Griffon
Reggie Revis | 12/07/2009

In the very near future it is likely that a classroom of eager school children will be spending part of their day having stories read to them by Ezveidy Pastrana, a military spouse currently living in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She is taking advantage of the MyCAA program that allows her to benefit up to $6000 in educational opportunities leading to a certification or licensure. After much deliberation, Mrs. Pastrana decided to take the Paraprofessional Teacher’s Aide certification course.

The Griffon
Erika Wonn | 02/19/2010

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Jan. 9, 2010) — The 10th anniversary of Saturday’s Army All-American Bowl actually kicked off last week with a number of events that included a skills challenge, where Soldiers tested their football skills against the all-star players.

You may not think that U.S. Army Soldiers and high school football players would have a lot in common, but this year’s bowl showed that they may be more similar than it seems. 

Soldiers are taught discipline, courage, teamwork and selfless service when they do their everyday jobs. By the same token, these players are taught the benefits of camaraderie and sacrifice for their team which relates directly to the Soldiers’ mentality.

Commentary
Spc. Christina Dion | 12/07/2009

One of the worst states of mind we can find ourselves in is one caused by stress. We may be worried or concerned about a situation in our life or in the lives of our loved ones. For many of us, this is a daily reality as we fret about the economy, our children and their choices, too much work with a paycheck that buys less and less, or whether or not the Panthers will make it to the playoffs. Alright, that last one is a stretch (at least for most of us).

| 12/07/2009

”If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” — Colin Powell

This describes the energy, passion and effort of the 108th Training Command IET as it continues to march forward with process improvements resulting in performance excellence!

From the Commanding General
Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III | 02/19/2010

A recurring theme of many of my columns over the past three years have been to discuss the rationale of unit transformations, impacts of realignments on our force structure, as well as how operations in the Army Reserve have changed and expanded missions of our Basic Combat Training, training support and ROTC units.  We are preparing to make the last major force structure changes which will reduce the number of our BCT battalions from 46 to 40, but which will retain all of our company structure, resulting in the remaining BCT battalions adding a sixth BCT company and necessitating some company realignments and adjustments to battalion geographic footprints.  I want to reiterate that no Drill Sergeant positions will be eliminated through this process, but after three years of  being on notice of the need to increase qualified Drill Sergeant strength, successful units will remain and others will “go where we can grow” to sustain our force.

HOMESCHOOLING OPTIONS
| 06/08/2010

When her daughter was two years old, Colleen Stuhlfire started to think about her education and decided that she would school her child at home. Her decision was based on conversations with other military families who spoke of the strain on children who often change schools because of multiple redeployments, coupled with curriculums that vary from state to state.

Chaplains Corner...
Chaplain (Maj.) Michael A. Milton | 06/07/2010

Soon summer will be fully upon us. Praise the Lord! But when I was a little boy, the late spring and early summer could mean storms, and swelling creeks all around us. And thus spring, beautiful as it was, meant a time for potential danger.

In those seasons when storms threatened our little chicken farm, on the Louisianan-Mississippi border, I had to go out into the chicken yard and gather up all of the bitties, the chicks, and rescue them from the coming storm. We had a special place for them to keep them safe until the storm had passed. It was not only my responsibility but also my heart’s duty to go and search extensively for every single chick and bring them into the safety of the coop.

The Griffon
Command Chief Warrant Officer Shirley Moser | 06/07/2010

A beautiful fresh Spring season is upon us! The sun actually peaked through the clouds.  How marvelous it seems after the cold, bleak winter we all endured.  It is with this beautiful season that I feel invigorated to face the very important issues before us.  During this past quarter, fifty four 920A Property Accounting Technician Positions were added to the TDA. There are fifty three 420A Human Resource Technician Positions to be added to the TDA during fall 2010.  What does this mean?  Well, there are several things that should happen in order to fill these positions.             

Capt. Jennifer K. Cotton | 06/07/2010

This year’s 95th Training Division (IET) Best Warrior Competition (BWC) was hosted by 3rd Brigade from March 28 through April 2 at Fort Knox, Ky. The competition kicked off with 25 soldiers vying for titles of Soldier, Non-Commissioned Officer and Drill Sergeant of the Year.

The winners were Staff Sgt. Kyle Drube, 3-415, 2nd Brigade, Drill Sergeant of the Year; Staff Sgt. Mark Mercer, 3-378, 1st Brigade, Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year; and Spc. Treveron Anglin, 3-415, 2nd Brigade, Soldier of the Year.

The annual event vets division soldiers to determine the best candidates to send forward to the next level of competitions at the Army Reserve Command. The three soldiers selected will now have an opportunity to hone their skills and represent the division with hopes of taking home their respective titles for the entire 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.