RedstoneRocketwww.theredstonerocket.com January 22, 2020 Vol. 69 No. 03 PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF PERSONNELMilitary AT SceneREDSTONE ARSENAL, AL Army moves on making posts best places to live By KARI HAWKINS Army Materiel Command Public Affairs

During an Army Housing Summit Jan. 14-16, senior Army leaders and privatized company executives met at Army Materiel Command headquarters to review the status of the Army hous- ing portfolio and develop a strategy for long-term improvements across the in- stallation enterprise. Community News The Army’s seven private housing Check out giveaways companies, which have 50-year lease at library in February. agreements through the Residential Page 5 Communities Initiative, manage and maintain 87,000 – or 98% – of Army housing at 44 U.S. installations. The Army manages another 13,000 homes and 6,700 Soldier barracks at both U.S. and overseas installations. “We need to be able to see ourselves, to have oversight of the conditions of our current housing inventory and of our projected inventory,” said Army Materiel Command’s Gen. Gus Perna, Photo by Eben Boothby the top officer charged by the chief of Gen. Gus Perna, commander of Army Materiel Command, discusses the status of staff of the Army with responsibility for Army housing with representatives of the privatized companies that hold con- Army housing. tracts to manage Army housing units at 44 U.S. installations. The company repre- “This is the first time (since implemen- sentatives joined with Army leaders to develop a vision for housing reinvestment tation of privatized housing) that we have during a Housing Summit at AMC headquarters, Jan. 14-16. come together and had this holistic view able at all times to the highest standards,” quarterly resident town halls hosted by Military Scene across all Army installations. We need to Perna said. “When we do that, then we installation leadership; mobile apps for drive this to our desired end-state. This have maneuverability to be innovative, residents to submit and track work or- Research center reloads is not only about day-to-day living. It’s adaptive and agile.” ders; a revised fee structure for private with reorganization. about what we want our installations to The first RCI lease was signed in 1999 companies to better account for resi- Page 19 look like in 40 or 50 years.” at Fort Carson, Colorado. Since then, dent and leadership feedback; regular The Housing Summit brought Army the Army has looked to private hous- meetings between Army leadership and leadership and RCI company executives ing companies to manage and maintain company executives; and development together via satellite with installation housing properties throughout the U.S., of a Resident Bill of Rights expected to commanders to review progress and fu- but the lack of accountability has led to be signed later this month; among other ture strategies for housing at about 60 reforms. U.S. and overseas installations. The lead- lower-than-desired housing standards. With many of those leases ending in 35 In July 2019, more than 25,000 resi- ers reviewed installation-by-installation, dents provided input through the Resi- discussing the current condition of hous- years, the Army wants to ensure quality housing standards are being implement- dent Satisfaction Survey that gave the ing units, future plans for housing rein- Army insight into housing experiences vestments, and policies, processes and ed at every installation. Army Materiel Command, under Per- and further pinpointed issues that need- practices that need to be addressed to en- ed to be addressed. In addition, an Army sure the long-term viability of housing. na’s direction, took the lead for Army housing in March 2019, when the Instal- Inspector General report yielded feed- The summit also allowed Army leaders back to improve housing. The responsi- to identify challenges that are trending lation Management Command became one of AMC’s major subordinate com- bility to ensure Army housing is safe and across multiple locations, such as the cost secure belongs to AMC, IMCOM and of maintaining historic housing, fluctua- mands. Since then, numerous reforms Win or Lose RCI partners, Perna said. Blouses work overtime tions in Soldiers’ housing allowances and and improvements have been made, in- “I believe and have reported to the sec- forecasting funding for preventive main- cluding: quality inspections of 100% of retary of defense and the Army chief of to defeat Mavericks. tenance as housing units age. housing units; the establishment of 24/7 Page 29 “We need to hold ourselves account- housing hotlines at every installation; See Housing on page 4 2 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence RocketViews On this date in history: Jan. 22 Take the long way to final resting place Funerals are funny. I don’t mean laugh-out-loud funny. I Snippets In 2014: Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. John Campbell visited Redstone mean peculiar – but I detest that word. It’s been hijacked by people trying to be By Jonathan Stinson Arsenal. He retired in May 2016 after 37 years of service. clever. Assistant editor Funerals are the only place where you In 1992: In the Space Shuttle program, Dr. Roberta Bondar became the first find yourself in a room for an extended and when a call came through, I’d drag Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space. period of time, and you’re forced to con- my feet a little when it was time to send a template your mortality, and you’re re- reporter to cover it. In 1973: The crew of Apollo 17 addressed a joint session of Congress after the minded that one day everyone you love Every journalist I know who covers completion of the final Apollo moon landing mission. is going to die. tragic events hits a limit. But, without We buried one of the sweetest and a job to do, you’re left with your own In 1968: Apollo 5 lifted off carrying the first Lunar module into space. most genuine people I had ever known thoughts and a couple of answers. In 1943: Australian and American forces defeated Japanese army and navy the other day, and my cousin leans over The answer to the first question is I and says: “Use to, this room would’ve hope I go first. It’s a selfish answer, but units in the bitterly fought Battle of Buna–Gona during World War II. been full with our family.” The older I’d hate to have to live without my wife. In 1917: President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States called for you get, the smaller the crowd is at the Knowing her, it won’t happen that funeral home. way, though. She didn’t let me “retire” “peace without victory” in Europe during World War I. A funeral is different than covering a after I left my last paper, and I doubt In 1915: More than 600 people were killed in Guadalajara, Mexico, when a shooting or wreck or some other catas- she’s going to let me permanently retire trophe that you run across if you do this before she does. train plunged off the tracks into a deep canyon. job long enough because you have the The answer to the second question has narrative of what happened. a couple of parts. So, instead of answering questions like First, in the obit, for the first sentence what if my wife dies before I do? You can put, I died. There’s no need to be any go interview the ex-girlfriend of the guy more poetic than that. Not to mention, that just stuck a shotgun to his chest be- anything more would be sacrilege to my Quote of the week hind the Waffle House she worked at. profession. Instead of answering questions like Secondly, in the eulogy, be honest. I’ve what is there going to be left to say when done some good things. I’ve done some I die and how truthful do I really want bad things. You don’t have to put the bad y success just evolved from working hard at the business at it to be? You can go snap a photo of the parts in, but don’t overcompensate by hand each day.” firemen using the jaws of life to free a embellishing the good parts. “M body from a mangled ‘70s-model Buick. And, for whoever writes it, if you draw – Johnny Carson The lady in the Buick lived. The guy a blank, I’m fine with “Well, I guess in the work truck she hit didn’t, but you he was alright. Didn’t really do much, don’t take that picture. though.” Often, my response time from the pa- Finally, get a police escort and make per I worked at was quicker than the first sure they take the long way to the cem- Send your letters to editor responders. There’s not a more helpless etery. I think everyone should be able to feeling than being first on a scene, but stop traffic, inconvenience others, and be The Redstone Rocket invites your signed letters to the editor and your commen- that’s another conversation. noticed at least once in their life. taries. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send your letters and commentaries to When I became editor of that paper, But, again, let me emphasize the long [email protected]. I purposely slowed those response times way because, for me, it’s about being a down. I kept the scanner in my office, pain in the neck one last time.

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What do you think Profession: Training management of your job? specialist, Security Assistance Com- mand “I was an MP in the Army for 10 years,” Sally Godfrey, a security guard at What did you want to be when you the gates, said. “I’m the first person they grew up? see when they come through the gates. The drill instructor from “Full Metal I like to be a first friendly face on their Jacket.” way to work every morning. I’ve always been in a position to help people. And so What do you hope to accomplish after I got out of the Army, I wanted to in 2020? continue doing that somehow.” Encourage every employee to com- Godfrey, 31, from Athens, served in the Army from 2007-17 and left as a ser- plete at least one voluntary training geant. She served in Afghanistan 2011- that interests them. 12. She served a humanitarian mission in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. God- Who is your hero, and why? frey is pursuing a bachelor’s in criminal My mom. She was the hardest worker for a day, what would it be? justice from the University of Alabama I ever met and the glue that held our Fly fighter jets! which she expects to complete in 2022. family together. She valued work/life She resides in Huntsville with her two balance and taught me to make my What is the best piece of advice bed daily. someone has given you? sons, Brock Kerby, 13, and Tristan God- Sally Godfrey frey, 4. Godrey enjoys hiking, kayaking If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing and playing with her children. She roots If you could choose to do anything right. – My dad. for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Crimes, accidents Tell us & other occurrences Directorate of Operations, Law En- The vehicle had damage to its passenger forcement Division, provided the fol- side hood and front fender. The deer about … lowing report for Jan. 5-11: was not located and the game warden By SKIP VAUGHN Rocket editor Jan. 6: A vehicle traveling east on was notified. [email protected] Martin Road collided with a deer west Jan. 10: At the Gate 9 Visitor’s Cen- of Gemini Avenue. The vehicle sus- ter, an individual seeking a visitor badge Why you joined the Army. tained functional damage and was re- had a warrant with Lauderdale County “I joined the Army to, in a nutshell, tained by the driver. The deer was locat- Sheriff’s Office for theft of property first do something better,” Capt. Mela- ed at the scene and removed by Minor nie Appleton, commander of Head- degree. The individual was transported Repair. The Redstone game warden was quarters & Headquarters Company Capt. Melanie Appleton to the Redstone Arsenal Police Depart- AMCOM since Dec. 13, said. “To do notified. something better than what I was doing at ment detention cell and later released to Jan. 7: On Rideout Road near build- the time which was working in restaurants, different restaurant chains. I had a Lauderdale County deputy. recently graduated from high school. It’s been pretty much great, for lack of a ing 4200, a vehicle collided with a deer. Citations included one for failure to better word, outstanding. I haven’t had any major issues, although any job has The vehicle had functional damage and its ups and downs. You find a sense of family, a sense of being and a sense of was retained by the driver. The deer merge left when emergency vehicles are belonging. You’re made to feel like you’re part of a team and there’s avenues for present; three for failure to obey traffic self-development.” was located east of Rideout and was Appleton, 37, from Huntsville, graduated from J.O. Johnson High in 2000 and removed. Redstone game warden was control device; one for parked within 25 joined the Army that Sept. 19. She received her commission in 2013 through feet of a stop sign; two for parked in a the Army ROTC Green to Gold active duty program at Fayetteville State Uni- notified. versity, Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she graduated with a bachelor’s in Jan. 7: A government vehicle, travel- no parking zone; one for following too psychology and sociology. She received her MBA in project management and ing south of Patton Road just south of close; one for expired registration; and entrepreneurship in 2019 from Fayetteville State. She resides in Huntsville with her daughter, Kenyetta, 1. Appleton roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Maintenance Row, collided with a deer. 26 for speeding. 4 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Know your laws: Lease abandonment Lease abandonment means that the essary. what the circumstances of the tenant’s tenant abandons the lease and his or her If a tenant abandons the dwelling unit, departure. In essence, it makes no differ- obligations under it before the term has the landlord should make reasonable ence whether the tenant plans to move ended. efforts to rent it at a fair rental. But and gives proper notice, is physically Can the landlord toss the tenant’s re- such duty should not take priority evicted or simply disappears. The maining belongings, clean out the unit, over the landlord’s right to first key fact for the landlord is that the and re-rent it? It depends on how long rent other vacant units. If the rental agreement is legally com- the tenant has been gone and the land- landlord rents the dwelling unit plete before the landlord starts lord’s reasons for believing that the unit for a term beginning before the has been abandoned. Alabama has laws expiration of the rental agree- the 14 day clock. that govern what happens when a tenant ment, it terminates as of the Additionally, if the tenant still moves out and leaves personal property date of the new tenancy. If the owes the landlord money, the behind. The rule for dealing with aban- tenancy is from month-to-month landlord is free to sell the tenant’s doned property is straightforward. or week-to-week, the term of the legally abandoned property after Maj. Jimmine Haigler, military law rental agreement for this purpose is 14 days in order to satisfy the owed attorney at the 2nd Recruiting Brigade, deemed to be a month or a week, as the debt. Furthermore, the landlord is not has shared her research on Alabama case may be. required and has no obligation to safely Code, Section 35-9A-423: Property. If a tenant leaves property in the unit store abandoned property. Moreover, If a rental agreement requires the ten- more than 14 days after termination pur- there is also no special notice require- ant to give notice to the landlord of an suant to this chapter, the landlord has property has been terminated for seven ment for dealing with abandoned prop- anticipated extended absence in excess of no duty to store or protect the tenant’s consecutive days. erty. In other words, the landlord is not 14 days pursuant to Section 35-9A-304 property in the unit and may dispose of In summary: If a tenant leaves prop- required to give notice to a tenant before and the tenant willfully fails to do so, the it without obligation. erty behind for more than 14 days after landlord may recover actual damages In addition to any other means by a rental agreement ends, the landlord disposing of the tenant’s property. from the tenant. which a landlord determines that a can dispose of the property however Editor’s note: Maj. Jimmine Haigler, During any absence of a tenant in ex- property has been abandoned by the he or she chooses. This includes selling military law attorney at the 2nd Recruit- cess of 14 days, the landlord may enter tenant, a property should be considered the property, giving it away or throw- ing Brigade, did the research and provided the dwelling unit at times reasonably nec- abandoned if the electric service to the ing it away. This rule applies no matter the content for this article.

The $60.7 million the RCI company is investing to build 96 junior noncommis- sioned homes, renovate 32 historic homes, reroof 84 homes, build six new parks and Housing implement energy conservation measures “is something we couldn’t do in the past Continued from page 1 when housing fell under the Directorate of Public Works because of manning and funding capabilities,” Shrader said. staff that we, as a collective group, are moving in the same direction on Army hous- “Our private partners are playing an absolutely incredible role in achieving the ing and we are executing their guidance, and we will achieve these goals,” Perna told end state of transitioning all our housing to new builds or full renovations,” he said. the summit participants. “We are not there yet. But we are moving every day toward Along with trends, Army leaders were made aware of the many installation-spe- that end state.” cific challenges, as well. With 70% of housing at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, built At the summit, Perna told the RCI company representatives the Army needs their prior to 1978, Garrison Commander Col. Jeremy Bell said more investments need to intellectual knowledge, management expertise, real estate know-how and reinvest- be made by its RCI company to build new homes for its junior enlisted population. ment capabilities to ensure the health of Army housing over the long-term. Redstone Garrison Commander Col. Kelsey Smith, where AMC is headquartered, “As Soldiers, we are trained to go to war and trained to execute war. We are not said sustaining an appropriate level of housing staff is a challenge due to the low trained to run or execute an Army housing neighborhood. That’s why we brought unemployment rate in the local community. And at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, this partnership together,” Perna said. more disability compliant housing is needed because of the large number of wound- “Whether you are at Wainwright, Polk, Irwin, Belvoir, Hood, Riley or any other ed warriors who receive care at the installation. installation, the end state is for every installation to be a Soldier and family’s number “While we have to address individual challenges, we need consistency in policy one choice for where to live. When a Soldier gets orders, we want there to be jubi- across all our installations to make Army housing successful,” Perna said. lance because they are convinced they are moving to the best installation. That is our Leaders will use the briefings from the summit to develop a long-term reinvest- vision, our end state. We have to drive ourselves to this end state.” ment strategy, Perna said. Each installation reported both challenges and opportunities. At Fort Riley, Kan- “We are moving away from a year-to-year strategy. We will develop a long-term sas, Garrison Commander Col. Steven Shrader described the installation’s RCI part- plan that will drive towards our end state: quality safe and secure housing at every nership as tremendous and beneficial in regard to reinvestment. installation,” he said. Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 5 CommunityNews Post Library shows love with giveaways

By JONATHAN STINSON Assistant editor [email protected]

February kicks off Library’s Lovers Month. And there’s a lot to love about the Redstone MWR Library, like the way they want to give away free stuff to people just for checking out a book. “When people come to check out a book, they can enter to win a prize for free,” Nate Godwin, library manager, said. “So, basically, we offer bribes to get people to come use the library.” It works. The library won the Excel- lence in Army Recreation 2019 Small Garrison Library and info services cen- ters award. The giveaways will last through Feb- ruary, and names will be drawn March 1 for prizes. The promotion is for all ages and in- cludes several MWR prizes and other library-themed items like Lego for the kids and gift cards for the adults. The goal is to have 25 prizes in all, according to Godwin. The library will hold an open house Feb. 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the food runs out. The library is open to anyone with access to Redstone and offers the latest Photo by Wendy Reeves books, movies, television shows, video- Kalaiah Bowen and her mother, Shani, pick out books at the Redstone MWR Library, Feb. 9, 2019. games, audiobooks and e-books. adults to unwind in a peaceful environ- is a monthly program where kids can for children ages 7-14 and runs from 10- There are many other events for pa- ment.” explore various STEAM activities and 11 a.m. No registration required.” trons, too. They include: crafts. The program is designed for kids Coffee, Cookies and Coloring LEGO Builders Club between 7-12, but parents are welcome Budding Bookworms Storytime When: Jan. 23 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. When: Jan. 25 from 1-2:30 p.m. to participate in the activities.” When: Feb. 8, 11 a.m. to noon Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 Redeye Road Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 Redeye Road Homeschool STEAM Meet-up Redeye Road Cost: Free When: Feb. 5 from 10-11 a.m. Cost: Free. All materials provided by Notes from the Library: “Coloring Cost: Free. All materials provided by the library. Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 the library. pages and pencils provided, although Redeye Road Notes from the Library: “Budding you are welcome to bring your own. Notes from the Library: “Each month we explore the wonderful world of Cost: Free. All materials provided by Bookworms is a program designed for Coffee and cookies will be provided to the library. younger readers. Kids will listen to a participants. This program is aimed for LEGO through different themes. Build- ers can come anytime during the pro- Notes from the Library: “This program few stories related to the monthly theme adults to unwind in a peaceful environ- provides STEAM (Science Technology and participate in a hands-on activity or ment.” gram and do not have to stay the entire hour. Due to small objects, this event is Engineering Art Math) themed activities craft.” Coffee, Cookies and Coloring designed for children age 5 and up. Par- When: Jan. 24 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 ents are welcome to build with their kids. In this section... p.m. No signup necessary.” Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 Tax assistance center ready to return page 7 Redeye Road Tech Club Group sews quilts for service members, veterans page 8 Cost: Free When: Feb. 1 from 1-2 p.m. Materiel enterprise supports wellness, fitness page 9 Notes from the Library: “Coloring Where: Redstone MWR Library, 3323 Vietnam-era veteran recalls training at Redstone page 10 pages and pencils provided, although Redeye Road Redstone remembers Martin Luther King Jr. page 11 you are welcome to bring your own. Cost: Free. All materials provided by Workshop helps teach parents about bullying page 12 Coffee and cookies will be provided to the library. Marine Corps astronaut shooting for the moon page 16 participants. This program is aimed for Notes from the Library: “Tech Club Community News Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 7 Tax assistance center ready to return Tax season is here again and the Redstone Arsenal Tax Center will be open for business for the 2019 filing season on Jan. 27. The tax center volunteers provide free tax preparation to active duty, active duty family members, retirees, their family members and Reservists/National Guardsmen serving on active duty for 29 days or more. The center is in building 3439, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, on Honest John Road. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 30. Clients are encouraged to make an appointment; however, walk-ins are welcome from 8 a.m. to noon on any business day. To schedule an appointment, call 842-1040 starting on Jan. 21. Last year’s returns prepared by the volunteer-operated facility totaled 4,777 which included 2,411 federal and 2,366 state. This delivered $4,377,185 in refunds and saved $978,438 in fees. 8 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Community News Group sews quilts for service members, veterans By KATIE DAVIS SKELLEY cause so many served in Vietnam and had very poor treat- Staff writer/Social media ment when they came home.” [email protected] The ceremonies can also be emotional for the quilters, who often leave energized and motivated. Every stitch is made with love, respect and thanks. “They will say, ‘I want to go home and sew. I want to The Quilts of Valor Foundation’s mission is to cover make more quilts,’” Harris said. service members and veterans with quilts of comfort and Quilts of Valor has four local groups in Guntersville, healing. The organization was founded in 2003 by Blue Decatur, Athens and Muscle Shoals, with a Florence Star mother Catherine Roberts, inspired by her son Na- chapter in the works. Harris said she would love to see a thaniel’s tour in Iraq into forming a nationwide network chapter form in the Huntsville area. Members do not have of quilt top makers and machine quilters to create high- to join a group, they can create a quilt on their own, fol- quality quilts for returning service members. With the pos- lowing guidelines found on the foundation’s website. Har- itive response that the group received, they later expanded ris said the members do not necessarily even need to be their mandate to include veterans. Since its inception, the quilters, but can help in other ways such as ironing fabric organization has presented more than 242,000 quilts to – “everybody’s contribution helps.” recipients. Persons interested in becoming involved with Quilts of Quilts of Valor aren’t charity quilts, said Mary Harris, Valor can call Harris at 616-6424. To learn more about North Alabama coordinator, and are not intended to be the organization or request a quilt for a veteran or service tucked away or displayed on the wall – they are meant to member, visit the Quilts of Valor Foundation website at be used. Currently the North Alabama chapter has 79 www.QOVF.org. requests for quilts. Harris said they have presented quilts to veterans of all ages. If a veteran is elderly or ill, those Photo by Katie Davis Skelley quilts will take priority in the queue. Mary Harris is the North Alabama coordinator for “They are very appreciative, you see many tears – some the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a national nonprofit say, ‘no one has ever thanked me before,’” Harris said. which presents handmade quilts to service members “We have a small presentation, we tell the history of our and veterans touched by war. The Decatur chapter is group and then we highlight each veteran. We write up a hosting a sew day in conjunction with the National bio of their military history, accomplishments in life. … Sew Day on February 1 at the Aquadome in Decatur. Once we’ve read that, two of us will take the quilt and Anyone is welcome to join or stop in for information wrap and hug them. I always say, ‘Welcome home.’ Be- about Quilts of Valor in the area. Community News Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 9 Materiel enterprise supports wellness, fitness resolutions By SAMANTHA HILL not going to tell you what to do, but we and eat better,” Hoefer said. “The focus Army Materiel Command Public Affairs will help you to achieve your goals.” is on making lives easier for Soldiers.” AMC will have other classes avail- H2F is an initiative that includes As many look to the new year as a able this spring. “Don’t Miss a Beat,” physical training, proper sleep and way to work toward new goals, Army a three-part series including a CPR nutrition, and mental and spiritual Materiel Command is helping its work- AED class, a heart health guest speak- readiness. Part of this initiative is the force stick to New Year’s resolutions er and blood pressure clinic during implementation of the Army Combat by providing resources supporting ISO American Heart Month in Febru- Fitness Test, the largest overhaul in wellness and fitness. ary. In March, April and June, AMC assessing a Soldier’s physical fitness in AMC Health Promotion Program will have “Planning for Retirement,” nearly 40 years. The new test will better Manager Valerie Francis said her of- a three-part series including informa- fice looks at what could be beneficial tion about the federal employee retire- connect fitness with combat readiness for the workforce, from fitness classes ment system, estate planning, Social for all Soldiers. to holistic health courses, and brings Security, Medicare and Veteran Affairs “H2F is treating a Soldier like a pro- those programs to the headquarters. benefits. fessional athlete, and the Army is a She said providing these resources In addition to classes, AMC also has contact sport,” Hoefer said. helps develop AMC’s ready and resil- two life coaches, including Harrington. The ACFT is on track to become ient workforce. In this role, she helps members of the the physical test of record by October. “Our goal is to be there and help the workforce talk through challenges at Through the Tank-automotive and Ar- Army family, not just at work, but also work and home. Her meetings are open maments Command, AMC is equip- at home,” Francis said. “Our team is to anyone in the AMC enterprise and ping Army units for the new fitness going to give you strategies for how to are confidential. test. As for the rest of H2F, AMC is Photo by Samantha Hill Army Materiel Command Health Promo- keep your head in the game and achieve “If you want to improve or trans- supporting the Army as it develops its your personal goals.” form to a better version of yourself, tion Program Manager Valerie Francis policy moving forward. writes down what motivates partici- One example of a class offered to the coaching is a way to guide you,” Har- “I am really excited for 2020,” Hoefer pants in the “Write the Vision” course. AMC workforce was the “Write the Vi- rington said. “Sometimes you need said. “I have been in the Army over 20 This class helped participants map out sion” course. The two-day class helped that inspiration, that person to lead years. The things I have been wanting their 2020 goals, aligning them with participants set goals and maintain you down the right path.” in the Army are finally happening.” values and beliefs. motivation to achieve those goals. The Entering into 2020, Army fitness first day focused on developing goals leaders are letting inspiration drive that align with values and beliefs. Dur- policy for Soldier fitness and wellness. ing the second day, participants created AMC Command Surgeon Col. Mat- vision boards to help visualize success. thew Hoefer said the Army is focusing “A goal without a plan is a wish,” on the transition to the Holistic Health Charmaine Harrington, a ready and and Fitness program. resilient program manager, said. “We’re “H2F will make it easier to stay fit 10 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Community News Vietnam-era veteran recalls training at Redstone By SKIP VAUGHN 1962, Wilson was reassigned to the training Rocket editor units to provide maintenance support. He [email protected] maintained the Corporal missiles that the Vietnam revisited students were training on. Part 253 in series Don Wilson joined the Army in 1961 after But he was considered surplus when the graduating from high school in Storm Lake, Corporal was replaced in 1963 by the Ser- defined career goal. Wilson remembers sit- Iowa. geant ballistic missile which had solid state ting in his training company’s day room and After basic training at Fort Leonard guidance. Wilson volunteered to teach elec- watching in stunned silence when the televi- Wood, Missouri, and basic electronics at tronics and he taught basic radios and elec- sion networks reported President Kennedy’s Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, he spent the tronics from November 1963 until August assassination Nov. 22, 1963. He watched on rest of his three years in uniform at Redstone 1964 at Redstone’s old “Tin City.” He taught television when Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Arsenal. the Soldier students at night in those World Harvey Oswald, Kennedy’s assailant, two “Basically it was pretty good,” he said War II-era Quonset huts made of corrugat- days later. of serving at the Ordnance Guided Missile ed aluminum. When Wilson was deemed surplus at Red- School from 1962-64. “It was good duty as “Basically I like teaching a lot so that was stone, he went to the personnel office and opposed to getting shot at or anything else.” fun for me,” Wilson said. “And I worked they asked him his qualifications. He was Wilson arrived in January 1962 for 26 the night shift so there was not a lot of suits told that only Soldiers with combat experi- weeks of training in internal guidance and around to bug me.” ence were being assigned as advisers to Viet- propulsion on the Corporal guided missile. The electronics class he taught represented nam. Most of the Corporal deployments His specialty was Corporal internal guid- weeks 10 and 11 of the Soldiers’ preliminary were in Germany with support in several ance. Corporal, fielded in the early 1950s, instruction before they started training on a spots in Europe. U.S. combat involvement in had a vacuum tube-based guidance system. specific missile system. Wilson taught until the Vietnam War was ignited in early August The Iowa native landed at the Continental Aug. 3, 1964, when he left the Army as a spe- 1964 when two U.S. destroyers stationed in Don Wilson Trailways bus station in Huntsville. cialist 5. the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam radioed that children. “The first thing I noticed is that the bus sta- “They wanted me to reenlist to get more they had been fired upon by North Vietnam- At 77 Wilson enjoys collecting knives and tion had separate water fountains for whites training on a different missile system (after ese forces. watching sports. He no longer goes sailing. and blacks. The good news is they were gone Corporal was phased out),” he said. “I said Wilson worked for more than 40 years as He belongs to the American Legion, Mun- when I took my first leave six months later,” no. I know a lot of people that did for what- an electronics engineer. He retired from Mo- delein, Illinois, Chapter, and the Illinois Soci- he said. “Not sure how I got to the Arsenal ever reason. But that wasn’t me.” torola in Chicago after 30 years. ety of Professional Engineers. but I believe there was a shuttle bus.” He had joined the Army because he He received a bachelor’s in electrical en- Wilson shared his thoughts on this na- After finishing his training in August couldn’t afford college and he didn’t have a gineering from Northern Illinois University tion’s commemoration of 50 years since the in 1979 and a master of business administra- Vietnam War. tion from Keller Graduate School of Man- “I don’t think it’s had enough emphasis,” agement in 1992. he said. “But that’s understandable consider- He and his wife of 49 years, Lynn, reside ing how poorly we treated them.” in Palatine, Illinois, which is a northwest sub- Editor’s note: This is the 253rd in a series of urb of Chicago. They have two daughters – articles about Vietnam veterans as the United Amy, of Bear, Delaware, and Erin Finlay, of States commemorates the 50th anniversary of Rolling Meadows, Illinois – and two grand- the Vietnam War.

@TeamRedstoneRocket

@TeamRedstone Community News Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 11 Redstone remembers Martin Luther King Jr. By SAMANTHA HILL they could relate to … could say he chose Army Materiel Command Public Affairs education over athletics,” Rolle said. “He chose knowledge which will endure and The Redstone workforce recognized last a long time.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s lasting impacts After graduating from Oxford, the during an observance hosted by Army Tennessee Titans selected Rolle in the Materiel Command Jan. 15 at Heiser sixth round of the NFL draft. When Hall. asked, he said he would make the same “Today, we honor and celebrate the decision again. life, vision and legacy of the great Dr. “In life, there are going to be moments Martin Luther King Jr.,” Maj. Gen. Bob where you make difficult decisions, where Harter, Army Materiel Command chief you come to a road where there is an in- of staff, said. tersection,” Rolle said. “Sometimes you This year’s theme was “Remember! have to go left to go right … or you have Celebrate! Act!” The observance includ- Photo by Doug Brewster Photo by Doug Brewster to choose this or that. I implore you to ed entertainment from the True Light Dr. Myron Rolle tells his personal story The True Light Church of God in Christ make the decision that not only benefits Church of God in Christ Choir Ensem- during the Martin Luther King Jr. Birth- Choir Ensemble performs for the you and behooves your interests, but also day Observance at Redstone Arsenal. ble and keynote remarks from Dr. My- Redstone workforce during the Martin brings other people along with you.” The installation’s workforce celebrated Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance. ron Rolle. King’s lasting legacy. Rolle encouraged attendees to find During his speech, Rolle told his The installation’s workforce celebrated their passion, load themselves up and story. Today he is a Harvard neurosur- the charges against him, he was inspired King’s lasting legacy. get ready to pursue that passion. He said gery medical resident, but when he was to change his life. when he decided to play at Florida State people can make a big impact by mobi- young, his family had just immigrated to “I made the turn toward things that University. During his college career, lizing and taking action. New Jersey from the Bahamas to start would make me successful in this coun- Rolle had another choice to make, be- “I think Dr. King was really trying to a new life. Despite making good grades try,” Rolle said. “I wanted to be different, tween playing professional football and have us do this, by his speeches, by his and being an accomplished athlete, Rolle I wanted to change my life from what I accepting a Rhodes scholarship. He ulti- work, by his lifelong legacy of doing said he was badly behaved, skipping used to be doing, to what I should be do- mately took the scholarship. good, regardless of who we are, what school and getting into fights. ing.” “Honestly, it put me in a position we look like and what our names are,” When he was 11, one fight landed him By his junior year, Rolle had 83 schol- where young people who look at my he said. “Now, we are living in that age in court. He said when the judge dropped arship offers to play college football story who see a young man who maybe where it is possible to be great.” 12 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Community News Workshop helps teach parents about bullying By JONATHAN STINSON tion, character, contribution, coping and control. Assistant editor Persons gave several examples, including one [email protected] about how kids making connections outside of their immediate family is OK and can be benefi- Bullying can be a parent’s worst nightmare. cial even if it goes against many parents’ instincts Either you know about someone hurting your to shelter their children and try to keep every- child, and it seems like you’re helpless to stop thing inside the home. it or you don’t know someone is hurting your “The family is one of the central forces for a child, and they are suffering without you even child’s connection in life, but it doesn’t have to knowing. be the only one,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard Which is worse? to tell mom and dad because you’re afraid they Children of military families can face some might get angry if you tell them so-and-so is do- unique challenges when it comes to bullying in ing such-and-such. But a coach or religious lead- schools, and that’s where Parent to Parent hopes er or a teacher might be set back and be able to to help. see it more objectively and help.” “Sometimes, if you’re shy, if you’re an in- trovert, it’s harder to go to new locations and In addition to addressing bullying from a make friends,” Michelle Persons, parent educa- child’s perspective, the workshop could also help tor with the Parent to Parent Huntsville Team, parents see it differently from their perspective. said. “And that’s the problem we have with this “(We want) to let parents know that they are transitional lifestyle we have.” not alone,” she said. “If your kid is being bullied, The group will hold a workshop on Jan. 30 at the kicking, pushing, punching – and now it comes in digi- they are not the only kid in their school who is Pershing Welcome Center from noon to 1 p.m. to help tal forms. being bullied. There are resources, and there are people educate parents on ways to address bullying with their The key to bullyproofing, according to Persons, is who can help you.” children. to teach kids to be resilient and confident and provide Parents can register for the workshop by calling According to stopbullying.gov, about 20% of stu- them with tools to stand up to bullying. Army Community Service at 876-5397. dents say they’ve been bullied, and about 30% of young The program is based on the Seven Cs of Resiliency The Pershing Welcome Center is at 3443 Aerobee people say they’ve bullied someone. created by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, a pediatrician at The Road, and the workshop is presented by Huntsville- It can come in many forms. Kids can verbally tease Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Parent to Parent Educators in cooperation with the Ex- and abuse one another, there’s the physical bullying – The seven Cs are competence, confidence, connec- ceptional Family Member Program. 16 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Community News Marine Corps astronaut shooting for the moon By KATIE LANGE DOD News Marine Corps Maj. Jasmin Moghbeli Marine Corps Maj. Jasmin Moghbeli isn’t the first female active-duty Marine officer to pass the NASA Job title: NASA astronaut astronaut training program, but her recent graduation Hometown: Baldwin, New York means she’s on the short list to be the first woman to go to the moon. Unit: NASA Astronaut Group 22, Moghbeli and 10 others were the first graduates un- “The Turtles” der the Artemis program, meaning they’re now eligible for missions to the International Space Station, the Stationed: Johnson Space Center, moon and – one day – Mars. Moghbeli was commis- Houston sioned in 2005 after graduating from the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology. She became a naval avia- tor and spent the next decade piloting AH-1W Super were officially an astronaut? Cobra helicopters and test piloting various others. In “I felt honored to be joining the company of so many her career, she’s flown 25 different aircraft, accumulated amazing women and men.” 2,000 flight hours, and more than 150 combat missions. Moghbeli’s next test flight will take her further than Was this a dream of yours growing up? she’s ever gone before, and she’s excited about it. But “I was actually born in Germany, but I grew up in how did she get here and what lies ahead for her? She Baldwin, New York, on Long Island. I went through filled us in on the details. kindergarten and high school there, and I dreamed of being exactly where I am today, which is really excit- What was the process of getting into the astro- ing for me. I wanted to be an astronaut since I was a naut candidate program? kid, and when you say in sixth grade, ‘I want to become “I just submitted a resume on USAJobs.gov. It an astronaut’ nobody thinks you’re actually going to sounds almost underwhelming, right? Then, I came become an astronaut. While it wasn’t always the main back here (to Johnson Space Center) for two rounds of focus of what I was doing at each point in my life, it’s al- interviews and got accepted to the program.” ways been there in the background, driving the general path of where I’ve been going.” Tell me about the training you went through. “The training was really exciting and diverse. You Was the Marine Corps an asset to your success? Photo by Robert Markowitz, NASA have to be able to do a little bit of everything as an as- “Being in the Marine Corps was a huge asset. It’s a NASA astronaut candidate Marine Corps Maj. Jas- tronaut because, up in space, you’re the doctor; you’re testament to all those people and the mentorship. The min Moghbeli stands in front of a T-38 Talon trainer the maintainer; you’re the scientist and the spacewalker; Marine Corps played a very important part in shap- aircraft at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space and, so, the variety of things we’ve learned over these ing me and giving me a lot of the skills I needed – not Center in Houston, Texas, June 6, 2017. two years has been incredible. Some of the major cours- just the hard skills but a lot of the soft skills, like how tor right from the beginning – called me before I ever es we learned were robotics, learning to speak Russian, to communicate and how to take my entire team into showed up here and made sure I had what I needed. learning about the International Space Station and its consideration and not just my personal needs. It’s hard Watching you and knowing you’re going to be the first systems, and learning how to do spacewalks. Then, to teach those things, but we do it very well in the Ma- person on the launch of a new spacecraft is such an there’s flying the T-38 jets!” rine Corps. And my test piloting background – the op- inspiration.” erational experience and the engineering side of that – What did you struggle with most? both tie in perfectly here.” What drives you to do better? “The hardest part, for me, was the training in the “I think the same thing that pushes people in the mil- neutral buoyancy lab. That’s where we trained for As an official astronaut, what’s next on your itary every day – your sisters and brothers to your left spacewalks. I’ve watched astronauts do spacewalks be- agenda? and right. We’re in a similar job here where your fail- fore, and you think, ‘Wow, they make it look so easy “It’s a super exciting time to be in human space ex- ures – there are life or death situations here. What we do and so smooth,’ and that the suit is just an extension ploration. We’ve been on the International Space Sta- inherently is risky because we’re constantly pushing the of their body. But then I got in there for the first time, tion for almost 20 years continuously now, and we’ve boundaries and just thinking, ‘I need to focus because and it’s just completely different than you’d imagined. got several new vehicles on the horizon. There’s Boeing my buddy could be on that vehicle I was working on.’ You now have to walk with your hands, and anytime and Space X, both with their commercial crew vehicles. And I think that motivates me a lot.” you squeeze your hands to do anything, you’re fighting NASA is developing Orion and the Space Launch Sys- the pressure in the suit. It was just really tricky learning tem to go onto the moon, and there’s Mars with the What advice would you give to future genera- how to move within that suit. It’s your own personal (Lunar) Gateway program. So, there are a lot of excit- tions of Marines? spacecraft at that point, and (you’re) learning how to ing things. Right now, in my day to day, I’m focused on “Whatever you’re interested in, have that vision of work with it by fighting against it.” the human lander system and getting us to the moon.” what you want to do, but also don’t forget to focus on what you’re doing in the moment. I wasn’t always as- What did you do best during training? Do you think you could be the first female astro- signed to the job I wanted to be assigned to, but I put “Something that I thought would be a challenge that naut to get to the moon? my effort into that to the best of my ability and tried I did well at was learning Russian. I’ve really enjoyed “There is a chance, but at this point I’m just excited to do the best I could at that job. So, whether you’re learning another language, learning about their cul- that I’ll know the first woman to be on the moon!” sweeping floors or doing something really cool, just do ture. We have one-on-one instruction, and my instruc- the best you can do. tor is absolutely incredible. That was something I knew In 2015, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicole Mann be- “Also, I think something that gets lost sometimes is would be a real challenge, but I feel like I really pro- came the first female Marine to graduate from being kind to others. When you’re in the position to gressed in it.” the astronaut program and she mentored you. mentor someone, think back to when you were in their What would you say to her for that? position and first learning something. Just remember How did you feel when they announced that you “You’ve been an inspiration to me. She was my men- we’re all on the same team.” Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 19 MilitaryScene Research center reloads with reorganization Modernization, readiness, focus of CCDC Aviation, Missile Center reorganization

By AMY TOLSON CCDC Aviation & Missile Center Public Af- fairs

Sometimes less is more. The mission, size and funding of the Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center are not changing, but to ensure it is best pos- tured to meet the emerging requirements of Army modernization and maximize readiness, it is reorganizing from five di- rectorates to three. Center Executive Director Juanita Christensen met with members of her workforce Jan. 13-14 to explain the path forward for the realignment that was announced in December. The change will allow the center to become more integrated, effective and efficient, Chris- tensen said. “The AvMC reorganization will de- liver better warfighting solutions faster, with greater return on investment by streamlining activities in a way that best supports unity of command and unity of effort, thereby ensuring an enduring source of competitive advantage that ad- Photo by Julie Williams versaries cannot replicate,” she said. Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center Executive Director Juanita Christensen addresses Effective Jan. 19, the center’s new her workforce Jan. 13. The center is reorganizing from five directorates to three to become more integrated, effective and structure is as follows: efficient, she said. • Technology Development Direc- torate: formed by merging the Aviation provide product-based services. systems solutions to ensure victory on the mand,” Christensen said. “It’s a signifi- Development Directorate and Weapons “Some of you may feel that we are battlefield. The center plays a critical role cant change for this organization; it’s a Development and Integration Director- no longer valued as a part of CCDC or in two of the Army’s six modernization significant change in the way we do busi- ate. Led by Barry Pike, TDD will facili- Army Futures Command, given the fact priorities – Future Vertical Lift and Air ness, but I believe it’s still positioning us tate the center’s science and technology that they took away two Senior Execu- & Missile Defense – and has a significant for success, to meet our missions. We’ve core competencies. tive Service positions,” Christensen said. impact on a third – Long Range Preci- got our priorities in the right place, and • Systems Readiness Directorate: the “The answer to that is no. We are still sion Fires. The new directorate structure we’re going to implement the right inter- Aviation Engineering Directorate and very valued. We are the S&T lead for focuses on efforts related to science and nal structures to reduce risk and provide elements of the Engineering Director- two of the six primary modernization technology modernization, readiness and growth opportunities for our employees. ate will combine to create SRD. The priorities. We still have a very valid and sustainment, and product support. I believe it will allow us to move forward directorate will be led by Keith Darrow valuable future relative to this organiza- “This is a significant change right on – together. I’m really going to rely on and provide readiness- and sustainment- tion, you are just seeing shift, and some the heels of RDECOM becoming CCDC each and every one of you all to embrace based services, to include airworthiness. of those shifts are very beneficial for us and us rolling under Army Futures Com- this change as we move forward.” • Software, Simulation, Systems Engi- as an organization as we move forward.” neering and Integration Directorate: for- Center employees are familiar with merly known as the Systems Simulation, change. In January 2019 the center, for- In this section... Software and Integration Directorate, merly known as the Aviation and Missile Materiel enterprise recognizes employees page 21 S3I will largely remain as is. The proto- Research, Development and Engineering Army Recruiting discredits military draft texts page 23 type integration facility, along with some Center, was formally realigned under the Mason takes reins of Army aviation acquisition page 25 elements that previously fell under ED, Army Futures Command. As readiness Logistician provides support for warfighters page 27 will realign under the directorate. James continues to be a top priority for the Army, Kirsch will continue as director. S3I will the center develops aviation and missile Raymond becomes first chief of space operations page 28 20 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Military Scene

Photo by Tim Hanson Security assistance partnership Gen. Wook Suh, right, Army chief of staff of the Republic of Korea, visits the Security Assistance Command, Jan. 15. During his visit to Redstone Arsenal, Suh met with USASAC Commander Gen. Jeffrey Druschal, left, to discuss the U.S.-ROK security assistance partnership. The South Korean senior military official was in the United States for talks with his U.S. counterpart Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville. During his weeklong visit, he also visited the Army Materiel Command, PEO Mis- siles and Space, and SMDC before traveling to the Army’s Futures Com- mand in Austin, Texas, to learn more about its advancement strategies. U.S.-Korean relations date back to the Joseon Dynasty with the 1882 Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation, followed by the first U.S. diplomatic envoy to arrive in Korea in 1883. More than a century later, the U.S.-South Korean ties are based on a shared support of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Military Scene Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 21 Materiel enterprise recognizes employees of quarter By Staff Sgt. TIFFANY SMITH Army Materiel Command Human Resources

Eight Army Materiel Command employ- ees were recognized for excellence in the work- place as recipients of the Third Quarter, Fis- cal Year 2019 Top Employee of the Quarter award. The eight employees represent the vast ar- ray of logistics and sustainment missions that AMC manages through its 11 major sub- ordinate commands. They are chosen from among AMC’s 190,000-member worldwide workforce, and are recognized for going above and beyond to make sacrifices, meet deadlines and exceed expectations. Moreover, they di- Shannon Jewell Clayton Usery Tony Fuller rectly induce money saving and perform life- saving tasks for the Army, its warfighters and their families. The AMC Top Employee of the Quarter Board serves as the platform where supervi- sors within the command can nominate their best employees for the award. The awardees receive an honorary award signed by AMC Commander Gen. Gus Perna and a 4-Star note from Perna. They are also honored in a photo display at AMC headquarters that lists their achievements. The following employees, listed with the AMC subordinate command they represent, were recognized as recipients of the Third Quarter, Fiscal Year 2019 AMC Top Em- ployee of the Quarter award: Shannon Jewell, supervisory contract spe- cialist, Army Contracting Command, for her Kevin Bowman Tara Jackson Staci Willis dedication to the mission of the Stryker/Light Armored Vehicle Contracting Division. She established effective business processes to im- tor, Communications-Electronics Command, prove ACC’s contract management and cost for his contributions to improve the efficiency, pricing techniques resulting in a cost savings security and software readiness for C5ISR of $240 million. Post Deployment Software Support/Post Clayton Usery, logistics management spe- Production Software Support development cialist, Aviation and Missile Command, for and test teams across the command. his ability to manage multiple logistics efforts Tara Jackson, logistics management spe- that delivered critical capability to the warf- cialist, Joint Munitions Command, for lead- ighter. His performance enabled the UH-60V ing the consolidation of the command’s program to achieve a successful Milestone C critical workload requirements at the organic decision and ensured support to the Missouri installations and then developing a workload Theater Aviation Support Maintenance de- plan that incorporated the 20% depot efficien- sign series. He developed the training package cies. Her efforts resulted in the development of for active and Army Reserve units receiving accountability measures to capture the supply the UH-60V. depot operations efficiency hours and track- Tony Fuller, Plans and Operations Divi- ing them for the storage reform initiative. sion chief, Army Sustainment Command, Staci Willis, planning specialist, Military Margaret Kish Michael Crawford for spearheading a bulk fuels privatization ef- Surface Deployment and Distribution Com- fort which created a cost savings of $3 million mand, for his instrumental contribution to dinate sales with depots, customers worldwide ager, Security Assistance Command, for his for the Department of Defense, identifying multiple Pacific Pathways exercises and port and General Service Administration that re- management of the Brazil and India foreign non-baseline sewing services to save the com- operations. His initiative resulted in the resolu- mand $85,000 in labor and material costs, tion of equipment delays due to a contracted sulted in 236 items that sold for $4.9 million, military sales programs valued at over $2.4 and streamlining the EAGLE contract data carrier conflict. 237 items that sold for $6.17 million and 125 billion. He was selected to manage these com- requirement list structure creating a cost sav- Margaret Kish, lead combat engineer, additional items projected for $3.06 million to plex and critical programs because of his abil- ings of $100,000. Tank-automotive and Armaments Com- date. ity to solve intricate problems and represent Kevin Bowman, senior system administra- mand, for strategically leading a team to coor- Michael Crawford, country program man- the command with dignity. Military Scene Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 23 Army Recruiting discredits military draft texts By USAREC Public Affairs

FORT KNOX, Ky. – A number of fraudulent text messages informing individuals they have been select- ed for a military draft have circulated throughout the country. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the Ar my. The decision to enact a draft is not made at or by Army Recruiting Command. The Selective Service Sys- tem, a separate agency outside of the Department of Defense, is the organization that manages registration for the Selective Service. “The Selective Service System is conducting business as usual,” according to the Selective Service System’s official Facebook page. “In the event that a national emergency necessitates a draft, Congress and the presi- dent would need to pass official legislation to authorize a draft.” The draft has not been in effect since 1973. The mili- tary has been an all-volunteer force since that time. Registering for the Selective Service does not enlist a person into the military. Army recruiting operations are proceeding as nor- mal. USAREC Public Affairs graphic For information about volunteering to serve in the Army Recruiting Command identifies fraudulent text messages concerning military draft and want to ensure Army, contact a local Army recruiting office. Americans understand they are false. 24 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Military Scene

Photo by Sgt. Raquel Villalona Black Hawk up Soldiers with the U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan soar the skies in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a joint training ex- ercise with members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force to rehearse tactical flight operations at Camp Zama, Japan, Jan. 9. Military Scene Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 25 Mason takes reins of Army aviation acquisition By MICHELLE MILLER Program Executive Office for Aviation

The Program Executive Office for Aviation held a change of charter Jan. 14 at the Redstone Test Center hangar to commemorate Maj. Gen. Thomas Todd transferring his responsibilities as the program executive officer to Patrick Mason. “I can’t begin to say what an absolute honor and privilege it is for me to serve with the tremendous PEO Aviation team as we execute our mission,” Mason said. Mason, who retired from the Army with more than 30 years of service in 2016, was sworn into the Senior Executive Service in June 2017 and assumed duties as the senior civilian and deputy PEO under Todd. Mason thanked Todd for his mentorship and leadership throughout his tenure as the deputy PEO. “I am extremely grateful for your example as a senior leader of setting priorities, remaining focused and working to achieve a work-life balance,” Mason said. “We all should emulate this as we move forward in our careers.” As the PEO, Mason will be the Army’s top aviation acquisition officer responsible for purchasing and managing the life cycle of the Army’s aviation weapon systems and equipment. He will oversee 10 project offices including: Apache Helicopters, Aviation Mission Systems & Architecture, Cargo Helicopters, Utility Helicopters, Improved Turbine Engine, Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, Future Long- Range Assault Aircraft, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Fixed Wing Aircraft and Multi-National Aviation Special Projects. Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technol- ogy, officiated the ceremony. Jette said he has confidence Mason will be successful in his new position saying Mason has shown tremendous capability and competency in his ability to lead and Photo by Denise DeMonia manage as the deputy PEO. Patrick Mason, right, accepts the Program Executive Office for Aviation charter from Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and See Aviation on page 26 technology, during the Jan. 14 change of charter ceremony. 26 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Military Scene Aviation Continued from page 25

“Maj. Gen. Todd has done an outstanding job of working with his counterparts, balancing challenges effectively and we are well on our way to generating amazing solutions,” Jette said. “He understands leadership, he knows how to work with peo- ple and he understands how to manage large organizations.” Todd is no stranger to PEO Aviation. Throughout his 30 year military career, he has served in the organization for 23 years and six ranks as a captain, a major, a lieutenant colonel, a colonel, a brigadier general and a major general. He received his second star in 2019. “Being the PEO has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it’s been one of the greatest things I’ve ever had the privilege of doing,” Todd said. “I never thought I’d love anything more than Alabama football, but I think I like PEO Avia- tion a lot better.” Todd was awarded the Legion of Merit by Jette during the ceremony. Retired Maj. Gen. Tim Crosby, a former PEO, presented Todd with the Honorable Order of St. Michael, Gold award from the Army Aviation Association of America for his sig- nificant contributions to the promotion of Army aviation. Todd’s wife, Tracy, was presented the AAAA Order of Our Lady of Loreto award for her support to Army aviation. Established in 1987, PEO Aviation’s top priority is reducing the burden on our Sol- diers with a mission focus to design, develop, deliver and support advanced aviation capabilities for operational commanders and our allies. PEO Aviation is made up of 3,000 military, government civilian and contractor employees specializing in acquisi- tion, logistics and technical fields, to include 1,300 personnel deployed throughout the world supporting combatant command requirements. Todd’s next assignment is deputy commander, Combined Security Transition Command, Afghanistan, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan. Military Scene Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 27 Logistician provides critical support for warfighters

By MILES BROWN Aviation and Missile Command Public Affairs

Gary Cathcart, a logistics management specialist with the Aviation and Missile Command Logistics Center, thrives on challenges. Many of the work challenges he faces daily test his ingenuity and technical skills at the Counter-Rocket Artillery Mortar Project Office supporting warfighters thou- sands of miles from Alabama. Cathcart, who hails from Dothan, leads the logistics efforts providing global sup- port for the broad range of products support, logistics support, supply, training and maintenance activities sustaining the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Land-based Phalanx Weapon System programs. Phillip White, the C-RAM Sustainment Division chief, said Cathcart contributes to the life-cycle management for all the C-RAM Project’s acquisition programs. The intercept capability of C-RAM is effectively a radar-controlled, rapid-fire gun for close-in protection from indirect fire. The weapon system also contains a forward- looking infrared camera to allow Soldiers to visually identify target threats before engaging the targets. “His diligence and dependably demonstrate that he is dedicated to the warfighter while maintaining program affordability,” White said. “All of the programs Cathcart supports directly contribute to combat capabilities in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.” Cathcart heads a three-member logistics team dedicated to providing cradle-to- grave support for automated Air and Missile Defense systems used throughout the Army. The team demonstrated their creativity and dedication while trying to solve a LPWS supply and shipping challenge. The LPWS wooden shipping containers, used to transport the systems to and from Courtesy photo Gary Cathcart, a logistics management specialist with the Aviation and Missile deployed locations, were fragile, highly pilferable and costly, according to White. Command Logistics Center, inventories new heavy-duty alternators before they Cathcart knew his team had to develop a better container. They constructed and are installed on Counter-Rocket Artillery Mortar support vehicles. tested a container prototype which now serves as the standard LPWS shipping con- tainer. It holds all the system’s components securely in place during shipment and, because of its durability, can be used to store a unit’s gear once the system reaches the Soldiers in the field. Cathcart and his team’s efforts resulted in a savings of more than $1 million in fiscal 2018, which exceeded C-RAM’s entire savings goal for the year. Cathcart, who has worked on Redstone Arsenal for more than 15 years, thrives on the variety of challenges he faces day in and day out. “I enjoy the challenges that come with the broad scope of responsibilities and requirements needed to support the systems we have deployed around the world,” Cathcart said. Those challenges included providing critical sustainment support for the Army’s C-UAS and Gun, Air Defense Artillery Towed programs. He recently completed base-line lists for insertion into C-RAM contracts which allowed for completion of contract efforts ahead of schedule and identified the correct quantities and types of parts needed to support these critical programs. Cathcart’s efforts reduced the cost associated with parts acquisition by $15 million for the C-UAS program and $25 mil- lion for GADAT, according to White. Cathcart finds the most rewarding part of his job in supporting those deployed down range. “I love to hear from deployed Soldiers and civilians who appreciate the perfor- mance of the systems we deploy and the successful sustainment of those systems,” Cathcart said. White echoed that appreciation as part of Cathcart’s nomination for the 2019 Er- nest A. Young Logistics Achievement Awards. Cathcart’s leadership and teamwork were highlighted throughout the nomination package with numerous examples of his dedication to the warfighter. White detailed efforts that reduced costs associated with transportation, parts or- dering and excess parts recovery that saved the Army millions of dollars annually and improved weapon system availability rates. White said Cathcart’s “versatile tal- ents and abilities” greatly reduced costs associated with warehousing, accountability and care of supplies in storage. “Gary’s contributions directly support the Army’s goals and objectives while pro- viding global support and sustainment of fielded systems,” he said. “His efforts are notable within ALC and PEO Missiles & Space, and contribute to Army readiness, sustainment affordability and mission accomplishment.” 28 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Military Scene Raymond becomes first chief of space operations

By CHARLES POPE DOD News

WASHINGTON – Vice President Mike Pence swore in Air Force Gen. John “Jay” Raymond as the highest-ranking military leader of the newly created U.S. Space Force in a ceremony that recognized the arrival of the nation’s newest military branch. Raymond was formally designated the first chief of space operations in a formal ceremony sponsored by the White House and held at the Eisenhower Executive Of- fice Building. It came less than a month after the Space Force, by law, became the sixth independent branch of the U.S. military, marking the first time since 1947 that a new military branch had been created. “The first decision the president made after establishing the Space Force was de- ciding who should be its first leader,” Pence said. “I was around when the president made that decision and I can tell you, he never hesitated. He knew right away there was no one more qualified or more prepared from a lifetime of service than General Jay Raymond to serve as the first leader of the Space Force.” The Space Force was established Dec. 20 when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act. He also appointed Raymond to lead the Space Force. Although directed by its own military leadership, the Space Force is nested within the Department of the Air Force. Raymond noted the historic nature of the moment. “Not only is this historical; it’s critical,” he said. “That is not lost on me or the outstanding Americans who serve with me.” The Space Force’s overarching responsibility is training, equipping and organizing Photo by Andy Morataya, Air Force a cadre of space professionals who protect U.S. and allied interests in space while Air Force Gen. John “Jay” Raymond addresses the audience in the Executive also providing space capabilities to the joint force. The Space Force’s mandate in- Eisenhower Office Building Washington after being sworn in as the first chief of cludes developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, space operations by Vice President Mike Pence, Jan 14. refining military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces for use by combatant commands. A major reason for creating the Space Force is the importance of space for both national security and everyday life. It is the backbone that allows for instant com- munication worldwide, precision navigation and global commerce. The U.S. Space Force will ensure the country’s continued leadership in space, Raymond said. Equal- ly important, he added, is avoiding conflict in space. “We want to deter that conflict from happening,” he said. “The best way I know how to do that is through a position of strength.” Among those attending the ceremony were Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Deputy Defense Secretary of Defense David Norquist, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Adm. Charles Ray, vice comman- dant of the Coast Guard; Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations; and Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “We are moving forward with alacrity and in accordance with presidential direc- tion, the law, and DOD guidance,” Barrett said about the establishment of the new U.S. Space Force. “Directing this effort is the incomparably qualified leader, General ‘Jay’ Raymond. As a career space officer, he’s the perfect person to guide this lean, agile, vital Space Force.” Raymond was the natural choice for the job. He is the commander of the U.S. Space Command, the nation’s unified command for space. Before his new role, Raymond was the commander of Air Force Space Command, which carried the nation’s primary military focus on space, managing a constellation of satellites, developing policy and programs and training frontline space operators. Air Force Space Command was redesignated as the U.S. Space Force under the re- cently passed NDAA. More broadly, the Space Force is responsible for maintaining the United States’ space superiority, even as space becomes more crowded and contested. The NDAA, which created the Space Force, also directs that the Space Force “shall provide the freedom of operation in, from, and to space, while providing prompt and sustained space operations.” Editor’s note: Charles Pope is assigned to the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs. Air Force Maj. Will Russell contributed to this report. Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 29 Win orLose Blouses outlast Mavericks in overtime thriller By SKIP VAUGHN Rocket editor [email protected]

The Blouses wanted to get the short-handed Mavericks in foul trouble. They did and outlasted the defending champions in overtime 66-61 on Jan.14 at the Marshall Wellness Center. The Mavericks started the game with five players and had to play with four when Willie Wade fouled out midway in the second half. “Our goal was to get the big man (Wade) fouled out second half because he had four fouls first half,” Blouses player/coach Chasen Uptain said. “We just played smart at the end, took care of the ball, made our free throws.” Uptain, who played guard, finished with 20 points on four 3-pointers. He had four rebounds and two assists. Justin Wright added 22 points and seven rebounds for the Blouses (4-2). He was 3-of-4 from the foul line in overtime when the Blouses outscored the Mavericks 7-2. The score was tied 59-all at the end of regulation. The Blouses led 42-35 at halftime but couldn’t hold their advantage. Collin Orcutt had nine rebounds and two assists. Chris Loepker had six rebounds and blocked two shots. The Mavericks (4-2) were led by Lee Smith with a game high 24 points. He had seven rebounds. “To have four players (for the final nine minutes), we fought hard,” Smith said. Breion Ware added 21 points and 12 rebounds. He made three 3-pointers. “We didn’t have enough. We lost our big man with about seven minutes to go,” Ware said. “We still made a great game though. I think a couple of us ran out of steam right at the end.” RTC 38, Hot Cheese Soup 35: Jonathan McCord scored 16 with two 3-pointers for the Redstone Test Center (3-2). “It was a hard-fought game. They’re a real good team,” RTC player/coach Juan Photo by Skip Vaughn Hall said. “Glad to come out on top.” Chasen Uptain finishes with 20 points on four 3-pointers as the Blouses beat the Chase Clinard had a game high 20 for Hot Cheese Soup (3-3). Mavericks, 66-61 in overtime. Hard Knox 63, Court Controllers 29: Erik Hatton led a trio in double figures for Hard Knox (3-2). Hatton had 18 with four 3-pointers while Nick Mastramico had 16 and John Rog- ers added 15. Spenser Kockler scored 11 for Court Controllers (1-4). Trashed Pandas 64, Marske & Crutch 38: Chase Pendley had 17 on five 3-pointers for the surging Trashed Pandas (3-3). Forrest Ford added 13. The Trashed Pandas won their second straight since the holiday break and outscored their two opponents 125-78. Jason Marske had 13 and Brandon Cook 12 for Marske & Crutch (1-4). Almost Semi-Pro 46, Monstars 43: Mitchell Dickinson had 14 and Joe Kezon 11 for Almost Semi-Pro (2-3). Adam Molloy had a game high 17 with three 3-pointers for the Monstars (1-5).

In this section... Marshall basketball standings page 30 Your glory days in sportS page 30 14U Redstone team falls short to Liberty page 31 LSU and SEC worth chanting about page 32 Photo by Skip Vaughn Cadet achieves max grade in fitness test page 33 The Mavericks’ Breion Ware dribbles against Blouses defender Chasen Uptain. 30 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Win or Lose Marshall basketball standings Here are standings in the 2019-20 Marshall Athletic Recreational Services basket- ball league entering this week: Won Loss Space Jam 6 0 Blouses 5 2 Mavericks 5 2 Trashed Pandas 4 3 Hard Knox 3 3 RTC 3 3 Hot Cheese Soup 3 3 Almost Semi-Pro 2 4 Monstars 2 5 Marske & Crutch 1 5 Court Controllers 1 5 Your glory days in sports By SKIP VAUGHN Rocket editor [email protected]

What is the highlight of your athletic endeavors?

“The highlight was way back in the ‘90s when my junior high basketball team won the county championship three years in a row,” Ashley Schenck, front desk attendant at the Marshall Wellness Center, said. “It was Stanley Junior High School in Stanley, North Photo by Skip Vaughn Carolina, in 1991, ’92 and ’93. Ashley Schenck, of the Marshall “In my freshman year, that county cham- Wellness Center, was the point pionship game we won by two points because guard on a three-time county I stole the ball and hit a layup last seconds. champion basketball team in It was awesome. My picture was in the paper junior high school. and everything.” Schenck, 42, is from Stanley which is near Charlotte, North Carolina. She has worked at the Marshall Wellness Center since October. Her family moved from At- lanta to Madison in August. She and her husband of 15 years, Rodney, who works for the FBI, have a son, Zachary, 12. Schenck loves watching her son play travel baseball and she is also a professional photographer. She received a bachelor’s in psychology from Appalachian State in 1999 and a master’s of education in 2001 from Southern Mississippi, where she met her husband. She roots for the LSU Ti- gers and the New Orleans Saints. Win or Lose Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 31 14U Redstone team falls short to Liberty By SKIP VAUGHN Rocket editor [email protected]

Caleb Holt deftly dribbled behind his back, drove the lane and scored a layup. No wonder he’s ranked No. 3 for 12-year-old basketball players in the state of Alabama. The 6-foot point guard plays with smoothness and unmistakable talent. Holt had 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Redstone 14-and-under team Thursday night against Liberty. But Redstone lost 38-35 at the Moon Complex, the former Grissom High building in south Huntsville. “We should have rebound the ball better,” Holt said. Besides playing for Redstone in the Huntsville recreation league, he also plays for an AAU team. He attends a private school in New Market. Redstone (5-2) trailed 10-9 after the first six-minute quarter. Liberty led 21-18 at halftime and 28-22 after three quarters. “We were on a three-game winning streak, beating teams by 22 or better,” Red- stone coach Marcus Tolbert said. “So tonight I think they thought it was supposed to be given to them. And so we were a little lazy getting back on D and our offense was dragging.” Lucas Hazelrig scored 17 with two 3-pointers for Liberty (6-1). When a teammate missed the front end of a one-and-one, Hazelrig made a crucial rebound and put- back with eight seconds left to end the scoring. “It was a tough game but we all wanted that rebound, I know,” Hazelrig, who fouled out with six seconds left, said. “So I was just happy I could get it and get our team the win.” Jaxon McMonigle added 10 points, 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. “They never gave up,” Liberty coach Robert McMonigle said. “They had a few Photo by Skip Vaughn mistakes and fouls early on set us back, kept the game even. They rallied in the fourth Redstone’s Caleb Holt scores despite getting fouled on this play in the second to keep it close. And defense won in the end.” quarter. He missed the free throw but finished with 19 points. Liberty won 38-35. 32 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Win or Lose LSU and SEC worth chanting about Louisiana State University left no doubt after beating Clemson for the national championship. It is indeed the best college football team in the nation. And the Southeastern Conference is the best, too. SEC teams went 8-2 in bowl games. Clemson’s own Atlantic Coast Conference went 4-7 and the Big Ten was 4-5. Others included the American Athletic Conference (4-3), Big 12 (1-5), Conference USA (3-5), Mid-American (3-4), Mountain West (4- 3), Pac-12 (4-3), Sun Belt (3-2) and independents (2-1). The SEC hasn’t dominated every year like this. Clemson was of course the unbeat- en defending champion before facing LSU. But those who argued that the balance of power had shifted to the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big Ten have been ef- fectively silenced. The Southeastern Conference still rules the college football world. According to legend, a reporter found Mark Twain and asked him what comment he had about the rumor he was dead. As the story goes, Twain replied, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” So, in this case, suggestions that SEC football was on the decline were grossly inac- curate. In the Southeastern Conference, football just means more.

From the sidelines By Skip Vaughn Rocket editor Win or Lose Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 33 Cadet achieves max grade in total body fitness test By BRANDON O’CONNOR Army News Service

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Partway up the rope that marks the end of the ground- phase of the Indoor Obstacle Course Test, Class of 2021 Cadet Sophia Suri began to feel lightheaded. She had slipped on an early apparatus during her run of the course and for the next few stages she felt “spooked,” but kept going. Then, halfway up the rope the dizzy spell hit, so she climbed down and once her feet hit the ground she fainted. Completing the course in a passing time is a graduation requirement at the U.S. Military Academy and that is difficult to do when you are out cold on the floor before the finish line, so, like it or not, Suri was going to have to return and run the course again. “I went into it again a month later thinking, I can’t really do any worse than that because I didn’t finish it,” Suri said. “I was like, ‘I’ve got this like. I just need to finish it.’” Finish it she did, racing her way through the course in a time fast enough to earn a tab as a top IOCT finisher, which requires female cadets to finish the course in -un der three minutes and 35 seconds. After proving to herself that she could finish the course, Suri refused to be satisfied with just tabbing it. She returned to the course in November determined to get an A-plus. Racing from the start line she made her way through the obstacles she had trained on, over the pommel horse, across the bars and eventually up the rope that had thwarted her be- fore and finishing with sprints around the indoor track. Then, her final time flashed on the board, showing she had run in the high 3:20s, when a 3:14 was required for an A-plus. The course had beaten her once before leav- ing her passed out at the bottom of the rope, but this time, with motivation from her dad in the back of her mind after she’d taken him along on one of her training runs, she refused to be beaten by the IOCT. “(My dad) went through and ran it with me and he told me that he could beat my score,’ Suri said. “It kind of pissed me off, like you’re a 50-year-old man, you’re not going to beat my score. He was basically like, ‘How long does it take you to run it?’ I said, ‘Three minutes, but it hurts. It’s a painful three minutes.’ He said, ‘I can do anything for three minutes.’” She took that mindset with her into Hayes Gymnasium where the test is held, and then standing at the finish line of the IOCT having not met her goal, she had a choice to make. Walkaway with her tab, but short of an A-plus and return during the spring semester. Or, she could walk downstairs, get back in line and run the course a second time. Three minutes, that is all it would take, and with her dad’s message inspiring her she chose to run the course again on the same day. “I was like, ‘Well, I’m here. I’m capable. I’m running it right now,’” Suri said. “I just got back in line. At the start of the test, I just told myself I’m not going to waste my time. I’m going to get an A-plus right now and I’m never going to run it again.” She stood again at the starting line and took off on the course through the tire swing, across the balance beam and up the wall. Racing through the sprints at the top, the clock flashed three minutes as she started her final lap, Suri said, and at that Photo by Brandon O’Connor point she knew she was going to hit her mark. Class of 2021 Cadet Sophia Suri ran the IOCT twice in one day in November in Her official time from the Department of Physical Education for that final run order to get the highest grade possible on the women’s scale at the U.S. Military was three minutes and 14 seconds, the exact time needed for an A-plus. Reaching the Academy. time meant she never had to run the course again as she had the maximum grade she could obtain on the female cadet grading scale. Since accomplishing her goal of an A-plus, the fact that it was only on the female scale has motivated her to maybe change her mind about never doing the course again. On the men’s scale, her time is a C-minus, and after proving to herself that she can do the course, that just might not be good enough. “My long-term goal if I decide to run it again next year, even though I don’t have to, is I want to get a better grade on the guys’ scale,” Suri said. “This is one of the only tests now that is divided by gender.” Win or Lose Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 35

Photo by Sgt. Nicholas Holmes Fitness test Soldiers participate in the Army Combat Fitness Test at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Jan. 7. The training is designed to improve unit readiness and combat effec- tiveness. 36 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence RocketAnnouncements

Sports&Recreation Boating safety classes The Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 24-06 on Redstone Arsenal is offering two dif- ferent boating classes in 2020: “Boating Skills and Seamanship,” and “About Boating Safety.” Boating skills/seamanship is a six-evening course Feb. 13, 20, 27, March 12, 19 and 26 from 6:30-9 p.m. It covers recreational boating in depth; cost is $25 for the book and certificate. About Boating Safety is a one-day class held May 16, June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15. It covers general recreational boating; cost is $25 which in- cludes the student book, lunch and certificate. All classes are held in building 5139 at the MWR Outdoor Recreation Center on Sportsman Drive. In addition to learning about boating safety and Alabama boating requirements, you could be paying less for your boat insurance. You may save up to 15% on your boat insurance. Successful completion of this course will also exempt people from having to take the State of Alabama written boat operator’s examination. For more information or to preregis- ter, contact Bill Stadtlander 361-5841, [email protected]; or Joe Kleri 345- 3022, [email protected]. Conferences&Meetings

Sergeants major association The Redstone Arsenal Sergeants Major Association conducts a monthly meeting every third Thursday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Garrison build- ing 4488, conference room D-101. The meetings are open to all E-9 ranks, from all services – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard. Membership into the association is $20 for a one-year membership, $50 for a three-year membership and $100 for a lifetime membership. “We encourage all active, retired, reserve and

See Announcements on page 37 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence January 22, 2020 Redstone Rocket 37 National Guard senior Soldiers to come out and join us,” a prepared release said. “Let’s try and make a difference in the lives of the Soldiers, families and retirees in the Tennessee Valley area.” For information visit www.redstonesma.org and www. facebook.com/redstonesma. RocketAnnouncements and Field Artillery branches. For more information email Mike Steves of ADAA Protestant women of chapel at [email protected], or Lt. Col. Michael Fitzgerald of NAFAA at Protestant Women of the Chapel is a place where women can seek God and con- [email protected]. nect with each other through Bible study, prayer and friendship. Redstone Arsenal PWOC meets Thursdays at 930 a.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the school year. For Warrant officers more information, call Bicentennial Chapel 842-2173 or connect with the group on The Warrant Officers Association meets the second Wednesday each month from Facebook at www.FB.com/PWOCRSA. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Redstone Lanes bowling center, meeting room 1. Join the meeting and have lunch. For more information, visit www.redstonewarrants.com. Military and Civilians Club The Redstone Arsenal Military and Civilians Club meets for a luncheon on the Vietnam veterans second Tuesday of each month, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Summit. For more Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 1067, meets the second Thursday of each information, visit http://rsamcc.org/activities/luncheons/. Reservation is required by month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 237 on Drake Avenue. For the Friday prior to the luncheon, and can be made by emailing the reservations chair information call first vice president and membership chairman Richard Knight 722- at [email protected]. The goals of RSA MCC include fostering and 3027 or visit www.vietvethsv.org. preserving good fellowship; providing educational, cultural and fun activities for its membership while maintaining its military roots; and empowering members through camaraderie and networking. RSA MCC is open to everyone connected to Redstone MiscellaneousItems Arsenal with independent gate access who wish to promote community assistance and support community activities through fundraising. Men’s ministry Men’s Ministry addresses the needs of men and plants seeds for spiritual growth in Marine Corps league Christ. Call Harry Hobbs at 783-1793 for more information. The Brandon-Wilbourn Marine Corps League Detachment 820 has a monthly meeting every second Saturday at noon at the American Legion Post 237, 2900 Young citizen of month Drake Ave. Detachment 820 is open to all active, retired and former Marines. The Do you know a young citizen in grades 7-12 who has done something special and league is a veterans/military service organization formed for promoting the interest deserves recognition? Rocket City Broadcasting/Community Awareness for Youth of the Marine Corps, to provide camaraderie and assistance to Marines and preserve conduct the Young Citizen of the Month award program. Each month’s recipient the traditions of the Marine Corps. For information call commandant Stephen Cecil will meet the Huntsville mayor and City Council members, receive a Huntsville Hu- 829-1839, senior vice commandant Earl Hokanson 881-2852 or adjutant Charlene man Relations Commission certificate and other prize packages. Sponsors include Antico 778-7093. Rocket City Broadcasting, Huntsville Utilities, Huntsville Optimist Club, Huntsville Police Department, CAFY and the Florida Institute of Technology Huntsville Site. Defense transportation association To nominate a young citizen, visit mystar991.com or call Kenny Anderson 883-3993. The National Defense Transportation Association’s Redstone-Huntsville Chapter will hold its quarterly meeting Feb. 14 at 11:30 a.m. in room 109, Business Adminis- Community grants tration Building of the University of Alabama at Huntsville. The meeting is open to The Thrift Shop will take applications for the 2019 grants until Feb. 29. These the public. For more information, email retired Col. Jeffrey Blackwood at jcblkwd@ grants are open to all nonprofit groups (no individuals please) that impact the Red- att.net. stone military community. Applications must be mailed through the post office be- fore deadline date to be considered. They ask that applications not be dropped off Purple Heart chapter at the Thrift Shop. For more information, email Ruth Soracco at ruthsoracco@bell- Military Order of the Purple Heart, George A. Rauh Chapter 2201, meets the south.net or call 539-0606. second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Post 237 at 2900 Drake Ave. All combat-wounded veterans are invited. For more information, call See Announcements on page 38 Leonard Robinson 337-8313.

Air defenders/field artillery dinner The Huntsville/Redstone Arsenal Chapter of the Air Defense Association and North Alabama Chapter of the U.S. Field Artillery Association will hold the an- nual St. Barbara’s Dinner and Induction Ceremony on Feb. 8 at The Summit. The Order of St. Barbara is awarded to those who have demonstrated the highest stan- dards of integrity and moral character, displayed outstanding competence and pro- fessionalism, and have made significant contributions to the Air Defense Artillery 38 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence Artillery associations’ dinner The Redstone Arsenal/Huntsville Alabama Air Defense Artillery and North Alabama Field Artillery Associations have announced the annual dinner saluting the air defense and RocketAnnouncements field artillery branches and honoring significant contributions to ADA and FA through Vision board workshop the Order of St. Barbara Induction Ceremony. The dinner/ceremony is Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. at Vision Board Inc.’s annual Vision Board Workshop is Saturday from 10 a.m. The Summit at Redstone. The guest speaker is Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler, commander of to 5 p.m. at the Huntsville Downtown Embassy Suites Hotel and Spa. All mate- the Space and Missile Defense Command. Costs begin at $35 for active duty military. For rials will be provided and lunch will be served. Tickets are $35 to $55. The con- registration and details, visit www.HuntsvilleADAA.org. Register by Jan. 31. tact is Tara Pickens 642-7935. For more information, visit www.visionboardinc.org/ annual-workshop. Valentine’s dinner Huntsville South Civic Association will have a fundraising dinner Feb. 14 from Rifle marksmanship clinic 6-9 p.m. at Venue 4 You, 8415 Whitesburg Drive, Suite J. Dinner by local chef Chris The Revolutionary War Veterans Association, Project Appleseed will hold a two- Belcher. Activities include a silent auction, draw down and trivia. Cost is $35 per day rifle marksmanship clinic and describe the events of April 19, 1775. The clinic is person. For ticket information, email [email protected]. scheduled March 28-29 at the Madison County Shooting Sports Association, Sharon Johnston Park, 783 Coleman Road in New Market. “In today’s fast paced world it’s UAH alumni a challenge to stay connected to the values that our great country was built on. Ide- University of Alabama in Huntsville alums are invited to enjoy a night out at als like integrity, commitment and personal responsibility,” a prepared release said. Rocket Republic Downtown Huntsville with UAH alumni and owners John and “At Project Appleseed, we’re dedicated to keeping these timeless values alive.” To Lynn Troy. The event is Feb. 4 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Rocket Republic Downtown register go to https://appleseedinfo.org. For more information, email Gary at Huntsville. Dress is business attire. You must bring your ID in order to participate [email protected] or call 503-9982. in the tastings. For more information, call the Office of Alumni Relations 824-2586 or email [email protected]. For tickets visit www.tinyurl.com/PerfectPairings20. Resource managers’ institute The American Society of Military Comptrollers, Redstone-Huntsville Chapter’s Dinner-dance 2020 Mini Professional Development Institute is Feb. 12 at the NASA Marshall Space The MARS Ballroom Dance Club will hold its 2020 Dinner-Dance Feb. 8 at the Flight Center’s Activities Center. The event is again co-sponsored by Morgan Frank- UAH Conference Training Center Exhibit Hall, 1410 Ben Graves Drive. Semifor- lin Consulting and Thompson Gray, among others. The speakers include: Jonathan mal attire is suggested. The social will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner Moak, OASA (FM&C), principal deputy; William Robert, OASA (FM&C), director at 6:30. Dancing to the music of the Drew White Orchestra will begin at 7:30 and for accountability and audit readiness; Al Runnels, ASMC executive director; John continue until 10:30. Tickets for MARS Ballroom Dance Club members are $43 Merrill, secretary of state for Alabama; Dale Smith, AMCOM director for resource each. Non-members are welcome and their tickets are $48 each. Reservation forms management; and Col. Samuel Glover, SMDC director for resource management. are due by Jan. 30. For mail-in reservation forms, select “Club Forms and Docu- Lunch is catered for $15 per person and will require the purchase of a separate ticket ments” at the website https://sites.google.com/site/marsballroomdanceclub or email through Eventbrite. To register for the event and make lunch ticket purchases, visit at [email protected]. For more information, call MBDC President John Weir the ASMC Redstone-Huntsville Chapter’s website at www.asmc-rsa-hsv.org/pdi. 714-6886 or contact any of the board members listed on the website. Dog ball fundraiser The 31st annual Dog Ball, benefiting the Greater Huntsville Humane Society, is Feb. 8 at 5:45 p.m. at the Von Braun Center South Hall. GHHS will present 50 dogs from across the community, some of which are looking for their forever home and will be available for adoption. The silent auction includes many dog-related items, fine jewelry, local art, trips, animal portraits, veterinarian services and more. Guests will have an opportunity to win tickets to the 2020 Westminster Dog Show and a $2,000 Visa card for trip expenses. A sit-down dinner and a runway presentation will

See Announcements on page 40 40 Redstone Rocket January 22, 2020 Redstone Arsenal: Federal Center of Excellence RocketAnnouncements close out the night. For tickets and more information, visit www.thedogball.org or call the Greater Huntsville Humane Society 881-8081.

Financial readiness course Army Community Service’s Financial Readiness program manager, in partnership with ACS Family Advocacy program manager, will present “Money Scripts: An Inte- grated Approach to Financial Health.” The course is Feb. 25 from 10:30-11:30 a.m., fol- lowed by Q&A from 11:30-noon, in Toftoy Hall room 222. The classroom number is sub- ject to change. There is limited seating; first come, first served. No registration required.

Health department report The Madison County Health Department released its weekly food/lodging establish- ment ratings for Jan. 6-10. Establishments with the highest scores included Sam’s Club 8107 (Meat), 2235 National Boulevard, 100; Sam’s Club 8107 (Bakery), 2235 National Boulevard, 100; Walmart 5716 (Produce), 9020 Bailey Cove Road, 100; Valley Pizza Inc., doing business as Domino’s, 7200 Bailey Cove Road, 100; Huntsville Newks-Dynetics, 1002 Explorer Boulevard, 100; Belle Fleur, 538 Harvest Road, Harvest, 100; and Ironrod Holdings Inc. Donatos Pizza, 1004 Explorer Boulevard, 100. Establishments with the lowest scores included Vinny’s Greek & Indian Grill, 110 Southside Square, 86; Hunts- ville Marriott-Restaurant & Catering, 5 Tranquility Base, 86; McAlisters Deli 1080, 1480 Perimeter Parkway, 85; Mei Wei Asian Cuisine, 309 Pelham Ave., 84; Chuy’s, 935 Bob Wallace Ave., 82; and Buena Vista Cantina, 8217 Highway 72 West, Madison, 75.

Cybersecurity jobs The Sentar recruiting team invites professionals Jan. 29 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Rocket City Tavern, 2100 Rideout Road. They are looking for cleared cyber, in- tel and IT professionals with a current security clearance. Current openings include senior cybersecurity project manager, cybersecurity engineer, systems administrator, cybersecurity analyst and RMF specialists. Bring your resume for a drink ticket. To secure your interview, email your resume to [email protected].

Ballet military tribute Huntsville Ballet Company will present “Off Stage” Feb. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Von Braun Center Playhouse. Act one will include many genres of dance from famous clas- sical ballet pieces to contemporary and hip hop performances. During this portion of the show, audience members will have the opportunity to interact with dancers through questions and answers after each performance. Act two is the award winning “Stage Door Canteen,” a tribute to the military, choreographed by Phillip Otto and danced to 1940s music including popular Andrews Sisters favorites. This program is dedicated to Sibyl McDougald Wilkinson. Get tickets at VBC Ticket office or Ticketmaster.com. For 25% off, use code THANKS25. The discount code has to be used in person at the VBC Ticket office. For more information, call 539-0961 or visit huntsvilleballet.org.

Valentine ball The Members Only Club will present its 16th annual Valentine Ball on Feb. 8 from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the NSSF Facility, 6001 Pulaski Pike. The event will feature en- tertainment by Az-IzZ dance and show band and a buffet style dinner. It will include recognition of scholarship recipients and community donations for 2020. Tickets are $40, and $45 day of the event. For tickets call 886-6001 or email membersonlyclub- [email protected].