Articles

Geronimo first sergeant leads Soldiers into Year of the NCO

Volunteering can be key to gaining new prospective

Fort Wainwright housing gets new service provider

Stryker Soldiers contribute to Sons of Iraq transition

News Briefs

1-25th SBCT patrol helps secure Iraq for first election

Wainwright exercise to test responders

Alaska elementary school students must receive varicella vaccination

Small tips can lead to big changes

Good operations security protects home, family and Army

Automotive Skills Center, more than a repair shop

Handful of food specialists keep Soldiers mission ready

Don't be a statistic: Get your women's wellness checkup today

Wear red Feb. 6 to promote awareness of heart disease

Ask the MEDDAC Commander

FMWR Events

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Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory are closely monitoring Redoubt volcano after a significant increase in seismic activity shook the mountain beginning Sunday.

The AVO has increased the volcano's Aviation Color Code from "yellow" to "orange" and the Volcano Alert Level from "advisory" to "watch," and warns an eruption could occur within hours or days if such activity continues.

The Aviation Color Codes range from Green to Red, with Orange being the second highest level of concern. The Volcano Alert Levels are Normal, Advisory, Watch and Warning.    Full Story

First Sgt. Dylan Youngblood has seen and experienced a lot during his 19 years of service, and while many would be looking toward retirement at this point in their career, this noncommissioned officer seems to be just getting started.

As the first sergeant of Fort Richardson's A Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Youngblood guides Soldiers through aspects of their careers and lives, setting the standard as the first month of the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer comes to a close.    Full Story

Volunteering…what's in it for you?

Volunteering can be the best way to make time go by fast, especially when a loved one is deployed, said Mike Spann, the Fort Richardson Employment Readiness Program manager and the U.S. Army Volunteer Corps coordinator.

In the next few months, more than 3,500 Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, will be heading to Afghanistan. That translates into a lot of spouses who will be wondering how to fill their days once their loved ones are thousands of miles away.

So why not give the installation Volunteer Corps coordinator a call?       Full Story

North Haven Communities begins taking service and maintenance calls for Fort Wainwright housing Sunday.

"We were supposed to have what is called an operational close and transition to the partner on Feb 1. However, that has been postponed until April 1," said Cyndi Larson, with the Residential Community Initiative and the forts Wainwright and Greely Housing Division chief.  "Our maintenance contract expires as of Jan. 31, and we had to do an interim agreement to continue supporting the maintenance needs of our residents." 

Larson said North Haven Communities was the logical choice, as the post was soon to close the deal with them.      Full Story

DIYALA, Iraq – Several hundred Sons of Iraq were paid by coalition forces for the last time Jan. 7 at Combat Outpost Tahrir and several other pay sites throughout Iraq.

The payments ended months of discussion and negotiations and completed the official transfer of the Sons of Iraq, who will now be led and paid by Iraqi forces.

Before the official signing of the documents Jan. 4, the SOI were being paid by coalition forces.      Full Story

• Deployment ceremony scheduled for February 3rd

• Fort Wainwright residents must bag garbage, feces

• Army Safety Center seeks Soldier success stories

• Jury duty scam targets personal information

  Full Story

DIYALA, Iraq – Security was imperative to ensure Iraq remained a safe environment during the weeks leading up to the country's election day.

To enforce security measures, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, carried out a security patrol in Tahrir, Iraq, Jan. 7 to secure possible election sites.

"We're out here assessing the security," said Sgt. 1st Class John Knott, a squad leader with C/1-5th. "We're working with the Tahrir (Iraqi Police) to make sure they have all the necessary security measures put in place and making sure they have a grasp or thorough understanding of what they need to do on the election day.  Full Story

What would you do if you learned the air you were breathing or the water you were drinking was contaminated with a potentially deadly substance?  Fort Wainwright emergency first responders will be asking themselves this exact question during an week-long exercise beginning Monday.

Although it seems highly unlikely terrorists would gain entry to the installation and release a toxic substance, the threat is one Fort Wainwright will be prepared to deal with.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Defense has constantly refined and upgraded how it responds to such scenarios through the Guardian Program.    Full Story

The state of Alaska is requiring all children through sixth grade to have the varicella vaccination by July 1.

ASD students must present their updated immunization record during school registration in order to enroll in summer school or for the 2009-10 school year. 

Varicella is commonly referred to as chickenpox, a childhood disease that is usually mild but can lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage and death. The varicella virus can be spread through the air or direct contact with chickenpox blisters.

Students in kindergarten to six grade are required to have two doses of the varicella vaccination.    Full Story

Over the last three weeks, I've shared some of the basics I've incorporated into my lifestyle to help me lose weight, which has resulted in a loss of more than 90 pounds since February 2008.

However, as helpful as counting calories and grams of fat and setting aside time to exercise is, there are several other suggestions I have for those of you who are trying to win the battle of the bulge.

My first recommendation is to put away the scale. I know it's tempting to hop on the scale three or four (hundred) times a day, but I found the best thing I could do was put my scale away in the bathroom cupboard.  Full Story

What could seem like a harmless conversation between friends or communications over the Internet have the potential to put Soldiers in harm's way when operations security is compromised.

"Practicing good military operational security is similar to how we protect information that can be used against us in our personal lives," said Daniel Gilson, Fort Wainwright Garrison Force Protection officer.

"Our biggest threat right now comes from the Internet and cell phones," said Ron Zivanovic, Fort Wainwright Operations Security officer.

"We need to remind ourselves that we are still at war and be careful what is said in public over cell phones, along with what we put in blogs, personal and dating Web sites and e-mails," Zivanovic said. "We don't want to provide critical information that could be used to hurt us."    Full Story

Unlike commercial automotive repair shops, Fort Wainwright's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Automotive Skills Center educates Soldiers, family members, retirees and Department of Defense civilians on how to accomplish their own car repairs, services and modifications.

"Our primary goal is to help and to teach Soldiers to work on their own vehicles," said Allen Cecil, ASC manager.

Cecil explained the center's indoor garage houses eight bays with hydraulic lifts and pneumatic extensions for air-operated tools, providing patrons many of the same resources afforded to professional mechanics.   Full Story

DIYALA, Iraq – There are many career opportunities within the military. No matter the branch of service, every job and each person working in that position is as important as the next.

In the field environment, feeding troops is vital to keep them mission ready. At Combat Outpost Tahrir, four Soldiers manage to whip up three hot meals a day with about eight large cooking pots, two stoves and an oven.

Some might think it would be hard to manage in battlefield conditions, but the food service specialists at Tahrir seem to manage just fine.

"We serve any and everything," said Sgt. Choice Cobb, a food service specialist with 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. "Like for dinner, we serve steak, meatballs, fried chicken, corn on the cob and potatoes. For breakfast, we have egg wraps, sausage, grits, pancakes and a variety of sorts. We do take requests, though. Like for Christmas and Thanksgiving, we had requests for ham and turkey."     Full Story

Cervical cancer, which kills 250,000 women a year worldwide, has long been a subject of urgent research. It is associated with the human papillomavirus, which is the most common sexually transmitted infection.

There are an estimated 6 million new HPV infections in the United States each year, and about 3,700 women still die from cervical cancer annually despite screenings like Pap tests, which have greatly lowered mortality rates.

HPV also causes precancerous conditions. One study put the annual cost of cervical HPV-related disease at $2.25 to $4.6 billion. Most people who are infected have no symptoms and can transmit it unknowingly.

Cervical cancer was once the No. 1 cause of death from cancer in women. Thanks to the introduction of the Pap test, the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer has been declining since the 1950s.  Full Story

National Wear Red for Women Heart Health Day is Feb. 6 and is a day to wear red to recognize heart disease and its effects on women.

Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States, and nearly one out of every four women will die from it each year. While both men and women may suffer from a heart attack caused by heart disease, women are less likely to survive than men and are more likely to have a second heart attack.  Full Story

A power of attorney is a document in which one person designates another to act as his agent. It can be very useful, but, if misused, it can also be damaging to the person granting the power. The grantor becomes irrevocably bound by the actions of his agent who uses a valid POA.

A general power of attorney allows the agent to do almost anything in the name of the person giving the permission. A special power of attorney limits the scope of the designated individual to act on the grantor's behalf.  Full Story

MWR Events | Fort Wainwright Compass| Fort Richardson Compass

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Participants in the Outdoor Recreation Center’s two-hour rock climbing class scale the walls of Melaven Gym Jan. 20. The Northern Warfare Training Center is responsible for and  main- tains the climbing wall. Users must be certified or be with someone certified by NWTC to use the wall.	photos by Mark C. Biron/Fort Wainwright PAO
Ward Havens, Fort Wainwright fire-fighter, climbs the rock wall during the Outdoor Recreation Center’s rock climbing class Jan. 20 at Melaven Gym. A fee of $7 covers all equipment and instruction. For more information, call 361-2652.	Outdoor Recreation Center instructor Josh Soldan demonstrates the figure-eight knot used to secure a climber to the belay rope at the beginning of the Outdoor Recreation Center’s indoor rock climbing class Jan. 20 at Melaven Gym. The next class is Feb. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. and is open to those 5 and older.
photo by Sharon McBride/Fort Richardson PAO
Pvt. Marion Keith, 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, gets his taxes prepared for free by Spc. Armon Adams at the Fort Richardson Tax Assistance Center located in Bldg. 600, Rm. 305. The tax center is currently open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All tax preparers are trained by the Internal Revenue Service and are able to provide e-filing for their customers. Important documents to bring when filing taxes include a copy of last year’s return, taxpayer’s proof of identity, all W-2 forms, 1098s and 1099s, other information about additional income, identification numbers for any childcare providers, a voided check or proof of bank account for direct deposit of refund, and if applicable, social security cards for spouse, children or other dependents. The center is open for appointments and walk-ins. For more information or to make an appointment, call 384-1040. All active duty, mobilized Reserve Component members, retirees and family members of these sponsors who have simple, non-complex tax returns are eligible for this free tax assistance service. The tax center will remain open for business until April 15.