Soldiers

August 2009 • www.army.mil

The Official U.S. Army Magazine

Connections through music

The Volunteers rock the house, page 14

Honoring Soldiers with music

Web site pays tribute to servicemembers, page 20

Remembering D-Day
Veterans take time to remember the past
while living for today, page 44

Survival training
Soldiers live outside their comfort zone, page 6
 Soldiers August 2009 • VOLUME 64, NO. 8

The family of Sgt. 1st Class Danny J. Hocker, assigned to 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, embraces him during a welcome home ceremony in Vilseck, Germany, Oct. 23,
2008, after a 15-month deployment to Iraq. The Army is concerned about Soldiers' health once they return home. See story on page 28. (Photo by Spc. Pastora Y. Hall)

Soldiers
August 2009 • www.army.mil

The Official U.S. Army Magazine

( On the Cover ) ( Coming Next Month )
Connections through music
The Volunteers rock the house

Honoring Soldiers with music

Soldiers feel the rhythm with September 2009 - Drill Sergeant of the
Web site JamsBio pays tribute to servicemembers

Remembering D-Day
Veterans take time to remember the past
while living for today

music. See pages 14 & 20. Year competition.

Survival training
Living outside their comfort zone
Contents August
2009

4 Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

Mental, emotional and social well being
are just as important as physical fitness.

6 Survival training
Soldiers learn to live outside their comfort
zone in the South African bush. 32 Flat track fever
Feature Stories

Women apply Soldier "can-do" spirit to

10 Forming bonds through medicine roller derby competitions.
Servicemembers provide medical assis-
tance in remote areas of Djibouti. 36 A family legacy
A Soldier discovers he's a descendant of a
14 Musical connections famous Civil War general.
The Volunteers rock the house and tell the
Army story through music. 40 In the thick of the fight
A Mississippi boy grows up fast on the
20 Honoring Soldiers with music World War II battlefields of Europe.
Music Web site JamsBio pays tribute to
American servicemembers. 44 Remembering D-Day
Veterans take time to remember the past
28 Protecting Soldiers' health while living for today.
Soldiers returning from a combat zone are
screened for potential health problems. Sgt. 1st Class Nickolas Maney, of the
6th Ranger Training Battalion, learns

Departments
the art of surviving in the South African
bush from a South African special
forces instructor. See story on page
6. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Africa)

19 Faces of Strength Spc. Earl "Doug" Boyce and wife Joy pose
for a wedding picture at Fort Wainwright,
24 On Point Alaska. Joy dedicated the song "At Last" to
her husband to stay romantically connected
with him during his deployment. See story
31 Family Covenant on page 20. (Photo courtesy of Joy Boyce)

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 DEFENSE The Official
U.S. Army Magazine

MEDIA ACTIVITY
Secretary of the Army: Hon. Pete Geren

Chief of Staff: Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

ARMY Chief of Public Affairs: Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner

Defense Media Activity-Army

Commander: Col. MaryAnn Cummings
Print Communications Staff
Editor in Chief: Carrie McLeroy
Managing Editor: David Vergun

We Want Your Story
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The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Depart-
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2 www.army. mil/soldiers

February issue
Dear Soldiers magazine,
Sergeant Jeffrey Dilcher’s letter (in May’s
issue) taking exception to the photo used
in the “Year of the NCO” insert shows
that this Army oftentimes can still be more
about style than substance, which as a non-
commissioned officer, I find more disconcerting than whether a
guy’s sleeves are rolled up.
I look at the images of NCOs from World War II in par-
ticular. Sleeves are rolled up, uniforms are out of sync, and yet
victory in Europe and the Pacific was won by these dog-faced
warriors, many of who were exceptional junior leaders. I won’t
even get into the bearded faces and lack of uniformity of our
Civil War veterans!
That image tells a story. It shows an NCO in the field, on
the mission, getting his hands dirty with the locals. Maybe he
wasn’t issued eye protection, or perhaps his chain of command
didn’t require it for that mission. Maybe, too, his chain of com-
mand was using those radios for a reason, determining that the
IED threat in their area was inconsequential.
Maybe he had just made an excruciating journey through
tormenting terrain. Chinstraps get sweaty and uncomfortable.
He’s still wearing the helmet and his vest, however, and his
weapon is ready to go.
“Jacked up” or “squared away” are matters of perspective,
and I like the gritty concept imparted by this image. It’s our
most important value as NCOs: leadership from the front. I’m
proud of this NCO, working his craft in the field, and frankly,
I’m disgusted that we have to indulge a junior NCO judging
another junior NCO through the lens of “garrison eye.”
Leadership isn’t just about nitpicking; it’s also about
imagination and inspiration. Those are the qualities that move
“marginal” to “exceptional” in leadership parlance, and I would
say more than scrutiny of standards, is why this year should be
the “Year of the NCO.”
Shalom,
Sgt. Brian Kresge
Co. C, 2/112th Infantry (Stryker)
May issue
I am writing to request a correction be made to the (ARNEWS
brief ) titled, “Help available for military hit by housing mar-
ket,” included in the May 2009 issue.
“Some military families are finding themselves in a
precarious situation when it comes to
selling their house and relocating, said
housing experts… The government will
cover 95 percent of the amount lost when
servicemembers are forced to sell due to
permanent change of station moves. The
provision does have some limitations. The
program only applies to servicemembers
who purchased their homes before July 1,
Mailcall
Letters from the field
2006, which is roughly the time when the housing market started
to decline.”(ARNEWS/Carol E. Davis)
There is a sentence that may be misleading. The sentence,
“The government will cover 95 percent of the amount lost when
servicemembers are forced to sell due to permanent change of sta-
tion moves,” leaves room for error and a false hope of 95 percent
recovery in all cases. The statement should not have specifics like
95 percent, as the amount of entitlement can vary based on a
number of factors.
The Army Corps of Engineers Web page, established to pro-
vide information and process applications for the Homeowner’s
Assistance Program, is located at http://hap.usace.army.mil.
Very respectfully,
Suzanne M. Harrison
Acting assistant for Housing and Energy
Office of the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for
Installations and Housing
From the editor: The author of the story printed in the ARNEWS
section of May’s issue of Soldiers was correct when she wrote that
under current guidelines, the government would cover 95 percent
of the amount servicemembers lose when selling their homes as a
result of a PCS move. However, clarification was needed. The gov-
ernment can cover up to 95 percent of the amount under current
guidelines, but as Suzanne M. Harrison stated, that percentage is
determined based on a number of factors. Once the Department
of Defense has approved updated Homeowners Assistance Pro-
gram guidance, the Army News Service will publish a follow-up
article highlighting any changes at
www.army.mil/ARNEWS.
Correction for June issue
Dear editor,
I commend the staff for providing critical
information that allows every Soldier to
learn and grow from. However, in the June
edition of Soldiers Magazine, there is a small typographical error
on page 31 that could cause some new and future NCOs troubles
when performing research. The source for the NCO ranks and re-
sponsibilities is listed as “FM 22.7-7.” It should actually read “FM
7-22.7.” I thank you and your entire staff for your tireless efforts
to ensure Soldiers are informed.
Master Sgt. Ronald C. Baldwin Jr.
Chief instructor, Ordnance Training Company
Regional Training Site-Maintenance
Michigan Air National Guard
Soldiers Values Your
Opinion
To comment, keep your remarks to under 150 words, include your
name, rank and address, and send them to: Defense Media
Activity-Army, Attn: Editor, Soldiers Magazine, Box 31,
2511 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202-3900 or email:
assignmentdesk@afn.dma.mil
Soldiers • August 2009 3
(Right) Sgt. David A. Leakey, assigned to the 45th
Special Troops Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii,
performs push-ups as part of the Army physical
fitness test during the 1st Sustainment Command
(Theater) Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer
of the Year competitions, May 13, at Camp Arifjan,
Kuwait.

Story by Jacqueline M. Hames

T
HE Army has always empha-
sized physical fitness as a large
part of its training, but has
not always focused as extensively on
mental, emotional and social well being
as it does today. The Comprehensive
Soldier Fitness program will provide
the missing link, teaching Soldiers to
become more resilient in five aspects of
total fitness: physical, emotional, social,
spiritual and family strength.
CSF is an Army of balanced and
healthy Soldiers, families and civil-
ians, whose total fitness will help them
thrive in a high-tempo era of persistent
conflict, according to the CSF vision.
Army leaders believe an emotionally
and physically healthy force will result
Sgt. Giancarlo Casem

in a reduction in rates of depression,

post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety,
indiscipline, domestic violence, alcohol
abuse, suicide and absences without
leave.
The program will be linked with
(Above) Pre-Ranger students recite the Ranger Creed the Army career tracker and the re-
as they tread water during the Combat Water Survival quirement for guided self-development,
Assessment portion of the Pre-Ranger Course.
said Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum,
director of CSF.

Comprehensive
“It is a strategy to try and bring the
same amount of attention to people’s
spiritual, emotional and social fitness as
we have historically done in the Army
to physical fitness,” she explained.

Soldier CSF, stood up in October 2008,

is developing a “global assessment
tool,” which will assess all five ele-
ments of Soldier fitness, Cornum said.

FItness Assessments will help create resilience

training that can be tailored to the
individual.

4 www.army.mil/soldiers
 “We have a study ongoing right
now at Fort Jackson. It’s teaching
(resiliency techniques) as part of basic
training. Teaching not just the mental
aspect of it, but the physical part—
deep breathing, visualization about
what will happen, so (they are teach-
ing) the mental and intellectual aspects
as well as the physical,” Cornum said.
Resiliency techniques have resulted
in measurable improvements, she con-
tinued, adding that the Navy provides
45 minutes of resilience education
a week during basic training. The
results are improved graduation rates
and decreased rates of psychological
discharges.
“The same training would be appli-
cable to civilians and family members
and we certainly intend to offer it,”
Cornum added.
Cornum, a medical doctor who
holds doctorates in both nutrition and
biochemistry, believes resilience train-
ing will help with something she calls
“post-traumatic growth”—mentally
reframing an adverse situation so it
does not become traumatic.
Resilience training will help an
individual look at more optimistic and
realistic choices, rather than falling
into negative thought processes, she
explained.
Cornum can speak personally
Participants in the 2009 Fleet Feet Soldier Field 10-miler shadow run, at Forward Operating Base Fenty,
Afghanistan, cross the starting line. The run at FOB Fenty was a satellite run of the 2009 Fleet Feet Soldier
Field 10-miler held in Chicago, May 23.
(inset) On the Army’s Battlemind Web site, “Sgt. Drew” narrates a video to help children deal with deploy-
ment separation stress. The site contains resources that help Soldiers and family members cope with the
stresses of a deployment.
Staff Sgt. Melinda Johnson
about post-traumatic growth
experiences, since she has en-
countered them firsthand. While per-
forming a search-and-rescue mission in
late February 1991, during the Persian
Gulf War, her Black Hawk helicopter
was shot down. She and three other
survivors were taken prisoner by Iraqi
forces; Cornum was repatriated on
March 6 of the same year.
“I have been very fortunate to have
come through some difficult circum-
stances in my life…and I think I had
that ‘post-traumatic growth experience’
because I went into it with an attitude
of expecting that to happen. And I
think we can give that opportunity to a
lot more people,” Cornum said.
“I think most people—certainly the
literature says that most people—will
come through a very difficult, very
stressful, very traumatic experience
with some kind of growth. But it does
help and it does make it more likely if
you’ve done some pre-adversity train-
ing,” she explained.
One example of CSF and resilience
training Cornum cited was the “Strong
Bonds” workshop the Army Chap-
lain Corps runs. Strong Bonds is a
marriage-enrichment program focused
on enabling spouses to communicate
better and build a stronger relationship,
the program Web site states. There is
evi-
dence that it
does improve fam-
ily relationships, Cornum
said.
“From a truly preventive stand-
point, we would like to make self-
confident, mature, compassionate
and empathetic Soldiers,” Cornum
explained. Resilience training and other
programs, like Strong Bonds, will help
create that type of Soldier, family and
civilian, and decrease the likelihood of
individuals engaging in negative behav-
ior, like sexual assault.
Cornum cautions that CSF is not
directly related to sexual assault and
suicide awareness or programs like the
Family Covenant.
“Those are educational things, but
they’re not really intended to increase
your fitness. They are intended to
inform your behavior,” she said.
Since October 2007, CSF has
conducted extensive research for appro-
priate and effective training methods,
as well as beginning implementation
of the global assessment tool. Start-
ing next year, training will be offered
to families and civilians, and become
mandatory for Soldiers, Cornum said.
“I’m really excited about it,” she
added. v
For more information about CSF, visit
www.army.mil/CSF. For more informa-
tion about Strong Bonds, visit www.
strongbonds.org.
Soldiers • August 2009 5
 (Right) Soldiers undergo nearly three weeks of
survival training in the South African bush in
Phalaborwa, near Kruger National Park.
(Below) Dry elephant dung was used by Soldiers
for cooking fuel. Also, animal calls led Soldiers to
water and sounded alarms as well, during eva-
sion exercises.
o f y o u r
Story by Rick Scavetta
‘Out
Photos courtesy U.S. Army Africa
W
HEN evading capture in
the South African bush,
grassy juice from an im-
pala’s stomach quenches thirst. Noisy
hippos mean water is nearby, as does
sighting an African fish eagle.
These are a few tips Staff Sgt. John
Otfinoski, a squad leader with Compa-
ny C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute
Infantry Regiment, learned recently in
survival school, taught by the South
African Special Forces.
Otfinoski was one of three non-
commissioned officers to complete
the three-week course in April, which
focused on living off the land, tracking
and evading capture.
“They strip you bare and teach you
how to survive in the bush,” Otfinoski
said. “It was different than anything
else I’ve ever experienced.”
Master Sgt. Robert Seifert, of
Special Operations Command-Africa,
6 www.army.mil/soldiers
Staff Sgt. John Otfinoski car-
ries an impala through the South
African bush. Zulu instructors,
masters of bush survival, showed
Soldiers how to carry the game
they hunted like a backpack.
and Sgt. 1st Class Nickolas Maney, of
the 6th Ranger Training Battalion, also
took part.
Often it’s U.S. Army NCOs offer-
ing mentorship to African nations—
one of the key missions for U.S. Army
Africa. This case was the reverse. South
African instructors taught U.S. Army
NCOs how to survive in the wild, with
little more than a rifle and canteen.
“They call it ‘going back to Adam,’
right down to the basics,” Seifert said.
“The stuff they teach you—it’s the real
deal. It throws you out of your comfort
zone.”
That meant navigating at night by
stars rather than using a GPS, or rub-
bing wood together over elephant dung
to spark a fire rather than flipping open
a lighter.
“When you’re all alone, it’s dark
and you make fire—that’s a psychologi-
cal victory over nature,” Seifert said. “It
says, ‘I’m not totally powerless.’”
For Seifert, the SASF course
reminded the 25-year veteran of his
early days in the infantry, when survival
training was an annual event. While
some things the South Africans taught
resembled training from his 17 years
in special forces, he learned important
lessons.
“Our Army has all this technology
we rely on—they stripped those things
away,” Seifert said. “We don’t train like
this anymore. It re-emphasized our

t z o n e ’
com for
need to get back to basics.”
The course, which is normally just
one phase for South African Special
Forces recruits, was held specifically for
foreign troops. The American NCOs
trained alongside troops from France,
Sweden and Botswana. The training
took place in Phalaborwa, near Kruger
National Park—roughly a five-hour
drive northeast of Pretoria.
The instructors—who spoke
English with a choppy South African
accent—were Zulus, veteran soldiers
who grew up in the bush and fought
with the SASF in Angola in the early
1980s, Otfinoski said.
“They are very proficient and know
the bush like Wikipedia in their heads,”
Once Soldiers disemboweled an
impala, they squeezed grassy
stomach contents into a canteen
cup. Part of their survival challenge
included eating the impala’s liver,
washed down with the “gut water.”
Otfinoski added. “If you’re thirsty,
they know a plant with buds growing
underneath that can fill your canteen.”
Living off the land also meant
catching, killing and cooking their
food.
African monitor lizards taste
like—you guessed it—chicken. Fire ash
apparently adds a salty taste to boiled
grasshoppers. The “gut water”—juice
squeezed from the grassy pulp found in
an impala’s stomach—proved a point,
but it was disgusting, Seifert said. “It
was the foulest thing I ever drank.”
In all, the Soldiers learned about
more than 70 birds, 50 trees and 25
insect species. When it comes to eat-
ing bugs (yeah, they did a lot of that),
Master Sgt. Robert Seifert dis-
plays the first fish the survival
course team caught on day
one. During the three-week
course, U.S. Army NCOs
learned to fish using sticks,
homemade string and im-
provised hooks—thankfully
catching bigger fish than this,
he said.
Otfinoski learned to avoid insects with
bright colors. Stick to natural tones,
like those of the brown grasshop-
per—of which Otfinoski ate hundreds
during his few weeks in the bush.
“I now know I’ll never die if there
are grasshoppers around,” Otfinoski
said. “I’d be totally comfortable.”
While learning to feed themselves,
the NCOs also practiced the art of
bush tracking, spying telltale signs such
as broken branches or moved grass.
Tracks—or “spoors,” as South Africans
say—are better seen with the sun to
one side. Tracking at high noon is dif-
ficult. Tall wheat appears shinier after
it’s walked though.
Once they understood how to
track, they learned the opposite—how
to escape and evade capture. The Grey
Lourie bird calls out “go away” when
humans are near. It can be heard for
miles, indicating danger when evading
people tracking you. At night, grass-
hoppers stop chirping when you pass.
“If you didn’t use the knowledge
they offered, you wouldn’t survive,”
Otfinoski said. “This course pushed
you to your limits.” v
Rick Scavetta works for U.S. Army
Africa Public Affairs.
Soldiers • August 2009 7
 NCO uses lessons learned on
battlefield to mentor Soldiers
Story by Rick Scavetta

W
HEN Staff Sgt. John Ot-
finoski trains his weapons
squad, he mentors on what
saves lives in combat.
A veteran infantryman who served
four combat tours—three in Afghani-
stan, one in Iraq—Otfinoski knows
training makes all the difference when
bullets start to fly.
Otfinoski recently attended South
African Special Forces survival training,
a program coordinated by U.S. Army
Africa. But upon his return, Otfi-
noski headed straight to Grafenwoehr,
Germany, to prepare for yet another
combat deployment with his unit.
“Any opportunity for me to learn
about the infantry craft, I take it,”
Otfinoski said. “I’m a grunt; but this
Special Forces training taught me a lot.
Now, I’m passing it on.”
Otfinoski’s company saw heavy
Staff Sgt. John Otfinoski coaches a Soldier at the machine gun range in Grafenwoeher, Germany. (Photo combat in 2007 and 2008 fighting
by 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team) insurgents in Afghanistan’s Nuristan
Province. Training to standard now
means incorporating lessons learned
from the battlefield.
“Deployments have increased my
awareness of training and prepara-
tion,” Otfinoski said. “Those of us who
have been downrange know what can
happen, so we train like we fight, using
scenarios based on what we’ve experi-
enced.”
While his Soldiers asked what it
was like to drink grassy juice from an
impala’s stomach during his time in the
African bush, Otfinoski refocuses them
and shares details more applicable to
them in combat. Although his infantry
experiences are extensive and unique,
his recent training added new perspec-
tive, Otfinoski said.
“What we don’t know, we some-
times fear,” Otfinoski said. “The South
Africans taught us to look forward
to what can happen, prepare yourself
Creating shelter from scratch was just one of the things Staff Sgt. John Otfinoski learned in survival school. mentally and don’t let fear set in.” v
(Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. John Otfinoski)

8 www.army.mil/soldiers
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Soldiers • Testpage 2009 11
Forming bonds
through medicine in the
Horn of Africa
Story and photos by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt

S
ERVICEMEMBERS from Com-
bined Joint Task Force – Horn
of Africa traveled throughout
remote regions of Djibouti in March,
providing medical and public health
aid during a medical civil action pro-
gram. The MEDCAP team, made up
of Soldiers assigned to the 489th Civil
Affairs Battalion, 360th Civil Affairs
Brigade force-protection personnel,
Sailors from Camp Lemonier’s Expe-
ditionary Medical Facility, and medics
from the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion,
visited several villages in the Gaggade
Desert.
During the MEDCAP, the
joint-service team administered the
de-worming medication Albendazole,
over-the-counter drugs for minor ail-
ments, and provided acute care to more
than 2,000 people.
“What we are doing here is a
proven and effective public health
intervention. Administering Albenda-
zole to every eligible member of the
community is a recommended practice
in this part of Africa,” said Maj. Rem-
ington Nevin, a public health physician
assigned to the 360th. “In addition to
killing roundworms, which we feel is
the principal benefit, this same medica-
tion can help to eradicate Filariasis as
well as a number of other neglected
tropical diseases.”
To plan the project, CJTF-HOA
worked with the U.S. Agency for Inter-
national Development and the Djibou-
tian minister of health to identify areas
of the country where health care is not
easily accessible.
“They were not looking for sites
that were close to the main road at all.
They were really looking for the sites
that were in the remote regions,” said
the MEDCAP’s mission commander,
Lt. Col. Todd Nord of the 360th.
Rocky terrain leading to areas
like the Gaggade Desert can present

Empty bottles of a de-worming medication sit in a box in Djibouti, March 8, 2009. Servicemembers from the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa gave
the medication to Djiboutians during a medical civil action program.

10 www.army.mil/soldiers
A girl stands in line waiting for medication in Djibouti,
during a medical civil action program conducted
by servicemembers from the Combined Joint Task
Force-Horn of Africa, March 8. Servicemembers visited
several villages in the Gaggade Desert during the
weeklong project.

(Right) People wait in line in Djibouti during a medical civil

action program conducted by servicemembers from the
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

Soldiers • August 2009 11


challenges for those who are willing to
drive into it.
“It is not flatland and desert as one
may think of when they think of Af-
rica. There are mountainous ranges and
regions and gorges, which make access
to rendering health care to people
somewhat difficult,” said Col. Lor-
rie Oldham of the 354th Civil Affairs
functional specialty team, currently as-
12 www.army.mil/soldiers
signed to the 360th. “The United States
government and its military services
are able to get, in concert with the Dji-
boutian government and the minister
of health, to these remote locations to
provide healthcare.”
In addition to the Djiboutian
government, it is necessary for CJTF-
HOA to obtain the respect and permis-
sion of tribal and village elders to treat
A mother gives her child a dose of a de-worming
medication, March 8, in Djibouti.
the citizens of their villages.
“When we get the permission of
the village chief to come here, then
it is very important that we show up,
because they then, via word of mouth,
spread the word out to the outly-
ing community,” said Oldham. “It’s
not as simple as a TV or a radio or a
newspaper or Internet or Twitter or
text messaging or any of those things
that are out there; this is truly word of
mouth. People will come early. They
will walk miles. Usually, when we pull
up to a village to set up, there are about
100 to 200 people waiting on us to get
started.”
The presence of village leaders helps
the MEDCAP team gain the trust of
the people they treat. In one village,
village chief Ali Gadito Ali made sure
the citizens of his village witnessed him
taking a dose of Albendazole before
assisting in its distribution.
“They don’t know you, and they
know me. Of course they get more
confidence and they are happy when
they see me right here. I showed them
the good example. I drank it up and
everybody started drinking it. If I don’t
drink it, nobody is going to drink it.
We really appreciate what you all have
done for us and we welcome you here.
It is very beneficial for the village, what
you have done for us. I would like to
thank all of you,” he told the service-
members.
CJTF-HOA’s efforts to treat remote
villages reflect the command’s goal of
building security capacity in the Horn
of Africa. Through a strategy of conflict
prevention, the task force helps to
build the internal security capacities
of countries at risk to prevail against
extremists exploiting instability.
A boy cries after drinking a dose of a de-worm-
ing medication given to him by servicemembers
from the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of
Africa during a medical civil action program in
Djibouti.
 “Gen. (Anthony) Zinni, the former (Above) A man lies on a homemade stretcher during a medical civil action program
conducted by servicemembers from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa,
commander of CENTCOM (U.S. March 10, in Djibouti. Eleven of the man’s 22 sons said they carried him from miles
away to receive treatment for a leg injury.
Central Command) said it best, that
the real enemies in today’s world are (Below) Maj. Marc Riciti, a physician’s assistant assigned to the 360th Civil Affairs
Brigade, applies a bandage to a local during a medical civil action program in Djibouti.
things like poor health,” said Nevin. Reserve Soldiers from the 360th Civil Affairs Brigade and the 414th and 489th Civil
Affairs Battalions partnered with Sailors from Camp Lemonier’s Expeditionary Medi-
“Good health has many benefits aside cal Facility for the weeklong project. Riciti is deployed with the Combined Joint Task
Force-Horn of Africa.
from simply establishing contacts here
on this mission. It lays the groundwork
for true stability and lasting peace in
this region.”
Major Marc Riciti, a physician’s
assistant assigned to the 360th contem-
plated the long view of the medical care
he provided.
“I think the children will be the
ones who benefit the most from us
being here. They’re the ones who are
going to remember us, they are the
ones who are going to remember the
Americans coming over and handing
out soccer balls, taking care of illnesses,
taking care of their families and that
sort of thing,” said Riciti. “This is how
we develop a generation of folks who
will remember a time when we were
here and will remember us in a good
light.” v

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse B.

Awalt is assigned to CJTF-HOA Public
Affairs.

Soldiers • August 2009 13

 Connecting the American people
with the Army through music

Story by Heather Santos

Photos by Sgt. Maj. Loran McClung & Sgt. 1st Class Rob McIver

T U
D k l
V

B C n o r
p
A

o k
m

n
l

k
k l
s t
v
V

14 www.army.mil/soldiers
n o r
p
 T
HE smoke clears. The cur-
tain slowly rises as rowdy
fans cheer. A group emerges
sporting larger-than-life hair and lurid
clothing. Bright lights and earsplit-
ting noise ensue. That’s what typically
comes to mind when you picture a
rock band, right?
Enter The Volunteers, a compo-
nent of The United States Army Field
Band. No, they don’t have big hair
or glitzy attire, but they can rock the
house with more than their fair share
of talent.
Master Sgt. Kirk Kadish, Sgt. 1st
Class April Boucher, Sgt. 1st Class Pe-
ter Krasulski, Staff Sgt. Tom Lindsey,
Staff Sgt. Gerald Myles and Staff Sgt.
Randy Wight have another thing
in common besides being
musically gifted.
m
These six
noncommis-
n v
l
sioned
k Kadish chuckled as he lightheart-
s t
v
Sgt. 1st Class April Boucher belts out a tune during one of The Vol-
unteers’ shows.
officers are active-duty Soldiers.
The Volunteers have told the
Army story through music—rock,
pop, country, rhythm and blues, and
patriotic tunes—since 1981, and they
continue to communicate the Army
message as they travel worldwide, per-
forming for enthusiastic concert goers
at venues ranging from huge outdoor
crowds to hospital bedsides.
Kadish, keyboardist and non-
commissioned officer in charge,
understands the band’s impact on
the nation. Kadish, a member of the
group since 1994, acknowledges, “It’s
remarkable how important it is to so
many people that they con-
nect with us.
o k t final cut. Even so, holding an audition
y the final round was selected. They have
There is something emotionally vital
about what we do that deeply affects
many, many people.”
Good doesn’t begin to describe the
necessary skills
Becoming a member of The Volun-
teers isn’t easy. The process is incredibly
competitive.
“We may receive 50 applicants for
one vacancy. From that list, the selec-
tion committee might bring in 10 to
audition,” noted Sgt. 1st Class John
Lake, the group’s tour coordinator.
Candidates chosen to audition, in-
strumentalists and vocalists alike, must
perform with The Volunteers before an
appointing panel prior to making the
does not imply anyone will be hired to
fill an opening.
Lake emphasized, “I have witnessed
numerous occurrences where no one in
to be that good.”
edly recalled his own audition, “I man-
aged to make the first cut, although
there were some folks who felt I was
too much of a ‘jazzer’ and not enough
of a ‘rocker’ or vocalist to really qualify.
Soldiers • August 2009 15
Staff Sgt. Gerald Myles, drums, performed professionally at Walt Disney
World and throughout the East Coast before joining the Field Band in 2005.
A native of Norwalk, Conn., he has studied jazz at the University of Mas-
sachusetts and the University of Hartford. Myles has also taught drumming
for high school-marching bands and for inner-city students.
Sgt. 1st Class April Boucher, vocalist, served 11 years in the U.S. Navy with
the Pacific Fleet Band in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Navy Band Southeast
in Jacksonville, Fla. She taught private voice and served as an ear-training
instructor for the Naval Sea Cadets and studied private voice for six years
with Carol Marty. Boucher has been a featured soloist at various high-profile
events, including the film premiere of “Pearl Harbor” and Jacksonville Jaguars
football games.

l m n o p q
Fortunately for me, the other players
appreciated my instrumental skills and
weren’t much concerned with the ‘dy-
ing cat’ quality of my vocal stylings.”
Once selected, there is another, mi-
nor hurdle—enlisting in the Army and
conquering basic training. From there,
you’re assigned to The U.S. Army Field
Band, and your career as a performer
begins. But, don’t expect a life of fame
and glory.
Not the typical rock-star lifestyle
The Volunteers make their way
from town to town in two, eight-pas-
senger vans. Often, there are countless
miles between gigs. The group has
made similar treks hundreds of times,
so generalizing the atmosphere while
they travel is pretty easy.
“The journey begins with a little
r s t v
laughter, a little chitchat and a little
coffee. Before long, we tend to get a
little quiet. Sometimes we find silence
soothing. It allows us to reflect,” re-
marked the band’s accomplished drum-
mer, Staff Sgt. Gerald Myles.
Krasulski, the animated bassist,
says that the vast amount of travel is a
double-edged sword but, for the most
part, enjoys it, “for it means seeing new
places I never would have had a chance
to see if I weren’t a part of The Volun-
teers.”
The group stops periodically for
breaks as they roll past all-too-familiar
terrain. They stretch, walk around a bit
and enjoy the fresh air. But, soon it’s
time to pile back into the van and hit
the road again.
Travelling makes the hotel arrival
that much sweeter…most of the time.

16 www.army.mil/soldiers
Master Sgt. Kirk Kadish, director, keyboard, vocals, and chief arranger, hails
from Melvindale, Mich. He entered the Army in 1990 and first served on
the faculty of the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Va., and was
assigned to the Field Band in 1994. A freelance composer and arranger,
Kadish earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and
his master’s degree from Towson University.
Sgt. 1st Class Peter Krasulski, bass, joined the Army in 1998. A District of
Columbia native, he has served with the 82nd Airborne’s “All-American” Band,
the 8th Army Band in Korea, and the 4th Infantry Division Band, with which he
was deployed to Iraq. A graduate of St. Petersburg College, Krasulski joined
the Field Band in 2005.

y z
“It can get a little confusing as we
perform in so many places in such a
short timeframe. I have wandered into
a closet thinking it was the bathroom.
And, I have caught myself thinking I
am in a completely different town,”
confessed Boucher, vocalist. “Yet it
gives us a place to call home, albeit
short-lived.”
The hotel becomes the group’s hub,
the place where they gear up—mentally
and physically—for the performance.
Touring requires an enormous
amount of work and energy. Putting
on a show involves travel to and from
the hotel to the venue, load-in, set-up,
sound check, a brief break, the concert
itself, tear-down and load-out. The
pre- and post-concert phases (load-in,
set-up, tear-down and load-out), in
particular, are physically demanding.
z k s l o
They each have responsibilities, and The Volunteers crack jokes helping
they accomplish them with an amazing the group relax and creating the right
amount of efficiency. mood—fun. Making their way
The equipment truck pulls up. onto the stage, they are met
The band launches into action like a with uncontrollable
NASCAR pit crew as they hurriedly cheering.
roll large, heavy steel boxes from the
truck onto the stage. Like kids ripping
open birthday presents, they delve into
each metal container pulling cables and
equipment out. It’s a bustle of activity.
At the end of the concert, they get to
do it all over again, just in reverse.
The days can be long and taxing.
However, the grueling labor eventually
leads to the true bread and butter (for
the band, as well as the audience)—the
performance.
Blowing your mind
A few minutes before the show,

Soldiers • August 2009 17

Staff Sgt. Thomas Lindsey, guitar and vocals, is originally from Daytona
Beach, Fla. Prior to joining the Field Band, he served as guitarist with the 9th
Army Band at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, the 3rd Infantry Division Band at Fort
Stewart, Ga., and the 76th Army Band in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Lindsey
has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe, performing
with musicians such as Charlie Daniels, Martina McBride and The Platters.
Staff Sgt. Randy Wight, vocals, is a native of North Syracuse, N.Y. He joined
the Army in 2004 following an extensive career as a solo performer and
studio musician. A skilled keyboardist and drummer, Wight is a graduate of
Cayuga Community College.

Their performances are intensely
delivered and reinforced by an un-
equivocal amount of pride in what they
do.
And, what The Volunteers give to
ple and older people! You guys rocked!”
exclaimed Sky Tanco, a Platt High
School student in Meriden, Conn.
Paige Coles, student council
president at St. Clement High School
n o
that—through our music—with people
all over the world.” v
Heather Santos works for the U.S. Army
Field Band Public Affairs Office.

e ! !
the fans is unique—a blend of tunes in Medford, Mass., reported, “The Vol-

from different styles, varying genres
and multiple generations. Despite the
wide variety of music, the message is
clear, and it transcends generations.
“The thing that amazes me is that
their performances can have an equally
profound effect on a 60-year-old and a
16-year-old,” acknowledged Chief War-
rant Officer Gordon Kippola, officer in
charge of the group.
There is universal agreement about
the group’s ability to appeal to an
extensive range of audiences.
“At first I thought it was going to
be some boring band that gave whack
music, but I was really impressed! I
loved that it reached out to young peo-
FR E
unteers came to my school a few weeks
ago…you got everyone out of their
seats—even my principal was dancing!”
Wight, who wows audiences with
his incredible imitations of popular TUSAFB Concerts
artists like Willie Nelson, appreciates
the ability to do what he loves (enter- All Army Field Band concerts are
taining audiences) and “to be able to
free and open to the public. The
represent the Army in support of our
troops.” Department of the Army pays for
The newest member of the sextet the costs for transportation, lodg-
is Lindsey. Lindsey, known for his ing and meals. Concert sponsors
awe-inspiring licks on the guitar, truly must procure a performance site
believes in the band’s mission. “At the
and manage the concert’s public-
end of the day,” he said, “it’s about
Soldiers representing Soldiers and shar- ity campaign, which includes ticket
ing the Army story. And we get to do distribution.

18 www.army.mil/soldiers
 www.army.mil/facesofstrength

SGT Matthew Schilling

Sergeant Matthew Schilling and his patrol were on a reconnaissance arrived. When they did arrive, he evacuated the wounded and
operation when their platoon leader was wounded. Surrounded led the rest of his unit to safety. His exceptional act of leadership
and outnumbered by insurgents, Schilling directed his comrades earned SGT Schilling not only one of our Nation’s highest honors,
to set up a perimeter and return fire until the rescue helicopters the Silver Star, but also the title of “hero” from his platoon leader.

The Nation’s strength starts

Soldiers here.
• August 2009 19
 n o rin
Ho
g
Story by Jacqueline M. Hames
M
USIC, for most people, is a
natural and pervasive part
of life. It’s everywhere—on
your MP3 player, the radio, or stuck
on repeat in your head. It helps express
otherwise inexpressible feelings, and
serves to calm nerves. Music is also a
great way to remember things and can
be used as a teaching tool. The JamsBio
project from Mouth Watering Media
harnesses that emotional and academic
power to pay tribute to American ser-
vicemembers.
Officially launched in March,
20 www.army.mil/soldiers
b
w s
“Honoring the American Soldier” on
JamsBio collects special stories and
dedications of music to share with
others, with the goal of honoring
American servicemembers, said Matt
Williams, project founder and MWM
president.
The project started during a brain-
storming session, Williams explained,
that led MWM to a tribute album
the band Queensryche was putting
together for servicemembers, called
“American Soldier.” The album, which
is compiled from interviews with
So
ld
ie
r
military personnel, inspired MWM
to do a project that involved military
members and families telling their sto-
ries through music.
“We know that music has a heal-
ing quality, it has an ability to get
somebody through hard times,” Wil-
liams said. He hopes this project will
help servicemembers heal and provide
strength and hope to them through
music.
Open to all services and com-
ponents, “Honoring the American
Soldier” has already received many
 g
j . Ea
oug
Spc orial for
mem
” B
rl “D a fallen
and
oyce ier.
Sold
his I
raqi inter
pret
er p
ose whil
em
akin
ga

Cou
rtes
y of
Spc
. Ea

visits
JamsB
io.co
m.

ldier
A So
rl “D
oug
” Bo

v
yce

Wi
th music
song dedications from both military
members and their families. First Sgt.
CJ Grisham posted an entry with the
song “Times Like These” by the Foo
Fighters to honor the lessons he learned
while deployed and to remember the
Soldiers he served with.
“My whole life, as long as I can
remember, music has played a huge
part in my life,” Grisham said. “I really,
really clung to music as a way to deal
with any problem I had or any emo-
tion, whether it was good, bad, happy,
sad, whatever.”
Deployed to Iraq in 2003 as a
counter-intelligence special agent, his
unit’s job “was to find the guys who
were planting improvised explosive de-
vices; find the guys who were funding,
building and then placing IEDs, killing
civilians” and targeting U.S. forces,
Grisham said. His unit captured eight
of the 55 most-wanted insurgents while
deployed.
“(Music) gets you motivated, it
calms you down, it gets your mind off
the things you’ve witnessed and done
and seen, and it allows us to remember
that we’re human,” Grisham added.
Music reminds Soldiers that there are
ordinary people back home listening
to the same songs, and that they can
connect with those people through a
shared interest in a song, he explained.
While in Iraq, Grisham’s wife sent
him “Times Like These” because she
thought he would like it. The Foo
Fighters’ front man was the former
drummer for Nirvana, and Grisham
was a Nirvana fan.
“(The song) really kind of spoke to
me because it urges you to keep going,

Soldiers • August 2009 21

 front of a
Spc. Earl “Doug” Boyce poses infor Forward
mural he designed and painted
Operating Base Warhorse.

Cou
rtesy
of 1st
Sgt. CJ
Gris
ham

j
b
hand
they
, as
arez
arry Alv
L
Sgt.
reter,
interp
d his 3.
ft, an in 200
ham, le h, Iraq
is
J Gr g Falluja
gt. C in
d 1st S hile tour
n
arou esture w
ther g
dren ga oodwill
chil ag
Iraqi andy in
out c

you know? These trying times that we
are going through, they really teach you
what’s important about life,” he said.
Now, whenever Grisham hears that
song, it reminds him of times relaxing
after a mission with his unit.
“I really think that music plays
a very integral part in troops’ lives,
especially in a combat environment,
because you’re constantly on the go
and your senses are constantly height-
ened. And if all you did was come back
and sit in your room, you’d go crazy,”
Grisham said.
The same is true for civilians, espe-
cially for the spouses of those who are
deployed. Joy Boyce, wife of Spc. Earl
“Doug” Boyce, believes she stays con-
nected to her husband through music.
Doug, as she calls him, is currently de-
ployed to Iraq and working long hours
as a tanker and resident “post artist.”
“I feel that our Soldiers need to
know, as much as possible, that we
are thinking of them at home,” Boyce
said.  JamsBio offers a way to publicly
acknowledge the service of loved ones
who are deployed.  honeymoon. “He held me close and,
“JamsBio helps me to deal with
deployment by giving and sharing the
feelings associated with deployment,”
she added.
Boyce and her husband were
married in Alaska a mere three weeks
before he was deployed. She dedicated
Etta James’ “At Last” to her husband,
because it helps her feel romantically
connected to him.
“My husband took my hand and
pulled me to my feet and began to
dance with me,” Boyce said, recalling
when the song played during their
of course, dipped me at the end of the
song. I began to cry because of the im-

22 www.army.mil/soldiers
 Cou
g

rtesy
Joyof
B
oyce
Courtesy of Spc. Earl “Doug” Boyc

v c. E
Do u g ”
arl “ska, ato
p B
ce, p
ose
Boy irch Hill.
for a
e

a n d , Spight, Ala
usb inwr
her h t Wa
c e and e at For
Bo y tu r
Joy ding pic
wed
in
while
s ig ned emorials
de lm
e he severa
laqu
o r ial p esigned
m d
a meand has
bles
a s semst artist”
oyce “po
g” B ident
.E a r l “Dou the res.
is
Spc . Boycew Soldie
Iraq is fello
to h
rs

w
ce
Boy
Doug”
.E arl “
Spc
esy of
C ourt

pending deployment and he promised
me then there would be many, many
more slow dances in the future. I felt so
loved and so lucky.  Now when I hear
‘At Last,’ it is everything to me—it is
my happiness, my sadness, my heart,
my love.”
Doug doesn’t post anything to
JamsBio because of the long hours he
works—any time spent online is used
to communicate directly with his wife
and other family members through vid-
eo-chat, he explained. However, Doug
was very excited to hear “At Last.”
“That’s her dedication to me. It was
pretty nice,” he said of the post, adding
that the song held special significance
other than the association with his
honeymoon. “When I get home ‘at last’
we’ll be able to be together.”
If Doug were to dedicate a song to
his wife on JamsBio, he said it would
be “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, which was
their wedding song.
“(My wife) sent me a ukulele and
I said I was going to learn how to play
the song for her. I’m horrible at it,” he
laughed. “Either way it will be nice; I’m
going to play it.”
For many servicemembers, music is
a way to keep grounded and connected
to those they love. JamsBio provides a
way to communicate feelings to loved
ones that may have remained unex-
pressed, as well as a public outlet to
help better understand the self.
“It’s a really cool project,” Doug
said. “It lets people voice their ideas
and feelings and gives people a way to
express themselves. It’s an outlet. It’s
very helpful.” v
Check out more song dedications at
http://jamsbio.com/american-soldier.

Soldiers • August 2009 23

OnPoint
The Army in Action

24 www.army.mil/soldiers
www.army.mil/publications
FORT BRAGG, N.C.
A Soldier assisgned to the 28th Combat Support Hospital at
Fort Bragg, N.C., leaps from the ramp of a C-130 aircraft dur-
ing an airborne operation on Sicily Drop Zone, D-Day 2009.
Approximately 60 Soldiers participated in the jump .
— Photo by Sgt. Maj. Kelly C. Luster
Soldiers • August 2009 25
April 2009
 army news
Army deploys scientists to study Iraqi culture
T HE Human Terrain System studies
cultural perceptions by attach-
ing anthropological research teams
to combat units in Iraq and Afghani-
stan. There are currently 21 teams in
country, one for each brigade, division
and corps.
“On every team we have social
scientists who are formally trained
researchers,” said Dr. Rubye Braye, a
social scientist and retired lieutenant
colonel. “Team members…obtain the
perceptions of the Iraqi people on key
issues to better understand their needs
and requirements.”

 the breadbasket of the Middle East.
Braye recently spoke on behalf of
Iraqi workers who worked on Con-
tingency Operating Base Basra, and
had to enter the gate through a narrow
path lined with concertina wire. The
employees were concerned someone
Cash bonus to replace stop-loss for
deploying Guard Soldiers
A new program that provides special
pay for Soldiers deploying past their
end-of-service dates is set to take effect
Sept. 1 for the National Guard.
The Deployment Extension Stabi-
lization Pay program replaces the stop-
loss program and pays a cash bonus of
up to $6,000 to Soldiers in units set to
deploy who elect to stay in past their
end-of-service date in order to deploy,
said Col. Marianne Watson, Army
National Guard personnel officer.
The bonus is not a lump-sum pay-
ment and the amount of the incentive
depends upon when Soldiers decide
to extend their enlistment contract.
If Soldiers agree to extend 180 to 365
days before the mobilization date, they
will receive $500 each month on active
duty, but, that rate drops to $350 a
month for those who extend between
90 and 179 days.
Soldiers who elect to take advan-
26 www.army.mil/soldiers
Dr. Michael Izady
could fall onto the wire, and felt the
path was for criminals. Braye met with
34th Infantry Division leadership to
discuss alternative security measures. 


Through surveys and face-to-face
interaction, HTS scientists ask locals
questions like, “Are you scared to vote
in the elections? Do you trust the Iraqi
police? Are there any disputes in your
village? What can coalition forces do
for you?” 

 “Restoring the marshes will bring
Often considered the location of
the biblical Garden of Eden, the fertile
marshes of southern Iraq were once
Saddam Hussein destroyed the marshes
after the first Gulf War. Once twice the
size of the Florida Everglades, they are
now a fraction of their former size, and
HTS scientists advised 34th Inf. Div.
leadership of their future potential.
tage of this program would have their
enlistment contracts extended for the
length of the deployment plus 90 days,
said Watson. However, in order to
qualify for the incentive pay, Soldiers
must make it through readiness pro-
cessing at the mobilization station.
Those Soldiers who have enlistment
contracts that expire during the deploy-
ment and who choose not to extend
may still have to deploy. 

 professionals.
“Anybody with a contract expira-
tion date of mobilization-day-plus-
one-year, we’re taking to theater,” said
Watson.
But Soldiers may rotate out of the-
ater up to three months early if need
be in order to have them take part in
the 30-, 60- and 90-day reintegration
programs prior to the end of their term
of service. v
— Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy/National Guard
Bureau
Members of the Marsh Arab tribe traverse the
marshes of southern Iraq. Once twice the size of the
Florida Everglades, the marshes are now a fraction
of their former size after their drainage by Saddam
Hussein. Human Terrain System anthropologists
advocate restoring the marshes.
back the local economy and stop arms
smuggling,” said Leslie Kayanan, an
HTS team leader assigned to the 34th
Inf. Div., who explained the third-order
effect would be the goodwill generated
by the government of Iraq working
to restore an area ravaged by the old
regime. v
—Pfc. J.P. Lawrence/Multi-National
Division-South Public Affairs Office
Crisis intervention resources
S OLDIERS, Army civilians and their
families in need of crisis interven-
tion now have two resources, staffed
around the clock: Military OneSource
and the Defense Center of Excellence
for Psychological Health and Traumatic
Brain Injury.
The Military OneSource profession-
ally trained consultants assess callers’
needs and refer them to health care
The Military OneSource toll-free
number for the continental U.S. is
1-800-342-9647, and its Web site is
www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas
personnel should refer to the Web site
for dialing instructions for their specific
location. 


The DCOE Outreach Center pro-
vides the latest information on psycho-
logical health and TBI issues. It can be
contacted at 1-866-966-1020, resourc-
es@dcoeoutreach.org and www.dcoe.
health.mil/resources.aspx. v 


 From the Army News Service and Other Sources

Humvee still made in America

first 55,000 Humvees for the Army
Spc. Kiyoshi C. Freeman

T HE military’s High Mobility Mul-

This Humvee prepares for a convoy mission inside
the yard at Convoy Support Center Scania, Iraq.
tipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also
known as a “HMMWV” or “Humvee,”
will continue to be made in the United
States, by an American-owned company.
The recent announcement that
Detroit-based General Motors will
sell their Hummer brand of vehicles
to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong
Heavy Industrial Machinery Company,
has no bearing on the U.S. military’s
Humvee.
Humvee manufacturer AM General
is an American company based in South
Bend, Ind. The company produced the
in 1985. It continues to produce the
Humvee for the military.
In the early 1990s, AM General be-
gan producing a civilian version of the
Humvee, calling it a “Hummer.” But
by the late 1990s, AM General had sold
the Hummer name to General Motors.
While GM will sell the Hummer
nameplate to Sichuan Tengzhong, the
military’s Humvee, its designs, unique
performance capabilities and technolo-
gies will continue to be owned by —
and the vehicle produced by — AM
General. v
— C. Todd Lopez/ARNEWS

‘Pets of Patriots’ program ensures care of Soldiers’ pets

W HEN Soldiers deploy, they often

leave behind loving family mem-
bers, including small furry ones. 


The owner, according to Anne Ma-
rie MacPherson, community relations
coordinator at the Hawaiian Humane
“We Soldiers lose a great deal every
time we leave and come back changed
every time,” said Pratt. “Programs such
To alleviate some of the concerns Society, usually handles the pet’s finan- as Pets of Patriots help to whittle the
Soldiers have regarding their pets’ care, cial needs, and both parties should agree stack of unsettling events surrounding
the Hawaiian Humane Society offers upon all financial responsibilities prior deployments down to a bare minimum
the “Pets of Patriots” program, helping to deployment. Meeting the volunteer and let us concentrate on the business at
match volunteers to animals and own- and allowing a pet and the foster family hand.” v


ers, providing a temporary home for to spend time together before deploy- — Molly Hayden/U.S. Army Garrison-
pets of deploying Soldiers. ment is also recommended. 

 Hawaii Public Affairs
Domestic short hair cats, Fancy
Molly Hayden

and Jambo, have adjusted nicely since

their owner, Staff Sgt. Roxanne Pratt,
deployed. They strut through the living
room of Bianca Trombi, outreach pro-
grams coordinator, Hawaiian Humane
Society, stopping in front of their “foster
mom” for a quick pat on the head. 

“The Pets of Patriots Program allows
a single and solitary Soldier like myself
the joy of being able to raise animals
without the pain and fear of having to
give away a beloved pet at every deploy-
ment,” said Pratt.
All active-duty military members
who have pets that need temporary care
are eligible for Pets of Patriots. Foster
homes can be military or civilian. Some
foster families even provide emails and
photos for Soldiers overseas to help Foster mom Bianca Trombi, outreach programs coordinator, Hawaiian Humane Society, lounges on the
floor with Jambo. Trombi is fostering Jambo, along with his sister Fancy, while Staff Sgt. Roxanne Pratt is
them cope with being far away from deployed. Through the Pets of Patriots Program, the Humane Society assists deploying Soldiers in finding
home. temporary homes for their pets.

Soldiers • August 2009 27

Protecting Post-Deployment Health Reassessment
Soldiers’
health
Story by Army PDHRA Program Team
S
TAFF Sgt. Les Newport
returned from a nine-month
deployment to Iraq in
November 2008. “While I
had been in the Army for 27
years, nothing prepares you for what
you may witness during a deployment.
You push your health concerns aside as
you are excited to reunite with family
and loved ones,” said Newport, who
belongs to the 76th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team with the Indiana Na-
tional Guard.
He completed the Post-Deploy-
ment Health Reassessment four
months after he returned from Iraq.
“The PDHRA was very helpful for
28 www.army.mil/soldiers
me. I knew I had a banged up knee and
was relieved to be referred to a special-
ist for tests, and eventually, treatment.”
What is PDHRA?
More than 483,000 Soldiers have
been screened by the PDHRA since
the summer of 2005. The PDHRA
program is part of the Department of
Defense’s overall Force Health Protec-
tion Program, and is a global health
initiative based on solid research.
Soldiers and civilians back from
a combat zone for 90 days or more
are eligible for the three-part screen-
ing. Soldiers who redeployed after
Combat
tours
March 10, 2005, are required to com-
plete the PDHRA.
The PDHRA proactively screens
for potential health issues. The pro-
gram also focuses on identification
of treatment so Soldiers and civilians
can retain a healthy balance in spite of
the multiple stresses associated with a
deployment.
“Soldiers want to spend time
with their families when they return
home. But, it’s important for Soldiers
to address their medical needs before
they become serious,” said Col. Shirley
Kyles, PDHRA program administrator
for the Army’s active component. “By
conducting the PDHRA within 90 to
 Coming
home
180 days after a Soldier returns from a
deployment, we can potentially identify
and alleviate some of the stress associ-
ated with a combat deployment.”
According to Newport, it is
important for Soldiers to recognize
their symptoms, be open to receiving
medical attention and be an active
participant in their treatment. “It takes
real courage for Soldiers to seek help.
The PDHRA allows Soldiers to address
issues and get plugged into resources
such as VA benefits,” said Newport.
How does the screening work?
“Research shows us that a Soldier’s
transition back to home life is some-
times difficult. We understand Soldiers
may be reluctant to seek help for issues.
The PDHRA bypasses this stigma by
bringing the medical system directly to
the Soldier,” said Kyles.
The PDHRA consists of viewing
Battlemind II training, completing a
health care form (DD Form 2900),
which includes questions for both be-
havioral and physical health concerns,
and speaking one-on-one with a health
care provider.
Battlemind II Training, developed
by the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research, includes vignettes that help
Soldiers relate combat experiences to
“Soldiers want to spend
time with their family when
they return home. But,
it’s important for Soldiers
to address their medical
needs before they become
serious.”
—Col. Shirley Kyles
feelings they may encounter after deploy-
ment.
The training also emphasizes safe
and healthy personal relationships and
teaches Soldiers to look out for each
other’s health.
“We educate Soldiers to look out
for their buddies. We teach Soldiers
to recognize symptoms such as erratic
behaviors in their buddies, and we train
Soldiers how to get help for their bud-
dies,” said Kyles.
A commander’s program
In most cases, commanders in-
form Soldiers when it is time to begin
Soldiers • August 2009 29
“Encourage your Soldier to seek
professional advice for health
concerns.”
—Lt. Col. Sophia Tillman-Ortiz
Taking
the PDHRA
the PDHRA process. Soldiers can
complete the screening by attend-
ing a unit-scheduled screening event,
making an appointment at their local
medical treatment facility, or through
the PDHRA call center.
“It is important to note that the
PDHRA is a commander’s program,”
said PDHRA program manager, Lt.
Col. Sophia Tillman-Ortiz. “To ensure
a smooth transition, commanders
must understand the PDHRA pro-
gram and help facilitate the screening
process.”
According to Tillman-Ortiz, Sol-
diers need to know about the services
and benefits available to them, both
30 www.army.mil/soldiers
from the Army and the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
The PDHRA is an opportunity for
Soldiers to discuss, in a safe environ-
ment, issues that may be bothering
them once they return home.
Post-deployment support
The Army recognizes that fam-
ily and friends play a vital role in a
Soldier’s transition back to home life.
“The Army encourages loved ones to
take part in the process by reminding
their Soldiers to complete the screen-
ing beginning 90 days after they return
home,” said Tillman-Ortiz.
“It is important to understand that
if you or your loved one recognize any
health-related issues that may need to
be addressed, you don’t need to wait for
the PDHRA. Encourage your Soldier
to seek professional advice for health
concerns.”
For more information about the
PDHRA program, Soldiers, civilians
and family members can visit http://
fhp.osd.mil/pdhrainfo or www.armyg1.
army.mil. Soldiers and command-
ers can check their PDHRA status at
Army Knowledge Online under “My
Medical Readiness,” or by clicking on
the PDHRA stoplight on their AKO
page. v
 Army FAmILy COVENANT:
Keeping the Promise

For us, the Army Family Covenant means the Army

stays strong by keeping the Family Strong.
INGRID MURRAY, U.S. Army Spouse
Serving Together, Nine Years

It’s about honoring our commitment to Soldiers and Families.

Visit ArmyOneSource.com to see what the Army Family Covenant can mean for you or Soldiers
someone you 2009
• August 31
know.
 Soldiers
catch flat track
fever ! Story by Jacqueline M. Hames

James Calder

32 www.army.mil/soldiers Gun'Her Down reaches back for her jammer during a bout with the DC Demoncats.
R
OLLER derby is an American-
invented team sport based on
formation skating around an
oval track, which can be flat or banked.
Played mostly by women, roller derby
is an organized, if rough, sport where
showmanship is a must (cue flame
print knee socks). The derby is a bit
of an underdog sport, only recently
regaining popularity. Grassroots leagues
have popped up around the nation and
are gaining a small yet fiercely loyal
following.
The DC Rollergirls, part of the
Women’s Flat Track Derby Associa-
tion, was founded in 2006, and now
consists of four teams: Cherry Blos-
som Bombshells, Scare Force One,
DC DemonCats, and the Secretaries
of Hate, according to the league’s Web
site. The league is based in Washington,
D.C., and holds scrimmages regularly
at the D.C. Armory. Among the ranks
of the fishnet-clad Rollergirls are two
Soldiers—one activated Reserve major,
Melissa Mitravich, and one former
Soldier, Diana Dawa.
Currently, the DC Rollergirls have
many Army fans, including wounded
Hooah!Girl blocks opposing jammer Dr. Skabs with help from ShREDica.
James Calder
(Inset) Diana Dawa laughs at a fellow DemonCat’s antics during a break from a scrimmage
with Scare Force One, Feb. 17.
E
warriors and co-workers, who come to
support their favorite teams. Mitravich
said at least one group of wounded Sol-
diers attends every bout, and the league
reserves a special section for them close
to the action.
Some bouts have upwards of 1,600
spectators, but more are always wel-
come. It’s the community support that
helps keep the league finances in or-
der—as a non-profit organization, the
Rollergirls rely on volunteers and ticket
sales to help run and fund matches.
“We really need people to come
watch roller derby!” said Dawa, laugh-
ing.
On the track, Dawa and Mitravich
skate hard and yell profanities with the
rest of the pack. Off the track, they
are good-humored, easy-going women
with a passion for the roller derby that
HOOAH!GIRL
is only matched by their commitment
to the Army.
Mitravich enlisted in the Army in Army Mobilization Division as a mo-
1987. After her transfer to the Reserve, bilization common operating picture
she was commissioned in 1996 and is combat developer.
now both a registered nurse and a fam- “I deal with requirements and con-
ily nurse practitioner. She is currently cepts…I am the government oversight
assigned to the Department of the for software application that deals with
Jacqueline Hames
Soldiers • August 2009 33
 V
GUN’HER DOWN
all Army Reservists that are mobilized,”
Mitravich explained.
Sporting a tattoo on one ankle and
using the nickname “Gun‘Her Down,”
the job description comes as somewhat
of a surprise. However, Mitravich
explains there are all kinds of women
in the derby: zookeepers, teachers, Sol-
diers and chief executive officers among
them.
“If you love sports, if you love
contact, adrenaline rush—this is a
sport any woman can do,” she said.
“When I go into the Army and
I get to do my job, especially in the
medical field, whether I am ER or I am
working on the floor, for me it’s a rush.
you’re not going to get arrested. I mean
it’s awesome!” Mitravich joked.
During a bout, the women skate
around the track and slam into one
another like runaway bumper cars,
though there is no hair pulling, biting
or elbowing as some movies would
have us believe. That would lead to a
penalty.
Each team has five skaters on the
track: three blockers, one pivot and one
jammer. Positions are designated by
helmet covers, and any player can play
any position. Jammers have starred cov-
ers, pivots have striped, and blockers
are coverless.
Pivots and blockers form the pack,
the main force of the game, and jam-
mers trail 20 feet behind to start. Pivots
set the pace of the pack, Mitravich
explained, while jammers score points
by lapping the pack. Blockers prevent
the opposing team’s jammers from
getting through the pack—using hip
checks and shoulder bumps—and help
their own jammers get through. The
goal is to score the highest amount of
points over a 30-minute period, which
is broken into two-minute intervals,
Maj. Melissa Mitravich, also known as Gun’Her Down, hashes out player positions
with a member of Scare Force One before a scrimmage at the D.C. Armory, Feb. 17.
called jams.
“I really enjoy the flat track be-
cause I think it adds a little bit more of
a familiar and personal level to it. The
audience is allowed to sit 10 feet from
the track when the action is going on,”
Dawa said.
It’s an especially personal experi-
ence when Dawa sends an opposing
team member staggering into the audi-
ence—an event that gives her a “rush.”
Dawa, known as “Hooah!Girl”on
the DC DemonCats, had an affair
with derby at an early age, watching it
on Saturday mornings when she was
young. As an adult she was introduced
to derby through a friend who is on the
team with her now. After going to a
league meeting, she was hooked.
“My favorite moments are the
athleticism, working out, being able to
go really fast on the track and actually
hitting people and not having to apolo-
gize for that. Everybody here is very
aggressive, some more so than others,”
Dawa said.
Dawa enlisted in the Army im-
mediately after high school graduation
and eventually became a combat cam-

I love my job, I love dealing with Sol-

diers” despite their injuries, Mitravich
Jacqueline Hames

said. “It makes me feel good and it’s

always a challenge.”
“I’ve been really lucky that my
Army family has really supported me
in this,” she added. “Most of them are
here watching the bouts.”
Two years ago, Mitravich watched
a match with a friend and discovered
that rush of adrenaline anew—on
skates. She was not able to join imme-
diately because she was mobilized, but
once in the Washington area, another
friend introduced her to the Rollergirls.
She was “drafted” onto Scare Force
One in October 2008 and has been
loving derby ever since.
“It’s one of those things where you
can actually hit somebody and know

34 www.army.mil/soldiers
eraman in Korea, then a broadcaster
in Germany. After leaving the military
in 1992, she became an Army civilian.
She returned to the U.S. Army in 2002
and is currently a public affairs special-
ist with the Army Materiel Command.
Her derby nickname is a tribute to the
experience and education she received
in the Army.
“The Army literally saved my life. I
just wanted to give something back. It’s
my own little way of making people say
‘Hooah’ without knowing what they
are saying,” Dawa said with a grin.
The Army has some similarities
to roller derby that help make these
women feel right at home on the track.
Among them, Dawa and Mitravich
agree, is a strong sense of sisterhood.
Mitravich describes the league as a
second family.
“Everybody helps everybody else,”
Dawa added.
Roller derby is very organized like
the Army, Dawa explained. The league
has committees and many leadership
positions, lending it a military air. “A
lot of the organizational structure that
was in the military that appealed to me
Hooah!Girl leads the DC DemonCat line-up.
James Calder
is also in roller derby, which really ap- and promotes leadership skills, so I
peals to me as well,” Dawa said. think it would be perfect,” Dawa said.
Getting on the track and skating For more information on the DC
a bout can be likened to a combat Rollergirls, visit www.dcrollergirls.com. v
mindset, though Mitravich emphasizes
that combat missions and derby bouts
cannot be directly compared. She
explained that skaters need an overall
awareness of the track, the referees, and
the position of all the skaters, similar
to a Soldier’s awareness of his or her
surroundings in the field.
Soldiers have a general plan and
expectations for the mission, Mitrav-
ich said, but have to be able to adapt
to unforeseen circumstances. Derby
skaters need the same mental agility, or
“pack awareness,” in order to perform
well on the track. “This is by far the
hardest sport I have ever played in my
life because it requires an offense-de-
fense mind at the same time,” Mitrav-
ich said.
Both Dawa and Mitravich hope
that the Army may put together its
own derby team in the future, includ-
ing both male and female athletes.
“I think it’s the right kind of atmo-
sphere that promotes empowerment,
Jammers, Gun’Her Down and Blonde Fury race
off the jam line.
James Calder
Soldiers • August 2009 35
In ‘the shadow
of a mighty presence’
y l e g a c y )
(A f a m i l
Story by Elizabeth M. Collins
F
IRST Lt. Dennis Chamberlain
always knew that he wanted
to join the Army and carry on
his family’s legacy of military
service—he just didn’t know quite how
long or how famous that family legacy
was.
You may be wondering, Cham-
berlain? Famous? Does she mean the
Chamberlain? Brevet Maj. Gen. Joshua
Lawrence Chamberlain of Civil War
fame? That Chamberlain? (Brevet signi-
fies an officer who has been authorized
a temporary, higher rank, usually
without higher pay.)
Chamberlain was asked these
questions over and over again during
Officer Candidate School, and when
he finally broke down and asked his
father, a Vietnam veteran, if they were
related to the Medal of Honor winner,
(Right) 1st Lt. Dennis Chamberlain
poses with Soldiers participating
in the 2009 U.S. Army All-Ameri-
can Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Note: All non-historic pho-
tos courtesy of 1st Lt. Dennis
Chamberlain. All historic photos
courtesy of the Library of Con-
gress unless otherwise noted.
36 www.army.mil/soldiers
he was surprised to find that the answer
was “yes.”
“It was a huge surprise,” the
Arizona National Guard Soldier said.
“I had this long family lineage that I
didn’t really even know about. I got my
dad to kind of open up about a lot of
the family traditions of military service.
“It’s something that I’ve always
kind of had as motivation in my own
heart that I’ve had this many who have
served in my family. It provides unique
inspiration and pride.”
Chamberlain isn’t sure how many
“greats” there are between him and the
general, but he said he is a direct de-
scendant, and that his family’s legacy of
service stretches even further back, to
the Revolutionary War. In fact, Cham-
berlain has had a relative in almost
every American conflict for the past
Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863.
230-plus years. “I’m Lieutenant Dan,”
he quipped about the “Forrest Gump”
character who had ancestors in every
war. Of course, they all died, while
most of Chamberlain’s relatives lived.
One of his mother’s ancestors, Ja-
cob Snider, was a surveyor with George
Washington just prior to the Revolu-
tion, and after the war began, accepted
a commission in the Continental Army.
Chamberlain didn’t mention them,
but according to Michael Golay’s “To
Gettysburg and Beyond: The Parallel
Lives of Joshua Chamberlain and Ed-
ward Porter Alexander,” Joshua Cham-
berlain also had great-grandfathers who
served in the Revolution—one of them
was at the Battle of Yorktown—and a
grandfather who was a militia colonel
during the War of 1812. Joshua’s father
also served during the Aroostook War
(Right three photos) 1st Lt. Dennis
Chamberlain and his wife, Jen-
nifer, now a private first class and
X-ray technician in the Reserves.
 “In great deeds something abides. On great fields
something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies
disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground
for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and
women from afar, and generations that know us not
and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where
and by whom great things were suffered and done
for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder
and dream; And lo! the shadow of a mighty presence
shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the
vision pass into their souls.”

Brevet Maj. Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain,

speaking at the dedication of the monument to the
20th Maine, Oct. 3, 1889, Gettysburg, Pa.
Brevet Maj. Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

in 1839, which was essentially a cold
war between the U.S. and Great Britain
over the Maine-Canada border. The
general’s brothers served in the Civil
War as well.
Another of Chamberlain’s distant
grandfathers was killed during World
War I after volunteering for a high-
risk mission to carry intelligence back
from the trenches. Chamberlain’s
great-grandfather and grandfather were
both in the Navy, and his grandfather,
Dwight Lawrence Chamberlain II, was
permanently injured during one of the
USS Yorktown’s World War II battles.
Various other great-uncles and
uncles served during the Korean and
Vietnam Wars. His father was in basic
training during the Cuban Missile
Crisis. That training suddenly sped
up during the standoff, and his father
eventually deployed to Vietnam.
Chamberlain said his father’s
experiences in Vietnam made him con-
cerned for his son when Chamberlain
enlisted on the first day he was eligible
at age 17. One of Chamberlain’s broth-
ers had died as a child, and his father
was naturally worried.
“I don’t think he wanted (war) to
change me. War inevitably changes
you. He was just worried how it was
going to affect me, and also worried
about me coming home, because in
the infantry we tend to be placed in
dangerous situations. Your parents just
worry about you and want to make
sure you come home,” Chamberlain
explained.
Chamberlain’s wife, Jennifer, is a
private first class in the Army Reserve.
During his 2007 deployment to Af-
ghanistan, he said Jennifer decided to
go back to school to become an X-ray
technician. It turned out that there was
a long waiting list for school, but the
Army had an expedited program.
“I thought, ‘Why in the world
would she want to be a Soldier?’”
said Chamberlain. “She’s seen me
go through everything from kinetic
operations and combat to the missed
birthdays and anniversaries. I just
never thought that that was something
that she would want to pursue. She
talked with me about the advantages
and disadvantages and it seemed like
it was a viable plan. God knows that
she’s supported me through thick and
thin, and I thought it was my turn to
support her.”
The Chamberlains have three
young daughters, and are concerned

Soldiers • August 2009 37


Battle of Gettysburg
they might eventually have to deploy at
the same time. Fortunately, Chamber-
lain’s parents are very involved in their
lives and available to help out.
That came in handy in 2007 after
Chamberlain left for Afghanistan, and
his wife heard he received some minor
injuries during a clearing operation.
His convoy came under fire and a
rocket-propelled grenade exploded
nearby, injuring Chamberlain and two
of his Soldiers. He eventually received
the Purple Heart, but the injuries
were minor enough that they patched
themselves up and continued with the
mission.
On another occasion, Chamber-
lain and his men had to come to the
rescue of some dignitaries with familiar
names: Sens. John Kerry and Chuck
Hagel, and then-Sen. Joe Biden.
Chamberlain’s unit had been provid-
ing security for provincial reconstruc-
tion teams and special operations, and
received an emergency call that Maj.
Gen. David Rodriguez, commander
of the 82nd Airborne Division, was
stranded in the mountains.
When they met up with an 11-ve-
hicle Secret Service convoy, Chamber-
lain figured something was up, but it
wasn’t until he was en route that he
1st Lt. Dennis Chamberlain watches an air-support helicopter approach
during his deployment to Afghanistan.
38 www.army.mil/soldiers
Currier and Ives
Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863.
found out three senators were stuck in
a bad blizzard with some insurgents
nearby.
“We linked up with them and got
security in place,” he said. “From there,
I pushed out the Secret Service vehicles
and one of my heavy squads to provide
security for them heading down the
mountain. Some insurgents came up
on them and we got them out of there
and from there to Turkey.”
The mission was an entry on his
Bronze Star citation, and although it
has garnered Chamberlain some atten-
tion, he cautions that it was just one
mission among many and he was only
one man on that mission.
“I was just one person in a great
group of guys who made me look
good,” he said. “It was their individual
actions that brought us together as a
team, that made us such a great fight-
ing force. It was a National Guard
infantry called on to rescue some of
probably the most important people
on the ground in Afghanistan. It was
our team who was called on to do great
things, more than just rescuing the
senators and the vice president.”
But in times of stress and high op-
tempo, Chamberlain said that he does
sometimes think about what Joshua
1st Lt. Dennis Chamberlain and his wife, Jennifer, now a private first class in the
Reserves, and their daughters, left to right, Cami, Chloe and Kaci.
Chamberlain or some of his other
forefathers would do.
“We’ve had a few books that have
been written by family members that
I’ve read, and biographies and stuff,” he
said. “I actually think I have a lot of the
same characteristics. Especially General
Chamberlain. He was written about
a lot—a very aggressive, charismatic
leader. I’ve been accused of being very
aggressive.
“In my own defense, I think my
aggressiveness is one of the major
reasons that I was able to bring all my
guys home alive,” he explained. “They
put the enemy on their heels. And I
have to say, his aggressiveness in Get-
tysburg was absolutely pivotal in the
momentum of that battle. I would say
sometimes I think about it, but most of
the time, you just react on your train-
ing and what you’ve learned all through
the schools you’ve gone to in the mili-
tary and your life’s lessons growing up.
That’s what you bank on in the heat of
the battle.”
All three of Chamberlain’s daugh-
ters are under age 10—too young to
understand their family history just yet.
But when they’re older, Chamberlain
said he plans to make sure they know
about their famous ancestor and the
family’s legacy of service. v
 Who was Joshua Chamberlain?
B
ORN in 1828, Joshua Lawrence
Chamberlain was a professor
at Bowdoin College in Maine
when the Civil War began in 1861.
Granted a sabbatical, he enlisted in the
20th Maine Regiment, where, although
he had no previous military experience,
Chamberlain was commissioned as a
lieutenant colonel.
Held in reserve during the Battle of
Antietam, Md., in 1862, Chamberlain
and his unit saw their first action at
the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., and
spent a freezing night in the open with
wounded Soldiers, using bodies of the
fallen for shelter.
“It was a cold night,” he wrote in
his autobiography. “Bitter, raw north
winds swept the stark slopes…Neces-
sity compels strange uses. For myself,
it seemed best to bestow my body
between two dead men among the
many left there by earlier assaults, and
to draw another crosswise for a pillow
out of the trampled, blood-soaked sod,
pulling the flap of his coat over my face
to fend off the chilling winds, and, still
more chilling, the deep, many-voiced
moan that overspread the field. It was
heart-rending.”
Chamberlain was promoted to
colonel of the regiment in 1863, and
it was that July that his famous charge
took place at the Battle of Gettysburg,
Pa., the bloodiest battle of the war with
more than 50,000 casualties.
Sent to defend Little Round Top—
both the high ground and the location
of a Union signal station—the 20th
Maine was at the far left of the Union
line. They endured numerous charges
from the Confederates until their line
almost doubled back on itself and am-
munition almost ran out. Casualties
were heavy.
Chamberlain ordered his men to
“fix bayonets” and charge toward the
Confederates. The left wing wheeled
back and forth to both flank and as-
sault the enemy.
“One word was enough—
‘BAYONET!’—It caught like fire and
swept along the ranks,” Chamberlain
recalled. “The grating clash of steel
in fixing bayonets told its own story;
the color rose in front; the whole line
quivered for the start; the edge of the
left-wing rippled, swung, tossed among
the rocks, straightened, changed curve
from scimitar to sickle-shape; and the
bristling archers swooped down upon
the serried host—down into the face of
half a thousand! Two hundred men!
“Ranks were broken; many retired
before us somewhat hastily; some threw
their muskets to the ground—even
loaded; sunk on their knees threw up
their hands, calling out, ‘We surrender.
Don’t kill us!’ As if we wanted to do
that! We kill to resist killing.”
Chamberlain’s men captured so
many Confederates that they were out-
numbered two to one and the Union
eventually carried the day. Chamber-
lain received the sobriquet “Lion of the
Round Top” and later, the Medal of
Honor.
The following June, during the
siege of Petersburg, Va., Chamberlain
was shot in the right hip and groin.
Before passing out, he jabbed his sword
into the ground and held on to keep
himself upright for several minutes to
discourage calls for retreat. Army sur-
geons believed it was a mortal wound
and Chamberlain’s death was reported
in Maine newspapers and to Lt. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant, who promoted
Chamberlain posthumously, or so he
believed, to brigadier general.
Given an early version of a catheter,
Chamberlain lived, but faced infec-
tions and revision surgeries for the rest
of his life, and eventually died from
complications of the wound in 1914.
Nevertheless, he returned to duty about
five months later in November 1864.
In March 1865, his new unit, the 1st
Brigade of the 1st Division of V Corps,
participated in a major skirmish dur-
ing Grant’s final advance in Virginia.
Chamberlain was almost captured and
was brevetted to the rank of major
general.
A few days later, on April 12, 1865,
he was given the honor of presiding
over the parade of Confederate infantry
during their surrender at Appomattox
Court House, Va. As the vanquished
enemy marched down the road, Cham-
berlain honored their bravery by order-
ing his men to shoulder their arms, and
salute them.
“This was the last scene of such
momentous history that I was impelled
to render some token of recognition;
some honor also to manhood so high,”
Chamberlain later recalled. The Con-
federate Gen. John Gordon rose in his
saddle and returned the salute.
After the war, Chamberlain served
as governor of Maine, and later as the
president of his alma mater and former
employer, Bowdoin College. Despite
old age and ill health, he tried to re-
enlist during the Spanish-American
War in 1898, but was rejected for duty.
Editor’s note: Information for the
above biography comes from “Bayonet!
Forward: My Civil War Reminiscences,”
by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and
“Joshua Chamberlain: A Hero’s Life &
Legacy,” by John J. Pullen. v
Soldiers • August 2009 39
 A time of war
Story by Sandy Ates
Pvt. Charles W. Eubanks stands beside his jeep while serving in Germany during World War II.
“We boys knew we were gonna fight!”
C
HARLES William Eubanks, a
resident of West Point, Miss.,
wants to be remembered—not
as a hero, but as a survivor of D-Day.
“Forget about what you saw on
‘Saving Private Ryan,’ the film foot-
age shown at Omaha Beach was taken
from an airplane,” said the 86-year-old
World War II Army veteran. “It was
much worse from our level. The Nazis
totally had us pinned down in the
sand—all the while, blood, human
flesh, body parts and metal were rain-
ing down on our Soldiers lucky enough
to be alive. We were on our bellies from
the time we left the (PT) boats until
the time we finally took our objective.”
Eubanks, a native of Troy, Miss., is
a decorated Army veteran who survived
both the Normandy invasion and
Battle of the Bulge.
40 www.army.mil/soldiers
“I survived because of two things,”
he explained, “Divine intervention
and the training at Camp Van Dorn.
That is why I am a survivor of the
worst battle that there’s ever been. If
we hadn’t been successful June 6, 1944,
Americans would be speaking German
right now.”
He remembers all too well that oth-
ers were not so lucky on June 6, 1944.
A junior in high school when Pearl
Harbor was bombed, Eubanks recalled
how he and friends talked about the
war.
“We boys knew we were going to
fight,” he said. “But we had discussions
among ourselves as to whether we were
going to fight for our country, for the
politicians or for the flag. But every-
body knew we would fight—the world
was in turmoil.” Eubanks would not
Courtesy of Charles W. Eubanks
join the Army until September 1943,
at the age of 20.
“In the fall of 1943,” he said, “I
went to a training school in Tupelo and
was trained for factory work. I then
went to Bristol, Conn., and worked
for $325 a month as a copper plater—
more money than a country boy ever
had.”
By then, the recruiting offices had
closed and everyone, including volun-
teers, entered the military through the
draft.
“But I didn’t feel right about not
going to war. My brother was already
serving and most of my friends, too,
and I felt it was my time to go, so I vol-
unteered for the draft,” Eubanks said.
“I should have listened to my
employer,” Eubanks joked. “He told
me he could defer me three times, and

Battle of the Bulge
when I got into the thick of that hell
on Earth, I wished I’d listened to him.”
Eubanks remembered boarding
a school bus and heading to Camp
Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Miss., where
he was inducted into the Army.
The veteran remembered one of the
draftees at Camp Shelby taunting train-
ing officials.
“Jessie Dearing said, ‘You don’t
need to train us. We’ve been shootin’
squirrels since we were six or seven
years old. We can shoot those Germans
just as good without training,’ and he
did.”
Eubanks left Camp Shelby and
headed for basic training at Camp Van
Dorn in south Mississippi, training
with the 63rd Infantry Division.
“We were treated like animals dur-
ing boot camp. For two weeks, we were
‘caged’ and purposely driven to think
nothing of ourselves, and were taught
to keep moving forward,” said Eubanks
pausing, and raising a withered index
finger upwards. “That’s how we were
trained.”
After basic training, Eubanks
shipped out from New Jersey and ar-
rived in Liverpool, England, where the
war was already in full swing.
“We were all so young,” he said.
“So many of us were uneducated
Southern boys, but we knew enough to
know it was going to be bad.”
After arriving in Liverpool, he
became part of the 29th Division and
was assigned as a first scout.
Eubanks said the first scout was
the man who went out first for about
20 or 30 feet when the troops were on
patrol, and recalled he was often able
Courtesy of Charles W. Eubanks
Cynthia (James) Eubanks, shortly before com-
ing to the U.S. in 1947.
to pass through enemy lines because
Germans were waiting for the officers
who would come behind him. On the
morning of June 6, 1944, Eubanks
was among the 150,000 Soldiers who
stormed Normandy’s beaches. At three
in the morning Eubanks said, “They
gave us a backpack and dropped us out.
I couldn’t swim and I don’t know how
I made it.
“We were in water over our heads
and a lot of the Soldiers drowned be-
fore reaching the beach,” said Eubanks.
“The Germans did not intend for
the allies to get to the beach (Omaha
Beach)—they had complete control
of the area. On the beach, Soldiers
encountered landmines, mortars, small-
arms fire—the Germans were pretty
smart people.”
After visiting Normandy years later,
Soldiers • August 2009 41
Courtesy of Charles W. Eubanks
Charles W. Eubanks (front row, 2nd right) joins other young men for induction into the
Army at Camp Shelby, Miss.
Eubanks said of that day, “It was the
biggest resistance Germany had. They
were the most prepared army there
was. They had big concrete and steel
bunkers, and even today, those same
bunkers are as good now as they were
in 1944.”
He talked a great deal about the
American military leadership of those
days—the good and the bad.
Remembering some words Gen.
George Patton shared with the troops,
Eubanks heard Patton say: “You old
foot Soldiers is the sorriest you could
be unless you win this war.” Patton also
told troops they were bought and paid
for by Uncle Sam. “We feed you, clothe
you, and give you guns, and you’re go-
ing to fight!”
Eubanks, who learned to “move
forward” in basic training, said the
words rang clearer when spoken by the
notorious Patton. “If a Soldier gets hit
and you know you’re going to die, hold
up your rifle and let another Soldier
get it. It’s hard to get another rifle, but
it’s easy to get more dog faces (Patton’s
nickname for the Soldiers).”
He served under Patton for about
two weeks before reassignment under
the command of Gen. Omar Bradley,
who he described as a Christian man.
“Patton low-graded us to get us to
fight. He played on your mind, but it
42 www.army.mil/soldiers
Wounded Americans are helped ashore at Normandy.
seemed to work because we won the
war.”
Still under Patton’s command,
Eubanks said that on June 11, five days
after the landing, he and other Soldiers
dug in at the hedgerows. A German
reconnaissance plane flew just above
them, the pilot searching for his land-
ing strip under darkness. “All down the
line, we told our boys not to fire on the
plane because it was a trap set by the
“The best thing about the
war was meeting my wife.
The moment I met her in the
park one day, I knew that I
was going to marry her.”
— Charles W. Eubanks
Germans,” Eubanks explained. “One
foolish Soldier took a potshot at the
plane and when the pilot saw the light,
he laid a strip of bombs right on top of
us.” Eubanks and many other wounded
Soldiers were evacuated to a hospital
near Coventry, England.
“The Red Cross broke the news
to my mother that I was missing in
action, and the Army sent her my dog
tags, my watch and a copy of the New
Testament that we were given in basic
training,” Eubanks chuckled. “All the
while I was recuperating at the hospital
in England.”
A letter from the War Department
arrived for Mrs. Louise Eubanks, July
5, 1944, expressing the Army’s sorrow
for their recent erroneous telegram.
The letter further explained that her
son was wounded in action June 11,
1944 in France, and was hospitalized
in England. The Army, however, would
not give her details about the nature of
his wounds.
Shrapnel remained in the wound
to his left leg, but he learned to walk
again with the help of a young nurse’s
aid at the hospital, 17-year-old Cynthia
James, who lived in nearby Birming-
ham, England.
“The best thing about the war was
meeting my wife. The moment I met
her in the park one day, I knew that I
was going to marry her,” Eubanks said,
with a large smile and twinkle still in
his eye.
Eubanks believes the attention of
the lovely Welsh nurse’s aid had just as
much to do with his speedy recovery
as the treatment received by doctors.
With the war still very much in prog-
ress, the same war that brought the two
together separated them.
Released from the hospital in Octo-
ber 1944, Eubanks was sent back across
 Courtesy of Charles W. Eubanks
The Eubanks family.
the Channel—the Battle of the Bulge
would be Hitler’s last great offensive.
For one two-week span, Eubanks said,
his bunch, which belonged to Bradley,
was loaned out to Patton’s Third Army
for the drive to Berlin.
“Central Europe was bad,” he said.
“By the time we got to Berlin, the
city had been carved into four pieces.”
Eubanks said he spent about three
months on occupational duty in Berlin
and learned to despise the Russians al-
most as much as he did Hitler because
of their destructive behavior toward
Berliners.
He was glad to learn his old friend
from Camp Shelby made good on his
promise as a veteran squirrel hunter.
“Dearing would go out alone at night
and stalk Germans. He hunted them
just like he did those squirrels—shot
them out of bell towers and places like
that.”
In the spring of 1946, Eubanks
sailed back to America, spent two
weeks mustering out at Camp Shelby,
and took the bus north toward home.
He arrived home in Pontotoc,
Miss., unannounced. His mother, who
two years earlier thought she had lost
him, now had him home for good after
two years, nine months and 13 days.
She also learned that he had married
(in March 1946) the sweet young
nurse’s aid who helped bring about his and military awards and decorations.
quick recovery. Pictures are everywhere—humanity
He returned to England to be mixed with inhumanity, real life and
with her until her country clearances real war. “It wasn’t until Mother passed
were approved, then returned home to away that he has really started talking
Pontotoc. Traveling from Birmingham, about his military service and World
England, to Birmingham, Ala., she ar- War II experiences,” she said with deep
rived in 1947, and he was waiting there admiration in her voice.
for her. “On Memorial Day we have a
“She was the best thing that came ceremony here to remember the boys
from my service during World War II,” from counties like Pontotoc and small
communities in the surrounding area.
They were behind a plow one day, hun-
Courtesy of Charles W. Eubanks
kered down behind a tank the next,”
said Eubanks. “Those with whom I
fought alongside, few returned home,
but I think about them every day. The
boys from the 29th hunkered down,
running behind tanks across Europe,
nearly 20,000 of them getting killed,
teenagers saving the world, aching for
Pfc. Charles Eubanks’ World War II awards, Bible, their mothers.”
patches and memorabilia.
He has many medals, certificates
says Eubanks, resting peacefully in the and citations to prove his heroism—the
kitchen chair at their home in West Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart.
Point. “Then we added three beautiful Still, the first thing Charles W. Eubanks
children, five grandchildren, and two tells visitors who see the small museum
great-grandchildren. Yes, life has been in his modest West Point home is that
very good after all those years of mar- he is not a hero, but a mere survivor of
riage.” (Cynthia Eubanks passed away D-Day, because the real heroes never
Aug. 5, 2004. They had been married made it back home. v
for 57 years).
Daughter Annie says he fills his life Sandy Ates is a staff writer for the Missis-
now by appreciating the family pictures sippi National Guard Public Affairs Office.
Soldiers • August 2009 43
 Remembering
D-day
-- Veterans take time to remember the past while living for today --

Story by Anthony Hardman

FOR the past 23 years, veterans age 55

and older have come together to compete in
the National Veterans Golden Age Games.
It’s the largest sports and recreational com-
petition for this age group of military vet-
erans in the world, and this year’s competi-
tion, held in Birmingham, Ala., in early
June, marked a special commemoration.
On June 5, 2009, the eve of the 65th
anniversary of D-day, four veterans of
World War II who fought in Normandy,
on and after that frightful day, shared their
stories.

Robert Blatnik, age 89, took part in competition with nearly 700 military veterans
age 55 or older at the National Veterans Golden Age Games. Blatnik won gold
medals in shuffleboard, swimming, discus and shot put competitions. Blatnik
was also recognized with the event’s George Gangi Inspiration Award, given
to one veteran who clearly demonstrates physical fitness, sportsmanship and
competitive skill.
44 www.army.mil/soldiers
 D-Day and fighting in Normandy

R
OBERT Blatnik, an 89-year-

U.S. Army Signal Corps

old Army veteran, was on the
eastern half of Omaha Beach
during the invasion. Amazingly, he
lived to tell about it.
“On the beach, the artillery and
smoke were everywhere,” said Blatnik.
“It was chaos all around us. I didn’t
even see any small arms fire from the
Germans, just bodies and bombs going
off everywhere.”
A sergeant major at the time of
the assault on Normandy, Blatnik
was already a battle-hardened Soldier
serving under Gen. George S. Patton,
in the infamous 1st Infantry Division,
nicknamed “Big Red One.” Before
D-Day, Blatnik fought in the Tunisian
campaign in North Africa, and was a
part of the invasion of Sicily, in 1943.
Blatnik said his experience helped
keep him alive.
“I knew that the main thing to do
was to get off the beach. Some of the
men wanted to dig in. When you’re
on a beach the main thing to do is
confront the enemy. You can’t dig in
during something like that; you’ve go
to get the hell off the beach. If you try
to dig in you’re lost, so I tried to keep
my men moving forward.”
Bob Sherwood, a 90-year-old
veteran of the Merchant Marines also
played a crucial role in the invasion of
Normandy.
“On June 6, 1944, at about four
o’clock in the morning, I was on an
ocean-going tugboat, hooked up to a
big concrete block,” said Sherwood.
“We got to Normandy before the inva-
sion and dropped the block.”
The blocks Sherwood speaks of
were ferried across the English Channel
to establish man-made harbors, so that
troops and supplies could get in. The
Merchant Marines played a major role
in the war by supplying more than 70
percent of the troops’ supplies. Sher-
wood joked that without the Merchant
Marines we wouldn’t have won the war.
“We had more than 200 concrete
blocks to form a breakwater,” said
Sherwood. “They moved us away from
the invasion and here comes these
poor kids. I thanked God I was on a
American assault troops in a landing craft huddle behind the protective front of the craft as it nears a
beachhead on the northern coast of France. Smoke in the background is from naval gunfire, June 6, 1944.
tugboat. These kids hitting the beach,
they’re the ones who took the beating.
They’re the ones I take my hat off to.”
After D-Day, it was up to Soldiers
like William Trumbly, an 87-year-old
Army veteran, to help make the way
into France. It was June 16, 1944, just
10 days after D-Day, when Trumbly, a
replacement officer in the 2nd Infantry
Division, led a platoon into combat in
Normandy. His objective was to secure
Hill 192, so the Allied forces could
advance past German lines deeper into
France.
Trumbly, a mortar officer, was 500
feet back from the men on the front
lines, but close enough to witness many
of them lose their lives.
After they secured the hill, Trumbly
experienced something he will never
forget.
“I saw a German soldier laid out
like he should be in a casket, so I
immediately thought something was
wrong. He was laying there with his
hands on his chest, so I got down and
saw that he had a grenade under his
hands.”
His attention to detail that day
saved his life, and the lives of the men
around him. It was after that when
Trumbly reflected on his mortality.
“A couple days after that, I said
Lord, I’d like to live, but if I get killed
that’s all right. I don’t think I’ll survive
too many battles like this by myself,”
Trumbly said. “I got wounded twice
after that, but here I am, 87 years old
sitting in front of you.”
When these veterans reflect on
their time in the war, the fact that they
made it through is not lost on them.
“I thank God that I made it, I
thank him all the time,” said Blatnik.
“Faith helped get me through three
invasions. I wonder, why me, when so
many others died?”
Lessons learned
The lesson Robert Sherwood
learned from war sticks with him to
this day.
“My advice is to live every day
because you may not make it to see
tomorrow. Thank God that you’re here,
because who knows if you’re gonna be.
Live every day for today.”
Trumbly learned the true price of
freedom.
“Freedom somebody has to pay
for. Freedom is not free, but it’s worth
fighting for. I’d rather die fighting for
freedom than kneel before a dictator

Soldiers • August 2009 45

 for help.”
Returning from war
When Blatnik returned from the
war, he felt like he was saved for a
reason and has since worked to justify
that existence. After retiring from the
U.S. Postal Service, Blatnik became a
paramedic and volunteered his time
helping others.
“Helping other people was the best
pay I’ve ever received,” said Blatnik.
Even at the age of 86, Blatnik still
donates his time to the Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Dallas, visiting patients who just need
someone to talk to.
Sherwood came home and worked
delivering bread to people’s homes.
He recounts the time fondly, and
said, “I sure loved delivering bread to
those women every day.”
He later went on to sell insurance.
When Trumbly came home, he
decided to go back to college. Earning
(Right) Citation from the French government received by Sgt. Maj. Robert Blatnik in recognition
of his service in the 1944 Normandy campaign to liberate France during WWII.
(Below) Omaha Beach, June 1944. By Joseph Gary Sheahan.
Courtesy of the U.S. Army Center of Military History
46 www.army.mil/soldiers
a degree in geology, he worked in
that field until he retired.
A special bond
Now, 65 years after the inva- “It’s not about winning the
sion in Normandy, the physical and medals,” said Trumbly. “It’s
emotional wounds of war continue
to be healed at the National Veterans about camaraderie, having
Golden Age Games. Veterans from fun and helping us for our
all walks of life come together to
compete, bond and cheer each other mental and physical health.”
on. It’s those friendships that serve as
a special type of therapy—one that
helps these veterans lead fuller, more
active lives.
“It’s not about winning the med-
als,” said Trumbly. “It’s about camara- Anthony Hardman works for the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs.
derie, having fun and helping us for
our mental and physical health. It’s
done me a lot of good to be at the
games.” v Courte
sy of R
obert
Blatnik
Focus on Soldiers Story and photos by Spc. Benjamin Watson

‘Adventure PT’

Team-building with a few twists

H
OW does this sound for your
morning physical training
session?
Begin by carrying a canoe over
muddy slopes in the dark, racing in
two-man teams through the forest to
a riverbank; then paddle your canoe
nearly six miles down a cold river.
Next, put on your body armor, full
rucksack and advanced combat helmet
and push a tire up and down three-
and-a-half miles of hills as the sun rises
above the trees and out of the morning
fog.
You could call it adventurous. Lt.
Col. Robert J. Neitzel, chief of opera-
tions for the 82nd Airborne Division,
does. He described the workout as
“adventure PT,” a series of team-
oriented challenges meant to work the
upper body and test the overall physical
fitness of his paratroopers.
In April, Soldiers assigned to the
Division’s operations team (“The
Team”) found out exactly how exhaust-
ing and beneficial Neitzel’s “adventure Capt. Jose J. Hernandez, battle captain with the operations team for 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters,
PT” could be. leads the paddling in a canoe with his teammate, Capt. Ben Salt, a captain in the British Army attached
to “The Team,” to the riverbank of Fort Bragg’s Little Creek during a customized morning physical training
session called “adventure PT.”

“First and foremost, most people
don’t have a lot of experience canoe-
ing,” Neitzel, a native of Horicon,
Wisc., said. “So just the simple fact of
going straight down a river that’s got
a current and has a lot of twists to it,
these guys have to talk to each other.”
“Canoeing isn’t something that we
do on a regular basis,” said Capt. Evan
Hessel, battle captain with “The Team.”
From left, Capt. James G. Repshire, a battle
captain in the operations team for 82nd Airborne
Division Headquarters, along with his teammate,
Lt. Col. Robert J. Neitzel, chief of operations for
the 82nd Abn. Div., push a tire as a team nearly
four miles up and down hills.
“So really for the first 30 minutes,
you’re really getting to know your
teammate and basically getting in sync.
It was not easy right off the bat.”
Hessel’s teammate was Staff Sgt.
Kenneth J. Ciszek, a communications
sergeant with “The Team.”
“He’s a good guy,” Hessel said, “and
he’s from New York so he’s got a little
bit of experience outdoors – New York
upstate, not the city.”
Hessel said he hadn’t been in a
canoe since he was 12 years old.
“The river’s a different animal,
especially before the sun comes up,” he
said. “We ran into the bank a couple
times, into a few branches, even a few

Soldiers • August 2009 47

 Focus on Soldiers
trees that had fallen down.”
One challenge few had planned for
was a short, but intimidating waterfall.
Teams could either try their hand at
going through it, or disembark on the
bank and walk their canoe around it
before returning to the river.
Almost all of the teams chose to go
around, taking the lost time in stride.
However, 1st Lt. Yonel Charles, a
battle captain with “The Team,” and
teammate, Maj. Charles D. Bovey, shift
director for the headquarter’s Joint Op-
erations Cell, elected to proceed right
on through the falls.
To their surprise, they kept their
canoe afloat. They were so surprised, in
fact, they started cheering and high-
fiving each other.
Then their canoe flipped and they
were suddenly shoulder-deep in the
cold water of Fort Bragg’s Little River.
Despite their spill at the waterfall,
Bovey and Charles finished in second
place.
Ben Salt, a captain in the British
Army attached to “The Team,” and
his teammate, Capt. Jose J. Hernan-
dez, battle captain with “The Team,”
From left, Ben Salt, a captain in the British army attached to the operations team, 82nd Airborne Division
Headquarters, along with his teammate, Capt. Jose J. Hernandez, a battle captain with “The Team,” push
a tire as a team nearly four miles up and down hills.
48 www.army.mil/soldiers
finished the day’s events in third place,
but not before having to rally from an
early last place position.
“We were second in the water,”
Salt said, “then we went to last and had
to learn how to steer. At one point,
we were about 300 meters behind
everyone.”
Once the teams exited the river,
their positions were established. Teams
did not pass each other on the long,
tiresome push to the finish line.
After letting the tire fall at the end,
Salt announced, “It feels like I just did
one-thousand push-ups.”
The team of Hessel and Ciszek
came in fourth place, appearing more
than happy to be done taking turns
pushing their heavy, awkward tire up
and down hills.
“This was definitely a team-build-
ing, cohesion event,” Hessel said, refer-
ring to the persistence and communica-
tion “adventure PT” requires.
Neitzel and his teammate, Capt.
James G. Repshire, a battle captain on
“The Team,” finished first, crossing the 1st Lt. Yonel Charles, a battle captain with the operations
team for 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters, leads
line at almost exactly 8 a.m. the way pushing a tire along with his teammate, Maj.
As a trophy, Neitzel and Rep- Charles D. Bovey, shift director for the headquarter’s
Joint Operations Cell.
shire—or “Team Awesome”—were
given a customized ping-pong paddle
with the words “The Team” written
across its face with a marker.
“In everything we do, we always
focus on team work,” Neitzel said,
wrapping up the morning with a few
words for his paratroopers—nearly all
of whom are deploying together very
soon to Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We’re more than one person or
just an entity,” he said as everyone
stood in a huddle, sore but pleased
with their accomplishments as a team.
“If you look at what we are, we are ‘The
Team.’ It’s everybody and what they
contribute.” v
Spc. Benjamin Watson is assigned to the
49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne)
at Fort Bragg, N.C.
DOMINATE THE
ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM.
http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cew/EWCareer.asp.

JOIN THE ARMY’S NEWEST CAREER FIELD

The Army’s newest Career Management Field 29 (Electronic Warfare) is seeking
volunteers to validate pilot training courses through 2010. Electronic Warfare
specialists manage the electromagnetic spectrum of the modern battlefield as well as
monitor or interdict the enemy’s ability to communicate. As a result, the Army will need
officers, warrant officers and enlisted volunteers in the active Army, Army Reserve,
and Army National Guard to locate, target, exploit, disrupt, degrade, deny, or destroy
enemy electronic systems supporting military operations at all levels of war. To learn
more about pilot course attendance and emerging career opportunities, training, and
eligibility requirements, log on to: http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cew/EWCareer.asp.

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