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Vol. 29, No. 4Friday, January 25, 2008Published for the Department of Defense and the Fort Gordon community
Events •
Page 4
Viewpoint •
Page 5
Chaplain
•
Page 11
Sports •
Page 12
Visit
The Signal Online
at www.gordon.army.mil/pao
Highwirerescue
Joint organizationluncheon
The local chapters of theAssociation of the UnitedStates Army, the SignalCorps Regimental As-sociation and the ArmedForces Communicationsand Electronics Associa-tion are sponsoring a jointgeneral membership lun-cheon meeting 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m.
Jan. 31
at theCourtyard, Building 36708,off Brainard Avenue, FortGordon.Guest speaker will beBrig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley,U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon com-manding general.The cost is $13 for mem-bers and $16 for nonmem-bers. For more informationor tickets, call (706) 860-0383 or e-mail
jenninjj@aol.com.
Warrant Ofcer briengs
Brieng sessions for
service members inter-
ested in the warrant ofcer
programs will be held 9:30a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily
Jan. 28
through
Feb. 1
inDarling Hall Room 229C.Programs are open to allservices, no appointmentnecessary.For more information,
call Chief Warrant Ofcer
Anthony Edwards at (502)471-9406.
African AmericanHistory Month
The Fort Gordon AfricanAmerican History MonthCommand Program will be1:30 p.m.
Feb. 1
in Alexan-der Hall.This year’s theme is“Carter G. Woodson andthe Origins of Multicultural-ism.” The guest speaker is retired Lt. Col. AlfonzoJackson, Tuskegee AirmanInc Colon-Dryden Greater Augusta Chapter presi-dent.For information call (706)791-6644
Sweetheart ball
The Sergeants Major As-sociation will host “Sweet-heart Ball 2008” at theGordon Club North Wing at6:30 p.m.
Feb. 9
.The theme for this year’sevent is “Hero’s Heart.”The evening will includeentertainment, dining,dancing, and door prizes.Live music will be providedby Déjà Vu. The eveningwill also feature a come-dian and a DJ.The dress for the gala isbusiness casual.Tickets for the event are$25.00 per person. Makechecks payable to the FortGordon Sergeants Major Association. The event isopen to the public.To purchase tickets or for more information call (706)791-3166, 288-9823 or 793-7762.
See page 16
Army offered Wounded Warrior better
Bonnie Heater
Signal staf
Rain forced Fort Gordon’sscheduled Freedom Marchindoors, but it did not dampenthe celebration.
Alexander Hall was lled
to capacity Jan. 17 with peoplestanding along the side wallsfor the 22nd national obser-vance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with thetheme “Remember! Celebrate!Act!After opening remarks,Soldiers marched onto thestage singing “This little lightof mine” and carrying signssimilar to the ones carried innon-violent marches led byKing years ago. Sgt. 1st ClassCharlene Sandles narratedKing’s “Give Us the Ballot,We will Transform the South”speech.Following this a video wasshown highlighting the life of King and key people involvedin the civil rights movement.The guest speaker was re-tired Lt. Col. Freeman Walker.He said, “When I am in the presence of Soldiers I like totalk about the VA [Veteran’s
Charmain Z. Brackett
Correspondent
At 23 years-old, he’d already topped out in his job at a Ken-tucky slaughterhouse. He was at the highest pay grade, and therewas no opportunity for advancement.“I didn’t see myself doing that the rest of my life,” said Staff Sgt. Nathan Mudd, now 28, who saw the Army as a way of mak-ing a better life for himself.“I had a lot of Family members who were in the Army. It wassomething I always wanted to do,” he said.To Mudd, the Army held a certain mystique. There was some-thing about the photos he saw of his uncle dressed in his uniform,with a weapon or photos of him in other countries.“I could be a bad boy and not get in trouble for it,” saidMudd.Part of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne, Mudd was assignedto an air assault unit and was on his third deployment to Iraq.On Nov. 1, 2007, he was part of a combat patrol on its way torelieve another patrol when the vehicle ran over an improvisedexplosive device.The explosion severely damaged Mudd’s left leg, breaking
ve bones in his leg and foot.
“If I had had any more trauma to the leg, I probably wouldhave lost it,” he said.Mudd arrived at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army MedicalCenter on Nov. 6 and is currently a patient in the active dutyunit of the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.Mudd is not sure of all his future holds.He’s considering his life outside the military, possibly go-ing to college.“I’d like to work for the sheriff’s department on a swat teamor something,” he said.If his injuries prevent that type of work, he said he’d liketo work as a mechanic specializing in motorcycles.In addition to watching and playing sports, riding motor-cycles and four-wheelers is a hobby of Mudd’s.Mudd said he’s been able to focus on the things that areimportant to him as he recovers.He’s had two visits from his wife, Stephanie, and went homeduring Christmas to be with her and their daughters, Shanise,Dominique and Niyah. Administration]. That’s whereI spent most of my working ca-reer — 38 years of service plus2 giving me 41 years of servicewith the Department of VeteransAffairs.” He related stories thatcould not be found in books, butwere told to him by the veteranshe met during his career withthe VA. It was while workingas the associate director of theVA Medical Center in Atlantathat he met retired Col. Rob-ert Nett, and Desmond Doss,two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.The highlight of his speechwas his sharing his experienceas a young Soldier involvedin the Selma to Montgomerymarches in Alabama. At thetime Walker was 23 years oldand a member of the 503rdMilitary Police Battalion. TheClark Atlanta University alum-nus had completed military police school at Fort Gordonin 1964.He said his reserve unit, the716th Military Police Battalionout of Fort Lewis, Wash. andthe 30th Infantry Division,which was the National Guardunit in the state of Alabamawere called up on March 7,1965. On that day 600 civilrights marchers were attacked by state and local police with billy clubs and tear gas whileheading east out of Selma, Ala.,on U.S. Highway 80 while try-ing to cross the Edmund PettusBridge toward Montgomery,Ala.Discrimination and intimi-dation had prevented Selma’sAfrican-American population,from registering to vote threeweeks earlier. King, a lead-er of the Southern ChristianLeadership Conference, askedfor a march from Selma toMontgomery to ask Alabama’sGovernor George Wallace to protect black registrants.Wallace denounced themarch as a threat to publicsafety and declared he wouldtake all measures necessary to prevent it.“They were turned back,”said Walker.
Page 9
Staff Sgt. Nathan Muddis currently a patient inthe Charlie Norwood VAMedical Center.Fort Gordon service members carry signs re-enacting a nonviolent march during theDr. Martin Luther King Jr. command program Jan. 17 in Alexander Hall.
Photo by Bonnie Heater
See King, page 5
King Day observance march goes on despite rain
Bonnie Heater
Signal staf
Fort Gordon kicked off the rst phase of its training
Major barracks upgrade begins
“This is a long overdue process that will dramatically improve thequality of life of our trainee Soldiers.”
Col. John Holwick
Fort GordonGarrison Commander
Photo by Bonnie Heater
Fort Gordon ofcials lined up to swing sledge hammers as the concluding event in a ceremony
marking the beginning of renovations to barracks Building 29715 located on Barnes Avenue
Jan. 23. This is the rst of 18 barracks scheduled to be renovated on the post.
See Barracks, page 3
Photo by Charmain Z. Brackett
barracks upgrade program Jan. 23 at Building 29715on Barnes Avenue.Among attending post and local officials wasMike Frnka, an engineer and Public Works Divisionchief from the U.S. Army Installation ManagementCommand’s Southeast Region. ‘Fort Gordon stands
to benet from the renovation of about 40 buildings
in the next seven years, plus a new, 1500-man trainingcomplex and other construction totaling $365 million,”said Frnka.
“This is really a signicant event for Fort Gordon.
The great teamwork that was necessary to accomplishthis [project] was provided by many talented ArmySoldiers and civilians working together at Fort Gordonas well as the Army Corps of Engineers and the localcommunity.”
2 •
January 25, 2008
• The Signal
Charmain Z. Brackett
Correspondent
Avery Villines has seen Cabaret’s Sally Bowles played in manydifferent ways.“Some do a take on her as ditzy. I’ve seen her played thatway, but I don’t think she is,” said Villines, who plays the role of the sultry singer in the Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre’s upcoming production.Villines prefers to think of Sally Bowles as a woman who iscaught up in the culture of a Germany sandwiched between twoworld wars. Germany in the late 1920s and early 1930s was anera of rich artistic growth; however, there was a decadence to thetime as well. All of it is epitomized in the people who frequentthe Kit Kat Club, according to Villines.While Sally and the others around her fail to see the evil risingin the form of the Third Reich, her love interest, Clifford Brad-shaw, is all too aware of it.“He can’t get caught up in it,” said Brandon Brune, who playsthe role. “He keeps his eyes open.”For those who may have seen the movie, but not the play, Brune
Dinner Theatre features long-running broadway production
warns the play has a much darker tone as there are storylines inthe play that were not in the movie.Originally staged in 1967, Cabaret ran for 1,165 performances
on Broadway. In its rst run, it received eight Tony Awards. It
was revived in 1998 and ran for 2,377 performances. It receivedan additional four Tony Awards in the revival.Director Steve Walpert said he’s excited about presentingCabaret.“I think this is a fascinating show,” he said. “I’m excited aboutthe music, the concept. This tells an important story.”Cabaret will run three consecutive weeks at the Fort GordonDinner Theatre.Shows will be on Feb. 15, 16, 22, 23, 28 and 29 and March 1.Dinner begins at 7 p.m., followed by the show at 8 p.m.Tickets are $39 for civilians, $36 for seniors 65 years-old andolder, military retirees, active duty E6 and above and Departmentof the Army civilians, $30 for active duty E6 and below and $25for the show only.Cabaret has strong themes and is not intended for children.For reservations, call (706) 793-8552 or visit
www.fortgor-don.com.
According to Capt. Jonathan Shoenholz, Fort Gordon Tax Center ofcer in charge the Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance class held recently was a complete success. The classes were conducted at VincentHall. Thirty-seven military and civilian tax preparers were trained during the session. All volunteers were
tested and certied. Jo Anne Butler and Marian Lee served as the instructors for the class. Butler hasbeen a senior tax consultant with 22 years IRS experience, and a VITA instructor since 1989. Lee is atax consultant with 7 years of IRS experience. Lee has been the military VITA Instructor all seven years.By utilizing the Classroom XXI, every student had access to a computer and the internet resulting in100% participation. Sgt. Maj. Ulysses Mays, Ofce of the Dean presented both instructors with a coinof excellence for their outstanding performance. The Ofce of the Staff Judge Advocate opened its Tax
Assistance Center on Jan. 24. The service is free to service members and their Families. The center islocated at The Courtyard, near Windseekers. Call (706) 791-7812/7813 for more information.
Volunteer tax preparers
The Signal •
January 25, 2008
• 3
from page 1
Tetra Tech-Tesoro JV out of Norcross, Ga., is the contrac-tors for the project. Burges and Niple from Cincinnati, Ohioare the architects. TBUP isexpected to renovate barracks29715, dining facility 29704,the Battalion Headquarterslocated at Building 29602 andBrigade Headquarters locatedat Building 25710.After Frnka’s address Col.John Holwick, garrison com-mander spoke before joiningthe demolition team. “This isabsolutely a great day to bea Soldier and to be a Soldier standing here in front of Build-ing 29715 on beautiful FortGordon,” he said. “This morn-ing we are gathered for a uniqueand very special event. In afew minutes we will physicallyand visually ‘kick off’ a longoverdue renovation project of a 40 year old training build-
ing. This is the rst step in a
multi-year, and multi-milliondollar, process that will bringour 1960’s advanced individualtraining complex into the 21stCentury from the standards of the draftee Army to that of theinformation age
“This is the rst of 18 bar
-racks that will be transformedfrom eight man squad bays totwo-man rooms with externaldoors, balconies, slant roofs,and computer labs,” he added.“This seven year project willalso address our aging admin-istrative buildings by renovat-ing the brigade, battalion and
Barracks
company headquarters as wellas modernizing four of our din-ing facilities.
“The work ofcially begins
when we swing these sledgehammers to begin demoli-tion…a long over due processthat will dramatically improvethe quality of life of our traineeSoldiers,” said the garrisoncommander. “I would espe-cially like to thank the Armychief of staff and the vice chief of staff who went and put theinitiation behind this and gaveus the dollars to make thiswork.”Holwick picked up a sledgehammer and joined Frnka,Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur Washington, garrison com-mand sergeant major; Col.Frank Penha, 15th Signal Bri-gade commander; CommandSgt. Maj. Chester Greelock,551st Signal Battalion com-mand sergeant major; Pfc.Edgardo Camacho, a traineewith the 551st Signal Battalion;Maj. Jess Curry, SavannahDistrict Corps of Engineers;and Larry Andreas, Tetra Techsenior project manager.Distinguished guests at-tending the event were Karen Nixon, representing Deke Co- penhaver, Augusta mayor;retired Command Sgt. Maj.Jim Hussey, representing Sena-tor Saxby Chambliss; NancyBobbitt, from Senator Johnny
Isakson’s ofce; Regan Wil
-liams from Congressman PaulBroun’s office, and retiredCol. Thom Tuckey, CentralSavannah River Area Alliancefor Fort Gordon executivedirector.Before departing both Bob- bit and Hussey each took a brick as a memento from thedemolished wall.. “I was herewhen this building was builtand now I am present to see ittorn down,” said Hussey.
Col. John Holwick, Fort Gordon garrison commander presides over the ceremony Jan. 23 for the beginning of renovations to training barracks on post.
Photo by Bonnie Heater
Charmain Z. Brackett
Correspondent
Pamela Rachal’s desk is lled with letters of thanks of thoseservice members who have benetted from the Exceptional Fam
-ily Member Program’s respite care program.
EFMP ts well into the Army Family Covenant signed by Fort
Gordon’s leaders in November.It offers services for Family members with any “medical,educational, or learning disability that requires medical treatment,education, or counseling,” according to a policy letter signed byCol. John Holwick, garrison commander .In May, Army Community Service received additional fundingto provide 40 hours of respite care for Families enrolled in EFMP.Respite care provides a needed break for Families who providecare for children or adults with special needs. The 40 hours wasan increase from 16 hours a month, and Fort Gordon Familieshave taken advantage of this service.Mary Dewey, the mother of a child with a severe seizuredisorder, uses her 40 hours so that she can have one full nightof sleep a week.“The caregiver I have is very well-trained and can handle anysort of problem that might occur during the night. She sits withJoey so that I can get some much needed sleep. Because of hisseizures, Joey can be awake for hours at a time, occasionally keep-ing me awake through the whole night. Without this wonderful program, I don’t know if I could survive,” she wrote.Other Families speak highly of the program as well. Knowing
there are qualied, well-trained caregivers who can keep watch
over their children gives Army Families peace of mind.“Our seven year-old has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy,and with no close Family around, we were skeptical about thecare our son would need,” wrote Roseann McKinney.In her email, she wrote that she and her husband were able tointerview those caregivers before deciding on the one they feltmost comfortable with.“With this service, we have been blessed and would like tosay thank you for all of you who have made this possible,” shewrote.
To nd out more about respite care, call ACS at (706) 791-
3579.
Respite care givesexceptional help
Fort Gordon Family Focus
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