Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Military partners with communities to extend services

As a result of multiple deployments over nearly nine years of war in two theaters, many families of service members are choosing to remain in their established neighborhoods or return to a relative's hometown when their Soldier deploys.

In many cases, this means resources commonly found on military installations aren't available to them for the duration of the deployment.

The Army has hired 61 community support coordinators located across the U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and Japan to help connect these geographically dispersed military personnel with community service systems.

More: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/29/32369-military-partners-with-communities-to-extend-services/

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Leadership from U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in the Republic of Korea resigned the Army Family Covenant on Dec. 18

The covenant serves as a promise to Soldiers and their Families that the Army will be there to support them, said Installation Management Command officials, especially during this time of increased deployments and challenges. More: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/28/32334-yongsan-leadership-re-signs-covenant/

Monday, December 28, 2009

Military Families Weather Holidays, Deployments

Brandy Flotten is tackling her first holiday season without her deployed husband, but she’s still determined to keep the holiday spirit alive for her two sons... http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57236

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

From Defender 6: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Sarah and I extend our warmest greetings to each one of you and your families. This season of celebrations is a time of eager anticipation, joyful get-togethers, and being with loved ones. It is a holy period for many. The start of the New Year is a time of reflection, revelry and renewal. May your holidays be filled with the cheer, spirit of giving and hope that should be part of this season. Please know that each one of you is important -- to your Family, to the Army, to IMCOM /ACSIM and me.

Remember our Soldiers and civilians who will not be with their loved ones.
Remember those who valiantly defend our nation against threats and go into harm's way to protect our freedoms. Consider participating in programs established to honor our Soldiers and Families, giving to a local charity, or simply offering a prayer of thanks. Reach out to those who may be experiencing pain during the holidays.

Make safety a part of all you do. Be cautious when driving in ice and snow.
Be mindful of the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide. Be extra careful when consuming alcohol, driving after partying, driving without adequate rest, and using lighted candles for decoration.

Give the gift of life by following and sharing the safety information in our IMCOM Fall/Winter Safety Brochure available at http://www.imcom.army.mil/hq/officecom/staff/safety/ to plan and enjoy your seasonal celebrations safely.

The Travel Risk Planning System (TRiPs) at http://combatingaggressivedriving.com/trip%20planning.html helps identify travel risks and reduce the chance of an accident.

On behalf of Sarah and I, CSM Ciotola and his wife Beth, and the entire command leadership team, I wish you a safe, enjoyable holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Thanks for all you do. We are making history together.

Support and Defend!

Defender 6

Friday, December 18, 2009

Delivering on the Army Family Covenant

Delivering on the Army Family Covenant: Officials Seek Feedback on Family Programs
The Army Family Covenant pledges IMCOM’s commitment to support Soldiers and their Families and resource programs to provide them a quality of life commensurate with their services. With the hope of gaining more insight into the effectiveness of Military Family Programs, defense officials have launched virtual “listening sessions.” The anonymous, online survey solicits feedback from Soldiers and their Families on the military’s educational programs, support networks and other services.

Service members and their families are invited to participate in the survey at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1253631402808.

For more information: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57138

Check Your FMWRC Facility Hours on Dec. 24

Since the President's announcement grants federal employees a half-day holiday the afternoon of Dec. 24, please check with your local FMWRC facility to confirm the time of closing.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

IMCOM Holiday Devotional

The importance of faith and relationships during the holidays was the message of the IMCOM chaplains team Tuesday morning, when they led a group of Headquarters staff in a brief devotional gathering.

IMCOM Chaplain Col. David Smartt called the staff together for a prayer led by Chaplain Lt. Col. Gregory Tyree and a reading of the Christmas story by Chaplain COL Douglas Castle.

“Christmas is the anchor of the holiday season that begins with Thanksgiving,” said Deputy Chaplain Lt. Col. Brent Nelson in a brief message to the staff. “There are many important religious holidays this time of year – one, for example, is Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, which began at sundown on December 11. The themes of these holidays are the same: peace, joy and love. But peace doesn’t come out of thin air – it comes out of faith.”

Chaplain Nelson noted that the holiday is a time to nurture both work and personal relationships. “Relationships are what make organizations like IMCOM work, and the important events of our lives are experienced in relationships with others,’ he said.

Chief of Staff Col. Rick Newton spoke to the staff about their value and the need for support in the often difficult environment in which IMCOM works to support Soldiers and Families. “We’re all here for a purpose. We do our work with lots of stress around us and with the hard work of a major transition ongoing,” he observed. “You should know that the Command Team is here for you – over the holidays, and any time – when you need us.”

Following the singing of several traditional carols, Chaplain Smartt closed the devotional by presenting staff members with a small gift – a ceramic angel tree ornament – as he said, “just to let everyone know that they have someone watching over them.”

Monday, December 14, 2009

Benelux Garrison Signs Army Community Covenant

Three signatures formalized decades of friendship between the U.S. military, local residents and a Belgian army unit Dec. 12, a unique twist to traditional stateside U.S. Army Community Covenants.U.S. Army Garrison Benelux commander James Drago, Bastogne Mayor Philippe Collard and Belgian army 1st Field Artillery Regiment Commander Lt. Col. Henri Badot-Bertrand pledged closer cooperation and cultural exchange among their organizations through a partnership charter.

"Through the many years, USAG Benelux and its preceding units have participated in many ceremonies with Bastogne representatives, veterans and Soldiers of the 1st Field Artillery regiment," said Drago during the ceremony. "Our partnership is a natural continuation of this deep, imbibing friendship. I am honored to stand before you today with my signature as one of three on this formal partnership proclamation.

"The Community Covenant is an Army program designed to enhance ties between U.S. service members and communities across America. USAG Benelux officials applied that principle within their European footprint, highlighting a historic bond between the town of Bastogne and U.S. troops dating back to World War II's Battle of the Bulge.

"Dear American friends, on behalf of the city of Bastogne, I thank you for being here today to show our common attachment through the values of peace and democracy," said Collard, amid the festivities of the town's commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

"(On this day) I hope that you have the message of my predecessors for 65 years while translating the gratitude of our cooperation toward these young American Soldiers who lost their lives on our ground, so that we could enjoy freedom today."

Evidence of the three-way partnership has been seen for many years, Drago said. The USAG Benelux color guard has carried the national colors of Belgium and America during official ceremonies, he explained, while the Bastogne-based 1st Field Artillery Regiment has paraded individual flags of U.S. states. "Our friendship extends further still," he said. "Now a Soldier from the Belgian unit marches alongside the U.S. Soldiers, forming one team - one USAG Benelux color guard.

Recent partnership events between the two units have included marching side-by-side during military training, competing in M-16 firing drills and participating in a celebration of the artillerymen's patron saint.Throughout Bastogne, tributes to American troops are displayed prominently, including monuments to two U.S. generals who have become folk heroes in the region - George Patton and Anthony McAuliffe. The town fosters a carnival-like atmosphere each December on the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, with an outpouring of gratitude for U.S. service members.

"This charter is an opportunity to maintain very good contact with the people of America and with our liberators," said Philippe Collignon, a school teacher and alderman in Bastogne. "To us, the men and women of the USAG Benelux are the representatives of their people and a conduit to the folks in America. Their presence at every one of our events shows us that they too appreciate us."

Collignon supervises Bastogne's youth, sports, morale and cultural events. His duties include the planning and supervision of every official commemoration. "Bastogne takes the duty of memory very seriously," he said. "We are grateful to the people of America and do not want to miss one single opportunity to remind all generations of the sacrifices the American nation made to free us from the oppressors.

"We will not allow anyone to forget," he said emphatically.

More: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/14/31757-benelux-garrison-signs-army-community-covenant/

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Bamberg schools address deployment impact

Ensuring excellence in child, youth and school services is a hallmark of the Army Family Covenant. As a result of deployment’s impact on youth, Bamberg Elementary and Middle/High School faculties have initiated a number of programs to support students dealing with the multiple stages of a parent's deployment. These programs are available for students through all phases of the deployment process, including re-integration. More: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/04/31310-bamberg-schools-address-deployment-impact/

IMCOM HQ Celebrates the Holiday Season

IMCOM HQ's annual holiday luncheon December 9 was marked by a special emphasis on the importance of the Command's work to families -- large and small. In remarks to the HQ staff, Commander Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch applauded the Command's support for Soldiers and Families and recognized the hard work of uniformed and civilian personnel. "You can read history or make it," Lynch said, "and what you do is as important as what our Soldiers are doing walking the streets of Baghdad or the fields of Afghanistan. You provide our Soldiers and Families a quality of life equal to their service."

Lynch said that the holiday season is a time of renewal for the IMCOM team, which must carry out its mission "surrounded by tragedy" during a time of war and in the face of personal losses. "You've got to keep focused on family," he explained, "not just the Army Family, but your own families. The holidays are a time to focus on reconnecting with the families and friends we love and to tell them how much we appreciate them. In the end, we are known by how we focus on our families."

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

IMCOM Videos Released on Energy and the Environment

Assured access to reliable, affordable and stable energy supplies remains a significant challenge for the Army. The videos show what the Army is doing to:

– Reduce energy consumption
– Increase efficiency across platforms and facilities
– Increase use of renewable energy– Assure access to sufficient energy supply
– Reduce adverse impacts on the environment

Check out the IMCOM videos:

Saving Energy on Fort Knox http://www.army.mil/media/amp/?bcpid=6981683001&bctid=51607980001

Fort Knox Energy Plan http://www.army.mil/media/amp/?bcpid=6981683001&bctid=47542217001

Strickland retires after 36 years

By Alex McVeigh Pentagram Staff Writer


After a 36-year career that featured many firsts, Command Sgt. Maj. Debra L. Strickland retired Wednesday at a ceremony in the Pentagon. She served as the command sergeant major of the Installation Management Agency in 2002, and the first command sergeant major of Installation Management Command when it was formed in 2006.

She became garrison command sergeant major of Fort Belvoir in October 1997, a position which she held until July 2002. It was while she was stationed at Fort Belvoir that her husband, Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland, was killed in the Pentagon on 9⁄11.

Lt. Gen. Robert Wilson, who served as her commander at IMCOM, spoke to the audience of more than 50 people who came to bid Strickland farewell.

‘‘She was all about taking care of Soldiers, civilians and Families. She was also key in planning for IMCOM’s future, ensuring that we had the right vision and the right strategy to support a changing Army, an Army at war,” Wilson said. ‘‘She was my chief advocate and strongest supporter for quality of life issues.”

Wilson also praised Strickland’s efforts in the development of programs such as the First Sergeant’s Barracks Initiative.

After he finished his remarks, Wilson presented Strickland with the Distinguished Service Medal, and read letters of congratulations from President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli and Director of the Defense Commissary Agency Philip E. Sakowitz Jr.

She was also given a folded American flag that had flown over Fort Belvoir, the Florida state capitol and the Pentagon.

When Strickland took the stage, most of her words were words of thanks. She thanked her various commanders and inspirations throughout the years, including those who helped her get through the death of her husband.

‘‘My Family was incredibly impressed by the care that Fort Belvoir provided,” she said. ‘‘We are a Family inside the military, and ... all the civilians, all the contractors and certainly all the military that were on Fort Belvoir became especially important to me.”

Strickland expressed great pride in her career as a Soldier, and said she looked forward to the future, even though it may be uncertain.

‘‘It’s been a great ride in this Army,” Strickland said. ‘‘I’m not certain what the future holds, but I’m going to count on the fact that there has to be somebody out there that can show me the ropes of becoming a civilian, and maybe finding some joy in the next stage of my life.”

Strickland’s legacy was summed up appropriately by Wilson in his concluding remarks.

‘‘She delivered the right leadership at the right time and the right place. She is totally selfless and devoted to the Army and to her Soldiers,” Wilson said. ‘‘The Army is losing a great command sergeant major with your retirement, one who is loved and one that is respected. On behalf of the United States Army, a grateful nation and the many Soldiers, civilians and Families around the world thank you.”

Friday, December 4, 2009

Resourcing the Army’s Home: Installation funding levels on the decline

Dec. 1, 2009

By Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch
Command, Installation Management Command

In recent years, the Army and its Installations have enjoyed unprecedented levels of funding. In fiscal year 2008, the Army hit a high water mark in its fiscal history with a total annual budget exceeding $250 billion - three times more than FY2001 funding level.

Much of this growth is attributed to funding the war, rebalancing our Army through investments in Army's force structure, equipment, infrastructure, and key Soldier and Family programs.

Funding levels of this magnitude are unsustainable year after the year and as the country faces some stiff economic challenges, we are forced to reduce funding and exact a greater level of stewardship over our resources.

The Installation Management Command - like other commands throughout our Army - will operate at reduced funding levels. This means that starting in 2010, performance levels for some installation services will be notably less than what we have had in recent years and will remain at that level for the foreseeable future.

Our challenge is to ensure those key, higher priority programs across our installations do not suffer. We will maintain our full support to Life, Health and Safety programs, the Army Family Covenant and those services that prepare our Soldier and their Families for deployment in support of the Army's Force Generation model.

These are non-negotiables that will remain fully funded. This is our commitment; we will not depart from it. However, there will be other installation services that will clearly be reduced.

We have grown accustomed to some very high levels of service across the board in recent years and we all need to be forthcoming with the expectation that things will be different in some areas. Help manage this expectation across your garrisons. Educate everyone as to which changes they can expect to see. A simple explanation can go a long way to helping understand the changes some of our installation services will undergo.

Across the Army's installations, we can do much to help ourselves by becoming better stewards of our resources. It starts with the individual; everybody has a role. Simple things like turning the lights off, powering down your computer at night, driving tactical vehicles instead of TMP vehicles or conducting a VTC instead of traveling to a distant site unnecessarily all save money - and no savings is too small to forego.

Commanders and leaders across the installation have a key role and are responsible for the efficient use of our resources. Costs should be an inherent consideration in your every decision. We too often marginalize this key factor in making good, resource-informed decisions but we can no longer afford to do so.

As I travel throughout the Army community, I carry the message that we can do business smarter and more efficiently without sacrificing the quality of service that our Soldiers and their Families so richly deserve.

I challenge everyone to do the same; to work together to ensure that those key installation programs that mean so much are well resourced and operated; that we do away with wasteful and unnecessary spending.

Every person - whether you are a Soldier, Family member, one of our great DA Civilians or a contractor serving our Army - is needed and can make a difference.

Ask yourself if you are doing the right things and then, are you doing them right. Doing things right means doing them in the most cost efficient way without sacrificing effectiveness.

Army Strong

Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch
Defender 6