Football hooligans ‘getting more violent’

Violence at football matches in Germany’s top leagues has reached record highs, leaving police struggling to control it, the Interior Ministry said this week.READ (2 COMMENTS) »

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MUSIC integrates unmanned, manned aircraft | Article | The United States Army.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Michael McChesney reads from a sight card during his optometry checkup with Sgt. Nicky Granados at the Wiesbaden Health Clinic for Retiree Appreciation Day May 12.

<div id="others"> <ul> <li> <a href="/media/198175/"><img src="http://www.army.mil/content/images/2011/05/26/198175/size3.jpg" width="150" alt="Experts provide answers for military retirees" /></a> <div class="title" style = "font-weight:bold;"></div> <div class="caption">Retired Sgt. 1st Class Michael McChesney reads from a sight card during his optometry checkup with Sgt. Nicky Granados at the Wiesbaden Health Clinic for Retiree Appreciation Day May 12.</div> </li> </ul> </div>

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WIESBADEN, Germany — Questions come easy when you’re a military retiree.
When do I qualify for Social Security benefits? How do I straighten out my Veterans Affairs paperwork? What about my spouse; does she qualify for anything?
The answers, at least for retirees living overseas, are harder to come by.
“It’s really about being able to speak to an expert for what they (as retirees) want to know,” said John Herron, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden’s retirement services program manager, speaking about the garrison’s May 12 Retiree Appreciation Day.
From Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits to health care and taxes, subject matter experts were on hand for the Retiree Appreciation Day. Most of the experts were hosted at the Wiesbaden Health Clinic.
“I was here to see Tricare,” said Frank Bowman, a retired staff sergeant living in Bad Krueznach. “I’m turning 65 in less than a year. I need to know what to do.”
The 20-year military veteran is one of thousands of military retirees and one of 40,000 U.S. federal beneficiaries living in Germany.
“Most of the time (retirees) want to know about Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits,” said Ralf Fischer, a claims representative with the Social Security Administration Federal Beneficiary Unit in Frankfurt.
And most military retirees don’t know that they need to enroll in Medicare Plan B in order to continue receiving Tricare coverage after turning 65, said Fischer.
Retired Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Chandler smiled as he walked down the front entrance hallway of the Wiesbaden Health Clinic. After a doctor’s appointment that checked his health " from vision and blood pressure to prescription renewals, Chandler said the appreciation day was “very helpful.”
“The one-stop shop (set-up) is great,” said Chandler. “It’s the best thing the garrison can do. But the health clinic really is the best part.”
For retirees living overseas, medical appointments with military clinics are difficult to obtain " active duty Soldiers and their family members are given first priority.
The inclusion of available medical appointments for retirees is a big draw for the garrison’s annual Retiree Appreciation Day.
“It feels good because we don’t get to see retired Soldiers that often,” said Spc. Jordan Moore of the Wiesbaden Health Clinic. “They drive from miles away just to get here. From a health clinic point of view it is important to them in to check their lab work and their vision.”
“Patients do appreciate what we’re doing for them,” said Moore.
For more information on Social Security benefits, call the FBU in Frankfurt at (069) 9055 51201 or visit www.usembassy.de.

Army.mil Article: Experts provide answers for military retirees

Kaiserslautern MP dares to make a difference

Apr 7, 2011

ByRick Scavetta (U.S. Army Garrison – Kaiserslautern)

Photo credit Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Garrison – Kaiserslautern
Sgt. Mark Arnett and Spc. Kathy Ogburn, military police officers from U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, look over a lesson plan for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. National DARE Day was April 7.

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• U.S. Army Garrison – Kaiserslautern

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — As Sgt. Mark Arnett wraps up his tenure teaching kids about the effects of drugs and alcohol, he can look back knowing he made an impact on children’s lives.
For the past two years, Arnett has taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in the Kaiserslautern Military Community’s fours elementary schools.
“It’s been great for me to see the difference DARE is making in kids’ lives,” Arnett said. “The light bulb goes on and the wheels are turning.”
Since 1983, DARE has taught millions of students worldwide about the effects of alcohol and drugs. Each April, “National DARE Day” is commemorated in the United States by a presidential proclamation, community events and activities. This year, President Barrack Obama declared April 7 as National D.A.R.E. Day.
It’s been a few weeks since Arnett, wrapped up his final class. Still, when kids see him in the community, they ask Arnett to come back.
“That’s rewarding, to know that they learned and that it was a fun experience for them,” Arnett said.
While at Fort Meyer, Va., Arnett shook hands with kids as “McGruff the Crime Dog.” But he’d never been in front of a classroom. In becoming Kaiserslautern’s DARE instructor, Arnett learned the subtleties of teaching.
“As a Soldier, you instruct your peers,” Arnett said. “It’s totally different in front of fifth graders, trying to get them to listen to you.”
Department of Defense Dependents Schools students complete 10 lessons over several weeks, working from DARE planners, Arnett said. Weekly lessons often include acting out skits on peer pressure and watching videos about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
In Europe, where beer and wine are often part of the local culture, alcohol is easier to obtain at a younger age. Children living overseas know about that, Arnett said.
“We stress the impacts alcohol has on young bodies, the adverse effects that it can have,” Arnett said. “Kids are pretty smart,” Arnett said. “They know it’s bad for you, just not how bad it can be.”
What kids learn in DARE can have a ripple effect within their families. One Kaiserslautern fifth-grader recently brought her lessons home and helped her mother quit smoking, Arnett said.
Staffing a DARE officer for Kaiserslautern Military Community schools make sense, as police in military communities mirror the work of their civilian counterparts, said Master Sgt. Kenneth Pryor, the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern provost sergeant.
“It gives us an opportunity to have an officer go into the classroom, so the kids don’t just see a police officer as a cop,” Pryor said. “It humanizes the individual.”
In February, Lt. Col. Kevin Hutchison, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, spoke at the graduation of Kaiserslautern Elementary School’s class. He thanked Arnett for his efforts in making the DARE program successful in the KMC.
“He is the face of DARE in our community,” Hutchison said.
Arnett departs Kaiserslautern soon for Fort Knox, Ky., where he will serve with the 1st Infantry Division. He’ll now pass the reigns to Spc. Kathy Ogburn.
In less than four years as a military police officer, has already served on patrol at Fort Hood, Tex., and helped train local police in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley. She’s excited about taking on a new challenge, she said.
“I’ve worked the road and I’ve deployed,” Ogburn said. “Now, I get a chance to do something completely different.”

Kaiserslautern MP dares to make a difference

Photo credit Nathan Van Schaik (USAG Schweinfurt)
Retired Navy SEAL and TRX trainer Ken Taylor monitors in the background while Pfc. Derrick Bales, left, and Pfc. Kyle Chubboy, right, break a sweat using their TRX strap. The TRX training is part of the Mission Essential Fitness pilot program being tested on 1-91 Soldiers in Schweinfurt.

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• 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment
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SCHWEINFURT, Germany-The American Soldier of the future will be more aerobically and anaerobically fit to meet the demands of combat-that is, if Soldiers stationed here have anything to do with it.
Charlie Troop from the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment stationed in Schweinfurt kick-started a new pilot fitness program Feb. 16 at Finney gym that could revolutionize the training protocol associated with Soldier fitness.
Drawing from the insights of NCAA Division I college football fitness and coupled with conditioning that employs functional movements, the Mission Essential Fitness program aims to build the modern-day Soldier into a "tactical athlete," according to its developer, Doug Briggs, Fort Bliss Director of Human Performance.
U.S. Army Europe and Installation Management Command Europe teamed up to conduct the MEF pilot program which will run through June 1 in Schweinfurt.
On Wednesday, day one, the Soldiers recorded vital information that will be tracked to monitor the overall success of the program. Things like blood pressure, body fat index, scores on fitness and agility tests, as well as their susceptibility to injury over the course of the coming months will all be scrutinized by a team of experts.
Afterwards, they laced up their sneakers, donned PT gear and readied for instruction. Enter Ken Taylor, a retired Navy SEAL, fitness guru and the brain trust behind one of the pillars of the MEF program, simply known around fitness circles as TRX.
"TRX is training redefined," said Taylor. "It’s mission-specific, functional training that can be done anywhere so the Soldier can increase operational capability."
Otherwise known as suspension training, TRX utilizes a strap suspended from an anchor point. Athletes use the strap to perform grueling exercises in a variety of positions. For a Soldier on the go, the one pound easily accessible strap can be jimmied to a door, a make-shift wall or a tank. It makes the gymnasium obsolete.
"TRX is an integral part of the MEF training," said Angela Flowers, the IMCOM-E fitness program manager.
"It lends itself to building the whole tactical Soldier by adding strength, agility and flexibility."
Taylor spent hours teaching Troopers with their straps in the art of atomic push-ups, single-leg squats, planks and other high-octane TRX exercises.
Asked why his troop was chosen over the hundreds of others to participate in the MEF training, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Pine, the team leader for the 1-91 C Troop, said it was because of their experiences in the most rigorous terrains during their deployment to Afghanistan last year.
"If we can help the Army create a more combat-ready program, this will help Soldiers get fit for deployment," Pine said.

Troopers molding the Soldier of the future

Stellar Award winner James Fortune & FIYA take gospel to troops

Jan 25, 2011

By Tim Hipps (Family and MWR Command)

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three-time gospel music Stellar Award winner James Fortune is scheduled to headline Army Entertainment Division’s "Lift Up Your Spirit II" tour for troops in Korea and Germany with his band, "James Fortune & FIYA."
"For me, it’s just going to be amazing," said Fortune, who was honored Jan. 15 with 2011 Stellar Awards for Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year, Group Duo of the Year and Contemporary CD of the Year for "Encore," released Jan. 26, 2010.
"It’s the first time that I’ve been overseas to minister," Fortune said. "We see their sacrifice and hard work, but to be over there and be able to see them praising God and having a good time is going to mean a lot to me."
Fortune & FIYA, the female gospel group RiZen, and hip gospel performer Canton Jones will perform free shows at U.S. Army garrisons Feb. 9 in Hohenfels, Feb. 10 in Ansbach, Feb. 11 in Baumholder and Feb. 12 in Wiesbaden.
The gospel groups will be joined on stage in Germany by Sgt. Calvin Snead, a performer from the 2010 U.S. Army Soldier Show.
The tour will resume Feb. 17-22 at Camps Walker, Casey, and Humphreys and Yongsan Garrison, Korea.
Fortune said he hopes to deliver a "ministry of encouragement so they know how much we appreciate them, to lift their spirits, and to just really minister" to the Soldiers and their Families.
"I’ve actually toured with RiZen before, and Canton and I have done quite a few shows together," Fortune said. "He is high-energy, anointed, just really gets the place rocking when he’s on stage."
Canton "CJ" Jones has a Grammy nod, a Stellar Award nomination, three Gospel Choice Awards and four CDs in his portfolio. He has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and has several songs in regular rotation in the U.S. and abroad, including "Love Song," "Stay Saved" and "The Password."
Jones has shared the stage with hip hop heavyweights T.I., David Banner and Ludacris; established performers John Legend, Kirk Franklin and Patti LaBelle; and gospel powerhouses Smokie Norful, Dr. Bobby Jones and Kierra "Kiki" Sheard.
RiZen, a Stellar Award winning duo featuring sisters Adriann and Aundrea Lewis, was originally formed in 1995 as an eight-member praise and worship team at New Galilee Baptist Church in Saginaw, Mich., where their father, Luciose Lewis, serves as pastor. Only the sisters remain, and they signed with Verity Records to release their third CD, entitled "FREE."
Adriann and Aundrea were reared by a preacher who allowed them to listen to all kinds of music. Their early exposure to various musical styles continues to influence their sound. RiZen won Stellar Awards in 2004 for Best New Artist and 2006 for Best Traditional Group/Duo.
"Our mother was a musician, so she listened to all genres of music," Adriann explained. "To this day, I still love R&B artists. Some of my favorites are Tina Turner and Mary J. Blige. However, we grew up Baptist, so that’s all we knew when it came to our own singing and recording – and that’s where we get our signature sound."
"We grew up with the Gospel Music Workshop of America," Aundra said. "Through our mom, who is a piano teacher and choir director, we were introduced to the music of seasoned traditional gospel artists like Rev. Charles Nicks, Dr. James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, and Dorothy Norwood. However, we do love R&B, jazz and country music.
"Growing up, our parents allowed us to go to concerts, like New Edition and LL Cool J, and we were able to buy albums. We still have our Michael Jackson albums to this day. So even though our musical foundation is the Baptist church, we have a range of influences that occasionally pop up in our music."
Fortune feels fortunate to headline such a talented tour.
"It’s going to be a phenomenal show," he said. "I’m really looking forward to it."

Stellar Award winner James Fortune & FIYA take gospel to troops

Leaders celebrate, vow to continue to promote German-American relations

Jan 27, 2011

By Karl Weisel (USAG Wiesbaden)

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WIESBADEN, Germany – German, American and international guests gathered at the Community Activity Center Jan. 23 to celebrate past successes and vowed to continue working closely together in the future.
More than 300 people heard speakers, networked and shared social time during a New Year’s reception co-hosted by the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, 1st Armored Division and 5th Signal Command.
Deployment, redeployments, transformation and friendship were among the main topics.
“This past year has been a very busy one for U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden,” said Col. Jeffrey Dill, USAG Wiesbaden commander. “We successfully deployed and redeployed an armored division headquarters and its Special Troops Battalion from Iraq; we have successfully deployed and redeployed numerous subordinate units from the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade to Iraq and Afghanistan; and we have successfully deployed and redeployed a number of individual augmentees who contribute significantly to the overall wartime effort to combat terrorism. All the while we did our very best to take care of the families left in our care.”
Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, 1st AD commander, praised the outstanding support rendered by host nation officials and the garrison while division Soldiers served for a year in Iraq. “We’re glad to be home,” he told the guests, thanking those who provided for the safety, security and well-being of families who remained behind in Wiesbaden.
“At U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, taking care of our people – Soldiers, families and civilians – is our primary mission and one that we take very seriously,” said Dill, looking back at some of 2010′s highlights including massive construction efforts to build new Army family housing and U.S. Army Europe’s new Command and Battle Center at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, cooperation with the Hessen state Archaeology Office to unearth Roman ruins, the opening of the new Wiesbaden Entertainment Center in Hainerberg Housing and successful simulated and real-world emergency response efforts involving U.S. and host nation responders. “We have also been upgrading our infrastructure all over the garrison footprint. It has indeed been a very busy and a very successful year.”
“We Hessians are particularly happy that the U.S. Army has decided to relocate its European headquarters – USAREUR – to Wiesbaden,” said Axel Wintermeyer, chief of the Hessen State Chancellery, speaking on behalf of Hessen Minister President Volker Bouffier. “We are pleased with the very high level of cooperation that our state agencies enjoy with their U.S. counterparts in the many complex undertakings involved in this effort.”
After expressing his gratitude that members of the 1st AD returned safety to Wiesbaden from “its very important mission in Iraq,” Wintermeyer added that the citizens of Hessen “will be sad to see you go” when the division relocates to Fort Bliss, Texas, this summer.
“Like Minister President Bouffier, I look forward to the continuing close cooperation of our nations, here in Hessen, in Germany, and Europe, as well as in those troubled regions around the world,” said Wintermeyer, “from Afghanistan to the coast of Somalia in the hope that by working together and with our other partners we can continue to make a positive difference in the interests of peace, freedom and prosperity.”
Other speakers included Wiesbaden Lord Mayor Dr. Helmut Müller and 2nd Signal Brigade commander Col. Mitchell Kilgo, who represented Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Smith Jr. Both praised the close working relationships between the U.S. military and host nation.
Besides noting ongoing efforts to maintain German-American relations, the lord mayor praised school partnerships which encourage the establishment of lifelong relationships and understanding.
“We now call Wiesbaden our home away from home,” noted Kilgo.

Leaders celebrate, vow to continue to promote German-American relations

Photo Credit: Ignacio \.

Soldiers from the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team review their paperwork at the first station of the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder pre-deployment processing center. Here they receive an orientation on how the processing flow operates and they begin their half-day proce

 

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – The U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder stood up its pre-deployment processing center Jan. 25 to help Soldiers of the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team prepare for deployment to Afghanistan by the end of February.
As the key support agency for the 170th IBCT, the USAG Baumholder is preparing Soldiers for the long deployment by consolidating numerous service agencies such as medical, dental, legal and other supporting agencies under one roof. This one-stop-shopping facility allows Soldiers of the 170th IBCT to take care of their official and personal needs before departing Baumholder.
The USAG Baumholder has utilized this pre-deployment processing center for numerous brigade deployments and the operation is refined with each deployment. Everything a Soldier needs to take care of before deployment, such as ID card renovation, powers of attorney, family issues, immunization updates, medical counseling and more is centralized to streamline the pre-deployment process.
The brigade is deploying to Afghanistan to accomplish missions in support of the International Security Assistance Force and the people of Afghanistan. 3rd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment is already on the ground in Afghanistan and is conducting missions in support of the training of Afghan National Security Forces. They deployed in December. The remainder of the brigade deploys in late February for approximately 12 months.
"Our main goal is to take care of all of the administrative needs of the Soldier so that he is prepared and ready to deploy," said Capt. Andrew Chovancek, from USAG Baumholder’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security.
The Soldier arrives at the pre-deployment center with a packet that his unit provides him and after receiving additional paperwork and a couple of briefings from service agencies, he is given an orientation to the flow of events in the building and begins his processing.
"Our biggest section is medical. It is the largest and most important portion of the process that ensures the Soldier has received any and all required medical treatment," said Chovancek.
"The other half is the administrative portions which include all the garrison and installation support agencies such as housing, to make sure we are tracking within the garrison any washers or dryers, or loaner equipment that needs to be picked up. The community mail room ensures that all his mail is forwarded or held, depending on each Soldier’s circumstance.
We also update all of their SGLI 93′s in case something happens to the Soldier so that the entitlements go to where he wants them to," said Chovancek.
Army Community Service provides a number of their personnel throughout the day who offer consultations to further assist the Soldier in making decisions about numerous personal and official issues.
"finally, the unit provides their family readiness leader who ensures the Soldier’s POV storage and household good storage needs are in order. They also establish and confirm contacts here in the rear while they are deployed.
"Once they have completed their processing we make sure they have done everything they need to, including attending additional briefings that we provide at the Wagon Wheel Theater consisting of a medical threat brief, pre-mobilization legal briefing, and a finance entitlement travel briefing which includes information such as what happens when they go on leave and what benefits a Soldier is entitled to while he is deployed. Once they are done they get signed out and head back to their unit," said Chovancek.
The entire process only takes up a half day of the Soldier’s time, not to include the briefings at the Wagon Wheel Theater, which are scheduled at a different time.
By offering Soldiers this consolidated pre-deployment processing opportunity as well as an annual CARE fair and two deployment fairs, the USAG Baumholder and numerous support agencies are ensuring that Soldiers and families are fully prepared for the upcoming deployment.
The USAG Baumholder will continue to support the needs of families and rear detachment organizations as the Soldiers of the 170th IBCT, the Bayonet Brigade, accomplish their mission in Afghanistan.

USAG Baumholder readies Bayonet Brigade for deployment

Military Police experience first 360 degree, live-fire training in Europe

Jan 13, 2011

By Stefanie Kastner, 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany- There is a bitter cold silence between the snow-covered trees and the icy air of the Grafenwoehr Training Area (GTA). Out of nowhere, the silence is broken by the sound of grenade launchers and M4′s fired by the Soldiers training on Range 201, a 360 degree combat outpost (COP) live-fire training facility.
Due to its vast number of ranges and the ability to adapt them to meet the training unit’s needs, the Joint Multinational Training Command provides units one-stop training support by providing them the resources to conduct quality training. In particular, the COP live-fire facility provides unit a training environment that allows them to employ all elements in their arsenal- like weaponry, vehicles, and communication equipment -into a pertinent training scenario, with the appropriate digital interfaces, to meet their needs. The COP live-fire facility at the GTA is the first one of its kind in the Military.
"COP Live Fire differs from regular training in that it has a 360 degree fires capability. A unit can fire in any direction," said Cpt. Ian McCollum of the GTA Range Operations. "We take advantage of this by surrounding the entire COP with targets. This allows leaders the opportunity to practice fire discipline, fire distribution, and defensive priorities of work, to name a few, and soldiers to practice target acquisition and fire control."
With conditions and sounds simulating real combat, the709th Military Police (MP) Battalion trained on several combat scenario their Soldiers might face during their deployment in the upcoming year. One training scenario utilized by the battalion was based on a real-life incident in which International Security Assistance Force troops were attacked by 300 Taliban members, killing eight Americans and wounding 22. During the scenario, Soldiers implemented tactical movements, while team leaders relayed critical information, like the need for more ammunition or additional firepower, to platoon leaders.
"In this type of situation the platoon leaders do not engage in combat," said 2nd Lt. Tillman Busbee, a platoon leader in the 709th MP Battalion. "They coordinate the entire operation."
If Soldiers run short or are out of ammo, they have to have a direct line of communication to their platoon leaders, which was an objective emphasized during the exercise.
"We communicate a lot when it comes to ammo so that two big weapons do not go down at the same time," said Capt. Rebecca Doak of the 709th MP Battalion.
The Soldiers in the guard towers on all four corners of the perimeter are the most important aspect of the whole exercise. They ensure all team movements are spread throughout the established 360-degree perimeter of the range in order to keep everyone from focusing on one point.
"Each team has a sector and can only move so much," said Busbee, "The Soldiers in the towers can see where the focus is needed and can help out one team, if necessary. This prevents everyone from going to one team’s side and neglecting their own side."
Some team members were also designated as Afghan National Police (ANP) role players. By having team members play the part of the ANP, Soldiers can work on their foreign communication skills and learn to work together with foreign nationals just as they will have to during deployment.
"Having role players pose as the Afghan National Police helps the team get used to the idea of having a language barrier between themselves and some of the team members," said Busbee.
"It is like playing a basketball game with someone who has never played before. You have to communicate things to them in ways that they will understand."
Whether it is replicating the operational environment or offering units an opportunity to train on their tactics, the JMTC gives commanders and staffs a world-class capability to conduct individual and crew live-fire qualification and company-team training exercises.

Military Police experience first 360 degree, live-fire training in Europe