1. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
2012 HOLIDAY EDITION
SWIFT AND BOLD
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: HOLIDAY SPENDING
CONTENT SOURCE:
HTTP://WWW.MILITARYONESOURCE.MIL/PFM/BUDGETING-AND-BASIC-MONEY-
BATTALION 2 MANAGEMENT?CONTENT_ID=267397
COMMANDER
The average American spends more than $1,000 during the holiday season. And much of
that spending is on credit cards, which means that many people face big bills in the New
COMMAND 3 Year. The key to keeping holiday spending (or almost any other kind of spending!) under
SARGENT MAJOR control is planning and sticking to a budget. By planning your holiday spending carefully,
you can save money and still keep the holidays happy. Remember to start early!
Sometimes bargains can be found months in advance.
HHB 4 SETTING A HOLIDAY BUDGET
The first step in controlling holiday expenses is deciding exactly how much you can afford
to spend. There are four main areas in which most people spend: gifts, entertaining, travel,
and decorating. And each one comes with hidden expenses. For example, gift-giving costs
ALPHA BATTERY 5 much more than the price of each gift. You also have to consider wrapping and, often,
shipping costs.
Take time to make a list of everyone you want to buy gifts for. Then consider your list. Are
there people who could get a card rather than a gift? Someone you could chip in on a gift
BRAVO BATTERY 6 for rather than paying for it by yourself? Then, set a price limit on each gift. For example,
you might decide that you'll set a $30 limit on immediate family members, $20 on children
in your family, and $10 on acquaintances like co-workers or teachers. Don't forget to add in
the cost of wrapping paper and shipping, including what you'll pay for a catalog- or
GOLF COMPANY 7 online-ordered gift to reach you before you ship it to the recipient. Many people forget to
factor in the cost of holiday entertaining. Even if you aren't having a party, providing snacks
and drinks for neighbors or friends who drop by and serving the holiday meal can be
expensive. If you'll be traveling during the holidays, even if it's by car, be sure to include
BOSS 8 these costs in your budget. Finally, estimate how much you'll spend on holiday decorations.
This is often an easy area to cut back in. Finally, add up the estimates from all four areas. If
the total amount is more than you can afford, go back to your lists and the tips in this article
to see where you can either cut back on your budget or save on expenses so you won't
COMMUNITY 9 have to. Ideally you'll do this early enough in the year so you can slowly set aside money to
HAPPINGS cover your holiday expenses or shop for reasonably priced gifts throughout the year.
Once you've reached a reasonable budget limit, you need to commit to sticking to it. The
tips below can help.
YOUTH/TEEN 10 WAYS TO SPEND LESS
Many people blow their holiday budgets because they get carried away by the excitement
of the season. It's important to remember that you can still have a joyous holiday season
without busting your budget. Try to focus on the true spirit of the season rather than the
HEALTH 11 more commercial aspects. Also, don't give in to pressure to give expensive gifts. The best
gifts are those chosen with an eye toward what's personal and meaningful to the recipient,
and they don't have to cost a lot.
MONEY 12
MANAGEMENT (Continued on page 12)
HOLIDAY SPENDING
CONTACT INFO 13
This newsletter contains official and unofficial information. The inclusion of some unofficial information in this FRG
newsletter has not increased the cost to the Government, in accordance with DOD 4525.8-M.
1

2. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
COMMANDERS COMMENTARY
SWIFT AND BOLD
BATTALION COMMANDER
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a great New Year! It‘s been a busy cou-
ple of months since our last newsletter and the Centaur train has not stopped
moving. For those of you who attended our Saint Barbara‘s day ball thank you,
thank you, thank you for making it another fantastic event. Ladies, you looked
absolutely amazing and I was surprised to see how well our Soldiers cleaned
up. All in all it was a great event and great fellowship with the Professionals
from 3-6 FAR and our fellow Artillerymen and women within the Division.
LTC MICHAEL T.
OESCHGER
Deployment is just around the corner and this Battalion is well trained, families
are resilient, FRGs are strong and we have great missions, whether they are
here at Drum as a contingency force or on a FOB supporting our maneuver brothers in Afghanistan.
Every single one of us will be busy. I would ask families and spouses to stay engaged in your FRGs,
contrary to some peoples thoughts we are not ―splitting‖ the battalion, we just have two missions going
on simultaneously in two different locations. By staying engaged in your battery programs you will not
only receive the most current information but you will also have a pool of resources to pull from as our
wives have an incredible depth of experience and collectively we can solve just about any issue that will
arise.
We will have a world class team of professionals in charge while the Battalion is operating in two loca-
tions. Here at Fort Drum the team will consist of; CPT Clint Hauger with 1SG Vanorman, our FRG Ad-
visors, Pam Oeschger and Melinda Thomas, our FRSA, Kim Williams, and all of the Battery FRG lead-
ership continuing to support. We are the best Battalion in the Army and it‘s because of the people that
are in it. For our families out there that don‘t participate in the FRG‘s know that they are there when
and if you need them.
I‘m proud of all our Centaurs and our Families; you are amazing people who collectively make us an
incredible organization. God Bless each of you, my next note will be from Ghazni Province, Afghani-
stan with an additional Commander commenting as Clint Hauger picks up the rear D command. If you
have questions ASK them we don‘t know what we don‘t know. Please enjoy your Christmas leave with
your families, come back safe, be kind to one another…thanks for all you do every day.
Merry Christmas..
LTC O
2

3. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR COMMENTARY
SWIFT AND BOLD
BATTALION COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR
Swift and Bold!
This month I would like to discuss the importance of the Military Family. Often
family members do not truly understand the significant role they play in a success-
ful Military career. I personally have witnessed on numerous occasions over the
last 24 years the confidence and vigor a Soldier can attain from the strength of his
or her Family. Many successful missions can be attributed to the dedication and
understanding of a Soldier‘s Family.
CSM MICHAEL B.
THOMAS Our Family is about to experience a deployment next month… Being a Resilient
Army Family means knowing how to prepare for and get through a deployment
successfully. An important part of supporting your Soldier is to prepare for a deployment by knowing
what to expect. Spouses and Family members who are engaged in learning about resources ahead of
time will be emotionally and logistically better prepared.
Becoming more involved in your Family Readiness Group (FRG) is one of the best ways to under-
stand and enhance your knowledge of the pending deployment. Keep in mind that every deployment
is different and adapting to this change is key to your success as an Army Family.
FRG's were established to increase the resiliency of the Unit, Soldiers, and their Families. They pro-
vide practical tools for adjusting to Military deployments and separations and can also enhance the well
-being and esprit de corps within the unit. One of the goals of an FRG is to support the mission by pro-
viding support, outreach, and information to Family members.
Many Volunteers in this Battalion are here to educate and help you along the way and we appreciate
their commitment to the CENTAUR family. I urge you to please take advantage of the programs offered
to you. Some may just find the experience a rewarding one that will last a lifetime. My door is always
open and if you may ever have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank
you for everything you do.
CSM Thomas
CENTAUR 7
3

4. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
HEADQUARTERS BATTERY
SWIFT AND BOLD
November has been another busy month for the Gladiator Bat- Gladiator Families, I want to start off by saying Thank You.
tery, but luckily one where we had some down time as well. I There has been a lot going on in the HHB family with the prepa-
hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed a well- rations for deployment, for both those deploying and those not
deserved break. The Soldiers of HHB have been working tire- deploying. This has probably meant some stress for your Soldier
lessly to ensure the Battery is prepared to deploy, spending coming home from work, and some longer hours. I know some-
hours loading containers and conducting training. times their stress can be carried home with them and they rely
on your support. A lot of Soldiers have even missed getting
As part of our predeployment training several Gladiators trav-
CPT THOMPSON some time off due to training. I wish that I could promise that it
COMMANDER elled to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, 1SG VAN ORMAN
will slow down, but it probably will not.
Germany to train on the use of the D30 Howitzer – the standard 1ST SERGEANT
artillery piece of the Afghan National Army. With lessons learned from the Ger- During the next few weeks we will be conducting a lot of last
many trip, Soldiers from HHB are preparing to take over the mission to train Afghan minute training to wrap up everything for the deployment. During this time there
Artillerymen with the goal of conducting a fire support missions on their own. For may still be some late nights. We held the Saint Barbara‘s Day Ball on the 1st of
many of us, this type of mission will be different from previous deployments, but a December. I was glad to see a lot of you there. In January I will be taking over as
vital one which will play a pivotal role in accomplishing the Battalion and Brigade the CORE Battalion, Command Sergeant Major. I will sadly be moving on from
mission. Headquarters Battery after more than two years as the First Sergeant. I will be
leaving the Battery in the very capable hands of SFC Bejar.
Early this month the Gladiators took time to remember one of our fallen
comrades, SFC Todd Harris. On November 2nd, HHB was joined by Bravo Battery On a better note we have Christmas leave coming up. Hopefully you all
and Soldiers from across the Battalion in a Memorial run for SFC Harris. Following have plans for block leave, whether you will be traveling or enjoying a possible
the run Soldiers who had had the honor of serving for SFC Harris spoke, reminding white Christmas here in the North Country. For those both leaving the area and
us all what an inspirational figure he was, and allowing us all to reflect on those that staying please be careful. For those who are experiencing your first winter up here,
have sacrificed all for their brothers in arms. We must never forgot them, nor fail to you may have gotten a small taste of it driving between Parish and Sandy Creek
honor their memory. over the Thanksgiving break. It is hazardous to travel on these roads and as I al-
ways stress to the Soldiers, please plan ahead. Allow yourselves extra time for
In a more jovial Gladiator tradition, HHB Platoons duked it out for brag-
travel. Have some emergency supplies in your vehicle, i.e. a folding shovel, some
ging rights during our annual Gladiator Bowl. This year it was 3rd Platoon who
blankets, flares, even food and water. It is not unheard of to be stranded on the
claimed the title in a close-fought match with 5th. While the Platoon Sergeant for
highway for a period of time around here, so please be careful.
the victorious team, SSG Carroll, organized the event and drafted all the rules, it
surely had nothing to do with his Platoon‘s triumph. Congratulations to 3rd Platoon Finally I want to say a final thank you as the HHB First Sergeant. It has
for their hard-earned victory. been an awesome experience with a lot of fond memories. Thank you and Merry
Christmas.
It is my continued honor to serve with the Gladiator Battery in the Cen-
taur Battalion, and I look forward to meeting all of our upcoming challenges, which
we will overcome with the extraordinary support our Soldiers get from their families. GLADIATOR 7
Thank you all.
CPT Charles E. Thompson SFC Brady Smith and
Gladiator 6 SFC Heath Heriger con-
ducting D30 training in
Germany.
3rd Platoon playing in the Gladiator Bowl
Family Readiness
Gladiators,
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mindy Thompson. I am your HHB FRG leader, Cindy Aldana is the Co-leader, and I would first like to send out
a huge thank you to everyone who helped support our recent Scentsy fundraiser. Your participation truly exceeded our expectations! The money we raised will be used
toward our upcoming Christmas party. Details for the party will be put out sometime next week when they are finalized.
Also, on Sunday, December 16th, HHB will participating in another fundraiser. We will be wrapping gifts at the Post Exchange from 9am until 9pm. We are now seeking
volunteers to help with this fundraiser. Any time at all you can help would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about this fundraising event please contact
myself, Mindy, at (347) 585-2902 or Cindy Aldana (505) 417-9857.
We hope you stay warm out there, as it seems winter is now upon us. We look forward to seeing you all again soon, or meeting those of you whom we haven't had the
chance to meet yet.
4

5. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
ALPHA BATTERY
SWIFT AND BOLD
Greetings Alpha Rock Family and Happy Holidays from Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. This had been yet
1SG Johnson and I; we are humbled and honored every another busy month for the Soldiers of Alpha Battery.
day to serve and work with the Soldiers and leaders of Upon completion of an intense Change of Command
Alpha Battery. Over the past three months, Alpha Bat-
tery has gone from conducting back to back field exer- inventory, the Soldiers moved straight in to the field for a
cises at Ft. Drum, NY and the National Training Center week to complete Section and Platoon Table V, VI and
to conducting Change of Command Layouts and Inven- VII certifications. Also during the field problem, the Sons
tories for CPT Clint Hauger and CPT Robert Bauleke. of Alpha conducted Air Assault operations with the aid of
CPT BAULEKE
COMMANDER CPT Clint Hauger and Svetlana‘s dedication and service 1SG JOHNSON
1ST SERGEANT the Aviation Brigade; a rare opportunity for the Battery.
to the Soldiers and Families of Alpha Battery will not be
As always, the Soldiers have been working non-stop on
forgotten.
field recovery combined with load out for the pending deployment. I
Following Change of Command inventories, Alpha Battery had a week strongly advise everyone to take full advantage of the upcoming block
long field training exercise to certify FDC and howitzer sections on M777 leave in order to spend quality time with your loved ones before the de-
tables VI and XII. The Battery was the first in the division to successfully ployment.
conduct sling load operations with Chinook helicopter support from the
10th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) to prepare for movement of howitzer Hope to see you all at the Saint Barbara‘s Day Ball and have a Merry
pieces in Afghanistan. Alpha Battery returned from the field with a short Christmas. ROCK SOLID!!
recovery time and immediately went into load-out operations for deploy-
ment. Load-out operations include the packing of multiple containers and
- Rock 7
preparing howitzer pieces for movement from FDNY to Afghanistan; it‘s
also a good reminder for Soldiers and families to start preparing their
personal items for storage during the deployment. Soldiers and families
can expect Alpha Battery to deploy in the middle of January with a few
exceptions who will be leaving earlier to set the conditions for the battery
in Afghanistan.
Maintaining Alpha Battery‘s equipment and preparation to deploy is im-
portant, but more important is making sure Soldiers, leaders and families
are taken care of before deploying. There are several long weekends and
a well deserved three week Holiday leave scheduled 15DEC2012 to
06JAN2013 to allow Soldiers and leaders to spend time with their friends
and families.
I truly appreciate the families and loved ones of the Sons of Alpha for
their continued support and commitment to the mission and men!
Rock 6
Alpha Battery conducts
M777 Sling Load opera-
tions with Chinook from
10th Combat Aviation Bri-
gade. This technical train-
ing will prepare Soldiers
and Leaders of Alpha to
transport and emplace
howitzers during their
deployment to Afghani-
stan.
Alpha Battery Change of Command Ceremony;
CPT Bauleke assumes command of Alpha Bat-
tery and hands over the Battery Guidon to 1SG
Travis Johnson who is the custodian of the
guidon.
5

6. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
BRAVO BATTERY
SWIFT AND BOLD
Bravo Battery Families I hope this newsletter finds you all gearing FAREWELLS
up for the holidays and prepping for quality time with loved ones. CPT Graf- Took command of HHC 1BSTB
1LT Fridline- Transfer to A-Btry
I need to give big kudos to CPT Graf for relinquishing a top notch SGT Alcantara- PCS to Hawaii
battery of soldiers and families.
Thank you for your service to our great nation and especially to the
Let me start off by introducing myself and my girls. I am CPT Rod- BULLS, you will be missed.
ney J. Bunyan, the current commander of Bravo Battery as of 1
HAILS
November 2012. My wife Daphney is every bit the professional As we say farewell to these outstanding Soldiers, I would like to
CPT BUNYAN mom, dividing her time between volunteering and studying for the 1SG GREEN welcome the newly assigned members of our team. I have no doubt
COMMANDER 1ST SERGEANT
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). We have three beautiful girls: that they will be an asset to this Organization.
De‘Ja, (14 yrs old) who is buried in books and volleyball; Sarah (8
yrs old) and Nya (5 yrs old) who are both all about the gymnastics, dance and Girl CPT Bunyan- coming to us from 1-87 IN
2LT Savage, 2LT Valenzuela, 2LT Harshman- Fort Sill (OBC)
Scouts. We are Team Bunyan! SFC Mensah- PCSed from Fort Carson
SPC Scott- PCSed from Fort Carson
I‘m excited about being a part of this brigade, battalion, and this great battery. One wise
PVT Karmane and PVT Thompson- Fort Sill (AIT)
man said to me as he passed the guidon to me… ―You own it!‖ With that being said, I
owe this battery sound leadership, realistic training, professional development opportuni- PROMOTION
ties through military and civilian education, and a strong family readiness group, every During the months of October and November, We had the privilege to pro-
single day. mote PFC Robinson, PFC Miller and PFC Ricker to the rank of Specialist, a rank that all
three Soldiers are truly deserving of. Getting promoted to Specialist signifies the ad-
My battle buddy, 1SG Green, and I are dedicated to providing unequivocal leadership for vancement from the ranks of privates and to a rank that leaders will start to mentor for the
this battery. One way to ‗get after‘ this is through ongoing in-ranks inspections which eventually advancement to Sergeant. The Rank of Specialist is significant and requires a
Soldier to start or continue to take initiatives and display the traits and attributes require
enforce standards, good order and discipline ultimately setting the example for all to to be a Noncommissioned Officer. Becoming an NCO is not a right, but a privilege that
follow. We will strive to be a winning team for this battery and for 3-6 FA BN as a whole. comes with a lot of obligations and sacrifices, but at the same time very rewarding. Good
luck to these newly promoted Soldiers of Bravo Battery and for the ones who trails in their
The focus since I took command has primarily been on pre-deployment training in sup- footsteps.
port of the battalion‘s upcoming deployment. The maintenance of our weapons, vehicles,
and radios ensuring that we can shoot, move, and communicate during impending Table
V and Table VI field training exercises. Additionally, the focus in the approaching months
will be on attending military schools in an effort to continue the development of soldiers,
NCOs, and officers.
My wife, Daphney is now serving as the FRG Leader and we both share a passion for the
families of Bravo Battery. We had our first FRG meeting on November 14th at the Pine
Plains Bowling Center and it was a HUGE success! We were able to put out some great
information as well as fill a few key positions. We spent the rest of the night, meeting and
greeting- getting to know each other, bowling and eating pizza! It was really a good time! CPT Bunyan and 1SG Green prepar-
ing to serve the outstanding Troops
We would like to congratulate and welcome the following to the Bravo Battery Bull Fam- of 1ST BCT during the Thanks Giv-
ily: ing Holidays. Bravo Battery soldiers conducting mainte-
Bravo Bull Newlyweds: Bravo Bull New Born Baby: nance on the M119A2 Howitzer.
SPC and Mrs Meza Kylila Denise Graveline
PFC and Mrs Paiz
Thanks so much for all you do and your continuous support for the Bravo Battery Fam-
ily!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
Cleaning the guns for the St.
Barbara Day Ball!!!
Bravo Battery FRG Meeting Bowling anyone? Bravo
A few upcoming FRG events are: Christmas Party – 8 December, at Pine Plains Bowling Cen- Battery families having a
FRG Meeting- 16 January (tentative), Zumbathon- 26 January ter. good time.
(tentative)
Thanks to Daphney Bunyan, Tessa Conaway and Britney York,
Penny Mullins, Tocarra Leiter, Camille Moreno, & Renee Griswold
for their hard work in the Bravo Battery Family Readiness Group.
NEXT FRG EVENT
DATE: 8 December location LOCATION: Hillside Lodge
TIME: 6-9pm TOPIC: Christmas Party
6

7. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
GOLF COMPANY
SWIFT AND BOLD
It has been a busy month since our last update in October. The Sol-
diers of Golf Company continue to provide the greatest battalion in
the Army with non-stop logistical support. Our Soldiers have been Over the past month Golf Company has had new Soldiers come into
busy preparing the battalion for the upcoming deployment with the Guardian family and Soldiers have been acknowledged for pro-
container load out support and updating vehicle and howitzer main- motions. The new Soldiers that have joined Golf Company are SSG
tenance services. These mechanical services provided by the mainte- Pigford and family, PFC Brooks, SPC Cruz and family, PFC Cupid, PVT
nance platoon for the Battalion’s vehicles and howitzers are crucial DeloSantos and family, PV2 Kolin, PV2 Lucas, PFC Pierre, PFC Braca-
to ensure the Battalion is ready to fight when deployed to Afghani- monte and family, and PV2 Vazquez. The following Soldiers have
stan. Our Soldiers who are deploying are embedded with their re- been promoted SGT Tarter to SSG, PFC Lemus and PFC Anderson to
CPT CARROLL
spective Batteries prior to deployment in order to build solid unit 1SG GIBSON SPC and PV2 McQueen to PFC. We are continually supporting the
COMMANDER
1ST SERGEANT
cohesion. The Distribution Platoon has been active in the past weeks Battalion for the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan through
with platoon level training as well as supporting various Battalion missions prior to Christ- weapon and vehicle services thereby enhancing the Battalions capa-
mas block leave. The cooks of the Company did an outstanding job at the Brigade’s bilities to do our part in winning the nation’s war on terror.
Thanksgiving Dinner working countless hours to provide the Soldiers of the Warrior Bri-
gade had an outstanding Thanksgiving meal. “Strength through Support!”
1SG Toby Gibson
After a well deserved Christmas block leave, the Guardians will continue to Guardian 7
support the Battalion as they prepare for deployment in January. Once the battalion de-
ploys, the Guardians will continue to provide logistical support to Bravo Battery as they
prepare for gunnery live fire exercises in February. The Company will be conducting small
arms ranges in the coming months as well as various other training events to enhance our
mission essential skills to make the Company even better. The Company will be a losing a
valuable member of the Company in December as SFC Dominique Baker, the senior food
service specialist in the Company; will be moving up to Brigade. She will always have a
place in the Guardian family. It is truly an honor to command such an outstanding unit and
I am forever grateful to the Soldiers and the families of Golf Company.
“Strength through Support”
CPT Keith Carroll
Guardian 6
SPC Kevin “The Rocker” Hirons and
SPC Jeremy Fontaine cool down
after Golf Company’s Halloween Fun
Run.
The “Swift and Bold” cake prepared by Guardian cooks
on display at the Brigade Thanksgiving dinner Novem-
ber 14, 2012.
SSG Gary Tarter being congratulated on his promotion to Staff
Sergeant in the Centaur Motor Pool on November 2, 2012.
NEXT FRG MEETING
DATE: 11 December 2011 LOCATION: BN Class-
TIME: 5pm room
7

8. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLE SOLDIERS
SWIFT AND BOLD
BOSS EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2012
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Grand Opening of Vets Outreach
Center
Friday, December 7, 2012 at 10:00am
247 State Street, Watertown, NY
13601
By MHA Jefferson Co Military/Veteran
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 BOSS - End of the World 21 22
Party, 10pm, Jack T Sweet BOSS
Center
23 24 BOSS - Home for the 25 BOSS - Home for the 26 27 28 29
Holidays, 3pm, BOSS Building Holidays, 3pm, BOSS Building
30 31 BOSS - New Years
Celebration, 9pm-1am, Pine Plains
bowling Center
BATTALION CONTACT FORT DRUM CONTACT
NAME SGT Randy White NAME SPC William Sweamingen
PHONE 315-774-5108 / 832-707-1630 PHONE 850-718-6654
E-MAIL lb.white@us.army.mil E-MAIL fans+850@yahoo.com
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/ FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/fortdrum.boss
fortdrum.boss
8

9. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
FORT DRUM EVENTS
SWIFT AND BOLD
EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2012
Have questions or concerns? Be Bravo Battery Advisors Rear Detachment
sure to contact your FRG Leader Daphney Bunyan Pamela Oeschger Commander
or FRSA. Tessa Conaway Melinda Thomas CPT Hauger
HHB 315-774-5165
Mindy Thompson Golf Company Family Readiness Support
Cindy Aldana Rachel Hirons Assistant Rear Detachment NCOIC
Kimberley Williams 1SG Van Orman
Alpha Battery 315-774-5132 315-774-5173
Katherine Parker
Jill Burke
9

10. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
YOUTH/TEEN
SWIFT AND BOLD
YOUTH TEEN FOR DECEMBER 2012
10

11. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
SWIFT AND BOLD
Source:
Dr. Jack Smith
http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/doctor_is_in.aspx?fid=26
STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOU
This time of the year can be quite stressful for many people. Just as Thanksgiving dinner is wrapping up, the holiday frenzy shifts into
overdrive. The holiday season brings a constant barrage of consumerism, family and social obligations and increased demands on time
and energy. To minimize the effects of stress, it is important to avoid an unhealthy indulgence in too much holiday cheer; to practice firm
financial restraint in our holiday shopping (lest we suffer BS—"bill shock" come January); and to slow down, relax and enjoy the good
tidings the holiday season brings.
Many people ignore these recommendations, however, since stress is generally present in every person's life. Stress is defined as "a
condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able
to mobilize." Well known for his research on stress in the 1950s, Hans Selye stated that "stress is not necessarily something bad; it all
depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection
is detrimental."
THE EFFECTS OF STRESS
Stress in small quantities can motivate and help you become more productive, such as in your job. On the other hand, too much stress
over an extended period of time can actually harm a person's mental and physical well-being. Long-term stress sets people up for
generally poor health, as well as specific physical or psychological illnesses like infection, heart disease or depression. Persistent and
unrelenting stress may lead to conditions, including anxiety, depression and other unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and alcohol
or drugs abuse.
People may demonstrate psychological symptoms like anxiety, irritability, loss of temper, fear, frustration, decreased concentration,
helplessness, depression, anger, sleeping difficulties and nightmares. Physical symptoms are usually characterized by a rapid or
irregular heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, rapid breathing, dizziness, muscle tension, fatigue, headaches, sweating, dry mouth,
difficulty swallowing, jitteriness and abdominal pain—which may be the only symptom of stress in a child.
STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
There are a variety of proven techniques or skills for stress management that will help during high pressure situations and help avoid
the problems of potential long-term stress. Stress management skills can be categorized into three main groups:
Action-oriented skills: Actions in which you seek to confront the problem causing the stress, often changing either the environment or
the situation; Emotionally-oriented skills: Actions in which you do not have the power to change the situation, but you can manage stress
by changing your perception of the situation and the way you approach it; and Acceptance-oriented skills: Actions in which something
has happened in which you have neither power nor control and so you focus on just surviving the stress.
STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING STRESS MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
 Understanding what stress is and identifying the stressors in your life to order to reduce, manage and try to avoid it;
 Living a fit and healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising regularly;
 Learning to strike a balance between personal, family, and work life;
 Applying mental relaxation techniques like yoga, mental imagery, meditation, biofeedback, using music, and hypnosis; and
applying physical relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation and/or personal hobbies/interests.
We want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. Taking the steps outlined above may assist in managing the
stress related to the holidays and help to develop the skills to manage stress throughout the rest of the year.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WARTIME STRESS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, PLEASE VISIT:
http://stress.about.com/cs/familymarital/a/aa032103.htm
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12. CENTAUR ROLL CALL
3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
MONEY MATTERS
SWIFT AND BOLD
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Continued from Front Page
HERE ARE SOME MORE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY DURING THE HOLIDAYS:
 SET EXPECTATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If you're worried about your finances this holiday season, talk about it with friends and family. They might be just as relieved as you are to set
limits on spending or, in some cases, to skip gift-giving entirely. Let them know if you'll be cutting back on the number of gifts or how much
you plan to spend. This is especially important for children, who often have unrealistic expectations about gifts and don't fully understand the
costs. Also consider price-limited charitable donations in the family's name.
 LOOK FOR WAYS TO CUT BACK ON THE NUMBER OF GIFTS YOU BUY
There are many ways to shorten your gift list. If you have a large family or group of friends, ask if they'd like to draw names out of a hat and
give one gift per person. Or give family gifts, such as a board game, a laser-tag session, a movies-by-mail membership or a pass to a local
museum rather than individual gifts.
 CONSIDER HOMEMADE GIFTS
Many heartfelt, thoughtful gifts don't come with a sales receipt. You could cook some treats; put together a photo album; make a themed gift
basket full of smaller items, like tea, paperback books, or gardening tools; or give the gift of your time by making homemade coupons or
certificates for child care, cleaning, providing a heat-and-eat dinner for the family, etc.
 MAKE A SHOPPING PLAN
Don't head out to the mall without a specific list of gift ideas. This is how you end up spending more than you budgeted for. Flip through
catalogs and check websites for ideas and develop a list before you even set foot in a store.
 LOOK FOR BARGAINS
Buying several gifts from one catalog or website helps save on shipping, or better yet, look for sites that offer free shipping. Comparison
shop using fliers from the weekend newspapers to find the best deal around or check out websites with printable coupons from major
retailers. Consider buying gifts on sites that offer many new, high-quality items at discount prices. Also, at large chain discount stores, you
can get quality, brand-name clothing, accessories, house wares, decorative items, toys, coffee and food gifts, and even pet supplies at a
fraction of their retail cost. You can also save on websites that provide deeply discounted limited-time special offers on dining and other
services and products.
 BRAINSTORM FOR WAYS TO CUT ENTERTAINING COSTS
For example, invite friends and neighbors over for a cookie swap rather than baking batches to give away. Or host "pot luck" holiday meals
with friends or family instead of supplying all the food yourself.
 CUT BACK ON MAILING EXPENSES
If you always send boxes of gifts or holiday cards to loved ones far away, think of ways to save on or eliminate shipping costs this year. Buy
magazine subscriptions or send online gift certificates or gift cards instead of shipping gifts. Send holiday postcards or even e-cards instead
of regular cards. And be sure to mail things early so you don't have to pay extra for fast shipping.
 MAKE CAREFUL TRAVEL PLANS
If your holiday plans include a trip, thoroughly investigate your options as early as possible. For example, could you drive instead of fly? Stay
with a friend or relative instead of in a hotel room? Make do without a rental car? If you need to travel by air, take advantage of websites to
help you find cheaper tickets. If possible, be flexible about dates. You could save a lot of money by flying immediately after the holidays
rather than before.
 KEEP IT SIMPLE
Focus on enjoying the simple pleasures of the holiday season, like spending time with friends and family or taking a walk with a to-go mug of
hot chocolate to see the holiday decorations in your neighborhood. Take a driving tour of best decorated houses in your area (local news
websites and newspapers often provide a listing of these houses). These kinds of activities often capture the spirit of the season better than
expensive gifts or elaborate celebrations.
 USE YOUR CREDIT CARD WISELY
Finally, think before you use your credit card to pay for holiday expenses. Don't use it unless you know you can pay it off right away.
Remember, by buying a sweater on sale with a credit card only to make the minimum monthly payments on the card, you could end up
paying double the sweater's sale price. A Happy New Year does not start with huge credit card bills!
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