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.

in briefs…
| 02/19/2010

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 6, 2009) — Secretary of the Army John McHugh gave Pentagon staffers a “preliminary report” today after his first three months in office, asking them to continue supporting Soldier and Family programs, focus more on Congressional outreach and continue acquisition reform.

Sam Morishima | 12/07/2009

When I was young I loved the old comedies.   The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney was one of my favorites next to the Three Stooges. I remember whenever things went right for Jackie Gleason he would shout, “How Sweet It Is!”

Now whenever I ski or board, and those magic moments come when I blast through bumps or lace my way down steeps or float through powder I think “How Sweet It Is!”

I realize now, how true that statement is. No matter if you are skiing or snowboarding, every great run begins with a great turn and continues with a series of turns.  

To have those great turns you need to master the “sweet spot.” 

The Griffon
Victoria L. White | 02/19/2010

It’s all about the kids for Sgt. Randy Jones of the 3-518th in Hickory, N.C. 

At 40 years-old, he enlisted in the Army Reserve after a 20-year absence in December 2008.  At the age of 41, he not only graduated from Drill Sergeant School—he was the Distinguished Honor Graduate at Fort Knox this past December. 

“The only thing I set out to do was set a good example for my kids at school,” the high school teacher says.  “I didn’t go to Drill Sergeant School with the goal of being the top graduate, I just did the best I could.  It was really hard, but I had the best time with that group of people, the camaraderie and fellowship is unmatched.”

TRAVEL USA
| 12/07/2009

Ocean City, Maryland welcomes you to an island renowned for its 10 miles of white-sand beaches, world-famous Boardwalk, spectacular championship golf courses, wonderful accommodations, superb dining, boating, bay and deep-sea fishing, nature tours, water sports, art galleries, museums, and antique and outlet shopping.

Spc. Christina Dion | 12/07/2009

For those in the U.S. Army, the word “Drill Sergeant” is usually accompanied by an image of the person who yelled at you during basic training. Some can remember his name 15 years into their careers. This person was there at the beginning of the day and stayed around until bedtime. He didn’t sleep. He didn’t eat. All he did was train civilians to make them Soldiers.

Since these men and women on the trail are there every day there is no way they could be U.S. Army Reservists, right? Wrong! More and more U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeants are working to fill positions the active component can not fill because of deployments. In order to meet this requirement, the 108^thTraining Command (IET) enlists the expertise of Drill Sergeant Leaders to train noncommissioned officers to become Drill Sergeants at the USAR Drill Sergeant School at Fort Jackson, S.C. and Fort Knox, Ky.

| 12/07/2009

WASHINGTON (Nov. 12, 2009) — Military prosecutors have charged Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the Nov. 5 attack at Fort Hood, Texas.

The charges fall under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the case will be heard in the military system.

“These are initial charges, and additional charges may be preferred in the future, subject to the ongoing criminal investigation,” said Chris Grey, spokesman for U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, during a news conference at Fort Hood today.

TRAVEL USA
| 12/07/2009

Where can you go for the best in entertainment, sports, cultural arts, shopping, dining and nightlife?  Look no further than Houston, Texas.  Home to a respected and energetic cultural arts scene, the fourth largest shopping center in the country, the oldest African-American theater in the Southwest and the brains behind United States space exploration, Houston is as diverse a city as they come. As The New York Times stated in a recent feature, “Maybe that’s what makes Houston such an unusual and wonderful place- — there are so many different Houstons to see.”

Downtown Houston has become one of the most vibrant areas in the city. More than 50 restaurants and bars have opened within the past several years, and the 7.5-mile METRORail facilitates travel to and from the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. The new Hilton Americas-Houston added 1,200 guestrooms to downtown Houston in 2003, in addition to the resurgence in boutique hotels such as the Hotel Icon, Alden-Houston Hotel and the Magnolia. Across from Minute Maid Park is downtown Houston’s newest hotel, Inn at the Ballpark.

The new 262-room Embassy Suites Downtown is set to open in Spring 20

The Griffon
Victoria L. White | 02/19/2010

It’s the biggest Army Reserve base and the eighth largest in the entire Army with more than 165,000 acres of rolling hills, mountains, forests and rivers.  With warm winters and temperatures rising to 115 degrees during summers, Fort Hunter Liggett offers an ideal location for training warriors headed to war.

Established in 2005, the U.S. Army Support Training Center trains Combat Support (CS) and Combat Services Support (CSS) units.  It is home for the Army Reserve’s Regional Training Center-West where 108th drill sergeants conduct pre-mobilization training, allowing units to get the combat training they need, deploy quicker and get more “boots on the ground” time during deployments, say officials.  Reserve officials say the RTC concept was developed from lessons learned by leaders who witnessed flaws in mobilizations during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

| 02/19/2010

The Army will phase out “stop-loss” which mandates that Soldiers remain in the military beyond their service obligation by March, 2011.  Army Reserve units mobilized after 1 August 2009 are no longer subject to stop loss policy. The Army National Guard ceased stop loss policy on 1 September 2009.