1. law, govt and politics
2. armed forces
3. army

16A • March 19, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
CHAPLAIN Continued from Page 14A
Xiong said he is not allowed to visit China,
but did visit Hong Kong, a special administrative district of China, for the Tiananmen
Square 20th anniversary protest in 2009. He
believes government officials let him into
Hong Kong by accident, and he will never
forget speaking at a protest during the trip.
“That night, everyone held a candle;
200,000 people,” he said.
Most recently, in 2014, he gave the invocation at the 25th anniversary Tiananmen
Square memorial event members of Congress
held in Washington, D.C. House Speaker
John Boehner (R-Ohio), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D-California), also
spoke at the event.
Members of the House not only passed a
resolution requesting the Chinese government to respect the freedom of assembly, expression, religion, fundamental human rights
and the rule of law, but also asked they stop
censoring discussion of the massacre, according to the resolution.
Xiong, 50, is a protestant chaplain, and is
of the Evangelical Church Alliance denomination. Mainly, however, he said he simply
considers himself a Christian.
He came to Fort Bliss about six months
ago and enjoys the Sun City. In particular,
he credits his bosses, Chaplain (Col.) Youn
H. Kim, senior chaplain installation and Fort
Bliss Garrison, and Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Dennis Villarreal, deputy installation and Fort
Bliss Garrison chaplain, for creating a wonderful work environment.
“They really practice patience,” Xiong
said. “They really have a good heart.”
Kim said Xiong is an excellent chaplain,
and he is a great addition to the team of chaplains at Fort Bliss.
The Fort Bliss community is lucky to have
him here, Kim said.
As director of spiritual fitness, Xiong said
he teaches two classes, “Beliefs and Values”
and “Introduction to Spirituality,” to in-processing Soldiers, four days a week at Hope
Chapel at West Fort Bliss.
“The government cannot
really control them. We
can say it is the power of
the Holy Spirit, because
a lot of people are
disappointed in the
system, especially the
very corrupt officials.
Not everybody can do
bad things, right?”
>> Chaplain (Maj.) Yan Xiong
Xiong said Chinese government officials
still persecute church leaders in China, but
instead of doing it directly, they often accuse
church leaders of an offense, such as stealing
money, and then arrest them.
Despite this, Xiong said nearly 10 percent
of Chinese people are Christian, and that’s a
lot of people in a nation of more than 1.4 billion.
“It’s getting bigger and bigger,” Xiong
said. “The government cannot really control
them. We can say it is the power of the Holy
Spirit, because a lot of people are disappointed in the system, especially the very corrupt
officials. Not everybody can do bad things,
right?”
To see Xiong’s 2014 video testimony before Congress, see http://www.c-span.org/
video/?319617-1/tiananmen-square-protests-survivors-stories. Xiong’s testimony
begins at the 36-minute, 16-seconds mark.
To see a video of Xiong’s invocation at the
event memorializing the Tiananmen Square
Massacre, see http://www.c-span.org/video/?319640-1/tiananmen-square-25th-anniversary-remembrance.
18A • March 19, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
SPOTLIGHT
Spc. Julia Redding / 24th Press Camp Headquarters, 1st Armored Division Public Affairs
Chief Mass Comm. Spc. 1st Class Heidi McCormick / Navy Office of Community Outreach
Petty Officer 2nd Class Anna
Neufeld, an El Paso native, is
an information systems technician aboard the Norfolk-based
aircraft carrier, USS George
H.W. Bush, a Nimitz-class
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Neufeld is a 2008 Canutillo
High School graduate.
Maj. Gen. Stephen M. Twitty, left, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commander, presents Brig. Gen.
Leopoldo A. Quintas, Jr., right, 1st AD and Fort Bliss Deputy commanding general (support), with a
plaque for outstanding service and dedication at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center
Feb. 23. Quintas departs with his wife, Lori, embarking on a new adventure to Fort Eustis, Va.
Courtesy photo
The American Red Cross, Service to the Armed Forces, El Paso and Southern New Mexico Chapter,
is nominated as the Outstanding Activity of February 2015 for their vital support to the Fort Bliss
community. The ARC supported the patients, staff, and first responders with water, snacks and warm
blankets during the Veterans Administration Clinic shooting. Front row, from left, ARC team members
Ken Romero, (station manager), Kim Darden, Belinda Stegemann, Pat Lealos, Marissa Johnson, Cassandra Waite, Ann Broillet, and Jason Brewer (executive director). Back row, from left, Geri Hoepker,
Shakera Debousa, Brandon Johnson, Juan Luna, Don Seeley, Duty Alexander, (blocked), Lisa Boline,
(assistance station manager) and Terry Pate (station chair).
Chief Mass Comm. Spc. Joshua Treadwell / Navy Office of Community Outreach
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
Seaman Berenice Roldan, an El
Paso native, serves aboard the
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS
George H.W. Bush. Roldan is a
2012 Bel Air High graduate.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel
Carvainis is an information
systems technician aboard
the USS Fitzgerald operating
out of Yokosuka, Japan, which
is located 35 miles south of
Tokyo. Carvainis is a 2010 J.M.
Hanks High School graduate
and El Paso native.
Photo by Wendy Brown / Fort Bliss Bugle Editor
From left, Sgt. Matthew A. Stokes, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers president, Mike Welhouse,
Fort Bliss Texas Roadhouse general manager, Staff Sgt. Janie Chavis, BOSS single parent adviser, Bill
Ketcherside, Fort Bliss Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation special events chief and Tony Lovett,
interim director for FMWR, stand next to the outside entrance to the Texas Roadhouse Feb. 18 shortly
before Welhouse presented Stokes with $655 worth of gift cards for members of the BOSS program.
Courtesy Photo
Navy Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kenneth Rodriguez Santiago
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Raul Marin, from El Paso, safety wires a catapult
buttress plate aboard the USS John C. Stennis March 9.
The Texas Roadhouse team is nominated by Installation Management Command as the Heroes of
the Day for their professional execution of the Veterans Day promotion and providing world-class
customer service. The Texas Roadhouse Restaurant team served more than 1,700 guests Veterans
Day with more than $13,000 in complementary meals served to veterans. Twice during the day, at
11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., service stopped as all guests and staff stood to pause for a moment of silence
and for the playing of the national anthem. A table was set apart for all fallen service members. From
left, Texas Roadhouse team leaders: Abel Fragoso, service manager, Michael Welhouse, managing
partner, and Clyde Randolph, kitchen manager.
20A • March 19, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE