U.S. Veterans and family members observe a moment of silence during the Veterans Day ceremony at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. , on Nov. 11, 2006.  DoD photo by Cherie A. Thurlby.

Veterans Day is the one day of recognition for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have stood on the front lines to ensure peace and prosperity for all Americans.  
(Click here for IMCOM Commanding General's Veterans Day message)    

(More Veterans Day coverage)  

Former Fort Ord burned for environmental cleanup
Presidio of Monterey firefighters set ablaze 58 acres of chaparral and scrub oak at the former Fort Ord Army base to clear the area for environmental clean-up operations. Presidio of Monterey Fire Chief Jack Riso mobilized four helicopters, 10 fire engines, and 30 firefighters for the operation, which went off flawlessly. Lyle Shurtleff, an environmental scientist with the Army’s Base Closure and Realignment Office, said the burn’s purpose was to clear vegetation from the area called Munitions Response Site 16, so environmental clean-up crews can remove unexploded munitions and ordnance left over from when Fort Ord was an Army training center.
(Click for article) 

Fort Bragg recycling to clean up post
Last year the Bragg About Recycling program processed and recycled over 552,000 pounds of fired brass from the ranges. The proceeds collected are used to fund additional recycling programs, such as office paper and cardboard. Funds may also be used for MWR programs. Recycling coordinator Tim Nance sees dollar signs every time he walks past a dumpster. Fort Bragg generates almost 350,000 tons of solid waste annually, with one-third of that reclaimed in the recycling program. “With the daily tasks it takes to run Fort Bragg, it is nearly impossible to cut down on the use of the more commonly used items,”  Nance said. “But, often we can find a way to recycle those materials and put that money to work for the installation.(Click for article) 

Nearly 400 show up to volunteer at Fort Carson
Three hundred and sixty-five volunteers helped clean up Womack and Haymes Reservoirs at Fort Carson recently as a way to support the community on national Make a Difference Day. Volunteers included Soldiers and their families, Boy Scouts, United Services Automobile Association representatives, Air Force personnel and 30 members from the First Samoan Congregational Christian Church. Two buses transported about half the volunteers to Haymes Reservoir, where workers picked up trash, installed new barbecues and benches and performed maintenance on the trail. The same work was performed at Womack Reservoir, where volunteers also removed weeds and growth.(Click for article, Page 10)  
 
New alcohol, drug control officer at Fort McCoy Fort McCoy's new Alcohol and Drug Control Officer (ADCO) brings hands-on experience in all three realms of the Army Substance Abuse Program -- the Biochemical Testing Program, Employee Assistance Program and the Prevention Education efforts. Jeffrey Whitesell has been the ADCO at Fort McCoy since Sept. 17. He comes to the installation after serving as the ADCO at Fort Leonard Wood.(Click for article)  

Fort Bliss holds health fair just for spouses
They came for moral support, encouragement and motivation, but mostly the spouses from Sergeants Major Course Class 57 came to the Spouses Health Fair recently to get answers. “With problems getting older and being overweight as I am, it’s nice to have the opportunity to get myself in order here,” said Michelle Lopez. “This is a good motivator. You see there are all these shapes and sizes out there like yours and you’re not alone.” Coordinators for the fair said the intent is to bring spouses together -- not just to run a bunch of health tests on them, but to demonstrate that the Army cares just as much about their health.(Click for article)   

Fort Irwin and the National Training Center
The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division “Dragons” arrived at Fort Irwin on short notice, ready to conduct the challenging and realistic training that is the hallmark of the National Training Center. One of the army’s newest light infantry brigades, the 4th IBCT activated Jan. 28, 2006 at Fort Riley, Kansas, and in a little over 10 months has built a cohesive, disciplined and effective fighting force. The unit deployed to Fort Irwin with a little less than 3,000 Soldiers late last month.(Click for article, Cover Story)   

Post residents encouraged to take driver safety course

Fort Belvoir Director of Emergency Services Maj. Christopher Butler said driver inattention is to blame for a large number of the post’s traffic accidents. Fort Belvoir Safety and Occupational Health Manager Tina Hill is encouraging new Fort Belvoir residents (and those who may need a driver’s refresher course) to get involved in the U.S. Army Traffic Safety Program. The program promotes and teaches cautionary skills for the road — skills that could be used when driving both on post and in the civilian community. (Click for article) 

To learn more about Lean Six Sigma, click here for the LSS Public Web page

82nd Airborne's 'most decorated' visits Fort Knox
Before he left for war, Jim Magellas entered the Army at Fort Knox as a fresh-faced ROTC lieutenant. That was 64 years ago, the war was World War II, and Magellas (or “Maggie,” as he eventually came to be known) was on his way to becoming a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He visited Fort Knox recently to speak to troops gathered in Haszard Auditorium and to sign copies of his new book, “All the Way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe.” Magellas left the Army after the war, but returned to the uniform as a colonel during the Vietnam War, when he served as a Civil Affairs battalion commander.(Click for article)  

Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Alex Beehler signed an agreement with Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment Merlyn Carlson near Fort Riley, Kansas, to establish a national Defense Department-Department of Agriculture partnership to promote land conservation near military bases.(Click for article) 

Red Cloud: Ethics training enlightens Soldiers, civilians
Korea Area I Soldiers and civilians gained an understanding of basic ethics rules to avoid actions that violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice and federal law. The Army-mandated ethics training was held Oct. 19 at the Camp Red Cloud Theater.
“Ethics training is very important,” said Capt. Danisha Morris, chief of administrative law for the 2nd Infantry Division’s staff judge advocate’s office. “It is the only way we can ensure our Soldiers and our leaders know right from wrong, so that we are able to self police.”(Click for article) 
    

Afghan National Army and police train at Fort Polk
Members of the Afghan National Army and police trained side by side with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at the Joint Readiness Training Center. And, in a spirit of international cooperation, during their visit Fort Polk's Provost Marshal's Office invited the Afghan police officers to tour some of their facilities and see demonstrations of American police equipment and procedures. And Afghan police shared some of their procedures, too.(Click for article) 
   
Gen. B.B. Bell honors Korea's best educatorsThe U.S. military’s top officer in Korea congratulated the best teachers in DoD Dependents Schools-Korea District on Nov. 3.  “As teachers, administrators, faculty and staff, whatever your position might be with DoDDS, you are making our future,” Gen. Bell told the employees. “Nothing else matters except setting those conditions for our youngsters to have opportunity for the future.” More than 200 key community members attended the ceremony at the Dragon Hill Lodge. United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. B.B. Bell presented 83 administrators, staff and faculty assigned to DoDDS-Korea schools with a framed USFK Scrolls and Commander’s Coins.(Click for article)  

Joint Assault Bridge demo at Anniston Army Depot
A brief ceremony was held Oct. 23 for the initial demonstration of the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB), a vehicle system manufactured at Anniston Army Depot that is designed to transport and deploy the MLC-70 bridge. The JAB program is a concerted effort between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Tank-automotive and Armaments Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM-LCMC), with ANAD as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). “I can’t think of a better team to make this program a success,” said Jack Cline, ANAD’s deputy to the commander.(Click for article)  

Fall of the Berlin Wall: 17 years ago  
On Nov. 9, 1989, East Germany opened its borders with West Germany, leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall. For one Fort Jackson Soldier, this is not a distant news story -- it was part of her childhood. 1st Lt. Megan McCullough, former executive officer for Company D, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment (currently out-processing) was in Berlin during this historic event.  “I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, as my father was stationed at the U.S. Liaison Mission for the duration of my childhood,” McCullough said. “To me, the Berlin Wall was just as much a part of my life, from birth, as it was for East German children.” Click here

New Army Strong campaign airs on network TV
Today the U.S. Army launched its new Army Strong advertising campaign on network television nationwide.  Three television ads powerfully communicate the character of the U.S. Army Soldier and the unique and transformative power of the U.S. Army. "Army Strong advertising was inspired by the experiences and defining character of the U.S. Army Soldier," said Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, commander of U.S. Army Accessions Command. "These ads have been created with the singular aim of helping us succeed in our mission to recruit the next generation of Soldiers and build a highly capable force sufficient to meet the needs of the Nation." Click here    

The U.S. Army Garrison Benelux Meteor-Heraut is merging with the Benelux Link into a full color, 32-page magazine titled the BeneluxEDGE to provide a more in-depth, high quality coverage to readers and will debut on Dec. 1.  The first edition can be found at same link as Meteor-Heraut (currently in upper-right hand corner at: Click here