!"#&$"%%!´ THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 2015 |67th Ye ar Number 36 PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE FORT MEADE COMMUNITY FTMEADE.ARMY.MIL Home Sweet Home Jeremy Todd lives in his Eastport home with Michelle Manfredi, his girlfriend of 10 months, and their three dogs. Todd, the advertising and public relations spe- cialist for the Baltimore Recruiting Battalion, will gather with neighbors, volunteers, contractors and associates of The Home Depot on Sept. 17 to celebrate the recent makeover of his house. The transformation of the house is part of a campaign by The Home Depot to support disabled veterans. Todd, 40, is a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. For the story, see Page 10. PHOTO BY DANIEL KUCIN JR. THE NEXT GENERATION UPCOMING EVENTSDEPLOYMENT CHALLENGES Senior leader shares Friday, 6:30 a.m.: 9/11 Remembrance Run - McGlachlin Parade Field Army training offers Wednesday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: Community Job Fair - Club Meade insight with students Sept.19, 8 a.m.: Football Fanfare 5K Run & 1-Mile Walk - Constitution Park support to spouses PAGE 6 Sept.19, 8 a.m.-1p.m.: Fall Yo uth Fishing Rodeo - Burba Lake Area #5 PAGE 8 2 NEWS THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 2015 |SOUNDOFF! ! COMMANDER’S COLUMN !"#&$"%%´ Honoring our oath to EDITORIAL STAFF Garrison Commander support and defend Col. Brian P. Foley Garrison Command “We the People of the United So as we celebrate Constitu- Sgt. Maj. Rodwell L. Forbes States, in Order to form a more tion Day, I encourage every per- Public Affairs Officer perfect Union, establish Justice, son in our community to read or Chad T. Jones 301-677-1301 insure domestic Tranquillity, pro- re-read our nation’s Constitution [email protected] vide for the common defense, and its amendments. And I en- Editor promote the general Welfare, and courage everyone to think about Dijon Rolle 301-677-6806 secure the Blessings of Liberty to what the words mean to them. [email protected] ourselves and our Posterity, do Garrison Think about why our founding Assistant Editor & Senior Writer ordain and establish this Constitu- Commander fathers included each section, and Col. Brian P. Rona S. Hirsch 301-677-1438 tion for the United States of why the amendments were add- Foley [email protected] America.” ed in later years. www.ftmeade.army.mil Hello again, Team Meade. Doing this can serve as a Staff Writer or ftmeadesoundoff.com September is here, school is reminder that even in times of Lisa R. Rhodes 301-677-1432 back in session and on the 17th of this struggle, challenge or threat, our nation [email protected] Like Fort Meade on Facebook month we will celebrate Constitution Day. remains unique in the world, and the Staff Writer at facebook.com/ftmeade The words written above are part of the principles on which it was founded are Alan H. Feiler 301-677-5159 Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, the worth every dollar and ounce of energy [email protected] Follow Fort Meade on Twitter document each of us in service of our expended to defend. at twitter.com/ftmeademd Design Coordinator nation take an oath to defend, and that our September is also National Suicide Timothy Davis 301-677-1431 View the Flickr photostream citizens pledge allegiance to. Awareness Month. Suicide is almost always [email protected] at flickr.com/photos/ftmeade The document was signed by Congress apreventable tragedy, and we must all in 1787 — 11 years after we boldly declared come together as a community to stop it. Supplemental photography provided Get text alerts from Fort Meade by texting “Follow FtMeadeAlert” to 40404 independence from England, and 160 years Please take advantage of the outstanding by The Baltimore Sun Media Group after the Pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Train- And view the Fort Meade Live Blog Rock. ing conducted every month, and join us DEADLINES at ftmeade.armylive.dodlive.mil The words in our Constitution codify an Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at McGill ideal — the principal of democracy — that Training Center for our free Suicide Community notices ADVERTISING all people are created equal and should be Awareness Workshop. Dr. Donna Holland Friday, noon free to live their lives as equals. This Barnes, author of the book “The Truth [email protected] General Inquiries 410-332-6300 concept was new in the late 1700s, or About Suicide,” is the guest speaker. [email protected] virtually new as it had been more than1,300 Ialso encourage everyone to participate Death Notices: 410-332-6781 years since the decline of the Roman in our annual 9/11 Remembrance and [email protected] Empire in the fifth century. Suicide Awareness Run on Friday. We will “I do solemnly swear to support and start the day by remembering those who CIRCULATION defend the Constitution of the United States lost their lives on Sept.11, 2001. It’s a time for against all enemies foreign and domestic. us as a community to come together in If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are experi- That I bear true faith and allegiance to the unity to pledge that we will never forget the encing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail [email protected]. same.” events of that day. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through Sun- In saying these words we swear alle- We will remain vigilant in defense of our day, 8 a.m. to noon. giance not to a king or queen or president nation and in caring for each other. I thank Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the or religious leader, but to a concept of each and every one of you for what you do personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 freedom and equality written down on a in support of our community and country. N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year piece of paper, and to its subsequent Ilook forward to seeing you at the many in conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must amendments. events scheduled for this month. reach the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. Mailing address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort Meade, MD 20755-5025. Te lephone: 301-677-5602; DSN: 622-5602. Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or Commander’s Open Door patronage without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap or sex of purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley has an open door policy. equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from All service members, retirees, government employees, family members and that source. community members age 18 or older are invited to address issues or concerns to Printed by The Baltimore Sun Co., LLC, a private firm, in no way connected with the the commander directly by visiting Foley’s office on Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. at Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are garrison headquarters in Hodges Hall, Bldg. 4551, Llewellyn Avenue. their own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is Army. The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an en- necessary. dorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised. For more information, call 301-677-4844. Guaranteed circulation: 11,285 SOUNDOFF!|THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 2015 NEWS 3 VA provides lifeline for veterans at risk for suicide By Lisa R. Rhodes Staff Writer Nikole Jones is dedicated to helping veterans at risk for suicide find the value in their lives. “The hopes and dreams that you have for your life, don’t give up on them,” said Jones, suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System who coordinates suicide preven- tion efforts for the system’s six strategically located, community-based outpatient clin- ics. Fort Meade’s Veterans Affairs Commu- nity-Based Outpatient Clinic, located at 2479 5th Ave. near Kimbrough Ambula- tory Care Center, is part of the VA Maryland Health Care System. The clinic opened two years ago. Jones, who has been in the position for eight years, manages a team of three case managers who are suicide prevention specialists, as well as a peer support specialist. This position is held by a veteran PHOTO BY STEVE ELLMORE who has been trained through the VA Peer Nikole Jones (right), the Suicide Prevention coordinator for the VA Maryland Health Care System, chats with Leslie Jacobs, Support Specialist Program and is quali- supervisor health systems specialist and site manager at Fort Meade’s VA Outpatient Clinic, on Sept. 4. Jones coordinates fied to help other veterans deal with suicide prevention efforts for the health care system’s six outpatient clinics. mental health, substance abuse and other issues that make them vulnerable to the VA’s Mail Program. veterans and their family members who safe, the VA instituted a Gun Awareness suicidal thoughts and behavior. “Research has shown that if someone is may be in emotional distress or in a suicide and Safety Program in 2013.