Vol. 65, No. 31 Publishedished inin thethe interinterest of Division West, First Army and Fort Carson community Aug. 2, 2007 Visit the Fort Carson Web site at www.carson.army.mill Extended R&R for 15-month deployments Army News Service deployments in support of operations Iraqi Freedom of servicemembers and their Families make each day and Enduring Freedom. as we continue to fight this war on terrorism.” WASHINGTON — The Department of “The increase of 18 days of chargeable R&R leave The amended R&R policy is a result of DoD’s Defense approved a policy change to the U.S. for servicemembers on 15-month deployments is change to the rotation and mobilization policy Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave tremendous news,” said Lt. Col. Frazlier Pope, chief, increasing some theater deployments to 15-month Program last week, increasing the R&R time provided R&R leave branch. “It clearly demonstrates DoD’s tours. Any servicemember currently deployed on a to servicemembers currently serving 15-month recognition of the increased sacrifice tens of thousands 15-month tour is eligible, however only the Army has deployments of 15 months duration. The amended policy, which became effective July 13 applies to military personnel only and is not retroactive. Only service- members who took leave on or after July 13 may take 18 days of leave. “Servicemembers who departed for R&R leave prior to July 13th of this year are not eligible for additional chargeable R&R leave days. Regrettably, a line must be drawn at some point,” said Pope. “To make the policy retroactive would cause turbulence in field units and undermine the mission-oriented posture.” Servicemembers will not be charged for their travel days. The R&R leave begins when the servicemember arrives at the commercial airport nearest their leave destination. “It says ‘thank you’ to servicemembers and their Families in a very concrete way,” Pope said. “And it further validates the concept that time away from the combat zone on R&R not only benefits the servicemembers and loved ones, but improves operation readiness by refreshing the force.” Servicemembers serving one-year tours will continue to receive 15 days of chargeable R&R leave. The policy is applicable to active-duty Soldiers and mobilized Reservists who deploy for 15 months. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army However, current Reserve mobilizations are Soldiers currently serving 15-month tours will receive extra time while on Rest and Recuperation leave. for less than 15 month deployments with The leave will begin when Soldiers arrive at the commercial airport nearest their leave destination. options for extensions. INSIDE THE MOUNTAINEER Chef’s society inducts chief Opinion/Editorial Community by Rebecca E. Tonn Perceptions rethinked . .2 Adventure Camp . .11 Mountaineer staff Bear alert . .2 Community Briefs . .12 Spouse battlemind training . .13 Senior Mission Command Food News Twin surgery successful . .14 Advisor Chief Warrant Officer 4 Iraqis help displaced persons . .3 A Chaplain remembered . .16 David J. Longstaff, a certified executive Chapel schedule . .18 chef, was inducted into the prestigious Military MWR events . .24 American Academy of Chefs’ Honor Live Fire training . .5 Filing Claims . .26 Military Briefs . .6 Society July 20 at the Marriott First Buddhist Chaplain . .7 Feature Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Honoring Carson’s fallen . .8-9 Chinook training . .22-23 Longstaff was sworn in during a formal ceremony and was recognized MUST SEE Sports during an AAC members-only, blacktie Carson hosts Special Olympians . .27 dinner. An induction into the AAC is On the Bench . .28-29 Athlete of the week . .30 reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to Happenings both the culinary profession and the Mueller State Park . .31-32 American Culinary Federation. Only Get Out . .33-34 800 members of the ACF, out of 19,000 members, have been inducted Classified advertising (719) 329-5236 into the AAC honor society. Longstaff Sappers and Chinooks train. Display advertising (719) 634-5905 See Pages 22-23. is the third military person to have Mountaineer editor (719) 526-4144 ever received this honor. Post information (719) 526-5811 Word of the month: Perceptions Post weather hotline (719) 526-0096 See Chef on Page 4 Longstaff MOUNTAINEER 2 Aug. 2, 2007 Opinion/Editorial Perceptions need to be updated by Sgt. 1st Class when we find ourselves in the middle not so different from our own children, Our Army and our nation are huge Jose A. Colon Rivera of people of different nationalities, our who like to watch big construction melting pots. The belief or the Equal Opportunity Office mind thinks that those who look like equipment working or planes flying perception that a particular race is Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge us are the good people or that we will by. Teenagers in Europe copy the latest superior to another is in my opinion, feel more comfortable being among fashion trends from the movies or TV based in ignorance. I can only affect First impressions are lasting them. But is that really so? as do our teenagers here in the U. S. one person, me. You can only affect impressions. Have you noticed that To those of us who have spent a One of my most memorable experi- one person, yourself. For us to change when you find yourself in a group of lot of time traveling and becoming ences in Iraq was when a local merchant our world and improve the way we people, people of different nationalities familiar with other cultures, it is easy from a Kurdish village grabbed my arm interact with the world around us, we or races tend to gravitate toward others to go to a perfect stranger and start a and told me in broken English that I need to come to the realization that that look like them? Next time you go to conversation. We might be cautious, looked like him. I am from Puerto Rico with very rare exceptions, the goals of a dining facility, church or mall, take a but that does not stop us from trying and my people have similar facial fea- most people are the same as ours, to be second and observe those around you. to make new friends no matter tures, and that I was safe in his village. happy, to prosper and to live in peace. The groups that you will see, with some where we are. Our perceptions of The bottom line is simple: whether I am not saying that we need to let minor exceptions, will be homogeneous: reality have expanded to understand we look alike or not, we are human go of the instincts and cautions that have they will tend to look alike. that all human beings are really beings, and as so, we belong to the same kept us alive in many battlefields. I am In general terms, human beings alike, our basic needs are the same, race—the human race. Deep down, our saying we need to look at our neighbor don’t like uncertainties. It is human so we tend to act alike. needs are the same whether we come the way he or she is, another human nature to try to make sense of the If you go to South Korea, you will from the Orient, the Pacific Islands, being trying to live free and create a reality at hand. When we do not have quickly notice that young people seem Europe, Africa, or North, South, or better world for his or her children. Learn enough information to make informed to have a cellular phone glued to their Central America. And when we treat to treat each other with infinite dignity decisions, our mind plays a little trick. ear, just like in the good old United each other with respect and dignity, it is and respect. Remember that perceptions We take previous information from past States. Go to the Middle East and you not uncommon to realize that our are usually wrong. Almost 2,000 years experiences and formulate rules that will see children gathering by the side- previous preconceptions and prejudices ago, someone said it best, “Treat others we apply to the situation at hand. So walk to watch the big trucks going by, were based on ignorance rather than fact. the way you want to be treated.” Bear alert! by Richard Bunn neighborhood, bring these items inside Directorate of Environmental Compliance and immediately. If household garbage is Management Wildlife Team stored outside, consider replacing cans with bear-proof containers. The fact that bears have learned to climb over and If any food waste goes into the dig under the Fort Carson security perimeter fence is dumpster at work, then the dumpster not really news. Their presence in the cantonment for should be replaced with a bear-proof Fort Carson is equally expected. What is somewhat one. Waste management companies in unexpected is the rather high number of different bears the Pikes Peak area will generally that have been sighted around buildings on post in replace a regular dumpster with a early July. Bear activity on the post generally picks up bear-proof one if requested. Contact in August and peaks during the early fall months when the waste disposal contractor and request to have he needs to leave the area immediately and go to a bears are feeding all day to pack on the fat for hiber- it replaced. Obvious places where bears are or safe place. If a person is close to a bear that has not nation. With so many bears around now, it is difficult will become a problem are restaurants, bars, schools yet detected him, talk to the bear in a calm voice to imagine that their numbers may increase over the and mess halls, but any dumpster where food is after turning and walking away.