The document provides information about upcoming events at Fort Meade and articles in the latest issue of the post newspaper Soundoff!. Key details include:
- The garrison considers many factors like road conditions and school closures when deciding to close the post for bad weather.
- The post veterinary clinic may have to cut back services if more community members don't utilize it.
- Marines have moved into a new consolidated personnel administration center on post.
- Copies of the 2015 Fort Meade Welcome Guide are available upon request.
Nurturing Families, Empowering Lives: TDP's Vision for Family Welfare in Andh...
Soundoff January 8, 2015
1. first alert
Post leaders rely
on system to make
bad-weather calls
page 3
UPCOMING EVENTS
Today, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Cooking Matters Commissary Tour - Commissary
Friday: Registration ends for 7th Annual Dump Your Plump - Gaffney Fitness Center
Monday, 9 a.m.: Post Exchange Pharmacy opens - Post Exchange
wednesday, 11:30 a.m.: MartinLutherKingJr.DayObservance-McGillTrainingCenter
Jan. 26: Fort Meade Tax Center opening - 4217 Roberts Ave.
Oh deer!
Garrison outlines
plans to reduce deer
population on Meade
page 11
Soundoff!´
vol. 67 no. 1 Published in the interest of the Fort Meade community January 8, 2015
photo by philip h. jones
Ian Manor, 10, Jasmine Jones, 11, and several other Fort Meade youths organize a “snow sled train” on a small hill near Roberts Road in the Heritage Park neighborhood
Tuesday afternoon after the first winter storm of 2015. The storm system dropped more than 3 inches of snow. Get the latest weather updates by calling Fort Meade’s
Adverse Weather System at 301-677-6323 or by texting “follow ftmeade” to the number 40404. For more, see Page 3.
2. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
Commander’s Column
Contents
News.............................. 3 Sports...................................12
Crime Watch.................. 9 Movies..................................15
Community..................13 Classified..............................17
Editorial Staff
Garrison Commander
Col. Brian P. Foley
Garrison Command
Sgt. Maj. Rodwell L. Forbes
Public Affairs Officer
Chad T. Jones
Chad.T.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Chief, Command Information
Philip H. Jones
Philip.H.Jones.civ@mail.mil
Editor Dijon Rolle
Dijon.N.Rolle.civ@mail.mil
Assistant Editor Senior Writer
Rona S. Hirsch
Staff Writer Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer Shari Rosen
Design Coordinator Timothy Davis
Supplemental photography provided by The Baltimore Sun Media Group
Advertising
General Inquiries 410-332-6300
or email advertise@baltsun.com
If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are
experiencing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail TP@baltsun.com.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through
Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the
personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 N.
Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year in
conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must reach
the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. Mailing
address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort Meade, MD
20755-5025. Telephone: 301-677-5602; DSN: 622-5602.
Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage
without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap or sex of purchaser,
user or patron.A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser
will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source.
Printed by The Baltimore Sun Co., LLC, a private firm, in no way connected with the
Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are their
own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the Army.
The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an endorsement by
the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised.
www.ftmeade.army.mil
You can also keep track of Fort Meade on Twitter at twitter.com/ftmeademd
and view the Fort Meade Live Blog at ftmeade.armylive.dodlive.mil.
Soundoff!´
Guaranteed circulation:
11,285
Happy New Year to all!
It’s hard to believe the year 2015 is upon us. I
hope everyone in our Team Meade community had
a restful, safe and enjoyable holiday break.
We are now plunging into what will be another
eventful year filled with challenges and accom-
plishments. We will capitalize on awareness of
massive installation growth raised in 2014, and
seek Army support of our military construction
requirements to widen Mapes and Reece roads and
access control points.
We will hope for the best (a permanent end to
sequestration), and plan for the worst (a severe or
complete limitation of sustainment and renovation
funding in 2016 if sequestration is not ended), by
accomplishing as much work in 2015 as possible.
As one of a tiny number of Army installations
growing in direct contrast to DoD downsizing, we
will assist Installation Management Command in
rebalancing Army resources to ensure the garrison
has enough to provide minimum acceptable levels
of service in all our functional tasks.
Fort Meade is our nation’s pre-eminent cen-
ter for information and intelligence, and our
nation’s primary platform for joint cyber opera-
tions. Cyberspace is arguably the primary domain
of 21st-century global conflict and competition.
We see evidence of this in the news every day.
Fort Meade — as home of U.S. Cyber Com-
mand, the National Security Agency/Central Secu-
rity Service, the Defense Information Systems
Agency, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Com-
mand and U.S. Fleet Cyber Command — is the
primary operational platform from which our
nation defends itself in this domain every day.
U.S. Cyber Command, Marine Corps Forces
Cyberspace Command and U.S. Fleet Cyber
Command’s missions are operational and persis-
tent, and will continue to grow on Fort Meade
in 2015.
Each needs the ability to command and control
operations in a global domain 24 hours a day. To
enable their ability to execute this functional mis-
sion, we will seek to increase Army understanding
and resourcing of Fort Meade as the nation’s pri-
mary cyber operational platform.
We began the year with IMCOM approving our
temporary requirement for nine additional gar-
rison employees needed to support growth. These
employees will conduct badly needed strategic
planning, master planning and security functions
and give us time to permanently update personnel
requirements and authorizations.
Next up later this month is a briefing on cyber
installation support requirements by the Army
staff to Gen.
Raymond Odi-
erno, the Army
chief of staff.
It is my goal to
follow that up
by inviting the
general to Fort
Meade for a tour
and briefing on
our growth.
We are also
scheduledtohost
Governor-elect
Larry Hogan on Jan. 30, and new Anne Arundel
County Executive Steve Schuh later this month.
The garrison’s job is to enable the operational
missions of all 117 partner organizations assigned
here and provide high-quality services to the entire
Team Meade community. To do this we need help
from all to quantify the needs of this installation
— your needs. We will work together with all to
ensure these needs are coordinated and voiced by
the senior leaders who live and work here.
Thank you all again for your hard work and
dedication to our great nation. As we move
through the winter, please continue to be safe. Plan
extra time to get to your destinations, walk care-
fully to avoid slipping on wet and frozen surfaces,
and take a few moments to enjoy the beauty of
Fort Meade after a fresh snowfall.
As we begin the new year also remember to
cherish life and the ones you love. Recent losses in
our garrison family have reminded us how fragile
life can be, and that we should prioritize spending
time each and every day with those we love most.
So here’s to a great 2015 ahead!
Many big events are just around the corner and
the Foley family looks forward to sharing them
with you. We’ll see you around campus!
Nation’s platform for
joint cyber operations
COL. Brian P. Foley
Garrison Commander
Commander’s Open Door
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley
has an open door policy.
All service members, retirees, government
employees, family members or community
members age 18 or older are invited to address
issues or concerns to the commander directly
by visiting Foley’s office on Mondays from 4
to 6 p.m. at garrison headquarters in Hodges
Hall, Bldg. 4551, Llewellyn Avenue.
Visitors are seen on a first-come, first-
served basis. No appointment is necessary.
For more information, call 301-677-4844.
3. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 8, 2015 SOUNDOFF!
News
By Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer
As the first snow of winter fell across
the state Tuesday morning, the garrison
kept abreast of weather conditions on
and off post and conferred with several
directorates to decide whether to close the
installation, delay its opening or allow
unscheduled leave.
Garrison Commander Col. Brian P.
Foley follows recommendations from the
Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobili-
zation and Security; the Directorate of
Public Works; and the Directorate of
Emergency Services.
The directorates are in communication
with the Anne Arundel County Police,
Anne Arundel County Public Schools and
the National Security Agency. The direc-
torates also monitor on- and off-post road
conditions, parking lot clearing operations
and the status of the federal government in
order to give Foley the best guidance.
“Weather calls are made as expedi-
tiously as possible with the best informa-
tion we have in the interest of safety,” said
Mary Staab, director of DPTMS. “The
goal is to make the decision before 5 a.m.
to best allow notice to our community
population.”
Once Foley has made the decision about
the status of the installation, the Fort
Meade Public Affairs Office uses three
primary outlets to get the word out to the
community: Facebook, Twitter and the
Fort Meade website.
The Fort Meade media relations team
contacts local radio and television outlets
in both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.,
to update them on the installation’s operat-
ing status.
“Our primary message is one of safety,”
said Steve Ellmore, New Media man-
ager at PAO. “We announce the instal-
lation’s operating status and post any
safety announcements addressed by the
National Weather Service in regard to
freezing roads or bridges or to stay clear
of certain areas.”
Fort Meade does consider the status of
the federal government in regard to closing
the installation. However, the post does
not always close when the federal govern-
ment closes.
In addition, the operating status
announcements only apply to garrison
organizations. Partner and tenant organi-
zations make their own decisions in regard
to the status of their personnel.
However, most partner organizations
mirror the decisions of the garrison, said
Ellmore.
During adverse weather, DPW is respon-
sible for providing oversight to Melwood,
the installation’s base operations contrac-
tor, in the removal of snow and ice from
roads and walkways on post.
Daniel Spicer, director of DPW, said
Many factors determine garrison closing during adverse weather
file photo
that Melwood works around the clock dur-
ing snowfall and icy conditions to provide
a continuously safe means for emergency
vehicles to respond at all times.
The installation’s primary roads and
emergency access areas are cleared first,
followed by secondary roads, parking
areas, walkways and building entrances,
which are to be cleared within six hours
after the end of precipitation.
Federal employees have the option for
unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework
pending the permission of their supervisor
during adverse weather.
On the Fort Meade website, a document
details the garrison’s adverse weather sta-
tus. The document explains definitions for
early release, delayed arrival and delayed
opening. For more information, go to the
Fort Meade website.
DPTMS provides a recorded message
on the Fort Meade Adverse Weather Sys-
tem at 301-677-6323.
The Fort Meade community can also
receive text alerts with regard to adverse
weather. Text “follow ftmeade” to 40404.
By Shari Rosen
Staff Writer
Fort Meade’s Veterinary Treatment
Facility offers veterinary and preventa-
tive care to military families and their
pets at a reduced cost.
However, if community members
choose not to take advantage of the
facility, it will begin to cut its services.
“We will be forced to cut back on the
services we provide and we will be less
able to meet our growing community’s
needs in the future,” said Capt. Emily
Corbin, chief of Fort Meade Branch
Veterinary Services. “We will have less
appointments available.”
The facility’s services, which are avail-
able to active-duty, Reservist and retired
service members, range from minor sick
examinations to vaccinations.
The treatment facility is also respon-
sible for providing health certificates
for the pets of service members with
permanent change-of-station overseas.
According to the Army website, these
certificates must be completed by a vet-
erinarian and are generally valid for no
more than 10 days from the date they
are issued.
“We are absolutely irreplaceable for
writing health certificates for pets of
our permanent change-of-station fami-
lies because we are official government
veterinarians,” Corbin said. “Without
us, service members with permanent
changes-of-station overseas would have
to travel to Richmond, Va., for their
health certificate to be endorsed by the
U.S.D.A. [Department of Agriculture]
veterinarian.”
The facility, which opened in its cur-
rent location at 2018 Annapolis Road
in 1995 and was last renovated in 2012,
supports Fort Meade’s military work-
ing dogs by offering full-spectrum vet-
erinary care. It conducts special events
such as extra slots for canine dental
cleanings in February in observance of
National Pet Dental Health Month.
“Think of us ahead of time when you
are PCSing and need a health certificate
for your pet,” Corbin said. “The winter
season is our slow season and you will
be able to get an appointment right
away.”
Editor’s note: For more information
on the Fort Meade Veterinary Treatment
Facility, call 301-677-1300. The facility
is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Veterinary facility to cut back services if unused
Capt. Emily Corbin, chief of Fort Meade
Branch Veterinary Services, uses a
stethoscope to listen to Capone’s heart
at the Veterinary Treatment Facility.
submitted photo
4. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
News
PHOTO BY MARINE CAPT. ANDREW T. HOWARD
marines move into cpacJoseph Brown, site supervisor for QSS International, is presented a
certificate of appreciation from the Marines of the Fort Meade Con-
solidated Personnel Administration Center. The Marines moved into the
CPAC on Dec. 8. This new facility will serve personnel administrative
needs for all Marines at Fort Meade including the Defense Information
Systems Agency, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, Defense
Information School, Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion, and U.S.
Cyber Command.
Copies of the 2015 Fort Meade Welcome
Guide are
available now.
Please call
301-677-
5602 or email
philip.h.jones.
civ@mail.mil
to request
guides
for your
organization.
By DoD News
Most Soldiers received a one-percent
increase in basic pay in January, along
with a 2.9-percent increase in their basic
allowance for subsistence.
The new rates for basic pay, basic
allowance for housing, basic allowance
for subsistence, and the cost of living
allowance rates for the contiguous Unit-
ed States were announced last month by
the Department of Defense, and took
effect on New Year’s Day.
Basic pay for service members will
increase 1 percent, except for general
and flag officers who will not see an
increase in 2015. For example, a spe-
cialist or corporal with three years of
service will see an increase in basic pay
of $22.20 per month, while an Army
captain with six years of service will
receive a basic pay increase of $54.30
per month in 2015.
Basic allowance for housing (or BAH)
rates for service members in 2015 will
increase on average $17 per month, or
half a percent. Rates are calculated using
median current market rent and average
utilities (including electricity, heat and
water/sewer) for each pay grade, both
with and without dependents.
Two changes were made to BAH rate
computations for 2015. Renter’s insur-
ance, which contributed an average of
1 percent to rates, was eliminated, and
the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense
Authorization Act reduced housing
rates, on average, 1 percent for service
members.
However, individual rate protection
for service members remains an inte-
gral part of the BAH program, officials
said. This means that even if BAH
rates decline — including through the
elimination of renter’s insurance and
the reduction in the calculated rate — a
service member who maintains uninter-
rupted BAH eligibility in a given loca-
tion will not see a rate decrease.
This ensures that service members
who have made long-term commitments
in the form of a lease or contract are
not penalized if local housing costs
decrease.
Service members can calculate their
BAH payment by using the basic allow-
ance for housing calculator at http://
www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bah-
Calc.cfm.
The 2015 basic allowance for subsis-
tence rates for military members will
increase by 2.9 percent over last year.
The new rates are:
• $367.92 per month for enlisted
members
• $253.38 per month for officers
The annual adjustments to basic
allowance for subsistence, or BAS — a
monthly nontaxable cash payment to
military members intended to be used
to buy food — are linked to changes in
food prices as measured by the annual
change in the U.S. Department of Agri-
culture Cost of Food at Home Index.
From the beginning of October 2013
through the end of September 2014,
the index rose by 2.9 percent, forming
the basis for the increased BAS rates,
officials explained.
The Defense Department also released
its 2015 contiguous United States cost
of living allowance rates, or CONUS
COLA. Roughly 12,000 members will
see a decrease in their CONUS COLA
payments, while some 7,000 members
will see an increase or no change, and
4,000 members will no longer receive a
CONUS COLA payment.
CONUS COLA is a taxable supple-
mental allowance designed to help off-
set higher prices in high-cost locations.
Rates vary based on location, pay grade,
years of service and dependent status.
Rates can increase or decrease depend-
ing on the prices in a specific duty loca-
tion compared to prices in an average
CONUS location.
Service members can calculate their
CONUS COLA rate at: http://www.
defensetravel.dod.mil/site/conusCalc.
cfm.
Select Soldiers see one-percent pay raise in new year
5. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
News
By Army Public Affairs
Secretary of the Army John McHugh
and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray-
mond Odierno announced that Com-
mand Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey will
become the 15th sergeant major of the
Army on Jan. 30.
“We have the utmost confidence in
Command Sergeant Major Dailey and
look forward to having him join our
leadership team,” McHugh said. “His
experience, leadership, devotion to Sol-
diers and commitment to our Army
make him especially suited to assume
this important duty, one that Sergeant
Major of the Army Chandler has mas-
terfully performed for the last four
years.”
Dailey is currently the command ser-
geant major for U.S. Army Training and
Doctrine Command.
Dailey, who hails from Palmerton,
Penn., is a combat veteran with four
deployments to Operation Iraqi Free-
dom and one in support of Operation
Desert Storm. He was a command
sergeant major for most of those tours,
responsible for training, leading, men-
toring and developing Soldiers into
leaders.
Dailey will succeed Sgt. Maj. of the
Army Raymond F. Chandler III, who
has served in that position since March
2011.
“Command Sergeant Major Dailey
epitomizes the competence, character
and commitment we require of our
Soldiers and leaders,” Odierno. “I have
every confidence in his ability as a
visionary leader to help guide our Army
through this time of great complexity
and rapid change. He is a trusted Army
professional.”
Chandler will remain in his post until
Jan. 30. Dailey will then be sworn in
during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
As the TRADOC command sergeant
major, Dailey played a key role in shap-
ing the Army’s plans for leader develop-
ment and Soldier 2020.
“I’m passionate about the Army, and
I’m passionate about taking care of
Soldiers,” Dailey said. “This is truly a
humbling opportunity.”
The 15th sergeant major of the Army
will serve as the Army chief of staff’s
personal adviser on matters affecting
the enlisted force. The exact duties vary
depending on the chief of staff, though
much of the sergeant major of the
Army’s time is spent traveling through-
out the Army to observe training and
talk to Soldiers and their families.
The sergeant major of the Army rec-
ommends quality-of-life improvements
to Army leadership and sits on councils
that make decisions affecting enlisted
Soldiers and their families. The sergeant
major of the Army also routinely testi-
fies before Congress on these issues.
Dailey will be the public face of the
U.S. Army’s NCO Corps, representing
the corps to the American people in the
media and through business and com-
munity engagements.
“I’m confident Command Sergeant
Major Dailey will provide good counsel
to the secretary and chief as he has a
track record of being a steadfast advo-
cate for Soldiers and families,” Chandler
said. “Throughout my tenure, I have
counted on his support and advice,
especially in the areas of leader develop-
ment and the Army profession.”
Dailey earned a Bachelor of Science
degree (summa cum laude) from Excel-
sior University.
His awards include the Legion of
Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor,
Bronze Star Medal (third award), Meri-
torious Service Medal (third award),
Army Commendation Medal (seventh
award), Army Achievement Medal
(10th award), Good Conduct Medal
(seventh award), National Defense Ser-
vice Medal (second award), South West
Asia Service Medal (one Bronze Ser-
vice star), Iraq Campaign Medal (five
Bronze Service Stars), Global War on
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global
War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea
Defense Service Medal, NCO Profes-
sional Development Ribbon (fourth
award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas
Service Ribbon (third award), Kuwait
Army leaders select next sergeant major of the Army
By Rebecca Silvas
IMCOM Human Resources
With critical installation manage-
ment vacancies in deployed locations
open now, U.S. Army Installation
Management Command employees
have additional career development
opportunities at their fingertips.
“No one knows installation man-
agement better than IMCOM,” said
Maj. Gen. Lawarren Patterson,
IMCOM deputy commanding general
for operations and chief of staff. “It’s
the willingness of our employees to
provide and manage support to Sol-
diers in deployed locations that sets
this command apart as an enabler of
readiness and premier support orga-
nization.”
According to IMCOM leaders,
there’s an immediate need to fill about
23 vacancies that include positions in
public works, administration, hous-
ing, construction, plumbing and oper-
ating forklifts.
In the long term, the command
plans to develop a pool of applicants
ready to serve at any location.
The deployment experience allows
civilians to use their capabilities, expe-
rience and knowledge to support cru-
cial Department of Defense missions
abroad. Deployable civilians are need-
ed to serve as qualified volunteers to
fill critical functions in Afghanistan
and other locations across the globe
— everything from humanitarian aid
and disaster relief to support infra-
structure and contract management.
Volunteering to deploy gives civilian
employees an extraordinary opportu-
nity to broaden skills and expertise
while directly supporting operations
of national interest.
As a deployee, you will live and
serve on a variety of American bases
and compounds with your military
and government colleagues. Some of
the locations will be quite austere and
remote and unlike any community in
the United States, contributing to the
overall experience.
You will receive training to help you
prepare for living in-theater.
In addition to the experience you
will gain from your deployment, you
may be also eligible for a 35 percent
post differential pay, 35 percent haz-
ardous duty differential pay, and sig-
nificant overtime compensation — in
addition to base salary.
The application process begins with
filling out an Army Civilian Volunteer
Request for Deployment form, found
at http://cpol.army.mil/library/mobil/
webforms/index-Army.html.
Submit the completed form and
resume to the HQ IMCOM deploy-
ment coordinator email address:
usarmy.imcom-hq.mbx.g1-civper@
mail.mil.
Incomplete forms will not be con-
sidered.
Application Instructions:
• Section 1: Completed by the
employee
• Section 2: Supervisor signature
• Section 3: Garrison commander,
region director (region employees),
director (HQ employees)
For more information, email
usarmy.imcom-hq.mbx.g1-civper@
mail.mil or go to http://www.cpms.
osd.mil/expeditionary/.
Vacancies open for civilian expeditionary workforce
Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Kuwait
Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Driv-
ers Badge (wheel), Ranger Tab, Expert
Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infan-
tryman’s Badge and The Order of Saint
Maurice (Centurion).
Dailey is a member of the Distin-
guished Audie Murphy Club.
Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey
6. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
News
By Tanesha Matthews Petty
Attorney Advisor, Legal Assistance Division
Generally, the military views divorce as
a private legal matter to be addressed in a
civilian court.
The Office of the Staff Judge Advocate
cannot grant a divorce, and commanders
are expected to minimize their involvement
in a service member’s personal domestic
affairs so long as it doesn’t impact their
duty performance, safety or well-being.
Nonetheless, there are a handful of
military-specific rights and responsibilities
that apply to service members and/or their
spouses when divorcing.
Service members in all branches of the
military have a duty to provide immediate
financial support to their civilian spouses
and children when the spouses stop living
together. Failure to pay support could result
in administrative and/or United States
Code of Military Justice action against the
offending service member.
The amount of support the service
member is required to pay varies from
branch to branch and is impacted by
whether either spouse has obligations (also
impacted by rank) to support children from
the marriage or prior relationships. Under
some limited circumstances, however, the
interim support obligation can sometimes
be waived by a commander.
In the event that a service member fails
to provide adequate support, the civilian
family member can contact the service
member’s commander to file a non-support
complaint.
Additionally, a service member cannot
drop his or her spouse from Tricare until
a divorce decree is issued. There are times
when a civilian spouse is entitled to Tricare
benefits even after the divorce has been
finalized.
Pursuant to the “20/20/20 Rule,” civil-
ian spouses are entitled to Tricare for life
(unless they remarry) if the couple has been
married for 20 years, the service member
has at least 20 years of creditable service
toward military retirement, and the civilian
spouse was married to the service member
during at least 20 years of the service
member’s retirement-creditable service.
Also, the “20/20/15 Rule” states that
civilian spouses are entitled to one year of
transitional Tricare if the couple has been
married for 20 years, the service member
has at least 20 years of service that is cred-
itable in determining eligibility for retired
pay, and the civilian spouse was married
to the service member during at least 15
years of the service member’s retirement-
creditable service.
Children of service members will con-
tinue to be eligible for Tricare and other
military benefits post-divorce so long as
the service member is eligible for those
same services.
If a civilian court has awarded the
civilian spouse a portion of the service-
member’s retirement, the “10/10 Rule”may
apply. The 10/10 Rule requires a couple
to have been married for at least 10 years
and requires the service member to have
served at least 10 years of service creditable
toward retirement during the marriage.
If both of these conditions are met,
Defense Finance and Accounting Services
may directly pay a civilian spouse his or her
share of the service member’s retired pay. If
the 10-year rule is not met, then the service
member must deliver the military pension
award directly to the civilian former spouse,
which can be done by mailing a check, set-
ting up an allotment, automatic payment
or some similar method.
One final thing for divorcing military
couples to consider is the Survivor Benefit
Plan, or SBP. When a retired service mem-
ber dies, his or her military pension will no
longer be paid.
Fortunately, if a service member is
enrolled in the SBP at retirement, his or
her listed beneficiary will receive a monthly
annuity payment to make up for the lost
retired pay until the death of the benefi-
ciary.
This is only a brief summary of some of
the issues affecting divorces involving one
or two service members.
For personalized advice and assistance,
call the Fort Meade Legal Assistance
Office to schedule an appointment with
an attorney at 301-677-9504 or 301-677-
9536.
Military-specific divorce considerations for separating couples
By Amy Cowell
Program Evaluator
Public Health Command
Nearly 30 million children and adults
in the United States are living with dia-
betes, and another 86 million are pre-dia-
betic. They have a blood sugar level higher
than normal, but not high enough for a
diagnosis of diabetes.
These individuals are at risk for devel-
oping Type 2 diabetes. That means that
nearly one in three Americans have pre-
diabetes, yet the vast majority of people
with pre-diabetes do not even know they
have it.
This is particularly troubling because
without lifestyle changes to improve their
health, 15 to 30 percent of people with
pre-diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes
within five years.
Women who have had diabetes while
pregnant and people of African-Ameri-
can, Hispanic/Latino, American-Indian,
Asian-American or Pacific-Islander back-
ground are at increased risk.
It is important to find out early if you
have pre-diabetes, because early treatment
can prevent serious problems that diabe-
tes can cause such as loss of eyesight or
kidney damage.
Several risk factors increase a person’s
risk for pre-diabetes. Take the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention test in
the box to see if you are at risk.
If your score is 3 to 8 points, your risk is
probably low for having pre-diabetes now.
Keep your risk low. If you are overweight,
lose weight. Be active most days, and don’t
use tobacco. Eat low-fat meals with fruits,
vegetables and whole-grain foods.
If you have high cholesterol or high
blood pressure, talk to your health care
provider about your risk for Type 2 dia-
betes.
If your score is 9 or more points, your
risk is high for having pre-diabetes now.
It is recommended that you make an
appointment with your health care pro-
vider soon.
The good news is that those who are
pre-diabetic can avoid becoming diabetic
and even reverse their pre-diabetic status
through lifestyle changes.
Research shows that modest weight loss
and regular physical activity can help pre-
vent or delay Type 2 diabetes by up to 58
percent in people with pre-diabetes.
Modest weight loss means 5 percent to
7 percent of body weight, which is 10 to 14
pounds for a 200-pound person. Getting
at least 150 minutes each week of physi-
cal activity, such as brisk walking, also is
important for prevention.
Are you at risk for pre-diabetes? Answer these seven questions:
• Are you a woman who has had a
baby weighing more than 9 pounds at
birth? (Yes: 1 point; No: 0 points)
• Do you have a sister or brother with
diabetes? (Yes: 1 point; No: 0 points)
• Do you have a parent with diabetes?
(Yes: 1 point; No: 0 points)
Are you younger than age 65 and get
little or no exercise in a typical day?
(Yes: 5 points; No: 0 points)
• Are you between age 45 and 64
years? (Yes: 5 points; No: 0 points)
• Are you age 65 or older? (Yes: 9
points; No: 0 points)
• Do you weigh as much or more than
the weight listed for your height? (Yes:
5 points; No: 0 points)
For each “Yes” answer, add the number
of points listed. All “No” answers are 0
points.
Better Opportunities for Single Service Members is the voice for the single Soldier,
Marine, Seaman and Airman. For more information, contact the Fort Meade
Garrison BOSS Representative Cpl. Victoria M. Johnson at 301-677-6868.
7. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 8, 2015 SOUNDOFF!
News
Dec. 18, Driving while impaired
by alcohol, driving under influence
of alcohol, failure to obey traffic
controldevice: TheDirectorateof
Emergency Services was notified
that a vehicle had sped through
a security gate without stopping.
Gate security personnel initiated
a pursuit and stopped the vehicle.
Police arrived on the scene and detected
a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting
from the driver. Standardized field sobriety tests
were terminated for the driver’s safety. The driver
agreed to provide a sample of his breath, with a
result of .27 percent blood alcohol content.
Dec. 20, Negligent driving, driving while impaired by
alcohol: The Directorate of Emergency Services was
notified that a vehicle had driven through the Reece
Road gate without stopping. Later, the vehicle was
reported as driving erratically. Police located the
vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Upon contact
with the driver, police smelled a strong odor of an
alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle. The
driver admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages
and refused to perform standardized field sobriety
tests to check her ability to drive. The driver refused
to submit to a breathalyzer.
Dec. 24, Larceny of private property: Unknown
person(s) removed a bag of purchased items from
the rear compartment of the victim’s vehicle, which
was possibly unsecured, and unattended.
Dec. 26, Shoplifting: According to Exchange secu-
rity personnel, the subject took a discount tag from
one piece of merchandise and placed it on a T-shirt,
then proceeded to the register where she paid the
discounted price. The subject was also observed
placing two bottles of bath and body works lotion,
a set of sterling silver moon earrings and a sterling
silver paw ring in her purse and exit the store with-
out rendering proper payment.
Dec. 27, Wrongful destruction of private property:
An unknown person cut the Christmas light wires
in an individual’s front yard.
Jan. 1, Failure to obey properly placed traffic-control
device instructions, driving while under the influence,
driving while impaired by alcohol: Gate security
guards notified the Directorate of Emergency Ser-
vices of a vehicle driving through the gate without
stopping. Police responded and stopped the vehicle.
The driver had trouble retrieving his license. He
was asked if he was under the influence of alcohol,
to which he replied, “Yes.” The field sobriety tests
were terminated for the safety of the driver. The
driver provided a breath sample, with a result of .23
percent blood alcohol content.
CommunityCommunity
Crime Watch
Compiled by the Fort Meade
Directorate of Emergency Services
For week of Dec. 15-21:
• Moving violations: 31
• Nonmoving violations: 3
• Verbal warnings for traffic stops: 10
• Traffic accidents: 9
• Driving on suspended license: 3
• Driving on suspended registration: 1
• Driving without a license: 2
For week of Dec. 22-28:
• Moving violations: 17
• Nonmoving violations: 1
• Verbal warnings for traffic stops: 5
• Traffic accidents: 9
• Driving on suspended license: 0
• Driving on suspended registration: 0
• Driving without a license: 1
For week of Dec. 29-Jan. 4:
• Moving violations: 12
• Nonmoving violations: 1
• Verbal warnings for traffic stops: 6
• Traffic accidents: 5
• Driving on suspended license: 0
• Driving on suspended registration: 0
• Driving without a license: 0
MECHATRONICS
Engineering Technology
Certificate and Degree Programs
• Electronics, Mechanics and Robotics.
• Hands-on training.
• Siemens Solidworks certification
preparation.
For details, contact
Kat Schorr 410-777-7219
or kschorr@aacc.edu
ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Center for Applied Learning and Technology
101 College Parkway, Arnold, MD 21012
www.aacc.edu/mechatronics
Make a New Year's Resolution that will last a lifetime.
The New Year is a great time to get started on educational goals.
Anne Arundel Community College can prepare you for transfer to
a four-year university or for immediate employment. Explore your
career options with AACC!
AACC’s flexible spring term makes taking a class more
convenient than ever. Many classes can be completed online
and in as little as eight weeks.
Get comprehensive resources and financial benefits
specifically for our veterans, active duty members
and their dependents.
LEARN ABOUT:
• How to earn college credit for military experience.
• Opportunities for spouses and dependents to
receive up to $4,000 in financial assistance.
• Scholarship programs and interest-free
tuition payments.
• Transfer options that allow you to complete a
four-year degree.
• Active military and civilians with DOD
clearance are welcome.
Fort Meade Army Education Center
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Thursday
8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Friday
Advising hours:
9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
or call 410-672-2117
Claudia Velazquez, Coordinator of College Services
STARTTHENEWYEARRIGHT!
www.aacc.edu/military
SPRING SESSIONS BEGIN JAN. 21, FEB. 2 AND MARCH 23
8. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil10 SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
News
By Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer
Since Nov. 1, about 40 Fort Meade ser-
vice members and DoD civilians have been
on the road to wellness by participating in
the garrison’s Holiday Challenge.
“This is the first annual Holiday Chal-
lenge to encourage the Fort Meade com-
munity to consider making the decision to
improve or maintain their wellness over the
holiday season,” said Jamie Valis, director
of the Army Wellness Center.
“We know that the holidays can be a
difficult time to exercise, get enough sleep,
manage stress or eat some healthy food
options. The Army Wellness Center is here
to support goal setting to allow us to enjoy
the holiday season with wellness in mind.”
The challenge, which ends Jan. 30, was
open to active-duty service members, retir-
ees and DoD civilian employees.
Participants were required to schedule
an appointment with AWC to meet with a
health educator and set a wellness goal to
focus on during the holidays.
Depending on their wellness goal, partic-
ipants could undergo a body composition,
fitness or metabolic assessment to establish
their present condition. The health educa-
tors then helped participants put together a
wellness program to meet their goal.
A month after their first appointment,
participants were encouraged to meet with
their health educator to discuss their prog-
ress toward their individual goals.
“People are enjoying it,” Valis said of
the challenge. “The holidays are such a
challenging time for most people to set and
keep a goal.”
In addition, participants were entered
into a raffle after their first and second
visits to AWC. Two winners will be selected
randomly from the raffle at the end of the
challenge. The winners will receive promo-
tional coffee mugs and umbrellas.
Editor’s note: To schedule an appoint-
ment at the Army Wellness Center, call
301-677-2006, Monday through Friday
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Holiday
Challenge
still going
strong
file photo
dump your plump“Dump Your Plump,” a post-holiday, weight-loss competition, begins Monday and ends March 4. Competitors
can participate in teams of four, or as individuals. Each week, competitors are required to weigh in once, Mon-
day through Wednesday. Winners will be determined by the highest percentage of weight loss.
Prizes will be awarded throughout the competition and for overall team and individual winners. The competition
is free for anyone eligible to use the Gaffney Fitness Center, which includes DoD cardholders: active-duty service
members, dependents, Reservists, retirees, DoD civilian employees, and contractors. For more information, call
Katie Harrington at 301-677-7344.
party on!
A group of young par-
tygoers enjoy a round
of soft drinks and
pizza during the New
Year’s Eve Cosmic
Bowling Celebration
held Dec. 31 at The
Lanes. The event was
designed to provide
community members
with a family-friendly
option for New Year’s
fun. Revelers enjoyed
pizza, popcorn, soda,
party favors and
games. The Lanes
also hosted an adult
New Year’s party later
that evening.
photo by dijon rolle
9. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 8, 2015 SOUNDOFF! 11
News
The new pharmacy at the Post Exchange
is scheduled to open Monday near the
GameStop video game store.
The new Post Exchange Pharmacy is
a full-service pharmacy capable of filling
prescriptions written by providers from
Military Treatment Facilities (including
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center) and
off-post providers.
The facility will be the sole location
for pick up of refill prescriptions on Fort
Meade. Hours of operation are Monday
to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The phar-
macy will be closed weekends and federal
holidays.
PX Pharmacy to open Monday
Mike Quillen, a pharmacy tech for
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center’s
pharmacy, places labels on shelved
medications in the new Post Exchange
Pharmacy. The pharmacy is scheduled
to officially open Monday.
Photo by Navy Mass Communication Spc.
2nd Class Zach Allan
With the opening of the new PX Phar-
macy, the refill pharmacy at Kimbrough
Ambulatory Care Center will no longer be
operational.
All refill prescriptions that have not been
picked up by close of business on Friday
will need to be picked up at the new PX
Pharmacy.
The Kimbrough Main Pharmacy will
continue to provide the same prescription-
filling services it currently provides, but there
will be no refill function available on the
Kimbrough campus.
All refill prescriptions will be processed
and dispensed at the new PX Pharmacy.
The process for calling in refill prescrip-
tions will remain the same. All refills are
required to be called in through the auto-
mated pharmacy refill line.
The phone number for the automated
pharmacy refill line remains the same: 1-
800-377-1723.
Follow the appropriate prompts to ensure
refills are filled and ready for pickup. Allow
72 hours for refills to be processed.
ate of Emergency Services and will remain
in contact with the police desk.
Restrictions may be in place on certain
roadways and fields.
The hours of the deer cull will be Mon-
day through Thursday, after dark and after
rush hour until 1 a.m.
Wildlife Services has a deer cull record of
zero accidents and a 100 percent drop rate.
The deer will be removed with a shot to
the head and neck. All deer will be deliv-
ered to a deer processor and prepared for
donation as meat to the Maryland Food
Bank.
By Lisa R. Rhodes
Staff Writer
An overabundance of white-tailed deer
on Fort Meade has led the garrison to
initiate a deer culling project to reduce the
animals’ numbers on post.
The project is scheduled to begin Jan. 26
and will run through March.
The goal for this year is to remove up to
200 deer, including antlered and unantlered
deer, with the objective of reaching a popu-
lation of less than 20 deer per square mile.
According to deer surveys, the deer popula-
tion on post is estimated to be 152 deer per
square mile.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Ser-
vice, Wildlife Services is authorized to
conduct deer management in Maryland
through a permit issued by the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife
Services will conduct the deer cull using
suppressed-sound firearms.
Deer culling is considered a humane
solution to the overpopulation of deer,
which can cause their natural habitat to
degrade and, in the long run, cause the deer
to become malnourished, unhealthy and
susceptible to disease, according to a Mary-
land Department of Natural Resources
website.
A major consequence of the deer over-
population on post has been deer-related
vehicle collisions, which have increased
from six incidents in 2005 to 16 incidents in
2012. The collisions have occurred despite
relatively low speed limits on post, accord-
ing to the project memorandum.
Fort Meade’s Environmental Division
has noted that deer damage is apparent in
the garrison’s landscaping and forest. The
amount of habitat on post that is available
to wildlife, specifically deer, is decreasing as
the installation develops new facilities.
The shooting zones for the deer cull-
ing will be directed away from buildings,
structures, vehicles, equipment and bodies
of water and will be defined as areas where
there are more than one deer.
Two marksmen will target the deer using
strict safety guidelines. The teams will
include a representative from the Director-
Garrison set to cull
deer population
file photo
The Fort Meade garrison will start a deer cull project from Jan. 26 until the end of
March. The project’s aim is to reduce the overpopulation of white-tailed deer on the
installation in order to preserve the health of the herd, improve the post’s natural
habitat and prevent deer-related vehicle collisions.
10. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil12 SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
Sports
Longtime ESPN “SportsCenter” person-
ality and icon Stuart Scott died Sunday at
the age of 49. Boy, cancer sucks.
When Stuart first came on “SportsCen-
ter” 20 years ago, I was a huge fan. His
catchphrases, like “Cool as the other side of
the pillow” or “He must be butter because
he’s on a roll,” were funny and in step with
my love of hip-hop.
Stuart was the first person on TV — out-
side Cypress Hill — to use the word booyah
properly. bit.ly/1xBJAz
I couldn’t get enough of Scott’s style;
nobody could. But then folks not nearly as
talented as Stuart started trying to be Stu-
art, and the things he was saying started to
become cliché and lame, like Gangnam Style,
after you heard it for the zillionth time.
Additionally, in my opinion Stuart was
trying a little too hard to be Stuart as well,
and soon his words and phrases and wax-
ing poetic about sports became one of the
reasons I started to despise “SportsCenter,”
a show I grew up on.
Then Sunday’s news came. And as the
tributes to Stuart rolled in, it became clear
that Scott’s phrases and style might have
become cliché, but the man was anything
but. I realized me despising Stuart because
of how others bit on his style would be akin
to disliking Eminem because of Mackl-
emore, or Quentin Tarentino because of
the dude who directed “Lucky Number
Slevin,” or anyone else who failed to copy
the master.
Before Stuart, sports coverage was done
mostly by white dudes for the stereotypical
white dude. It was a mix of Joe Friday’s “just
the facts”and corny jokes slightly better than
what you’d get from a weatherman.
Stuart, to bite on one of his phrases,
showed us how cool the other side of the
cultural pillow could be when it came to
sports and how it
was described,
watched and dis-
cussed.
For white kids
in the suburbs,
Scott’s appearance on “SportsCenter” was
our first glimpse into a part of black culture.
(That, and of course, “Yo! MTV Raps.”
bit.ly/1tJjfdK ) Our parents hated it, so we
loved it. Not to mention, Scott improved
the trash talk on our local basketball courts
and playgrounds.
However, unlike “Yo! MTV Raps,” which
was immersed and originated in hip-hop
culture, Stu did his work in a suit and tie. He
was a news anchor who had the audacity to
break the mold and do things his way, while
oftentimes being held to higher standards
and dealing with the nastiness that accom-
panied several minorities who broke into the
“white man’s world.”
There is another aspect to Scott’s death
that shook me. My generation has lost sever-
al of its icons, but most of them fell to some
kind of tragic tabloid death like a shooting or
ski accident. Scott died of cancer. For years,
that’s what older people died of. So when I
heard about Stuart’s passing, I couldn’t help
but take a look at my own mortality.
Thanks to ESPN’s outstanding job of
honoring Stuart by carrying on his legacy,
I didn’t dwell on my death too long. But in
the tributes to Stuart, I heard one last catch-
phrase from the man that put me at ease:
“When you die, it does not mean that
you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how
you live, why you live, and in the manner in
which you live.”
If you have comments on this or anything
to do with sports, contact me at chad.t.jones.
civ@mail.mil or by hitting me up on Twitter
@CTJibber.
The other side
of the pillow
Chad T. Jones,
Public Affairs
Officer
Jibber Jabber - Opinion Sports Shorts
2015 Run Series Schedule
The Fort Meade Run Series will resume in April.
There will be a total of seven 5K runs and 1-mile walks throughout the
year with a variety of
themes:
• Earth Day 5K and
1-Mile Walk: April 18,
8 a.m., Burba Lake
Park
• Patriot Pride
5K/10K: May 16, 8
a.m., Murphy Field
House
• Army Birthday
Summer Sizzler 5K:
June 13, 8 a.m., The
Pavilion
• Football Fanfare 5K: Sept. 19, 8 a.m., Constitution Park
• Ghost, Ghouls Ghoblins 5K: Oct. 24, 8 a.m., The Pavilion
• Turkey Trot 5K: Nov. 21, 8 a.m., Murphy Field House
• Reindeer Run 5K: Dec. 19, 8 a.m., Murphy Field House
Dump Your Plump
The 7th Annual Dump Your Plump weight-loss challenge begins Monday
and runs until March 4 at Gaffney Fitness Center.
Registration is being held through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The competition is free and open to all Fort Meade/National Security
Agency service members and their families, DoD civilians and Fort Meade
contractors.
Registration forms to compete as an individual or in a team of four are due
Friday and can be found online at ftmeademwr.com.
Participants must weigh in once each week Monday through Wednesday at
Gaffney Fitness Center.
Weigh-ins will be conducted in private.
Winners will be determined by overall total percentage of weight loss
determined at the final weigh-in.
Prizes will be awarded to the first- and second-place teams, and the first-
and second-place male and female individual competitors.
For more information, call Gaffney Fitness Center at 301-677-7344.
Youth spring sports
Registration for spring sports is underway.
Spring sports include baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, basketball, track,
NFL flag football and soccer.
To register online, go to ftmeademwr.com.
For more information, call 301-677-1179.
Dollar Days
Dollar Days at the Lanes are offered every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11
p.m.
Bowlers receive a game of bowling, shoe rental, a hot dog, hamburger,
small fries, pizza slice or small soda for $1 each.
For more information, call 301-677-5541.
For more Fort Meade sports, visit quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.
For all your varsity and intramural sports schedules,
scores and standings, visit
www.quickscores.com/ftmeadesports
11. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 8, 2015 SOUNDOFF! 13
Community News Notes
The deadline for Soundoff! community
“News and Notes” is Friday at noon.
All submissions are posted at the editor’s
discretion and may be edited for space and
grammar. Look for additional community
events on the Fort Meade website at www.
ftmeade.army.mil and the Fort Meade
Facebook page at facebook.com/ftmeade.
For more information or to submit an
announcement, email ftmeademedia@
gmail.com or call Editor Dijon Rolle at
301-677-6806.
Pepper Road gate open
The Pepper Road gate is now open for
pedestrians and cyclists Monday through
Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pepper Road is located toward the
southeast corner of Fort Meade near
Range Control and Route 32.
Cars and other motorized vehicles are
not authorized through the gate.
Kimbrough holiday
closures
Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center
will be closed Jan. 16 for a training
holiday and Jan. 19 for Martin Luther
King Jr. Day.
To reach Nurse Advice or Urgent Care
during closures, call 301-677-8800.
Job search workshop
A free workshop, “10 Steps to
a Federal Job,” will be offered
Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
McGill Training Center.
Learn to understand job vacancy
announcements, write a federal
and electronic resume, and track
applications.
Transitioning service members
must register through Soldier for Life
Transition Assistance Program at 301-
677-9871.
All others may register online at
fortmeadeacs.checkappointments.com
or call 301-677-5590.
Car buying class
Army Community Service is offering
a class on buying a car on Jan. 20
from 9 a.m. to noon at 830 Chisholm
Ave.
NEWS EVENTS
Public NoticeFort Meade will conduct a Restoration Advisory Board meeting on Jan. 15
at 7 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott, 2700 Hercules Road, Annapolis Junction.
RAB meetings are held to keep the public informed and involved in Fort
Meade’s environmental cleanup and restoration program and to provide
opportunities for public involvement.
Major topics for this meeting include updates on several areas of interest,
BRAC Range 17 and the Nevada Avenue area.
Members of the public and the media are invited to attend. In order to foster
communication and open discussion, video recording devices are prohibited
from the meeting room.
Those interested in learning more about the restoration program or becoming
a RAB member are encouraged to attend the meeting.
For more information, call 301-677-7999 or go to http://www.ftmeade.army.
mil/environment/ (Click on RAB link).
file photo
Martin luther king jr. day observanceThe 780th Military Intelligence Brigade and the garrison command are hosting Fort Meade’s Martin Luther King
Jr. Day observance Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McGill Training Center, 8542 Zimborski Ave.
The annual event will feature stories of the civil rights struggle as told by Bill Grimmette, a history interpreter,
actor, storyteller, motivational speaker and author.
Col. William J. Hartman, commanding officer of the 780th MI, will give opening remarks.
Admission is free and open to the public.
All Fort Meade service members and civilian employees are encouraged to attend with supervisory approval
and without charge to annual leave. Administrative leave is authorized.
For more information, call Sgt. 1st Class Andrea Williams, Equal Opportunity advisor for the 789th MI, at 301-
677-4474 or Sgt. 1st Class Torey Palmore, Fort Meade’s Equal Opportunity advisor, at 301-677-6687.
Learn tips to help you get through
this complex process and make a wise
purchase.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-5590.
Resume writing workshop
The Navy Fleet and Family Support
Center is offering a resume writing
workshop on Jan. 20 from 9 a.m to
noon at its facility at 2212 Chisholm
Ave.
This workshop will provide tips on
resume styles, the importance of cover
letters and tips on follow-up.
To register or for more information,
call 301-677-9014.
EDUCATION
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
12. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil14 SOUNDOFF! January 8, 2015
Community News Notes
Storytime
The Children’s Library offers pre-
kindergarten Storytime on Thursdays at
9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at Kuhn Hall,
4415 Llewellyn Ave.
• Today: “Welcoming in the New
Year” - stories about babies
• Jan. 15: “Snow Happy!” - songs and
finger plays about winter
For more information, call 301-677-5677.
Open house
Youths in grades five to eight and
their parents are invited to a free open
house at the Youth Center on Friday
from 5:30-7 p.m.
Club leaders and members will
present a slideshow highlighting the
various activities the Youth Center has
to offer.
For more information, call 301-677-
1437.
Cuisine from
around the world
Youths in grades six to eight may
sample a variety of spicy foods from
India, Asia and Latin America on Jan.
18 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Youth
Center.
This event is free.
For more information or to register,
call 301-677-1437.
Weekly playgroup
Children ages 4 and under are invited
to a weekly playgroup held every Friday
from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Soldier
and Family Assistance Center, 2462 85th
Medical Battalion Ave.
The playgroup features a variety
of engaging activities to build strong
parent-child relationships.
Space is limited. Registration is
required for each session.
For more information, call 301-677-
5590.
Out About
• BOSS is offering a ski trip for single
service members Jan. 16-19 at Smugglers
Notch in Vermont.
Cost is $175 and includes
transportation, lodging, lift tickets,
equipment rental, T-shirt and a hooded
sweatshirt. Payment plans are available.
For more information, email
your BOSS rep or Sgt. McKenzie at
mamcke5@cybercom.mil.
• BOSS is offering a sightseeing day
trip to Washington, D.C., for single
service members on Jan. 24 from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes
transportation
For more information, email your
BOSS rep or victoria.m.johnson.mil@
mail.mil.
• Leisure Travel Services is offering its
next monthly bus trip to New York City
on Saturday, with discounts to attractions.
Bus cost is $60. For more information,
call 301-677-7354 or visit ftmeademwr.
com.
• The Maryland Horse World Expo
will be held Jan. 16 from noon to 8 p.m.;
Jan. 17 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Jan.
18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Maryland
State Fairgounds, 2200 York Road,
Timonium.
General admission is $10 for adults and
$5 for children ages 6-12. Cash only at
door. No pets allowed.
The event will feature seminars and
clinics, mounted demonstrations, a
musical equine variety show, a Young
Rider Learning Center, pony rides, a
children’s activity area, and venders selling
horse products and services.
For more information, call 301-916-
0852 or go to http://www.horseworldexpo.
com.
• The 19th Annual Maryland State
Police Polar Bear Plunge to benefit
Special Olympics Maryland will be held
Jan. 24 at Sandy Point State Park, 1100 E.
College Parkway, Annapolis.
Registration is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Minimum of $75 in donations required.
For more information, go to plungemd.
com.
• The 14th Annual World of Pets
Expo Educational Experience will be
held Jan. 23 from 2-8 p.m.; Jan. 24 from
10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Jan. 25 from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Maryland State
Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium.
General admission is $10 for adults and
$5 for children ages 5-12.
The event will feature pet products
and services, interactive pet exhibits,
free seminars by national experts on pet
care and training, a petting zoo, Parade
of Breeds, American Kennel Club Dog
Agility Trials, American Association
of Cat Fanciers Cat Show, workshops,
reptiles and fish.
For more information, call 800-882-
9894 or go to http://www.worldofpets.
org/MDmain.shtml.
• Fort Meade E9 Association meets the
second Friday of every month at 7 a.m.
in the Pin Deck Cafe at the Lanes. The
next meeting is Friday.
The association is open to active,
retired, Reserve and National Guard E9s
of any uniformed service. All E9s in this
area are invited to attend a breakfast
and meet the membership. For more
information, go to e9association.org.
• Meade Branch 212 of the Fleet
Reserve Association meets the second
Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at
VFW Post 160, 2597 Dorsey Road, Glen
Burnie. The next meeting is Saturday.
Active-duty, Reserve and retired
members of the U.S. Navy, Marine
Corps and Coast Guard are invited.
For more information, call 443-604-
2474 or 410-768-6288.
• New Spouse Connection meets the
second Monday of every month from
7-8:30 p.m. at the Community Readiness
Center, 830 Chisholm Ave. The next
meeting is Monday. The program
provides an opportunity for all spouses
new to the military or to Fort Meade
to meet and get connected. For more
information, contact Pia Morales at pia.
s.morales.civ@mail.mil or 301-677-4110.
• Marriage Enrichment Group,
sponsored by Army Community Service,
meets the second and fourth Monday
of every month from 3-4 p.m. at the
Community Readiness Center, 830
Chisholm Ave. The next meeting is
Monday. For more information, call
Celena Flowers or Jessica Hobgood at
301-677-5590.
• Calling All Dads meets the second
and fourth Monday of every month from
4-5 p.m. at Potomac Place Neighborhood
Center, 4998 2nd Corps Blvd. The next
meeting is Monday.
The group is for expecting fathers, and
fathers with children of all ages. Children
welcome. For more information, call 301-
677-5590 or email colaina.townsend.ctr@
mail.mil.
• AARP Chapter 606 will meet
Monday at noon in the Glen Burnie
Improvement Association Hall.
The board will meet at 10:30 a.m. The
business meeting begins at 12:30 p.m.
with desserts and drinks.
The speaker is Deborah Van Orden, a
registered nurse at Baltimore Washington
Medical Center, who will give a
presentation on strokes. Chapter dues are
due January through March at sign-in
at $4 per person or $6 per couple. Bring
food for the North County Emergency
Outreach Network information, box
tops for schools, loose change for
charities, and used toner cartridges to be
reconditioned.
For more information, call Judy Litke,
at 410-760-6253.
• NARFE Chapter 1519 will meet
Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Holy Trinity
Church Hall, 3436 Baltimore-Annapolis
Road, Glen Burnie.
Deborah Van Orden, a registered
nurse at Baltimore Washington Medical
Center, will speak about sleep deprivation
and studies. Betsy Koerner, a registered
nurse, will discuss the Stroke Club at
BWMC.
Those interested in joining this
chapter or finding out more information
concerning the National Active and
Retired Federal Employee Association,
should attend this meeting. Personnel are
needed to become active members of the
chapter and attend meetings.
For more information, call Diane
Shreves, publicity chairman, at 410-760-
3750.
• Fort Meade TOP III Association
meets the second Wednesday of each
month at 3 p.m. at the Courses. The next
meeting is Wednesday. The association
is open to all Air Force active-duty and
retired senior noncommissioned officers.
For more information, call Master Sgt.
Jonathan Jacob at 443-479-0616 or email
jajacob@nsa.gov.
• Prostate Cancer Support Group
meets at Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center in Bethesda on the third
Thursday of every month. The next
meeting is Jan. 15 from 1-2 p.m. and
6:30-7:30 p.m. in the America Building,
River Conference Room (next to the
Prostate Center), third floor.
Spouses/partners are invited. Military
ID is required for base access. Men
without a military ID should call the
Prostate Center at 301-319-2900 at least
two days prior to the event for base
access.
For more information, call retired Col.
Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or email
jane.l.hudak.ctr@health.mil.
• Meade Area Garden Club’s next
monthly meeting is Jan. 16 at 10 a.m.
at the Jessup Community Hall on the
corner of Route 175 and Wigley Avenue.
Samuel Droege, wildlife biologist at
the Patuxent Wildlife Center in Beltsville,
will present the program “Native Bees in
Our Gardens and Yards.”
This meeting also will be a surprise
100th birthday celebration for one of
its members, Marion Jordan, who also
is a member of the Fort Meade Retired
Officers’ Wives’ Club. Jordan’s 100th
YOUTH
RECREATION
MEETINGS
13. http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 8, 2015 SOUNDOFF! 15
Movies
birthday is Jan. 15.
The program is open to everyone.
Refreshments will be served. No
reservations are necessary.
If you attend one meeting as a guest
or drop-in, and want to continue to
come to the programs, you must join the
garden club for the annual membership
fee of $20.
For more information, call Jenny
Garcia, membership chairman, at
443-949-8348, or Sharon Durney, club
president, at 410-761-5019.
• Swinging Squares Square Dance Club
dances the first and third Saturday of the
month from 7:30-10 p.m. through May at
Meade Middle School. The next dance is
Jan. 17. Admission is $6. Square dance
attire is optional.
Dance classes are offered Thursday
nights at 7:30 p.m. at Meade Middle
School. Each class costs $6.
For more information, call Darlene at
410-519-2536 or Carl at 410-271-8776.
• Families Dealing with Deployment
meets the first and third Monday of
every month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at
Meuse Forest Neighborhood Center.
Children welcome. The next meeting is
Jan. 19. For more information, call 301-
677-5590 or email colaina.townsend.ctr@
mail.mil.
• Retired Enlisted Association meets
the third Tuesday of the month from
7:30-8:30 p.m. at Perry’s Restaurant,
1210 Annapolis Road, Odenton. The
next meeting is Jan. 20. For more
information, visit trea.org or call Elliott
Phillips, the local president, at 443-790-
3805 or Arthur R. Cooper, past national
president, at 443-336-1230.
• Military District of Washington Ser-
geant Audie Murphy Club meets the third
Wednesday of each month from noon to
1 p.m. at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson
Hall Dining Facility in Virginia. The next
meeting is Jan. 21. All members and those
interested in joining the club are welcome.
For more information, contact Master
Sgt. Erica Lehmkuhl at erica.lehmkuhl@
us.army.mil or 301-833-8415.
• Air Force Sergeants Association
Chapter 254 meets the third Wednesday
of every month from 3-4 p.m. in the
auditorium of the Airman Leadership
School, 8470 Zimborski Ave. The next
meeting is Jan. 21. For more information,
call 831-521-9251 or go to AFSA254.org.
• Society of Military Widows meets for
brunch the fourth Sunday of the month
at 1 p.m. at the Lanes. The next meeting
is Jan. 25. For more information, call
Betty Jones at 410-992-1123.
• Women’s Empowerment Group meets
Wednesdays from 2-3:30 p.m. to provide
a safe, confidential arena for the support,
education and empowerment of women
who have experienced past or present
family violence.
Location is only disclosed to
participants. To register, call Samantha
Herring, victim advocate, at 301-677-
4124 or Katherine Lamourt, victim
advocate, at 301-677-4117.
• Moms Walking Group, sponsored
by Parent Support, meets Thursdays
from 8:30-9:15 a.m. at Potomac Place
Neighborhood Center. To register, call
Colaina Townsend or Michelle Pineda at
301-677-5590.
• Project Healing Waters meets
Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Soldiers
and Family Assistance Center, 2462 85th
Medical Battalion Ave.
The project is dedicated to the physical
and emotional rehabilitation of wounded
warriors and veterans through fly fishing,
fly tying and outings.
For more information, call Larry
Vawter, program leader, at 443-535-5074
or email thecarptman@msn.com.
• Dancing with the Heroes, free
ballroom dance lessons for the Warrior
Transition Unit, meets Thursdays at 6
p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center in
the seminar room.
Participants should wear loose
clothing, comfortable shoes with leather
soles. No super high heels or flip-flops.
• Spanish Christian Service is
conducted Sundays at 1 p.m. at the
Cavalry Chapel located at 8465 Simonds
St. and 6th Armored Cavalry Road.
For more information, call Elias
Mendez at 301-677-7314 or 407-350-
8749.
• Couples Communication Group,
sponsored by Army Community Services,
meets every Monday from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
at the Community Readiness Center, 830
Chisholm Ave.
For more information, call Celena
Flowers or Katherine Lamourt at 301-
677-5590.
• Cub Scout Pack 377 invites boys in
first through fifth grades, or ages 7 to 10,
to attend its weekly Monday meetings at
6 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center.
For more information, email
Cubmaster Christopher Lassiter at
pack377_cm@yahoo.com or Committee
Chairperson Marco Cilibert at pack377_
cc@yahoo.com.
• Boy Scout Troop 379 meets Mondays
at 7 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel
Center on Rockenbach Road. The troop
is actively recruiting boys ages 11 to
18. For more information, email Lisa
Yetman, at lisayetman@verizon.net
or Wendall Lawrence, Scoutmaster, at
lawrencewendall@juno.com.
• Catholic Women of the Chapel
meets every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. for
prayer and Bible study in the Main Post
Chapel, 4419 Llewellyn Ave. Monthly
programs are held Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
The group is open to all women in the
community ages 18 and older — active
duty, retiree and civilian — for prayer,
faith fellowship, and service. For more
information, email Mariana Yinh at
themariana@yahoo.com.
• American Legion Post 276 is open to
veterans and active-duty service members
at 8068 Quarterfield Rd. in Severn.
Breakfast may be purchased beginning at
9 a.m. Lunches may be purchased from
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Happy Hour is
4-6 p.m. Dinner may be purchased at 6
p.m. on Fridays and the fourth Sunday
of every month.
Membership discounts are offered
for active-duty military. For more
information, call 410-969-8028 or visit
americanlegionpost276.org.
• Odenton Masonic Center, located
at 1206 Stehlik Drive, invites the
community, local military, fire/emergency
services and local businesses to enjoy its
breakfast and specialty dinners.
The center offers a fundraising “all-
you-can-eat” breakfast every second
Sunday from 7-11 a.m. Fundraising
specialty dinners are held the third
Friday of the month from 5-7 p.m.
Menus vary and are listed on the
center’s website at odentonlodge209.net.
• Monthly Prayer Breakfast, hosted by
the Garrison Chaplain’s Office, is held
the first Thursday of every month at 7
a.m. at Club Meade.
The next prayer breakfast is Feb. 5.
There is no cost for the buffet;
donations are optional. All Fort Meade
employees, family members, and civilian
and military personnel are invited.
For more information, call 301-677-
6703.
• Meade Rod and Gun Club meets the
first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
at Perry’s Restaurant and Odie’s Pub at
1210 Annapolis Road, Odenton, in the
banquet hall in back of the building. The
next meeting is Feb. 5. Dinner is served
at 6 p.m. For more information, call 410-
674-4000.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
of Anne Arundel County offers a free sup-
port group for families with a loved one
suffering from mental illness on the first
Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the
Odenton (West County) Library, 1325
Annapolis Road. The next meeting is Feb.
5. For more information, visit namiaac.
org.
Community News Notes
The movie schedule is subject to change. For
a recorded announcement of showings, call 301-
677-5324. Further listings are available on the
Army and Air Force Exchange Service website
at www.aafes.com.
Movies start Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30
p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
PRICES: Tickets are $5.50 for adults (12
and older) and $3 for children. 3D Movies:
$7.50 adults, $5 children.
Today through Jan. 25
Friday Sunday: “The Hunger Games: Mock-
ingjay Part 1” (PG-13). When Katniss destroys
the games, she goes to District 13 after District
12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who
convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion,
while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.
With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam
Hemsworth.
Saturday Jan. 17: “Penguins of Madagascar”
(PG). Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join
forces with undercover organization The North
Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine
from destroying the world as we know it. With
the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Chris-
topher Knights.
Jan. 16 18: “The Pyramid” (R). An archaeo-
logical team attempts to unlock the secrets of
a lost pyramid only to find themselves hunted
by an insidious creature. With Ashley Hinshaw,
James Buckley, Denis O’Hare.
Jan. 23 25: “Wild” (R). A chronicle of one
woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a
way to recover from a recent catastrophe. With
Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoff-
mann.
Jan. 24: “Top Five” (R). A comedian tries to make
it as a serious actor when his reality-TV star fian-
cée talks him into broadcasting their wedding on
her TV show. With Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson,
Gabrielle Union.