On Post Living, working and succeeding at Fort Knox Recruitment and Retention School ‘engenders a commitment’ NABVETS active in community Operation Homefront hosts spring activities Fort Knox has Civil War, Lincoln ties March/April 2015 What’s inside? OnPost FRONT AND CENTER. Hooray for Heroes to honor Vietnam veterans . . . . . . . . 3 Published and distributed by The News-Enterprise 408 W. Dixie Ave. Elizabethtown, KY 42701 www.thenewsenterprise.com DID YOU KNOW? Fort Knox has Civil War, Lincoln ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Volume 5 Issue 2 Publisher Chris Ordway HEALTHY KNOX. Camping safety tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Editor Ben Sheroan 270-505-1764 [email protected] FAMILY. Operation Homefront hosts spring activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Advertising Director Larry Jobe 270-505-1409 Fax: 270-769-1413 [email protected] VETERANS SALUTE. Gary Rice invests in other veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ON THE JOB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CONNECTIONS. NABVETS active in community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 NEAR HERE. Jefferson Memorial Forest offers family fun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Account Executives Bill Anderson Paul Delaney Nancy Farmer Beth Pyles Sara Phelps Jennifer Simpson Cris Thomas Contributors Robert Villanueva Becca Owsley Layout and Design Copy desk Photographers Jill Pickett Neal Cardin ON THE COVER Recruitment and Retention School ‘engenders a commitment’ . . . . 12 COVER SHOT. Shown is the shoulder patch worn by Recruiting Command soldiers. Photo by Neal Cardin. 2 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 On Post is published by The News-Enterprise (C) 2015. The News-Enterprise All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. On Post is a registered trademark of The News-Enterprise. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, On Post cannot be responsible for content, opinions, practices or how the information herein is used. All materials submitted, included but not limited to images, logos and text that appear are assumed to be the property of the provider and On Post is not responsible for unintentional copyright infringement. On Post reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST ROBERT VILLANUEVA/The News-Enterprise Some members of the board of directors for Hooray for Heroes are, back row from left, David Cowherd, C.T. Christie, Brenda Thompson, Greg Lowe and Kendra Stewart Scott; front row, Diane Mattingly, Rene Bell, Randy Acton, Charlotte Masterson and Johanna Smoke, a fill-in member for Michelle Watson. Board members not pictured are Charley Fraley, Don Cecil, Greg Milby, John Campbell, Kevin Emdee, Mary Giulitto, Melanie Hibberd, Michael Bateman and Tom Brooks. Front and Center Hooray for Heroes to honor Vietnam veterans By ROBERT VILLANUEVA The News-Enterprise The efforts of many volunteers go into coordinating Hooray for Heroes, a special annual event for active, reserve and veteran military, first responders and their families. WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Hooray for Heroes is in Radcliff every Armed Forces Day. This year, that day is May 16, and the event will give special recognition to Vietnam veterans in acknowledgment of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Hooray for Heroes is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the adjoining parking lots of Stithton Baptist Church and Walmart Supercenter. Community members Randy Acton and Will Stolz established the Turn to HOORAY, PAGE 4 MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 3 ROBERT VILLANUEVA/The News-Enterprise During a March meeting, Hooray for Heroes board member David Cowherd, center, discusses activities planned to honor Vietnam veterans. Cowherd and C.T. Christie, right, head the committee in charge of coordinating activities. HOORAY Continued from PAGE 3 event in 2006. “It was our desire to help the communities around Fort Knox show their appreciation for our military and first responders and their families by providing a free day of food, entertainment and fun,” said Acton, board chairman. In his role, Acton plans and officiates committee meetings and coordinates the day’s activities for the event. In 2010, Hooray for Heroes became a tax-exempt charitable organization, having officially installed a board of 4 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 directors. Stolz is no longer involved in the event. Greg Lowe, vice chairman, said his involvement evolved out of having attended for six years and enjoying it. “Then I felt like I ought to be contributing somehow instead of just being a spectator,” Lowe said. Since Acton has been a friend of Lowe’s for more than 40 years, Lowe contacted him and told him to call if he ever needed help. “Call me he did, and I have been involved ever since,” Lowe said. Event organizers expressed the need for such an event, which includes giveaways, musical entertainment, food, children’s activities and other attractions, all at no charge to those being honored. “These wonderful people need to know that we understand and appreciate their sacrifices and service to us as they protect our nation and our way of life,” Acton said. Lowe said because Acton is a Vietnam veteran, he knows what it means to serve. Lowe called him the “unsung hero” of the event. “He is one of my heroes because of what he does for soldiers and for this community,” said Lowe, also a Vietnam veteran. Board members C.T. Christie and David Cowherd, both Vietnam veterans, have coordinated efforts to bring WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST the Traveling Wall, a smaller version of the Vietnam Memorial, to the event as well as for additional days. “It will be great,” Christie said. “I am so very proud to be involved in this and for Randy giving David and I the great honor to do this for all our proud Vietnam veterans and honor our fallen and missing.” Cowherd said although he was sometimes in harm’s way in Vietnam, most of his tour was “safe and without incident.” Hearing about others who lost their lives made him realize he was among the lucky. “I finally let go of a lot of the past of Vietnam when Fort Knox and Hardin County had their Welcome Home events in 2009,” Cowherd said. “As a result, I became involved with Vietnam Veterans of America, and this led to my involvement in helping bring displays to the Traveling Wall event in E’town in May 2014. Shortly after, I was asked to assist with bringing the Traveling Wall and other displays to Radcliff.” Among other things, this year’s event is aimed at showing Vietnam veterans their war was not “a war of shame,” he said. “It is just my way to honor my brothers and what they went through,” Cowherd said. Diane Mattingly became a board member when the event started. For the first five years, Mattingly was responsible for coordinating support and dignitaries from Fort Knox and other tasks. Mattingly was the community relations officer at Fort Knox from 2006 until 2010. She continued serving on the Hooray for Heroes board after she left that job. “I remained for several reasons,” Mattingly said. “Including the great amount of respect I have for the WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST members of the planning board who put so much effort into the event, the respect I have for service members, veterans, first responders and their families, and the passion I have for veterans and first responder issues.” Mattingly is retired military and a former volunteer emergency medical technician and rescue squad member. Charlotte Masterson, booth chairwoman, said she’s been on the planning committee for three years, but has participated in the event since the beginning. She stressed the importance of the event. “It’s so easy to forget why we have the freedoms we have and feel safe in our home and community and in this country,” Masterson said. Rene Bell, treasurer, has been involved with the event from its inception and believes in its mission. “Everything is free for those we are honoring, no one is there to sell you something or ask anything of you except for you to have a wonderful day with your loved ones,” Bell said, describing the event. Lowe extolled the event and what it signifies. “I was a soldier for 30 years and have been a volunteer firefighter for 20 years and was a special deputy sheriff for nine years,” Lowe said. “I know the sacrifices required in all those areas and know that it is a rare instance that a ‘thank you’ is ever given for that service.” Though getting “thank yous” is not the reason for service, it is nice, Lowe said, to be recognized “from time to time.” “Most of us never had a welcome home ceremony,” Lowe said. “We need to thank our heroes every day. Hooray for Heroes fulfills that need.” Fish The Finest in America’s Best Selling Boats! America’s #1 Selling Fishing Boats C E N T E R 415 Commerce Drive, LEITCHFIELD 270-259-0001 Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-5051743 or [email protected]. MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 5 Did You Know? Submitted photo Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother, Bathsheba or Bersheba by different accounts, is buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Fort Knox, which includes three generations of Lincolns. The current headstone was dedicated in 1960, replacing a field stone. OUTPATIENT CLINIC Individual, Marital, Family & Group Therapy, and Medication Management Military Wives Group, Power of Positive Thinking Womenʼs Group, Adolescent Boyʼs Group, Adolescent Girlʼs Group Outpatient Clinic 750 W. Lincoln Trail Blvd., Radcliff 351-8976 Inpatient Facility located at 3909 South Wilson Road Radcliff, KY 40160 351-9444 www.lincolnbehavioral.com 6 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 Fort Knox has Civil War, Lincoln ties By ROBERT VILLANUEVA The News-Enterprise Although Fort Knox did not exist at the time of the Civil War, the land which encompasses the military post has its share of Civil War and Abraham Lincoln connections. Matt Rector, historic preservation specialist at Fort Knox, said the land that is now Fort Knox saw a lot of troop movement and guerrilla activity during the Civil War. At the time, the several communities, such as Pitts Point, Garnettsville and Grahamton, were located on the land. “This area of Kentucky was rampant with guerrilla outlaws,” Rector said, noting they came from both sides. Newspaper reports of the time tell WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Submitted photo A mantel built by Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln, is in the Saber & Quill at Fort Knox. of guerrilla activity causing fear in the small communities. Accounts came from newspapers ranging from New York to Louisville. Additionally, during the Civil War, what is now Wilson Road was part of the L&N Turnpike, Rector said. “The L&N Turnpike was regularly used by the Army,” Rector said. Both Union and Confederate troops used the L&N Turnpike as a main thoroughfare. In 1862, Union Gen. Don Carlos Buell took troops through the area on his way to Louisville. “We had 60,000 marching up Wilson Road,” Rector said, noting the number is a rough estimate. Gen. John Hunt Morgan also made his way through the area with Confederate soldiers during his raids in 1863, Rector said. Although the land that makes up Fort Knox never saw any battles, several of the towns that existed then “saw minor skirmishes,” Rector said. At one point, another fort was located on property that now makes up Fort Knox. During the Civil War, several earthen forts were built around Muldraugh Hill. The most notable, Fort Duffield, became part of Fort Knox when the post was being established at the time of World War I. “I believe that was part of the original acquisition in 1919,” Rector said. When Fort Duffield was owned by Fort Knox, it was not used as a park as it is now. “There may have been some trainWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST ing activity on that hill,” Rector said. In 1978, Fort Duffield was given to the town of West Point and annual re-enactments are conducted there. Fort Knox has connections to Abraham Lincoln as well. “Actually, the president’s father owned land right off Fort Knox,” Rector said. Thomas Lincoln bought a 238acre farm in 1803 near the southern boundary of present day Radcliff and Fort Knox off what is now known as Battle Training Road. He brought his mother, sister and brother-in-law to live with him and owned the farm until October 1814. An example of work by Thomas Lincoln, originally constructed for the Hardin Thomas home five miles south of the Mill Creek farm, found a home at Fort Knox. The Lincoln Mantle is showcased in the Lincoln Room of the Saber and Quill, having been purchased in 1919 by Maj. William Radcliffe and installed in its present location in the 1930s. Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother, Bathsheba Lincoln — or by some accounts, Bersheba — is buried in one of the post’s 121 cemeteries. Bathsheba had moved from Washington County to the Mill Creek farm purchased by her son Thomas, Abraham Lincoln’s father. Along with Bathsheba came her youngest daughter, Nancy Ann, and her son-inlaw, William Brumfield, Nancy Ann’s husband. “She’s actually buried in the Mill Creek Baptist Church Cemetery,” Rector said of Bathsheba. The cemetery has been renamed Lincoln Memorial Cemetery and also is the final resting place of Nancy and William Brumfield and their daughter, Mary Crume. Over the years, some headstones and markers have been replaced. In 1960, Bathsheba’s headstone was replaced during a special ceremony attended by then Illinois Gov. William G. Stratton and Kentucky Gov. Bert C. Combs. The base of the new headstone came from the shaft of Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Illinois. No one knows what happened to the original field stone used as Bathsheba’s grave marker. Bathsheba’s replacement headstone was reported missing in September 1975 and reportedly was located along Interstate 65 near Cave City and Turn to FORT KNOX, PAGE 9 W hen ItCom esTo S a les& S ervice... W e D on ’t M O N K E Y A RO U N D ! Check ou tou r Tru n k M on key a t w w w.ha rd in cou n tyhon d a .com 5 608 N .D ixie,Eliza beth tow n • w w w .h a rd in cou n tyh on d a .com (270) 76 5 -214 1 • 1-800-73 8-214 1 Home of the FREE 3 YEAR MAINTENANCE PACKAGE See dealer for details. MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 7 Healthy Knox Metro Creative Services Camping safety tips By BECCA OWSLEY The News-Enterprise Spring is just around the corner and that means camping season will begin. But there’s more to camping than just hitching the camper up to the truck and pulling away. There are a few things to think about to have a safe camping experience. Sometimes the biggest parts of camper safety is making sure it is safe from the road to the campground. “One thing we recommend that on all travel trailers have weight distribution bars on them,” said Erik Fisher, RV sales manager at Skaggs RV in 8 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 Elizabethtown. It will put the weight on the back axle and helps keep the weight behind you steady and even while you are pulling it so that the camper isn’t all over the lane when driving, he said. It’s also important to make sure the brake controller is set and working properly. He said to make sure there are not gas leaks from the LP tanks and to make sure the tanks are in the off position as you drive. Check all LP and smoke detectors to ensure they are working properly so you can be alerted in an emergency, Fisher said. Plugging in the camper also comes with precautions. When you plug the camper into the 30 or 50 amp plug, make sure you are not standing in water, he said. People get into such a rush that sometimes in the pouring rain they’ll drop the plug in a mud puddle and then try to plug it into a 30 or 50 amp service. Campers use 110 volts and sometimes people try to plug them into 220-volt outlets just because the end of the plug fits. That will fry the entire electrical system, Fisher said, and can be an expensive repair. It’s also important not to be in a hurry when you leave a campsite, he said. Make sure all compartments on the WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST camper are closed and latched. “Take your time, be thorough and don’t get into a rush,” he said. If you are in a hurry, it is easy to forget an item or run over something on a campsite. Or worse hit someone. Look out for kids or pets because they roam all over a campground, Fisher said. Other things people do when in a hurry are open a slide too close to something or rushing off with one of the jacks still down, he said. When you purchase a camper from a dealer or an individual, he recommends a per-delivery inspection like they do at his company. It is a complete check of the camper and a walk through with the owner so they know every aspect of the camper and how to use it. The camper also needs to be maintained between seasons. It’s just as important to winterize your camper as it is to de-winterize it. Just don’t take the tarp off and pull it to the campsite, he said. Tires sometimes develop dry rot when sitting for a while. Make sure the tires are stamped with their build date and replace if they are too old. A blow out in a camper is a major problem and can blow a hole through the camper, he said. Make sure you go to someone who knows what they are doing with campers for any repair and that they specialize in campers for any work done, he said. “It’s not an expensive hobby but it’s also not a cheap hobby,” he said. If you cut corners you can be into a much bigger expense and if you endanger other people on the road your are in even more trouble, Fisher said. “It’s a lot of weight you’re pulling behind you,” he said, adding a camper can weigh between 2,200 and 13,000 pounds. The vehicle towing the camper should also be safe. Make sure it meets the standards for the weight it’s towing because you don’t want to exceed the limits of the vehicle, Fisher said. If you are towing a camper that is more than your vehicle can handle, it may not be able to stop. When you are taking your camper somewhere, it’s not just your safety but everyone on the road, he said. FORT KNOX Continued from PAGE 7 returned to Fort Knox soon after its disappearance. In the summer of 2014, Nancy Brumfield’s marker was replaced. The original marker is on display in garrison headquarters, Rector said. William Brumfield’s original grave marker is still in place at the cemetery. Throughout the cemeteries on post, graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers can be found. At Tarpley Cemetery, a Confederate veteran is buried almost within arm’s reach of a Union veteran, Rector said. Historic cemeteries within the cantonment can be visited outside of Memorial Day with relative ease, he said. It is the old cemeteries out of that area where accessibility becomes an issue. Any of the cemeteries, Rector said, can be visited on Memorial Day, when they are open. Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-505-1743 or rvillanueva@ thenewsenterprise.com. “DON’T BLAME IT ON THE HOLIDAYS... 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Operation Homefront hosts spring activities By BECCA OWSLEY The News-Enterprise Operation Homefront has several spring activities planned for area military families. The national nonprofit organization provides emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Melissa Swift, a program manager with Operation Homefront Tennessee Kentucky talked about three events in April for military families. The first event is a Louisville Bats baseball game April 12. Discount tickets can be purchased for $7 each and there will be special seating at the game. Kids eat free with a paying adult and the organization will have a booth set up to hand out information about Operation Homefront at the game. The organization also will choose a wounded warrior to throw out the first pitch at that game. On April 17, Operation Homefront will be sponsoring the Star Spangled Babies shower for about 50 pregnant moms or moms who recently had a baby. The families come 10 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Submitted photos Operation Homefront again will host the Star Spangled Babies shower on April 17. from the ranks E1-E6. “We pamper them with gifts, education and resources,” Swift said. “We just want to shower them with love.” The families give up a lot when their soldiers are deployed or in the Warrior Transition Battalion, she said. The purpose is to attempt to relieve some of the financial burden for families, Swift said. During the event, Kosair Children’s Hospital will conduct a car seat safety class and First Candle will donate cribs and diapers as well as present a class on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to help parents know how babies should properly sleep. Each family will receive a baby bundle of gifts. The organization still is accepting donations of baby items or people can donate online through a wish list on www.amazon.com. Sweet Retreat Bakery in Radcliff will provide a cake and cupcakes for the event and the VFW in Vine Grove is supplying the food. There will be activities, games and an opportunity to network with other spouses, Swift said. For the first time, Operation Homefront is partnering with Keeneland on its Military Appreciation Day. Anyone with a military ID can watch races and have lunch April 19 as a thank you for their service and sacrifice, Swift said. The event also will bring 10 wounded warrior families from Fort Knox and Fort Campbell for the VIP treatment. They will get to sit in a special box, get lunch and meet with the special guest that Keeneland is bringing in for the event. Operation Homefront will use this event to spread the word about what it does. A nationwide organizaWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST tion since 2002, it has been active in Kentucky for three years. Organizers trying to let people know about what they do for soldiers’ families and how others can help. Throughout the year, Operation Homefront has morale programs to bring families together to reconnect as well as programs like the baby showers twice a year, the back-to-school brigade and holiday programs. Some of these events are in the planning stages. Swift is looking for volunteers and support through sponsorships and donated items from individuals and companies. “We love our volunteers,” she said. “Our program is not successful without our volunteers.” Families can find out more about Operation Homefront Tennessee Kentucky through its Facebook page and by checking announcements in local media. To participate or volunteer, go to www.operationhomefront.net or call 502-791-1561. Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741 or [email protected]. When you’re expecting a baby or need excellent gynecological services, we are here to offer you the very best. Preconceptual, prenatal and postpartum care, family planning, well woman exams, treatment for urinary incontinence, dysparunia, abnormal pap smears, and much more. We are now offering Botox and Juvederm. Lucian Y. Moreman, II, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Myra A. Henderson, D.O., F.A.C.O.G. David A. Hamilton, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Shannon L. Holt, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Amy E. Preen, D.O., F.A.C.O.G. Jason E. Goodman, M.D. Ruth McConnell, C.N.M. Chantel Unseld, NP-C Please call 270-769-5963 to schedule an appointment www.etownobgyn.com New Patients Welcome MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 11 NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise Soldiers dressed in civilian clothes play the part of a potential recruit as soldiers practice and learn recruiting skills during class work at the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox. Cover Story RRS ‘engenders a commitment’ By BECCA OWSLEY The News-Enterprise The United States Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox is responsible for training leaders and support soldiers who provide recruiting and retention services for the Army. The school’s official ribbon cutting was Feb. 11. It was the culmination of the move that started in March of last 12 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 year when the Secretary of the Army announced the school would relocate from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, to Fort Knox, Commandant Col. Terrence Murrill said. In April, the first course was launched at Fort Knox and the RRS was a split base operation starting each new course at Fort Knox. The last class at Fort Jackson graduated in December and now the school is united at Fort Knox. Approximately 100 military and civilian employees came with the school to train 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers a year. There are nine resident courses and a mobile training team from the retention side of the operation. That team is currently in Europe. The main purpose of the RSS, Murrill said, is to “engender a commitment.” “We are training our soldiers how to find strategies, tools, boldness, WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise Shown is the shoulder patch worn by Recruiting Command soldiers. courage and confidence to engender a commitment,” he said. On the recruiting side, the school aims to convince a civilian to join the Army. On the retention side, it aims to convince a soldier to re-enlist or transition into one of the other components. The soldiers leave the school with the confidence to get someone to pursue an interview for a career opportunity in the Army, Murrill said. The recruiting component has eight initial training Army recruiting courses with the longest lasting seven weeks. The soldiers selected come from various parts of the Army to become recruiters. Some will become career recruiters and move from their original Military Occupation Specialty. Some of the curriculum is based on the Army Learning Model 2015, Murrill said. It shifts the focus of instruction from one person on a platform giving commands to a more practical hands-on learning environment that can include role playing. Some of the soldiers in the classroom are dressed in civilian clothing playing the role of people the new recruiter will encounter. The classrooms are set up to provide the look and feel of an actual recruiting center, which he said adds a since of realism to the courses. Some of the training includes real WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Class instructor Sgt. 1st Class Taj Haith, standing, works with a recruiter trainee. phone calls to recruits in order to provide a real-time learning experience. It’s like firing a weapon, he said. At some point, you have to fire it to understand the instruction. The school trains civilian recruiters, center leaders, battalion leaders and those who are trained to re-enlist people already serving in the Army. Staff Sgt. Paul Daly of Massachusetts is learning how to conduct face-to-face meetings, phone calls, interviews and anything else that might come up. Instructors throw them curveballs to practice, such as a conversa- tion with someone who doesn’t want to join the Army. They learn as if they are working in a recruiting center. His classroom was learning as the Iowa Falls recruiting center, going through day-to-day procedures members will see in the field. “It’s helping a lot of people build skills in talking to people,” he said. You learn how to read a person and know how to talk to them and see what they might want to get out of a career in the Army because for each person it’s different, he said. Turn to RRS, PAGE 14 MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 13 Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise Sgt. Kevin Richards, front left, works on test material dealing with retention. Richards is stationed at Fort Bragg, but is attending the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox. Col. Terrence Murrill is commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox. RSS Continued from PAGE 13 “We don’t want to just put kids in boots and send them off to war,” he said. “We’re actually career counselors that want to help people achieve the goals in their lives.” 14 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 The Recruiting and Retention School framed football jerseys representing the units of the soldiers who pass through the school. The jerseys are displayed on a wall of a lobby in the school’s headquarters. He’s learned a lot since taking the course on how to talk to people about the Army. Instructors stress that the worst thing someone can tell them is no, so they might as well talk to them about what the Army has to offer, he said. Throughout the course, Daly said he and his fellow soldiers’ confidence and enthusiasm has grown. Participants in the course come from a variety of Army duties, said Sgt. Maj. Tony Conyers, who is the sergeant major for the recruiting department. Some may be an MP or cook now training to be recruiters. The transition to this duty means they must have adapt from a special WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise The U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School recently moved to Fort Knox from Fort Jackson, South Carolina. operations unit to interact with their peers and civilians, he said. Most have deployed to a combat environment and switch from giving orders into talking to civilians and high school guidance counselors, which can be an adjustment, Conyers said. Capt. Tyrel Keplinger of the Portland Recruiting Battalion is learning what he will do as an operations officer within a recruiting battalion. He said he knew the regulations and now he’s learning in the classroom environment how to use that information in his position. He said the Recruitment Operations Officer Course will help him know how to ask the right questions of the NCO he will work alongside. He wants to know how to ask the questions to get results. “I think this is a phenomenal opportunity to get the institutional knowledge to take back to our unit,’ he said. On the retention side of the school, Sgt. Kevin Richards from Fort Bragg, WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Soldiers who have just begun classes at the Army’s Recruiting and Retention School fill a classroom at the school’s headquarters at Fort Knox. North Carolina, said everyone in his course wants to be here and that makes the information easier to learn. He can take what the teachers help them learn and use it to retain the best soldiers in the Army, he said. “It’s a mentally challenging course,” he said, adding there may be more physically challenging courses. “But for anyone who wears this badge, the respect is there because it is earned.” Soldiers on the retention side will go back into the field and even deploy to try to retain soldiers in active duty. Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741 or [email protected]. MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 15 Veteran Salute Rice invests in other veterans By ROBERT VILLANUEVA The News-Enterprise NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise After medically retiring from the Army, Gary Rice helps others receive benefits. 16 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 An Army veteran with 16 years of service has found a role serving other veterans in Hardin County. Gary Rice, 57, is a case management volunteer with the Hardin County Veterans Treatment Court. In his role, Rice puts his knowledge and experience to good use. His work ensures other veterans get the help they need and are aware of benefits available to them. After being medically retired in 1991, Rice entered a period of hardship he doesn’t want other veterans to face. Rice saw his paycheck drop to about one-third of what it had been, and he and his wife scrimped in order to send her to college. What he didn’t know then was that VA benefits would have paid for his wife to go to college. “When I was medically retired, I knew absolutely nothing,” he said, referring to what assistance or VA benefits were available to him. His role with VTC comes after his service with a local chapter of Disabled American Veterans. “I did claims for the DAV for VA for about seven years,” Rice said, noting he gets certified each year to provide such assistance. Originally, Rice said, he had seen an ad for DAV needing van drivers. Although he didn’t qualify to drive the van, he began work as a service officer. Rice has done volunteer work for some 20 years, including working with VA matters at Fort Knox. Rice began his volunteer work with Turn to RICE, PAGE 18 WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise Veteran Gary Rice volunteers his time and experience helping other veterans in Veterans Treatment Court. Rice works from a shared temporary office of a lawyer. WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 17 Fort Knox SOLDIERS 1 WEEK FREE PASS! 3026 Ring Rd. Elizabethtown 270-765-SWIM (7946) • www.etownswim.com Follow us on Twitter & Facebook *Certain Restrictions Apply. Call for details. 18 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 RICE Continued from PAGE 16 VTC in September 2013, shortly after the program began. Diane Hopkins, VTC program supervisor, originally contacted Rice to ask him if he would volunteer with the program because her husband knew Rice through DAV. Through his role with VTC, Rice helps veterans navigate through a system that can offer them VA assistance they are often not aware of as well as help in other forms. “Each veteran comes in with specific needs and wants,” Rice said. Rice sees cases of vets who have gone through the court system because they’ve committed a criminal offense. Typically, he will visit the vets in jail as they enter the program. Most of the veterans, Rice said, must be convinced to seek counseling as part of the program because they have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That is part of what is most challenging, he said. “A lot of them don’t trust anyone or anything,” Rice said. Earning the respect and trust of the veterans can take months. Once they realize fellow veterans are opening up during counseling, they tend to open up, too, Rice said. “He builds up relationships,” Hopkins said. Although each case with VTC is different, Rice said, most involve helping with VA claims for benefits. “They don’t even know they’re eligible for benefits most of the time,” he said. Other assistance can come in the form of help with things such as utility bills, Rice said. Additionally, he gets funds from organizations such as DAV to allow vets in jail to call family and loved ones. Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Rice works out of an office near the Hardin County Justice Center, assisting six or seven participants in the program each week. But Hopkins said Rice’s work is different from staff case workers in that Rice gives participants his personal phone number in order to be available at all times to the veterans. “It takes a special person to be able to do this work,” Hopkins said. Crimes committed by veterans participating in the program cannot include DUIs or sexual offenses and the level of violence is “scrutinized,” Hopkins said, but participants are distrustful of the program representatives. On the other hand, Rice said, it is rewarding to help veterans get the help and benefits they need. “If they would not have gotten into this program, they’d probably re-offend,” Rice said. Ultimately, many of the veterans would be arrested again and could be in prison the rest of their lives, he said. “It’s definitely a godsend program, that’s for sure,” Rice said. Hopkins said participants generally spend 18-24 months in the program, though participation can be up to five years. Certain guidelines exist for a veteran to be eligible for the four-phase voluntary program. The VTC program includes educational sessions in individual and group formats and might include individual counseling and attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, in cases deemed necessary. Rice said the program is needed to give veterans a second chance. And the program assists more than the participants. “It helps me as much as it does them,” Rice said. “It’s a good feeling to give back.” Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-5051743 or [email protected]. WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST On The Job 35 Years Of Professional Flair... with a personal touch! Sue Wilson Realty We’re Here To Help When BUYING, SELLING OR RENTING CALL SUE 270-351-5123 or 769-1991 CRB, CRS, GRI, Broker 574 N. Dixie Blvd., Radcliff, KY www.suewilsonrealty.com Capt. Callie Woolam TITLE: Senior Trial Counsel for Cadet Command and Fort Knox in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate RESIDES: Louisville ABOUT THE JOB: “This involves providing legal advice to commanders, supervising and training other prosecutors, overseeing all criminal investigations and cases and prosecuting courts martial for Fort Knox and Cadet Command,” Woolam said. She enjoys working with the people at Fort Knox and the “amazing” paralegals and command teams. “This job always presents new challenges and it is great to have excellent people to help out along the way,” she said. WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST 6$9($/,)('21·7'5,9(+20(%8==(' %8==(''5,9,1*,6'581.'5,9,1* MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 19 Submitted photos Connections NABVETS active in community By BECCA OWSLEY The News-Enterprise The National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) is an organization that serves to address unmet concerts of minority and low-income veterans, local post commander Terry Robinson said. It helps address these needs through services, training and partnerships as well as addressing the concerns and issues associated with homelessness among veterans, he said. NABVETS has partnerships with community-based and veterans organizations and works with the federal, state and local governments. 20 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST NABVETS helps veterans with preparing claims, explaining the claim process, power of attorney, benefits, federal benefits for veterans, the chaplain corner, Eclipse magazine and financial assistance, Robinson said. Fort Knox Chapter 70 was chartered on Oct. 9, 2010. A veteran who has received an honorable discharge or a discharge issued under honorable conditions can join NABVETS but they must have served in the armed forces for a minimum of 180 days, Robinson said. The organization has participated in many events throughout the Hardin County community. Members of the chapter volunteer at Feeding America on the second Tuesday of each month. They also participate in the Radcliff mayor’s breakfast and place flags on the graves of deceased veterans at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central on Memorial Day. Each March, the organization hosts an event for Women’s History Month called Shining the Light on Military Women, which is a banquet and awards program. “The banquet is held to honor the accomplishments and service of our women veterans,” Robinson said. The Fort Knox chapter also hosted the Gospel Extravaganza in August of 2014. Local choirs, soloists, dancers and a variety of performers were a part of the program to honor military spouses. “Our main goal was to show appreciation to them for the extraordinary community services they have provided in the absence of the service member,” Robinson said. For Make a Difference Day in November, the group sponsored a clothing and food drive. Collected items are donated to the Lord’s Supper Soup Kitchen in Radcliff. And for Thanksgiving, the chapter donated three baskets to families in need to make sure they could enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, Robinson said. Regular meetings are held at 6 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at the Hardin County District Water Company No. 1, at 1400 Rogersville Road in Radcliff. ”Each meeting consists of an opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and recitation of the NABVETS Creed,” Robinson said. They introduce new members, discuss old and new business and talk about upcoming events for community service and how they can assist veterWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST Submitted photo ans, he said. For more information about the national NABVETS organization, go to www.nabvets.org and for the state organization, go to www.kynabvets13.com. To find out more about the NABVETS Fort Knox Chapter 70, find them on Facebook. Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741 or [email protected]. 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Ste. 4 1420-A Blackiston Mill Rd. 10232 Westport Rd. 325 W. Walnut St. 502-231-2020 502-933-9200 502-955-2020 812-288-2029 502-339-2042 270-867-8200 MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 21 Submitted photo Jefferson Memorial Forest, just a half hour’s drive from Fort Knox, offers opportunities for camping and other recreation. Near Here Forest offers family fun By ROBERT VILLANUEVA The News-Enterprise Hiking, camping, fishing and even a music event can be found at Jefferson Memorial Forest, just a half hour drive from Fort Knox. Encompassing approximately 6,500 acres, Jefferson Memorial Forest is the largest city-owned urban forest in the eastern United States. Additionally, the forest is designated as an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary and is a woodland tribute to area veterans. 22 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015 “It goes back to the funding proposed in the ’20s,” Bennett Knox, parks administrator, said of the desire to designate the forest as a tribute to veterans. The efforts reached fruition after World War II, Knox said, when a “groundswell of support” rose to create veteran memorials. Jefferson Memorial Forest includes small streams, scenic trails, a fishing lake, outdoor recreation facilities and a conference center. A Welcome Center provides visitors with, among other things, trail maps, hiking supplies, nature-related books and souvenirs. Each year, Jefferson Memorial Park hosts Forest Fest, a day of music, food, crafts, vendors and youth activities. The event, now in its 11th year, is held in a secluded area that provides visitors a scenic getaway from city life. “The event itself is really laidback,” Knox said. Another event at Jefferson Memorial Forest is The Mayor’s Fall Hike and Outdoor Adventure. Held near the Forest’s Environmental Education Center, the family-friendly event offers a variety of activities such as introducing visitors to native plant gardens, an- WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST imal exhibits and an education pond. “We’ll be doing that again this year,” Knox said. During the Mayor’s Adventure, visitors will be able to visit the Nature Center, which is typically used only for educational events and not open to the public. “That, for us, is really our open house,” Knox said. Archery, a guided hike and a canoeing demonstration on Mitchell Hill Lake are part of the event. Additionally, visitors can partake in an Alpine Tower climb, 5K race, pumpkin decorating and hay rides. As part of a fundraiser, food items such as fruit, coffee, hot chocolate, barbecue sandwiches, eggs, sausage and biscuits and gravy are available for purchase. The food offerings are sponsored by Wilderness Louisville Inc., a non-profit group created specifically to raise funds to support the forest. Jefferson Memorial Forest is part of the Natural Areas division of Louisville Metro Parks. Hiking trails are a big draw at Jefferson Memorial Park. The forest claims more than 35 miles of trails for hiking and trail running and 11 miles for equestrian use. “That’s really our calling card,” Knox said. The trails, he said, often attract military personnel. “We’ve had a lot of folks who are training run the trails,” Knox said. For campers, facilities are available for tent camping and can accommodate both families and groups. Seven family campsites and four group campsites are provided, with latrines and water near all the sites. Anglers are in luck, too. The 5.5-acre Tom Wallace Lake across from the Welcome Center provides a fishing experience for anyone who wants to wet a line. Only a Kentucky fishing license is required to fish the lake, which is stocked with bass, trout, bluegill and catfish. Three picnic shelters are available to rent in the forest and can be reserved for a fee. Otherwise, the shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Several unsheltered picnic tables with grills are available at Tom Wallace Lake Area. That area also includes a children’s playground and access to hiking, equestrian and wheelchair-accessible trails. A trail system consisting of an 11.3-mile share-use trail for hikers WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST To find out more To learn more about Jefferson Memorial Forest, a woodland tribute to veterans in southern Jefferson County, call 502-368-5404 or go to www.memorialforest.com. and equestrians can be found at the Paul Yost Recreation Area. The trail system is rated easy to moderate. Parking is available for up to five large horse trailers. Improvements are planned for various areas. A contract is in place for an Area Adventure Course to be developed adjacent to the Welcome Center, Knox said. The feature, which is slated to include a zipline, could be completed later this year or next year, he said, Volunteer opportunities abound at Jefferson Memorial Forest, as well, Knox said. Anyone interested should contact Sherry Wright at the Welcome Center at 502-368-5404. “We have a really robust volunteer program,” Knox said. Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-5051743 or [email protected]. Submitted photo The Alpine Tower Climb is one of the many events that are part of the Mayor’s Fall Hike & Outdoor Adventure held annually at Jefferson Memorial Forest. MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 23 Reach New Heights With A New Career! 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