tremendous re-
spect for EFMP, because you get very
close to the people.”
The Family got involved in different
activities to ensure their son received
the best care and treatment possible.
Terrence and Kathy Walsh also became
very involved in Brian’s education.
“He had a significant delay, but he
had fantastic teachers and got a lot of
breaks in the school day,” Kathy Walsh
said. “It was all put into his (individu-
alized education program). Getting
that set and getting that perfect (was a
challenge). You learn to fight, and you
learn to really be your child’s best ad-
vocate.”
Terrence Walsh took classes with a
lawyer specializing in special educa-
tion law, and the Family was active in
the Autism Society in Louisville. The
society invited doctors to come to
meetings and allowed parents to sit
down and talk with them without hav-
ing to make an appointment.
“The networking and getting (con-
nected) with other families was so sig-
nificant,” Walsh said. “We didn’t take
on this challenge alone; there were a
lot of other Families with (autistic)
children on post.”
Connecting with other military Fam-
ilies with children on the autism spec-
trum disorder was “fantastic” for
Brian, Walsh said.
“A lot of parents think their child will
never make friends or never do ‘nor-
mal’ things,” she said. “When they
would get together and play, whatever
they did was ‘normal’ for them. Even if
they were doing their own thing sitting
back to back, they were still interacting
in their own way and how they needed
to. That was normal.
“I hate the label of ‘normal,’ but
whatever they did was fine for them,”
Walsh continued.
The Walsh Family continues to help
others in the community who are fac-
ing a new diagnosis of autism. With 17
years of experience navigating through
EFMP services and other community
services, the Walshes have a wealth of
knowledge to share.
“I know other people who have had
a much worse time than we have,”
Kathy Walsh said. “There have been
bumps in the road, but other than
having to fight for what he needed or a
teacher or classrooms, Brian has been
easily adaptable and he goes into
things with an open mind.”
Finding an outlet
Brian found a love of art, design and
writing. When he was 8, one of his
friends, who also was diagnosed with
autism, was hit by a car. After visiting
him in the hospital, Brian decided his
friend needed something for comfort.
He came up with the idea for SAAM –
“Security Against All Monsters” – blan-
kets.
Brian learned to sew and began
making SAAM blankets for orphanages
and hospice centers in Korea,
Afghanistan, Poland, Germany, Scot-
land and all over the United States.
He was recognized for his work in
Kentucky and at their next duty station
at Fort Sill, Okla., Kathy Walsh said.
After moving back to Fort Drum in
2007, the Walsh Family became in-
volved in Fort Drum’s EFMP, as well as
other post and community organiza-
tions and events. Brian even donned a
red hat and fluffy white beard when he
played Santa Claus at a sensory-
friendly holiday party in Watertown.
Brian found his love of theater and
drama when he got involved with
Child, Youth and School Services’
SKIES Unlimited theater program and
began singing in the choir.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the arts
and just seeing people use their skills
to their advantage,” Brian said. “I
thought that maybe my autism could
really get me to be over the top or (act
like someone else), and it really helps.”
Last month, Brian starred as the
Grinch in Indian River Central High
School’s theatrical production of
“Seussical.” Since stepping on stage for
the first time, he has been involved in
six theater productions, including
“Annie,” “Arsenic and Old Lace” and
“12 Angry Jurors.”
“When the high school did ‘Annie’
(last year), which is one of my favorite
shows, I really wanted to be involved,”
he added.
Indian River High School has a great
theater program, according to Kathy
Walsh. In addition to theater, Brian
also is taking public speaking this year.
“He’s not afraid to push himself,” she
said.
Brian also had an opportunity to au-
dition for a scholarship to the Ameri-
can Academy of Dramatic Arts in New
York City on March 28. The 128-year-
old school offers a two-year degree
that will transfer to other four-year
colleges.
“They have an extraordinary alum-
nus – Florence Henderson, Denzel
Washington, Hank Azaria and Robert
Redford,” Brian said. “Maybe I’ll make
it to the big time.”
To prepare for the audition, Brian
had to memorize monologues, which
he admits is an easy task for him.
“Memorizing monologues? That’s
easy,” he said, laughing.
For a young man who started his life
lacking the ability to fully communi-
cate, Brian continues to push himself
and encourage others through finding
ways to speak his mind, whether it’s on
stage, through art, writing for his
school newspaper or singing to an au-
dience.
“You’ve got to just believe in yourself
sometimes and find the best way to
get through the obstacles, even if it
means taking a short cut,” Brian said.
“For anyone who’s diagnosed with (an
autism spectrum disorder), it’s not the
end of the world. There’s a lot you have
to learn, but (the Family) learns to-
gether. It’s a matter of cooperation that
counts, and you aren’t alone.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Brian Walsh, dressed as the Grinch, poses for a photo with his parents, Chaplain
(Lt. Col.) Terrence Walsh and Kathy Walsh, after his performance in “Seussical”
last month. Brian, 17, was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, which affected his
ability to communicate.
COURTESY PHOTO
Brian Walsh, 17, poses for a senior photo. After gradu-
ating from Indian River High School this summer, Walsh
plans to pursue a degree in dramatic arts.
COURTESY PHOTO
Brian Walsh, right, plays the dog catcher during Indian River High
School’s theater production of “Annie” last year.
“You’ve just got to believe in yourself sometimes
and find the best way to get through the
obstacles, even if it means taking a short cut.”
Brian Walsh
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