Griffon
| 12/07/2009

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The U.S. Army Reserve’s top officer his wife today joined Rochester civic and business leaders who reaffirmed their support for military members and their Families at the grand opening of Rochester’s Army Strong Community Center.

Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Army Reserve chief, his wife Laura, met with local Soldiers and their Families to mark the opening of the nation’s first ASCC.  Based on Laura Stultz’s concept, the center serves as a “virtual installation” designed to support military Soldiers and their Families by assisting those who are holding down the home front, far from the nearest military installation, when their loved ones deploy.

The Griffon
Cpt. Todd Scandrett | 06/08/2010

FORT DIX, N.J. —  The mission of Regional Training Center-East is to train Army units for war, resulting in reduced post-mobilization training time.

The cadre and staff of RTC-East take this mission very seriously and continually strive to provide the absolute best training and instruction possible.  One of the best ways to confirm or validate whether your instructors and cadre have the knowledge and capability to perform is to place them in direct competition with the best the Army has to offer.

That is exactly what happened in February at Ft. Benning, Ga. as a team from RTC-East attended the 2010 US Army Small Arms (All Army) Championship. 

DETC/AMSCUS/GOARMYED
Johanna Altland | 02/19/2010

With the growing popularity of distance education, online learning is rapidly becoming a convenient option for those seeking to earn a college degree, brush up on a skill-set, as well as those contemplating a career change. Currently, online students make up almost 22 percent of total students enrolled in post-secondary education nationwide. 

But, you may be wondering if online education is the right choice for you. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why you should seriously consider earning your undergraduate or graduate degree online.

Convenience & Flexibility

Adult students with families and career commitments, also called non-traditional students, are enrolling in online degree programs because they find it easier to balance work, family and school. You may not have time to sit in the classroom and listen to a lecture, but with online learning, you can study and attend class when it is convenient for you, not when it is convenient for the institution. In addition, a majority of online programs allow you to work at your own pace, and some do not have any required log-in times. 

The Griffon
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) | 02/19/2010

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Members of the 96th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), helped give back to the children of Iraq when they visited a local Taji school to distribute supply kits as part of Operation: Back to School. More than 40 members of the brigade, including Col. C.J. Read, commander of the 96th SBDE, and a resident of Layton, Utah, and Command Sgt. Maj. Vicki Briggs, senior enlisted advisor to the 96th, from Roy, Utah, helped distribute the supplies to nearly 300 children.

Soldiers at Camp Taji have distributed almost 5,000 kits to local children as part of the program. The kits are assembled using donations from churches, civic organizations, and private citizens. “Basically ever since the war started, Soldiers saw a need out there in the civilian populace with the Iraqis, to be able to give back,” said Read. “They realized that we have so much, and we come from a great nation that does have a lot.”

Read said he sees the heavy involvement of the Iraqi army as a positive sign in the road towards turning the country back over to the people of Iraq. Iraqi army soldiers not only provided security for the event, but were also the people handing over supply kits to the schoolchildren.

From the Command Sergeant Major
Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Payne | 06/07/2010

I first met then Lt. Col. James Mallory almost 15 years ago as part of 1st Team, the senior leadership team for 1st Brigade, 108th Division Training.  I was a 1st Sgt. and acting Command Sgt. Maj. in the 2nd Battalion, 485th Regiment in Asheboro, N.C. and he commanded the 1st Battalion, 518th Regiment in Asheville, N.C.

I then served under him briefly when I was assigned as the Command Sgt. Maj. of the 3rd Battalion, 318th Regiment in Hickory, N.C. while he was the Commander of the 1st Brigade, 108th Division.

In 1999, I became the Commandant of the 108th Division Drill Sergeant School (DSS). Shortly after becoming the Commandant I was proud to be presiding over my first graduation class. From a class start of twenty eight candidates we had eight, “The Great Eight” I called them, to graduate. To graduate from DSS at that time it typically took over a year to complete the course. And we were graduating two classes a year. During the length of a course a number of issues could come in a Soldier’s life that would cause them to drop from the course.

From the Command Sergeant Major…
Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Payne | 12/07/2009

The US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is headquartered at Fort Monroe or Fortress Monroe, Virginia, as it is sometimes referred. Fort Monroe is located on Old Point Comfort on the Peninsula in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia where the James, York and Elizabeth Rivers meet the Port of Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay all come together. Point Comfort was named so by the British Colonist that went on to settle Jamestown, a few miles up the James River in 1607. Fort Algeron was established there by the British in the fall of 1609 and there has been a fort on that location ever since.

The Griffon
Story Capt. Jennifer K. Cotten | 02/19/2010

Family and friends bade farewell to Detachment 61 Soldiers at a ceremony at Fort Polk, La on Jan. 20, 2010. The Soldiers had been there since October 2009 training under the 162nd Infantry Brigade. They will now deploy to Afghanistan where they will serve as combat advisors to the Afghan National Army (ANA).

Detachment 61’s deployment marks the seventh rotation of Soldiers from the 95th Training Division (IET) to support what Brig. Gen. Roger Duff, division commander, said was an enduring mission. 95th Division Soldiers began deploying to Afghanistan in 2005 when two detachments were sent to assist the ANA. One detachment was responsible for establishing a Drill Sergeant School, and the other served as an embedded training team.

| 12/07/2009

Since this is my last column I thought it only fitting to let each of you read the comments I made at my retirement ceremony in November. I will have retired by the time you read this and I want each of you to know that it has been an honor and a pleasure to have served with you, the 108th Training Command (IET) and the United States Army Reserve.

TRAVEL USA
| 02/19/2010

Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival welcomes visitors every year with whiffs of barbecue and other delicious foods, sounds of fiddles and original and creative arts and crafts in and amongst the old homestead buildings throughout the terraced woods under the pine tree canopy. The amphitheater in Dogwood Hollow features bluegrass bands, gospel quartets, and dance teams.

Over 40 old-timers resurrect pioneer ways: dipping candles, carving decoys (in fact, one carver is a member of the prestigious Ward Foundation in Delaware) and knobbits, building fishing rods, weaving chairseats with cornshucks, making baskets, building dulcimers and brooms, tatting, cutting silhouettes, tinsmithing and more. Childrens’ activities include storytelling, farm animals, hayrides, horseback rides and a magician-ventriloquist.

Griffon
| 12/07/2009

We as federal managers, Soldier and Civilian alike, we have an inherent obligation to administer Internal Controls effectively within our organizations. We owe it to our Commanders, Managers, and more importantly, we owe it to those who resource our missions, operations and our very well being -- the American Taxpayer.

The United States Army has established and uses a formal code of conduct as well as other policies communicating appropriate ethical and moral behavioral standards in addressing acceptable operational practices and conflicts of interest. Arguably, the most important of this is the Seven Army Values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect for Others, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.