To start this edition, I'm stepping aside to run this gateway piece from "the other" Bayonet...the weekly post newspaper that serves Soldiers at Fort Benning, GA.

POW/MIA Day: Honor our missing heroes
By Kristin Molinaro
The Bayonet

FORT BENNING, GA -- If there is a day to put away petty gripes, it is today. Each year, the third Friday of September is set aside to honor our prisoners of war and missing in action.

It is a time to reflect on their sacrifices and remember their stories.

"Staff Sgt. Keith 'Matt' Maupin, we are still looking for you and we will find you" was a frequent phrase in military newsletters downrange and on Web sites devoted to his memory in the days after his capture in Iraq April 16, 2004.

As time went on, the phrase took on a new meaning. It was a mantra for those who refused to leave a Soldier behind. As Soldiers came and went in Iraq, the saying remained, carrying his memory on and reminding us what it truly means to never leave a comrade behind: Honor their memory, take up the torch and share their story.

So I would like to share one with you.

Sergeant Ahmed Altaie was more than a translator. I met him when I was a young sergeant deployed to Iraq with the 363rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment out of St. Louis in late 2005.

Our small Army Reserve unit was attached to the 4th Infantry Division for 12 months and Altaie was one of a handful of translators we relied on to help us get our job done. He was an Iraqi-American, mentor and friend.

He was two weeks away from completing his deployment with 4th Infantry Division when he was kidnapped in Baghdad Oct. 23, 2006.

The news came as a shock to those of us who knew him. He was a calm, quiet, intelligent man who called Ann Arbor, MI, home and was devoted to his wife. He immigrated to the US as a teenager and joined the Army Reserve in 2004.

As a fellow Reserve Soldier, he fit right in with us. He spent six months working in our media operations office at Camp Liberty.

I remember his everlasting patience with younger, inexperienced interpreters who kept coming around for help with Arabic translations. He was in high demand in our office full of journalists and broadcasters. When I needed an interpreter for a story, I always hoped it would be him. More often than not, it wasn't.

What I know of Altaie is not much, what I know of other POWs and those missing in action is even less. But I will spend this day learning of their bravery in the face of adversity.

More than 10,000 American servicemembers have been listed as missing in action since World War I, according to the Fort Benning Sergeants Major Association.

Thousands more have been incarcerated as prisoners of war. Take time today to think about what our prisoners of war and missing in action have gone through and continue to go through.

Today is their day, so make it count.

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YOUR EYES & EARS NEEDED...
In light of the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the public can help the Coast Guard in keeping America’s waterways safe and secure. Remember that all Americans play a vital role in homeland security. If you live, work or play near any US waterway, you can be the extended "eyes and ears" of the Coast Guard by remaining alert and reporting suspicious activity.

As waterway security has increased in recent years, the Coast Guard and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies cannot do the job alone. Your Coast Guard Districts and Sectors requests your help in keeping our waterways safe and secure.

The America's Waterway Watch program asks the public to report unusual surveillance of vessel or waterside facility operations, unattended boats near bridges, unusual diving activities, unauthorized vessels operating in restricted areas, or other suspicious activities.

Call the National Response Center at 1-877-24WATCH, or radio the Coast Guard on VHF marine-band channel 16. As always, dial 9-1-1 from mobile or landline telephones or use VHF marine-band radio channel 16 to report immediate dangers to life or property. For your safety, do not approach or engage anyone acting in a suspicious manner – ALWAYS call for help.

For more information on the America’s Waterways Watch program please visit www.americaswaterwaywatch.org.

 

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WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU! This is YOUR newsletter, folks...

Got an interesting story to share? Had a brush with a historic figure in Army history? Want to tell us about an assignment that beat all others? Do you have photos of what life was like when you served in Army Green?

Why not share it with your buddies through The BAYONET?

Drop us an email any time to armytws.editor@gmail.com. We'll be glad to hear from you!

Until next time...

Jon Yim
Editor

Featured Updates

Search by Proximity
Ever wondered whether there might be any old Coastguard shipmates in your area? Well now you can search by proximity using a zipcode. Just head to the Search Tab and you will find this feature on the Search by Personal Details page:


You will be shown a list of all the members in that area, in the normal way:


Association Calendars
We have added Event Calendars to all the Unit and Association profile pages so that the admins of those pages can add upcoming events relevant to you, the members:


Unit Decorations
We have added medals to all the Unit pages and are counting on the Unit Admins to do the research and determine which unit awards have been earned by the Units under their administration. Currently all the Unit profile pages are showing an empty ribbon area:


We are counting on you all to ensure that these are quickly corrected - if you find a Unit that interests you that is not yet administered let us know and we will promote you to the Unit Admin position!

BREAKING STORY
McHugh assumes duties as 21st Secretary of the Army

Story & photo by Army News Service

WASHINGTON -- John McHugh was sworn in as the 21st Secretary of the Army today following his nomination by President Barack Obama and confirmation by the US Senate.

As Secretary of the Army, McHugh has statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the US Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management.

Army Secretary John McHugh (right) shakes hands with Joyce Morrow, Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, after taking the oath of office during a Pentagon ceremony, Sept. 21.  Anne LeMay (center), Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, held the Bible during the ceremony. McHugh will serve as the 21st Secretary of the Army.

McHugh is now responsible for the Department of the Army's annual budget and supplemental of over $200 billion. He leads a work force of more than 1.1 million active duty, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Soldiers, 221,000 Department of the Army Civilian employees, and 213,000 contracted service personnel. Also, he provides stewardship over 14 million acres of land.

Also sworn in at the Pentagon ceremony was Dr. Joseph Westphal who assumed duties as the 30th Undersecretary of the Army. Westphal has served in distinguished positions within academia, private, and public service, including a brief tour in 2001 as Acting Secretary of the Army. He served as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works from 1998 to 2001.

McHugh has served over 16 years as a member of Congress representing northern and central New York. During his service, he forged strong ties to Fort Drum and earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for Soldiers and their families, working tirelessly to ensure they had proper facilities, training, and the quality of life necessary to carry out wartime missions while caring for those at home.

Over the last eight years, McHugh made 10 official visits to Iraq and four visits to Afghanistan and other deployed locations to visit US forces.

During his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 30, McHugh said that he was excited, humbled, and honored at this new opportunity to serve, but also that he understood the challenges facing the Army.

"They are strained by the frequency of constant deployments and stress by the pressures levied against their families," he said. "Too often - far too often - they return home to only to be disappointed by a network of support systems that, despite high intentions and constant effort, continue to fall short of the level of support they so richly deserve and each and every one of us so deeply desire."

As Secretary, McHugh will draw on his years of previous experience as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) which oversees the policies and programs for the Department of Defense and each of the Armed Forces. Prior to becoming the ranking member of the HASC, Mr. McHugh served as the ranking member of the HASC Military Personnel Subcommittee and previously as its chairman for six years.

In addition, at the time of his nomination, McHugh was co-chair of the House Army Caucus, a bipartisan organization that works to educate fellow House members and their staffs about Army issues and programs, and a 14-year member of the United States Military Academy Board of Visitors.

Secretary McHugh was born in Watertown, New York, where he began his public service career in 1971 as the Confidential Assistant to the City Manager. In 1976, he joined the staff of New York State Senator H. Douglas Barclay, with whom he served as chief of research and liaison with local governments for nine years. Succeeding Senator Barclay in 1984, McHugh served four terms in the legislature's upper house before his election to the US House of Representatives in 1992.

McHugh received a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1970, and earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the State University of New York's Nelson A. Rockefeller Graduate School of Public Affairs in 1977.

In his concluding statement July 30, McHugh stated that he was inspired by the wounded warriors he'd met. "I have been so struck how these heroes, facing pain and loss and uncertainty, ask one question: 'What else can I do to serve?'"

He continued, "We can ask no less of ourselves."

Medal of Honor Recipient Memorialized in Hall of Heroes

Story by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- The father of Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor, remembered his son as a person defined by selflessness.

Monti, then a staff sergeant, was killed June 21, 2006, after making several attempts to rescue a fellow soldier wounded while battling Taliban insurgents in Gowardesh, Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.

“I think Jared received more in his life than anybody I can think of. But he never got anything for himself, because no matter what we sent him, he gave it away,” Paul Monti said, referring to the care packages his son received in Afghanistan, the contents of which he routinely doled out to Afghan kids.

“In the end,” the soldier’s father continued, “he gave his life for someone else.”

Monti risked his life on a rocky ridge in Afghanistan, where his 16-man patrol found itself under attack by 50 Taliban insurgents. He quickly called in artillery support when he noticed that one of his soldiers was wounded and in danger. He twice braved massive enemy rifle and rocket fire in attempts to reach his wounded comrade lying on the ground some 20 yards away.

Forced to turn back both times and taking shelter behind a rock, Monti contemplated his next move. He decided to give it another try, but he was killed in that final attempt.

Those fateful decisions earned him a posthumous promotion to sergeant first class and the Medal of Honor that President Barack Obama presented to the heroic soldier’s family at a White House ceremony this month.

“Faced with overwhelming enemy fire, Jared could have stayed where he was behind that rock,” Obama said during the ceremony. But, he said, “that was not the kind of soldier Jared Monti was.”

Friends, family and fellow soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Drum, NY, were on hand as Defense Department and military leaders once again honored Monti and added his name to the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.

Army Secretary Pete Geren recounted tales about Monti’s childhood in Raynham, MA, where the he is remembered for the selflessness and humility he displayed even as a young man.

“From his earliest days, Jared had a heart for the needy and less fortunate,” Geren said. “At age 17, he learned of a family in Raynham who didn’t have a Christmas tree. So he chopped one of the trees down in his own front yard and gave it to that family.”

Later, as a soldier in Afghanistan, he distributed the gifts he received from back home to the Afghan children he met. This show of generosity earned him popularity among the Afghan youth. “The Afghan kids knew Jared by name,” Geren said. “‘Mr. Monti’ they called him – and they would rush up to him whenever came by.”

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said that in losing Jared, the Monti family had endured a loss few will ever know.

“Sergeant 1st Class Jared C. Monti: we salute him, we honor him, and we will always remember him,” he said.

Monti’s name will appear alongside the 3,447 other troops to receive the Medal of Honor of since Congress established the highest military decoration in 1862.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To view a collection of personal photos of SFC Monti, visit the US Army's Soldiers Media Center Flickr photostream.

New Discounts added this month to our new links section on the TWS Home page highlighting Free and Deeply Discounted services for Soldiers.

The providers listed below have agreed to offer their services for free or at deep discounts to members of Army TWS - please take a look at what they have to offer.

If you or someone you know provide a product or service that you are willing to offer for free or at a deep discount to fellow Soldiers on TWS, please us know so that we can add your link to the TWS home page and possibly feature it in a future newsletter.  Please email the link(s) to  wtprater@togetherweserved.com

These are Free listings and not paid advertisements.

TWS is proud to announce the addition of AFLAC benefit eligibility for TWS Members at a discounted rate not available to the general public. This is the same coverage available from employers nationwide, offered to you by virtue of your TWS Membership!

Do you have a Plan B? No one likes to think about getting seriously ill or injured. That’s why it’s so crucial to have a Plan B. Your Plan B has a name:  AFLAC.

Click the banner above to find out how AFLAC can protect you and your family.

Among others...
If you or someone you know provide a product or service that you are willing to offer for Free or at a deep discount to the Sailors of TWS please let me know so that I can add you link on the TWS Home page and possibly feature it in a future Newsletter.

Task force born on 9/11 still guards New York

Story by SSG Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau

NEW YORK CITY -- Army SSG Michael Wilson stands watch outside Penn Station, part of a New York National Guard task force that has continuously served since the terrorist attacks eight years ago today.

Wilson enlisted in the National Guard because of the attacks that he first learned about as he labored as a 19-year-old landscaper in Albany, NY. Just as the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, triggered the transformation of the National Guard from a strategic reserve to an operational force, so have they prompted Wilson to morph from teenager to soldier.

Now 26, he's been on duty more or less continuously ever since, including a stint in Iraq - a story shared by many of the 280 remaining members of Joint Task Force Empire Shield, which has swelled to as many as 2,500 during surges.

"We are a full-time, state active-duty force of 280, New York City-centric," said Army LTC Greg Dreisbach, commander. "It was formed on 9/11 and has been here since. We have some guys that have been here since almost Day 1."

Members of Empire Shield were among first responders to the attacks. Some lost friends. Some served in Empire Shield, then fell serving overseas.

"What we are doing is very important," Army SPC Armando Chadilliquen said during a recent visit to the World Trade Center site. "It is very important that we are prepared in case anything happens."

The mission of JTF Empire Shield is to provide homeland security and defense support to civilian authorities, as needed, Dreisbach said. The task force works with 53 local, state and federal partners.

Headquartered in Brooklyn at Fort Hamilton - in the shadow of the soaring Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the last bridge across the Hudson before the Atlantic Ocean - the task force has a fully operational staff and command and control structure. It is designed to absorb a surge of troops in the event of a disaster - natural or man-made.

"[On] 9/11, we had a cold start," Dreisbach said. "If anything ever happens again, we have a warm start. We can accept up to a thousand soldiers and be able to support them for the first 72 hours."

In the meantime, members of JTF Empire Shield train. They perform missions, such as patrolling John F. Kennedy International Airport, La Guardia Airport, Penn Station and other mass transit hubs. They join New York State Naval Militia and Coast Guard reserve colleagues on boats bought with homeland security money released after 9/11. They also conduct foot patrols in and around airports and nuclear power facilities.

Sometimes the task force joins multi-agency super surges, pouring assets into transit hubs or certain areas of the city in response to indications of a threat, or for an exercise. Sometimes task force members perform random antiterrorism measures at critical infrastructure, such as the Entergy's Indian Point Energy Center, north of the city.

"There's not any given set time or day," Dreisbach explained during one such recent patrol on the Hudson River. "It's very random. It keeps the enemy off guard. They don't know when you're going to be there, when you're not going to be there. It allows the force to be more flexible."

Each member of the task force still belongs to an Army or Air unit of the New York National Guard and attends weekend drills and annual training to prepare for federal missions. Their state active-duty status is an additional mission.

They've also found time to gather 80 tons of relief supplies for Haiti, palletize it for transport and send it as humanitarian relief to the island nation.

"It's a very diverse mission set," Dreisbach said. "The main thing is that we're trained and are ready to carry out the [adjutant general's] intent, whatever that may be."

Wilson said his infantry service in Iraq is an asset in his task force duties. It gave him teamwork, accountability, situational awareness and knowledge of potential threats.

"Combat experience ... gives us a better opportunity to provide support over here," he said. "It gives us a different point of view. ... Whatever goes on in combat, you can apply right here to this mission."

Dreisbach said every visit to Ground Zero is a reminder of why he and his troops serve today. "This is where it all started," he said. "It never loses its [impact]."

Wilson recalled his reaction. "Initially, it was shock, just like everybody else in America. Who would have even thought that the World Trade Center was going to come crashing down? After the initial shock wore off, a little bit of anger, a little bit of determination to go out there and change circumstances.

"It opened up a whole lot of opportunities that National Guard members didn't have. It's heightened our readiness. It's heightened our effectiveness. We're no longer 'weekend warriors.' ... We're out training. ... We're on overseas deployments."

Army SGT Willis Wynne has a year with the task force and an Iraq deployment. "It's not just overseas where we need to be," he said. "We need to offer a presence back home."

In a city where 9/11 remains fresher and more vivid than in most parts of the country, task force members say they get a lot of gratitude from the public.

"People come up to us and thank us countless times during the day," said Army SGT Jessica Clark.

"When I joined the National Guard, that's what it was for, to help the community," said Army SFC Odessa Covington. "We are doing what a lot of soldiers raised their right hand to do, to help the community."

Air Force SSgt. Marcus Calliste, a first-generation American from Trinidad who has spent six of his last eight years in the National Guard on orders, said, "This is an opportunity to participate in helping out the city, state and country, which I love so much. I have family and friends who live in New York, and the opportunity to be a deterrent is definitely a privilege."

"I was angry, and I wanted to be part of the [solution]," Chadilliquen added.

In his native Peru, before he came to the United States at 26, he said, he helped pick up pieces of people he knew after terrorist bombings there. "I'm in the right place," he said. "I'm doing the right job."

Air and Army National Guard members work alongside members of the volunteer New York Guard, the New York State Naval Militia and the Coast Guard in the task force, in addition to the dozens of agency partners.

"We're here every day," Dreisbach said. "We're working with our agency partners. They know us. We know them. If there ever is an incident in the city, we already have a lot of things worked out."

A huge success...
TWS Persons Locator Service

Last month, we announced and launched the TWS Persons Locator Service and we're happy to report that it's been a resounding success in a very short time! 

There have already been dozens of "buddy finds" over the last few weeks, from all services, so we thought it useful to repeat the announcement this month to ensure maximum exposure.

This service is free for all Full TWS Members.  Regardless if the person you're looking for is registered on TWS or not, odds are we can help you find them!  Our TWS PLS Team is headed by retired USAF SMSgt. Jim Franklin and former USMC Cpl. George Reilly.  TWS' PLS uses only publicly available information sources. 

A special PLS form will be installed on the left hand Home Page shortly; however, you can submit your request to personlocator@togetherweserved.com. Please limit your request to only one submission at a time.

Please supply the following information on the person you are seeking as accurately as you can. Your submission will be acknowledged along with an approximate turnaround time to respond. Your search will be conducted as thoroughly as possible and chances of a successful find depends on the accuracy of information you supply.

REQUIRED INFORMATION:
First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Approximate Year of Birth
City/State Born or Raised
Single or Married
Name of Spouse
Year Last of Contact
Last Known Address
Service Branch
Last Known Rank/Paygrade
MOS/AFSC/NEC/NOC
Home of Record (if known)

And if you've used PLS, please let us know how you liked this service!

Kentucky exempts Soldiers from state income tax

Story by Dave Campbell
Courtesy of The Fort Campbell Courier

FORT CAMPBELL, KY -- Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed the state's military tax exemption bill Sept. 9 in a ceremony at the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters.

The bill will relieve Soldiers of their yearly income tax responsibilities if they are residents of Kentucky.

Kentucky became the 11th state in which Soldiers are not required to pay state income tax, joining Florida, Alaska, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington state.

In effect on Jan. 1, it's estimated the bill will put about $1,000 a year back into the pockets of active-duty Soldiers, including Reserve and National Guard members.

"If this persuades Soldiers to make their homes in Kentucky, rather than some neighboring state, then it's a positive for us," said Nicole Hagan, district manager of the Hopkinsville Service Center.

Beshear recognized that passage of the bill was not only a way of saying thanks, but also an enticing draw for Soldiers to settle their residence in Kentucky.

"In a small but tangible way we're showing our support," Beshear said. "This gesture is a long time coming, but it's here today."

The bill was approved during a special legislative session in June and after a long push from advocates on both sides of the aisle, Beshear said.

Following the ceremony, lawmakers active in the bill's passage gathered with the governor to explain further about the bill, a process said to have begun years ago, being introduced to numerous different legislative sessions.

"The first time I put this measure in the budget, the governor at that time, took it out," Kentucky Senator Elizabeth Tori said.

One estimate on how the bill will affect state funding was a potential loss to state revenue in the amount of $18 million, according to Sen. David Williams, who also helped pass the bill.

The figure was reached as one that would depend on all those eligible taking advantage of the benefits.

The hope prevailed, however that the enticing draw of the exemption would provide more benefits to the state, than loss, as it could enticed more Soldiers to move their residence to Kentucky.

There was much discussion and debate, and even some "speed bumps" throughout the five-year legislative process, Beshear acknowledged.

"Mostly I think the bumps were, can we give up the revenue," he said, adding that regardless of any hit to the budget, this was the right thing to do.

Williams cited a speech by Tori in which she quieted opposition when referencing the distinction of military personnel from other residents.

She called the tax exemption a continual Christmas present to the military, and any price to pay is very small compared to what military residents give.

Army Releases August Suicide Data

Story by Wayne V. Hall
Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs Media Relations

WASHINGTON -- The Army released suicide data for the month of August. Among active-duty Soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides, all of which are pending determination of the manner of death. In July, the Army reported no confirmed suicides and eight potential suicides among active-duty Soldiers. However, since the release of the July report, an additional four potential suicides have been reported, each of which is pending determination of the manner of death. As a result, for the month of July, there were 12 potential suicides. Two of those have been confirmed as suicides and 10 remain under investigation.

There were 110 reported active-duty Army suicides from January 2009 through August 2009. Of those, 71 have been confirmed, and 39 are pending determination of manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 89 suicides among active-duty Soldiers.

During August 2009, among reserve component Soldiers who were not serving on active duty, there were six potential suicides. Among that same group, from January 2009 through August 2009, there were 20 confirmed suicides. Thirty-four potential suicides are currently under investigation to determine the manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 36 suicides among reserve Soldiers who were not serving on active duty.

Suicide Prevention Website National Suicide Prevention Lifeline For Crisis Intervention 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Press "1"

"Effective suicide prevention programs and resources that are accessible to our Soldiers and Families are a crucial part of our effort, and we're making progress in these areas," said Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army Vice Chief of Staff. "We recognize that the crucial link in preventing suicides is caring, concerned, and decisive small-unit leadership. There will never be a substitute for noncommissioned officers who know their Soldiers, know when a Soldier is suffering, and have the moral courage to act and get that Soldier the help that they need."

Since publishing the Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention on April 16, 2009, the Army has implemented numerous improvements to its suicide prevention programs. Among those improvements are Army-wide guidance for delivering health promotion, risk reduction, and suicide prevention programs and services directly to Soldiers and their families at the installation level.

Soldiers and Families in need of crisis assistance should contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCOE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 1-800-342-9647, their Web site address is www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.

The DCOE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at www.dcoe.health.mil.

The Army's most current suicide prevention information is located at www.armyg1.army.mil.

- What was your best duty station or assignment and why?
- What is the recipe for that good chow you know how to make out of an MRE?
- Where's the coldest beer in Korea?
- Do you have any tips about keeping healthy, or things to watch out for if you have a disease?

These are just a few of the topics that are covered by the many Forums on Army TWS. Our forums provide you, the members, a variety of places to discuss with other members the many topics we have in common. Those members still on active duty would probably like to know about good assignments when they make out their "dream sheets" or talk to their Retention NCOs.

Those who have worked as Retention NCOs or served on a selection board might want to provide a few tips for members in preparing to talk about their next assignment.

If you have a disease like diabetes, what tips can you give others about the disease and things to watch out for with diabetes? Encourage a fellow Soldier to keep on top of a health problem so he stays with us for a long time.

These are but a couple of topics that are available for you to offer advice, warn others about, discuss with other Soldiers...or just vent your frustrations.

So pull up a foot-locker and start shooting the breeze, the forums are for YOU!

AAFES takes Army Family Covenant message to the streets

Story by William Bradner
Family MWR Command Public Affairs

SAN ANTONIO -- The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is hitting the road with a message that says the Army cares.

One hundred 18-wheelers will become rolling billboards with the message "Army Family Covenant: Keeping the Promise - Honoring our Commitment to Soldiers and Families" in 4-foot-tall lettering. The graphics will include a photograph of a real Army Family featured in a variety of covenant-related advertisements.

"We wanted some way to reach out to the geographically dispersed," said Robin Hovey-Stapp, the FMWRC marketing representative who spearheaded the project. "We wanted to get our message in front of the parents, grandparents, friends and employees - anyone connected to the Army.

"Our partnership with AAFES presented the perfect opportunity."

The trucks will spend an estimated 115,000 hours crisscrossing America's highways between AAFES distribution sites and Army garrisons. Industry averages indicate an estimated 69 million people will see the trucks during the next two years and be reminded of the Army's commitment to taking care of Soldiers and Families.

They'll also see the Web resource, ArmyOneSource.com, which is prominently displayed on the rear panel of the trucks.

"ArmyOneSource is the single portal for information for anyone connected to the Army - Soldiers, Family members, extended Family, even friends and employers," Hovey-Stapp said. "Getting the word out - that we care, and that there are resources available to everyone - had to extend beyond the fence lines of our installations.

"The grandmother caring for the child of a deployed Soldier or the spouse of a deployed Guard or Reserve Soldier may not live on post. We had to seek ways to ensure they knew ArmyOneSource and the Army Family are there for them if they need assistance."

The Army Family Covenant is the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army's promise to Soldiers and Families to provide a quality of life commensurate to their service and sacrifice. Through the Covenant, senior Army leadership has spent countless resources expanding programs and services that assist or improve the quality of life for Soldiers and Families.

ArmyOneSource.com is an example of the Covenent's purpose. The single Web portal combines Regular Army, Guard, and Reserve resources and information in one location. It also includes information on community, state and federal resources available to Soldiers and Families, and is available on a dot-com site so there's no need for logons or passwords to access official Army networks.

"It's a great resource for anyone connected to the Army," Hovey-Stapp said. "If they have a question about support, services, or even recreational activities, available to them, ArmyOneSource will lead them to the answer."

The goal is to provide uniform services, regardless of whether or not the Soldier or Family lives on an Army installation.

The first completed truck will be displayed Oct. 2-3 at the Army Ten-Miler Expo site in the D.C. National Guard Armory parking lot. The rest of the truck fleet will be on the road by the end of November, and the wraps are expected to be visible for two years.

"AAFES has always been a strong supporter and partner for MWR," Hovey said. "This time, they've truly gone the extra mile to reach out with the message 'the Army cares.'"

VOICES
Your responses in the Army TWS forums

THE SUBJECT: Best...and Worst
SPC Annie Sparks posted:
As an active duty solider, veteran or retiree, what were your best and worst moment(s) in the Army?

YOUR RESPONSES:
The answer to both is working with and mentoring soldiers.  I've met some bad and met many good soldiers.  I highly recommend the experience of mentoring to you all.  Soldiers are the finest people I've ever met.  Retired: I really miss that part of my prior service.
MSG Donald Patrick (AG)

Working with my platoon after being appointed as Platoon Sergeant in A/2/17th Cav.

Being promoted to SFC at top of Board List (5/1967).

The BEST - Marrying my wonderful wife on June 5, 1967. We met while I was on R&R in The Philippines, at her girlfriend's birthday party in my hotel. Went back for the wedding in Naic, Cavite.

Close to Best - Meeting my wife and first daughter in Hawaii during my third tour.

Among the worst...Thanksgiving Day, 1966, ate some turkey and stuffing with a young (18) PFC Paratrooper who came up to me to welcome me to the Troop; said he had been wanting to talk with me since I arrived in September. Thanksgiving Night, 1966. 2d Plt patrol was ambushed while still enroute to patrol drop off point. My new young friend was the only casualty. KIA from grenade frag behind his ear.

Also among the worst...We had been out in the bush for 21 days and were really dragging when, after a long forced march we (my 1st Plt) made it to the bottom of a big hill that was our rendezvous with the 2d Plt where we were all to be picked up by CH-47. One young (18) 2d Plt scout ran with several others down the hill to give us a hand up because the bird was in the air. This fine young man took my heavy ruck, while I leisurely walked up the hill unencumbered. Less than a month later,this same great kid was decapitated by the backblast of a 106mm RR. The gun Jeep was in the process of attacking a road ambush.
SFC John Quirk (AG)

Best - Graduating from Infantry OCS and taking my first infantry platoon - and then later on being a soldiers Chaplain.

Worst - having to serve under non-military Presidents.
LTC Kenneth Spielvogel (CH)

The best?  Taking command of A Co 1st Bn, 12th Infantry. One great day for me.

The worst?  Finding my wife dead in our daughter's room as I was on my way to PT. It made for some hard years. I met her in 2nd grade. But, as you say Annie, drive on...drive on.
LTC Guy Edmonson (IN)

Best for me would have been the party on the beach in Panama when I was with C 2/47 Inf., Fort Lewis, WA.

The mess staff (God bless them) scrimped and saved for several months to throw this party at the conclusion of the activities at JOTC.

Two 3/4 ton Dodge trucks were filled with ice, sodas and beer. The mess hall set a field trailer on the beach and individually cooked steaks, lobster, ham, chicken. The only stipulation was to eat what you took.

The worst was in Germany, watching a patch of snow in the Fulda Gap for a week or so. At one three-day stretch, I didn't feel my feet at all. Not only was I in all my cold weather gear, but, had my legs inside my sleeping bag. Mickey Mouse boots and all.
SP4 Joseph Jackson (IN)

COMMENTARY: Free health care available to those willing to sacrifice

By Christie Vanover
US Army Garrison Benelux

CASERNE DAUMERIE, BELGIUM -- Joining the military has its perks, but the value of those benefits is at risk.

Serving in a military job is unlike any other. Day-to-day, employees are asked to put the welfare of the nation before their own to defend and uphold the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.

The Commander-in-Chief recognized the importance of that duty during an Aug. 17 speech to the Veteran's of Foreign Wars "...let us never forget we are a country of more than 300 million Americans. Less than one percent wears the uniform. And that one percent - our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen - have borne the overwhelming burden of our security. In fact, perhaps never in American history have so few protected so many."

In addition to providing security and fighting the nation's wars, the President compared servicemembers to mayors who run local governments, aid workers who build new schools and diplomats who negotiate agreements with tribal sheikhs and local leaders.

As they secure the nation and continuously learn and adapt to new missions, one would assume that their paychecks would reflect their "overwhelming burden" and extensive resumes, but servicemembers don't even come close to bringing home the nation's highest salaries.

A new private earns less than $1,400 a month in basic pay. That's only $350 per week or $8.75 an hour before taxes. In comparison, a college graduate, who enters as a commissioned officer, earns $2,600 per month, which equates to $650 per week or $16.25 per hour before taxes.

According to a June 2007 report out of the Congressional Budget Office, what attracts and retains military personnel is a competitive compensation package "one that adequately rewards servicemembers for the rigors of military life."

That package includes benefits like housing and food allowances, tax advantages, special pay for working in extreme conditions or specialized fields and comprehensive health care.

With those benefits, a single E-1's cash compensation jumps to $29,700 per year and their non-cash compensation is equivalent to $25,300, according to the CBO data compiled in 2006. For married servicemembers in the ranks of E-1 to E-6, the value of their non-cash compensation is actually greater than their cash benefits.

As Americans and their elected officials heatedly debate how to implement universal health care, the value of that compensation for the U.S. military is left out of the equation.

The 1,018-page nation-wide health care bill proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives is designed to "provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans."

However, according to pages 73-77 of the bill, servicemembers and their dependents won't be eligible to obtain coverage through the Health Insurance Exchange because they already have "acceptable coverage."

That "acceptable coverage" is hard-earned, and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Servicemembers have to look into their children's eyes and explain why they won't be home for six months. They have to tell their spouses who just got settled into new jobs and new neighborhoods that it's time to pack up and move again. They have to look into the scratched-up locker-size mirrors hanging from their cots in the desert and tell themselves they're going to make it through another battle.

What will non-military recipients of the new health plan sacrifice to earn their care?

Under general military law for personnel regarding medical and dental care, U.S. Code 10, Section 1071, Chapter 55 states that its purpose is "to create and maintain high morale in the uniformed services by providing an improved and uniform program of medical and dental care for members and certain former members of those services and for their dependents."

Extending medical care to all Americans could similarly create and maintain high morale to the entire nation. While that might be beneficial on the surface, the benefits to the military need to be considered and compensated should that happen.

Virtually every healthy American between the ages of 17 and 42 who meets basic requirements is eligible to receive free medical and dental care for themselves and their families, so long as they enlist in the U.S. military. And they can continue to receive similar health care upon retirement.

For those who don't qualify to serve, those Americans who brave their own personal battlefields as they combat diseases like cancer, an alternate solution is rational, but by offering health care at little or no cost to Americans qualified to serve their country, what is the message to the men and women in uniform?

If their benefit is shared to the entire nation, shouldn't their "overwhelming burden" of securing the nation also be shared?

Fortunately, the men and women of America's military don't serve just for the perks. They are "Army Strong," "Above All" and among "The Few, The Proud." They protect the nation because of their inner commitment to duty, purpose and honor.

But, sharing their benefits is essentially like sharing their salaries. They are already willing to share their lives. Is it right to ask them to sacrifice even more?

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OFF DUTY:
Tattoos and the Army: a long and colorful tradition

Story & photos by SSG Stephanie van Geete

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ -- Tattoos and the military have a long and colorful history. Modern pop culture credits the Navy with introducing the art of tattooing to the United States in the early 1900s, when Sailors returning from distant lands displayed their skin-art souvenirs.

Although the times have changed, the military's love affair with tattoos has not. Today, it seems, you couldn't throw a rock into an Army formation without hitting a Soldier with at least one tattoo.

"I would say, across combat arms especially, probably a good 90% of everyone has a tattoo," said SSG James Campbell, a tattooed infantryman and platoon sergeant with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.

While styles and themes vary greatly depending on the tastes of each individual, there are definite trends among Army tattoo enthusiasts, with a large number of tattooed Soldiers sporting Americana- and military-themed ink. That might not seem surprising until you consider that very few civilians walk around with their company's corporate logo permanently etched on their skin.

First Sergeant Aki Paylor, Echo Company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th CAB senior enlisted advisor, believes that for many Soldiers, tattoos are a way to express themselves as individuals - especially when their day-to-day lives revolve around conforming to Army standards. But when military service has shaped a large portion of your life, it is only natural that who you are and the experiences you have had would be best represented by military images.

1SG Aki Paylor, Echo Company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, had the Warrior Ethos tattooed on his arm while on leave from his current deployment to Iraq. "The Army is not just a job; it's a way of life," Paylor explained. "For me, the Warrior Ethos - that's who I am."

"Every tattoo I have on my body says something about who I am, where I'm from, or the things I've been through," explained Paylor, who got the Warrior Ethos tattooed on his left forearm while home on leave in April. "I've got 16 years in the service. After this deployment, I'll have 37 months in combat. The Army is not just a job; it's a way of life. For me, the Warrior Ethos - that's who I am."

Paylor's tattoo could be classified as "pride in service," one of four themes commonly spotted among tattooed troops. In addition to the eagle and US flag tattoos falling under the "patriotic" category, many Soldiers use permanent ink to showcase their pride in a specific unit or occupational specialty.

For SSG Spencer Bowers, force protection noncommissioned officer in charge for the 10th CAB's 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, the 10th Mountain Division is "home."
"I've been with the 10th Mountain Division for over 10 years - the longest I've been with any unit," Bowers explained.

After deploying for the first time to Afghanistan with the Division's aviation brigade in 2006-2007, Bowers had the 10th Mountain patch tattooed on his right shoulder, where Soldiers wear the combat patch on their uniforms.

SSG Spencer Bowers, force protection NCOIC, proudly shows off his 10th Mountain Division patch tattoo -- inked on his arm after completing his first deployment with the unit.

"Throughout my service, I always said whoever I deployed with first, I was going to tattoo that unit's patch on my body, kind of as a symbol of unity and allegiance to that unit. And I did it," Bowers said. "You always dance with the one that brought you, and the one that brought me is the mighty 10th Mountain."

SSG Freddy Soza, a combat engineer with Fox Company 2-10, finds his pride in being a Sapper - so much pride, in fact, that he recently got an engineer castle tattooed on his chest over his heart.

"It's something to signify my service and being a combat engineer," Soza explained. "I've always wanted to get it done. The camaraderie we have as engineers, the way we work...it's a source of pride."

Campbell sees this type of tattoo a lot, especially among Soldiers in combat arms.

"Your military tattoos on guys who are in combat arms [military occupational specialties] really have to do with pride," Campbell agreed. "Most people don't fall into that MOS when it's combat arms; usually it's something they've wanted to do for a long time. When you finally get to your first unit after going through the rigorous training, you have a sense of pride. These tattoos are like a badge of honor."

The last category of military tattoo is regrettably becoming the most popular. Since the start of military action in Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 attacks, more and more service members are getting memorial tattoos. For the many Soldiers today who have lost their friends and comrades, these pieces serve as a silent tribute when words are not enough.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my best friend," Campbell said, referring to SGT Mike O'Neal, killed in action while fighting in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. Campbell has a four-leaf clover and the initials "M.O." tattooed on his left forearm, surrounded by the words "Gone but Not Forgotten."

"It takes a lot to get somebody's name or initials tattooed; that's forever, it's not going anywhere. But that's exactly why it's there - because I want to remember him, forever," Campbell explained.

SGT Hugh Fry, an infantryman in Campbell's platoon, is working on a memorial half-sleeve covering his left forearm.

"I have a tattered American flag, with the names of most of the guys we lost out there; a field cross for one of my best friends that died; and a purple heart," Fry explained. "The field cross, I wanted it to be kind of geared toward my best friend - I wanted a piece just for him. The flag was because that's what they give to the families; I didn't get to be there for the funerals, so that was my version."

Fry plans on finishing the piece with the phrase "OEF 07-08," mountains in the background to signify the terrain of Afghanistan, and his unit crest.

"It's something to remind me where I've been, and who's been there with me," summed up Fry, who is planning on ending his term of service when he redeploys this year.

While Soldiers like Campbell and Fry got their tributes tattooed where people can see them, and welcome questions from strangers - "I don't mind if people ask - they made the ultimate sacrifice, and they should be remembered for that," Fry said - some troops keep their tattoos as a private reminder, like the piece on SPC Steven Baker's back.

"I have three Soldier's crosses on my back with the names of three Soldiers I lost on my last deployment," Baker, a Fox Company infantryman, explained. "I wanted to get something done, but I didn't want it to be blatantly out in the open for everyone else to see. But every time I want to reflect and think back on them, I can look in the mirror and remember."

Tattoos can also be a sign of closure for some troops - it may help Soldiers move on with their lives knowing that their buddies will never be forgotten.

"It's permanent...it's not going away," Baker said of his piece, which he got "pretty soon after I came to terms with what had happened."

SGT Hugh Fry shows off his memorial sleeve tattoo, which he plans to finish with the phrase "OEF 07-08," mountains to signify the Afghan terrain, and his unit crest. Fry calls the piece "something to remind me where I've been, and who's been there with me."

Remembrance is the theme common to most Soldiers' service-related tattoos. Whether they are getting tattoos to remember the good times or the bad, friends made or lost, inked Soldiers carry with them a permanent reminder of specific, often life-changing events in their lives.

"To me, it's something to look back on," said SGT Jeremy Leak, a force protection sergeant with 3-10 GSAB who has the words "to remember" tattooed in Arabic on his ankle as a tribute to two friends killed in Iraq. Leak said he plans to get another tattoo when he gets back to the U.S. to commemorate this deployment.

"As you get older, you might forget the small things," he explained. "If you have a tattoo of that time in your life, when you're 60 and you look at that tattoo...it's kind of like a time capsule that you put on yourself."

 

- Mark Baker

Sincerely,
The ATWS Administration Team
http://army.togetherweserved.com