EFMP Academy Renaming U.S.

Army Soldier Show Stable Theater

p. 6 p. 10 p. 17 p. 21

contents 3
Family and MWR
PERSPECTIVES

Commanding General’s Letter

Volume 1, No. 2
SUMMER 2010

4 Survivor Outreach Services (SOS)

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

6 Making Good on its Promise

7 Family and MWR Employees’ Professional Development Program

9 MWR Customer Service Program

10 Family and MWR Renaming the Academy

12 Unveiling the New Family and MWR Logo

14 Fort Knox Family Information Center

17 Promoting the U.S. Army Soldier Show

20 Operation Excellence

21 Bamberg’s Stable Theater

23 Deployed Soldier Becomes Honorary Coach

FEATURE STORY: 24 Recreation Accreditation

Survivor Outreach Services p. 4
29 Army Entertainment Summit

Commander/Publisher Command Sergeant Major Director, Public Affairs Creative Director

ON THE COVER
MG Reuben D. Jones discusses
strategies with LTG Rick
Lynch at the Family and
MWR Command HQ in
Alexandria, VA.
Photo illustration by Rob McIlvaine
MG Reuben D. Jones CSM Abe Vega Edward Johnson Edward Griffin, Jr.
Perspectives is produced by the Public Affairs Office of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command under the authority of
the commander and AR 215-1, “MWR Nonappropriated Fund Activities and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Activities.” Perspectives is
also available online at www.armymwr.com.
Purpose: to provide information about Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and activities and to share ideas and best
practices. Views and opinions are those of the authors. The mention or appearance of commercial vendors and/or their logos neither
implies nor constitutes federal endorsement of products or services.

2 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
 Commanding General’s Letter
MG Reuben D. Jones

People First, Mission Always

Welcome to the second edition of the Family and MWR Perspectives Magazine. As the Commanding
General of the Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, I am very passionate
and committed to ensure the total Army Community (Soldiers, Civilians, Families, and Retirees)
receive the best possible programs and services to enhance their strength and resilience. One approach
is to proactively develop, maintain and incorporate our support of resiliency within our plans. We
must optimize their ability to adapt to stress and promote total wellness of mind, body, and spirit.

We will provide the best care, support and services for the Army Community by improving quality
of life through initiatives such as the Installation Management Campaign Plan, the Army
Family Covenant, Army Community Covenant, the Army Family Action Plan and
W
FOLLO
the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program. The Family and MWR programs
and services we provide promote resiliency and serve as an outlet for the Army ME ON
ER!
Community to deal with the daily pressures of a military lifestyle.
TWITT

The strain of multiple deployments and other stress factors may continue into the future.
We, as the Family and MWR providers, must think of new ideas to enhance resiliency initiatives.

Together, as one team, we can make a huge difference for those Soldiers, Families, Civilians
and Retirees who sacrifice so much to defend our nation and our freedom. They deserve
the best and that is exactly what we will provide to them. Give it your best effort!

Reuben D. Jones
Major General, USA
Commanding

www.Twitter.com/MGReubenJones

Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 3
 Survivor Outreach Services Program
Committed to Families of the Fallen
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

U
.S. Army Chief of Staff, GEN
George W. Casey, Jr., who
lost his father, MG George
W. Casey, in Vietnam on
July 1970, developed the idea for a better
support system for Survivors of fallen service
members in late 2006.
He knew he couldn’t do it alone.
Following a 2007 Gold Star
Remembrance Ceremony in the Pentagon,
one of the first to hear his call for help
was Donna Engeman, a Survivor and a
dedicated Army spouse for 23 years who lost
her husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer
John Engeman, when he was killed May
2006 in Iraq.
“I was standing outside the ceremony in
the hallway of the Pentagon, thinking to
myself, ‘if I ever get a chance to tell the
Army what I think…’ and suddenly I found
myself standing alongside GEN Casey. Army Chief of Staff, GEN George W. Casey, Jr., who lost his father in Vietnam, speaks to

“I told him in so many words that this
whole casualty assistance process stinks,”
Engeman said.
She turned to walk away, figuring he
would fix it.
“Don’t walk away,” Casey called out to
her. “You’re going to help me fix it.”
Two years later, Casey and Engeman and
about 55 other Survivors met at the Survivor
Outreach Services Summit to take stock of
how far they’ve come and how far they’ve
got to go.
“There is clearly and rightly a lot of pain
in this room, but solutions aren’t going to
happen overnight. As you leave this summit,
spread your arms and bring in others,” Casey
told the Survivors who attended the October
2009 SOS Summit.
“Obviously, the issues we’ve heard [this
week] means we haven’t been doing enough
for our Survivors,” Casey said.
“Julia Compton Moore, wife of LTC
Survivors from across the country at the 2nd annual summit of FMWRC’s Survivors Outreach
Services in Arlington, Va.
Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs
(Ret.) Hal Moore, is a U.S. Army daughter,
wife and mother, who was depicted in
the film “We Were Soldiers” by actress
Madeleine Stowe. She was one of the first to
plant seeds of improvement.
In November 1965, Moore and 450 men
of the 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary were
dropped by helicopter into a small clearing
in the Ia Drang Valley and were immediately
surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese
Soldiers.
Through the efforts and complaints
given by Julia in the aftermath of this battle,
the Army set up survivor support networks
and casualty notification teams consisting
of uniformed officers, which are still in use
today.
“If it hadn’t been for leaders like Mrs.
Moore who saw a need for change and spoke
up, we’d still be dealing with casualties in the
same manner depicted in the film,” Engeman
said, referring to the Army’s former practice
of sending notification via telegrams, often
delivered by cab drivers.
SOS, launched two years ago, is an
Army-wide program designed to provide
dedicated and comprehensive support
to Survivors of deceased Soldiers with
dedicated resources, and a commitment to
providing first class service for as long as
the Family desires. Improved resourcing at
Casualty Assistance Centers ensures those
who work with Survivors are well-trained
and knowledgeable about the myriad of

4 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010

“I was standing outside the
ceremony in the hallway of the
Pentagon, thinking to myself,
‘if I ever get a chance to tell
the Army what I think...’
and suddenly I found myself
alongside of GEN Casey.”
Donna Engeman, Survivor
available benefits.
By expanding and improving services to
Families of the fallen, SOS ensures a holistic
and multi-agency approach that provides
comprehensive and consistent levels of
service at the installation level and across
all components to reach geographically
dispersed Families.
The program is a joint effort with
collaboration from Installation Management
Command (IMCOM), Family and Morale,
Welfare and Recreation Command
(FMWRC), the Casualty and Mortuary
Affairs Operation Center (CMAOC), the
Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
To ensure Survivors receive ongoing
support, SOS support coordinators are
available in Army Community Service
centers. These coordinators provide
long-term support throughout the grief
process, coordinate support groups, provide
information and referral services, coordinate
child care as needed, and provide other
services as required.
At last year’s summit, Lynn McCollum,
FMWRC Director of Family Programs,
emphasized the work that’s been done over
the past year, based on the gaps identified at
the first summit, and identified the needs
her staff are currently addressing.
“We’ve added 50 support coordinators
for the Active Army, eight for the Reserve,
and our plan is to hire 108 for the Army
National Guard who will be stationed at
SOS support coordinators are available in Army Community Service centers. These coordinators provide long-term support
throughout the grief process, coordinate support groups, provide information and referral services, coordinate child care as
needed and provide other services as required.
li speaks with Hampton and Jane Caughman,
parents who survived the loss of their son, at
the 2009 Survivors Outreach Services Summit.
Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs
Army Community Services (ACS) centers,
regional Reserve Readiness commands and
Joint Force headquarters in all 50 states and
four U.S. territories.
“At Casualty Assistance Centers, we’ve
added 35 benefits coordinators, and
at ACS centers, we’ve added financial
consultants. We’ve also added 30 trainers at
CAC to better train Casualty Officers and
Notification Officers,” McCollum said.
Other recently added benefits and
entitlements for Survivors, McCollum said,
include extending housing benefits to 365
days after the time of death. Survivors living
off the installation are now provided one
year of basic allowance for housing.
One of the other changes is a new, web-
based, SOS information portal, now
accessible through Army OneSource.
“To help bring resources to you, we are
developing a virtual world in cyberspace
so it’s easier for Survivors to connect with
others,” McCollum said.
Social networking, resource links, and a
monitored feedback loop to respond to
Survivor queries and provide support is
currently available. At full operational
capability the virtual world space will be a
place for Survivors to connect and meet in
a secure, private, on-line environment, such
as a virtual world chapel that will enable
Survivors to obtain chaplain support on-line.
While the Summit indicated there is
more work to be done, Army leadership, at
Army Vice Chief of Staff, GEN Peter W. Chiarel-
the most senior levels, is clearly dedicated to
ensure Survivor’s needs are met.
LTG Rick Lynch, IMCOM
commanding general, has put his full support
behind SOS by making the program one
of his top priorities. The U.S. Army wants
Survivors to remain an integral part of the
Army Family for as long as they desire.
In a recent speech, Donna Engeman
used the solemn words of a 1948 Archibald
MacLeish poem entitled “The Young Dead
Soldiers Do Not Speak.”
“This poem spoke to me early in my
career with SOS because I feared that by not
remembering the Fallen and their Families
we were not giving meaning to those deaths.
Freedom is so very costly, and those deaths
are the receipts,” Engeman said.
She read the poem (excerpt follows):
“They say,
We were young. We have died.
Remember us.
They say,
We have done what we could
But until it is finished it is not done.
They say,
We have given our lives
But until it is finished no one can know
what our lives gave.”
“We’re telling our Soldiers that they
won’t be forgotten, and our actions with
SOS give meaning to that,” Engeman said.
For more information: Hal Snyder, SOS Program
Manager, at hal.snyder@us.army.mil
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 5
 Making Good on Its Promise
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs
T
he U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation Command recently conducted the second
Exceptional Family Member Program Summit to
enhance services for Family members with special needs,
keeping the promise of the Army Family Covenant.
Active duty Soldiers enroll in the program when they have a
Family member who has a physical, emotional, developmental or
intellectual disorder requiring specialized services so their needs can
be considered in the military personnel assignment process.
“The Army EFMP leads the uniformed services and the Nation
through a model of support for Soldiers and Families with special
needs by connecting and supplementing existing national networks of
support and services with local military and civilian resources,” LTG
Rick Lynch, IMCOM commander, said.
A mandatory enrollment program, EFMP works with other
military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and
coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical and
personnel services to Families with special needs.
“The needs of EFMP are great, and much work remains to be
done, particularly in the areas of communication and program
standardization. We must have seamless program standardization
from garrison to garrison,” Sharon Fields, FMWRC EFMP Manager,
said.
This EFMP vision has been in the works for the past year and is
scheduled for a July 2010 implementation.
With many garrisons becoming joint-based communities, this
standardization should work seamlessly for EFMP Families
throughout the Department of Defense.
Efforts are ongoing to help EFMP Families transition smoothly
to communities where their special needs will be met with
“ACS is like a ‘yellow pages’ for
special needs information.”
Susan Moyer,
EFMP Manager, Fort Carson
comprehensive and coordinated services. Soldiers can then focus on
mission readiness, knowing their Families’ needs are met.
“The command knows what’s needed. When LTG Lynch visits a
garrison, he always pulls together a focus group of parents who are
6 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
enrolled in EFMP because he wants to hear their concerns and
suggestions to make the program better,” Fields said.
According to one mother, EFMP is wasting no time in making
good on its promise. SFC Fernice Morton, Fort Lewis, Washington,
Equal Opportunity Advisor, has a son enrolled in EFMP.
“I was selected to go to the EFMP Summit after attending an
EFMP workshop at Fort Lewis, Wash. While there, I was in respite
care transition between contractors and the Army Community
Service staff was always available to assist me every step of the way,”
Morton said.
Antoinette Hill is also a volunteer who is also the spouse of a
retired Soldier with a daughter enrolled in EFMP.
“I have witnessed the evolution of this program for more than 30
years and the stars are aligned for great potential. While the nation
is focused on the military, we are focused on collaborative EFMP
partnerships and the partners are stepping up. Families, Warriors and
Survivors are better served and EFMP better fulfills the promises of
the Army Family Covenant,” Hill said.
Families need to remember where to get helpful information.
“Army Community Service works hand in hand with the EFMP
at the medical facility. While the medical services are responsible
for the enrollment paperwork, at ACS we provide everything else
[support, information and links] you need,” Susan Moyer, Army
Community Services EFMP Manager at Fort Carson, Colo., said.
According to Moyer, services that parents and individuals are
searching for are right at their fingertips. “ACS is like a ‘yellow pages’
for special needs information.”
As the EFMP Summit drew to a close, LTG Lynch summed up
the way ahead.
“Take care of our Soldiers and Families, one Family at a time. To
do this, we’ve got to fix this program so it works better and we have
to get the word out. When I was a young commander, no one told
me about EFMP. I had to learn about it on my own,” Lynch said.
In the near future, FMWRC EFMP will implement a system that
fully supports Families with special needs at five pilot locations: Fort
Belvoir, Va.; Fort Campbell, Ky; USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany;
Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Fort Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Also in the near future, the Army will identify what’s required for
joint services to participate in this program.
For more information: visit Family Programs at www.myarmyresource.com
 Professional Development Program
Helps Employees Plan Successful Career
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

“This is a set of web-based tools,

to empower all Family and MWR
employees to plan for a successful
career in our enterprise.”

Janis Smith,
Academy Deputy Director

supervisors have embraced the PDP is

because it provides multiple resources to
assist in employee development,” Smith said.
Anita Payne-Landgraf, CYSS
coordinator at USAG Grafenwoehr,
Germany, liked the added benefit of
employee empowerment. The PDP provides
a library of more than 1,500 position profiles
Diane Carr, an instructor at MG Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR Academy, instructs a so anyone looking to improve their current
class of 18 students in “Foundations of Marketing,” broken up into four groups. Here she skills or climb the career ladder now has the
discusses branding with a group who nicknamed themselves “The Real Army Wives” as tools to help them make informed decisions.
they brainstorm CYSS youth and teen sports programs. Since the academy’s inception, “I will fully utilize this tool throughout
more than 28,400 Family and MWR employees have been trained at all levels in various the organization. I especially like the
FMWR program areas. (Clockwise from left) Melissa Wells of Ft. Campbell, Ky.; Gia Oney of
resource list linked to each competency. This
Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany; Kim Huston of Ft. Bragg, N.C.; and Kathryn Hacker of Ft.
is a great way to empower employees toward
Richardson, Alaska.
self-development, and it’s a super tool
Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs that will help make my job easier,” Payne-
Landgraf said.
After employees select learning elements

W
ith the increased
emphasis on workforce
development and training,
the MG Robert M. Joyce
Family and MWR Academy has developed
the Professional Development Program.
“This is a set of web-based tools to
empower all Family and MWR employees to
plan for a successful career in our enterprise,”
FMWR Academy Deputy Director Janis
Smith said.
The PDP has tools to help employees
and program managers make informed
decisions about selecting specific training
needs necessary for their staff, based on the
knowledge, skills and abilities needed to be
proficient in their career fields.
These tools are now available at the
Academy’s website, www.mwraonline.com.
“The PDP is available to all employees
upon registration. Just log on the site, select
My Records and then click on PDP and
then Current PDP,” Smith said.
The “Current PDP” includes employee
personal information, a brief job description
and the competencies required to be
proficient on the job. The competencies are
supported by knowledge, skills and abilities
with associated learning resources.
“One of the reasons Family and MWR
in collaboration with their supervisors, the
PDP has the capability to automatically
capture the selections and populate an
IMCOM-approved Individual Development
Plan form. This form is a five-year plan for
professional growth and development.
Derek McKinley, Business Manager at
USAG Ansbach, Germany, is excited about
this program’s development.
“I think this is a great way to develop
IDPs. It will also allow employees to control
their own careers. If they are more motivated,
this will give them direction to continue
their development,” McKinley said.
Supervisors have access to a module to

Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 7
 This is a great way to empower employees toward self-development,
and it’s a super tool that will help make my job easier.”

Payne-Landgraf
CYSS coordinator, USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany

assist in coaching and managing their
employees—the Supervisor Console. This
tool includes a list of every employee they
supervise, their transcripts, PDPs, IDPs
and other documentation. This snapshot
of employees’ development is helpful in
monitoring training completion.
“This will help me as a supervisor to
better prepare myself, not only for my career
development program but also to help
subordinates prepare for their future career
with Family and MWR, and it’s a good
tool to track training,” said Eugene Woods,
Financial Readiness Manager, USAG
Bamberg, Germany.
Because the PDP is web-based, it is
available to Family and MWR employees
worldwide, at any time.
Douglas Banks, Assistant Business
Manager, USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany,
believes it will make his job easier in an
environment with a high turnover of staff.
“This will be a great training and
organizational tool to develop employees’
career paths,” Banks said. “Although they
rotate in and out every year or two, it’s a
good centralized location to keep track
of their development plans,” Banks said.
The fact that it’s internet-based means the
employees won’t have to start over at their
new duty station.
Through the second quarter of this year,
Family and MWR Academy staff have
trained 1,561 supervisors and 459 other key
staff at 45 garrisons.
PDP training for the remaining
Garrisons will be completed by the end of
this year, through either on-site or virtual
sessions.
For more information in using the PDP, several job aids
and tutorials are available to assist you in the “Perfor-
mance Support” menu at www.mwraonline.com.

FAMILY AND MWR EMPLOYEE AND CUSTOMER COVENANT

EMPLOYEE COVENANT CUSTOMER COVENANT

Taking care of our customers begins with taking care of you,
our employees.
We are committed to providing a strong, supportive environment
where you can thrive.
To that end, we promise to position you for success with:
• A robust orientation to welcome you to the Family and
MWR team
• Clear performance standards for service excellence
• Formal and informal training to develop your skills
• Performance support tools to assist you on the job
• A holistic program of recognition and incentives to reward
excellent service
• Career development opportunities to reach your full potential
We are committed to providing quality through service
excellence to our Soldiers and Families commensurate with the
quality of their service to our Nation.
We understand that we create value for our customers through
predictable, consistent, efficient and customer-focused service.
To that end, we promise our customers they will:
• Always be respected and treated as individuals who are valued
• Receive a prompt and friendly greeting in a professional and
courteous manner
• Experience aesthetically-pleasing facilities
• Receive timely, accurate and helpful information
• Be offered high quality products and services
• Have an opportunity to provide feedback

For more Information: Jason Bell, FMWRC Academy, (703) 275-5056, jason.bell3@us.army.mil

8 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
 MG Reuben D. Jones, FMWRC
Commanding General,
signs the Family and MWR
Employee and Customer
Covenant as senior leaders
and 15 newly-hired customer
service coordinators look on.

Photo by Eduardo Alejandro,

FMWRC Marketing

Family and MWR Customer

Service Program
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

T
he Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Command recently developed a comprehensive, holistic
Customer Service Program to create and sustain a
customer service culture within FMWRC activities. The
Army Senior Executive Leadership approved the program in Fiscal
Year 2009 and implementation is now underway. This is a dedicated
Family and MWR program to better position employees for success
in serving our customers, in support of the Army Family Covenant.
The initiative establishes 30 customer service coordinators,
centrally-funded by FMWRC, who are strategically located across
garrisons worldwide in support of Family and MWR programs.
These coordinators will support Family and MWR Directors
in implementing, monitoring and sustaining the standardized
enterprise program, which aims to increase customer participation
and satisfaction, increase employee job satisfaction, retain high-
performing employees, and sustain employee engagement and
commitment.
Taking care of Soldiers, Families and our Civilian Workforce is a
priority. To that end, MG Reuben D. Jones, Commander, FMWRC,
signed the first Family and MWR Employee and Customer
Covenant, Jan. 25, 2010. This covenant is a promise of excellence to
both employees and customers.
“It is a symbol of the commitment we will make to doing business
a bit differently, understanding the way to provide excellent service
to Soldiers and Families is through our employees,” said Mr. Rich
Gorman, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, at the first
signing event.
According to Gorman, signing events will take place at every
garrison to reinforce Family and MWR’s commitment to the
employees and customers we serve every day.
“It is a symbol of the commitment we will make
to doing business a bit differently, understanding
the way to provide excellent service to Soldiers
and Families is through our employees.”
Mr. Rich Gorman
FMWRC, Chief Operating Officer

Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 9
 Academy Renamed to Honor
Army Visionary
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

T
he Family and Morale, Welfare
and Recreation Academy
officially became the MG
Robert M. Joyce Family and
MWR Academy during a May 27, 2010,
ceremony. The re-naming ceremony
took place to honor Joyce, who originally
established the Academy to provide Army-
wide training programs for the U.S. Army
Community and Family Support Center
staff.
As commander of USACFSC (now
known as FMWRC), MG Joyce established
“…policy that would put the command on
Mrs. Virginia “Ginny” Joyce, along with MG Reuben D. Jones, unveil the MG Robert M.
track to operate on business principles, while Joyce Family and MWR Academy plaque at the Academy renaming ceremony, May 27. Mrs.
adding immeasurably to the quality of life Joyce was joined by her family and friends, who traveled from Hawaii, Ohio and Florida.
required to sustain an all-volunteer force,”
said Rich Gorman, Executive Director and Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs

Chief Operating Officer, FMWRC, in his

letter of support for re-naming the Academy
to the IMCOM commander in Oct. 2009.
Joining Gorman in his endorsement
were former CSFC commanders MG (Ret.)
John G. Meyer, Jr. and MG (Ret.) Craig B.
Whelden, along with the current FMWRC
Commander, MG Reuben D. Jones. The
IMCOM Commander, LTG Rick Lynch,
approved the request.
“This request is based on MG Joyce’s
vision, commitment and service to Soldiers,
Families and the MWR workforce during
his 38 years of distinguished service in the
U.S. Army and to the Nation,” Jones said.
When MG Robert M. Joyce became the
first commander of the CSFC, he established
the groundwork which would eventually
transform the Army’s Morale, Welfare and
Recreation programs into more efficient
operations.
In a paper presented to LTG Allen K.
Ono, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for
Personnel, which outlined his vision, Joyce
clearly stated his reasons for, benefits derived
from and methodology for achieving his
goals.
“The Army has changed. Soldiers no
longer live in squad barracks with personal
possessions limited to what would fit…in
a wall locker and footlocker…and they are
trained consumers. We may not be offering
them what they will perceive to be conditions
representative of the relatively affluent,
high-expectation society from which they
have come to us,” Joyce said.
Joyce’s 16-page paper took GEN (Ret.)
John A. Wickham’s white paper, “The
Army Family,” which Wickham and former
Secretary of the Army, Jack Marsh, signed
on Aug. 15, 1983, to a new level with his
vision.
“The Chief of Staff ’s 1983 White
Paper...-reflects a powerful and compelling
commitment to a human goal, unprecedented
not only in its scale, but in its underlying,
unique institutional commitment. Many of
its precepts are totally within the capability
of the Army to achieve; success will require
the exercise of continuous strong leadership
throughout the chain of command.
Examples are a strong sponsorship program
and installation support for families of
deployed Soldiers,” Joyce continued in his
paper.
Ono responded on Sept. 3, 1987: “Bob,
I…-just read your paper on the Army quality
of life programs and arrangement of the
future. Your presentation is clear, thought-
provoking, imaginative, bold… It will take
time, perseverance and patience awaiting
opportunities to introduce elements one at a
time. Thank you. You gave me the vision and
inspiration to build a better Army.”
Joyce was not one to leave his goals to
chance, nor one to consider himself above
learning and growing, activities he pursued
until his final days here on earth.
Born on Oct. 2, 1928, in Cleveland,
Ohio, he graduated from the United States

10 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
The MG Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR Academy is a full-fledged brick and mortar institution
of professional learning and career development. The Academy includes numerous subject
matter experts in various areas of U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation
activities. Nearly 100 courses are offered at the Academy through online or classroom formats.
Currently, 39 courses have received college credit recommendations from the American
Council on Education (ACE) and graduates are increasingly transferring them to colleges and
universities to receive college credits. Since its inception, more than 28,400 FMWRC employees
have been trained in various program areas, at numerous levels. Today, the Academy continues
to provide cutting-edge, online learning and performance support tools.

For more information: https://www.mwraonline.com/index.asp

MG Robert M. Joyce

Military Academy at West Point in 1953
and then stormed ahead, first as a field
artillery commander, and for the rest of his
life as a student of learning. He received an
MBA from George Washington University
in Washington, D.C., and continued his
studies at the Armed Forces Staff College
in Norfolk, Va., the Industrial College of
the Armed Forces and seminars at Harvard
University and the UCLA Business
Management School.
Joyce was a Soldier’s Soldier. During the
1960’s and following his formal education,
he served in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry
Division, after which he was appointed
commander of the U.S. Army Personnel
Center in Germany from 1968 to 1970. He
then served as a staff officer in the Adjutant
General’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Following his command of the 1st
Personnel Command in Europe, Joyce
became the Deputy Adjutant General of
the U.S. Army in 1979. He was appointed
the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army in
1981, a position he held until 1984, when he
assumed the first command of the CFSC, a
position he held until his retirement in 1987.
Out of his own educational experiences,
lifelong love of learning and a desire to bring
MWR staff up to date with current business
models and further their education in the
MWR field, MG Joyce ordered the creation
of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Academy.
After retirement from the Army, he
enrolled in the Corcoran College of Art
and Design in Washington, D.C., where
he furthered his artistic skills as a painter
and portraitist. He also became involved
in renovations of historical homes in the
DuPont Circle area of Washington, D.C.
In Sept. 1989, Joyce was elected to
membership in the Academy of Senior
Professionals at Eckerd College in St.
Petersburg, Fla. While at Eckerd, he was
involved in research, lecturing and student
administration, as well as membership in the
Creative Arts Collegium.
Since its establishment in 1987, with
class instruction beginning a year later, the
Academy’s location has moved several times
until the current doors opened on it’s current
location in Alexandria, Virginia. Next year
the Academy will move again, to Fort Sam
Houston, Texas, into a building designed to
the Academy’s specifications.
Because of BRAC law, the mandatory
deadline for completion of the Academy’s
new building at Fort Sam Houston, Texas,
is Sept. 2011.
While the address has changed, the
Academy’s goals still reflect Joyce’s original
vision.
Before the original academy doors
opened, Joyce wanted to “attain
organizational and management goals that
would be uniform, standard, simple and
flexible,” he wrote in a Feb. 1985, Joint
Message.
“The goal is to develop a career
management system for MWR personnel.
The objectives require that the system
developed do the following: attain
organizational and management goals,
provide for adequate training, maintain
Appropriated Funds funding, promote
improved productivity, provide APF
manpower spaces for MWR, preserve
MACOM (Major Army Command)
prerogatives, preserve employee benefits,
follow Army leadership and Army of
excellence policies, improve service to
Soldiers and Families, maintain legality,
satisfy congressional mandates (funding),
protect union interests, incorporate
employee concerns, be affordable, be
competitive professionally (career ladder),
provide a proactive working atmosphere,
provide for special employment (spouses,
veterans, Family members), and establish
forecasting needs methodology.”
Continuing in his letter to LTG Ono,
Joyce summed up what CSFC strived for
each day:
“Military installations are not evil, nor
are they intentionally dehumanizing; neither
are they cradles of free enterprise like the
rest of American society. It is the proposition
of this paper that the only things wrong with
them are things that could be improved by
prudent inculcation of free enterprise values;
further, that we can better provide for the
needs of the Army Family by application
of free enterprise principles; and finally that
if we truly intend to protect the most vital
aspects of the military career and at the same
time produce more self-reliant, proud and
loyal Soldiers, we had better get on with
updating our vision of what the military life
ought to be like in contemporary America.”
Although he succumbed to cancer on
Oct. 11, 2008, the memory of MG Robert
M. Joyce, thanks to the Army Memorial
Program, will live on with this fitting tribute
to his life’s goals for Soldiers and their
Families by re-naming the academy in his
honor.
MG Joyce is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Virginia Joyce, their five children and six
grandchildren.

Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 11

Family and MWR Logo Has
Changed to Reflect Customer Base
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs
M
ajor General Reuben D. Jones, Family and MWR
commanding general, unveiled the new Family
and MWR logo on April 24, 2010, at the U.S.
Army Soldier Show.
As ‘brand ambassadors’, Family and MWR Marketing offices will
assist other Family and MWR programs and services as they
transition from the old to new brand over the next two years.
The improved design, which has replaced “For All Of Your Life”
with “Soldiers Families Retirees Civilians,” will be phased in over 24
12 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
“Our customers are important to us,
and we wanted to integrate them
directly into the logo.”
MG Reuben D. Jones
FMWRC Commanding General
months to minimize costs.
In the early 80’s a study by a public relations firm advised the
Army that Soldiers and their Families had persistent confusion about
what MWR meant because the brand at each installation looked and
sounded different.
Over the last two decades, what was once Special Services—a
small branch of the U.S. Army primarily managing the club system—
has grown to become the multi-billion-dollar Family and MWR
Command, which manages virtually every aspect of Family support,
MG Reuben D. Jones unveils new Family and MWR logo at the U.S. Army Soldier Show, April 24.
Photo by Rob McIlvaine FMWRC Public Affairs
child care, youth services, and recreational programming for the
Army.
Along the way, logos representing the command have morphed
from the old Community and Family Support Center logo (some
still refer to it as the “recycling” symbol), to the hemisphere logo, and
finally, the full globe we’re familiar with today.
Complicating the issue are a multitude of logos for individual
programs and activities within the command, including, but not
limited to, distinctive logos for Better Opportunities for Single
Soldiers; Child, Youth and School Services; Army Community
Service; Army Lodging; Armed Forces Recreation Centers; and a
host of others.
Adding to this complexity is the designation of FMWRC as a
subordinate command to the Installation Management Command
(which recently unveiled a new logo for their organization) and the
sweeping organizational changes across the Army. FMWRC has been
gathering information on brand awareness and obtaining feedback to
provide relevant and factual data and assist in this important decision.
Multiple focus groups and surveys were conducted with enlisted
Soldiers, officers, spouses, retirees and civilian employees. In the end,
it was determined the resources devoted to building brand equity over
the past decade were a good investment. Focus groups recognized
the brand as related to traditional MWR activities —primarily
recreational and entertainment activities, where the logo is most
frequently used. However, the groups were unclear on the intended
audience and customer base. In many cases, they didn’t associate
the logo with other services such as Family Readiness Groups,
Child, Youth and School Services, and other more Family-oriented
programs and services offered by the command.
A redesign wasn’t called for, but a change was needed to help
connect with our customers in a more relevant manner.
“Our customers are important to us,” Jones said, “and we wanted
to integrate them directly into the logo.”
The change, according to FMWRC leadership, was brought
about to strengthen the Family and MWR brand identity and provide
a logo that reflects the entire Family and MWR audience: Soldiers,
Families, Retirees and Civilians.
“This initiative will provide stability and familiarity during these
times of operational and organizational change. It will also allow
FMWRC to reduce customer and employee confusion over Family
and MWR identity and re-educate our internal and external
customers,” Jones said.
Though the change to the logo is small, ensuring the new logo’s
roll-out is done in a fiscally responsible manner is key. FMWRC
Directorates at the installation level still remember the impact of
replacing the hemisphere with the full globe logo less than a decade
ago, and the memory of the cost of the name change required when
the unit became a command less than four years ago is still fresh.
Jones said FMWRC is unable to provide additional financial
support for costs incurred as a result of this logo change. This is one
of the reasons garrisons have up to two years to change out those
items that are more costly, such as signage and displays.
“We encourage garrisons to deplete existing inventory of
promotional materials first, and over the next two years, phase out
temporary and permanent signage, working to reach an end state of
new logo signage by May 1, 2012,” Jones said.
“With such a long phasing period, budgeting can be forecasted
to cover these expenses,” he said.
The Marketing Directorate at headquarters will provide enterprise
buys and assist Directors of Family and MWR Programs—and their
marketing staffs—much as possible during the transition.
The command is also using this opportunity to clarify confusion
still evident from the name change that took place when the command
became subordinate to IMCOM, more specifically, the verbal and
written references to “FMWRC” and the acronym.
When referencing the command organization, always speak or
write “FMWRC” or “Family and MWR Command.”
When referencing command programs and services, speak or
write “Family and MWR.” “FMWR” is not acceptable.
When referencing “DFMWR,” speak or write “DFMWR” or
“Director Family and MWR.”
Marketing has prepared a brand policy memo and is updating the
Family and MWR branded advertising campaign. These tools will be
provided to the garrisons late summer 2010.
Meanwhile, garrisons should visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com for
new usage guidelines, voice and written guidelines, photos, layout
templates and a whole host of additional resources and tools.
“Our customers are our number one priority and including them
in our tagline emphasizes this point,” said Joseph Rayzor, FMWRC
Director of Marketing. “Utilizing the existing and familiar blue world
logo with the new red tagline also allows us to maximize brand equity,
while simultaneously moving the brand to the next level.”
Stay a step ahead: Visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com
for the latest information on new logo usage and
brand implementation.
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 13
 Families Joining the Army Have
Experienced Shoulders to Lean on
Throughout Training and Beyond
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

T
he Army has come a long way
from the days when new
recruits primarily consisted
of young, single men. During
these economic times, the Army now
welcomes older, married men and women
with children, and the Families and spouses
of these prospective recruits are no longer
content to sit in the background during the
recruitment process.
Up until a few years ago, incoming
Soldiers only had the local Army recruiter
to answer their questions. All that changed
when the Future Soldier Center began
operations in May, 2006, at the U.S. Army
Not unlike engineers at a NASA control room, 45 representatives in the Future Soldier Center
Recruiting Command. The goal was to
regularly communicate with prospective Soldiers. Within this group at Headquarters, U.S. Army
reduce attrition occurring between signing Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Ky., four current or retired senior leader spouses, collectively
up and shipping off to basic training. known as the Family Information Center, bring a wide array of experiences and background to
“With FSC, the recruiter, who often share with the new spouse through phone calls, emails, online live-chat and social networking
wasn’t aware of a potential recruit’s personal and blogging.
problems, such as a high school senior’s
trouble with English, now has a backup Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs

team of recruiters – many of whom are the

spouses of retired NCOs – to screen calls
and keep interest alive from that first call to
active enlistment,” said Cyber/FSC Branch
Manager John Dunlosky, a former guidance
counselor.
When the Future Soldier Center first
began making direct phone calls to future
Soldiers, the staff often found themselves
speaking with the spouse or Family member.
Through these direct interactions, it became
obvious the spouses had many questions.
The FSC began to look at ways to
provide better service to meet the needs of
these Family members before and after their
new Soldier departed for basic training.
In response to this demand, the Family
Information Center was formed with the
goal of becoming a one-stop source of
available information for future spouses and
Family members as they embark on their
new lifestyle.
“During direct contact with a new
spouse, FIC reps can uncover issues
which could lead to a future Soldier not
shipping. These issues are forwarded to the
owning recruiting station and local chain
of command so they can determine if any
action is necessary,” Dunlosky said.
This direct notification and open
communication between the FIC and the
field has helped to provide an opportunity
for early intervention, resulting in the
successful sustainment of the Soldier.
“The earlier a new Soldier and Family
member can become aware of the Army
Family and what it means to be a part of
the Army team, the greater the propensity
that this new Soldier will honor their
commitment to enlist and successfully ship
to training,” Dunlosky said.
“And with many spouses and Family
members living far off base, FSC provided
the connection needed to not only know
the programs and benefits available, but also
to have that valuable connection to their
husband, wife, son or daughter, all thanks to
The Army One Source program
provides excellent information and
assistance for most day-to-day
issues. Soldiers and their Families
can visit www.armyonesource.com or
call 1-800-464-8107 for assistance.

14 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010

“When the FIC reps provide spouses with useful
information about what it means to be a part of the Army
Family, this helps to reconfirm the potential recruit’s
decision to join and make the Army their home.”
Ed Jarriel, FIC Program Manager
the to
Armythe Army
FamilyFamily
Covenant.
Covenant.
“These aren’t empty words. This
covenant is fully embraced by the recruiters
who are themselves current or retired senior
leader spouses, who’ve walked the walk and
talked the talk,” Dunlosky said.
All FIC representatives have experience
with Family Readiness Groups and Army
Family Team Building support actions.
“They’ve been through multiple
deployments, PCS moves, kids changing
schools, job changes and searches, and much
more, which lends instant credibility to
their conversations with the young spouses
asking those very same types of questions,”
Dunlosky said.
It’s important that the reps are truly
experienced and prepared to help—not just
a phone operator reading off a script.
“The FIC reps are the face of Family
programs to a spouse and they are the first
introduction to how the Army will take care
of the Family,” said J.C. Abney, Deputy to
the Commanding General, Family and
Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.
“Armed with the realization that their
Family is being taken care of, the new
Soldier can move forward to training much
more confident knowing their spouse has
someone to turn to for support and answers,”
Dunlosky said.
During 2009, future Soldiers who had a
spouse actively participating in the FIC
program experienced a 98.5% ship success
rate. Currently, more than 1,000 married
future Soldiers ship on a monthly basis.
The choice to participate in FIC
enrollment is completely voluntary. It
is open only to validated future Soldier
spouses. This controlled registration and
membership creates a unique community
Family members of new recruits waiting to ship to basic training don’t have to wait
to learn about the Army Family and what’s in store for them when they join their
Soldier at his or her permanent duty station. The Future Soldier and Family
Information Centers are available to answer questions and provide support before
the prospective Soldier even swears the oath of enlistment.
Cindy Smith, who has worked at the Family
Information Center at Ft. Knox for two years,
brings over two decades of military experi-
ence as an Army spouse and mom to future
spouses wanting to know more about what it
means to be a member of the Army Family.
Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs
inwhich the spouse feels secure and confident
in interacting and asking questions.
The FIC conducts their communications
through telephone calls, emails, online
live-chat and social networking, such as
blogging through the www.armyfic.com
website. Here, future Army spouses and
Family members can become part of a
steadily growing and extremely active online
community. In the event of an emergency, all
new spouses are provided a hotline number,
available 24/7.
More than 2,300 new spouses have
enrolled in the FIC program in 2010,
according to Dunlosky.
Those numbers could increase
dramatically; on April 1 alone, 41,000
Soldiers were waiting to ship out. Of those,
5,500 are married.
FIC representative Cindy Smith
frequently asks callers, “If tomorrow is your
ship date, would you be ready to go?”
The questions posed to Cindy by
incoming Family members range in topic
from TRICARE and PCSing, to “when am
I getting my orders?” and “what should my
Soldier bring to basic training?”
The reps get the names of married future
Soldiers from FSC and then send out emails
with answers to a number of common
questions, such as how long they will be
away from their spouses, or if a spouse is
scheduled to accompany their Soldier, what
child care assistance is available.
This facility, at U.S. Army Recruiting
Command, is staffed with 45 representatives,
with more than 400 years of combined
Army experience, spanning 65 different
military occupation specialties. Some of the
staff speak Korean, Spanish and Chinese to
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 15

“Our commitment at Family and MWR
Command needs to be just as strong as the
Soldier’s commitment on the battlefield.”
J.C. Abney, Deputy to the Commander, FMWRC
better serve
better many
serve of the
many of international callers.
the international
Cindy Smith, who has worked at FIC for
two years, is married to a now retired 1SG
who served 25 years. All three of their
children are in the military: one son served as
a tanker for eight years and earned a Bronze
Star for his service in Fallujah, a city in the
Iraqi province of Al Anbar; another son has
been an Air Force crew chief for eight years;
and her daughter is a CPT in the Air Force,
serving at the Pentagon.
Rosemary Deckard, another FIC rep,
served as an Army MP and is married to a
MSG now serving at the Inspector General’s
office for USAREC Headquarters. She was
also an Army recruiter for 15 years, as well as
an FRG leader.
“We try to give a welcoming experience.
Throughout this process of us explaining
and reassuring, the spouses seem to blossom,
and in turn, want to help others,” Deckard
said.
Not only has the program had a positive
impact on retention–from signing to ship
date–it’s creating a stronger Army Family
once the recruit has completed training.
Many spouses who have been supported
by FIC have stepped forward to be involved
in unit support groups, thanks in part to the
Army Family Team Building classes offered
through Army OneSource. Some are even
becoming mentors for new Army spouses.
“Once the Soldiers shipped to training,
we were officially done communicating with
them. But it became obvious that the spouses
wanted to stay involved,” Dunlosky said.
“Mentors, once they’re on the ground,
can provide the correct information about
what to expect,” Deckard said, adding this
is something that’s been lacking when
informing spouses about their future duty
station.
“Now we’re able to follow the new
Soldiers and their Families from enlistment
through BT and AIT and then to their first
duty station,” Deckard said.
16 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
Mentors link up with Family Readiness
Group leaders who now can be alerted
to incoming spouses requiring child care,
help with school enrollment and available
employment opportunities.
“And once the FRG leaders know about
the incoming spouses, they can meet the
Families at the gate or in a reception area,”
Dunlosky said.
“We currently have 14 mentors located
in Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, Ft. Lewis, Ft.
Bragg, Ft. Drum, Korea, Ft. Benning… even
White Sands Missile Range,” Dunlosky
said.
“My goal is to have multiple mentors at
each installation. In fact, in a pretty short
time, I expect to have five or six mentors at
every duty station,” Dunlosky said.
Amee Jones and her husband have been
married almost five years. They enlisted in
the Army last September and they have one
two-year-old child.
“When I first joined FIC, I was amazed
how out of touch and unprepared I was.
But thanks to Cindy and Rosemary, I was
quickly brought up to speed. And to become
better informed, I took all of the AFTB
classes and the mentor training. It covers a
range of things from the way the Army is
structured to proper etiquette and leadership
skills,” Jones said.
She is now a mentor at Ft. Drum.
“I am their friend and an information
source for them. They do not need to come
here in fear of ‘what do I do now?’ They can
meet with me or the other mentor and get
the help they need to make this transition
smoother,” Jones said.
Jones says that a spouse can feel
disconnected regardless of whether he or she
lives on or off the installation. She counsels
new spouses to get involved—not just on the
installation, but in the community, as well.
“The important thing is to step over your
fears and ask questions,” she said. “I went
to my ACS and they had all the answers
I needed and more. I recommend Family
members and spouses take AFTB classes
at their installation, because they not only
provide information about the Army but also
about the installation, and which programs
are available to help with certain problems.”
Realizing that others have gone through
the same worries and fears, and knowing
there’s people at the Family Information
Center, Army Community Service, Family
Readiness Groups and mentors available,
helps.
Jones believes spouses feel lost going
through the process of joining the Army
and arriving at their first duty station. While
Soldiers are away training, their spouses
have minimal contact with them. But the
Army Family Covenant continues to work
to make the process smoother.
“FIC is here because of the Army Family
Covenant. There are programs available to
dependants free of charge because of this
covenant. It is important for spouses and
other dependants to understand that there
are benefits out there and why they are
there. AFC is the only way we can voice
our concerns, attempt to make change for
the better and get our issues resolved,” Jones
said.
“The Army Family Covenant became a
commitment in October 2007, with
the message to provide a quality of life
commensurate with their service. This
statement cannot become a cliché. Our
Soldiers are facing dangers every day they
serve,” Abney said.
“Our commitment at Family and MWR
Command needs to be just as strong as the
Soldier’s commitment on the battlefield,” he
continued.
Knowing their Families feel secure in
their new lifestyle, thanks to the covenant,
the FIC reps who helped them get started in
their new lifestyle and the mentors at their
home garrison, the Soldier can concentrate
completely on his or her mission.
When the FIC reps provide spouses
with useful information about what it means
to be a part of the Army Family, this helps to
reconfirm the potential recruit’s decision to
join and make the Army their home.
For more information: Contact your local
recruiting station or ACS office.
Calling All
Employees to
Help Promote
the U.S. Army
Soldier Show SSG Kamisha Edwards of Fort Hood, Texas, sings “Party in the USA” during rehearsals for the
2010 U.S. Army Soldier Show at Wallace Theater on Fort Belvoir, Va.
By Tim Hipps Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs
FMWRC Public Affairs
T
he need to aggressively market, promote and publicize
Army Entertainment Division’s marquee event—
the U.S. Army Soldier Show— should be high on
every Director of Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation’s “just do it” list, particularly when the show is headed to
their installation.
Senior leadership at the Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation Command believe no seat should be vacant for this
“entertainment for the Soldier, by the Soldier.” The goal of the U.S.
Army Soldier Show, which provides suitable entertainment for
Family members of all ages, is to attract standing-room-only crowds
wherever the troops perform.
“You should be using a packed house as a method to raise
awareness about other Family and MWR activities on your garrison,”
said Carrie Pollard, an FMWRC Marketing Account Manager. “You
should enhance the event with your local information, so that while
they are getting the big picture and seeing talented Soldiers and the
feel-good of the Soldier Show, they can also learn about local Family
and MWR programming and find out where they can get involved.
“A packed house increases brand loyalty towards FMWRC,”
Pollard said, and each person attending is a person who might come
back and use other facilities and attend other events and activities.”
A plethora of Soldier Show material is available to editors of
installation newspapers, magazines and websites. Visit www.
ArmyMWR.com and click on Rec & Leisure, Entertainment, U.S.
Army Soldier Show and then Media Kit, for a schedule and a preview
of the 2010 Soldier Show, which can be localized to your location
“Who makes the decision about what the
Families are going to do? The spouses do…
So all my data about all my events is going
out to the spouses at home in their in-box.”
Melissa Schaffner, Fort Campbell Marketing
with show dates, times and sites. It also lists cast and crew members
and includes both bios and photos.
If your installation has a Soldier among the cast or crew, crafting
an article about that performer or technician—preferably before the
show comes to town—will give their friends, co-workers or members
of their unit, additional incentive to attend.
“If a cast or crew member comes from your hometown and they
have a great story, or were stationed at your Army garrison, you can
make that a bigger story,” Pollard said. “Play it up in your promotions
and play it up in your ads. That’s how you build a loyal fan base.
We want you to build loyal customers who will grow the fan base.
Remind readers and viewers that it’s their fellow Soldiers on stage or
behind the scenes making it happen.”
The media kit includes enough high-resolution photographs to
wrap around a preview article for a double-truck layout of a broad-
sheet or tabloid-style newspaper. By running material at least two
or three weeks prior to the show arriving at your installation, you’re
planting the seed. Remind readers again with shorter articles or stand-
alone photos as the performance date draws closer and use features
about local cast and crew the week of the show to peek interest again
and draw traffic through the doors.
This strategy worked well at Fort Campbell, where seating is
scarce, in spite of the fact the installation runs three shows over the
course of two days.
“We tease early, but really hit it hard on the days leading up to the
event,” said Melissa Schaffner, Fort Campbell’s Director of Family
and MWR.
“Generational research tells us people don’t make decisions about
what they are going to do until they see if something better is going
to come along, so you’ve got to keep hitting the audience with more
information in the 48 hours prior to the event. That’s something I
think is really important, especially when you’re talking about the 18
to 25-year-old market of Soldiers and young Families.”
In addition to cast and bios, the media kit found at www.
ArmyMWR.com also features information about Soldier Show
Summer 2010 PPEERRSSPPEECCTTI IVVEESS || 17
Summer2010
 operations, cast selection, history and sponsorship – all great
information for additional articles and publicity. While this is the
27th season of the modern era of the U.S. Army Soldier Show, many
in the military’s ever-changing demographic are not aware of what
the show is all about.
“We assume people know what the U.S. Army Soldier Show is,
but they do not,” Pollard said. “I can’t tell you the number of times
people have asked me, ‘What is the Soldier Show? It sounds kind of
boring. Is it a bunch of briefings or what is it?’ I think we’ve gotten
away from telling people what the Soldier Show is and we really need
to get back to the basics because we have a lot of turnover.”
“The people who came to the Soldier Show in 2000 either aren’t
coming any more or are loyal customers,” Pollard said. “But we need
to grow the base. So how do we get new customers?
“We have to remind everyone what it is again and make it exciting.
That’s my goal: to re-teach new audiences.”
Pollard says one audience often missed is right outside the
installation’s gates.
“Go out to recruiting stations and invite them to the Soldier
Show. Have them invite any recruiters or potential recruits who come
through. What a cool way to say, ‘Hey, are you thinking about joining
the Army? Come to our Soldier Show next Saturday night and see
what the Army is about, see talented Soldiers having fun in their
career.’ Open it up to your local community and invite high school
students and their Families.
“I always love bringing my friends and Family who don’t work for
Family and MWR to the show. When you bring someone from the
outside and watch their expressions and how excited they are about
those Soldiers, they walk out of the theater with a newfound pride
and they become new loyal customers.”
Another piece of the media kit explains the philosophy, mission
and history of FMWRC, which provides more programs and services
than most Soldiers and Family members realize. Information can also
be expanded upon and localized to promote several other programs
and activities on each and every installation, in addition to the Soldier
Show itself.
The venue’s walls, trophy cases and parking lots are all marketing
opportunities. If you get more folks to the U.S. Army Soldier Show,
you can lead them to more Family and MWR programs and activities.
“Put up a plasma TV in the lobby and roll digital signs of your
local events,” Pollard suggested. “Have a representative discuss
upcoming local events with people waiting in the lobby or put a flyer
in seats inviting audience members to a special event coming up at
your local garrison.”
Consider handing out coupons or samples. Promote everything…
for example, if you have a display under a tent advertising a Family
and MWR program or activity, remember to put a sign on the tent
itself saying “Rent this tent for your backyard event!”
Newspaper articles and posters are effective, but don’t forget to
approach local radio and television stations about public service
announcements for the show—particularly in smaller markets.
Social media is another avenue to promote the Soldier Show.
“In the few months I have had U.S. Army Fort Carson on
Facebook, we now have over 2,000 fans, and not all are from the
18 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
installation,” said Douglas Rule, the Public Affairs Command
Information Chief at Fort Carson, Colo. “We’re also using Twitter.
If you have video on YouTube, let the people know so they can link it
on their sites. The same goes for photos on Flickr.”
Rule also uses CSFreshInk.com, “where small talk is a big deal.” It
is produced by The Gazette, the daily newspaper in Colorado Springs.
The Denver Post has a similar site called YourHub.com, an on-line
newspaper of sorts that is becoming increasingly popular.
“We can do stories – they call them blogs – right on major news
sources’ websites,” Rule said.
Incorporate side campaigns, such as the Army Family and
Community Covenants, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, and I. A.M.
STRONG—the latter two of which are 2010 U.S. Army Soldier
Show sponsors—to give another angle to the pre-event coverage.
Play snippets on garrison television programming, or run your
own PowerPoint™ or video presentations on large screen TVs
wherever people are standing in line at facilities.
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers is a big supporter of the
Soldier Show. Get them involved by asking them to pitch in and help
promote the show through their communications channels.
The local Family Readiness Support Assistant should also be
called upon to help promote the event.
“Go to the lead person on top of all those garrison FRSAs,”
Schaffner said. “I e-mail her every press release and every flier –
getting information to her digitally – and then she shoots it out to
all the other brigades, which goes to the battalions, which goes to the
companies, which gets out to the FRG leaders, and they send it on
to their POCs.”
“Who makes the decision about what the Families are going to
do? The spouses do,” Schaffner explained. “So all my data about all
my events is going out to the spouses at home in their in-box by
sending it to one person, and that’s the lead FRSA because she has
the connections to all those FRG leaders via e-mail. It goes out like
crazy. Pretty cool stuff. You just have to know who that person is and
SPC David Plasterer of Camp Hovey, Korea, and PFC Andrew Clouse
of Fort Gordon, Ga., perform “Walking on Sunshine” during rehearsal
at Wallace Theater on Fort Belvoir, Va.
Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs
 now we just say ‘first-come, first-served,’
and they start lining up out the door. We
have to have fire department and police
MARKETING TIPS FOR PROMOTING THE support all around our theater for traffic
control and to make sure the line is not out
S O L D I E R S H O W O N Y O U R I N S TA L L AT I O N in the street. It’s huge,” Schaffner added.
After all, it is a free show, and where
• Cross-promote with other Family and MWR programs on your garrison.
offered, concessions are usually affordable.
• Feature local cast and crew members in articles, posters and advertisements. When it comes to concessions,
• Run stories or photos in the garrison paper every week before the show, up to consider offering them discounted or
three weeks in advance. free: what better way to lure away die-
hard fans of major pizza chains than with
• Use social media to reach the younger audiences.
samples and coupons for the on-post
• Remember, not everyone knows what the show is. Educate your customers. establishments?
• Invite recruiters: Encourage them to invite potential recruits or local JROTC Do not forget to lean on the Defense
units. Commissary Agency and Army and Air
Force Exchange Service to help promote
• Ask locally-owned radio stations or local cable stations to run PSAs.
the show in stores and gas stations on post.
• Use major media’s smaller outlets—including online calendars and blogs. Ask to have the show announced over the
• Involve the local Family Readiness Group leaders. intercom to shoppers.
“This year, for the first time, we’re
• Offer free or discounted concessions.
putting up a poster in all of the AAFES
• Put up posters everywhere, including AAFES, the Commissary and franchised facilities, funded and distributed from
retail and food activities on post. headquarters,” Pollard said. “That’s
• Ask off-post civilian establishments to display posters. something new. But local marketers can
take it a step further, especially if they’re
• Use relationships with sponsors.
willing to do the leg work.”
When the Soldier Show is coming,
customers shouldn’t be able to walk into
a Family and MWR facility anywhere
on post without seeing a poster,” Pollard
“… people don’t make decisions about what they are going to do said. “It takes time, and effort, and a little
until they see if something better is going to come along, so you’ve money to print the posters, but it’s worth
got to keep hitting them with it in the 48 hours prior to the event.” the effort—especially if you use this as an
opportunity to cross promote other Family
and MWR programs and activities.
Melissa Schaffner, Marketing Director, Fort Campbell Off-post businesses will also proudly
display Soldier Show posters. The use of
make them a friend. It’s about relationship building.” electronic marquees to greet people as they
VIP performances should be pitched as such, but don’t forget to drive onto nearly every installation is another great way to promote
make sure the rest of the community is still fully aware of the the Soldier Show. Of course, there is always word of mouth.
opportunity. Don’t offend or frighten away people by making a big “We underestimate a personal invitation,” Pollard said. “Having
deal about the VIP treatment, and never list seating as being “limited.” employees personally invite customers is huge – and don’t forget to
If a potential patron is waffling on attending, the perception of an use RecTrac to send customers a ‘Save the Date’ message.”
overflow crowd and/or limited seating will sway the decision against Bottom line: it is up to you and yours to help pack the house.
you. Then you can relax and enjoy the show, all the while knowing you
Schaffner learned this lesson the hard way. did your part to support the U.S. Army Soldier Show and your other
“We have a 700-seat theater and we usually get three shows out of installation Family and MWR programs, too.
the Soldier Show and we are pretty much full every time.” Schaffner “It’s a free night out,” Schaffner concluded. “And you feel good
said. “In the past, we ticketed it by giving out free business card-sized about your country. Hooah!”
tickets through our Leisure Travel office in the main PX so people
knew they had guaranteed seats.
“But people took tickets and then something better came along
and they didn’t go, and that left empty seats. So instead of ticketing, For more information visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com

Summer 2010 PPEERRSSPPEECCTTI IVVEESS || 19

Summer2010
 Fort Benning Rolls Out
Operation Excellence
MG Michael Ferriter explains the importance of Operation Excellence during a Family and MWR
employee training session at Fort Benning.
Courtesy photo
F
ort Benning’s Family and MWR
Directorate recently rolled out
Operation Excellence, providing
managers and key personnel an
initial one-day intensive training session
geared toward providing first-class service.
Following a philosophy of leadership,
teamwork and problem-solving resulting
in continuous improvement, Operation
Excellence focuses on the needs of the
customer by empowering employees and
optimizing existing activities.
Providing excellent service to Soldiers
and Families falls right in line with Fort
Benning’s Commanding General, MG
Michael Ferriter’s post mission priorities
of enhancing the quality of life for Soldiers
and Families, operating in a climate of
teamwork, discipline, standards and safety,
while demonstrating inspired leadership.
20 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
Donna Hyatt
Ft. Benning Marketing
“When I go into any place on Fort
Benning, whether it’s a training site,
shoppette, one of the clubs or wherever I go,
I always look at that place from the eyes of a
Private,” said Ferriter, speaking to members
of one training session. “These men and
women are the best in the country and so
are you. They deserve dignity and respect,
energy and enthusiasm from our actions. I
also want you to realize that the day is more
fun when we’re having fun.”
By stressing the need to continually
improve by forging a stronger teamwork
atmosphere, Operation Excellence relies
heavily on customer feedback. The
Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE)
system is strongly promoted on post.
“We’ve had ICE, Mystery Shoppers and
detailed service guidance for years,” said Al
Gelineau, Fort Benning’s Family and MWR
Director, “but Operation Excellence is far
more comprehensive than any training we’ve
ever held before.”
Mystery Shoppers, or anonymous
community members who evaluate and
report on service they receive from garrison
Family and MWR programs, have been
an intergral part of Fort Benning’s MWR
program.
Following the “shop,” evaluators
complete an electronic report that compares
the customer’s evaluation to comparable
commercial establishments and provides the
results to the garrison.
Empathy and providing service beyond
the norm is stressed repeatedly throughout
the training. Operation Excellence
emphasizes continuous improvement which
not only develops quality human relations
but also reduces operational cost and waste,
without affecting quality and timely delivery
of the products and services.
According to Sherri Coreano, Fort
Benning’s first Customer Service
Coordinator, the initial session trained
approximately one tenth of Fort Benning’s
850+ Family and MWR personnel.
Centrally funded by FMWRC and
strategically placed across 30 Army
garrisons, the goals of the Family and MWR
Customer Service Program are increased
customer participation and satisfaction,
higher employee job satisfaction, retention of
high-performing employees and continued
employee engagement and commitment.
Immediate plans are to have every
Family and MWR employee on post take
part in the initial training by the end of the
calendar year. Additional training and a
Family and MWR Employee and Customer
Covenant signing are projected to occur later
in the year.
For more information contact Donna Hyatt, Fort Benning
Marketing Office, donna.hyatt@conus.army.mil

Award-winning Stable Theater
Brings Broadway to Germany
By Simon Hupfer
USAG Bamberg, Marketing
and Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs
T
he U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg Stable Theater is
known for its award-winning productions. During last
year’s Tournament of Plays Awards Ceremony, the
theater’s March production of “Once on this Island”
received 22 nominations and five awards.
The Topper golden statues are coveted prizes, awarded annually
to individuals and ensembles from Installation Management
Command-Europe theaters.
About 60 years ago, though, the old brick building held the stables
for the prize-winning horses of COL Claus von Stauffenberg’s
German 17th Cavalry Regiment while he was stationed there during
World War II. Stauffenberg, one of the officers who attempted to
assassinate Hitler, was played by Tom Cruise in the film, Operation
Valkyrie, produced by United Artists, 2008.
Rather than the stamping of hooves on cobblestones, the sounds
heard today upon entering might be the tickling of 88s as a pianist
runs up and down the scales.
With posters and flyers lining the old walls, a visitor passing an
office, which could have been a tack room for the cavalry, might
hear Jack Austin, Entertainment Director, discussing the cast of the
upcoming musical “The King and I” with co-worker James Fredrick.
The little jewel case for American theater and musical culture,
Production still from the Stable Theater
production, “Emma.”
Photo courtesy of the Stable Theater
“Our volunteers sometimes lose
themselves here; they enjoy just
immersing in the work. People
tell me they feel at home and
welcome here. I think because
we offer a creative freedom
people don’t find very easily
in their everyday lives.”
Jack Austin, Entertainment Director
then, has two unique histories.
“We really exist by about 100 volunteers who support our shows
as actors, technicians, set builders and costume designers,” Austin
said. Every year he and the ‘Stable Theater Family’, as he calls it, put
together four to six shows.
“These shows are really our bread and butter,” Austin said.
“The most rewarding aspect about my job is that we can do
something to impact these Families and Soldiers,” Austin said. “Our
volunteers sometimes lose themselves here; they enjoy just immersing
in the work. People tell me they feel at home and welcome here. I
think because we offer a creative freedom people don’t find very easily
in their everyday lives.”
The recreational benefit of being part of this creative Family can’t
be over-estimated, according to Austin.
“We had a Soldier approach me before he left Bamberg. He
thanked us effusively, and said we probably saved his life. He had
obviously gone through some difficult times, but here, being
appreciated among fellow performers helped him; here he succeeded
and felt part of a great team,” Austin said.
It took Austin some time to realize the importance of appreciating
his volunteers as customers, “the second, maybe the first side of my
customer base”, as he puts it. The other, of course, is the audience
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 21
 Production still from the Stable Theater production of “Once on this Island.”
Photo courtesy of the Stable Theater

that comes to see the shows, to take instrument lessons, or to use the just recently, the Gospel Tour “Lift Up your Spirit”.
practice rooms or the new fully equipped recording studio. “We documented 24,000 contact hours in the last twelve
When Austin, 52, became the Entertainment Director for Family months—face time with our customers—with a staff of two,”
and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at U.S. Army Garrison Austin said with pride. Being proud of the community’s talent also
Bamberg, Germany, in 2001, he came over as a dependant. His wife manifests itself in the record that Bamberg Stable Theater holds:
had accepted a job as a therapist with the Army, so he stayed home Thirteen Topper Awards—the U.S. Army’s Oscar for entertainment
and took care of their two daughters. productions—decorate the Theater’s entry area for their production
“I was actually ‘Mr. Mom’ at that time,” Austin said. of “Little Women” in 2007.
As a certified architect and operations director of a mid-sized The seed for the high quality standard was planted partly by the
design firm, he was involved in designing performing arts theaters First Infantry Division Band stationed in Bamberg until 2006. But
around Philadelphia. On occasion, he also the talent came from outside the band, before
played the piano, bass or percussion in local Thirteen Topper Awards— and since.
theater productions. His skills as musician, the U.S. Army’s Oscar for “We are always awed by the talent that
designer and carpenter were welcomed at the entertainment productions— comes through Bamberg. And just when it
theater in Bamberg where he volunteered for seems so many are moving out, a new group
decorate the Theater’s entry
about a year before applying for his current arrives. We are working hard to keep the good
position. area for their production of reputation we have built since shortly before I
“Steven Schwartz’s “Pippin” was the first “Little Women” in 2007. arrived. In fact, one of our own, CPT Donald
show I saw on Broadway, the one that lit my Williamson, won 2nd place in the 2009
fire for musical theater. So it was also the first show we did here in Operation Rising Star,” Austin said.
Bamberg when I took charge of the entertainment operation,” Austin When reaching out for new performers for the Stable Theater
said. “The show was a success and a rewarding experience.” Family in the Bamberg community, he reveals his recipe for success:
Today, organizing and running special events like the Soldier “It’s not so much the number of programs and the amount of
Show or 4th of July celebrations also fall within his and assistant money you spend on your productions. It’s providing the opportunity
James Fredrick’s lane, as well as taking care of the bands that tour and the freedom for people who meet here to create something great
military installations, including artists such as ‘Crunk,’ rapper LiL together.”
Jon, country rock singer Edwin McCain, fun punk band LIT and, For more information: StableTheater@eur.army.mil

22 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
 Youth Baseball Team Adopts Deployed
Lieutenant as Honorary Coach
A
s a disabled veteran of the
United States Army, Tom
Melani is always looking for
ways to show his support to
deployed military personnel overseas.
That is why, when he got the idea from
the National Alliance for Youth Sports
(NAYS) to adopt a deployed military
member from his community to serve as his
team’s honorary coach, he acted quickly to
get his team involved.
Melani had already become friendly with
Bryan Schmidt, a friend of his neighbor who
happened to be a First Lieutenant serving in
Iraq with the U.S. Army, and was eager to
show his appreciation any way he could.
Melani named Schmidt the “Honorary
Military Coach” of his 7- to 8-year-old
Rookie Dodgers from the Longwood, Fla.,
Babe Ruth baseball league. Along with
receiving care packages full of useful supplies
and being included on all team emails,
“Coach Schmidt” has been communicating
with the Rookie Dodgers through the team’s
Facebook group, where he receives game
recaps and updates on everyone’s progress.
“Bryan is good friends with my neighbor
and has become a friend of mine,” said
Melani. “He was selected after I talked about
this with my neighbor and we thought that
Bryan would benefit from our support. He
was deployed to Iraq soon after getting
married last year.”
In an effort to provide support and boost
morale to deployed individuals overseas,
NAYS has been urging its member
communities to recognize local individuals
who are deployed overseas by adopting them
as an honorary coach and sending team
updates and care packages throughout the
season.
This practice is especially meaningful for
youth sports coaches or parents who may
have been deployed midseason – or in
Reprinted with permission
National Organization for Youth Sports
Melani’s case, for a friend from the local
community.
“The team and parents have embraced
this wonderful initiative and they are
enjoying learning about what Coach
Schmidt is doing over there for our country,”
Melani said.
The Rookie Dodgers have already sent
Coach Schmidt two care packages, which
included candy, beef jerky, a baseball, granola
bars, chips, baby wipes, gum, personally
written letters from the team and a team
jersey with his name on it. In fact, the team
is collecting so many goods that three more
packages are scheduled to be shipped
“We want to spread the goodies out,”
Melani said.
Melani added Schmidt’s name to the
Rookie Dodgers team banner as their
“Honorary Military Coach,” which they
hang on the dugout for their games. They
also hang a picture of Coach Schmidt in
the dugout so that he is with them during
games.
Both honored and humbled by the
actions of Melani and his youngsters, in
return Schmidt sent each team member an
Iraqi postcard, a handwritten letter and a
100 Iraqi Dinari note – which is equivalent
to about 25 cents.
“He also mentioned the program to his
platoon sergeant and asked if we could adopt
some of the younger Soldiers who could use
a morale boost,” Melani said.
This community-wide effort provides a
unique way to stay in touch with deployed
individuals, as well as provides teams with a
meaningful and productive activity. Melani
and his Rookie Dodgers are setting such
a wonderful example throughout their
community that they are motivating other
teams in their league to participate as well.
Longwood Babe Ruth provides baseball,
T-ball and softball for more than 700 boys
and girls living in the cities of Longwood,
Lake Mary, Oviedo and Sanford.
“My goal is to get 100 percent
participation from our league,” Melani said.
“I have contacted a local National Guard
Commander to gather the names of more
Soldiers who recently were deployed to
Iraq. As soon as they settle in and send their
addresses, I will be passing the names out to
each team to give them the opportunity to
participate.”
NAYS encourages all of its chapters
follow the lead of the Rookie Dodgers of
Longwood Babe Ruth by supporting a
“The team and parents have
embraced this wonderful
initiative and they are
enjoying learning about what
Coach Schmidt is doing over
there for our country.”
Tom Melani
deployed
deployed individual
individual from fro
their community.
This wonderful initiative is just another
example of how positive youth sports can
not only be beneficial for participating
youth, but also for entire communities.
For information on how to adopt a
deployed service member from your
community contact the National Alliance
for Youth Sports (NAYS) at (800) 688-
KIDS or email ashilling@nays.org
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 23
 Army Recreation Excellence:
Why You Should and Can Achieve Accreditation
T
he Commission for the
Accreditation of Park and
Recreation Agencies (CAPRP)
is a program administratively
sponsored by the National Recreation and
Park Association (NRPA). According to the
NRPA, CAPRA accreditation is “a credible
and efficient means” for recreation agencies,
including those within the Department
of Defense, to ensure they are achieving
their goals “...while providing assurance to
the public that the agency meets national
standards of best practice.”
There are currently 90 accredited park
and recreation agencies in the United States,
including four under the Department of
Defense, all of which are Army Community
Recreation Divisions: Fort Leavenworth,
Ks., Fort Carson, Colo., Fort Knox, Ky., and
“We were looking for a way to
benchmark our operations with those
of municipalities to provide credibility
and consistency. The CAPRA
accreditation process provided the
opportunity to measure our operations
using the same national standards as
those used by municipal recreation.”
Marcy Stennes, ACSIM
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii.
According to the NRPA, national
standards for accreditation were developed
in 1989 by a special committee, and the
CAPRA was created in 1993 to administer
the accreditation program. An adaptation
of the standards specific to the Army was
approved in 1999. In 2008, a similar set of
24 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
by Ronald Locklar,
Matt Enoch, MPA, CPRP,
and Mark Wicker
standards was approved for all Department
of Defense agencies.
Marcy Stennes, who played a pivotal role
in spurring the Army’s involvement with
CAPRA, recalls:
“We began the CAPRA accreditation
process for the Community Recreation
programs as a follow-on for the Recreation
Delivery System (RDS). Since the RDS
was based on many of the principles
employed by municipal recreation programs,
we were looking for a way to benchmark
our operations with those of municipalities
to provide credibility and consistency. The
CAPRA accreditation process provided the
opportunity to measure our operations using
the same national standards as those used
by municipal recreation, and it served as an
indicator of quality services and programs
provided by Community Recreation.”
Fort Monmouth, Fort Leavenworth and
Fort Carson were selected as accreditation
pilot sites and completed the process
successfully. Fort Carson and Fort
Leavenworth recently achieved their five
year reaccreditation (Fort Monmouth lost
their community recreation program due to
the Army’s Base Realignment and Closure
initiative). Fort Knox became the first non-
pilot site to achieve accreditation in 2007,
with USAG Hawaii following in 2009.
There are substantial benefits realized
from going through the CAPRA process.
Some are tangible, such as the improvement
in management processes and increase in
efficiency, both of which save time and
money. Some are more intrinsic, like
the increase in pride your team members
experience.
Randy Moore, Director of Family and
MWR at Fort Knox, Kentucky, says, “I
knew, even before we went through the
CAPRA process, that we had a very solid
community recreation program. However, I
was pleased at all of the benefits the process
rendered; our efficiency, customer service,
team member pride, and management
processes improved to a degree we would not
have seen had we not challenged ourselves to
become accredited. You owe it to yourself as
a recreation professional, your team members
and your community to meet the CAPRA
standards and achieve accreditation.”
Our customers deserve the best we can
offer. The seal of accreditation is stamped
only on agencies that have proven to meet a
specified standard of quality and efficiency.
Community members are not lacking in
appreciation for solid, professional use of
their resources.
Another important factor to consider is
credibility amongst our peers. An increase
in funding is not a promise of accreditation.
However, when competing for limited
garrison or region resources for projects,
allocators look for reasons to approve
certain projects over others. Accreditation
could become a contributing factor in
such decisions. Accreditation has certainly
factored into the annual Army recreation
awards program; the past two awardees for
Large Installation Program of the Year have
been the two most recent recipients of the
CAPRA seal.
Other Family and MWR programs,
There are currently ninety accredited
park and recreation agencies in the
United States, including four under the
Department of Defense, all of which
are Army Community Recreation
Divisions: Fort Leavenworth, Ks., Fort
Carson, Colo., Fort Knox, Ky., and U.S.
Army Garrison Hawaii.

including Child, Youth and School
Services and Family Programs, team with
Community Recreation to provide the array
of programs and services for which our
communities rely. While one cannot claim a
higher level of significance than another, as
we each provide critical programs and CYSS
and FP are each required to achieve and
maintain accreditation at the installation
level.
According to Alecia R. Grady and Stan
Lawson from Family Programs at the
headquarters level, accreditation “…ensures
consistency in programs and service delivery
at all ACS Centers throughout the Army.
Soldiers and Family members can except to
receive the same level of service, whether they
are at a small, medium or large installation.”
CYSS and ACS require accreditation
because their services are recognized as so
important that it is critical to ensure they are
being delivered at such a specified level of
quality at the installation level. Community
Recreation leaders at the installation should
see the same value in their programs and
services.
Does your garrison have a great recreation
program that meets the needs of the
community at a high level of quality? Until
you validate your Community Recreation
Division against the CAPRA standards,
there is no sure way to know. Achieving
accreditation will allow you the privilege
of promoting to the community that your
CRD is as fundamentally solid as any other
recreation agency in the country.
According to COL Matthew T.
Margotta, USAG Hawaii Garrison
Commander, “as every operational
commander is taught early in his career…
you must have the ability to ‘see yourself.’
You must fully understand; what are your
capabilities, what are your strengths, what
are your weaknesses, and most importantly
in the Garrison business, are you providing
the services and support that your Soldiers,
Families and community members need and
desire? The CAPRA accreditation process
did that for us.
“It allowed for an in-depth look at every
service, every support program and every
initiative that we offered,” he continued.
“It made us ask all the right questions: Is it
needed? Is it wanted? Is it value added? Are
we meeting our community’s expectations?
“The answers to these questions are now
helping us shape our programs to do what
every customer service organization should
do… meet the needs of their customers,”
Margotta said.
It is not possible to achieve accreditation
without the involvement of team members
across the CRD. CAPRA provides a
tremendous training opportunity for future
leaders, as we rely on them to create SOP’s,
locate documentation, write answers to
Soldiers participate in a Warrior Adventure
Quest activity at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Photo courtesy of USAG Hawaii
standards, assist in the hosting of official
visitors and accomplish whatever else is
required. When accreditation is granted
and the “CAPRA Crystal” is brought
home, they will feel a sense of pride. Your
team members will recognize the CAPRA
seal in their flyers and in their facilities as
something they helped achieve. They will
serve as proud promoters in explaining what
that symbol means when your community
members inquire about it.
“The second, and equally important
benefit to the CAPRA accreditation
process, was its usefulness as a professional
development tool for our employees,”
Margotta said. “Over the past several years,
we at USAG Hawaii have made a concerted
effort to encourage an environment of ‘fresh
ideas’ in staffing our Family and MWR
programs. We are bringing in new people
who bring with them innovative ideas and
an abundance of energy. This has turned
out to be a tremendously powerful initiative
and reinvigorated the Family and MWR
Directorate.”
“The downside to this is that many of
these new employees are un-trained or
unaware of the many business and program
aspects of our service. For example, they don’t
know how the system works,” he continued.
“By going through the very detailed CAPRA
accreditation process that looks at not only
every program you offer, but how you do it
from a business and efficiency standpoint,
the education provided to the newest
members of our workforce was invaluable.
In essence, we created an ability to ‘grow our
own’ leaders through this process.”
Going through this process will improve
not only the CRD, but the entire Family
and MWR Directorate. The CRD staff can
review, evaluate or renew outdated SOP’s,
policies, regulations and other guidance. The
staff also develops a plan for promoting the
benefits of recreation programs and services.
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 25
 This plan, if executed properly, will serve to
feed community members and leadership
the truth of the importance of CRD.
Although training requirements abound,
leaders must ensure employee training plans,
such as individual development plans, are in
place and current. For multiple aspects of
CRD operation, ensure you are doing the
right things and that they are being done
correctly.
Much like cleaning a cluttered closet,
CAPRA helps to identify procedures,
policies, facilities and equipment in need
of change. A more efficient CRD will
result, which will allow for a reallocation of
time and money to meet the community’s
expectations.
As professional achievements go, there is
great satisfaction in successful accreditation
of your CRD. You will have earned the right
to bear the seal, wear the pin and join an elite
group of recreation professionals.
Perhaps the greatest feature of successful
accreditation is the opportunity to recognize
your team members who made it happen.
Very few opportunities exist that will allow
your team members the moment to celebrate
like champions—CAPRA achievement is
one.
When you commit to achieving CAPRA,
you will not be alone. Representatives from
other accredited installations can help. They
A young Family member learns how to swim during summer camp at Fort Bragg.
MWR File Photo
26 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
“Recreation for the Army is not just
a luxury, it is mission essential. We
are helping our customers, the men
and women who defend our freedom,
maintain mental alertness, emotional
stability, physical readiness, spiritual
completeness and a well-balanced life.”
Krystal McGee, Special Events and
Program Team Director at
Fort Leonard Wood
most likely will share files, answer questions,
possibly conduct a site visit, or whatever
they can do to help you. Representatives
from FMWRC will conduct a site visit to
ensure you are ready for the official visit.
Any question or uncertainty you may have
has most likely been raised and successfully
addressed in the past. We’re all together
in this and there is no need to reinvent the
wheel, so rely on the experience of accredited
CRDs.
One of the more challenging aspects of
the CAPRA process is the uncertainty
in knowing if the prepared answers and
supporting documentation are going to be
accepted by the official visitors. In debating
what will work with the other team members,
significant time may center on figuring out
what will and will not be accepted, rather
than what really addresses the requirements
of the standard.
Much of this worry can be rested by
simply relying on precedent. What has
worked to satisfy the threshold of acceptance
at one installation will work at another. We
are unique, yet much the same. CAPRA, for
Army Recreation, is no longer an unknown
frontier. It has been explored and the map to
success is available.
In serving the Army, it may seem like
there is a regulation for everything, which
frustrates many of our ideas and initiatives.
However, it gives us a significant advantage
with CAPRA because many of the standards
can be addressed by simply citing Army
Regulations, DoD Directives, or Field
Manuals.
The skills necessary to achieve
accreditation are not exclusive to your CRD
leadership. Sufficient talent for writing,
research and problem solving rests in the
front lines at your physical fitness centers,
recreation programming team, aquatics
center, recreation center, etc. Tap into this
wealth of talent and you will likely be pleased
at the support you get for the CAPRA effort
or any other important challenge in which
the CRD is engaged.
In summary, the CAPRA process
consists of writing narratives that explain
how your CRD meets each of the nearly 150
standards—and providing documentation
that supports the narratives. The narratives
are compiled into a self-assessment report.
Official visitors stay at the installation for
a few days to review narratives and
supporting documentation. They produce a
report for the CAPRA board to review. The
board then relies heavily upon your input in
making the decision to grant accreditation.
CRD representatives sit before the
CAPRA Board at either the annual NRPA
Mid-Year Legislative Forum or the annual
NRPA Congress and Exposition, at which
Accreditation has certainly factored
into the annual Army Recreation
Awards Program. The past two awardees
for Large Installation Program of the
Year have been the two most recent
recipients of the CAPRA seal.
time accreditation is confirmed or denied.
CAPRA requires a stern commitment—
there will be extra time outside the bounds
of the typical workday for those involved
with the process. However, this is not a
good excuse to forgo the benefits of pursuing
accreditation.
“Recreation for the Army is not just a
luxury, it is mission essential. We are
helping our customers, the men and women
who defend our freedom, maintain mental
alertness, emotional stability, physical
readiness, spiritual completeness and a
well-balanced life. We can’t offer anything
less than the best services if we are going
to sustain our country’s finest and their
Families,” said Krystal McGee, Special
Events and Program Team Director at Fort
Leonard Wood.
“CAPRA accreditation is the measuring
tool for recreation,” McGee said. “It is
helping us to identify practices and processes
that need improvements as well as validating
our programs and services. It will hold
us accountable to meeting our customer’s
needs. The process is all about promoting
teambuilding among our staff and giving
them buy-in to provide the best customer
service possible. I expect CAPRA will not
only give us credibility, but will help us be
a highly functioning organization with the
highest quality programs.”
It is best to begin with a commitment
from all involved to see the process through
to the end. For that decision to be made,
you must complete a thorough review of
the nearly 150 standards and an assessment
of where the CRD stands in meeting the
standards. It is not necessary to be able to
meet every standard at the time the process
begins, but it is crucial that you create a
realistic timeline to ensure completion of all
necessary work in time for the official visit.
For example, the CRD may not have a
community inventory, which is a requirement
of one of the standards. However, you will
have several months to complete one and
produce it as evidence of compliance with
the standard. What must be avoided is
beginning the process while having too many
things to create in order to be in compliance.
If the CRD is not ready, it is best to hold
off on pursuing CAPRA until the sufficient
policies, documents, plans, etc., are in place.
Once you make a commitment, submit a
preliminary application, which includes
a fee to CAPRA. FMWRC will be a
partner in this, as their CR staff will assist
in completing the application and provide
funds. Once the application is submitted,
the CRD has twenty-four months to achieve
accreditation.
The next step is to develop a plan for
success. This plan will need to detail the
process for writing narratives, how to
organize supporting documentation, who
will be responsible for which standards,
etc. Do not begin addressing standards and
gathering documentation without a plan.
This process is very detailed and requires
focus.
After completing narratives and
compiling supporting documentation,
publish and distribute the official CRD self-
assessment report to CAPRA, the official
visitors, and FMWRC for review. You
will be asked to submit the self assessment
several weeks in advance of the official visit
to give the visitors a chance to review it and
notify you if there are any serious problems.
Next is the official visit. NRPA selects
the official visitors—usually three. One
experienced visitor is chosen to serve as the
visit chair. In previous Army official visits,
FMWRC provides one visitor. Several weeks
prior to the visit the chair will contact you to
begin coordinating logistical requirements.
They will review files and documentation
and will give you the opportunity to address
their questions or concerns. When they are
finished with the review, they will meet with
you to report their findings.
If the visitors do not have any major
concerns, the final step is to attend the next
accreditation hearing. This is where the
CAPRA Board will make the decision to
grant accreditation, accredit with conditions,
defer their decision, or deny accreditation.
Once accredited, the CRD must submit an
annual report to CAPRA and complete a
re-accreditation every five years.
Fort Knox was the first non-pilot site to
pursue and achieve accreditation. They
identified accreditation as an objective of
their Recreation Delivery System (RDS)
strategic plan, but did not start the process
until they received a management trainee
who took it on as his major project in February
2007. The management trainee served as
the project leader and worked exclusively
on writing answers to the standards and
locating supporting documentation.
Because of the expedient nature in which
the work was being competed, the decision
was made to schedule the official visit for
July, which would allow the Fort Knox CRD
staff to present their formal accreditation
request to the CAPRA Board of Directors at
the NRPA Annual Congress in September.
Sandy Nordenhold, FMWRC
Community Recreation Chief and Mike
DeRose, Southeast Region Recreation
Program Manager, came to Fort Knox for
a pre-visit in June. Even though all of the
work had not been completed before the
pre-visit, Nordenhold and DeRose reviewed
the files and provided feedback on how to
improve the answers and documentation.
Between the pre and official visits, a core
team comprised of the project leader, CRD
Chief, CRD Program Analyst, and the RDS
Team Lead met several times to review
each of the nearly 150 files and collectively
improve them until everyone agreed with
the final versions.
The three official CAPRA visitors
reviewed Fort Knox’s work and determined
it ready for CAPRA review. At the NRPA
Congress, the CAPRA Board of Directors
granted the Fort Knox CRP official
accreditation.
USAG Hawaii made the decision to
pursue CAPRA in December 2008 with
the intent of achieving accreditation
at the October 2009 NRPA Congress.
Accreditation had long been an objective
of the CRD Chief, and after discussing the
opportunity and what it entailed with his
CRD’s leaders, they commenced the journey.
There are very close ties between the
USAG Hawaii and Fort Knox CRDs
and there was much dialogue between
the two throughout the process at USAG
Hawaii. However, there were also many
differences in the strategy employed. The
biggest difference was that the work was
decentralized to a much greater degree.
The person who led the effort at Fort Knox
took a position with USAG Hawaii as the
Recreation Center Program Manager, and
was again appointed as the CAPRA Project
Manager.
Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S | 27

A Fort Knox Soldier goes potato bowling at the Shamrock Shackfest.
Rocker II Club, Fort Knox, KY
Photo by Jo Beth Adkins
However, at Fort Knox, CAPRA was his
only job. In this case, he had a full-time job
running a recreation center, so it was necessary
to delegate the standards to a group of highly
capable CRD team members, which became
the CAPRA Team. The CAPRA Team met
weekly between January and May to review
the work progress. At each meeting they
went through as many standards as possible
to review and collectively approve narratives
and documentation.
The team finished the self-assessment
report in early May and requested a June
official visit. The CRD Chief, CAPRA
Project Manager, and Garrison Commander
met with the CAPRA Board at the NRPA
Annual Congress in October and received
official accreditation. The presence of the
Garrison Commander at the accreditation
and his support throughout the process
was a remarkable example of buy-in to
the CAPRA process at the very top of
installation leadership.
Buy-in from the Family and MWR
Director and Garrison Commander is key
to success. There is a significant amount
of information and assistance needed
from other Family and MWR divisions
and Garrison offices. They are important
28 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
partners in delivering recreation programs
and services. Hopefully, most of the requests
made for assistance with CAPRA will be
met with a “no problem” attitude. However,
in some instances you may experience
resistance. For that reason, the Family and
MWR Director or Garrison Commander
must support the effort enough to be willing
to clear such obstacles.
In making the case for CAPRA support
to leadership, present the numerous
benefits the process will yield. Promote
improvements in efficiency, team unity,
improvement of programs and services for
the community, and the establishment of
professionalism and credibility. Convince
them that this process requires tremendous
commitment and support, but the payoff
will exceed the investment.
Give leadership and visitors what they
want and expect. For example, if a standard
requires you to have a rock in a box, you
should write a simple narrative explaining
that you have a rock in a box. If you don’t
already have a rock in a box, find a rock, put
it in a box and make it available as evidence
of compliance with the standard. Do not go
out and purchase a gold nugget, place it in
an expensive box and wrap it up in ribbons
and bows with the hopes of impressing the
visitors. They just want to see a rock in the
box.
On the other hand, keep in mind that
the visitors are very experienced personnel.
Do not attempt to pass anything off other
than legitimate examples of bona fide
compliance with the standards. No matter
how much documentation and evidence you
provide, if it doesn’t meet the standard, it
will not pass.
Frequent and close coordination is
necessary between you, FMWRC and the
visitors in arranging travel and lodging.
FMWRC will prepare travel orders and you
will need to work with them on scheduling
their fights and ensuring their tickets get
issued by the government travel office.
Do not over schedule the visitors for
activities while they are at your installation.
You want to prepare activities for them, such
as facilities to visit and places to eat, but you
must be flexible. Their number one priority
will be reviewing your files and writing their
report.
Preparing for the official visit is much
like recreation program planning; you
must be ready to adjust when things don’t
go as planned. For example, if your team
members are having difficulty coming to
agreement on how best to address a specific
standard, prepare two sets of answers
and documentation. If an official visitor
disagrees with one way it was answered,
another answer will be ready.
The journey through the process that
leads to accreditation promises benefits
such as increases in efficiency, team
member spirit, credibility, validity, and
improvements in management processes.
It is a feat that is entirely achievable with
the resources available and the willingness
of other installations to lend a hand. It is
a professional responsibility to meet these
standards as part of keeping the promise to
provide the best recreation programs and
services possible.
For more information: Paul Rohler, FMWRC
Soldier Programs/Community Recreation Director,
paul.rohler@us.army.mil
 Army’s Entertainment Summit Brings
Music Industry Pros Together
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs

T
he Army Entertainment involved in war and the accumulated stress In 1917, Irving Berlin provided rallying
Division recently brought of nearly nine years of persistent conflict is and rousing patriotic music for Soldiers and
music industry professionals to what keeps the Chief of Staff, GEN George civilians as troop entertainment became an
a round table at the Family and Casey awake at night,” FMWRC Deputy to essential morale booster during World War I.
MWR Command for advice on producing the Commanding General, J.C. Abney told During World War II, draftees provided
quality, cost-effective entertainment. the gathered entertainment pros. the talent and inspiration of Berlin’s
“We’ve asked you to come here today “We have the Army Family Covenant, Broadway Soldier Show, “This Is The
because we’re looking to do things better for health counseling, CYSS, but in times of Army.” By 1943, Special Services companies
the Soldiers,” AED Program Manager, Tim deployment or downtime, the Soldiers and prepared scripts for musical revues in
Higdon, told 26 promoters, agents and DoD their Families also need entertainment. booklets entitled “Soldier Shows Blueprint
partners in the entertainment industry, as Our goal is to deliver a quality of life Specials – By the Men… for the Men in the
well as three IMCOM garrison and region commensurate to the service they are Service.”
representatives. providing those of us lucky enough to have Today, AED is the largest producer of
AED wants to make sure Soldiers have freedom and remain safe in our homes at live entertainment in the world, with Army
the opportunity to be entertained by night,” Abney said. community theaters staging more than 900
Soldiers, wants to coordinate opportunities Soldier-generated entertainment traces productions annually for audiences totaling
with entertainment resources, streamline its origins back to the American Revolution a quarter of a million.
the process for execution of available and the Civil War, with camp shows springing Soldiers carry on the tradition of
options, explore best practices from up in companies, battalions and other units “entertainment for the Soldier, by the
industry perspectives, provide expertise with volunteer Soldier entertainers. Soldier” through the Soldier Show, the Army
and formulated action steps for garrisons,
enhance current partnerships and expand
options for most efficient and effective
delivery methods.
In short, AED wants to emphasize the
“business” in show business.
Gathered together with AED personnel
were, among others, DoD partners COL
Ed Shock of Armed Forces Entertainment,
Karen Fritz of Navy Entertainment
and Bernie Rone of the United Service
Organization (USO), and industry
pros Theresa Randleman of T-Rose
Entertainment, Glenn Smith of Glenn
Smith Presents, Helen McCue of the
Boston Comedy Festival, Terri Elander of
Missoula Children’s Theater, Eric Lambert
of APCA (Association for the Promotion of
Campus Activities), Alycia Lerer of Lerer
Media, Al Wash of Al Wash Entertainment,
Ari Nisman of Degy Booking International,
AED Program Manager, Tim Higdon, listens as COL Ed Shock of Armed Forces Entertainment,
Douglas Hall of Talent Plus and Dwayne
makes a point about what Soldiers and their Families are looking for in entertainment.
Ulloa of AKA Productions.
“Stress on our Soldiers and Families Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs

Summer 2010 PPEERRSSPPEECCTTI IVVEESS || 29

Summer2010
 theater touring company BRAVO!, the Army
Concert Tour, the USA Express top-40 show
band, the Battle of the Bands, Operation
Rising Star, Festival of the Arts, and Stars
of Tomorrow competitions as part of the
Army’s Family and MWR program.
“We need the advice of you industry
professionals on how we’re doing, so today
has been set up as a brainstorming session,”
Higdon said.
Joe Leavell, Family and MWR
Community Recreation’s talent coordinator,
mentioned how the program has expanded
over the past two years, but with fewer
dollars to provide more shows.
“We’re looking for best practices so we
can tell MG Reuben D. Jones, FMWRC
Commanding General, that we’re delivering
on the promise of the Army Family
Covenant,” Leavell said.
“To that end, we’ve taken USA Express
downrange and continue to explore Sugarland, the award-winning country duo of Jennifer Nettles and Christian Bush, bow to the
possibilities of how to produce it better. enthusiastic audience at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. as the night ends during the first in a series of

Operation Rising Star, which is similar the 2009 Army Concert Tour.

to FOX’s American Idol, is another idea

we created to give Soldiers a sense of
community. And the Battle of the Bands,
something we haven’t had in a few years, is
being brought back. These and others add
up to 132 productions a year and a lot of
what we do is for free, thanks to 200,000
volunteer hours that speak to the quality of
our programs,” Leavell said.
Glenn Smith, international promoter,
gave everyone in the room another reason
for why they gathered together.
“In this business, we’re always thinking
about the Soldier. After listening to Mr.
Abney’s introduction about the Army
Family Covenant, I have to say that we had
no clue about the Family left behind when
their husband, wife, son or daughter go
downrange to fight. So I want to thank you
for this inspiration,” Smith said.
Smith has promoted and produced
concerts in 44 states and 13 countries,
including more than 100 military installations
around the world. Specializing in diversity
and “revenue generating commercial shows,”
he’s had “landmark” tours and engagements
with such performers as Garth Brooks,
Selena, The Jonas Brothers, Patti LaBelle,
Christina Aguilera, Casting Crowns and
Will Smith. In 2008, he was nominated
Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs
as “Promoter of the Year” at the Academy
of Country Music Awards on national
television.levision.
In the afternoon, the DoD partners,
industry pros and FMWRC representatives
broke into two workshops—one led by Tim
Higdon, the other by Joe Leavell.
Ari Nisman, CEO of Degy Booking
International, spoke first.
“If the Army takes too long to book an
act, the act will go somewhere else,” Nisman
said. “So you have to shorten the reaction
time by empowering subject matter experts
who can make quick decisions on talent and
venue use.”
Nisman’s company provides and buys
entertainment for venues, festivals, colleges,
fairs, military bases and corporations around
the world. The company also maintains a
current, exclusive client base of more than 50
music acts and a handful of celebrities and
speaking programs.
Others quickly agreed this is necessary.
“With the shorter reaction time, though,
we would need advanced notice to find
sponsors and promote the show,” said Kristen
McManus, Deputy Chief of Marketing,
FMWRC.
“As an agent, I want to see my acts out
there working so rather than looking at an
isolated venue, such as a garrison, I want to
find other clubs near there where I can book
my acts,” Nisman said.
“The Army has to have a point of
contact, a centralized agency program.am.
We need a team in place who can make
something happen, one go-to person who
has the authority to make things happen,”
Higdon emphasized.
Many of the industry pros echoed each
other, pointing out that venues, such as
garrison clubs, need a consistent program,
week in and week out.
“You need to stick to a genre and present
it at the same time each week,” Nisman said.
Adding that this will ensure customers come
back. If there’s a comedy night or a blues
night every Wednesday, then don’t change it.
Otherwise, they will look elsewhere to plan
ahead for their nights out.
Leavell, the Army’s talent coordinator,
described how the “entertainment” may also
be used to carry a message.
“Up until now, we’ve been formulating

30 | P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010
many initiatives, such as the I.A.M. Strong
Tour,” Leavell said. “Sponsored by the
Army’s G-1, this tour was recently delivered
to 24 locations in just over eight days in
Europe with the message that the Army is
concerned about Families and their coping
mechanisms.”
“The Comics on Duty tour for the
FMWRC Business Program’s clubs and
theater environments has four comedians
delivering clean comedy at 27 garrisons,”
he continued. “This is a DoD partnership
with the That Guy campaign and Navy
Entertainment.”
AED has numerous ideas in the
development stage: Rhythm and Rhyme
incorporates the spoken word with jazz,
blues and new soul; Game Show Dance
Party incorporates a trivia show with DJ
and dance; Theatre Entertainment Program
(TENT) is intended to connect with colleges
and universities and provide a platform for
showcasing Soldier talent, partnering with
the Army Band for combos in theatre;
and To The Fallen Records, a Warriors in
Transition Unit entertainment program,
featuring veterans and active duty military
performing for Soldiers.
The venues exist and are being used.
They just need to be used more effectively.
The Army has 120 installations across
the world with more than 150 food and
beverage opportunities for small to medium
live entertainment events. In the continental
U.S. there are 32 garrisons able to provide
large scale outdoor events regularly, and
outside the U.S. every garrison has this
capability.
Connecting them with talent constantly
and consistently is the issue.
Leavell explained that AED has been
brainstorming other ideas which need input,
such as the Breaking Artist Tour.
“I believe this is an excellent opportunity
where the Army can go to the major
recording labels and say, ‘you’re already
breaking in artists. We could bring them
into our demographic at many installations
and build your circuit through our clubs,
like the Java Cafes springing up.’ We just
need your help in making this kind of thing
happen,” Leavell said.
“We’re hoping to create an event within
this type of atmosphere at Ft. Knox and the
City of Monterey, Calif., but can you put
your heads together to figure out how we
can get sponsors involved who can provide
service to our Soldiers and Families,” Leavell
asked.
“Information sharing is key,” Higdon
echoed what became the theme of the day.
One important outcome of sharing
would be a consistent pay scale for all the
acts.
“Right now the branches of the military
pay different prices for the same talent. So
many performers just don’t do that branch.
This makes it difficult for us to book our
acts,” Nisman said.
“We need to level the field so we can
have across-the-board, consistent ticket
sales at military outlets,” Higdon said.
Douglas Hall brought 11 years of
entertainment experience as a booker,
promoter and venue consultant to TalentPlus
Entertainment in 2007. Currently heads a
team of agents all major accounts.
“I develop tours for performers who
really don’t care if they’re working a club or
casino that pays a different price. They only
care that they’re getting the opportunity to
perform for a set price. They understand
perfectly that some venues pay more than
others. But with me, they see one face and
one check. With the military, though, they
see one venue, each offering a different
price,” Hall said.
Hall suggested that an online blog could
be developed with a password for all the
partners where they could share facts and
ideas.
“This online communications could
provide a talk board so everyone knows what
the others are doing and can facilitate the
packaging of opportunities, to set up those
phone calls and make a tour happen. By the
same token, this talk board could help each
other not make the same mistakes,” Hall
said.
Another improvement cited by the
industry pros was the fact that the Army isn’t
properly selling themselves.
“You need to sell your demo to the
industry. Tell them that these are your
demographics, that these people are the
buyers,” Hall added.
Alycia Lerer of Lerer Media has worked
for more than 25 years in the entertainment
industry, including senior level management
experience at Time Warner. Her affiliations
with celebrities, public relations firms, media
outlets and marketing professionals allow
her to produce events within the clients’
needs.
“If you sell to the Soldier, you get the
Family and then you get the friends of the
Family,” Lerer said.
“Up until now, we’ve been raising the
flag, telling people we’re the Army, and
hoping that’s enough. What we need to do
is sell the Army better by describing better
who we are and what we can provide you,”
Higdon summed up.
Glenn Smith offered one final idea.
“I’ve been sitting here in front of one of
your posters advertising the Operation
Rising Star and not at all sure what it was
about. It didn’t say anything to me. What
you need to do is work with some of the stars
you’ve been booking for the Army Concert
Tour and put them at the top to draw in the
reader. Or, set up a deal where someone like
Jerry Jones is on the poster and have your
singer perform at half time. But keep the
message simple,” Smith said.
In the past, AED has wanted to film
stars looking into a camera for a PSA and
reading paragraphs of text.
“You can’t do that. You have to catch
them in the moment, like when they’re
coming off stage, they can point at the
camera and give one line that will excite
people and make them want to be a part of
the experience,” Smith said.
MG Reuben D. Jones, Commanding
General, FMWRC, thanked the industry
professionals as he said, “We have 1.2
million Soldiers making this venue as big
as a city. I want to bring things of value
to our fighting men and women and their
Families.”
“The work you’ve done today and the
ideas you’ve offered is most appreciated, but
we’ll do this again to make sure we’re getting
better. After all, Soldiers and Families are my
focus and because of you we can provide the
entertainment and do things right by them.”
The group plans to reconvene, either in
November as the Soldier Show ends its tour,
or at the Operation Rising Star event later
this year.
Summer 2010 PPEERRSSPPEECCTTI IVVEESS || 31
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