inside - U.S. Army Garrisons

13
VOL. 38 NO. 48 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 Remembering Pearl Harbor The public is invited to attend a Pearl Harbor Day commemoration ceremony, Dec. 7; seating is limited. A-6 Holiday happenings Community events and worship services abound this holiday season. See Community Calendar, B-2 and B-3. Sesame Street Round up the keiki for six shows with the Cookie Monster, left, Elmo, and the whole Sesame Street crew, beginning Dec. 9. B-4 Showing appreciation Tripler recognizes wounded warriors and their families during Warrior Care Month. A-5 INSIDE This issue Commentary A-2 Deployed Forces A-3 News Briefs A-5 FMWR B-2 Sports & Fitness B-5 ROBIN HIBLER Directorate of Public Works WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD — While lighting our homes during the holidays is a tradition no one wants to end, the cost of electricity to run these lights on U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii (USAG-HI) instal- lations must be managed. Col. Matthew Margotta, commander, USAG-HI, has issued guidance on holiday lighting that applies to anyone who con- sumes electricity on Army-Hawaii instal- lations, which includes housing residents. The garrison’s 2009 fiscal year cost for electricity was $55 million, and the months with the highest energy bills were October- December. This expensive end-of-year trend ex- tends back several years. Regardless of other vari- ables, the trend is a strong indicator that our increased kitchen activ- ities and those lights that make our homes look good during the holidays are con- tributing to the overall electric bill. The USAG-HI policy for holiday lighting states that decorative lights should not be turned on until the day after Thanksgiving and must be completely turned off by Jan. 15, 2010. The policy limits the hours lights can be on from 6- 10 p.m., except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when lights may remain on until 1 a.m. Using a timer to ensure your lights comply with requirements is strongly en- couraged, and another way to reduce your impact on energy consumption is to use LED lights, which use less energy per bulb and last longer. Garrison policy sets standards, limits for holiday lighting on Army posts 11-year-old to light up Palm Circle, Thursday Radford and Farrington high schools to participate in community tradition MIKE EGAMI U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs FORT SHAFTER — Brig. Gen. John E. Seward, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army-Pacific, will be the guest speaker at the annual “Community Hol- iday Concert and Tree Lighting Ceremo- ny,” Dec. 10, 6 p.m., at Palm Circle, here. The event promotes “neighbors help- ing neighbors” to foster the relationship between Soldiers, families and the local community. It will officially begin the holiday season for the south community. The Radford High School color guard To view the policy in its entirety, visit www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil and click on “USAG-HI Policies” on the left. First-ever live town hall to air JACK WIERS U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — U.S. Army- Hawaii (USARHAW) Soldiers and family members will have the opportunity to ask questions on the air during the first- ever, live, televised town hall forum, here, Dec. 17. The broadcast will air real-time on Hawaii Army Cable Network (HACN) TV2, the installation access channel. The broadcast will be hosted by Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry, senior commander, US- ARHAW, and Col. Matthew Margotta, commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, from 7-8 p.m. The TV town hall forum will broadcast from the Visual Information (VI) studio and is designed to encourage open com- munication and discussion between USARHAW leadership and the local Army community. “Our goal is to offer a new forum where our community members have an opportunity to offer questions and re- ceive immediate feedback, both from command and subject matter experts,” said Margotta. “In the process, (we hope to) expand our ability to communicate with each other in new but relevant ways.” Callers will be able speak to featured panel members on the show. Panelists currently scheduled for the broadcast include Lt. Col. Richard Gledhill, com- mander, U.S. Army Garrison-Oahu (USAG-Oahu), who coordinates and in- tegrates base operations support for all organizations on Oahu Army installa- tions, and USAG-Oahu Command Sgt. Maj. Darryl Jannone. Subject matter experts from the Army Brig. Gen. John Seward, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army-Pacific, and Makaliah Billings, Fort Shafter Elementary School student council president, light the Christmas tree during last year’s holiday ceremony at the Hale Ikena, Fort Shafter. State provides DoD needed H1N1 vaccine TRIPLER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS News Release HONOLULU — The State of Hawaii is- sued the Department of Defense 17,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine the past two weeks. As stated in the Joint Public Health Emergency Working Group trifold on H1N1, which was published in November, the following locations will be vaccinat- ing DoD beneficiaries the next two weeks: •Dec. 5, Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. •Dec. 6, Hickam Base Exchange (BX), Hickam Air Force Base. •Dec. 12, Main Post Exchange (PX), Schofield Barracks. •Dec. 13, Navy Exchange (NEX), Pearl Harbor. The vaccinations are for high-risk indi- viduals, including the following people: pregnant women — especially in their second and third trimester; family mem- bers of children under 6 months of age; health care workers; children 6 months to 18 years; and adults 19 to 64 years with heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, di- abetes or immuno-suppression. Call Tripler Army Medical Center’s flu hotline at 433-1FLU (433-1358). SEE TOWN HALL, A-7 Outta control! SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Sgt. 1st Class Yanick Howard, platoon sergeant, 25th Transportation Company, loses control of her go cart on the “drunk goggles” course, here, and crashes into an orange cone during the 45th Sustainment Brigade safety stand down, Nov. 25. The brigade hopes its Soldiers take heed during the holidays when drunk driving incidences typically increase. See page A-4 for full story. Sgt. Ricardo Branch | 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs RELATED STORY • See related story on conserving resources in housing, B-4. RELATED STORY • See related story on Tripler’s tree lighting ceremony, B-3. SEE SHAFTER, A-7 City leaders help 2SBCT with mission MAJ. AL RAMIREZ 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) teamed up with the City and County of Hon- olulu, here, Tuesday, to learn about urban in- frastructure, in preparation for the brigade’s scheduled 2010 deployment. City and county municipal representa- tives discussed utility programs and strategies with 2nd SBCT civil military representatives and shared their knowledge of essential serv- ices. In turn, brigade leaders are learning what many take for granted, such as clean water, sewage and solid waste maintenance strate- gies, in an effort to support Iraqi municipal leaders and Iraqi efforts to improve the qual- ity of life and, as a result, further separate them from insurgent influence. Ed Kubo, former U.S. attorney for Hawaii, and Timothy Houghton, executive assistant deputy of Environmental Services for the City and County of Honolulu, developed the program of instruction, along with mem- bers of the 2nd SBCT. Houghton was excited to support the brigade in its upcoming mission. “This is very different from what we nor- mally do” he said. “Utilities provide a healthy and safe environment to improve people’s lives.” Tuesday’s block of instruction was the first part of a series that includes on-site vis- its to municipal sites of Honolulu. As a primer, the provided information will prepare the Soldiers for what they will see during their on-site visits. To see photos from the visit, or other 2nd SBCT activities, visit www.flickr.com/photos/ warriorbrigade2-25sbct.

Transcript of inside - U.S. Army Garrisons

VOL. 38 NO. 48 | DECEMBER 4, 2009

RememberingPearl Harbor

The public is invited toattend a Pearl HarborDay commemorationceremony, Dec. 7; seating is limited.

A-6

Holiday happenings

Community events andworship services

abound this holiday season.

See CommunityCalendar, B-2

and B-3.

Sesame StreetRound up the keiki for

six shows with theCookie Monster, left,Elmo, and the wholeSesame Street crew,beginning Dec. 9.

B-4

Showingappreciation Tripler recognizes

wounded warriors andtheir families duringWarrior Care Month.

A-5

INSIDE

This issueCommentary A-2

Deployed Forces A-3

News Briefs A-5

FMWR B-2

Sports & Fitness B-5

ROBIN HIBLERDirectorate of Public Works

WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD — Whilelighting our homes during the holidays isa tradition no one wants to end, the costof electricity to run these lights on U.S.Army Garrison-Hawaii (USAG-HI) instal-lations must be managed.

Col. Matthew Margotta, commander,USAG-HI, has issued guidance on holidaylighting that applies to anyone who con-sumes electricity on Army-Hawaii instal-lations, which includes housing residents.

The garrison’s 2009 fiscal year cost for

electricity was $55 million, and the monthswith the highest energy bills were October-December.

This expensive end-of-year trend ex-tends back several years.Regardless of other vari-ables, the trend is astrong indicator that ourincreased kitchen activ-ities and those lights thatmake our homes look goodduring the holidays are con-tributing to the overall electricbill.

The USAG-HI policy for holiday

lighting states that decorative lightsshould not be turned onuntil the day afterThanksgiving and mustbe completely turned off

by Jan. 15, 2010.The policy limits the

hours lights can be on from 6-10 p.m., except for Christmas

Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’sEve and New Year’s Day, when lights

may remain on until 1 a.m. Using a timer to ensure your lights

comply with requirements is strongly en-couraged, and another way to reduce yourimpact on energy consumption is to useLED lights, which use less energy per bulband last longer.

Garrison policy sets standards, limits for holiday lighting on Army posts

11-year-old to light up Palm Circle, ThursdayRadford and Farringtonhigh schools to participatein community tradition

MIKE EGAMIU.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs

FORT SHAFTER — Brig. Gen. John E.Seward, deputy commanding general,U.S. Army-Pacific, will be the guestspeaker at the annual “Community Hol-iday Concert and Tree Lighting Ceremo-ny,” Dec. 10, 6 p.m., at Palm Circle,here.

The event promotes “neighbors help-

ing neighbors” to foster the relationshipbetween Soldiers, families and the localcommunity. It will officially begin the

holiday season for the southcommunity.

The Radford High School color guard

To view the policy in its entirety, visitwww.garrison.hawaii.army.mil andclick on “USAG-HI Policies” on the left.

First-ever live town hall to airJACK WIERS

U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — U.S. Army-Hawaii (USARHAW) Soldiers and familymembers will have the opportunity to askquestions on the air during the first-ever, live, televised town hall forum,here, Dec. 17.

The broadcast will air real-time onHawaii Army Cable Network (HACN)TV2, the installation access channel. Thebroadcast will be hosted by Maj. Gen.Michael J. Terry, senior commander, US-ARHAW, and Col. Matthew Margotta,

commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, from 7-8 p.m.

The TV town hall forum will broadcastfrom the Visual Information (VI) studioand is designed to encourage open com-munication and discussion betweenUSARHAW leadership and the localArmy community.

“Our goal is to offer a new forumwhere our community members havean opportunity to offer questions and re-ceive immediate feedback, both fromcommand and subject matter experts,”said Margotta. “In the process, (we hopeto) expand our ability to communicate

with each other in new but relevantways.”

Callers will be able speak to featuredpanel members on the show. Panelists currently scheduled for the broadcastinclude Lt. Col. Richard Gledhill, com-mander, U.S. Army Garrison-Oahu(USAG-Oahu), who coordinates and in-tegrates base operations support for allorganizations on Oahu Army installa-tions, and USAG-Oahu Command Sgt.Maj. Darryl Jannone.

Subject matter experts from the Army

Brig. Gen. John Seward, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army-Pacific, andMakaliah Billings, Fort Shafter Elementary School student council president, light theChristmas tree during last year’s holiday ceremony at the Hale Ikena, Fort Shafter.

State providesDoD needed H1N1 vaccine

TRIPLER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS

News Release

HONOLULU — The State of Hawaii is-sued the Department of Defense 17,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine the past twoweeks.

As stated in the Joint Public HealthEmergency Working Group trifold onH1N1, which was published in November,the following locations will be vaccinat-ing DoD beneficiaries the next two weeks:

•Dec. 5, Marine Corps Exchange (MCX)at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, KaneoheBay.

•Dec. 6, Hickam Base Exchange (BX),Hickam Air Force Base.

•Dec. 12, Main Post Exchange (PX),Schofield Barracks.

•Dec. 13, Navy Exchange (NEX), PearlHarbor.

The vaccinations are for high-risk indi-viduals, including the following people:pregnant women — especially in theirsecond and third trimester; family mem-bers of children under 6 months of age;health care workers; children 6 months to18 years; and adults 19 to 64 years withheart disease, kidney disease, asthma, di-abetes or immuno-suppression.

Call Tripler Army Medical Center’s fluhotline at 433-1FLU (433-1358).

SEE TOWN HALL, A-7

Outta control!SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Sgt. 1st Class Yanick Howard, platoon sergeant, 25th Transportation Company,loses control of her go cart on the “drunk goggles” course, here, and crashes into an orange cone during the45th Sustainment Brigade safety stand down, Nov. 25. The brigade hopes its Soldiers take heed during theholidays when drunk driving incidences typically increase. See page A-4 for full story.

Sgt. Ricardo Branch | 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

RELATED STORY• See related story on conservingresources in housing, B-4.

RELATED STORY• See related story on Tripler’s treelighting ceremony, B-3.

SEE SHAFTER, A-7

City leadershelp 2SBCTwith mission

MAJ. AL RAMIREZ2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Soldiers fromthe 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT)teamed up with the City and County of Hon-olulu, here, Tuesday, to learn about urban in-frastructure, in preparation for the brigade’sscheduled 2010 deployment.

City and county municipal representa-tives discussed utility programs and strategieswith 2nd SBCT civil military representativesand shared their knowledge of essential serv-ices.

In turn, brigade leaders are learning whatmany take for granted, such as clean water,sewage and solid waste maintenance strate-gies, in an effort to support Iraqi municipalleaders and Iraqi efforts to improve the qual-ity of life and, as a result, further separatethem from insurgent influence.

Ed Kubo, former U.S. attorney for Hawaii,and Timothy Houghton, executive assistantdeputy of Environmental Services for theCity and County of Honolulu, developed theprogram of instruction, along with mem-bers of the 2nd SBCT.

Houghton was excited to support thebrigade in its upcoming mission.

“This is very different from what we nor-mally do” he said. “Utilities provide a healthyand safe environment to improve people’slives.”

Tuesday’s block of instruction was thefirst part of a series that includes on-site vis-its to municipal sites of Honolulu.

As a primer, the provided information willprepare the Soldiers for what they will seeduring their on-site visits.

To see photos from the visit, or other 2ndSBCT activities, visit www.flickr.com/photos/warriorbrigade2-25sbct.

“I believe weneeded and stillneed to learnhumility. We needto be more than aunified nation thatis brought togeth-er by tragedy."

Sgt. DelilahCorreaNetwork Analyst30th SignalBattalion

“Yes, I feel wehave learned a les-son, and we con-tinue to learn thesame lesson: thatwe are a passivenation, as weshould be.”

Sgt. DannyPenzellnaSatellite Operator307th SignalBattalion

“I think we stillneed to be morecautious and lesspolitical. (We arebetter) at detect-ing potentialthreats now."

Spc. FrancescaCampbellInformationTechnician 307th SignalBattalion

“Yes. Over theyears we havelearned ways tointeract with othernations, overcomeadversities andhow to forgiveand forget."

Spc. StevenKlecknerDriver516th SignalBrigade

“Yes. I believe thatthe nation was verycomplacent, andPearl Harbor was awake up call foreveryone."

Spc. Luis RuizTransportationSpecialist25th TransportationDetachment,25th InfantryDivision

Did our nation learn anything from Dec. 7, 1941?

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We want tohear from you...

A-2 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY NEWS & COMMENTARY

On behalf of every member in mycommand, thank you for the warmwelcome home.

Our families and friends, neighborsand colleagues, have all honored us bycelebrating the return of the 25th In-fantry Division Headquarters and 3rdInfantry Brigade Combat Team to Hawaii,marking the end of a challenging, butvery successful, 12-month tour to Iraq.

I can tell you that the men and womenof the “Tropic Lightning Division” haveaccomplished their mission. They didwhat their nation asked of them, bothcollectively as a unit and individually asa United States Army Soldier.

They have come home and can lookAmerica, their Mom and Dad, and theirwife or husband in the eye and knowthey were trustworthy, faithful and true totheir word.

They have returned with honor. Historywill gloriously record their service andsacrifice.

Our success is shared with everyspouse, child and other family member weleft behind. We carried your pictures inour pockets, posted them around ourworking areas and our bunks, thought of

you constantly, waited with anticipationfor your letters or cards, and treasuredevery minute we could talk with you.

You are our motivation, and your sac-rifices allow us to serve.We go in harm’s way,again and again, becausewe care so much aboutyour future security andsafety.

Each and every one ofyou carries a heavy bur-den in this war. Your will-ingness to sacrifice, to pre-serve our way of life and tobuild a better future forothers is a great strengthof this nation.

Each of you epitomizesthe best of America. You are the unsungheroes, and you are the ones who deservethe credit, thanks and applause.

Your sacrifices were incredible, and allof us want to thank you for what youhave done.

We also want to recognize the fantas-tic support of all the people of this greatstate of Hawaii, especially our neighborsand friends living in our local communi-

ties around Schofield Barracks.Going off to some foreign land, leav-

ing your family behind, will always cre-ate within you tremendous anxiety and

concern. Who will lookafter our kids in school, fixthe flat tire or stop by witha pleasant word or encour-agement?

Knowing that our fami-lies were being looked af-ter and cared for by thisincredible ohana of Hawaiigave more support andcomfort than you will everknow.

We are indebted to ourgreat “One Team” U.S.Army-Pacific (USARPAC)

partners, too. The entire USARPAC teamwas watching our back during our de-ployment, and all of us knew it, and weare most grateful.

Upon our return, U.S. ArmyGarrison–Hawaii put together a trulywonderful redeployment ceremony. LeeAnn Womack honored us all with herremarkable talent and unwavering sup-port for Soldiers.

The garrison, the USO (United ServiceOrganizations) and the local vendors whocame together to make it happen have ourheartfelt appreciation for an unforget-table night.

As we enter the holiday season, knowthat the freedoms and privileges Ameri-cans enjoy today are a direct result ofthose who have sacrificed to defend theircountry.

To those in uniform and your families, you have all served this division andyour country with honor. You have doneyour part, once again, to preserve thevalues and greatness of our nation andthe people of America.

I am very proud of you all, and I wishyou the best for a joyous holiday seasonand a great new year.

Tropic Lightning!

Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr.Commanding General25th Infantry Division

Caslen

Engineersrecount‘41 attack

94th AAMDC gets brigadier generalSTAFF SGT. CHRISTOPHER J. ROBERTS

94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Public Affairs

FORT SHAFTER — As the sun rises andthe day unfolds, stars seemingly disappearfrom the sky; however, one new star is leftin plain sight for all to see.

Col. Jeffery Underhill, commanding gen-eral, 94th Army Air and Missile DefenseCommand (AAMDC), was promoted tobrigadier general, here, Wednesday.

During his remarks at the promotion cer-emony, Underhill, an Ironton, Ohio native,cited many positions in his career that have allowed him to grow into a leader.

One position in particular was serving asthe aide-de-camp for the former Chief ofStaff of the Army and current Secretary ofVeterans Affairs, the Honorable EricShinseki.

“He (Shinseki) has always been my lead-ership role model since I was a senior major,and I have yet to match up to his exception-al leadership abilities,” Underhill said, dur-ing his remarks.

The Army noncommissioned officer corpsalso played a big role in helping Underhillget to where he is today.

“I can count on both hands those whohave had a profound effect on me through-out my career. I have had the opportunityto be mentored by the best,” Underhill said.“Predominately senior noncommissionedofficers, they have all made me what I amtoday more than any other influencethroughout my career.”

During Underhill’s remarks, it was evidentthat family was a driving factor for his suc-cess, too. Underhill thanked his mother andspoke fondly of his father, who also servedand died on active duty in the U.S. AirForce when Underhill was 16 years old.

“I owe him a debt of gratitude for shap-ing me as a young teenager and giving methe opportunity to find my niche in life,” hesaid.

Last, he thanked his former high school

sweetheart and wife of more than 25 years,the former Kelli Bamer, who is also an Iron-ton native.

“You are always the boss regardless ofwhat rank I pin on. ... Thank you for the sac-rifice you’ve made over the years for me andour family,” said Underhill.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commandinggeneral, U.S. Army-Pacific (USARPAC) ad-ministered the promotion. Mixon’s remarksmade it clear that he had the upmost con-fidence in the abilities and skills that Under-hill brings to the 94th AAMDC and the US-ARPAC team.

“Jeff (Underhill) assumed command of the

94th Army Air and Missile Defense Com-mand last June, bringing his vast knowledgeof air defense capabilities and operations inaddition to his experience in senior staff po-sitions. (He) demonstrated ability to com-mand and lead Soldiers,” said Mixon. “Thesecret of his success is the empowerment ofhis first, second and third line leaders.”

Mixon continued, “Jeff, opportunity mayhave given you a great start, but it is yourability to lead, train and mentor Soldiers thathas resulted in your selection for promotioninto the general officer ranks. We are veryproud and fortunate to have you on theteam.”

Tropic Lightning returns ‘with honor’

Col. Jeffery Underhill, commanding general, 94th Army Air and Missile DefenseCommand, is pinned the rank of brigadier general by his mother, Jeannine Underhill, andCommand Sgt. Maj. Phillip Rowland, command sergeant major, 94th AAMDC, during hispromotion ceremony at the Palm Circle gazebo, Fort Shafter, Wednesday.

CORPS OF ENGINEERSHONOLULU DISTRICT

News Release

HONOLULU — Dec. 7, 1941,was the opening scene of WorldWar II, and the Army Corps ofEngineers was there.

At 7:55 a.m., two waves ofJapanese warplanes from a navaltask force about 250 miles northof Hawaii appeared over Oahu.Some headed for American war-ships at Pearl Harbor, and theplanes on the ground at nearbyHickam Field. Others hit SchofieldBarracks, Wheeler Field and Bel-lows Field.

The Corps of Engineers inHawaii consisted of Soldier-en-gineers in the Army’s HawaiianDepartment and the Corps’ Hon-olulu Engineer District, then partof the South Pacific Division.

Col. Albert K.B. Lyman, a nativeHawaiian, was the Army’s Hawai-ian Department engineer with of-fices at Fort Shafter. He command-ed the 34th Engineer Combat Reg-iment, the 804th Engineer Avia-tion Battalion, plus the 3rd Engi-neer Combat Battalion of the 25thInfantry Division.

All of Lyman’s engineers wereat Schofield Barracks. These mil-itary engineers were enlargingand modernizing facilities at FortShafter and Schofield Barracks,building antiaircraft gun sites andbomb-proofing coastal fortifica-tions. Part of the 804th Engineerswas also building U-shaped dirtbunkers for aircraft dispersal atWheeler Field.

On the civil side, Lt. Col.Theodore Wyman, the HonoluluDistrict engineer, had offices atthe Alexander Young building inHonolulu, employing 10 officersand 400 civilians.

Fourteen field area offices hadthree officers and 200 civilians.Many district team members wereat work that morning, as therehad been a rapid increase in de-fense projects after France fell in1940.

Wyman’s workforce was build-ing stationary early-warning radarsites on Kauai, Maui and Oahu, al-

SEE COE, A-7

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4, 2009 | A-3DEPLOYED FORCES

Story and Photo by

PFC. JUSTIN A. NAYLOR1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR,KIRKUK, Iraq — Months of training, hard work anddedication is what it took to get a group of Iraqi airforce (IAF) students some training to become heli-copter pilots.

In support of Iraqi helo pilots, Soldiers from the2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th CombatAviation Brigade, invited IAF students to an openhouse, here, Nov. 25, to give them the opportunityto speak with U.S. Army aviators and get a closelook at the helicopters U.S. Soldiers use.

The Iraqis have already completed the first partof their training and are ready and eager to contin-ue to learn and improve upon their skills.

According to 2nd Lt. Karam Ebrahem, one of theIAF students present at the event, he has oftenflown over the area from which 2-6th Cav. Regt. op-erates during his training flights.

“We have seen the aircraft and have asked a lotof questions," Karam said. “Now we get to see it. Thisanswers a lot of the questions."

During the open house, U.S. helicopter pilotsprovided Iraqi students a tour and showed them theinner workings of the daily operations of a U.S.Army aviation squadron.

“We are just trying to familiarize them with thehelicopter operations in an actual Army unit," saidChief Warrant Officer Steve Bridges, a Hilo nativeand the squadron standardization instructor pilot. “We wanted to show them the equipment we useand the aircraft we fly."

“As an instructor, this is very good," said BillHarper, a Westar helicopter instructor who trains IAFstudents. “All the things we teach these guys arekind of abstract. This kind of makes it real."

IAF students learned that what they are being

taught in school — the language, training and tech-niques — are actually used by military aviationunits.

During the visit, the helicopter pilots looked attwo different helicopters, the Kiowa Warrior and theBlack Hawk. The Iraqis saw how the aircraft aremaintained and how they are refueled and rearmed.

This visit takes it from theory and shows an ac-tual organization that is doing the same thingsthat the IAF helicopter pilots are learning, Harper ex-

plained. The students received the opportunity to seewhat is in store for them, he added.

“I think it is a good chance to see what we are go-ing to be doing later," Karam agreed.

Once the students complete their approximatelyeight-month-long flight school, they will move toTaji, Iraq, to attend a more in-depth school that will focus on the particular helicopter the Iraqi pilots willeventually fly on a day-to-day basis once they arein a regular aviation unit.

Karam said the tour was a good place to meet pi-lots who have actual combat experience and whocan share their knowledge. The visit also exposedthem to new types of aircraft they wouldn't normal-ly see.

“I like to see things that I don't know about.”Karam said. “Part of being a pilot is trying to learnmore and more about different aircraft.

“This is definitely something I would like tocome back and see again," he added.

At forefront, Chief Warrant Officer Steve Bridges, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, shows 2nd Lt. Karam Ebrahem, an Iraqiair force student pilot, the inner workings of a U.S. helicopter during an open house on Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Nov. 25.

Iraqi helo pilots get inside look at U.S. Army Aviation

Story and Photo By

STAFF SGT. MELANIE TROLLINGER130th Engineer Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE-MAREZ, Iraq — When members ofCompany D, 401st Civil Affairs (CA)Battalion, first began assessing the Zan-jili neighborhood in Mosul, a longtimeinsurgent stronghold, the area wasn’tsafe to drive around in.

Months later, the Civil Affairs team,escorted by Iraqi federal police (IFP),walked the neighborhood marketplace,interacting with residents and shop-keepers, during a joint project over-sight patrol.

Zanjili, one of the largest neighbor-hoods in western Mosul with about30,000 residents, is steadily improv-ing under the watchful eye of the IFPbattalion responsible for security inthat area.

According to 1st Lt. Glen Taylor, ateam leader with Co. D., 401st CA Bn.,security improvements have providedeconomic growth and beautificationof the neighborhood, and residents areincreasingly confident in the IFP’s abil-ity to take care of them.

“The federal police here understandyou can win people over more with akind word than by kicking in doors.(Zanjili) is also one of the few places inthe city where the police act like the po-

lice as we know them in the U.S., in-stead of like Soldiers,” Taylor said.

Many of the IFP are former Iraqiarmy members with little or no policeexperience. Taylor believes the ZanjiliIFP commander’s understanding of thepolice role has contributed significant-ly to the increased stability of Zanjili.

Gaining the trust of local residentshas been a long process. The IFP com-mander ensures direct access for resi-dents to call him if they believe one ofhis police officers has mistreated themor done something wrong.

The IFPs have also taken an activerole in cleaning up the neighborhood.Their presence is reassuring to localswho now know the police are con-cerned for the neighborhood’s safetyand prosperity.

“The IFPs in Zanjili don’t just dopolice work,” Taylor said. “They takepart in small-scale reconstruction,painting curbs, planting flowers, clear-ing rubble. The area looks a lot betterthan it did several months ago.”

Taylor, whose team is assigned tothe Mosul Reconstruction Cell (MRC),130th Engineer Brigade, said other im-provements in Zanjili, aided by theMRC, have increased relations with thelocal community due to improved qual-ity of life and economic growth. A re-cent MRC sewer project alleviated a

problem of standing gray water in thebusy streets. Aesthetically improvingthe area, the new sewer also provideda cleaner, healthier environment forresidents, who said they appreciatedwhat the Iraqi government and U.S.forces have done for them.

A sense of normalcy is returning toZanjili’s market streets, with essentialitems like meat, grains, fruits and veg-etables for sale along with what Taylorterms “luxury items,” such as toys,shoes and colorful handbags.

At a small pharmacy, Taylor visitedwith the pharmacist, who said his busi-ness is doing very well. The team leadersees this as one more positive sign ofeconomic growth in the area.

Most locals greet the U.S. forces andIFPs with friendly smiles, interactingwith residents and shopkeepers in thebusy marketplace. Taylor said it’s dif-ficult to gauge their sincerity, at times,but he believes residents are more com-fortable with the U.S. forces and the IFPthan when he first visited the neighbor-

hood in September.“A question I don’t like asking, be-

cause you never know if you’re gettingan honest answer, is how residents feelabout seeing US. forces rolling throughtheir neighborhood with federal policeescorts,” Taylor said.

One shop owner, a 13-year-old boywho runs a restaurant, enthusiastical-ly talked to Taylor. When asked how hefelt about seeing U.S. forces in hisneighborhood, he replied he wasn’tscared or surprised to see them, and hewas, in fact, happy to see them work-ing with the IFP. He said his business isdoing well because of security improve-ments, and he can now support hisfamily.

“It’s amazing. He runs a restaurantby himself,” Taylor said. “Even thoughhe’s so young, he’s probably the man ofthe house. This is the kind of stuff I liketo see when I go out. People doingwell, their lives improving.”

With the strong IFP presence in Zan-jili, and police officers providing morethan security to the area, residents,weary and mistrustful at first, are show-ing confidence in the IFP.

The Civil Affairs team and the MRCwill continue monitoring the area, rec-ommending and aiding projects to im-prove the quality of life for Zanjili res-idents.

401st Civil Affairs sees steady security progress by Iraqi police in Mosul

1st Lt. Glen Taylor, right, Company D, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, MosulReconstruction Cell, 130th Engineer Brigade, talks to a shopkeeper during a proj-ect oversight patrol in the Zanjili neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, in November.

SGT. MAJ. TERRY ANDERSON8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — The oper-ational tempo of today’s Army has affect-ed every facet of a Soldier’s life — fromawards, to pay, to educational benefits.

Human resources leaders from the 8thTheater Sustainment Command (TSC)and other units took some time out oftheir busy schedules to meet at the PostConference Room, here, Nov. 23-24, toiron out standard operating proceduresin order to take care of their ultimate cus-tomer, the Soldier.

“That is why we exist as human re-sources specialists, to take care of themen and women in our Army,” said Sgt.Maj. Tony Cespedes, 8th TSC G-1.

More than 60 human resources spe-cialists attended the two-day confer-ence, hosted by the 8th TSC. The atten-dees were briefed by the 8th TSC careercounselor, Sgt. Maj. Brad McDonell, onthe specifics of the new Post 9/11 GIBill.

Leaders from the Warrior TransitionUnit also briefed Soldiers on the processfor wounded warriors, and the JudgeAdvocate General’s office spoke at lengthabout “line of duty” investigations.

One major change discussed at theconference was the Deployment Exten-sion Incentive Program, or DEIP. Accord-ing to a Pentagon military personnelmessage, DEIP is an Active Army in-centive program designed to encourageenlisted Soldiers who do not intend to re-

enlist to extend their service voluntari-ly in order to complete a deploymentwith the unit to which they are current-ly assigned.

“(DEIP) is a great program for Soldierswho are coming up on their ETS (expi-ration, term of service) to extend their en-

listment so that they can voluntarilystay with their unit during a deploy-ment,” Cespedes said. “The Soldier canmake some extra money, and the unitbenefits by keeping an experienced Sol-dier on the team.”

The U.S. Army-Pacific G-1 briefed

conference attendees on the approvalprocess for personnel actions. Cespedessaid that his goal for the conference wasto speed up the personnel actions processand set one standard across all 8th TSCunits.

“Some Soldiers were leaving our com-mand without awards because of simplethings like misspellings on award recom-mendation forms,” he said. “This confer-ence literally got all of us on the samepage.”

A-4 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY SOLDIERS

45th Sust. delivers timely messages to holiday-bound troopsStory and Photo by

SGT. RICARDO BRANCH8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — In the next few weeks,thousands of Soldiers in Hawaii will begin travel-ing across the country to visit loved ones, open pres-ents and spend time with friends and family duringthe holiday season.

This time of the year, however, routinely sees anincrease in safety-related accidents and domestic in-cidents across the military, prompting many serv-ices to educate their troops before extended timeaway from the workplace.

The 45th Sustainment Brigade prepared Soldiersto be safe before the start of the holidays during theunit’s Safety Stand Down Day, Nov. 25, here. Thetraining covered a multitude of topics, includingdrunk driving, domestic violence, safer sex andsafety-related accidents.

The theme for the event was “tighten your shotgroup,” and it was the message Lt. Col. Teresa Rae,battalion commander, Special Troops Battalion,45th Sust. Bde., expressed to all Soldiers in atten-dance.

“We have Soldiers in our formation who are vi-olating many of these areas (domestic violence,drunk driving, unsafe sex) and basically (hurting)their careers in the United States Army,” she said.“If we reach just a couple of those Soldiers today,

then we’ve gone above and beyond how we trainour Soldiers to be safe.”

During the safety day, Soldiers navigated a smallobstacle course to experience the effects of drunk

driving, listened to tales of local Hawaiians who losttheir lives from domestic violence, and learned therisks of various sexually transmitted diseases.

“We’ve noticed a trend recently of incidents, so

we want to inform the Soldiers, let them know weknow what’s going on,” said Sgt. 1st Class NathanCroteau, Headquarters and Headquarters Company,45th Sust. Bde. “They need to prepare and educatethemselves before they embark on any long holidayplans.”

Approximately 1,400 Soldiers learned to minimizerisks and avoid common mistakes. They will embarkin the next few weeks armed with the knowledge tobe safe and enjoy the holiday season.

“The training has been going really well, actual-ly,” said Pvt. Javier Ruiz, 25th Transportation Co.,Special Troops Battalion, 45th Sust. Bde. “Everyoneis motivated, and we’re learning a lot. Taking thistime to educate ourselves is going to help a lot ofSoldiers be safe over the holidays.”

HR conference benefits local warriors, equips them with ‘need-to-know’ infoLeft — Sgt. Maj. Tony Cespedes, 8thTheater Sustainment Command G-1,briefs attendees at the two-day HumanResources Conference, Nov. 23-24, atthe Schofield Barracks PostConference Room.

Soldiers from the 25th Transportation Company watch on as one of their own prepares to enter the drunkgoggles course during the safety stand down day, Nov. 25, at Schofield Barracks.

“Taking this time to educateourselves is going to help alot of Soldiers be safe overthe holidays.”

— Pvt. Javier Ruiz25th Transportation Company

Sgt. Ricardo Branch | 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4, 2009 | A-5SOLDIERS

Handing out thanksHONOLULU — Brig. Gen. Steve Jones, commander, Tripler Army Medical Center,stops by for a visit and to deliver a Thanksgiving basket to Rufus Escobedo, son ofTammy Kovach and Sgt. Jonathon Kovach, 728th Military Police Battalion.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Jones and his three deputies — Col. Michael Kiefer,chief of staff; Col. Theresa Sullivan, deputy commander, nursing; and Capt. DavidLane, deputy commander, clinical services — along with Command Sgt. Maj.Tuileama Nua and Nutrition Care Division staff, handed out goodie baskets topatients, Nov. 26.

Jan Clark | Tripler Army Medical Center Public Affairs

Warriors in transition gather forsome recognition, appreciation

Story and Photo By

LES OZAWATripler Army Medical Center Public Affairs

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — It wasn’t the usual placeof duty but Porter Community Center was the place tobe on the morning of Nov. 25.

About 250 Soldiers with Tripler’s Warrior TransitionBattalion (WTB) lined up for accountability formationin T-shirts and tennis shoes.

The day was set aside for the battalion’s quarterlyWarrior Appreciation Day, allowing WTB Soldiers thechance to share a day of fun and friendship with theirbattalion buddies and their spouses and children.

Unlike other Army units, WTB Soldiers have few op-portunities to be together, because of their individual-ized medical treatment and therapy schedules.

“We always include families in these events,” saidLt. Col. David Weisberg, commander, WTB, about thequarterly appreciation day. “They are a critical piece toour warriors’ transition, whether they return to regu-lar Army units or transition to civilian life.”

Warrior Appreciation Day had a special flavor thistime.

“When the guys heard that Hooters restaurant wascatering the event for the USO, a lot more were inter-ested,” said Staff Sgt. Peter Go, platoon sergeant, WTB.

The dozens of children attending were more anxious,however, to climb into the bouncy houses and ride the waterslide, as well as enjoy organized family games.

Highlights for the day included a WTB Idol karaokesinging contest and a pie-in-the face contest, for themore popular Soldiers.

Recent awardees of the Purple Heart, Sgt. JustinMinisal, left, and Spc. Peter Bland, both of theWarrior Transition Battalion (WTB), are recognized atthe WTB’s Warrior Appreciation Day, Nov. 25.

What are WTUs? Warrior Transition Units replace the medical

holdover system and are a major change in howthe Army cares for and manages wounded, illand injured Soldiers. While a WTU closely resem-bles a “line” Army unit, its mission is to providecomprehensive care management that allows as-signed members to heal and transition.

A WTU’s permanent cadre and staff overseewounded, ill and injured Soldiers (Warriors inTransition or WTs) assigned to their units. Each WTreceives a “triad of care,” led by a primary caremanager, a nurse case manager and a squad leader,to direct and supervise the individual healingprocess.

How are WTU assignments determined?Assignment to a WTU is based on the level of

clinical care and case management needed by aSoldier. A Soldier is normally assigned to a WTUthat can best accommodate the treatment and rehabilitation of his or her injuries or illness.

The Soldier may need the highly specializedmedical capability at Walter Reed and BrookeArmy Medical centers.

Others may be assigned to a WTU located on theinstallation of the parent unit. Reserve ComponentSoldiers will normally be assigned to a communi-ty-based WTU (CBWTU) or to a WTU nearest theirhometown, if the local health facility can accom-modate the Soldier’s needs.

What is the Warrior Transition Command?The Warrior Transition Command (WTC) is a

new 1-star command under U.S. Army MedicalCommand that serves as the organizational focalpoint for the Army’s Warrior Care and TransitionProgram.

The WTC provides policy oversight to theArmy’s WTUs and coordinates the many pro-grams and initiatives that benefit wounded, illand injured Soldiers and their families.

The WTC consolidated three offices/agenciespreviously involved in Army warrior care: theWarrior Transition Office (WTO), previously underMEDCOM; the Army Wounded Warrior Program(AW2), previously under Human Resources Com-mand; and the Warrior Care and Transition Office(WCTO) previously under the Office of the Chief ofStaff, Army.

News BriefsSend news announcements for

Soldiers and civilian employees to [email protected].

4 / TodayHECO Gate Closure — The HECO Gate,

which is located near Wheeler Middle Schooland exits onto Kunia Road, is closed until fur-ther notice. Open during peak traffic hours toassist with traffic flow, the gate’s use is notneeded during the 25th Combat AviationBrigade’s deployment. Call 656-6751.

8 / TuesdayCivilian Orientation — The next Orientation

for New Employees (ONE) is Dec. 8, 8 a.m.-3p.m. Priority seating is provided to new employ-ees. Current employees may attend ONE on aspace-available basis. Call 655-5600 for moreinformation.

11 / FridayASAP Brief — The Army Substance Abuse

Program (ASAP) will hold a presentation ondrinking and driving, Dec. 11, 10-11:30 a.m., atthe Sgt. Smith Theater, Schofield Barracks.

This workshop satisfies two of the four hoursof a unit's annual alcohol and drug awarenesstraining and the Department of the Army civil-ian two-hour requirement. Soldiers can callTracy Powell at 655-8322, and civilians can callCatherine Heflin at 656-8322 for more details.

14 / MondayFort Shafter Construction — Construction

on Funston Road, Fort Shafter, Dec. 14-Jan. 1,2010, will cause changes in traffic flow affect-ing military personnel and visitors.

All inbound and outbound lanes at Buckn-er Gate will be redirected through the MilitaryPolice (MP) Station parking lot. All visitors andtrucks will be redirected through Patton Gate, lo-

SEE NEWS BRIEFS, A-6

cated 100 feet from Buckner Gate, whichwill be open 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek.

Hours for other gates remain un-changed and can be viewed online atwww.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/sites/

traffic/gatehours.asp. Motorists are asked to set aside addi-

tional travel time in light of expect traf-fic congestion during construction. Call656-6751/6750 for more details.

15 / TuesdayCFC 2009 Extended — The 2009

Hawaii-Pacific Area Combined FederalCampaign (CFC) has been extendedthrough Dec. 15. The CFC is the world'slargest and most successful annual work-place charity campaign,which raises millions ofdollars to support nonprof-

it organizations throughout the world.Visit www.cfc-hawaii.org, or contact

your unit representative to learn more.

17 / ThursdayMotorcycle Training — U.S. Army

Garrison-Hawaii and the California Su-perbike School will host four sessions ofthe advanced motorcycle course, “Trainas you Ride," for military personal only,Dec. 17-20, at Wheeler Army Airfield.

Classes are limited to 30 riders per

session. Priority will be provided to Sol-diers who have just returned from de-ployment.

Classes are scheduled 7:30-11:30 a.m.and noon-4 p.m. Students must sign upusing an online tool at https://airs.lmi.org. Select “Pacific,” “Hawaii,” then“Advanced Motorcycle Course.”

Contact the Installation Safety Officefor more information at 655-6746/6655.Future sessions are planned for February,May and August 2010.

OngoingDental Appointments — Due to re-

deployment activities, routine dentalappointments at all U.S. Army DentalActivity clinics at Tripler Army MedicalCenter and Schofield Barracks are lim-ited through Dec. 18.

For more information contact SueMendez-Johnson, 433-9200.

A-6 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY SOLDIERS

Public invited to Pearl Harbor Day remembrance ceremonyNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

News Release

PEARL HARBOR — The National Park Serviceand the U. S. Navy will host a joint memorial cer-emony commemorating the 68th anniversary ofthe attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, on board NavalStation Pearl Harbor’s Kilo Pier from 7:40- 9:30 a.m.

The theme of the program is “But Not in Shame:The Aftermath of Pearl Harbor.” The Kilo Pier ven-ue looks directly out to the USS Arizona Memorial,situated in Pearl Harbor approximately half a mileaway.

More than 2,000 distinguished guests and thegeneral public will join military personnel, both ac-tive duty and retired, and Pearl Harbor survivors, forthe annual observance of the 1941 attack.

The theme of this year’s historic commemorationremembers the brave efforts of those who contin-ued the battle that expanded throughout the Pacif-ic after the devastation at Pearl Harbor.

The Pacific War, itself, was fought on a giganticstage that covered nearly half of the Earth andwould last for 44 months. Battles were fought on seaand land, and the loss of ships, aircraft and men wasunparalleled in the history of the Pacific.

For military who serve today, and the public, thisceremony provides a study of lessons learned andan opportunity to express gratitude to Pearl Harborand Pacific War veterans for their sacrifices and per-severance towards victory.

Dr. Allan Millett, director, Eisenhower Centerat the University of New Orleans, will serve as the

keynote speaker for the commemoration. A re-tired colonel of the Marine Corps Reserve, Millettis a specialist in the history of American militarypolicy and 20th century wars and military institu-tions. He is also one of the founders of the inter-nationally renowned military history program atOhio State University.

Highlights of the ceremony will include music bythe U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, morning colors, aHawaiian blessing, a rifle salute by members of the

U.S. Marine Corps, wreath presentations, echo tapsand recognition of the men and women who sur-vived the attacks Dec. 7, 1941, and those whomade the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

At 7:55 a.m., the exact moment the Japanese at-tack began 68 years ago, a moment of silence willbe observed. The USS Lake Erie (CG 70) will renderhonors to the USS Arizona. Military aircraft will flyover the memorial in a “missing man” formation.

The commemoration is free of charge, and the

public is invited to attend. Active duty personnel,civilians with valid military ID, and invited guestswith invitations are allowed access on base intheir vehicles.

Due to strict security measures on Naval StationPearl Harbor, general public wishing to attend thecommemoration will be required to board Navyboats departing from the USS Arizona MemorialVisitor Center, which will transport guests to thecommemoration site at Kilo Pier.

Seats for the general public are limited andavailable on a first-come, first-served basis. The firstboat will depart from the visitor center at 6:20 a.m.,and the last boat will depart at 7 a.m. The visitorcenter will open at 5:30 a.m.

Personal cameras may be used at the ceremony,but no camera bags, purses, handbags and/or oth-er items that provide concealment are allowed.

For more information about the PearlHarbor Day 68th Anniversary Commem-oration Ceremony, call the National ParkService at 422-2771, ext. 119 or visittheir Web site at www.nps.gov/valr.

Contact the Navy Region Hawaii PublicAffairs Office at 473-2920.

Kayla Overton | U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs

The National Park Service will host a joint memorial ceremony commemorating the 68th anniversary ofthe attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, on board Naval Station Pearl Harbor’s Kilo Pier. The ceremony is freeand open to the public.

News Briefs

From A-5

though none were operational Dec. 7,1941.

The transfer of Army Air Corps con-struction from the Quartermaster’s De-partment to the Corps in early 1941 alsoincreased Wyman’s responsibilities. Hisdistrict took over enlarging eight airfieldsand building two new ones and beganwork on a gaso-line and bombstorage site atHickam Field.

In October1941, Wymanbegan his mostimportant proj-ect — buildingan air ferryroute across theSouth Pacific toAustralia. By December, airfields werebeing built on Christmas and Cantonislands, in Fiji, and on New Caledonia.

In addition to defense work, Wymanremained responsible for civil worksprojects such as dredging Honolulu Har-bor.

No district team members or engi-neers were killed when the Japanesestruck without warning, but there wereclose calls.

Paul Lynch, the area engineer incharge of construction at Bellows Field,watched with horror as Japanese planesstrafed the field, destroying most of theP-40 Warhawk fighter planes. Lynchdirected dispersal of his equipment, andbecause of his efforts, none were lost.

1st Lt. Harvey Fraser was at SchofieldBarracks that morning preparing to leavethe next day, Dec. 8. Reassigned to themainland, he had recently turned overCompany A, 3rd Engineers, to his suc-cessor.

One of the first bomb blasts blew out

a window of Fraser’s house, and he ranto get his pistol to shoot at the low-fly-ing planes. He forgot he had alreadyturned in his weapon.

Fraser hurried to Schofield Barrackswhere the battalion commander gavehim back Company A. He found his

men in the street shooting at attackingplanes.

Fraser told the supply sergeant togive weapons to anyone who asked andto tell them to shoot at the Japaneseplanes. Later, Fraser almost had to payfor the weapons, because in the haste to

go to war, no one had asked for, or giv-en out, receipts.

That afternoon, the 804th Engineersbegan salvage preparations at WheelerField. The 3rd Engineers moved withthe 24th Division to the North Shore todefend against the expected Japanese in-vasion, which never came.

As eventful as Dec. 7, 1941, was, itwas but the first of many days of war forthe engineers in Hawaii.

Honolulu District completed the fer-ry route in January 1942, and it builtmore airfields, port and base facilities forthe war.

All Hawaiian Department engineerunits served in the war. The 34th Engi-neers served in the Central Pacific andlanded on Kwajalein. The 804th Engi-neers, also in the Central Pacific, saw ac-tion at Saipan.

The 3rd and 64th Engineers went tothe Southwest Pacific and fought andbuilt their way through the Solomons,New Guinea and the Philippines.

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4, 2009 | A-7NEWS

will present colors, and the FarringtonHigh School Concert Band will pro-vide holiday cheer and lead the singingof Christmas carols.

A significant part of this holidayevent is the award presentation for thetop three winners of the Holiday CardLane contest. The annual competitionbetween organizations residing on theinstallation promotes unity and chal-lenges the design creativity of eachorganization.

The 4’ x 8’ plywood cards are dis-played along Chapel Field across fromRichardson Theatre. Each entry isjudged on craftsmanship, artistic qual-ities, expressiveness of the messageand overall appearance.

“The annual ‘Holiday Tree LightingCeremony and Concert and HolidayCard Lane’ are annual events that be-gan in the mid-1990s,” said MarkYoung, director, U.S. Army Garrison-Oahu South community. “This traditionprovides our community with a won-derful opportunity to usher in the hol-iday season to our installations.”

Each year, a distinguished guest ischosen to be the holiday tree lighter.This year, 11 year-old Kyle MichaelBender, son of retired Lt. Col. MichaelBender and retired Lt. Col. ChristinaVoisinet Bender, is the tree lighter.Kyle is a sixth-grade student at ShafterElementary School, and he is the cur-rent student body president.

With a push of a giant candy canelever, Kyle will light up the tree and of-ficially begin the holiday season.

The arrival of Santa and Mrs. Clausfollows the tree lighting and caroling.After parading Palm Circle, Santa willthen settle in under its gazebo lights togreet children and take photos.

Event parking will be available;however, no pets, except service ani-mals, are authorized.

In the event of a rain out, the eventwill relocate to the Hale Ikena Confer-ence Center.

CONTINUED FROM A-1

Shafter:The traditionbegan backin mid-‘90s

medical and housing communities willalso be available for questions.

The inaugural live program will of-fer two half-hour feature segments de-voted to health care and housing-related

issues. Though highlighted by a pri-mary topic, the open forum will allowintroduction of a wider range of issues.

Community members can participateimmediately by posting their questionsvia the “Ask the Commander” program.

All questions will be gathered and

answered by a subject matter expert,even if the inquiries are not featuredduring the scheduled live forum.

“We want to seize this chance to tapthe tremendous potential social mediahas in this process and utilize both ourWeb site and Twitter to gather questions

and comments,” Margotta added.The live town hall will be rebroadcast

throughout December and January onTV2. Submit questions now atwww.garrison.hawaii.army.mil (clickon the “Ask The Commander” link onthe left) or at www.twitter.com/usaghi.

CONTINUED FROM A-1

Town Hall: First live call-in broadcast airs, Dec. 17

CONTINUED FROM A-2

COE: Hawaiian Dept. engineer units served

Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Army Military History Institute

The above photo shows a scene shortly after the bombing of Hawaii by Japaneseforces on Dec. 7, 1941. The impromptu machine gun nest was built in a bombcrater and reinforced with salvaged aircraft motors.

Courtesy Photo

Wheeler Army Airfield experiences destruction and lives are lost during the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Some believe that ghostsof Soldiers killed during the attack still roam the Army installation. Lyman

Former service members relishtheir roles as civil servants atU.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii

BILL MOSSMANStaff Writer

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Like the old adage,“You can take the boy out of the country, but youcan’t take the country out of the boy,” many vet-erans have found it near impossible to truly leavemilitary service following retirement.

Man or woman, these members of the armedforces, many of them former active duty Soldiersnow working, here, at the Soldier Support Center,have continued fighting the good fight as civilians,determined to give back to the Army in one wayor another.

At the heart of the matter is one simple and un-deniable fact: They love to serve those who servetheir country.

The Hawaii Army Weekly recently caught upwith four such veterans, who continue to make adifference in the lives of Soldiers and their fam-ilies here in Hawaii.

Geismar: “We still care”Six years after retiring as an infantryman,

Matthew Geismar still finds himself completelydedicated to the service he so dearly loves.

Working for the Transition Office of the U.S.Army Garrison-Hawaii’s (USAG-HI) Directorate ofHuman Resources (DHR), Geismar is a key mem-ber of a team that assists Soldiers and their fam-ilies through the process of post-deployment lifeor completion of their enlistments.

“Some Soldiers have been involuntarily ex-tended by the Army and haven’t seen their lovedones in over a year,” he said. “I work with themto transition back as quickly as possible, and toknow that although they are leaving the Army, westill care.”

While serving on active duty, Geismar also dida tour as a recruiter, convincing many potentialrecruits of the reasons they ought to join theArmy. In contrast, working in the Transition Of-fice affords him the chance to prepare Soldiers toreturn to civilian life. He takes the time to helpthem administratively, as well as provides themwith a listening ear when the challenges of non-active duty life begin.

“Someone took the time to assist me when Itransitioned out of the Army, and I know exact-ly how these Soldiers feel,” Geismar explained.

He is proud of the fact that he works with ateam whose goal is to expeditiously and reliablycomplete all transition transactions so that the Sol-dier experiences no unnecessary delays.

“Someone is counting on us every day,” saidGeismar, who works with a team that offers itscustomers over 140 years of combined experience.“So even when the workload is heavy, we take careof our Soldiers, with no excuses.”

Love: “Love-ing every minute of it”If there’s anyone who simply adores her job, it’s

the woman with the appropriate surname.As a personnel specialist in the U.S. Army for

four years, Kimberly Rose Love once handledevery personnel action pertinent to the activeduty Soldier.

Today, she serves as a human resource techni-cian for USAG-HI, bringing necessary insight toa job that helps her in relating to Soldiers, theirfamilies and their unique set of needs.

“My experience in the Army helps me every daybecause I am familiar with the regulations and thesystems that relate to my job in DA (Departmentof the Army) boards,” said Love, whose duties in-clude holding a position with the Military Occu-pational Specialty (MOS)/Medical Retention Board.

Because she is a veteran as well as a militaryspouse, Love is also sensitive to the needs ofspouses, who sometimes have questions aboutthe medical retention board process. Therefore,handling those type of questions with great careis of utmost importance to her.

“I try to educate spouses on the process andprocedures of the medical retention board be-cause they may have incorrect expectations orsimply may be nervous about what their spouseis going through,” explained Love, a native ofAbbeville, La.

She says that her greatest reward is receivinga thank you from a customer.

“I realize that I have been a part of that Soldier’slife during the medical boarding process. Helpingthem to get through the process smoothly andcomfortably is very rewarding,” she said.

Young: “I’ve been where they’ve been”It was less than a year after retiring from the

Army that Andrew Young, a human resourcesnoncommissioned officer, found himself workingin a similar capacity, here, with DHR at SchofieldBarracks.

“I couldn’t just stay at home after serving in theArmy for all those years,” Young explained. “I likethe fact that I can relate to the men and womenI serve because I was once in their shoes. Thathelps me in my job, because Soldiers know thatI’ve been where they’ve been.”

Young took his 20 years of experience workingin various S-1, or personnel, offices throughout theArmy and easily transitioned into his current po-sition as human resource technician in the DABoards section. Now, he helps Soldiers desiring togo from the enlisted corps to the officer corps.

He also works with Soldiers to ensure thattheir records are current for promotions and helpsconduct briefings and processing of those whohave gone AWOL.

In all that he does, Young constantly encour-ages service members to improve their individualsituations.

“I let Soldiers know what programs are avail-able to them to better their careers. For example,some Soldiers don’t realize that if they are fluentin certain foreign languages that they can re-ceive extra pay for maintaining fluency,” ex-plained Young, who hails from Columbus, Miss.“I want them to plan for their futures and take ad-vantage of the opportunities that the Army has forthem.”

As for the most rewarding aspect of Young’sjob, it comes in knowing that he plays a part ina Soldier’s success.

“I like to see a Soldier accomplish their goal. Iwalk them through the process and, when theyfinish, the smile on their face and a ‘thank you’mean a lot to me,” he said.

Haglung: Former Marine soldiers on From Richard Haglund’s point of view, 30 years

of service in the U.S. Marine Corps helped preparehim for a life dedicated to the assistance of today’sSoldiers.

“Serving Soldiers is much like serving Marinesbecause many of the administrative procedures arethe same. I’ve always believed in treating all peo-ple with respect and just doing the right thing nomatter who I’m serving,” said Haglund, a retiredmaster gunnery sergeant.

In his current position as Mobilization Plansand Operations technician for USAG-HI, Haglundcoordinates with different agencies in order to pre-pare and serve those Soldiers who are either head-ing out or returning from deployment.

Questions regarding administrative, legal, med-ical and transition matters are all dealt withpromptly by Haglund and other members of histeam, who operate out of Conroy Bowl.

“We have a great team who works together.Even when faced with taking on additional re-sponsibilities, we assembled a group and workedovertime to serve the Soldiers. My experience asa Marine prepared me to take on responsibilitiesand do whatever it took to complete the mis-sion,” he said.

Haglund feels privileged to have the opportu-nity to continue to serve his country, even thoughhe is no longer in uniform.

“I wake up every day and look forward tohelping Soldiers. I know we have an importantmission. I enjoy customer service, and I am thank-ful that I can give back to our great country.

“I hope people walk away feeling that we pro-vided the best possible service expediently, but alsowith most care and concern for their unique sit-uation,” he added.

(Editor’s Note: Shahnaaz Mason contributedto this article. See next week’s Hawaii ArmyWeekly for more veterans profiles.)

A-8 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY NEWS

Geismar Haglung Love Young

Veterans make smooth transition, provide wealth of experience

When work is finished. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

SKIES Unlimited offers babysitting certification course for teensSCHOOL SUPPORT SERVICES

News ReleaseSCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Family

members between the ages of 11 years9 months and 18 looking for part-timework, should check out the freebabysitting course offered by SKIESUnlimited (the School of Knowledge,Inspiration, Exploration & Skills) andChild, Youth and School Services(CYSS).

Officially known as “CYSitters,” thetwo-day course is designed to familiar-ize teens with the responsibilities ofbabysitting and also teach skills andtechniques needed for sitters to be-

come competent and caring.Students will learn safety, discipline

skills, nutrition and entertainmentideas, in addition to the business ofbabysitting and how to manage theirnew part-time job.

The first day of the course, held Fri-

day evenings, is a five-hour classroomsession where students learnbabysitting basics from a curriculum developed by National 4-H and ArmyCYSS.

During the second day of class, heldSaturdays, students spend a full daylearning CPR and first aid fromcertified Red Cross instructors. Studentsreceive training materials, a certificateof completion, a wallet-sizedbabysitting course card, and they areplaced on the garrisonwide babysittingreferral list.

Parents choosing a babysitter fromthe referral list can feel comfortable

knowing that their babysitters are ad-equately trained.

Garrison policy requires that allyouths 12 years old and older mustpass a certified babysitting course towatch their siblings. It also requiresall youths 13 years old and older to pass a CPR/first aid class to babysitnon-family members. The two-daySKIES babysitting course meets all ofthe garrison’s requirements.

Parents can register their children forthe class at either the Schofield Bar-racks or the Aliamanu Military Reser-vation (AMR) CYSS registration office.Call 655-5314 for Schofield or 833-

5393 for AMR. Classes are heldthroughout the year at both SchofieldBarracks and AMR classrooms.

LORAN DOANEU.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs

FORT SHAFTER — Eight Army childrenare performing onstage, here, at RichardsonTheatre, Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12, in the Broad-way musical “High School Musical 2.”

“We are so pleased that these kids havechosen to participate in one of the Army’sfew remaining community theaters,” saidVanita Smith, manager, Richardson Theatre.“For some, it is their first time stepping on astage, but most of our young performershave quite a bit of stage experience in a va-riety of forms.”

The aspiring stars found their opportunityto shine in the Army’s “Excel, Develop,Grow and Experience” (EDGE) program,which offers out-of-school opportunities forchildren and youths to participate in cut-ting-edge art, fitness, life skills and adven-ture activities.

“The program offers positive educationalalternatives to children and their parentswho find themselves adversely affected bythe Furlough Fridays dilemma,” said KristineYasuda, partnership specialist for Child,Youth and School Services (CYSS); Family

and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. “We areable to expose the kids to new opportunitiesand ideas that may otherwise not be a partof their current school curriculum.”

Mililani High School freshman JalenThomas makes his Fort Shafter acting debutas Chad Danforth, a main character playedby actor Corbin Bleu in the movie version.For the past nine years, Jalen has performedin various choirs and talent shows, and mostrecently, he won the Randolph Air ForceBase “Family and Teen Talent Show” in2007.

“He has a God-given talent, and we havejust watched it grow,” Smith said. “Jalen’sperformance is a real pleasure to watch.”

Bryanna Salaz, a Moanalua Middle Schoolstudent, believes her acting is becoming afamily event and serves as an opportunity todo something constructive with time thatwould otherwise be idle.

“I really enjoy singing and dancing, and Iwas thrilled for the opportunity to performfor the first time onstage in a theater pro-duction,” Bryanna said. “My mom, dad, sis-ter and brother are very supportive, and mymom always makes sure (my makeup is ap-

plied correctly). My sister does a great jobwith my hair, and my brother even roleplays characters to help me learn my parts.”

The show’s youngest performer is WheelerMiddle School seventh grader Leilani Gutier-rez, who has been participating in talentshows and dance competitions since secondgrade.

For the eight performing artists, the EDGEprogram has provided an avenue in whichthey can explore and build their love of the-ater. As a result, some of the students havenow expanded their interests, taking guitarand piano lessons.

“These kids have put a lot of hard work

and effort into preparing for this musical,”Smith said. “They have taken somethingnegative, such as Furlough Fridays, andturned it into something positive that therest of the community can share. That’swhat makes these kids stand out.”

Smith urges patrons to come not only forthe show, but also to relive a part ofHawaii’s rich and colorful history.

Richardson Theatre, built in 1948, is onthe National Historic Registry and is consid-ered a celebrated treasure. It still maintainsthe original pink, art-deco-style facade, andits elegant interior was recently renovated,restoring the building to its former splendor.

During the peak of the Vietnam War,Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter wereregularly treated to high-profile performanc-es by Hollywood greats such as Bob Hope,Sammy Davis Jr., and Ike and Tina Turner.

The “High School Musical 2” performanc-es are open to the public. The doors toRichardson Theatre open at 7 p.m. and per-formances begin at 7:30 p.m. Theatergoersmay obtain tickets by contacting the box of-fice at 438-4480. Ticket prices start at $15for adults, and $12 for children.

Schedule and registration information can be found atwww.mwrarmyhawaii.com.

A copy of all Garrison policies are available atwww.garrison.hawaii.army.mil.

To find out more about futureRichardson Theatre productions and show-times, log onto www.armytheatre.com.

Parents of youth interested in the Army’sEDGE program should call CYSS at 656-0095 or visit www.mwrarmyhawaii.com.

Eight youth perform show-stopping numbers during the Army Community Theatre’s production of “High SchoolMusical 2” at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. The young actors participated in the production as a part of aFurlough Fridays activity offered through U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii’s “Excel, Develop, Grow and Experience”(EDGE) program.

Send announcements [email protected].

4 / TodayOverseas Mailing Deadlines — U.S.

Postal Service officials recommend first-class and priority mail for service mem-bers stationed in Afghanistan should besent by today to arrive for Christmas.

For general guidelines on sending mailto service members overseas, visitwww.usps.com/supportingourtroops/.

Express mail cannot be used to mailpackages to Afghanistan; however, prior-ity mail is available. Priority mail pack-aging products can be obtained free atany post office, or online at http://shop.usps.com.

To order free military care kits byphone, call 1-800-610-8734. Each kit in-cludes two “America Supports You” largepriority mail flat-rate boxes, four medi-um-sized priority mail flat-rate boxes,six priority mail labels, a roll of prioritymail tape and six customs forms withenvelopes.

World War II Film/Tour — HistorianSteve Fredrick will host a two-part histor-ical program on World War II with vin-tage movies and a historic tour, todayand Dec. 6.

The film “Hawaii During World War II:The Movies and Music of the 1940s” willbe shown, today, 7 p.m., at the VIPScreening Room in Hawaii Kai. The costis $10.

A walking tour will be held Dec. 5, 1p.m., starting from the Fort Street Mall.Cost is $20. Reservations are required forboth events and can be made online atwww.stevestoursandfilms.vpweb.com orby e-mailing [email protected].

7 / Monday Pearl Harbor Commemoration Cer-

emony — The National Park Service andthe U. S. Navy will host a joint memori-

al ceremony commemorating the 68thanniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor,Dec. 7, on board Naval Station Pearl Har-bor’s Kilo Pier from 7:40-9:30 a.m. Thecommemoration is free of charge, andthe public is invited to attend.

For more information, call the Nation-al Park Service at 422-2771, ext. 119, orvisit its Web site at www.nps.gov/valr; orcontact the Navy Region Hawaii PublicAffairs Office at 473-2920. (See details onpage A-6.)

8 / TuesdayMoney Harmony — When money

problems get out of control so can the re-

lationship. A financial course for cou-ples will be conducted Dec. 8, 10 a.m, atKalakaua Community Center.

This “Money Harmony” course is de-signed to help resolve money conflict inlife and relationships. To reserve a seat orfor more information, contact familyreadiness support assistant M. AlohaValverde at 655-1823 or e-mail her [email protected].

18 / FridayLive Televised Town Hall — U.S. Army

Garrison Hawaii community members willhave the opportunity to ask questions liveand on the air during the first-ever tele-

vised town hall forum hosted by Maj. Gen.Michael J. Terry, senior commander, U.S.Army-Hawaii, and Col. Matthew Margot-ta, commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, Dec. 17, 7-8 p.m.

Panel members currently scheduled forthe broadcast include; Lt. Col. RichardGledhill, commander, U.S. Army Garri-son-Oahu (USAG-Oahu), and USAG-Oahu Command Sgt. Maj. Darryl Jannone, alongwith subject matter experts from theArmy’s medical and housing communities.

Submit questions now at www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil (click on the “Ask TheCommander” link on the left) or atwww.twitter.com/usaghi.

4 / TodayHigh School Musical 2 — Army Com-

munity Theatre presents the smash musi-cal hit “High School Musical 2” atRichardson Theatre, Fort Shafter, tonightand Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

Additional performances are sched-uled Dec. 11 and 12, at 7:30 p.m., eachevening. Tickets cost $12-$20, and theyare available at www.armytheatre.com.Call 438-4480. (See related story on pageB-1.)

7 / MondayPositive Psychology — Army Commu-

nity Service will offer a new coursethroughout December. Learn the art of op-timism and positive psychology to buildresiliency and reduce stress. Upcomingclass dates include the following:

•Dec. 7, 16, 23, 29; noon-1 p.m.,Kalakaua Community Center, SchofieldBarracks.

•Dec. 8, 15; noon-1 p.m., AliamanuMilitary Reservation Community Center.

•Dec. 10, 17, 21, 30; 1:30-2:30 p.m.,ACS Classroom (Building 2091), SchofieldBarracks. To register, call 655-1670.

Newborn Care I — How come babiesdon't come with instruction manuals?Taking care of a newborn for the first timecan be scary. From holding, to diapering,to bathing, come learn the basics of new-born care to make the early month spe-cial for parents and baby, Dec. 7, 9-11a.m., at Sgt. Yano Library, Schofield Bar-racks. Call 655-4227.

8 / TuesdayChristmas Card Making & Rubber

Stamping — Learn new techniques withstamps, inks and more, and make yourvery own holiday cards, Dec. 8, 6-8 p.m.,at the Schofield Barracks Arts and CraftsCenter. Just $10 covers the class and all supplies. Call 655-4202.

Special Edition Walk off the Wait:Spouses and the City — Blue Star Card(BSC) holders are invited to a specialedition of “Walk off the Wait” at the“Spouses in the City" event, Dec. 8, at AlaMoana Shopping Center.

During the event, BSC members canshop without the hassle of parking. Trans-portation is available and will leave fromthe Schofield Barracks Bowling Centerat 8:30 a.m. The group will leave AlaMoana Shopping Center at 2 p.m.

For more information or to reserve aspace, call 655-0002 or [email protected].

9 / WednesdayHoliday Food Vouchers — The Army

Community Service Financial ReadinessProgram has begun receiving nomina-tions for families in need of holiday foodvouchers. Eligibility and forms are avail-able on the ACS Financial ManagementWeb site, www.mwrarmyhawaii.com.

The deadline to nominate a family isDec. 9. For information regarding theprogram, call 655-4227.

Homemade Holidays — Make andtake your own mini gift boxes Dec. 9, 2-4:30 p.m., at Sgt. Yano Library, SchofieldBarracks. The library will provide all supplies. Call the library for mandatorypreregistration. Call 655-8002.

Autism Support Group — The nextAutism Support Group meeting is sched-uled Dec. 9, 5:30-8 p.m., at the MainPost Chapel, Schofield Barracks.

The support group provides familieswith an opportunity to share experiences,gather new information and becomeknowledgeable about community re-sources.

Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. On-sitechild care will be available. Children mustbe registered to use this service, and signup is required. Call 655-1551/4791.

11 / FridayHawaiian Luau at PARC — Experi-

ence old Hawaii at the Pililaau ArmyRecreation Center (PARC) luau, Dec. 11, 6p.m., on the Sunset Café lanai.

Blue Star Card holders receive a 10-per-cent discount. Parties of four or moreshould call to reserve seating at 696-4778.

12 / SaturdayUSO Presents: Sesame Street Live

— Military families are invited to enjoyfurry, fuzzy fun with the muppets duringtwo performances of “Sesame Street Live,” Dec. 12, at Martinez Physical Fitness Cen-ter, Schofield Barracks.

Shows begin at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Games,crafts and children's activities will beavailable between shows. Call 655-0112/6.(For more information, see related story onpage B-4.)

Newcomers ACS Island Tour — Areyou new to the island? Check out thefree newcomers island tour. The nexttours are scheduled to depart, Dec. 12and 26, at 8 a.m., from Schofield BarracksArmy Community Service (ACS), or fromFort Shafter Flats ACS, Dec. 17, 8 a.m.

Call 655-4227 or 438-4499 to get onboard the next trip.

Graham Cracker Candy HouseWorkshop — Bring the kids to make yourown edible candy Christmas house, Dec.12, 10 a.m.-noon, at the Schofield Bar-racks Arts and Crafts Center.

Cost is $10 and participants will walkaway with a fun treat and holiday mem-ories. Call 655-4202.

17 / ThursdayTexas Hold Em Poker Tournament

— The next Texas Hold ‘Em tournamenttakes place, Dec. 17, 6-9:30 p.m., at theTropics, Schofield Barracks.

Card players can test their skills againstthe best-of-the-best poker players onpost. All ID cardholders 18 and older arewelcome. Call 655-5698 for more infor-mation.

18 / FridayBig R: Countdown to Redeploy-

ment — Blue Star Card (BSC) holderscan satisfy their sweet tooth this holi-day season, with a BSC cookie exchange,Dec. 18, 6-8 p.m., at the Nehelani.

Participants should bring 2-3 dozenof their favorite cookies or treats to sharewith everyone. Participants will also en-joy a special BSC edition of the game“Pictionary” with a festive twist. Lightpupus and child care will be provided.

To register for this event, call 655-0002 or e-mail [email protected] by Dec 15. Submit your cook-ie recipe when you R.S.V.P.

Waikiki Party Bus — Let Family andMorale, Welfare and Recreation be yourown personal chauffeur to Waikiki onpayday Fridays. The free party bus runsagain, Dec. 18, 9 p.m.-4 a.m., and Dec. 31,for New Year’s Eve.

The bus is free, but tickets are requiredto reserve your seat. Pick-ups are avail-able at both Schofield Barracks and FortShafter. Call 655-9971 or 438-1985.

OngoingFort Shafter Library Closure — TheFort Shafter Library will be temporarilyclosed for remodeling now through Feb.26, 2010. When reopened, the newenergy-efficient library will have newwindows, central air conditioning, energy-efficient lights and remodeled bathrooms.

Library activities previously advertisedduring this time period have been can-celled. Call 655-8000.

Additional religious services,children’s programs, education-al services and contact infor-mation can be found at www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil. (Click on “Religious SupportOffice” under the “Directoratesand Support Staff” menu).

AMR: Aliamanu ChapelFD: Fort DeRussy ChapelFS: Fort Shafter ChapelHMR: Helemano ChapelMPC: Main Post Chapel,

Schofield BarracksPH: Aloha Jewish Chapel,

Pearl Harbor TAMC: Tripler Army

Medical Center ChapelWAAF: Wheeler Army Airfield

Chapel

Buddhist Services•First Sunday, 1 p.m. at FD•Fourth Sunday, 1 p.m. at MPCAnnex

Catholic Masses•Friday, 9 a.m. at AMR •Saturday, 5 p.m. at FD, TAMCand WAAF chapels•Saturday, 6 p.m. a Hawaiian-style Mass (May-Aug. only)near the Army Museum (FD)•Sunday services:

-7:30 a.m. at WAAF-8 a.m. at AMR-10:30 a.m. at MPC Annex -11 a.m. at TAMC

•Monday-Friday, noon at MPCand TAMC

Gospel Worship•Sunday, noon at MPC•Sunday, 12:30 p.m. at AMR

Islamic Prayers and Study•Friday, 1 p.m. at MPC Annex•Saturday and Sunday, 5:30a.m., 6, 7 and 8 p.m. at MPCAnnex

Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath)•Monday, 6 p.m. at PH (BibleStudy)•Friday, 7:30 p.m. andSaturday, 8:15 a.m. at PH

Orthodox Divine Liturgy•Sunday, 9 a.m. at TAMC

Pagan (Wicca)•Friday, 7 p.m. at MPC Annex

Protestant Worship•Sunday Services

-9 a.m. at FD, FS, MPC, TAMC and WAAF chapels-10 a.m. at AMR and HMR

Law Abiding Citizen(R)

Fri., Dec. 4, 7 p.m.Thur., Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Astro Boy(PG)

Sat., Dec. 5, 2 p.m.Sun., Dec. 6, 2 p.m.

Couples Retreat(PG-13)

Sat., Dec. 5, 7 p.m.

Saw VI(R)

Wed., Dec. 9, 7 p.m.

No shows on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Call 624-2585 for movie listings or go to aafes.com

under reeltime movie listing.

B-2 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY COMMUNITY

River clean-upKALIHI — Lt. Col. Timothy Parker, left, commander, 205th Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion, and Staff Sgt.Daniel Williams, 205th MI Bn., work together to move debris from Kamanaiki stream, a tributary to Kalihistream, here, in late November. Twenty Soldiers from the 205th MI Bn. partnered with the community groupKalihi Ahupuaa Ulu Pono Ahahui (KAUPA) to clean up debris from the area. Soldiers removed several hundredpounds of illegally dumped trash in just a few hours.

Photo Courtesy of the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion

Aliamanu Military Reservation (AMR) ChapelDec. 8 6:30 p.m., Holy Day Of Obligation

(Catholic)Dec. 10 6:30-8 p.m., Advent Parish Reconciliation

(Catholic) Dec. 21 11:15 p.m., Christmas LuncheonDec. 21 12:15 p.m., Christmas ProgramDec. 24 4:30 p.m., Keiki Christmas MassDec. 25 10:30 a.m., Christmas Day Mass (Catholic)Jan. 1 10:30 a.m., Mary, Mother of God Mass

(Catholic)

Fort DeRussy Chapel(near the Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki)Dec. 24 5:30 p.m., Christmas Eve ServiceDec. 24 9 p.m., Christmas Eve Mass (Catholic)

Fort Shafter Religious Activity Center(Building 344)Dec. 24 6 p.m., Christmas Eve Service

Helemano Military Reservation (HMR) ChapelDec. 21 6:30 p.m., Christmas Cantata

Main Post Chapel (Schofield Barracks)Dec. 8 11:45-12:30 p.m., Holy Day Of Obligation

(Catholic)

Dec. 9 5:30 p.m., Family Night (Last scheduled for 2009.)

Dec. 15 9 a.m., PWOC (Last scheduled for 2009.)Dec. 16 6:30 p.m., Christmas CarolingDec. 24 4:30 p.m., Children's Christmas MassDec. 24 6:30 p.m., Candlelight Service

and CantataDec. 25 10:30 a.m., Christmas MassDec. 31 10 p.m., Watch Night ServiceJan. 1 10:30 a.m., Mary, Mother of God Mass

(Catholic)

Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) ChapelDec. 8 7 a.m. and noon, Holy Day Of Obligation

(Catholic)Dec. 24 5 p.m., Christmas Eve Mass (Catholic)Dec. 24 7 p.m., Candlelight ServiceDec. 25 11 a.m., Christmas Day Mass (Catholic)Jan. 1 11 a.m., Mary, Mother of God Mass

(Catholic)

Wheeler Chapel (Wheeler Army Airfield)Dec. 8 6 p.m., Holy Day Of Obligation (Catholic)Dec. 14 6:30-8 p.m., Advent Parish Reconciliation

(Catholic) Dec. 24 9 p.m., Christmas Vigil Mass

The Religious Support Office will offer the following holiday services:

Call the Religious Support Office (655-9355), AMR Chapel (836-4599) or TAMC Chapel (433-5727) for more information.

The holiday season is here. Families canget in the spirit of the season at a variety ofmagical events taking place around the is-land of Oahu during the month of Decem-ber.

Saturday, Dec. 5Honolulu City Lights Trip — Family and

Morale, Welfare and Recreation is offeringa shuttle to Hawaii's premiere holiday event,the Honolulu City Lights, Dec. 5, 4-9 p.m.

Kick off the holidays and see the popu-lar electric light parade down King Street,the holiday concert, the tree and wreath dis-plays, and the tree lighting ceremony atHonolulu Hale. Cost is $5, but Blue StarCard holders ride for free. To reserve a spot,call 655-0112/3.

Honolulu City Lights Ceremony —The opening night of the 2009 “HonoluluCity Lights" celebration will take place Dec.5, 6 p.m., at Honolulu Hale (city hall).

Indoor Christmas trees and beautifulwreath exhibits are on display in the lob-by of Honolulu Hale from 8 a.m.-11 p.m.daily. Admission is free.

Throughout the month of December, vis-itors can enjoy the beautiful city employee'sChristmas tree exhibit, wreath displays,strolling musicians and entertainment, andnightly visits with Santa.

Holiday Funfest — Join the 13th Annu-al Holiday Funfest at Aliamanu MilitaryReservation (AMR), Dec. 5, at the AMRgymnasium and community center.

A holiday parade will begin at 9 a.m.,and festivities take place 10 a.m.-1 p.m.Call 833-0920/4932.

Sunday, Dec. 6Waimea Valley Craft Fair — Waimea

Valley is proud to present its first HolidayCraft Fair, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at thePikake Pavilion. Organizers invite you tobrowse the unique arts and crafts exhibitsof more than 40 vendors from the commu-nity showcasing products made in Hawaii.

Thursday, Dec. 10Oahu South Tree Lighting — The Oahu

South community will host its annual hol-iday concert and tree lighting ceremony,Dec. 10, 6 p.m., at Palm Circle, Fort Shafter.Santa and his helpers will be on hand totake photos with children. Call 655-0453.(See related story on page A-1)

Saturday, Dec. 12Santa’s Arrival — Welcome the world’s

most famous elf as he arrives via outriggercanoe at Waikiki Beach, Dec. 12, 9 a.m., infront of the Outrigger Waikiki hotel. Santa’sarrival will be followed by keiki hula danc-ing, music and complimentary photos withSanta. This event is free.

Sunday, Dec. 13.Scandinavian Christmas — Join the

Scandinavian Club of Hawaii for a Christ-mas celebration, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m., at theHale Koa Hotel. The evening begins withdinner and the Santa Lucia procession.

Members fee is $35; nonmembers, $40.Call Terrilea Burnett at 946-5538. R.S.V.P.by Dec. 9. Visit www.scandinavianclubofhawaii.org.

Christmas Concert — The Oahu Choral

Society presents Christmas with the Honolu-lu Symphony Chorus and Honolulu Cham-ber Choir, Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m., at Andrew’sCathedral (at Beretania and Queen Emmastreets). The program will include worksby Bach, Handel and other classical com-posers, as well as popular carols.

Tickets cost $20 for adults, and $10 forstudents, military and seniors. Children un-der 16 are free. Tickets are available by e-mailing [email protected] or at thedoor. Visit www.oahuchoral.com

Friday, Dec. 25 USO Christmas — The Airport USO will

host a Christmas dinner Dec. 25, 11:30 a.m.During that time, free phone and videocalls will be provided by Skype to USOsaround the world to keep traveling troopsand family members connected with lovedones. Contact Nicole at [email protected] or836-3351 for more information.

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4, 2009 | B-3COMMUNITY

4-year-old helps general usher in the holidays at TriplerJones encourages staff,beneficiaries to rememberdeployed service members

JAN CLARKTripler Army Medical Center Public Affairs

HONOLULU — Despite the raindropsand a chill in the air, 4-year-old LilyMallory was ready to help Brig. Gen.Steve Jones, commander, Tripler ArmyMedical Center (TAMC), carry out the60-year-old tradition of lighting theholiday tree at TAMC, here, Monday.

Lily, daughter of Air Force Maj.Phillip and Jennifer Mallory, appearedquite composed prior to the lighting,but mom, Jennifer, explained it wasquite the opposite.

“She has been talking about this forweeks. She kept asking when is shegoing to light the tree.”

Prior to the lighting, Jones welcomedattendees following an invocation byChaplain (Capt.) Timothy Stansberry.

“Holding this ceremony, just afterthe Thanksgiving weekend, reminds usthat we have so much to be thankfulfor this year,” Jones said. “We live in

the greatest nation on Earth, and we arethankful for the service of our Sol-diers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and

Coast Guardsmen, all of (whom) helpkeep it great.

“Let us remember those who are not

here with us tonight and those whoare not able to spend Christmas athome because they are deployed. Not a

day will go by when they and theirfamilies are not in our thoughts andprayers,” Jones said.

The U.S. National Christmas TreeLighting Ceremony was held Thursday,on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Thenational ceremony opened the annualpageant of peace, which is meant as a“voluntary expression of American cit-izens of every creed and color to dram-atize the message of ‘peace on earth,goodwill toward men,’” according tothe National Park Service Web site.

“I ask that every evening as youlook up Moanalua Ridge and see thesewonderful lights, you remember thatmessage, and give thanks that we livein such a compassionate and gener-ous nation,” Jones said.

A local children’s choir sang Christ-mas carols and the Navy’s Pacific FleetBand provided further entertainment. Asing-along and the arrival of Santaprovided his rendition of “The NightBefore Christmas.”

Children snuggled at Santa’s feetbringing to all an enjoyable night anda wonderful continuation of the long-held tradition at TAMC.

Daniel Kawasaki | Tripler Army Medical Center

Brig. Gen. Steve Jones, commander, Tripler Army Medical Center, and 4-year-old Lily Mallory pose for a photo moments afterpulling the giant candy cane switch to light the holiday tree at Tripler, Monday evening.

Holiday Parades•Dec. 5, Kaneohe Holiday Parade, 9 a.m. — Spend a day on the windward sideof Oahu for a holiday celebration to help welcome in the Christmas season. Localschool bands, marching units, floats and, of course, Santa will make an appear-ance. The parade begins at the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haiku Road(Windward Mall) and ends at Castle High School on Kaneohe Bay Road. Call 348-2749.

•Dec. 6, Pearl City Holiday Parade, 4 p.m. — Pearl City Shopping Center will hosta parade starting from Momilani Elementary School towards Pearl City ShoppingCenter. Call 593-1553.

•Dec. 7, Wahiawa Santa Parade, 6:30 p.m. — The Wahiawa Community and Busi-ness Association will hold its annual Santa Parade beginning at Kaala Elemen-tary School and proceeding down California Avenue, with a brief stop at Wahi-awa Town Center for Santa's arrival. Call 621-7097.

•Dec. 10, Moiliili Holiday Parade, 6:30 p.m. — The Kapahulu-Moiliili Lions Clubwill host a parade starting at Kuhio Elementary School to King Street ending atOld Stadium Park. Call 479-7139.

•Dec. 12, Aiea Holiday Parade, 9 a.m. — The Annual Christmas parade sponsoredby the Aiea Community Association will start at Pearlridge Park and proceed onMoanalua Road, ending at Aiea Sugar Mill Park. Call 429-1282.

•Dec. 12, Ewa Beach/Lions Club Holiday Parade, 10 a.m. — The Ewa Beach Christ-mas Parade with marchers and floats starts near Ocean Pointe Elementary Schooland proceeds to Hanakahi Street ending at Ewa Beach Shopping Center. Call 864-4634.

•Dec. 12, Waimanalo Holiday Parade, 10 a.m. — Welcome in the Christmas sea-son with a parade in Waimanalo featuring school bands, marching units, lots ofsmiles and, of course, Santa. Call 527-5759.

Volunteers deck the hallsof Tripler’s Fisher Houses

Story and Photo by

LES OZAWATripler Army Medical Center Public Affairs

HONOLULU — Volunteers fromall branches of military servicecame together to deck the halls ofthe two Fisher Houses located atTripler Army Medical Center,here, Monday.

The annual event brought to-gether Soldiers and civilians from13 organizations to fill the manynooks, crannies, rooms and out-door areas, giving the “homeaway from home” a little holidaycheer.

“It’s a chance for people fromall walks of life to come togeth-er to share their Christmas themesand decorations with our familieshere,” said Theresa Johnson,manager, Fisher House.

Johnson said the event alsohelps volunteers learn the im-portance of the Fisher House,which provides families across

the Pacific a place to stay, sothey can be near a family mem-ber hospitalized at Tripler.

Participating in the festivitieswere individuals from the AirNational Guard Hickam Air ForceBase; the Coast Guard; DefenseInformation Systems Agency-Pa-cific; the Fort Shafter Hui OWahine and the Schofield Bar-racks Hui O Na Wahine spouses'clubs; Marine Corps Family TeamBuilding; Schofield Barracks’Warrior Transition Battalion; the Marine Corps’ 1st Bn., 12th Ma-rine Regiment; 205th Military In-telligence Bn.; 249th EngineerBn.; and 311th Theater SignalCommand’s family readinessgroup, along with Fisher Houseresidents and volunteers.

People and organizationswishing to volunteer at theFisher House can call TheresaJohnson at 433-1291 for moreinformation.

Under the watchful eye of Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Hatcher, Sgt. 1stClass Gabriel Camacho and Spc. Palebale Skilling, all members of theWarrior Transition Battalion, string lights for a lawn Christmas tree out-side the Tripler Army Medical Center Fisher House, Monday.

Holiday season events planned islandwide

U.S. ARMY GARRISON-HAWAIIPUBLIC AFFAIRS

News ReleaseSCHOFIELD BARRACKS — One

of the most adorable children’s char-acters and his furry monster friendswill be making a stopover in the is-lands this holiday season, hoping toadd a little magic to the lives of mil-itary families.

Elmo and friends have scheduledsix, 30-minute shows at three loca-tions Oahu as part of the free trav-eling tour, “The Sesame Street/USOExperience for Military Families.”One of the shows, which will takeplace, here, at Martinez Physical Fit-ness Center, Dec. 12, is expected todraw “hundreds, if not a thousandpeople,” according to Kelly Andrews,recreation specialist, Family andMorale, Welfare and Recreation(FMWR).

“Sesame Street has always beenvery supportive of military families,and there’s this preset expectationamong military families that they’lllike whatever Sesame Street has tosay,” Andrews explained. “I do thinkit’s going to be a fantastic opportu-nity for kids, particularly thosewhose moms or dads might be de-ployed and away for the holidays, tohave a chance to get out of the houseand enjoy some fun time with thefamily.”

Games will be held prior to andduring the shows, she added, in-cluding several Christmas-themedactivities. In addition, Eddie the Ea-gle, the official FMWR mascot, willbe making an appearance as Santaand taking photos with keiki.

The stars of the show, however,will undoubtedly be many of thesame characters that have gracedthe popular children’s television pro-gram during its 40-year history, in-cluding Elmo, Big Bird, Bert andErnie, Cookie Monster, Count vonCount and Oscar the Grouch.

“For some, it’ll be their first timeto meet their favorite characters inperson,” Andrews said, adding thatthe show at Schofield Barracks isbeing made possible through a gen-erous donation from the Army Recy-cling Center. “We hope that puts asmile on the children’s faces.”

The tour is part of Sesame Work-shop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” ini-tiative, which was launched in 2006as a military outreach program. Thismultimedia initiative is tailor-madefor young children ages 2 through5, who are experiencing the effects ofdeployment and/or combat-relatedinjuries to their parents.

“Sesame Workshop is proud of itsongoing commitment to serving theneeds of military families, and we arethrilled to partner with our goodfriends at the USO to bring Elmo

and all of his friends to military families overseas,” said GaryKnell, CEO and president of SesameWorkshop, in a press release. “TheU.S. tour last fall was a huge successand further underscored the needfor resources to help military fami-lies cope with the challenges of de-

ployment. “This is our humble way of saying

thank you to all the moms and dadsin our armed forces for their com-mitment to all of us,” Knell added.

In 2008, the tour made stops at 40

military installations in 23 statesand wound up performing 106shows for 76,000 service membersand their families.

This year’s tour has already trav-eled to 19 of 20 U.S. military in-stallations, including those in the United Kingdom and Europe. Thetour is expected to wrap up inHawaii.

U.S. ARMY GARRISON-HAWAII PUBLIC AFFAIRSNews Release

In 2006, Sesame Workshop launched a ground-breaking, bilingual (English/Spanish), multiphase,multimedia initiative for young children and theirmilitary families called “Talk, Listen, Connect (TLC).”

The initiative was born from a strong and singu-lar hope — to recognize the thousands of Americanchildren and families who know all too well what it’slike to see a loved one go off to war.

Kauai native and 38-year military spouse PatriciaShinseki returned to Hawaii as keynote speaker forthe Army-hosted Joint Spouses Conference inOctober, and she spoke about the innovative initia-tive and collaboration with the Sesame Street Work-shop to create the TLC series.

Q: How did the collaboration begin?A: “Sesame Street conceived of the idea of doing

something for young children who were being affect-ed by deployments, and about family service mem-bers returning with injuries.

What Sesame Street produces is a wonderful pub-lic service, because I think young children can con-nect with Sesame … who can’t love Elmo?”

Q: What has your involvement been with theSesame Street series?

A: “I’ve been involved in all three productions ofthe ‘Talk, Listen and Connect’ series.

The first of which is on helping families with de-ployment; the second is on helping families throughchanges, when a parent returns injured or ill; and thethird, which is not yet complete, is on if a parentdies.”

Q: Is there any message you would like to

convey as families prepareto watch these episodes?

A: “Yes, I believe what’s im-portant is that parents spendtime with children beforeviewing these programs, sothey are able to discuss thesubject matter.

I think it’s very importantfor families to talk with chil-dren about the topic to help

children express their feelings or concerns.” Q: Is this a collaboration that you antici-

pate to continue?A: “I certainly believe so; the Sesame Street Work-

shop continues to come up with wonderful newways to connect with children, one of the newest, ofcourse, being a safe way for children to keep connect-ed with a deployed parent.

They have a wonderful Web site called ‘SesameStreet Family Connections’ (www.sesamestreetfamilyconnections.org), which is available for chil-dren to use and express their feelings with the par-ent that is deployed. The site is offered in Span-ish and English.”

The Sesame Street Workshop series “Stop,Listen, Connect” can be seen daily on Army installation channel TV2.

(Editors Note: Patricia Shinseki is thewife of current director of Veterans Affairsand former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, retiredGen. Eric Shinseki. Information from the SesameWorkshop’s Web site, www.sesameworkshop.org, was used in this article.)

AHFH residents asked do theirpart to save resources, money

GRANT YASUNAGAArmy Hawaii Family Housing

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — It may not seemobvious, but excessive water usage in our com-munities adds to the Department of Defense’s(DoD) mounting financial burden associated withenergy and water infrastructure maintenance.

According to the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, energy costs for water and wastewatercan be 33 percent of a municipality’s energy bill.

The military installation in which you live is ade facto municipality — a community where peo-ple live, work and play.

Pumping water into your home and the subse-quent collection, treatment and disposal of waste-water from your home are wholly dependent onenergy. By reducing water usage in your home,you are not only preserving a limited resource, butalso doing your part to alleviate the DoD’s finan-cial concerns on energy usage.

According to the American Society of CivilEngineers’ “2009 Report Card for America’s Infra-structure,” the increasing demand for water isputting a strain on aging infrastructure and willcost our nation billions of dollars to repair and

maintain throughout the next 20years.

Our military installations arenot exempt from the strain. The

issue of infrastructure repairand maintenance is relevant

enough that the Secretaryof the Army and the

Army Chiefof Staffsigned theU.S. ArmyEnergy and

Water Cam-paign Plan in

2005. Before taking

an extra fiveminutes in the

shower, running thewater while brushing

your teeth, or washing half-full loads of dishes or laundry, think

about the costs associated with wasting waterand how those funds could be better used by theDoD for more important causes in this time of war.

(Editor’s Note: Grant Yasunaga is the region-al utilities manager for Army Hawaii FamilyHousing.)

Lessons Learned•Water lawns in the early mornings,around 5 a.m., to maximize absorption.Watering during daylight hours is notnearly as effective and can actually beharmful to the grass.•Use a nozzle on the hose when watering plants or washing a car.•Keep showers as short as possible.•Wash only full loads of laundry anddishes. If washing these items by hand,run the water only when necessary (in-stead of having the water runningthrough the whole job).

B-4 | DECEMBER 4, 2009 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY COMMUNITY

State, mayor, Navy League honor Army spouse for serviceSGT. RICARDO BRANCH

8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

HONOLULU — The roar of thousandsof excited fans couldn’t compare to thefeeling Katherine Ebersole felt at the2009 Hawaii’s Outstanding ArmySpouse Award ceremony during theNavy versus University of Hawaii foot-ball game at Aloha Stadium, here, Sat-urday.

“I am still in shock to be standing outhere,” Ebersole said while standing onthe field in the stadium. “When I volun-teer, I don’t expect to ever be recognizedbecause I don’t do it for that. I do it be-cause I want to help out in good caus-es.”

Ebersole, 36, from Longview, Texas,was one of eight military spouses pres-ent on the field during the weekendgame, which recognized service mem-bers from all military branches andpaid special tribute to the spouses of theU.S. armed forces members.

The Outstanding Spouse Award,which is presented annually to spousesof deployed troops, recognizes the recip-ients as the volunteer communicatorand organizational focal point for de-ployed units in hostile operations for2009.

“I never imagined in 16 years withthe Army that I’d one day be standingin front of 36,000 people receiving acheck for $1,000 because of what I do

for my community,” Ebersole said. “It’sreally going to help out for our Christ-mas shopping and donations for theToys for Tots program.”

Ebersole didn’t begin her volunteerservice just the other day. She has beenactive in her community since her hus-band, Staff Sgt. Greg Ebersole, entered

the Army in 1993.“I have been a family readiness group

(FRG) leader, a coach for SpecialOlympics, and volunteered in my localcommunity and my kids’ school,” shesaid. “That was just the beginning.

“I started volunteering as a key caller,during my husband’s unit deployment

cycle in the 90s,” she added.When her husband’s unit, the 84th

Engineer Battalion, deploys, Ebersole often serves as a key caller through theFRG to pass on information to spousesand family members of deployed lovedones. She credits a multitude of reasonsfor being so involved in volunteering,

but said the main reasons are to serveothers. She also volunteers to make adifference, stating, “There’s alwayssomeone out there you can help.”

In addition to recognition at thepregame show, City and County of Hon-olulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann present-ed Ebersole with a certificate of appre-ciation at Honolulu Hale, city hall.

“I enjoy volunteering; I really do,”Ebersole said. “Volunteering is a goodway to meet a lot of people who are allin the same situation. Rank doesn’tmatter either, because we all are goingthrough the same thing of dealing witha loved one who is deployed and serv-ing his country.”

Following the football game’s open-ing ceremony, Ebersole joined her fam-ily in the stands to watch the athleticcontest. Her son, Gregory, who sat nextto her, summed up the feelings the en-tire Ebersole family felt for the matriarch in five simple words: “I’m proud ofyou, mom.”

Recipients of the spouse award fromother military branches of service in-clude, Randi Fox, U.S. Coast Guard;Leilani Kerr, Hawaii Army NationalGuard; Tiffany Milisavlijevich, U.S. Pa-cific Command; Rita Miller, Hawaii AirNational Guard; Sharon Ortiz, U.S. AirForce; Jillian Sentell, U.S. Marine Corps;and Jessica Jane Swanson, U.S. Navy.

Daisy Bueno | 8th Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs

Katherine Ebersole poses for a picture at Honolulu Hale, city hall, after being presented with certificates from the Navy Leagueand Hawaii’s state legislature, which named her the 2009 Outstanding Military Spouse for Army Hawaii, Nov. 27. Pictured fromleft to right are Don Morrison, Hawaii Navy League president; City and County of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann; Ebersole;Maj. Gen. Robert G. F. Lee, adjutant general, Hawaii National Guard; and Rep. K. Mark Takai.

‘Sesame Street Live’ brings furry friends to Schofield Water conservationreduces DoD’s costs,preserving naturalresoures, energy

See the “Sesame Street/USOExperience for MilitaryFamilies,” Dec. 12, at theMartinez Physical FitnessCenter, Schofield Barracks.

Show times are scheduledfor 3 and 5:30 p.m. Seatingwill be on a first-come,first-served basis. Additional shows are alsoscheduled at the followingdates, times and locations:•Dec. 9, Marine Corps BaseHawaii, Kaneohe Bay, 1:30and 6:30 p.m.•Dec. 13, Hickam Air ForceBase, 3 and 6 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Sesame Street Live

From left to right: Grover, Zoe, Rosita, Cookie Monster and Elmo along witha whole cast of furry, feathered friends will perform in the Sesame StreetLive stage show at Martinez Physical Fitness Center, Schofield BarracksDec. 12.

Shinseki

Shinseki discusses Sesame Street TLC initiative

Send sports announcements to [email protected].

4 / TodayGreat Aloha Run — Entries are being accept-

ed for the 26th Annual Great Aloha Run, scheduledfor Presidents Day, Feb. 15, 2010, 7 a.m. Regularentries postmarked by Dec. 4 cost $35 and receivean “In Training” T-shirt and a daily planner.

The 8.15-mile flat course starts at Aloha Tow-er in downtown Honolulu, winds its way along thehistoric Honolulu Harbor, down Nimitz Highway,Kamehameha Highway and into the Aloha Stadi-um.

The finish line is the back goal line of the northend zone on the stadium floor. Running divisionsavailable include elites, age groups, wheelchairand handcycle competitors, as well as militarypersonnel running individually or in “Sounds ofFreedom” formations.

Applications are available online atwww.greataloharun.com. Only finishers receive a“finishers” T-shirt.

5 / SaturdayHike Oahu — Join the Hawaiian Trail & Moun-

tain Club for a 4-mile novice shoreline hike, Dec.5. Kaena, the western-most point of Oahu, is a des-ignated Natural Area Reserve with rugged coast-lines, endangered flora, sleeping Hawaiian seals(sometimes) and occasional booby birds and alba-trosses. This shoreline trail is level, but hot. Bringlots of water. Call Phil Booth, 382-4709.

Upcoming hikes include the following:•Dec. 6, 7-mile intermediate ridge hike to the

Koolau summit. Call Steve Davis, 371-1492.•Dec. 13, 11-mile advanced, valley-ridge hike.

Call Kevin English, 217-5125.A $3 donation is requested of nonmembers age

18 and older. An adult must accompany childrenunder 18. For more information and a calendar offuture hikes, visit www.htmclub.org.

6 / SundayAloha Readiness Series — The Mid-Pacific

Road Runners Club is hosting a series of racesdesigned to prepare runners for the 2010 Great Alo-ha Run in February. Register for the entire series for$60 at www.active.com.

The entry fee includes a T-shirt and timingchip. Visit www.mprrc.com for detailed race de-scriptions. Enter online at www.active.com.

•Sam’s 5K, Dec. 6. Race starts at 7 a.m. at theWaikiki Shell.

•Harold Chapson 8K, Jan. 9. Race starts at 7 a.m.on Monsarrat Avenue, between Kapiolani Parkand the Honolulu Zoo. Register by Jan. 4.

•Johnny Faeber 10K, Jan. 31. Race starts onKalakaua Avenue beyond Kapiolani Park tenniscourts, facing Diamond Head. Register by Jan. 25.

8 / TuesdayGolf Tournament — Applications will be ac-

cepted through Dec. 8 for the Waianae Military

Civilian Advisory Council’s (WMCAC) Three-Person,Best-Ball golf tournament, Dec. 11, noon, at Leile-hua Golf Course. Check-in is scheduled from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Costs range from $70-95 depending onrank and include green fees, cart and banquet.

To register, call Les Akeo at 655-0115.

January17 / Sunday

Biathlon Series — Challenge the biathlete in youduring the Waikiki Swim Club 2009/2010 biathlonseries at Magic Island/Ala Moana Beach Park.Each race starts at 7:30 a.m. and consists of a 5Krun and a 1K swim.

Registration costs $25 per individual, $50 perteam, per race. Entry fees include a T-shirt.

•Magic Island Biathlon, Jan.17. Registrationforms are due by Jan. 4.

•Valentine’s Day Biathlon, Feb. 14. Registrationforms are due by Feb. 1.

For more information or to download registra-tion forms, visit www.waikikiswimclub.org or e-mail [email protected].

OngoingVans Triple Crown — Check out the Super

Bowl of surfing at the Vans Triple Crown of Surf-ing taking place now through Dec. 20.

The series of three men's and three women's As-sociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sanc-tioned events pits the world's top-ranked surfersagainst the world's biggest and most famous wavesat Haleiwa, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline.

•O'Neill World Cup of Surfing (men) and Gid-get Pro Sunset Beach (women) compete, Nov. 24-Dec. 6, at Sunset Beach.

•Billabong Pipeline Masters (men) and Bill-abong Pro Maui (women) compete, Dec. 8-20, atBanzai Pipeline (men) and Honolua Bay, Maui(women).

Competition is held on the biggest and bestdays of surf available within the designated eventtimeframe.

For daily updates or for more information, call596-7873 or visit www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.

Golfers Wanted — Are you looking for a golfgroup?

Military or civilian golfers interested in playinggolf on Sunday mornings at Leilehua Golf Coursecan call 347-8038 or 375-3322. Tee time is usual-ly before 8 a.m.

Wahine Sailors — The Wahine Sailors is seek-ing new members. Cost is $35 per year or $5 persail. All levels are welcome.

For more information, including meeting placeand times, call 235-8392.

Hawaii Youth Triathlon Club — Children ages7-19 are invited to join the Hawaii Youth TriathlonClub. Membership is $50 and includes an annualmembership with USA Triathlon (USAT), insur-ance during training, a club certificate, swim cap,review clinics and the newsletter.

Visit www.hawaiiyouthtri.com for more information.

HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4, 2009 | B-5SPORTS & FITNESS

4 / TodayMulisha Madness MMA Meet and

Greet — Don't miss a chance to meetMixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fighters,Erik Apple and Renato “Babalu" So-bral, today, 4-6 p.m., at Martinez Phys-ical Fitness Center, Schofield Barracks.

Get autographs, take pictures andenter to win door prizes. For more in-formation call 655-0112.

Great Aloha Run Registration Dis-count — In honor of the Great AlohaRun's 26th year of running with Aloha,U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, in supportof the Army Family Covenant, willsponsor a portion of the early entrymilitary rate (individual category) forBlue Star Card (BSC) holders. BSC hold-ers can register for the run for only $5now through Dec. 17, (limited to thefirst 100 registrants).

The regular individual military entryfee is $30. The Great Aloha Run willtake place on Feb. 15, 2010 startingfrom the Aloha Tower to the Aloha Sta-dium.

To register, bring a completed appli-cation, the $5 entry fee, along withyour valid Blue Star Card to either theMartinez Physical Fitness Center,Schofield Barracks or Fort Shafter Fit-ness Center. For more information callJim Perry at 655-8006 or [email protected].

5 / SaturdayShoreline Fishing — Spend the day

bait dunking at a favorite shore fishingarea with Outdoor Recreation, Dec. 5, 8a.m.-2 p.m. Participants are guaran-teed a good time fishing Hawaiian style.Cost is $42 per person; round-trip trans-portation from Schofield Barracks isincluded. Call 655-0143.

6 / SundayAdventure Hike — Join Outdoor

Recreation, Dec. 6, 8 a.m., for the latestadventure hike. This hike is a level-two, moderate-difficulty trip through

one of several picturesque locationsaround the island of Oahu. Cost is $10,and round-trip transportation fromSchofield Barracks is included. Call 655-0143.

12 / SaturdayShoreline Fishing Sites Tour — Tour

favorite local fishing spots with OutdoorRecreation, Dec. 12, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Learnwhere the locals go to fish and what tocatch.

Cost is $8 and round-trip transporta-tion from Schofield Barracks is includ-ed. Call 655-0143.

13 / SundayHonolulu Marathon Picnic — Join

Outdoor Recreation for a day of funwith a picnic at the Honolulu Marathon,Dec. 13, 4 a.m.-3 p.m. Come out tosupport a runner or spend time with thefamily.

Cost is $49 for adults and $14 forchildren. Round-trip transportation fromSchofield Barracks is included. Call 655-0143.

19 / SaturdayHawaiian Canoe and Stand-Up

Paddling — Learn two sports that driveHawaiians wild; outrigger canoeing andstand-up paddling, Dec. 19, 7 a.m.-noon. Cost is $64 and includes round-trip transportation from Schofield Bar-racks. Call 655-0143.

OngoingSchofield Barracks Bowling —

Looking to update your bowling equip-ment? Stop by the newly renovatedJAKS Pro Shop inside the SchofieldBarracks Bowling Center for all yourbowling supplies and services.

JAKS offers custom-grip fitting, aswell as an array of shoes and bags tochoose from. For more information,call 655-5301.

Tai Chi Classes — Find your centerwith the ancient and revered art of TaiChi, Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. at the MartinezPhysical Fitness Center, Schofield Bar-racks.

Tai Chi uses gentle flowing move-ments to reduce the stress of today'sbusy lifestyles and improve generalwellbeing. The class explores the art-

form and incorporates psychology andphilosophy through psychical move-ment.

Learn and benefit from the influenceof this ancient practice on physicalhealth, mental well being, conscious-ness, and martial arts. Tai Chi classes arefree for active duty Soldiers and fami-ly members. Call 655-4804.

Chi Gong Classes — Learn how torelieve stress on all levels with new ChiGung classes, Thursdays, 6-7 p.m. at theMartinez Physical Fitness Center,Schofield Barracks.

Chi Gong is a unique collection ofexercise from China,designed to help

relieve stress on mental, emotional andphysical levels.

Even though we may not feelstressed, our bodies — even on an un-conscious level — can be under tremen-dous stress.

Learn techniques to relieve stress,improve your health and add qualityyears to your life.Chi Gung classes arefree for active duty Soldiers and Fam-ily Members. Call 655-4804.

Schofield Health and Fitness Cen-ter Closure — The Schofield BarracksHealth and Fitness Center (HFC), Build-ing 582, is closed now through Jan.2010 to replace the roof.

All classes and services have been re-located to the Martinez Physical Fit-ness Center (MPFC), Building 488. CallLinda Williams at 655-4804.

Fitness Center Towels — The U.S.Army Garrison-Hawaii physical fit-ness centers no longer provide towels.Guests are required to bring a towel (nosmaller than 16 by 24 inches) in orderto use the strength training and/orcardio equipment.

Bowling Parties — Having a partyor celebrating a special occasion?Wheeler Bowling Center’s eight lanesare available for private parties onSaturdays and Sundays for $120 perhour. A three-hour minimum and $2shoe rental apply. Call 656-1745.

Golf ‘Til You Drop — Catch thisall-you-can-golf special every Thurs-day at Nagorski Golf Course, FortShafter.

Pay one fee and play as many holesas you want. For more information,call 438-9587.

Free Ladies Golf Clinic — Learn thebasics of golfing at a free ladies golfclinic. The clinic is offered the firstSaturday of each month at LeilehuaGolf Course Driving Range from 2:30-3:30 p.m. For more information call655-4653 to sign up.

NFL Sunday Ticket — Watch yourfavorite home football team live everyweekend at the Tropics, Schofield Bar-racks with the NFL Sunday ticket.Don't miss the gridiron action. Formore information, call 655-5698.

Karate Classes — Children ages 5and older can learn Do Shudokankarate at three U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii physical fitness centers: Alia-manu Military Reservation (AMR), FortShafter, Helemano or Schofield’s Ben-nett Youth Center. Classes cost $35per month. A family discount is avail-able.

Also, adults 18 and older can learnDo Shudokan karate at the AMR Phys-ical Fitness Center, Mondays andWednesdays, 7-8:30 p.m.

Cost is $40 per month. Call JosephBunch at 488-6372 or 265-5476.

Cycling funSCHOFIELD BARRACKS — The Martinez Physical Fitness Center,here, hosts group cycling classes five times a week. A calendar of fitness classes held across the island on Army installations can befound online at www.mwrarmyhawaii.com.

Kayla Overton | U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs