Jan/Feb 2013 Devil's Corner Newsletter

the DEVIL’S CORNER
JAN/FEB 2013 EDITION

Julie Fiedler, 1ST INF. DIV. POST
A “Big Red One” shines brightly throughout the holidays at homes 10A and B on Forsyth Street on Main Post.

JAN/FEB 2013 the Devil’s Corner 2
1/1 ABCT Commander 1/1 ABCT Command
Col. Michael Pappal Sergeant Major
CSM Mark A. Kiefer

The ‘Devil’ Brigade 7232 NO R MANDY DR I VE
FO R T R I LE Y KS 66442

Public Affairs Officer Public Affairs NCOIC/Journalist
Maj. Tony B. Crumbey Sgt. Kerry Lawson

1/1 ABCT FRSA
Noel Waterman

Read the Post paper online! http://www.1divpost.com/

KEEP INFORMED AND UPDATED WITH 1ST BRIGADE BY FOLLOWING US ON
THESE WEBSITES:

1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley: www.riley.army.mil.
Click on Units, 1ID Brigades, 1ABCT or just click on this link:
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vFRG website: Family Members and Approved Personal can also go onto the vFRG and log into
their Soldier’s BN’s vFRG site, where more information can be found. www.armyfrg.org

‘Devil’ PAO
Email: 1stid.devil.pao@gmail.com


D6

To all of the Devil Soldiers, Family in the field or out of it. Give yourself is what good people and units do, and
Members, and Friends: extra time to clear your windows on I appreciate it. Keep up the great work
cold frosty mornings and more time to this year and train hard. We have a
Welcome to 2013! Hopefully every- drive when the roads are slippery. I ex- good plan with a lot to do!
one enjoyed their Christmas holidays pect each of you to make an individual
with family and friends. I hope every- risk assessment of the roads where you
one took a little break from our normal live. Make sure to call your leader and
pace, whether you went on leave or let them know of your conditions so
worked through the half day period. you can mitigate an unnecessary acci-
This is going to be a great year in the dent. I trust each of you to do this, and
Devil Brigade. The fielding of the please do not abuse that trust. I don’t
Bradley Fighting Vehicle has started want to lose anyone! In order to stay
back up and right behind that will be Army Strong; I need each of you on
the M1A2SEP fielding. These vehicles the team. We spent a lot of hard work
are the bread and butter of an Armored over the past year building this team.
Brigade and it will finally be nice to A year ago, we were just developing a
actually have trained lethal crews to team in the Devil Brigade by bringing
operate this state-of-the-art equipment. all the individual battalions back from
For those that may not have noticed; all the different places they were sent
the Kansas weather has gotten cold, so to fulfill mission requirements. We
if you are training in the fields dur- were a team on paper only. Now, when
ing the next few months ensure that I look across the formation today; I see
you wear the appropriate cold weather a true team who looks out, helps, and
gear so you do not become a cold supports each other like family. That
weather casualty. Also, give yourself
more time to do things so you do not no mission too difficult. no sacrifice too great.
get hurt in an accident on the roads duty first.
during inclement weather. This applies devil 6


D7

I would like to start by saying ing the honors for the Quarter are SGT more and more difficult as we look
Happy New Year to everyone and Williams from the Iron Rangers and at ways of trimming expenses. I can
welcome back to Fort Riley for those PFC Duncan from The Pale Rider predict that schools will only go to
that left for the holidays. My hope is Squadron who were recognized as the those “Best Qualified”. I ask everyone
that 2013 is very prosperous to the BCT NCO and Soldier of the Quarter. that gets a slot in any school, to put
Devil Brigade as we continue New They will represent the Brigade at the forth the maximum effort. The new
Equipment Fielding and Training. It end of March in the Division NCO and policy for PME is a one time opportu-
won’t be long before this BCT is the Soldier of the Quarter competition. I nity. As funding gets more restrictive,
most modern Armored Brigade in am looking for another fine showing schools from NCOES to localized
the Army’s inventory. Since the last and hope we can take both categories Troop Schooling will require more
letter, we have reelected the Com- again. supervision as well as more stringent
mander In Chief, and enjoyed some My talking point this installment to reduce the chance of failures and
much needed time with families at is Army schools and money. Anyone maximize the use of available funds.
Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want to watching the news lately has heard I can speak for the senior NCO Corps
call some special recognition to SFC of the financial difficulties facing the in the Brigade and say that we already
Felton and the entire Devil’s Den staff country. As the Army copes with a select those who are the absolute best.
for the massive effort to provide such decreasing budget to accomplish its Keep these things in mind as you es-
an outstanding Thanksgiving meal to mission, some would wonder how tablish your goals for the future. I wish
over 4,000 Soldiers and families. The it affects them. I would tell you that each and every one of you a great New
theme and attention to detail were very training Soldiers takes a lot of money Year in 2013. Keep up the great work
evident, but the quality of the food and who we send to school in the that each of you do for the Brigade. I
was commented by many as the best future will be scrutinized by those who am proud of you and look forward to
they ever had. Well done! spend the money. The opportunity to seeing you all throughout the year.
As we closed out the 1st Quar- go to school in some cases may get
ter of FY13, we recognized the Iron
Ranger Battalion as the best in the no mission too difficult. no sacrifice too great.
Brigade for earning top honors in the duty first.
Devil’s Stakes competition. Complet- devil 7


Chaplain’s Corner

A few years ago psychologist Ruth W. Berenda and her associates carried out an interesting experiment
with teenagers designed to show how a person handled group peer pressure. They brought groups of ten teen-
agers into a room for a test. Subsequently each group of ten was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher
pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the group did not know was that the
other nine had been secretly instructed ahead of time to vote for the second longest line, rather than the correct
longest line. Regardless of the group instructions given to all ten teens at test time, nine of the teens were go-
ing to vote for the wrong answer.
The desire of the psychologists was to determine how one person reacted when completely surrounded
by a large number of people who obviously stood against what was true.
The experiment began with the nine teen-agers voting for the wrong line. The lone teen who didn’t
know the deception plan would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up to vote with
the group, even though the teen was voting for the wrong answer. Time and time again during the test, the self-
conscious teen-ager would sit there saying a short line is longer than the long line, simply because they lacked
the moral courage to challenge the group. 75% of the groups of ten teen-agers had unanimous answers in the
test, meaning the wrong answer.
How do we keep our moral compass pointed toward truth even in the face of overwhelming pressure to
compromise? What helps us to break from the pack and to pull away from the crowd? One suggestion comes
from an ancient writer, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6.) One of the marks of a re-
silient Soldier is their spiritual fitness. As we start this New Year, muster up your courage to exercise spiritually
and build up your spiritual muscles. You will find that your spiritual health will impact the other areas of your
life. Chaplains stand ready to provide and perform ministry to help you build your spiritual resilience.

Peace,
Chaplain (MAJ) Don Carrothers
Office: (785) 239-2513
Cell: (785)307-0514

Unit Chaplains Contact Information

BDE CH (MAJ) Carrothers: 785-239-2513
BSTB CH (CPT) Ball: 785-279-6836
BSB CH (CPT) Adriatico: 785-239-9530
1-16 CH (CPT) Ball: 785-240-3111
2-34 CH (CPT) Parks: 785-240-2444
1-5 CH (CPT) Jung ---- No Number
4-4 CH (CPT) Remy ---- No Number
1 EN CH (1LT) Sanders: 785-240-5972


Need to contact your
Family Readiness Support Assistant? (FRSA)

1ABCT
Noel Waterman
785-239-2242
noel.waterman1@us.army.mil

1-1 BSTB and HHC, 1ABCT 1-5 FA
Helen Day Barb Stanley
785-240-4337 785-239-9288
helen.day@us.army.mil babs.stanley@us.army.mil

101st BSB 2-34 AR
Hope Stanley
785-239-1772 785-240-6728
hope.stanley@us.army.mil

1-16 IN 4-4 CAV
Liz Tripp
785-239-6687 785-240-4644
Elizabeth.tripp1@us.army.mil

1-1st ENG
Barb Stanley
785-239-9288
babs.stanley@us.army.mil


WHAT MAKES YOU STRONG?

MAJ Josef Hatch
HHC, 1st ABCT
My wife and kids.

1LT Christopher Macleish SPC Lakeesha Archer
4-4 CAV HHC, 1st ABCT
My troops.Watching how hard my Making my daddy proud.
Troopers work, seeing how strong
they are and knowing that, for their
sake, I must work harder and be
strong so that they will never worry
that their leadership will fail them.

SSG William Ho’omana
HHC, 1-1 BSTB
My family as a whole makes me
strong. From my grandparents to my
children.


Firearms policy changes coming
Fort Riley is preparing to imple- authorized locations, including ing to Fort Riley Regulation 190-1.
ment changes to its firearms policy hunting areas, firearm ranges, quar- Additional signage will be posted
in 2013. The changes were made as ters, Army and Air Force Exchange at gates during the implementa-
part of an Armywide policy change Service locations, Directorate of tion. More information about the
that went into effect last year and Family and Morale, Welfare and upcoming policy changes and the
will be implemented in phases Recreation facilities, Environmen- implementation plan will be avail-
over the course of the coming year, tal Division, Directorate of Public able in the coming months.
according to Ray Coffey, chief, Works’ facilities or unit and organi-
Physical Security, Directorate of zational parking lots. All weapons, Christmas
Emergencies Services. including firearms, must be proper-
Members of the Fort Riley ly secured in the vehicle and must Abroad
community will want to take note not be taken into public or private SGT Roland Hale, RC-E
of upcoming changes to the Fort establishments. Firearms and
Riley firearms policy. Some of the privately-owned weapons should
changes include: only be removed from unit vehicles
• All persons must declare pos- for use at authorized recreational
session of firearms before entering areas and for secure storage, like
Fort Riley. arms rooms and quarters, according
• All persons must present valid to the regulation.
registration of firearms at the gate. • Secure placement in vehicles
Gate guards will assist with unreg- is for temporary use only and is
istered not permitted for permanent stor-
firearms declared at the gate. age. Additionally, Soldiers, Family Top: Maj. Gen. William Mayville,
commanding general, 1st Infantry
• Registration information must members, employees, visitors and Division and Regional Command – East,
be entered in the Centralized Op- recreationists should be aware of sits down for a Christmas Day meal Dec.
erations Police Suite, or COPS, and certain key points of the existing 25 with Fort Riley Soldiers serving at
COP Zerok, Afghanistan.
the policy that will continue to remain
registration form must be properly in effect:
stamped by DES for it to be con- • All firearms are prohibited at
sidered valid. Fort Riley unless they are properly
• Registration will include a registered.
back ground check with the Na- • Concealed carry is not autho-
tional Crime Information Center, or rized at Fort Riley. Bottom: A Soldier deployed to
NCIC. The registration form will • Firearms being transported at Afghanistan with the 4th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div.
be updated with additional ques- Fort Riley must remain unloaded serves up slices of a holiday meal
tions to facilitate the NCIC check. and out of reach of all passengers Christmas Day at COP Zerok. Two Fort
• Soldiers who choose to have in the vehicle. Riley-based 1st Inf. Div. units are cur-
firearms on post and live in on- • All privately-owned firearms rently deployed to Afghanistan in sup-
port of Operation Enduring Freedom.
post quarters are required to store transported or secured in vehicles
firearms in their unit arms rooms. at Fort Riley must be locked in the
However, unit commanders can trunk, or, if a
authorize a Soldier to store firearms vehicle has no trunk, in a stor-
in his or her on-post residence, age area of the vehicle beyond the
excluding barracks. reach of the vehicle’s occupants.
• Privately-owned firearms will If this is not possible, the firearm
only be transported in vehicles must be transported in a closed
at Fort Riley while traveling by case, with a trigger lock in place
the most direct route to and from or similar device utilized, accord-

ACS to host spouse’s seminar at
Riley’s
Family members have an op- ed, rather than the adults going to
portunity to get ready for reintegra- the different sessions,” said Marvin
tion with their Soldier following a Springer, outreach coordinator,
redeployment. ACS. “They have the opportunity
Army Community Service is also to learn some skills as well
hosting a Beyond the Beans and during this training.”
Bullets seminar from 10 a.m. to 5 Children’s activities will be cen-
p.m. Jan. 12 at Riley’s Conference tered on reintegrating with return-
Center. ing parent(s).
The seminar will include discus- Additionally, information tables
sion among military spouses about will be set up to help with the
the best ways to handle reintegra- reintegration process. Spouses and
tion, said Families can browse through the
Cheryl Erickson, director, ACS. tables during the event. Some of
“It’s much easier to discuss it the organizations that will be in at-
with people who are in the same tendance include the “Her
boat,” Erickson said. War, Her Voice” support group and
The event was conducted in the the Leisure Travel Center.
same manner last year and was a “We’ll know when the unit’s
success, she said. block leave is, so (LTC) can put out
“The feedback has been phe- all the travel deals for that time, so
nomenal because they learn more (Families) can look at that during
from each other,” Erickson said. breaks,” Erickson said.
Three sessions will be conducted Even if people think they may
throughout the seminar, including not need the tools, everyone is still
tips and tools for managing rede- encouraged to come out for the
ployment, camaraderie, Erickson said.
staying relaxed and budgeting for “It’s good for the kids, it’s a
redeployment. nice break, and there will be door
During each session, table prizes,” Erickson said.
discussions will be facilitated with Drawings for three digital tablets
different questions posed. The will be conducted.
table groups will be mixed with The seminar is free to partici-
seasoned and newer spouses to talk pants. Walk-ins will be accepted,
through issues. but adult participants are encour-
“Every redeployment is differ- aged to register in
ent, and every person is in a dif- advance.
ferent place in their life,” Erickson Child care is provided. Par-
said. “We can always get some new ticipants needing child care are
tips or tools to help us manage the required to pre-register.
challenges.” A “no-host” lunch pasta and
Youth, ages 6 to 17, also can par- salad bar will be available for $7.50
ticipate in the concurrent children’s at the conference center.
redeployment workshops as well. To register for the seminar or for
The children’s workshops will be more information, call ACS at 785-
split according to age groups. 239-9435.
“It will be more activity-orient-

‘Devil’ Soldier finds ASAP’s shoe
The Army Substance Abuse Pro- clues were posted weekly.
gram’s Hunt for the Holiday Shoe The clues led to different loca-
has officially come to an end. tions, including the Custer Hill
The horseshoe was discovered Bowling Center, Leisure Travel
by Staff Sgt. Paul Wright, Special Center and Army Community
Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Bri- Service.
gade Combat “The event was well received by
Team, 1st Infantry Division, under the Soldiers and the Family mem-
a Christmas tree at the ACS build- bers from Fort Riley,” Bowman
ing. said. “We had many Family mem-
The scavenger hunt was de- bers involved in the hunt who said
signed to guide Soldiers to different they enjoyed going place to place
agencies throughout post to help looking for the next clue.”
them become aware of the avail- Wright said he was skeptical at
able resources, said Chris Bowman, first about participating, but was
prevention coordinator, ASAP. pleased when he found the mystery
Christine Hurt, ASAP The event also was a way to shoe.
Staff Sgt. Paul Wright, STB, 1st ABCT, create awareness about December “I was pretty excited about win-
poses for a picture after discovering a being National Drunk and Drugged ning,” Wright said. “It gave me
horseshoe under the Christmas tree at Driving Prevention Month. the option to point my Soldiers in
ACS. ASAP created the scavenger hunt The hunt began with the first the right direction – I’ll be sharing
during December to create awareness
about National Drunk and Drugged clue posted on the Directorate of some of the items with them – the
Driving Prevention Month. Family and Morale, Welfare and services.”
Recreation’s Facebook page. New

Fort Riley, Big Red 1 Soldiers celebrate
holidays while deployed to Afghanistan
BAGRAM, AIRFIELD, accompanied by a jazz trio from
Afghanistan -- Two Fort Riley- the 1st Inf. Div. Band, which per-
based 1st Infantry Division units, formed for Soldiers at each stop.
the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Both units are scheduled to
Team and Division Headquar- return to Fort Riley in the spring,
ters and Headquarters Battalion, so in addition to Christmas, they
spent Christmas Day this year at celebrated the day as the last ma-
combat outposts across eastern jor holiday they will spend apart
Afghanistan. from their loved ones.
While the mission did not stop
for the Soldiers, they did their
best to celebrate the holiday SGT Roland Hale, RC-E
season. A 1st Inf. Div. Soldier serving in Afghanistan
Maj. Gen. William May- with the 4th IBCT enjoys a Christmas meal Dec.
villed and Command Sgt. Maj. 25 at COP Zerok, a small U.S. base in eastern
Charles Sasser Jr., command Afghanistan’s mountainous Paktika Province,
Afghanistan.
team, 1st Inf. Div. and Regional
Command-East, did their part to “Big Red One” troops at several
spread Christmas cheer by visiting outposts. Mayville and Sasser were

USO makes changes to No Dough Dinners,
locations

Some changes are being made to ity or off sight somewhere,” Black- dinners,” Blackmon said.
the USO No Dough dinners for the mon said. “We’ve never done it in The USO dinners would not be
upcoming year. the USO possible without the help of volun-
The USO will be trying a “No center before, so it’ll be an interest- teers, she said.
Dough Dinner Light” for the first ing experiment for us to see how “As long as we have volunteers
dinner in January and also the first well it works,” Blackmon said. and donations, the dinners will go
dinner The first No Dough Dinner Light on, so we hope to never run out of
in February. Dates for regular No is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. volunteers,”
Dough dinners will be changing as 12 at the center. Blackmon said.
well. Normally, the dinners are dur- To volunteer, visit http://usovol-
The dinners, one of the many ing weekdays, but this dinner will unteer.org/custom/500/index.php
ways USO Fort Riley seeks to lift be during a Saturday to see how it or call 785-240-5328. Schedules,
the spirit of the troops and their works out, Blackmon said. menus and
Families, were The USO also is changing the other information can be found at
started to give Families a night off official scheduled dates for regular the USO Fort Riley Facebook page
from cooking and originally sched- No Dough Dinners. at www.facebook.com/USOFtRi-
uled right before pay day, accord- The regular dinners were ini- ley.
ing to April tially scheduled the day before
Blackmon, director, USO Fort pay day to give Families a helping
Riley. hand, Blackmon said.
The No Dough Dinner Light “Well, we learned that many
will still be serving full meals, but folks get paid the day before pay
lighter in terms of the amount of day, so, with that in mind, we’ve
the number of now decided to bump it to two
people being served, Blackmon business days before pay day,”
said. Blackmon said.
“It’s an experiment we’re go- The last day before getting paid
ing to try based off of our previous can be a little tough for people, she
year’s attendance records for the said.
first dinners in “We target an audience of 300 on
January and February. We were normal No Dough Dinners – that’s
seeing maybe 100 (attendees) at troops and Families, and we will be
most,” Blackmon said. doing
The meal will still have all the some off-site locations this year
trimmings people have enjoyed they can look forward to,” Black-
in the past, including a main dish, mon said.
fresh veggies and other sides, All USO dinners are volunteer-
Blackmon said. operated events.
The light dinner will have a ca- “We have folks who volunteer
pacity for about 100 to 150 attend- for just one dinner, (and) we have
ees, instead of the usual 300. folks who volunteer every dinner,”
The No Dough Dinner Lights Blackmon said. “It’s a Family-
also will be hosted at a different lo- friendly volunteer opportunity,
cation – the USO Fort Riley center. so parents can have some of their
“It’s normally at our dining facil- older children helping out with the


Chaplain shares ‘the parable of the gift’

Gifts, gifts, gifts. This time of Christmas to get their first smart
year, we are all consumed by gifts. phone, bike or even a car. I began
We buy gifts, we give gifts and using my first electronic organizer
the greatest part of all, we receive more than a decade ago. Eventu-
gifts. On Christmas morning, many ally, after several generations of
homes are strewn with wrapping upgrades, it has morphed into an
paper torn to shreds, with gift parts expensive smart phone. I could
all over the house, as children dive not imagine life today without this
into the newest and greatest toy useful tool; it goes with me every-
they have ever had. As the day where I go.
draws to a close, and full stomachs Christmas is a Christian holi-
turn into heavy eyes, gifts are unof- day to celebrate the birth of Jesus
ficially distributed into a few differ- Christ our Lord. An angel appeared
ent categories. before his birth and told Joseph,
Some gifts remain unopened, his father, to name the baby Jesus,
waiting for a relative to arrive, “because he will save his people
or perhaps some of us didn’t feel from their sins” – Matthew 1:21.
in the spirit and simply left gifts This is a gift which many have left
unopened. unopened year after year. Some
Other gifts were opened and have considered it and quickly
quickly rejected – set aside as discarded the gift as useless. Some
useless – like the ugly sweater have toyed with the notion of faith,
that Aunt Samantha knitted. Some but have allowed the worries of
gifts also were rejected because everyday life to steal away the
we didn’t understand them. I recall hope and joy that comes from a life
one Christmas in the late 1970s of faith in Christ. Others, like me,
when my sister received a cassette and I hope like you as well, have
tape player and cried all afternoon received this gift and have allowed
because she wanted an 8-track tape the “gift of God” – Eph 2:8 – to
player instead. become central in our lives. I can
Yet another category of gifts falls no longer imagine life without it.
into the easily broken or quickly “Because of his great love for us,
boring gifts. A cheap kids’ meal toy God, who is rich in mercy, made us
from a fast food restaurant is like alive in Christ.” – Ephesians 2:4-5.
this. The toy is fascinating at first,
but in just a few minutes, it will get
thrown aside for something better,
or it will simply break. We all get
presents like this that will fascinate
us for a short time on Christmas
day and maybe a bit longer, but
soon will be in the trash or stuck in
the back of a drawer and forgotten.
The best gifts of all, and the
hardest to find, are the kind of gifts
that become part of our lives. Some
might have been lucky enough this

Parent to Parent offers workshops for Families

What does a gummy bear do when math nerd. Benz, on the other hand, fabulous,” Hatch said.
it’s put in water? That’s just the is more artistic. “Our workshops cover anywhere
type of question the Parent to Par- “As a parent, the logic and the from birth to the college years,”
ent cadre math are the things that I’m not the Dixon said. “Each (workshop is)
of Fort Riley said they love to ex- most comfortable with, so I need research-based, so the information
plore with fellow military parents those things is important; it’s pertinent.”
and their children. because I need to make it accessi- “(The workshops are) disguised
Blair Benz, Jennifer Dixon and ble for (my daughter),” Benz said. as something really fun. The kids
Sandra Hatch make up the three- “If I have an aversion to it or it’s an have a great time. The parents are
person team of Fort Riley’s Parent unknown totally involved (and come) away
to Parent program of the Military to me, it doesn’t mean she feeling like they’re empowered,”
Child Education Coalition. Togeth- shouldn’t have it.” Benz said.
er, they provide interactive work- The workshops are interactive The team’s enthusiasm seems to
shops for Soldiers and Families and cover general education topics be contagious.
with the goal of making learning like music, science and reading, as “We feel so passionately about
come alive and enabling parents to well as more the information. It’s wonderful
become “their children’s best advo- focused topics, like preparing for information. It’s robust. It’s re-
cates,” Hatch said. college, learning styles and parent- searched. But it’s also useful and
“And it’s free,” Benz added. teacher conferences. accessible,” Benz said.
Benz started bringing her daugh- Several workshops are geared Parent to Parent provides free
ter, Raina, 2, to workshops when specifically to military Families, workshops to any military-based
they first moved to Fort Riley in like staying connected during de- group. Family members can re-
2010. ployment, building resiliency and quest a workshop from a menu of
Two years later, Benz options. From informal play
found herself leading groups to organized Fam-
them. ily readiness groups, with
“To be on this team, coffee groups, mom groups
you have to be a military and teen groups thrown in,
spouse,” Dixon said. the team said it welcomes
Benz, Dixon and the opportunity to reach as
Hatch know the military many Families as possible.
way of life because they “You provide the people
live it every day. They and the place, and we’ll pro-
have navigated the vide the resources and the
waters of switching workshop,” Hatch said.
schools, multiple moves, Recently, the group
deployments and rede- started a collaborative
ployments. “Change is partnership with the Mari-
inevitable, especially in Julie Fiedler, 1ST INF. DIV. POST anna Kistler Beach Museum
this lifestyle,” Benz said. Jennifer Dixon, Parent to Parent cadre, right, helps brothers of Art in Manhattan. The
“The whole point is to Zander Purcell, 3, left, and Jonas, 1, center, with a craft activity first event, which was in
(be able to) relate to our during a recent early literacy workshop for the CYSS play pals the fall, was free and open
group Dec. 3 at the Normandy CDC.
audience, no matter what to military Families. The
the topic is,” Dixon said. event featured a special
Each member brings her own easing transitions. tour of the museum, followed by
strengths to the program. The team “We also have a redeployment a science workshop, led by the
laughed as Hatch confessed she’s a reintegration workshop, and (it’s) Parent See PARENTS, page 15

PARENTS Continued from page 14 more successful,” Benz said. “It
saves a lot of frustration, not just
to Parent team that tied into the
for the children, but also the Fami-
exhibit.
lies.”
“It all connected,” Dixon said.
Dixon picked up a tip in a
“So many Families have never
workshop she uses in her own
been to the (Marianna Kistler
household. The simple routine of
Beach Museum of Art), and it’s
implementing a homework box has
a wonderful, small little gem of
helped her Family stay more orga-
a museum. It’s a neat opportu-
nized and has helped ease stress.
nity for new experiences, but also
“This is information that every
great information for the parents
parent would benefit from,” Benz
on incorporating science into their
said. “This is not for somebody
children’s lives on a daily basis,”
else. This is for
Benz added.
you.”
The next workshop at the muse-
The team conducts workshops at
um will focus on math and tie into
Fort Riley, Manhattan, Ogden and
the exhibit. The Parent to Parent
Junction City.
team can tailor their standard work-
As for the gummy bear? It will
shop offerings to better fit a group’s
expand, not dissolve, when put in
specific needs.
water.
“We tend to focus everything
Upcoming workshops include
around the military child and how
Early Literacy, featuring a story
to make their education the best
and activity at 10 a.m. Jan. 7 and
that we can,” Hatch said.
Jan. 28 at Building 6620; Learning
“There isn’t a workshop where
Styles at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10 and 6
we don’t have someone walk away
p.m. Jan. 15 at the Middle School
and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that.’
Teen Center; School Transitions at
That’s so
6 p.m. Jan. 29 at the MSTC; and
gratifying,” Benz said.
a math workshop at 10 a.m. Jan.
The group cited several success
24 at the Marianna Kistler Beach
stories from participants, as well
Museum of Art.
as in their own lives. One mother
For more information or to
hadn’t anticipated the variety of
request a workshop, email ptop.
curricula across different school
riley@militarychild.org.
systems, Benz said. What is called
‘algebra’ in one school might
be called ‘eighth-grade math’ in
another. The mother came away
with the idea to photocopy her
children’s textbook covers to avoid
disruptions to her children’s learn-
ing plans.
“If you have a copy of what
exactly they did at that previous
school, it can help them better
place the child before
they lose time in learning a new
subject,” Hatch said.
“The crux behind the program
(is to) prepare parents (so that) they
can help make those transitions


Fort Riley Tax Center offers free services to
Soldiers, Family members
With the end of the holiday commercial tax services are noth- claiming a child exemption.
season, a new season looms – tax ing more than loans The Tax Center will be open
season. Many people dread with incredibly high interest rates. through April 15, but why wait?
this time of year, but Soldiers, their If you prepare your taxes on Gather your forms and make your
dependents and retirees have the your own, bring them into the tax appointment today. Remember, ap-
Fort Riley Tax Center center. One of the certified pointments can be made by calling
to make filing state and federal tax preparers will check over your 785-239-1040.
returns a quick, easy and free task. state and federal returns to make
The Fort Riley Tax Center will sure you’ve got it correct. If the
celebrate its grand opening at 3 IRS questions your taxes, the tax
p.m. Jan. 22 at Building center can provide help.
7034. Once open, the tax center’s The tax center is just one more
hours of operation will be from 9 service provided at Fort Riley to
a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday help ease the burden on Soldiers
to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Family members. The staff at
Saturdays. Walk-ins are welcome, the tax center provides excellent
but appointments, customer service and will make fil-
which are available Monday to ing taxes a positive experience.
Friday, are encouraged. Along with all of your W-2
Trained tax preparers will pre- forms, be sure to bring the follow-
pare 2010, 2011 and 2012 federal ing items – if applicable – with you
tax returns, in addition when you head to the tax center:
to state returns. State returns, • Social Security card – required
however, will only be prepared in for everyone, including children
conjunction with federal • Power of attorney
returns. • All 1099-R Forms – Pension
Last year, 7,627 federal and and Retirement
5,790 state returns were prepared, • All 1099-INT Forms – Interest
saving Soldiers and Income Statement
Families about $1.5 million in • All 1099-DIV Forms – Divi-
preparation fees. More than $15 dend Income Statement
million in tax refunds also • Form 1098 – Mortgage Interest
were secured. Statement
If you are thinking of forgoing • Form 1098-E – Student Loan
the tax center in favor of quick Interest Statement
cash from a refund-anticipation • HUD-1 Forms for those who
loan, don’t. have purchased or sold a home in
The tax center can electronically 2009
file your refund. Electronic filing • Bank routing and account
and direct deposits numbers
drastically reduce the time it takes • Receipts for deductible ex-
to get your refund. On average, penses
filers see their refunds in less than • 2011 Tax return
a week. • Form 8332 signed by custodial
Instant rebates offered by most parent if a non-custodial parent is


courts-martial
in 1st abct
Unit: HHC, 1-16 INF REGT.
Charges: Article 86 - Failure
to Report; Article 134 - Previ-
ous Overindulgence in Liquor
Punishment: To forfeit $1331
pay per month for 1 month; to
be restricted to place of duty,
gym, place of worship, dining
facility, PX or shoppette for 30
days.

Jan/Feb 2013 Devil's Corner Newsletter

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