WARRIOR SPIRIT FORGING THE JRTC & FORT POLK GUARDIAN THE Home of Heroes @ Fort Polk, LA Nov. 22, 2019 Vol. 46, No.47 Weekend weather Today Saturday Sunday 75 64 64 50 90% 0% 0% 42 44 Rain chance Rain chance Rain chance I n s i d e t h e G u a r d i a n J e r n i g a n r e c o g n i z e d . . . . 3 E a r n i n g s p u r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 S c o t s f i g h t , p l a y . . . . . . . . . . 6 R u c k i n g f o r k i d s . . . . . . . . . . 7 H e r o e s w e l c o m e d . . . . . . . . . 9 P o l k l o s e s f r i e n d . . . . . . . . 1 1 FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for hospital accreditation by demonstrating con- tinuous compliance with its per- formance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality reflecting the health care organiza- tion’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. BJACH underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite survey Oct. 29- 31. During the review, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated the hospital and the out- lying clinics: Fontaine Troop Med- ical Clinic and Lancon Soldier Cen- tered Medical Home. Surveyors as- sessed the organization’s compli- ance with hospital standards related to several areas, including infection prevention and control, medication management, emergency manage- ment, environment of care and lead- ership. “Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital is pleased to receive ac- creditation from The Joint Commis- sion, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” said Col. Jody Dugai, BJACH commander. “I am extremely proud of our team for their accomplishments. We continue to work together to devel- op and implement strategies that improve care for our service mem- bers, their Families and our commu- nity.” Surveyors recognized several de- partments for exceptional work: Pa- tient Centered Medical Home and Soldier Centered Medical Home pa- tient care and documentation, Din- ing Facility cleanliness, Surgical Processing Department for explana- tion of processes, Operating Room organization and appearance, Facili- ties documentation and assess- ments, safety assessments of hospi- tal construction areas, Pharmacy compounding explanation, Infection Control processes and monitoring, and the Emergency Department team Survey Analysis for Evaluat- ing Risk room assessment. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 16,000 health care organizations in the United States, including 4,400 hos- pitals, more than 3,900 home care entities, and more than 7,000 other health care organizations that pro- vide behavioral health care, labora- tory, ambulatory care and long term care services. Although The Joint Commission certification is not mandatory, gov- ernment medical treatment facilities undergo the accreditation process to instill patient confidence by being completely transparent. The process helps assure patients that the mili- tary hospital is measured by the same high-quality standards as civilian hospitals. The standards help hospitals measure, assess and improve performance. Earning the Gold Seal of Ap- proval is a remarkable accomplish- ment, but it does not stop there. BJACH healthcare professionals are constantly aware of how patient safety is an integral part of the orga- nization’s culture. Accreditation is a continuous process of learning per- formance-improvement methods to advance the safety and quality of care, which can reduce the risk of errors for patients. BJACH is in con- stant pursuit of excellence to ensure it is medically ready to deliver safe, high quality care every day. BJACH receives full accreditation by Joint Commission BJACH Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital received full accreditation by The Joint Commission during a visit Oct. 29-31. Pictured, from left are: Lt. Col. Brian Adams, deputy commander for Clinical Serv- ices; Maj. Camille Betito, deputy commander for Administration; Col. Jody Dugai, BJACH commander; BJACH Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander Poutou; Col. Michael Szymaniak, deputy commander for nursing; and Roy Lockwood, deputy commander for Quality and Safety. CHUCK CANNON / GUARDIAN
Transcript
WARRIOR SPIRITFORGING THE
JRTC & FORT POLK GUARDIANTHE
Home of Heroes @ Fort Polk, LA Nov. 22, 2019Vol. 46, No.47
Weekend weather
Today Saturday Sunday
75 64 64
50
90% 0%0%
42 44Rain chance Rain chance Rain chance
Inside the GuardianJernigan recognized .... 3
Earning spurs ............. 5
Scots fight, play .......... 6
Rucking for kids .......... 7
Heroes welcomed ......... 9
Polk loses friend ........ 11
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-JonesArmy Community Hospital hasearned The Joint Commission’sGold Seal of Approval for hospitalaccreditation by demonstrating con-tinuous compliance with its per-formance standards. The Gold Sealof Approval is a symbol of qualityreflecting the health care organiza-tion’s commitment to providing safeand effective patient care.
BJACH underwent a rigorous,unannounced onsite survey Oct. 29-31. During the review, a team ofJoint Commission expert surveyorsevaluated the hospital and the out-lying clinics: Fontaine Troop Med-ical Clinic and Lancon Soldier Cen-tered Medical Home. Surveyors as-sessed the organization’s compli-ance with hospital standards relatedto several areas, including infectionprevention and control, medicationmanagement, emergency manage-ment, environment of care and lead-ership.
“Bayne-Jones Army CommunityHospital is pleased to receive ac-creditation from The Joint Commis-sion, the premier health care qualityimprovement and accrediting bodyin the nation,” said Col. Jody Dugai,BJACH commander.
“I am extremely proud of ourteam for their accomplishments. We
continue to work together to devel-op and implement strategies thatimprove care for our service mem-bers, their Families and our commu-nity.”
Surveyors recognized several de-partments for exceptional work: Pa-tient Centered Medical Home andSoldier Centered Medical Home pa-tient care and documentation, Din-ing Facility cleanliness, SurgicalProcessing Department for explana-tion of processes, Operating Roomorganization and appearance, Facili-ties documentation and assess-ments, safety assessments of hospi-tal construction areas, Pharmacycompounding explanation, InfectionControl processes and monitoring,and the Emergency Departmentteam Survey Analysis for Evaluat-ing Risk room assessment.
The Joint Commission evaluatesand accredits more than 16,000health care organizations in theUnited States, including 4,400 hos-pitals, more than 3,900 home careentities, and more than 7,000 otherhealth care organizations that pro-vide behavioral health care, labora-tory, ambulatory care and long termcare services.
Although The Joint Commissioncertification is not mandatory, gov-ernment medical treatment facilitiesundergo the accreditation process toinstill patient confidence by being
completely transparent. The processhelps assure patients that the mili-tary hospital is measured by thesame high-quality standards ascivilian hospitals. The standardshelp hospitals measure, assess andimprove performance.
Earning the Gold Seal of Ap-proval is a remarkable accomplish-ment, but it does not stop there.BJACH healthcare professionals are
constantly aware of how patientsafety is an integral part of the orga-nization’s culture. Accreditation is acontinuous process of learning per-formance-improvement methods toadvance the safety and quality ofcare, which can reduce the risk oferrors for patients. BJACH is in con-stant pursuit of excellence to ensureit is medically ready to deliver safe,high quality care every day.
BJACH receives full accreditation by Joint CommissionBJACH
Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital received full accreditationby The Joint Commission during a visit Oct. 29-31. Pictured, fromleft are: Lt. Col. Brian Adams, deputy commander for Clinical Serv-ices; Maj. Camille Betito, deputy commander for Administration;Col. Jody Dugai, BJACH commander; BJACH Command Sgt. Maj.Alexander Poutou; Col. Michael Szymaniak, deputy commander fornursing; and Roy Lockwood, deputy commander for Quality andSafety.
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2/ GuardianNov. 22, 2019
The Guardian, a civilian enter-prise newspaper, is an authorizedpublication for members of the U.S.Army. Contents of the Guardian arenot necessarily official views of, or en-dorsed by, the U.S. Government, De-partment of Defense, Department ofthe Army or Fort Polk.
The Guardian is published weeklyby the Public Affairs Office, JointReadiness Training Center and FortPolk. Printed circulation is 13,000.
Everything advertised in this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage with-out regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status,physical handicap, political affiliationor any other nonmerit factor of thepurchaser, user or patron.
A confirmed violation of this policy of equal opportunity by an ad-vertiser will result in the refusal toprint advertising from that source.
All editorial content of theGuardian is prepared, edited, pro-vided and approved by the Public Af-fairs Office, Joint Readiness TrainingCenter and Fort Polk.
The Guardian is printed by theNatchitoches Times, a private firmin no way connected with the Depart-ment of the Army, under exclusivewritten contract with Fort Polk. Thecivilian printer is responsible for com-mercial advertising.
The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts andsupplements, does not constitute en-dorsement by the Department of theArmy or the Natchitoches Times ofthe products or services advertised.
GuardianEditorial Staff
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. FrankJoint Readiness Training Center
and Fort Polk commanding general
Col. Ryan K. RoseberryGarrison commander
Kim ReischlingPublic affairs officerChuck Cannon
Command information officer
Angie ThorneT.C. BradfordKeith Houin
Staff writersEditorial Offices
Building 4919, Magnolia StreetFort Polk, LA 71459-5060
In our viewGuardian staff asked Fort Polk community members,
“With all the new holiday movie releases coming out, what are you most excited tosee?” Here are their responses:
Shaun Williams:"Black Widow andEternals. I’m curiousto witness whatphase four of theMarvel CinematicUniverse has instore. I’m anxious tolearn why the Eter-nals are on Earth anddid not join the fightagainst Thanos."
Shelby Chautin:"Frozen II. I loved thefirst one and thesongs are reallycatchy."
Lisa Skinner: "Iwant to see Midway.Seems like it will bea historical piece."
Erica Vandermeer:"I want to see A Beau-tiful Day in the Neigh-borhood. I grew upwatching Mr. Rogersand it will be interest-ing to learn moreabout him.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Bass and Iwould like to wish each Joint Readi-ness Training Center and Fort PolkSoldiers, Airmen, Families, Depart-ment of the Army civilians, guestsand local neighbors a HappyThanksgiving.
We are grateful that this year forThanksgiving, the majority of our
Soldiers arehere at FortPolk: 32ndHospital Cen-ter returnedlast week fromthe NationalTraining Cen-ter; the 519thMilitary PoliceBattalion re-cently re-turned fromFort A.P. Hill,
Virginia; Soldiers from the 524thFirefighter Detachment recently re-turned from Romania and Bulgaria;and multiple 353rd Infantry Regi-ment Soldiers have returned fromdeployments to Afghanistan.
After all the time you have beendeployed or working within a de-
manding unit’s operational tempo,we encourage you to relax and enjoyyour well-deserved Thanksgivinghere in the United States — watchthe parades on television, have agreat Thanksgiving meal either inthe Patriot Inn Dining Facility or ahome cooked meal surrounded byFamily (or both — PT hard nextweek!); and enjoy the great Ameri-can tradition of watching footballgames after Thanksgiving dinner.
JRTC and Fort Polk still has Sol-diers that remain forward deployed;let’s all remember the 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 10th Mountain Divi-sion Soldiers deployed on the South-west Border; the Operations GroupSoldiers deployed in Kuwait andAfghanistan; and Soldiers deployedin Afghanistan, Qatar and Hon-duras.
The Fort Polk Families of each ofthese deployed Soldiers are sacrific-ing sharing the traditions of Thanks-giving so that our Nation can remainsafe.
We look forward to the return ofeach of our deployed Soldiers.
A special Thanksgiving welcomethis year to 4,800 Soldiers from the
4th Infantry Division that are with ushere at JRTC for the current 2/4IDrotation.
These Warhorse Soldiers arebuilding readiness throughout theirformation and continue to bring thefight to Geronimo.
It is great to share an ArmyThanksgiving in the field with the4th Infantry Division.
Thank you for all that each of youdo — from building readiness forour Army during JRTC rotations toensuring your globally deployableformation is fully prepared to be onpoint for the Nation.
On this uniquely American holi-day, we wish the entire JRTC andFort Polk Team a Happy Thanksgiv-ing!
FORGING THE WARRIORSPIRIT!
HOME OF HEROES
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, com-manding general, JRTC and FortPolk
Command Sgt. Maj. David W.Bass, JRTC and Fort Polk commandsergeant major
Road repair extendedThe closure for Bell Richard, Holmlund
and Magnolia Drive at the intersectionswith Louisiana Avenue have been extend-ed, due to weather, through today between7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Paving from AccessControl Point 1 (main gate) to La. Hwy 467,requires changes to the traffic pattern ofCorvias housing residents due to these in-tersections being closed to traffic.
Residents will be required to use detoursalong these routes to access and depart thehousing areas. ACP 4 will remain openMonday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. foroutbound traffic. Through traffic onLouisiana Avenue from La. Hwy 467 toACP 1 is open for in and outbound traffic,but motorists are encouraged to use alter-nate routes due to traffic congestion andrough conditions.
Prescribed burnsPrescribed burns are taking place across
the installation throughout housing areasin November. Prescribed burns are theburning of underbrush, debris and detritusthat chars the forest ground into a blackcarpet. Burning dead or fallen trees in ad-dition to the underbrush reduces theamount of fuel available for potential wild-fires.
Prescribed burns take place about everythree years. Appropriate notification ofburn days will be coordinated to allowFamilies to make appropriate plans. If youdon’t want to smell the smoke, you willhave enough time to leave before the firesare lit.
Alternatively, you can stay indoors withthe windows and doors closed. The firesare kept small and any smoke produced isshort-lived.
Drainage repairA contract was awarded to repair the
failed drainage structure at Turtle Pond onWarrior Hills Golf Course. The fitness trailwill require a closure and detour throughDec. 6. During PT hours (6:30-8 a.m.), a de-tour will be used that follows the cart pathadjacent to the hole 18 fairway. Golfers andrecreational walkers should be aware of theconstruction activities and detour the workzone. During the hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,pedestrians are asked to either avoid thework area or utilize the signalized intersec-tions at La. Hwy 467 and Corps Road andLa. Hwy 467 and Louisiana Avenue to de-tour the construction zone.
During the construction phase, hole 18will be realigned to keep golfers out of theconstruction zone.
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FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS — Maj. Gen.Timothy McGuire, acting commanding generalfor U.S. Army Installation Management Com-mand, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Ulloth, seniorenlisted leader for IMCOM, presented the com-mand's most prestigious award to 15 profession-als during a luncheon held November 19 in SanAntonio, Texas.
“The professionals we’re going to recognizetoday have demonstrated a passionate commit-ment to their role within IMCOM and the Army,”said McGuire. “They have done what it takes toget the job done, and they have set a new, higherstandard for service to others.”
The Stalwart Award is given to employeeswho distinguish themselves among their peersand leaders as outstanding IMCOM civilians andexceed the call of duty to achieve the Army andIMCOM objectives. The program honored recipi-ents for their work in 2018.
IMCOM Directorate-Readiness:Nathan G. Jernigan, chief of Operations and
Maintenance Division, U.S. Army Garrison FortPolk, received his award in the IMCOM Direc-torate-Readiness division. In addition to his du-
ties as chief of Operations and Maintenance inthe Public Works Directorate, Jernigan is also thelead architect for Fort Polk’s IntergovernmentalSupport Agreements with the Vernon Parish Po-lice Jury, the City of Leesville and the Town ofRosepine.
While each of the IGSAs yielded significantgains, they also helped stimulate competitionamong small and large businesses to deliver thelowest possible cost to the Army, driving a re-duced contractor bid from $38 million to $20 mil-lion annually, gaining Fort Polk an annual coastavoidance of $18 million. Collectively, during afive-year period, Fort Polk saved $112 million incost savings and avoidance as a result of Jerni-gan’s work.
Jernigan’s work resulted in stronger bonds be-tween the community and installation, while im-proving the capability of both partners whoserve those who live and work in the area sur-rounding Fort Polk.
Thanks to Jernigan, the IGSA option is a suc-cess at Fort Polk. Because of his expertise withIGSAs, he was asked to participate on the panelfor the Association of Defense Communities In-stallation Innovative Forum 2019 to discuss thechallenges and successes of the IGSAs at FortPolk.
Polk’s Jernigan among 15 IMCOM ‘Stalwarts’ By JOSHUA FORDIMCOM
Fort Polk’s Nathan G. Jernigan, chief of operations and Maintence Division receives the IM-COM Stalwart Award Nov. 19 in San Antonio, Texas. Pictured, from left, are: Command Sgt.Maj. Dan Dennison, senior advisor to the director of IMCOM; IMCOM Readiness directorBrenda Lee McCullough; Maj. Gen. Timothy McGuire, acting IMCOM commander; Jerni-gan; and Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Ulloth, senior enlisted leader for IMCOM.
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FORT BENNING, Ga. — Soldiers at FortPickett, Virginia, are testing a Microsoft-de-signed prototype goggle, the Integrated VisualAugmentation System (IVAS), that offers thecapabilities they need to regain and maintainovermatch in multi-domain operations on bat-tlefields that are increasingly urban, congested,dark and unpredictable.
The event is called a Soldier touch point, orSTP, and it is fast becoming the standard for thenew Army Futures Command’s rapid acquisi-tions methodology. STPs allow industry part-ners to field test system prototypes repeatedlythroughout the research and developmentprocess to ensure the final product, in this casethe multi-functional IVAS goggle, is met withenthusiasm and truly useful when it’s fieldedto the force.
The Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Teamand their partners in military and industry arehosting the STP at Fort Pickett, a NationalGuard post known for relevant training sites,like the urban village used to replicate combatscenarios that have become commonplace inMiddle Eastern operations. The object is tomake sure the warfighter drives the design anddevelopment based on need and utility. Theconcept is called Soldier Centered Design, andthough it’s not a new concept, it is the first timeit has been institutionalized, the first time it hasbeen applied systemically to increase speedand efficiency.
In the spring, Soldiers and Marines from var-ious line and special forces units tested an earlyIVAS prototype based on Microsoft’s heads updisplay which was designed using Microsoft’sHoloLens 2. That first STP was geared towardproving concept and utility.
The STP currently underway at Fort Pickett,the second of four STPs in the 24-month devel-opment schedule, is a tougher test that will as-sess new capabilities at the platoon level andincrease demands on the system in more com-plex training environments. At this point,about half-way through STP 2, Microsoft hasgathered feedback from more than 3,200 hoursof user experience.
The SL CFT is one of AFC’s eight CFTs
tasked with modernizing the Army after the2018 National Defense Strategy identified anerosion in close combat capabilities relative topacing threats around the world. The SL CFTfocuses on developing weapons for the CloseCombat Force — those who close with and de-stroy the enemy — to make them more success-ful in battle. Success is defined in terms of sur-vivability, lethality, situational awareness andmaneuverability.
Of the products and programs in the SL CFTportfolio, IVAS is arguably the most intriguing,as it is the result of complex, non-traditionalpartnerships and unconventional fundingmethods (contracts with Microsoft fundedthrough Other Transaction Agreements), and itharnesses a variety of next generation technolo-gies unlike anything the American Soldier hasemployed before.
The final product — officials say it will likelybe fielded in the fourth quarter of fiscal year ‘21— will include a variety of features: A colorsee-through digital display that makes it possi-ble for the user to access information withouttaking his eye off the battlefield; thermal andlow-light sensors that make it possible to see inthe dark; rapid target acquisition and aided tar-get identification; augmented reality and artifi-cial intelligence, to name just a few. IVAS isbilled as a fight-rehearse-train system, meaningits function on the battlefield is priority, but itsaugmented reality capabilities, like real-timemapping, will make it useful for training andrehearsing operations anywhere at any time.And though it’s said to “enhance the surviv-
ability” of combatants, its target identificationtechnology will save civilian lives, too.
“When terms like ‘situational awareness’ getthrown around time after time, it’s easy to losesight of what it really means,” said Maj. BradWinn, the CFT's lead action officer for IVAS.“In this case, one of the greatest capabilities ofIVAS is Aided Target Recognition, a featurethat gives users the ability to quickly identifyanything or anyone in sight, which means theycan tell the difference between a threat and acivilian non-combatant.”
Winn is one of many members of TeamIVAS, a diverse group of Soldiers, civilian em-ployees, academics and industry partners wholeverage their respective organizations’ expert-ise to expedite the development and fieldingprocess.
Aside from the SL CFT, Team IVAS includesexperts from Microsoft, other CFTs, PEO Sol-dier, ATEC, the Army’s Combat CapabilitiesDevelopment Command Research Lab and Sol-dier Center, and a half dozen other members ofthat complex integrated network of mostly mil-itary command-level organizations known asthe Futures Force Modernization Enterprise.
Microsoft “deployed” a team from the westcoast to live at Fort Pickett for the duration ofthis STP, more than a month, to gather feed-back and make changes to the goggle everyday. They’ll repeat the process next summer,when they put the next iteration of IVAS, theall-weather, ruggedized and militarized, form-fitting prototype to the test in company leveloperations.
4/GuardianNov. 22, 2019
AArrmmyy nneewwssSoldiers test new IVAS technology, capabilitiesBy BRIDGETT SITERArmy News Service
“When terms like ‘situationalawareness’ get thrownaround time after time, it’seasy to lose sight of what itreally means.”
MAJ. BRAD WINNCross Functional Team lead action
officer for IVAS
The second of four Soldier Touch Points in the 24-month IVAS development schedule is atougher test designed to assess new capabilities at the platoon level and increase de-mands on the system in more complex training environments.
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Candidates earn spurs during demanding Spur Ride
FORT POLK, La. — The 3rd Battalion, 353rdArmor Regiment, Operations Group, hosted itsspur ride ceremony Nov. 14 outside of Tiger Hall,North Fort Polk.
The spur ride ceremony — the ritual bestow-ing of spurs on the candidates — caps a week ofgrueling classroom study and field skill exercis-es.
The history of the spur ride began when Sol-diers still rode horses and its traditions havebeen maintained as the cavalry transitioned to to-day’s version of wheeled metal mounts.
Spurs evolved as a source of distinction to rec-ognize the best the cavalry has to offer. Much liketheir predecessors, today’s Soldiers relentlesslytrain in professional development and leadershipskills before being considered worthy of spurs.
Today’s spur programs are officer and non-commissioned officer heavy leadership develop-ment programs. The program focuses on the in-dividual trooper’s physical, technical, profession-al and communicative abilities.
Col. David W. Gardner, Operations Groupcommander, said the spur ride was about doingsomething that separates Soldiers from theirpeers and demonstrates their commitment to theArmy profession.
“These Soldiers have put themselves forwardto be all they can be,” he said.
Lt. Col. Mark K. Snakenberg, 3rd Bn, 353rd Ar-mor Reg, battalion commander, said it is an hon-or to recognize the 22 individuals who were thelatest additions to the ancient and honorable Or-der of the Silver Spur.
“They did it the hard way. This week has beenpretty arduous for the entire battalion, but espe-cially for the group of spur holders who aretrainers and our most recent spur holders — pre-viously candidates,” he said.
Snakenberg said before they went to the field,new spur recipients conducted 40 hours of for-mal academic instruction in basic Soldier skills,the art and science of reconnaissance, securityand patrolling and instruction in the lost art offield craft.
After the completion of that academic instruc-tion, Snakenberg said they tried something a lit-tle bit different.
“At 2 a.m. Nov. 14 these individuals reportedto the clamshell — a temporary modular build-ing used for a variety of purposes — behind you.It’s the first time in quite a long time that theTiger Battalion executed an alert on a two hourrecall and was able to get everyone that neededto be here in formation and ready for operations.A pretty dramatic feat,” he said.
What followed was a night insertion into thebox and an 18-kilometer movement over thecourse of about 28 hours.
“They did it in difficult terrain, in freezing ornear freezing weather conditions, and for muchof that movement they had up to 70 pounds ofload on their backs. It was a tremendous physicalchallenge. All the while, the world class 1st Bat-talion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment is ha-rassing them with small arms fire, machine guns,a light armored vehicle and CS (tear) gas repre-senting a chemical strike. Through it all, thesespur candidates absolutely proved their mettle,”said Snakenberg.
New spur recipient, Staff Sgt. Agau Anyang,
3rd Bn, 353rd Armor Reg linguist team leader,said to be part of this history is an honor.
“I’m a linguist, so I feel that adding the skillsand experiences we learned this week is impor-tant because it not only makes me better at myjob, but also makes me a more well rounded Sol-dier,” he said.
The thing that was most challenging for him,said Anyang, was accepting the mantle of leader-ship.
“Through this process (spur ride) I havelearned how to not only be part of a team, but tolead. I no longer hesitate to put myself out there.I have a voice,” he said.
Capt. Shiloh J. McGruder, HHC commander, isalso the proud owner of new spurs.
He said the spur ride was tough, but it’s whatleaders must endure.
“It was challenging, especially keeping Sol-diers with a wide range of specialties on thesame sheet of music under strenuous condi-tions,” he said. “I’m proud of the togethernessand cohesion we built in real time. It’s not easy to
make people pick up a 70 pound rucksack infreezing weather at night.”
McGruder said showcasing their capabilitiesunder stress has made them more confident.
“Overcoming the challenges faced in the spurride makes every other difficulty seem easy toconquer,” he said.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard Huffman, noncommis-sioned officer in charge, Regionally AlignedForces, Team Two, sponsored a spur candidate.He said being a sponsor/trainer means helpingto insure his candidate is prepared for the spurride. A sponsor also places the newly earnedspurs on his candidate’s boots.
“Earning their silver spurs is a right of pas-sage. They have completed all tasks put beforethem through hard work and dedication. That in-cludes everything from recon to patrolling. Wethrew a lot at the candidates and they handled itwell. I think they will be able to look back at thisachievement with pride and the knowledge thatthey overcame all challenges put before them,”he said.
Sponsors from the 3rd Battalion, 353rd Armor Regiment place spurs on the boots of newmembers of the Order of the Silver Spur Nov. 15 at the Spur Ride Ceremony.
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Spur Ride candidates take on training involving tear gas representing a chemical strike ontheir way to earning their spurs.
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6/ GuardianNov. 22, 2019
FORT POPK, La. — If you happen to catch aperformance of the Scots Guards pipes anddrums, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’sjust a bunch of musicians in kilts.
“We are the 1st Battalion of the Scots Guard,part of the Household Division, and we are aninfantry regiment in the British Army,” said Maj.Adrian Havelock.
The Scots Guards is at the Joint ReadinessTraining Center and Fort Polk for Exercise Rat-tlesnake with the 4th Infantry Division, 2nd In-fantry Brigade Combat Team and 112th InfantryRegiment.
“We are regular Soldiers in a regular division,and our unit, the Scottish Guards, is a mecha-nized unit — like your Stryker battalions,” Have-lock said.
“We have 70 people permanently based inLondon that handle the ceremonial aspect, andthen we have a battalion of 600 based just outsideof London which does war fighting, and that’sus.”
Havelock said the Scots Guards were invitedto participate in Exercise Rattlesnake.
“We have British troops come over and domany rotations here and likewise, Americanunits do rotations in England, and that’s part ofbuilding the relationship between our two coun-tries,” Havelock said. “The object of us partici-pating in these exercises is to learn things aboutyou and you to learn things about us. We use theword ‘interoperability’ which is basically whatmakes you work, what makes us work, andwhere the friction points are, so that when itcomes to real war in the future, we know how tocircumnavigate those problems because we’vepracticed it.”
As far as the musicians — bagpipers anddrummers — Havelock said they are Soldiersfirst and music is a secondary role for them.
“They would have joined as Soldiers,” he said.“Some of them would have learned the bagpipesat school and so are proficient. When they jointhe Scots Guards some will put their hands upand say they’d like to learn the pipes or drums.But they are trained infantry Soldiers and doeverything we do.”
There are about 15 regiments in the BritishArmy that have a pipes and drums band, Have-lock said. He said the band is usually about 16strong and consists of pipers and drummers.
“The pipers and drummers here are infantrySoldiers,” he said. “They will go out into the box,and fight. A lot of them are mechanized trainedand can drive and shoot the UK Stryker.”
But while they are Soldiers first, it’s often bag-pipers, drummers and guards dressed in theirceremonial finest that attract the most attention.
“You’ve probably seen the iconic British Sol-dier in a red coat, with a basket on his head,”Havelock said. “Those are the guards.”
There are five Guards Regiments in the BritishArmy: Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards,Scottish Guards, Irish Guards and Welsh Guards.
“We have a secondary duty,” Havelock said.“We conduct ceremonial and public duties inLondon predominantly. We protect BuckinghamPalace, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle andParliament, and conduct state ceremonial visits,such as when Donald Trump came across theother day, it would have been the Guards that
provided security. That is a tiny bit of what wedo.”
The pipers and drummers accompanying theScots Guards on Exercise Rattlesnake are knownas assault pioneers.
“They are the equivalent of infantry engi-neers,” Havelock said. “They are the ones whogo into battle in the front, put in the Bangaloretorpedoes, the charges to help you blow doors offin an urban environment, blow the wire out ofthe way so the unit can go straight through. Thekey is they are Soldiers first and musicians sec-ond.”
But, there’s no escaping the fact that these in-fantry engineers — assault pioneers — are alsotalented musicians. Havelock said that can causeproblems during training back in England.
“When you try to balance the demand for mu-sic versus operational training, the two can con-flict,” he said. “Some people, like the Queen, cansay ‘I want some pipers for this event,’ but thatmight clash with an event you’re doing to pre-pare for operations.”
When Havelock came over on a reconnais-sance visit in July to meet with the units hewould support during the JRTC rotation he saidhe brought his pipe major with him and gave theunit commanders a demonstration of what themusicians could provide.
“We showed them what they could do, howwonderful they are and what a spectacle theyare,” he said. “We offered it to them. All of ourregiments have something special about them;we have more than 400 years of history, we haveScottish heritage, tartan and kilts, and the pipesand drums are very much a part of that heritage.I thought it was brilliant to come and show asmuch of our heritage of being Scotland’s finestwhen we came over here.”
Havelock said since their arrival for ExerciseRattlesnake, the Scots Guards have marched forthe 112th Inf Reg and plan to play at the JRTCand Fort Polk Awards Ceremony and the AfterAction Review for Rattlesnake.
But one of the more unique performances willtake place on Thanksgiving Day.
“We’ll be in the box, and the plan is everyonein the box is going to get a turkey dinner,” Have-lock said. “A lorry or truck, will bring our instru-ments to us in the box, and while the Soldiers areeating their turkey dinner, my Soldiers will play
a bit of music in the background. It should be amemorable event not only for us, having Thanks-giving, which is not something we celebrate, butinterestingly, two days later is St. Andrew’s Day,which is a very important day for us as he’s ourpatron saint and a day we celebrate. So we’veagreed to celebrate St. Andrew’s Day when youcelebrate Thanksgiving, and our musicians willplay and it will be a good bond between ourcountries.”
Another special opportunity has presented it-self for the musicians of the Scots Guards. Have-lock explained.
“Part of the experience in coming to Americais not just soldiering; four or five of my soldiershave never left the United Kingdom. Four ofthem had never been on a plane before,” Have-lock said. “It was agreed from the beginning thatafter the exercise, I would let them have a bit ofR&R — rest and recuperation — and so we’re go-ing to take the unit down to New Orleans forthree days.”
Havelock said with New Orleans consideredthe birthplace of jazz and the pipe major a musi-cian, they decided to conduct a recon in July.
“We went there and saw a few musicians play-ing in Jackson Square,” he said. “We made an in-quiry and learned all we had to do was book atime, so we did and we’ll play there on Dec. 7.”
Havelock said it will be a special occasion forthe Scots Guards pipers and drummers.
“For them to have a photograph of playing inJackson Square, to show their sons and daughtersthey played in the most iconic music city in theworld, is wonderful,” he said.
“Selfishly, there’s also a social media PR pieceto it. Having the photograph and story will prob-ably go pretty viral on social media. Our Armyneeds inflow, it needs new Soldiers, and whileour inflow is good, you must maintain it. It’sevents like this that will trigger that 17 year oldthat is wondering what to do with his life to jointhe Army.
“The pipes and drums is something thatmakes us special.”
Havelock said the American Soldiers havebeen gracious in welcoming his unit.
“We’ve never been more welcomed by ourAmerican brothers,” he said. “It’s been a trulywonderful experience. They’ve gone above andbeyond anything we could have hope for.”
Scots Guards bring heritage, music, war fighting to JRTCBy CHUCK CANNONGuardian editor
Members of the Scots Guards Pipes and Drums play for Soldiers from the 112thInfantry Regiment on Fort Polk prior to tackling the Joint Readiness Training Centerduring Exercise Rattlesnake.
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The Joint Readiness Training Center and FortPolk holds its annual Toy Drive through Dec. 10.This year the installation has partnered with Op-eration Home Front to provide assistance tomore families.
As part of the event there was a ruck marchNov. 20 where Soldiers “rucked” their toy dona-tions to a collection point next to the Berry Mis-sion Training Center. The photos on this page arefrom the ruck event.
Toys can be donated at boxes located through-out the installation. Toys will be distributed Dec.12. Contact your unit Better Opportunities forSingle Soldiers representative, call 531-1948 orvisit polk.armymwr.com for more information.
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Fort Polk Soldiers ruck donations for annual BOSS toy drive
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FORT POLK, La. — On Nov. 13, Soldiers withthe 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regi-ment, and Joint Readiness Training Center Oper-ations Group conducted airborne operations atGeronimo Drop Zone in the JRTC training area.The photographs on this page show the para-troopers and their C-130 aircraft both on theground and in the air.
Polk paratroopers parachute into Geronimo Drop ZoneBy TERRY SADLERACofS, G-2 (MSN SPT)
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Anvil dedicated at Mission Training center a reminder of mission, pride
FORT POLK, La. — The newest “Forging theWarrior Spirit” anvil was unveiled at the BerryMission Training Complex Nov. 18. This is thesecond of 10 anvils to be placed throughout FortPolk. Upcoming locations include WheelockGym, Fort Polk Education Center, Main Post Ex-change, In and Out Processing and more.
The anvils are works of art that symbolizepride and represent the Joint Readiness TrainingCenter’s mission of assisting brigade combatteams in developing and forging the WarriorSpirit in their Soldiers and formations, accordingto Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank.
Howard Thrasher, Mission Training Complexdirector, said just as tools are forged in a foundry,the anvil in front of the Mission Training Centersymbolizes that this is the place for Soldiers toforge their skills before deploying.
Michael Ford, MTC supply specialist, said,“The anvil brings a sense of pride and belongingto the people in this building as part of the FortPolk team.”
Ron Tucker, MTC information systems securi-ty manager, said the anvils are being placed infront of buildings that represent aspects of a Sol-dier’s life and show the importance of building awell-rounded Soldier.
“It’s going to be a common thread at Fort Polk
to see these anvils in places where we assist theArmy — one team, one fight — to train these Sol-diers,” he said.
Kirk Mayfield, G-3 deputy, said the anvils rep-resent an esprit de corps that highlights Fort Polkas one of the Army’s premiere training centers.
By ANGIE THORNEGuardian staff writer
From left: Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, Joint Readiness Trining Center and Fort Polkcommanding general, Ron Tucker, Information Systems Security manager, HowardThrasher, Berry Mission Training Complex director, Michael Ford, MTC supply spe-cialist, Matt Stevens, plans and operations, and Command Sgt. Maj. David W. Bass,JRTC and Fort Polk command sergeant major, unveil the second Forging the War-rior Spirit anvil in front of Fort Polk's MTC Nov. 18
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Welcome Home, PartriotsSoldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division are re-turning home from deployment. Elements of 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Reg-iment and 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment were given a hero’s welcomeat the Warrior Gym Nov. 20. Left : Spc. Christopher Shoemaker-Fulmer gets a big hug from his wifeCasey.Above: 1st Lt. Cole Borland is welcomed back by Mickey Rogers and JimMuffler.
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FORT POLK, La. — Fort Polk’s Patriot InnDining Facility hosts its annual Thanksgivingmeal Nov. 28 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Menu includes:
roasted turkey, honey glazed baked ham, orangeglazed Cornish hens, buttered king crab legs
• Sides — baked macaroni and cheese, can-
died yams, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, wildrice, Southern style cornbread, dressing, sea-soned collard greens, roasted Brussels sprouts,buttered corn on the cob, green bean casserole
• Salads — mustard potato salad, macaronisalad, chef salad, Caesar salad, fruit salad, assort-ed fruits
• Desserts — sweet potato pie, pecan pie,peach cobbler, marble cake with butter creamfrosting, German chocolate cake, assortedcookies.
The meal is open to everyone and their fami-lies. Cost is as follows: $9.10 for service members,Department of Defense civilians, DoD familymembers, civilans; $6.80 for family members ofpay grade E-4 and below. A kid’s menu is avail-able upon request (hot dogs and French fries).
Additional Thanksgiving DFAC meals includea Continental breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. anddinner from 5-6 p.m.
The dining facility is located in bldg 1162, Glo-ry Loop. For more information call 531-7540.
They slither, swim, jump, c limb, everywhere on Fort Polk
STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE
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FORT POLK, La. — The preamble to the Man-ual for Courts-Martial states, “the purpose ofmilitary law is to promote justice, to assist inmaintaining good order and discipline in thearmed forces, to promote efficiency and effective-ness in the military establishment and therebystrengthen the national security of the UnitedStates.” At the Joint Readiness Training Centerand Fort Polk, the commanding general and sub-ordinate commanders take good order and disci-pline seriously.
Across Fort Polk, the following disciplinary is-sues continue to be prevalent: Sexual assault,driving under the influence, wrongful use/pos-session of controlled substances, fraternization,inappropriate relationships and domestic vio-
lence. Below are recent examples of adverse legalactions across the installation.
• A specialist, assigned to 3rd Brigade CombatTeam, 10th Mountain Division, was punished un-der Article 15 for wrongfully using a Govern-ment Travel Charge Card (GTCC) for personaluse and making a false official statement in viola-tion of Articles 92 and 107, Uniform Code of Mili-tary Justice. The service member was sentencedto a reduction to the grade of E-3, forfeiture of$491, 14 days of extra duty and 14 days of restric-tion.
• A specialist, assigned to 46th Engineer Bat-talion, was punished under Article 15 for fraudu-lently receiving entitlements and exemptions inthe amount of $18,752 in violation of Article 121,UCMJ. The service member was sentenced to re-duction to the grade of E1.
• A specialist, assigned to 46th Eng Bn, wasadministratively separated under Chapter 14-12b(Patterns of Misconduct) with a General (UnderHonorable Conditions) discharge, for having anunregistered weapon in the home and failing toreport to the appointed place of duty on diverseoccasions. Generally, this characterization ofservice results in the loss of a service member’sMontgomery GI Bill benefits.
• A private, assigned to 1st Battalion, 509th In-fantry Regiment, was administratively separatedunder Chapter 14-12c(2) (Commission of a Seri-ous Offense) with a General (Under HonorableConditions) discharge, for wrongful use of a con-trolled substance in violation of Article 112a,UCMJ. Generally, this characterization of serviceresults in the loss of a service member’s Mont-gomery GI Bill benefits.
By Chief Warrant Officer 2 FRANK PETERSON3/10 Brigade Food Advisor
Editor’s note: This is No. 2 of an eight-part se-ries on the fauna and flora of Fort Polk and thesurrounding area.
FORT POLK, La. — Of the many phobias thatexist, one of the most common is the fear ofsnakes. If you have Ophidiophobia (fear ofsnakes), Herpetophobia (fear of reptiles) or Batra-chophobia (fear of amphibians), the rest of thisstory may give you reason for concern.
“There are more than 72 species of reptiles andamphibians on and around Fort Polk. This in-cludes American alligators, lizards, snakes, tur-tles, tortoises, frogs, toads and salamanders,”Sarah Pearce, Installation Natural Resources Co-ordinator and Integrated Natural ResourcesManagement Plan program manager, said.
Reptiles and amphibians are often confusedwith each other, but there are significant differ-ences.
“Reptiles have dry scaly skin, breathe airthrough lungs, and lay hard or leather-likeshelled eggs on land or maintain eggs insidetheir body until hatching. Amphibians havemoist skin, can breathe through gills, lungs ortheir skin, and lay soft eggs in water or moistsubstrate like mud. Most amphibians spend theirlarval stage in water and their adult stage onland,” Pearce said.
Whereas most reptiles and amphibians aretypically harmless, there some that can cause se-rious injury.
“The American alligator, alligator snappingturtle and common snapping turtle are found onFort Polk and can cause injury to humans and
their pets,” she said. “Fort Polk is also home tofive venomous snake species: The cottonmouth,copperhead, coral snake, pigmy rattlesnake andtimber rattlesnake. The best way to avoid contactwith venomous snakes is to treat all snakes withrespect meaning do not touch or handle them.Most snakes are camouflaged and difficult to seein their natural environment. Be cautious whentreading in their habitat.”
Though the thought of encountering these ani-mals can be a bit unnerving, they all play an im-portant role in sustaining the ecosystem.
“Reptiles and amphibians are part of the natu-ral ecosystem and their part in the overall food-web is important to all of us because we are thestewards to sustaining the necessary habitat fortheir long-term existence. Understanding the sen-sitivity of how and where they survive allows usto coexist,” Abigail Arfman, a Fort Polk non-game subject matter expert, through a coopera-tive agreement with Colorado State University,said.
“Reptiles and amphibians are declining atalarming rates. These declines matter to us formany reasons especially because these species,particularly amphibians, are biological indicatorsof habitat integrity. This means that these speciescan help us monitor an ecosystems health,” Arf-man said.
However, these animals aren’t the only part ofthe sustainment of an ecosystem.
“Fort Polk is dedicated to sustaining theselands in accordance with the installations Inte-grated Natural Resources Management Plan sothat Soldiers may continue to train wherewildlife and the military mission coexist. One ofthe main challenges land managers face in pro-
viding a balance between the coexistence is hu-man-wildlife conflict, such as, directly or indi-rectly harassing or killing reptiles and amphib-ians,” Pearce said.
“Reptiles and amphibians may also be affectedby habitat degradation such as removal, alter-ation or pollution, as well as illegal collecting,and the introduction or competition from feraland invasive species.”
Despite the dedicated professionals maintain-ing a peaceful coexistence between people andwildlife, they aren’t the only ones who can helpsustain the ecosystem and the benefits it pro-vides.
Everyone can get involved by “leaving wildlifein the wild and learning more about sustainingthe environment that we live in and contributingwhere you can to lost habitat,” Pearce said
By KEITH HOUINGuardian staff writer
Punishment for UCMJ violat ions costs money, rank , career
Patriot Inn dining facility to host annual Thanksgiving feast
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BJACH hoursBayne-Jones Army Community Hospital
will observe the following hours of opera-tion during the Thanksgiving holiday peri-od:
• Inpatient services and the emergencyroom will remain open.
Call 531-3784 for more information.
BJACH constructionThe Bayne-Jones Army Community
Hospital emergency check-in and lobbyarea has moved to the radiology depart-ment as part of ongoing hospital construc-tion. There will be no interruption of serv-ices during the temporary move. Signs willdirect patients to the temporary emergencyroom entrance. Call 531-3111 or [email protected] for more infor-mation.
Commissary hoursThe Fort Polk Commissary will observe
the following hours of operation duringthe Thanksgiving holiday:
a.m.-8 p.m.• Thursday— closed• Nov. 29 — 8 a.m.-8 p.m.• Nov. 30 — 9 a.m.-8 p.m.Call 531-7678 for more information.
Masquerade ballGator R.O.C.K.S., a mentoring organiza-
tion for officers, hosts a masquerade ball,Dec. 14, from 6-11 p.m., at the Warrior Ac-tivity Center, bldg 352, 1321 Corps Road.Cost is $50 per person and includes athree-course meal and entertainment. Pro-ceeds go toward Reserve Officer TrainingCorps scholarships and the mentoring pro-gram. Call (256) 694-5624 or (870) 494-5192for more information.
MCY nominationsOperation Homefront is accepting nomi-
nations for the 2020 Military Child of theYear Awards, as well as applications for the2020 Military Child of the Year Award forInnovation. Nominations are open throughDec. 9, and awards will be presented at arecognition gala April 2 in the nation's cap-ital.
The awards will recognize seven youngpeople ages 13 to 18 who are legal depend-ents of a service member or military re-tiree. To nominate a child for the award goto www.militarychildoftheyear.org andclick on the nominations tab.
Briefs
FORT POLK, La. — Sara Simmonds, a long-time friend to Fort Polk Soldiers as they left ondeployments and returned home, passed awayNov. 15. She was 101.
Simmonds was the leader of the well-lovedApple Pie Brigade that provided a friendly smile,hug or handshake and a tasty apple pie to Sol-diers as they prepared to board an aircraft atAlexandria International Airport on their way toAfghanistan, Iraq and other deployments. Shewas often the last local civilian face they saw be-fore deploying.
She was also on hand to welcome those sameSoldiers when they returned, again with a smile,hug and apple pie.
“This is about the Soldiers and all they do forus,” Simmonds said in a 2011 interview with theGuardian.
Simmonds began this mission in 2004 whenmembers of the Idaho National Guard werestranded at Alexandria’s England Air Park enroute overseas. They were originally scheduledto be here for three days, but it turned into sixweeks, she said.
Sara was having dinner at the air park bistroone night when those National Guard Soldiers
showed up. She stopped to talk to several ofthem. During their conversations, it was broughtto her attention that they were there for an indef-inite amount of time due to a transportationbacklog.
“Their conditions were dismal in the oldhangar, and they did not have transportation toget to the store to purchase personal items,” shesaid.
Fred Rosenfeld, operator of the bistro and ParcEngland Hotel, said, “I offered them transporta-tion, and Sara and I fed several of those Soldiersthat night. Then, she went into overdrive. Saraalso rallied the help of the community to maketheir conditions as comfortable as possible dur-ing their stay.”
That was the beginning of the Apple PieBrigade.
From that point, Simmonds made it her mis-sion to help every Soldier who processedthrough Alexandria International Airport, andshe rallied the help of the community and volun-teers to assist in those efforts.
Simmonds was preceded in death by her firsthusband, Robert Allen, who died during WorldWar II, and her second husband, the late Dr. NoelSimmonds. She is survived by a niece.
Services for Simmonds were held Nov. 20 atFirst United Methodist Church in Alexandria.
Fort Polk, Apple Pie Brigade suffer lossBy CHUCK CANNONGuardian editor
Hero Tree decoratedGirl Scouts withFort Polk Troop2101 look on asLily Falcetto pinsan ornament onthe “Our HeroTree” at the AllenMemorial Library. The tree was dedi-cated Nov. 19.Weblos and CubScouts with FortPolk’s Pack 72posted the colorsand the GirlScouts led thePledge of Alle-giance to open theceremony. Sol-diers and veteransin attendancewere recognized.The event culmi-nated with aspeech from Brig.Gen. Patrick Frank,commander, JRTCand Fort Polk, andrefreshments.
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Knowing is not enough — act on your family health history
FORT POLK, La. — Has your mother or sisterhad breast cancer? Does your mother, father, sis-ter or brother have diabetes? Did your mother,father, brother or sister have colorectal (colon)cancer before age 50? If you answered “yes,” youare more likely to get the same disease as yourparent or sibling and should consider earlierscreening. Talk to your doctor about when tostart screening and what other steps to take toprevent the disease or find it early. Finding dis-ease early can often mean better health in thelong run.
Did you know that Thanksgiving is also Na-tional Family History Day? Even if you don’thave a parent or sibling with cancer or diabetes,you might be more likely to get a disease if otherpeople in your family have or had the disease.However, having a family health history of a dis-ease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it.Knowing your family health history risk can helpyou — if you act on it.
Collecting your family health history is an im-portant first step. Whether you know a lot aboutyour family health history or only a little, taketime to talk to your family about their health his-tories at family gatherings this holiday season. Itmight not be easy. Your family members mightnot be used to talking about their diseases ormight not want to talk. But starting the conversa-tion is important. Remember, you’re asking notjust for your own health, but also for the healthof everyone in your family.
How to collect Family health history• Talk to your family. Write down the names
of your close relatives from both sides of the fam-ily: Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles,nieces and nephews. Talk to these family mem-bers about what conditions they have or had,and at what age the conditions were first diag-nosed. You might think you know about all ofthe conditions in your parents or siblings, butyou might find out more information if you ask.
• Ask questions. To find out about your riskfor chronic diseases, ask your relatives aboutwhich of these diseases they have had and whenthey were diagnosed. Questions can include:
* Do you have any chronic diseases, such asheart disease or diabetes, or health conditions,such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
* Have you had any other serious diseases,such as cancer or stroke? What type of cancer?
* How old were you when each of these dis-eases or health conditions was diagnosed? (Ifyour relative doesn’t remember the exact age,knowing the approximate age is still useful.)
* What is your family’s ancestry? From whatcountries or regions did your ancestors come tothe United States?
* What were the causes and ages of death forrelatives who have died?
• Record the information and update it when-ever you learn new family health history infor-mation. My Family Health Portrait, a free web-based tool, is helpful in organizing the informa-tion in your family health history. My FamilyHealth Portrait allows you to share this informa-tion easily with your doctor and other familymembers.
• Share family health history information withyour doctor and other family members. If youare concerned about diseases that are common in
your family, talk with your doctor at your nextvisit. Even if you don’t know all of your familyhealth history information, share what you doknow. Family health history information, even ifincomplete, can help your doctor decide whichscreening tests you need and when those testsshould start.
If you have a medical condition, such as can-cer, heart disease, or diabetes, be sure to let yourfamily members know about your diagnosis. Ifyou have had genetic testing done, share your re-sults with your family members. If you are one ofthe older members of your family, you mayknow more about diseases and health conditionsin your family, especially in relatives who are nolonger living. Be sure to share this informationwith your younger relatives so that you may allbenefit from knowing this family health historyinformation.
How to act on family health historyKnowing about your family health history of a
disease can motivate you to take steps to loweryour chances of getting the disease. You can’tchange your family health history, but you canchange unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking,not exercising or being active and poor eatinghabits. Talk with your doctor about steps thatyou can take, including whether you should con-sider early screening for the disease. If you havea family health history of disease, you may havethe most to gain from lifestyle changes andscreening tests.
What you can do if you have a family healthhistory of the following:
• Colorectal cancer: If you have a mother, fa-ther, sister, brother or other close family memberwho had colorectal cancer before age 50 or havemultiple close family members with colorectalcancer, talk to your doctor about whether youshould have screening starting at a younger age,being done more frequently and usingcolonoscopy only instead of other tests. In somecases, your doctor may recommend that youhave genetic counseling, and a genetic counselormay recommend genetic testing based on yourfamily health history.
• Breast or ovarian cancer: If you have a par-ent, sibling or child with breast cancer, talk toyour doctor about when you should start mam-mography screening. If your relative was diag-
nosed with breast cancer before age 50, if youhave a close relative with ovarian cancer, or ifyou have a male relative with breast cancer, yourdoctor might refer you for cancer genetic coun-seling to find out if genetic testing is right foryou. In some cases, your doctor might recom-mend taking tamoxifen, raloxifene, or aromataseinhibitors, drugs that can decrease risk of devel-oping breast cancer in some women.
• Heart disease: If you have a family healthhistory of heart disease, you can take steps tolower your chances of getting heart disease.These steps can include eating a healthy diet, be-ing physically active, maintaining a healthyweight, not smoking, limiting your alcohol use,having any screening tests that your doctor rec-ommends and, in some cases, taking medication.
• Diabetes: If your mother, father, brother orsister has type 2 diabetes, you could have predia-betes and are more likely to get type 2 diabetesyourself. But there are important steps you cantake to prevent type 2 diabetes and reverse predi-abetes if you have it. Ask your doctor whetheryou need earlier screening for diabetes. Find outmore about the National Diabetes PreventionProgram’s lifestyle change program and how tofind a program near you; (BJACH Health Promo-tion offers monthly diabetes classes held everysecond Thursday; for more information call 531-6880) and learn how to prevent type 2.
• Osteoporosis: This is a medical conditionwhere bones become weak and are more likely tobreak. A family health history of osteoporosis isone of a number of factors that make you morelikely to develop osteoporosis. For example, ifyou are a white woman whose mother or fatherfractured a hip, talk to your doctor about screen-ing for osteoporosis earlier (at about age 55, com-pared with age 65 for most women). Talk to yourprovider about risk assessment tools and to learnmore about screening process.
• Hereditary Hemochromatosis: Hereditaryhemochromatosis is a disorder in which the bodycan build up too much iron and can lead to seri-ous liver damage and other problems. If youhave a brother or sister with hemochromatosis,you may be more likely to develop the conditionyourself. Talk to your doctor about testing for he-mochromatosis and whether you should takesteps to lower the amount of iron in your body.
By GENEVA MERIDITHBJACH preventive medicine
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Fort Polk Exchange offers opportunities for holidaysFORT POLK, La. — The
Army and Air Force Ex-change Service is providingopportunities for Fort PolkSoldiers and Family mem-bers this holiday season.
• The Exchange is givingone lucky military moviegoera golden opportunity to seefree flicks during December.At a special screening of “ThePolar Express” at the FortPolk Reel Time Theater onNov. 30 at 3 p.m., moviegoerswill be entered to win two“golden tickets,” which canbe used to see one movie aweek for free in December.The contest is part of the Ex-change’s Military FamilyMonth celebration.
Each ticket purchase willcount toward an entry for thetwo “golden tickets,” andone winner will be drawn.
• With the Exchange’s ex-tended holiday price guaran-tee, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24,Fort Polk shoppers whomake a purchase at their Ex-change and find the identical
item at a lower price at an-other retailer can receive anExchange gift card for thedifference.
Shoppers must present areceipt or online order confir-mation along with a localcompetitor’s current ad attheir Fort Polk Exchange cus-tomer service desk. Some ex-clusions apply.
The Exchange’s regularprice guarantee allows forprice-matching within 14days. The holiday extendedprice guarantee lets Fort Polkshoppers get the best dealsthrough most of December.The extended price guaranteealso applies to ShopMyEx-change.com purchases.
Online shoppers, includ-ing honorably dischargedVeterans, can receive theirgift card by filling out a cus-tomer feedback form atShopMyExchange.com/cus-tomer-service or by callingthe Exchange Customer Con-tact Center at (800) 527-2345.
For more information, con-tact Carrie Beltz, (337) 537-1792 or [email protected].
EXCHANGE
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JRTC Ops Gp hosts Native American Indian Heritage celebration
FORT POLK, La. —The Joint Readiness Train-ing Center Operations Group hosted the Nation-al American Indian Heritage Month celebrationNov. 20 at Fort Polk’s Bayou Theater.
“This event allows us to honor some remark-able Americans, particularly those in our armedservices,” said Col. David W. Gardner, JRTC OpsGp commander. “We remember and honor thesacrifices of our fellow Soldiers who belong tothe 573 federally recognized Native Americantribes.”
Gardner said American Indians and Alaskanatives serve at one of the highest rates per capi-ta of all population groups in the United Statessince the American Revolution and continue todo so with distinction.
“Native Americans currently account for 1.4%of the U.S. population. However, more NativeAmericans are represented in our military thanthe general population — showing their drive toinfluence our country and the world,” he said.“In a world where 0.5% of the population servesin the military, our Native American brothers andsisters in arms are pulling more than three timestheir weight in service and they have done itwhile rising above unparalleled challenges to de-fend our nation with pride and honor.”
The guest speaker was Sgt. 1st Class JamesAtcitty, JRTC Ops Gp, Task Force 3, platoon med-ical Observer/Controller/Trainer, a NavajoAmerican Indian who comes from a long her-itage of Native American warriors with direct an-cestors serving the United States in virtuallyevery conflict since World War II.
Atcitty said though he spent his childhoodgrowing up on posts from Europe to the UnitedStates, he has always had a special connectionthrough his family to his tribal lands in the FourCorners region of the U.S. — where Utah, Col-orado, Arizona and New Mexico come together.
“It is the ancestral home of the Navajo people.There, people still live traditional and geographi-cally isolated lives. On the reservation, pavedroads and utilities are often a luxury. ManyNavajo people still chop wood and haul coal andwater to remote home sites,” he said.
Atcitty said military service has always been abig part of his family history.
He said his maternal grandfather served as achaplain in World War II; on his father’s side, hisgrandfather’s cousin served as a Navajo CodeTalker — Navajo Indians that spoke the Navajolanguage in WWII were recruited by the MarineCorps to communicate in the Pacific theater —and uncles and extended family have served indifferent branches of the military from the Kore-an War to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“My father, Charles Atcitty, was the first Nava-jo Indian to graduate from West Point in the classof 1979. Although I’m proud of my family’s con-tributions and achievements, November is amonth dedicated to honoring all Native Ameri-cans. National policy has not always been fair toNative Americans, but that has not stopped itscountless members from answering the call ofduty,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, JRTC and FortPolk commanding general, said many NativeAmerican Soldiers stand in Army formations.
“Soldiers should be proud to stand side byside with them as we square off with whateverenemy our country asks us to face,” he said.
Maj. Brandon Cook, JRTC Ops Gp, said whatimpressed him most about the ceremony waslearning how many Native Americans haveserved and continue to serve in the military andthe many brave acts they have performed.
Cook said celebrating a Soldier’s heritageshould give everyone an appreciation for theArmy family and its diversity.
“Celebrations like today give Soldiers an op-portunity to learn about and better understandthe Soldiers standing next to them. The Army is aperfect place to bring those cultures together,” hesaid.
Students and staff from the Middle School and Teen Center serve Thanksgiving mealsto the Vernon Parish community at First Assembly Christian Academy Nov. 16. Thedinner was sponsored by the Veterans Place, nine churches and various businesses.
Dishing out dinner
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By ANGIE THORNEGuardian staff writer
Sgt. 1st Class James Atcitty, Joint Readi-ness Training Center Operations Group, TaskForce 3, platoon medical Observer/Con-troller/Trainer, was the guest speaker at theNational American Indian Heritage monthcelebration held Nov. 20 at Fort Polk's Bay-ou Theater.
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GuardianNov. 22, 2019/15
Enjoy abundance of Christmas lights at Natchitoches festival
NATCHITOCHES, La. — The days are flyingby and the flavors and smells of Thanksgivingare within reach. That means Christmas andeverything from its music, lights, treats, trees,delicacies, décor and present-shopping are alsojust around the corner.
Whether you are one of those folks that waituntil the turkey dinner is done to begin in-dulging in this most festive of seasons or have al-ready begun, the place you want to be is the 2019Natchitoches Festival of Lights.
The Natchitoches Christmas Festival is a six-week long extravaganza that offers visitors andlocals a chance to revel in the exuberance of morethan 300,000 Christmas lights and 100 lighted setpieces as they illuminate downtown Natchi-toches and Cane River Lake every evening atdusk through Jan. 6. Christmas events take placein downtown Natchitoches along the banks ofthe Cane River Lake and the Historic District.Times and dates are approximate and subject tochange.
While participating in the holiday fun, you canwork up an appetite and just like any good festi-val in Louisiana, there is large variety of food onhand to conquer your hunger, including funnelcakes, cotton candy, hamburgers, meat pies, alli-gator and more. Possibly the most sought afterfestival food is the famous Natchitoches meatpie, which is available from local restaurants andfood vendors along the riverbank.
Saturday at 10 a.m. is the official start of theFestival of Lights. The day features musical en-tertainment, children’s activities and fireworks.Get into the holiday spirit while wandering thefestival and enjoying live performances by Cane
River Soul and Louisiana Red.Cookies with Santa takes place Saturday from
10 a.m.-4 p.m. in an enclosed tent on the Southend of the riverbank. The event is an opportunityfor kids to create a Christmas ornament, sit onSanta's lap for a photo op and enjoy sweet treatswith jolly St. Nick. Accompanying parents are re-quired to purchase a ticket. Tickets are $10 perperson. Children 2 and under do not require aticket and may sit on a parent's lap. Childrenmust be accompanied by an adult. There is noadmission to enter the riverbank area on this day.For a more in-depth schedule of events in thecoming weeks visit www.natchitocheschrist-mas.com.
Ticket prices for Nov. 30 and Dec. 14 and 21are $5 per person, Dec. 7 is $8 per person. Ticketscan be purchased online at www.natchi-tocheschristmas.com/tickets.
In its 93 years of existence, this family friendlyfestival has helped shape the area’s unique histo-ry and plays as important a role as any historicalfigure, place or event of the oldest permanent set-tlement in the Louisiana Purchase.
Those traditions help set the NatchitochesChristmas Festival apart from other Christmascelebrations or Louisiana festivals. Don’t missyour chance to discover those Christmas customswhile making family holiday memories to last alifetime.
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Discover fun facts about festive Christmas lights
FORT POLK, La. — Have you everwondered about those twinkling lightson your Christmas tree? If so, check outthe following trivia found at variouswebsites:
• Thomas Edison, the inventor of thefirst successful practical light bulb, creat-ed the very first strand of electric lights.During the Christmas season of 1880,these strands were strung around theoutside of his Menlo Park Laboratory.Found at www.loc.gov.
• It is estimated that more than 150million light sets are sold in Americaeach year, with more than 80 millionhomes decorated with holiday lights.
• 1925 saw the first widespread com-mercial sales of Christmas lights
That is, until Albert Sadacca, a teen at
the time out of New York City, decidedto repurpose the white novelty lights hisfamily had sold for years by turningthem into colored bulbs. As a result, acheaper and more accessible Christmaslight was born. Found at www.christ-masdesigners.com.
• Outdoor Christmas light displays onhouses evolved from decorating the tra-ditional Christmas tree and house withcandles during the Christmas season.The tradition of lighting the tree withsmall candles dates back to the 17th cen-tury and originated in Germany beforespreading to Eastern Europe. Found atwww.ehow.com.
• So, how much electricity do Christ-mas lights use? Your display size andchoice of bulbs, whether incandescent orLED, will influence your energy bill themost. For example, a 100-count string of
incandescent mini lights runs at 40 watts,while a 70 count of 5mm Wide AngleLEDs is approximately 4.8 watts total.Found at www.christmaslightsetc.com.
• As lights became affordable to morepeople in the 1950s, people decoratedtheir houses to symbolize the Christmasstar that was supposed to have led thethree wise men to the manger where Je-sus was born. The displays have becomea symbol of the Christmas season. Foundat www.highcountrylights.com.
• The vast majority of Christmaslights on the market these days aresourced from China. No matter whereyou purchase your lights, you'll almostcertainly be buying lights originatingfrom China. That includes the big boxstores. Buy from them, and you'll be buy-ing lights made in China. Found atwww.christmasdesigners.com.
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GUARDIAN STAFF
16/ GuardianNov. 22, 2019
BOSSTake note of Better Opportuni-
ties for Single Soldiers upcomingevents and volunteer possibilities.
•Toy driveDonate toys for families in need
this holiday season. Toy distribu-tion takes place Dec. 12. Contactyour BOSS representative or call531-1948 for more information.
• Football funThe Home of Heroes Recreation
Center is your football headquar-ters for NFL Sunday Ticket. Formore information call 531-1948.
• Lemon lotTrying to sell your vehicle?
Bring it to the BOSS Lemon Lot.Registration is $5 for 30 days. Carsthat are not registered will betowed.
Register at the Home of HeroesRecreation Center. For more infor-mation call 531-1948.
Festival, located in Todd Mission,Texas, 21778 FM 1774, about 55miles northwest of Houston, takesplace Saturday and Sunday andNov. 29-Dec. 2.
The theme Saturday and Sun-day is Highland fling. The pipesare calling. Witness the thrill ofHighland games and show offyour bonnie knees in Scottish fin-ery. General admission per day is$23.95 per adult and $11.95 perchild. Parking is $15.
There are special deals and
packages on the website. For more information visit
46468 River Road, Hammond,takes place Saturday and Sunday,Nov. 29-Dec. 1 and Dec. 7-8. Thetheme Saturday and Sunday is ro-mance. Bring the one you love andthe first 200 couples dressed tomatch receive a toy rose.
Veterans and active duty mili-tary get 50% off at the ticket booth.For more information visitwww.la-renfest.com or call (985)429-9992.
Miscellaneous• Seasonal dinnerA community dinner
takes place Dec. 14 at 2and 6 p.m. at the WootenTheatre, 102 East FirstSt., DeRidder. Thoseinvited include thelonely, widowers,needy, veter-ans and any-one whowould like toshare a meal withothers. No one will beturned away.
The purpose of the dinner is toshow those who need a good mealand fellowship that even thoughthe season can be rough, there arepeople who care. If you would liketo volunteer call (337) 396-8083 oremail [email protected].
• Arts and crafts showIf you want to gift a few unique
presents this year, you might wantto stop by the Fleur de Lis Artsand Crafts show at the Natchi-toches Event Center, 750 SecondSt., Natchitoches, Nov. 30 from 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. Admission is free.For more information visitwww.facebook.com/FleurDeLis-ArtsAndCrafts/.
• Holiday parkVisit Dark Woods Christmas in
the Park, 4343 University Parkway,Natchitoches, for a magical winterwonderland from Saturdaythrough Dec. 25 — weather per-mitting. This newest holiday at-traction offers a variety of holidayexperiences and the beauty ofChristmas lights and decor in awoodland setting. For more infor-mation visit Facebook at Christ-mas in The Park or call (318) 332-8546.
• Christmas in RoselandHead to the American Rose
Center, 8877 Jefferson Paige Road,
Shreveport to attend Christmas inRoseland each Friday throughSunday from Nov. 29-Dec. 15 andevery night from Dec. 16-22.
During the holiday season thepark is transformed.
Walk through the winter won-derland with thousands of twin-kling lights, dozens of lighted dis-plays, giant Christmas cards,nightly entertainment rides on theRoseland Express train, photoswith Santa and tons of fun for thefamily.
Admission is $20 per carload or$5 per person. Children ages 2 andunder get in free.
For more information visitwww.rose.org.
• Museum exhibitThe Alexandria Museum of Art
hosts the “Pelican State Goes toWar” — a look at Louisiana’s con-tribution to World War II on loan
from the New Orlean’s WorldWar II Museum.
The event can be seenthrough Feb. 22. There will
also be panels, perform-ances and discussions inconjunction with the ex-
hibit throughout its stay. Admission is free. For
more information visithttps://themuseum.org/#.
• Choir performanceThe Vernon Parish Community
Choir presents Handel’s “Messi-ah” at the Leesville High Schoolauditorium, 502 Berry St. Leesville.The performance is held Dec. 8 at 3p.m. For more information call(337) 424-7118, (337) 238-1036 or(337) 238-2540.
Clubs/groups• Bass MastersJoin the Fort Polk Community
Bass Masters. The club meetsmonthly on the Tuesday beforeeach tournament.
Meetings are held at 6 p.m. atthe New Llano American Legion,Post 387, 500 Vernon St. The nextmeeting takes place Dec. 10.
The December championshiptournament takes place at SamRayburn Lake Dec. 14 and ToledoBend Dec. 15. The entry fee is $40.For more information visitwww.fortpolkcommunitybass-masters.com.
• Lose weightJoin Take Off Pounds Sensibly
(TOPS) every Thursday at the Ver-non Parish Library meeting room.Weigh in is 5-5:50 p.m.
The meeting starts at 5:50 p.m.For more information call (337)208-0896.
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