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.