March 22, 2005

Music is in the air

SupportOur

TroopsDay

By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terroristattacks, Defense Departmentleaders and U.S. legislators “have

worked together to increase servicemembers’basic pay by more than 21 percent,” a seniorDoD official told House Armed ServicesCommittee members March 16.

DoD remains “committed to taking careof servicemembers and their families throughappropriate compensation while members aredeployed and serving their country indangerous locations around the world,”Charles S. Abell noted in his preparedstatements given before the MilitaryPersonnel Subcommittee. Abell is theprincipal deputy undersecretary of defensefor personnel and readiness.

U.S. troops are slated for a 3.1 percentacross-the-board pay raise this year, Abellnoted. Additionally, he added, the departmenthas met its goal of eliminating troops’ averageout-of-pocket housing costs by 2005. In fact,he noted, military housing allowances are 41percent greater than they were in 2001.

Troops serving in dangerous overseas

Pay, allowances recognize troops’ contributions

locales receive various types of tax relief,depending upon rank and income, as well asadditional compensation in view of theircontributions in fighting and sustainingAmerica’s fight against terrorism, Abell said.

For example, eligible enlisted troopsdeployed to combat zones have their militarypay exempted from federal income tax, Abellnoted. In addition to their regular pay, thesetroops also receive $225 monthly in dangerpay, Abell noted, as well as a $250 monthlyfamily separation allowance.

Abell noted that troops deployed tooverseas combat zones also receive hardship

duty pay of $100 a month and a $105 monthlyincidental expense allowance.

An accumulation of such addedcompensation typically amounts to more than$700 in added monthly pay for marriedservicemembers, he said, and more than $500for the typical single troop duringdeployment.

“These pays and allowances acknowledgethe hardship and danger involved at thesedeployment locations,” Abell pointed out, “aswell as the sacrifice associated with toursaway from family.”

And, troops who volunteer to extend theiroverseas tours of duty in combat zones likeAfghanistan and Iraq also can receive anadditional $1,000 monthly in assignmentincentive pay, Abell noted.

DoD also wants to work with Congress,Abell said, to increase servicemembers’hardship duty pay. And the department isseeking to keep its Special Operations troopsin uniform through an array of incentivepackages, he noted.

For example, “we are offering bonuses ofup to $150,000 for highly skilled seniornoncommissioned officers to serve anadditional six years,” Abell noted.

These pays and allowancesacknowledge the hardship

and danger involved at thesedeployment locations, as well

as the sacrifice associatedwith tours away from family.

Charles S. AbellPrincipal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense

for Personnel and Readiness

VHS band, chorus perform for communityAbove: The Vicenza High School Chorus performs “Alleluia” by W. A.Mozart, arrangement by Russell Robinson, at the beginning of the highschool band and chorus concert March 16 at the school gym.Left: Vicenza High School Band Members perform with the band “If” byDavid Gates, arrangement by Eric Osterling, during the musical tribute toAfrican American and multi-cultural heritage and to world peace. MusicDirector Geri Shimabukuro conducted the band and chorus that presenteda program with a variety of musical pieces and songs including classicsand traditional folk songs. (Photos by Laura Kreider, Outlook Staff)

Bring out thewhole family for the Support Our TroopsDay/Egg Festival on Saturday at HoekstraField.

Events will kick off at 10 a.m. withchildren’s activity stations, including eggdecorating, card making, yellow ribbons,bracelets and photos with Mr. Bunny,provided by MWR and AAFES.

USO hosts a giant “Yellow Ribbon”where you can write a special message toyour favorite Soldier down range.

You will also be able to send a videomessage to loved ones down range with“Hello Honey” messages filmed by AFN.

Don’t miss the traditional egg rollingcompetition with prizes for the winners.

And what Egg Festival would becomplete without an Egg Hunt? The huntwill begin at 11:30 a.m., so make sureyou’re not late.

For more information call the MWRMarketing Department at 634-7343.

2 THE Outlook March 22, 2005

This forum is to discuss issues that affectthe community.

If you have an issue that you would like tosubmit, visit the 22nd Area Support Group Website at www.22asg.vicenza.army.mil and clickon the Community Action Councel link.

This link provides you the opporunity toreview issues that have been previouslysubmitted and responded to by post agencies.There is also a form available for you to submitany new issue you would like addressed.

If you have any questions, call 634-5222 or0444-71-5222 from off post.

The command encourages you to identifyyourself when submitting a CAC issue in orderto be able to answer your concern directly.

The next CAC is Wednesday at 9 a.m. inthe Ederle Theater.

Childcare is offered during the CAC at$2.50 per hour, per child for children ages 6weeks through kindergarten from 8:45-11:15a.m. Pre-registration is required.

Children will be cared for in the ChildDevelopment Center, Building 395. Childrenmust be registered with Child and YouthServices Central Registration. Call 634-7219or stop by their new location in Davis Hall.

Issue: Would it be possible to create aquestionnaire/comment form for outgoingtenants of a private rental to fill out that wouldpass on information about that private rentaland surrounding area to future renters?

For example, the outgoing tenant couldleave information about the town and its stores(hardware, grocery, etc). The outgoing tenantcould also leave information about the house

CommunityAction

Counciland things the outgoing tenant has learned,such as driving routes.

We live in a private rental and havediscovered a great grocery store where theemployees are friendly and helpful, a park forthe children to run around and localrestaurants.

Since living on the economy is much moreof a challenge than living at Villaggio, it mightbe helpful if information such as this could beprovided, as it might help relieve feelings ofisolation and helplessness.

Response from Directorate of PublicWorks: The Housing Office wishes to thankthe individual submitting this issue for anexcellent idea.

Living on the economy in a foreign countrycertainly has its challenges not to mention theinability of most residents to speak thelanguage. Anything that can be done to helprelieve the feelings of isolation, uncertainty andoccasionally even helplessness is a great benefitto not only individuals in that situation but themilitary community as a whole.

While housing already captures feedbackfrom outgoing private rental tenants regardingtheir level of satisfaction with their landlordand the rental property, it doesn’t receiveinformation regarding local Italian comuneamenities, such as parks, favorite restaurantsand shopping opportunities at local grocerystores, markets, hardware stores, etc.

In the future, our outgoing private rentaltenant checklist will be amended to capture thistype of information, by comune, for continualupdates and publication.

Issue: Presently the Ederle Theater showsPG and G-rated movies during the week at 7p.m. Is there a possibility to change the time to5 p.m.?

I would also like to suggest that during thesummer could you have more children movies.

Response from AAFES: (Note: A similarCAC issue about family-friendly moviesshowing at the Ederle Theater was printed inthe Feb. 22 issue of The Outlook.)

This spring AAFES commences ourOperation Family program, which is part ofthe community home front program, April 1.

As part of this program, the Ederle Theaterwill incorporate showing family-orientatedmovies on a trial basis every Wednesday inApril. Movie times will be announced at a laterdate as we are surveying our movie patrons atthe theater for feedback. After implantation,depending on community usage, we willdetermine if we can continue this service.

We are also in the process of developing asummer matinee program with family-orientated movies. We will provide specificdetails at a later date.

During school spring break, the EderleTheater will offer the following moviematinees:

April 11 at 3:30 p.m. – Scobby-Doo 2:Monsters Unleashed (PG)

April 13 at 3:30 p.m. – Finding Nemo (G)April 15 at 3:30 p.m. – Brother Bear (G)Issue: I recently received a parking ticket

in the Club V parking lot. The next day, therewas vehicle parked in the exact same place,but there were no military police out issuingtickets.

In the five years I have worked here, parkinghas been impossible. I have personally driventhrough the Club V parking lot, searching fora parking place, and could not travel betweencars, especially when construction vehicleswere parked in the lot, having to reversethrough automobile obstacles and what not.

Regardless of initial improvements on post,parking will continue to be an issue. Until theinstallation can remedy adequate parking forpersonnel residing or working on post,specifically during lunch time, parking willcontinue to be chaotic, unclear, and inadequate.

I am in total agreement to adhering toparking rules and to solving the parking issueson post. But, if the PMO intends to enforce strictparking rules in the Club V parking lot and infront of the post office, then notification shouldbe made to the public well in advance.

Response from the Office of the ProvostMarshal: Military Police officers will continueto cite individuals who park illegally on post.If you observe illegally parked cars that blockaccess or present a hazard, please notify theMP desk at 634-7626, and an MP patrol willdispatched accordingly.

Issue: Many people sort the junk from theirrelevant mail while standing in the communitymail room.

Can we place a paper recycling containerin the mailroom so that unwanted mail isrecycled instead of being thrown away?

Also, the Self Help office on Villaggio has agreat little cylindrical container for recyclingbatteries, but most people don’t get there oftenenough to hold onto their batteries for eventualrecycling. Can we place a container in themailroom?

Response from 22nd Area SupportGroup S-1: We have installed the batteryrecyclable container inside the CMR, however,the small round trash cans currently locatedinside the CMR will remain and we will addpaper recycling containers inside the mailroom.

As a reminder to the community, it is alsoeveryone’s responsibility to help keep ourmailroom clean and free of litter.

By Greg Vallery and Tim Rensema22nd ASG Vicenza and AST-LivornoEnvironmental Management Offices

The U.S. Army has taken the lead in implementinga new management system at its installationsthroughout the world. Known as the

Environmental Management System, it is a managementapproach applicable to all activities, operations, andprocesses conducted within the Army’s footprint.

At the heart of the EMS is the principle that everyindividual within a community must understand how hisor her activities affect the environment. People shouldbe aware of the proper procedures to reduce or avoidadverse impacts on the environment. Additionally, they

Army launches environmental management system worldwideshould actively participate in recognizing and addressingany environmental issues that arise as a result of thoseactivities.

Many well-known multinational companies haveembraced EMS as a sound business strategy to addressglobal issues, local plant issues, and environmentalbusiness decisions. Companies such as Ford MotorCompany, Lockheed Martin, Procter and Gamble, Apple,IBM, and McDonalds all have certified EnvironmentalManagement Systems in place.

Documented advantages realized by these companiesas a result of EMS implementation include reducedliability, reduced operating costs, improved documentaccessibility, and increased competitive advantage in themarketplace.

The 22nd ASG Vicenza and AST Livorno have eachdeveloped detailed plans to fully adopt EMS. As a part ofthe EMS, environmental goals are being established foreach community. These goals will be developed formilitary activities that have the most significant impactsto the environment. Every individual within ourcommunity will be held responsible by their command tohelp achieve these environmental goals.

Through the end of March, the 22nd ASG Vicenza andAST-Livorno will be conducting EMS awareness buildingactivities with the intention of involving all levels of themilitary community. For more information, contact GregVallery at the Vicenza Environmental Management Officeat 634-8941 or Tim Rensema at the AST-LivornoEnvironmental Management Office at 633-8208.

A new IMA-E Prevention of Sexual Harassment onlinetraining is now available to the Vicenza and Livornocommunities. This is a very comprehensive program with atest/evaluation and results reported to the Equal EmploymentOpportunity office. The online program will also allow EEOto provide your organization with attendance data andorganizational data is automatically reported to IMA-E as well.Included in the training is a portion on sexual misconduct.

The training is open to all civilians, appropriated funds,non-appropriated funds, local nationals and militarysupervisors of civilian employees. Since it is a DA requirementthat military supervisors attend the civilian POSH training tofamiliarize themselves with the civilian complaints procedures,this would be an ideal opportunity for them to complete thisrequirement.

The training will be available through August 31 and willsatisfy DA’s mandatory training requirement for FY05.Employees also have the option of attending the monthlyclassroom training offered by the EEO office. They do nothave to complete both the online and classroom training to getcredit for FY05. Employees must contact the EEO office toreserve a space at the monthly classing training.

Employees can access the training online at:http://training.newmedialearning.com/psh/usarmyimae/

index.htm.Call Cindy Pierson at 634-7976 or Ric Medina at 634-7914

for more information or assistance.

New online POSH training

Celebrating VHS winter athletesVicenza High School winter athletes pose for a photo following a banquet to honor theiraccomplishments held March 11. Recognized during the ceremony where students who participated inthe Mako Sharks swim team, the VHS girls basketball team, the VHS boys basketball team, the VHSwrestling team, and the VHS cheerleading squad. Some students also received athletic academicawards for their accomplishments. (Photo by Laura Kreider, Outlook Staff)

March 22, 2005 THE Outlook 3

SETAF CommanderMaj. Gen. Jason Kamiya

22nd ASG Commander/PublisherCol. Donald Drummer

EditorMs. Kelli Covlin

The Outlook is an unofficial publication au-thorized and provided by AR 360-1. All editorialcontent of the Outlook is prepared, edited, pro-vided and approved by the 22nd Area SupportGroup PAO in Building 34 on Caserma Ederle inVicenza, Italy. DSN 634-7000, FAX 634-7543, ci-vilian telephone 0444-71-7000, fax 0444-717-543. E-mail: editor@setaf.army.mil

The Outlook is published weekly by the 22ndASG Public Affairs Office, Unit 31401, Box 10,APO AE 09630. It is printed by Centro StampaEditoriale SRL, Grisignano (VI) 0444-414-303.

Editorial publication is an authorized sectionfor members of the U.S. Army overseas. Con-tents of the Outlook are not necessarily the offi-cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. govern-ment, Department of Defense, Department of theArmy, Installation Management Agency-Europe,22nd Area Support Group or the U.S. ArmySouthern European Task Force.

The editor reserves the right to edit all sub-missions for style, brevity and clarity.

Circulation is 2,500.

OutlookThe

March 22, 2005 Vol. 38, Issue 11

She steps up, She commits, She leads

Recognizing modern-day Rosie women of our communityBy Cindy PiersonEqual Employment Officer22nd Area Support Group

In l942, Rosie rolled up her sleeves anddemolished the little-woman stereotype of hertime. She took over the jobs the men left behindas they headed off to war, and she never reallygave them back.

Rosie’s contributions went far beyondhelping to win a war. They redirected oursociety.

Rosie’s unyielding spirit lives on as wesalute 10 modern-day Rosies from the Vicenzaand Livorno military communities throughoutthe month of March in celebration of Women’sHistory Month.

Name: Kerry LawrenceBackground: From New York. Five yearsin the military wearing green now fouryears as a civilian working for the menand women in green.Current profession: Youth Servicesprogram directorFamily composition: As of yet, my 7-year-old Belgian Shepherd.

What is your job like?My job as the Program Director is a

really great job. I am responsible forrunning a center, making the communityat Camp Darby happy when I can andoverall trying to make the youth feelwanted and appreciated when they walkin the door.

What is your secret to juggling workand family successfully?

Being that I do not have a family I feelthat my juggling act may not be as difficultas others. I do try and make time for thepeople around me who have become myfamily and feel very fortunate to havethem.

How has the Army changed your life?The Army has given me the tools to

want to make a difference and try to beunselfish. I feel without them I don’t thinkI would have tried to achieve so much andwanted the best for the youth that I carefor. Overall — have pride in myself andmy work.

How do you define happiness/success?I define happiness by making people

smile and enjoy life around them. I amhappy and feel successful when I can helppeople and feel that at the end of the daythat I can take a deep breath, try to laughoff the things that I can’t fix and try myhardest to make a difference the next day.

What is your secret to happiness?Laugh often at yourself and surround

yourself with people that are happy andgenuine.

Who has been the most inspirationaland motivating person in your life?

My mother. She is a 6th grade math andscience teacher who has more energy thenanybody I know. She is creative,passionate about her work and strives tomake her family happy. She has alwayspushed me to be the best and to keepsmiling through it all.

What have you yet to accomplish?I would love to one day have a family

and to learn how to be more centered formyself.

What are you proudest about?Where I am at today! There are so many

paths that one can take in life, I am gladthat I chose some that led me in the rightdirection.

What is one thing that most peopledon’t know about you?

That I was Airborne in the Army andhave 43 jumps. I still miss that feelingwhen the cold air hits your face and yousee the world beneath you.

If you could be the president for oneday, what would you do? Why?

I would enroll everyone in school whoever wanted to go but couldn’t afford it. Iwould push education to the people andchildren and stress why it is so importantfor our nation.

Name: Pia ManettiBackground: Born in Italy. Moved to UnitedStates to accompany husband and returnedto Italy in June, 1974.Current profession: Volunteer and familymember for 29 years.Family composition: Husband, JosephManetti, coordinator for the RetireeResource Assistance Center.

What is your volunteer experience?Originally, I worked for NATO for 3 years

in Naples as an interpreter prior to moving tothe United States. When we returned in June1974, I applied for a job and was selected. Ididn’t take the job because there was anotherwoman who applied who had children andneeded it more. From that time on, Joe [Pia’shusband] encouraged me to stay home andspend more time with him and accompany himon temporary duty trips.

I have been volunteering for 29 years withthe Catholic church, Army CommunityServices, Red Cross and the Vicenza MilitarySpouses and Civilians Club, working as a boardmember for publicity, ways and means andhistorian. I am still an interpreter and with theRed Cross. I take parents to register their babiesat city hall. Anybody calls that needs help; I’mhere for them.

Why do you volunteer?I volunteer because Joe and I love people,

we are the same; we think the same and are agood match. If we see someone in danger werun to help him or her, we don’t just walk. It isnatural for me to help because my parents taughtme not to turn my back on anybody. So “help”is the magic word in my family’s house, and Igrew up that way and I’m lucky to find a manthat thinks like me. I had the experience, thefeeling of what it feels like to be by yourself in

a strange country while living in the states.Friends are not the same as family. Friends canhelp you today but not everyday because theyhave their own family.

One day I was walking in the PX and I sawa young girl sitting and crying. I asked her whatwas wrong and if I could help her. At first shewas little bit reluctant because she was byherself, in a strange country, living in a smallapartment off post, and didn’t know anybodyand didn’t know where to turn for help.

We had a sandwich, and I told her not to beafraid, that I was her friend, and if she neededsomething, just let me know. I took herdowntown on the bus and showed her around,taught her how to speak Italian and after a fewdays with me, she called me and told me shewas doing good on her own.

This is one example of what I do for peopleon my own. Helping people and giving themsomething to look forward to in the future is soimportant. Just to see the expression on theirfaces, their smiles when they are happy, makesme happy.

What is your secret to juggling work andfamily?

If I know I am going to be out all day, I getup early and start doing some cooking for theevening and have dinner ready. Then when weare done working on post, we go shopping andI do my shopping for the entire week.

I make the beds before I go out because Iknow when I get back home I am tired. I havea lady that comes once a week to help keep thehouse clean.

In the evening, before I go to bed I do thewash and hang up and put in the dryer and thenabout 9 a.m. I sit down and watch TV.

I am very precise – I never wait fortomorrow. Tomorrow is another day. What Ican do today is better than waiting fortomorrow. Whatever you can today maybe youcannot do tomorrow because tomorrow you canfeel sick or tired.

How has the Army changed your life?I am an army daughter. My father was a

commanding officer in the Italian army and mygrandfather was chief of police with thecarabinieri. On my father’s side we were allarmy. I grew up in the army and love the armylife. My father taught me like a soldier. Healways said to remember that if you marry anarmy man, wherever you go things change; likehaving a new commander. A new commandersees what is good and what is wrong for thepost, and we have to accept it because he knowswhat he is doing. Sometimes when I hear peoplecomplain and get upset about the changes, Ismile because as an army daughter, I understandthe situation. But these people have never beenin the army before and do not understand andsee the army life the way it is suppose be.

Who has been the most inspirational andmotivating person in your life?

My father. He was a colonel in the Italianarmy and when he died he received a goldmedal and was given the rank of general.Although he had an aide and maid to makelife easy for us, he wanted me to know how toclean the house. He told me if I was lucky tomarry a rich man and could afford to have amaid, I would still have to know how to cleanhouse to tell the maid what is clean or dirty.Then he said, if I didn’t marry a rich man andcouldn’t afford to have a maid, I still had toknow how to clean my house myself. So everySaturday, I had to clean the entire house bymyself.

He inspired me with other things. Our maidand his aide ate at the dinner table and not inthe kitchen. He taught me that each of us needshelp. The first help we can ask is the lord andthe second we have to help one another. Hetaught me not to stick my nose up in the airand that we are all the same. We all die; we allgo into the ground. I will never forget theseteachings. That was my father and that is theway we grew up.

Story and photoBy Sgt. Adrian SchulteCJTF-76 Public Affairs

Walking around Bagram AirBase, servicemembers areconfronted with uniforms fromacross the globe. The coalition thatis fighting the war on terrorism istruly visible.

March 5, the troops got a chanceto interact with their global alliesduring an international day.

“We got all the forces that are outhere participating in the war onterrorism and they got theopportunity to show what they doand some things about theircountry,” said Sgt. 1st Class MaryWhite, Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 25thInfantry Division, who organizedthe event. “It shows that it is not justAmericans here. It’s a good thing forthe Soldiers from all the countries

represented here to get to see thateveryone is working together as one.Also it’s a way to say hello to theincoming troops and a way to saygoodbye to the 25th.”

Ten nations were on hand fromCanada to New Zealand, Poland toKorea. The Soldiers set up staticdisplays showing off their militaryequipment.There were alsoculinary displays. Soldiers wereable to sample sausages fromGermany and vegemite spread fromAustralia.

There were cultural displays aswell culminating with a Tae KwonDo presentation by Korean soldiers.

“We got to see some of thecommonalities we have assoldiers,” White said. “Even thepeople that don’t speak each other’slanguage, there is still a way thatthey are communicating. They aregoing from booth to booth talking.There is a type of camaraderie that

is being built.”It was unique opportunity for the

incoming CJTF-76 personnel tomeet their allies who they will beinteracting and working with for thenext year.

“It was definitely important andgood for morale,” said Staff Sgt.Susana Chavez, SETAF strengthmanagement NCO, and one of thenew CJTF-76 Soldiers. “I got to seea lot of new things. For instance, Ididn’t know they had women in theKorean army. I also got to meet afemale captain from New Zealandwho is a tanker. We are all workingtogether.

“It was exciting to see all theforces on Bagram and being able toactually see the equipment that theywork with,” Chavez said.

While the events of the yearahead may not be known, at leastnow the Soldiers of CJTF-76 knowwhom they will be spending it with.

Soldiers from SETAF Headquarters Support Company meet one oftheir Korean counterparts during an international day held on BagramAir Base March 5.

SETAF Soldiers meet coalition on International Day on Bagram Air Base

Story and photo by Spc. Jon Arguello173d Airborne Brigade Public Affairs

In the early morning of Feb. 24 the 1stBattalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne),also known as Task Force Fury, of the

173d Airborne Brigade loaded their bags andequipment into trucks, and then, after a seriesof manifest checks, quickly loaded onto busesand headed north to Aviano Air Base wherethey would wait to once again begin writinganother chapter in their already distinguishedhistory.

From Aviano, the battalion was flown to aneighboring country near Afghanistan’sborder in a commercial jet. The third leg ofthe trip was about a two-hour C-130 Herculesflight to Bagram Air Base in northernAfghanistan.

Finally, the battalion’s paratroopers werelifted to Paktika Province via U. S. MarineCorps CH-53 Sea Stallions and Army CH-47Chinook helicopters. The Red Devil’stransports were escorted by AH-64 Apacheand AH-1 Marine Huey Cobra attackhelicopters to where they will spend themajority of their yearlong tour. The lift was adramatic demonstration of Americanfirepower and air mobility, fitting of thebattalion’s paratroopers’ war fightingcapabilities.

The 1-508th deployed ahead of the rest thebrigade due to “time on the ground” rotations.The two remaining battalions, the 2d Battalion,503d Infantry (Airborne) and the 173dSupport Battalion (Airborne) along with thebrigade’s separate companies will followwithin the next few weeks.

TF Fury will not be working under thecommand of the 173d during its rotation toAfghanistan. Initially, TF Fury will fall underJoint Task Force Thunder from the 25thInfantry Division (Light), SchoefieldBarracks, Hawaii.

Later this spring, the 82nd Airborne

1-508thboots

hit theground 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne) Soldiers rest during the two-hour

journey from a neighboring country to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

Division will assume command and controlresponsibilities.

The battalion’s mother brigade remains the173d Abn Bde, however, due to Departmentof Defense “boots on the ground” rotationalpolicies, the 1-508th will be swapped with oneof the 82nd Airborne’s battalions, whoserotation is in line with the 173d Abn Bde’s.

“The rotation of forces into the theater arebased on time on the ground back at homestation and time on the ground for deployedunits, both of which are approximately oneyear,” explained Maj. Gregory Harkins, the173d Brigade’s adjutant. “In this case, TFFury’s timeline matched the timeline of a 25thID unit operating out of the sector from therest of the 173dBrigade. Inexchange, the173d AirborneBrigade will havethe 2nd Battalion,504th Infantry,working for itduring the nextyear.”

The fact thatthe battalion willnot be workingunder the 173dAbn Bde hasraised questionsfor the families ofthe Soldiers in the 1-508th.

Although TF Fury will be working undera different brigade during its deployment toAfghanistan, every effort will be made to keepfamilies up to date with their Soldiers, saidCommand Sgt. Maj. Jeffery Hof, the battalionsergeant major.

“We know how important it is to thefamilies to know what is going on,” said Hof.“We are dedicated to not leave the familiesback in Vicenza or the states in the dark justbecause we’re not working under the 173d.”

As far as actual contact between theSoldiers and their families, the change in thechain of command should make littledifference, Hof said.

“The Soldiers should have roughly thesame capabilities to call or email home throughfacilities such as the Morale Welfare andRecreation center,” he said.

Soldiers have already been contacting theirloved ones and letting them know they havearrived safely.

Spc. Sash Zlatanovic, a 1-508th scout, andOperation Iraqi Freedom veteran, waiting touse the MWR center’s phones to contact hisfamily said, like many Soldiers, he was dealingwith the inconveniences of deployment but

he is focused onthe task at hand.

Z l a t a n o v i csaid he waslooking forwardto deployment alittle more thanmost Soldiers.

“ A l t h o u g hthere aresacrifices to bemade, they haveto be made. It’spretty exciting.You look into theeyes of thesepeople and they

are happy to see us. We are making adifference,” he said.

Zlatanovic said he looks at his job with agood perspective because his parents camefrom Serbia to find a better life in America,and that he felt he could contribute toimproving the lives of people in Afghanistan.

“People don’t know [Americans] until theymeet us,” said Zlatanovic. “People have theirprejudices and biases but once they befriendan American, it’s a whole different world. Ithink our work here will fortify the Afghani’s

confidence and trust in America.”Many Soldiers of the 1-508th, while

acknowledging the personal sacrifice, feel asense of responsibility.

“I feel like I should be here,” said Pfc. TrentPerkins, an infantryman with 3rd PlatoonBravo Company. “I am doing something formy country. I’m doing my job. It’s aresponsibility I can’t deny. It’s hard beingaway from family, but I get a lot of supportfrom home.”

Support from home will be very importantas the months ahead will not be easy.

“The mission in Afghanistan is anextremely complex one,” said Hof. “There areregions in Afghanistan where the anti-coalition forces are rampant. This is not just ahumanitarian aid mission, such as the Tsunamieffort. We are here to help the Afghani peoplebuild a stable and secure country.

“To lay the foundations for thatenvironment to materialize, we have to removethose anti-coalition forces from the picture,”Hof said.

The Soldiers of TF Fury don’t know whatthe year will bring them. The snows coveringthe Paktika Province will soon begin to recedeallowing anti-coalition forces more capabilityto maneuver and reports of their annual springattacks have already begun to appear in thepress.

“They might be able to move aroundeasier,” Hof said. “But the improving weatheralso means we’ll be able to chase them downbetter too.”

The Soldiers of the 1-508th share thatconfidence.

“The sooner they come out of hiding, thesooner we can take them out,” said Perkins.“[Bravo Company] and Third Platoon are veryconfident about our capabilities.

“Paratroopers are held to a higher standard.We have surpassed those standards in the pastand we will again here in Afghanistan,”Perkins said.

“I am doing somethingfor my country. I’m

doing my job.It’s a resposibility

I can’t deny.”

Pfc. Trent Perkins3rd Platoon, Bravo Company1st Battalion, 508th In (Abn)

4 THE Outlook March 22, 2005

By Diana Bahr22nd ASG Public Affairs

When Staff Sgt. DanielleFont decided it was time

for a promotion, she approached hernoncommissioned officer in charge,Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Crook.

“When I told Sergeant Crook Iwanted to go for a promotion, shesaid, ‘Let’s see how well you do atboards,’ and submitted me for theNCO of the Quarter for the dentalcommand,”said Font, a mother ofthree who works at the VicenzaDental Clinic and is a registereddental hygienist.

“When I began working withStaff Sergeant Font, it was veryobvious that she already had thededication and determinationneeded to be successful,” saidCrook, who won the EuropeanRegion Dental Command NCO ofthe Year in 2001. “Anyone who hasgone through this process knowshow much personal time goes into

Vicenza Soldier wins ERDC NCO of Year

the preparation for a board.“I had an NCO who took

personal interest and time in helpingto prepare me. Knowing thatsomeone cares and is willing to helpand stand by your side means a lot,”said Crook. “Everyone is busy andthere is never a “good time” to breakaway, but Soldiers deserve that. Iwas honored to attempt to do thesame with her and share some of myexperiences.”

Font not only had to prepare forthe oral portion of the board, but shealso had to be prepared for thecompetition that consisted of landnavigation, common Soldier skillstasks, weapons qualification,physical fitness test, written test, anda road march.

“She did so while continuing towork at the dental clinic everyday,as well as taking care of her husbandand three children when she wenthome,” said Crook. “Obviously,time management is another one ofher strengths because she did it all

without missing a beat.“It has always been her number

one priority to show her Soldiers thiscan be done,” said Crook. “Leadingby example is one of the ways shemotivates them to strive for the top.”

The competition was a first forFont, but she breezed through theboard and was selected. After that,she competed with the other NCOsof the Quarter for the Dental NCOof the Year at Landstuhl, comingaway the winner at that level. Shethen advanced to the ERDC NCOof the Year competition inHeidelberg, Germany.

“When I got to Heidelberg,” saidFont. “Sergeant Major Mack Byrdtold us at the ice breaker the nightbefore the event began, that hehoped we were in good mental andphysical condition, because wewould need to be.”

The first day of the five-day eventfound Font and five other Soldierstaking an Army Physical Fitness Testin the snow. This was followed by a

Story and photo by Diana Bahr22nd ASG Public Affairs

A familiar sight to many of the 173dAirborne Brigade veterans of Operation IraqiFreedom is parked behind the Fitness Center.

The big red dental bus is back and inside,Capt. Chad Bangerter, brigade dentist, andhis assistant, Sgt. Julio Carmona, areensuring that the SETAF and brigadeSoldiers are deployable.

A year ago, when the Soldiers redeployedfrom Iraq, the bus was sent down to helphandle the reintegration of the troops, andits benefits to the community wereimmediately noticed as the Soldiers were ableto move quickly through the reintegrationprocess.

“The bus came down from the EuropeanDental Command in Germany, in Decemberbecause we needed the extra facilities,” saidBangerter. “When we held PDPs [pre-deployment processing] and SRPs [SoldierReadiness Processing] in the past, wecouldn’t accommodate them on site as wellas we would have liked to.

“We wanted to do a complete, thorough,exam,” said Bangerter. “The way we wereset up in the gym, we couldn’t take X-ray’sinside the gym and it compromised ourexams. This van allows us to do a completeexam and provide good service to ourSoldiers.

“Also, we’re right here on the PDP site,”

trip to a range where they had toquickly zero and qualify on weaponssupplied by the ERDC. After therange, they found themselves on asix-mile road march back to theinstallation.

“The road march was the hardestpart of the test,” said Font. “I hadbeen training for the road marchwearing a rucksack and LBE, but atthe competition we were required towear a flak vest. I wasn’t preparedfor the extra weight and found it abit difficult.”

Day two was a day for the groupto relax and take in the sights ofHeidelberg. The group would needthe break, as day three would findthem in the field again.

“We spent day three being testedon our day and night land navigationskills,” said Font. “In between thoseevents we went through CommonTask Training.”

Day four found the group takinga timed test consisting of 102questions, followed by an oralboard.

And then it was time to find outwho would walk away NCO of theYear.

“We had no idea until the end

who won,” said Font. “We wererehearsing for the award ceremonyand we still didn’t know who wasthe winner!

“Naturally I was excited andproud when I won, because thismeans I have the opportunity torepresent the entire European DentalRegion at San Antonio,” she said.“I think this is a great opportunityto get my name out there, and comepromotion time, it will be in myrecord.

“My husband is very proud of myaccomplishment,” she said. “But heis also a mentor and played a majorrole by helping me with my commontask training and studying.

Among the gifts Font receivedfor being awarded NCO of the Yearwere two trips to Paris.

Unfortunately the trips will haveto wait as her husband, Sgt. JinezFont, SETAF G-3, is deploying toAfghanistan soon.

Font will be competing in theDental Command NCO of the Yearboard April 7-11.

“She will be competing againstthe other NCOs of the Year fromeach region around the world,” saidCrook. “I hope they come prepared.”

From left: Sgt. Major Mack Byrd, European Region Dental Command, Staff Sgt. Danielle Font, NCO ofthe Year for ERDC, Spc. Fernando Venegas, Soldier of the Year for ERDC, and Col. Michael Cuenin,ERDC commander, cut a cake during the award ceremony for the two enlisted Soldiers. (Photo courtesyof Staff Sgt. Danielle Font)

Dental bus returns, makes deployment preparation quicker for Soldierssaid Bangerter, “and this makes it faster forthe Soldiers to process through the PDP as iteliminates having them leave the area andgo up to the dental clinic.”

The bus, one of two based out ofHeidelberg, is usually sent to militaryinstallations in Europe that don’t have dentalfacilities, according to Bangerter. It’s

outfitted with two dental chairs for patients,a digital X-ray machine and is capable ofproviding basic dental exams, as well as morecomplicated procedures like root canals andtooth extractions.

“Right now we’re pretty much using it forexam purposes, taking X-rays and doingannual exams,” said Bangerter. “But it can

also be used for more procedures. We canhave a dental hygienist come here and docleanings; we can do minor work like fillings.We’re not currently set up to do that, but itcan be done.”

The number of Soldiers who visit thedental van varies. It’s been as low as six aday, to as many as 35, he said. For each unitthat goes through the PDP, the dental chartsfor Soldiers who are ready for their yearlydental exam, are overdue for their yearlyexam, or are within 90 days of their yearlyexam, are pulled from the clinic and sent tothe PDP desk, according to Bangerter.

“As those Soldiers come through they’resent back here to the van,” Bangerter said.“We can comfortably handle between six and10 patients per hour.”

Soldiers with significant dental problems,such as large cavities or wisdom teethproblems, may be deemed temporarily non-deployable.

“Basically, anything that is causing theSoldier pain, or that we suspect could causethe Soldier pain within the next six months,we need to take care of,” he said.

Fortunately, most dental problems arefixable and the Soldier is able to have theproblem taken care of and join his unit.

Should Soldiers experience dentalemergencies downrange, Bangerter,Carmona, and another dental specialist willbe on hand to handle basic dental needs suchas fillings or tooth extraction, or cleanings.

Capt. Chad Bangerter, 173d Airborne Brigade dentist performs a dental exam on Spc.Katy Allen, a soldier with A Company, 173d Support Battalion The dental exams areperformed right outside the Pre-Deployment Processing area in a specially-equipped busthat is on loan from the European Regional Dental Command from Heidelberg, Germany.

March 22, 2005 THE Outlook 5

6 THE Outlook March 22, 2005

Now Showing

Admission: Adults age 12 and over $4, children $2.The Ederle Theatre box office opens one hour prior to show time.

Tickets to blockbuster shows are presold at Baskin Robbins.

Caserma Ederle Theater

Camp Darby Theater

March 25 Are We There Yet 7 p.m.

March 26 Assault On Precinct 13 7 p.m.

March 23 Fat Albert (PG13) 7 p.m.

March 24 White Noise (PG13) 7 p.m.

March 25 Hide and Seek (R) 7 p.m.

Elektra (PG13) 10 p.mMarch 26 Racing Stripes (PG) 2 p.m.

Elektra (PG13) 7 p.m.

Hide and Seek (R) 10 p.m.

March 27 Elektra (PG13) 2 p.m.

Hide and Seek (R) 7 p.m.

Movie Synopsis

By Dorothy Spagnuolo&Out About

HIDE AND SEEK - Robert DeNiro, Dakota Fanning. As awidower tries to piece together his life in the wake of his wife’s suicide,he discovers that his young daughter is coping with the death in astrange and scary manner. His daughter, Emily, finds solace by creatinga creepy, maniacal imaginary friend with a terrifying vendetta.

ELEKTRA - Jennifer Garner, Terence Stamp.When Elektra isreleased from the hospital after a near-death experience, she becomesan assassin trained by a crew of killers known as The Order of theHand. Their leader, Kirigi, sends Elektra on a mission to kill MarkMiller and his young daughter, Abby. Soon, however, Elektrabefriends her would-be victims and defends them both from Kirigi’sninja assassins. But standing up to the Order sentences her to death.

RACING STRIPES - Voice of Frankie Muniz, Hayden Panettiere.In the middle of a raging thunderstorm, a traveling circus accidentallyleaves behind some very precious cargo, a baby zebra. The ganglylittle foal is rescued by horse farmer Nolan Walsh, a championthoroughbred trainer, and brought to his Kentucky farm. The Walshfarm borders the Turfway Racetrack, where highly skilledthoroughbreds compete for horse racing’s top honor, the KentuckyCrown. From the first moment Stripes lays eyes on the track, he’shooked. He knows that if he could just get the chance, he could leaveall those other horses in the dust. What he doesn’t know is that he’snot exactly a horse. But with the help of the misfit troupe of barnyardfriends and a teenage girl, he sets out to achieve his dream of racingwith thoroughbreds.

ARE WE THERE YET - Ice Cube, Nia Long. Nick, a smoothoperator, is trying to land a date with Suzanne. Problem is Suzanne,a divorcee, is stuck working in Vancouver and miserable because shemisses her kids. Seizing the opportunity, Nick gallantly offers to makeher wish come true - and his own in the process - by bringing seven-year-old Kevin and eleven-year-old Lindsey up from Portland, Oregonto be reunited with their mom. What Nick doesn’t know is thatSuzanne’s children think that no man is good enough for their momand will do everything they can to make the trip a nightmare for him.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 - Ethan Hawke, LaurenceFishburne. A notorious cop-killer and mobster Marion Bishop isunexpectedly brought into a Detroit precinct during a blizzard onNew Year’s Eve. By nightfall, the remaining cops and prisoners findthemselves fighting for their lives against a group of rogue cops intenton taking down Bishop before he testifies against them in thecourtroom. Now it’s up to the officers and inmates on the inside toband together just to survive this one night.

Spring forward,fall back

Sunday at 2 a.m. is when Italy,and almost all the rest of Europe,makes theswitch fromOra Solare(solar time) toOra Legale(legal time) –this is DaylightSavings Time.

In other words, we are going toget one hour less sleep the nightbetween Saturday and Sunday.Remember to set your clock onehour forward when you go to sleepSaturday night.

One way to remember is thesaying “Spring Forward, Fall Back.”Daylight saving time ends Oct. 30at 3 a.m.

Egg breakingOn Saturday at the Palladio

shopping mall, enjoy watchingpeople break a huge chocolateEaster egg after which there will bea piece for everyone present. Notime has been set but it will besometime in the afternoon.

Also find a small Easter marketnear the back entrance of the malland a “caterpillar” train ride for theyoung ones.

Seasonal feastsIn Italy, a country still bound to

Spring Break Schedule

April 11 Scooby Doo: Monsters Unleashed 3:30 p.m.

April 12 Finding Nemo 4 p.m.

April 13 Finding Nemo 3:30 p.m.

April 15 Brother Bear 3:30 p.m.

Family Nights

April 6 Finding Nemo 5 p.m.

April 20 Scooby Doo: Monsters Unleashed 5 p.m.

April 27 Pooh’s Heffalump Movie 5 p.m.

Admission for Spring Break Schedule and Family Nights:Adults age 12 and over $4, children $1.25.

Wednesdays and Family Night will be on a trail basis.Response from the communty will determine continuation.

By Mark SaddlerSpecial to the Outlook

It was a cold February day in Munich, snow flying,icy roads and hundreds of other sea animals(swimmers) to deal with, but that wasn’t about tochange what this group of sharks had in mind.

The Vicenza Mako Shark swim team took to theOlympic pool with nothing but winning in mind andheart.

It started Saturday night with the 200-meterindividual medley. DJ Schendel would lead the waywith a gold medal turning in a time of 3:50.56 for thegirls’ 8 year olds and younger competition. Soon after,11-year-olds Tiffany Saddler and Savannah Owenswould take, 4th and 5th in the 200 IM. Then cameJono Higgins turning in a time of 3:08.72 for the silvermedal, his pray just beating him to the wall andnarrowly escaping with the gold.

Every team knew these sharks meant business.Sunday morning would not be any different for

the team; each swimmer knew that this was the daythey work so hard for.

Once again Schendel would start them off withgold in the girls’ 8-year-olds 100 IM and silver in 50-meter freestyle. Hando Jefferson would take bronzefor the boys’ 8-year-olds 100 IM. In the 11-year-olds

girls, Tiffany Saddler took another silver, withteammate Savannah Owens taking the bronze. JonoHiggins took silver in the 11-year-old boys.

As the day wore on, the sharks kept adding up themedals and team points.

Finally it was over, the team looked to each otherto see how much damage was done.

Coach Jane [Higgins] as always was proud of herswimmers.

The team waited patiently for the finial medal countand point standings.

The team landed in the middle with 761 team pointsand 14 individual medals.

The 4 high scores for the team where: first placeJono Higgins, 3 silver medals and 1 bronze collecting67 team points; second place Tiffany Saddler with 3silver medals and 66 team points; third place DJSchendel with 2 gold medals and 1 silver for 57 teampoints; and forth place Savannah Owens with 2 bronzemedals and 52 points.

Other team swimmers contributed to the medalcount as well as the overall score. This was the finishto another great year from the Vicenza Mako Sharkswim team.

Ask any of the Mako Sharks and they will tell you,“We are a team. It’s how we are, it‘s how we‘recoached.”

Sharks attack in Munich

tradition and to theproduce of the land, tables at Easterfavor a combination of seasonal andsymbolic ingredients that welcomein the spring as much as theycelebrate the Christian feast ofEaster.

Tender green vegetables play animportant role, whether they appearin delicate savory tarts as starters orin the form of sauces or stuffing forfirst courses.

The most classic tart is the TortaPasqualina, layers of puff pastrycovering a ricotta and artichokemixture with the added surprise ofwhole eggs baked into the filling.Tender spinach leaves can be usedinstead of the artichokes, and theeffect is again that of springtimefreshness.

The first course for an Easterdinner is often composed of rich eggpasta, such as ravioli stuffed withspinach and ricotta, or a subtle dishof lasagna filled with asparagus,another of the seasonal delights.

The main course will almostinevitably be lamb, most tender andsucculent at this time of year.Whether in the traditional guise ofroast leg of lamb, flavored withrosemary, thyme, and white wine, asa visually impressive corona dicarré d’agnello, rack of lambshaped into a guard of honor, or in amouth-watering casserole withartichokes, it provides a delicioushighpoint for a family occasion.

For dessert, Italians can enjoya slice of Colomba, a delicate dove-shaped sweet cake that originallycame from Lombardy. This yeastydough comes with fragrant candiedfruit and a crunchy topping ofalmonds and sugar, and is a perfectway to round off a meal,accompanied by a glass of a sweetdessert wine.

Easter event inFlorence

Easter Sunday is one of the mostimportant days of the Florentinecalendar. It’s the day of the Scoppiodel Carro, an ancient ritual that datesback to the 12th century.

From the Piazzale della Porta alPrato to the Piazza del Duomo, along parade of trumpeters,drummers, costumed dignitaries andflag throwers escort the carro, a tall,heavy wooden cart, pulled by fourwhite oxen through the streetsarriving at Piazza del Duomo.

If you want to get a clear view ofthe procession, be at Porta al Pratowhen it sets off at 10 a.m.

The scoppio, explosion, happensat 11 a.m. when a mechanical doveis lit by the priest during mass. Thedove flies along a wire stretchedfrom the altar to the carro outsideand sets off an explosion offireworks.

If all goes smoothly, it is said thatthe year’s harvests will be good.

8 THE Outlook March 22, 2005

VillaTacchi

By Natalie LarsonCIAO representative

The Combined Italian AmericanOrganization offered 130registered participants from theCaserma Ederle community the

chance to enjoy a special one-day women’sconference Thursday at the majestic VillaTacchi in the town of Gazzo.

Sponsored by the Vicenza Military Spouses’and Civilians’ Club and Equal EmploymentOpportunity, the CIAO conference was acompilation of sessions featuring topicspertinent to Women’s History Month and ofinterest to those living in Italy.

From Italian cooking classes with ChefPaolo of the restaurant Nogarazza and winetasting with Antonietta and Rodolfo of VillaSceriman, to communicating across cultureswith Cindy Pierson and uncovering the male-female dilemma with Ann Campbell, presentersshared a little something with everyone whoattended the conference.

“I love CIAO,” said Conference OrganizerSandy Segura. “The programs we offer atCIAO are an example of the exceptional varietyof things available in our Italian communityand in our American one, as well. Having livedin the Vicenza community a long time andparticipated in fun events, I’ve always wantedto be a part of it. And, this year, I got to be apart of it in a big way.”

Volunteers for the CIAO conference pulledtogether to create a tremendous experiencecomplete with childcare, transportation,breakfast and lunch, easy registration and doorprizes available for each and every participant.Luckily, the beautiful spring day affordedleisurely tours of the villa’s grounds onThursday, despite the fact that just a little overa week earlier, volunteers and presentersworked overtime to reschedule the conferencedue to the snowy weather.

CIAO received rave reviews from attendeeslike Irene Vincent who “enjoyed spending timewith friends and meeting new ones” andKathryn Catlett who was thrilled “to have aspecial day just for me without the children.”

While presenters like Emilia Grillo showedhow to whip up delectable Italian desserts in amoment’s notice and Davide Luisotto explainedhow Villa Tacchi’s 18th century icebox had beentransformed into one of Vicenza’s only modernday wine cellars, others were learning aboutself care tips for women’s health and how todeal with their children’s “terrible one’s, two’sand three’s.”

After attending a session on how to plangreat road trips designed by Beatrice Giomettoand Lisa Xodo from Caserma Ederle’s ownInformation, Tours and Registration, Karen

Hartless was “surprised to learn that differentpricing options in train travel will allow myfamily to travel cheaper than we have in thepast. I thought I knew a lot about travel butI’m definitely taking away some great tips fromtoday’s class.”

If you missed this year’s CIAO conference,there are still plenty of opportunities to get

involved with other great events onand off post.

For more information on how tobecome a VMSCC member and joinmini-clubs catering to your interests,stop by the Thrift Shop located nextto the Italian BNL bank.

Photos by Laura KreiderOutlook Staff

Anna Calabrese, left, gets ready to take a group photo after her class “RememberItaly?” near the fountain in front of Villa Tacchi. The class focused on how tophotograph by understanding the scenery and lighting. After the class, participantshad the opportunity to practice what they learned in the beautiful park of the villa.

“The Terrible Ones, Twos, and Threes” is once ofthe classes taught during the CIAO conference inthe Sala Stemmi, the Coat of Arms room, one ofthe meeting rooms at Villa Tacchi.

“The Male/FemaleDilemma.”

CIAO is a social,cultural andeducationalconference

designed to informmembers of the

Vicenza communityabout Italianculture and

women’s issues.

Above: The view of the Sala Rosa, or pinkroom, one of the meeting rooms in the

villa. The wooden beam ceiling and floorin pink marble are both in the Venetian

style. Several rooms are named after thecolor of their walls and marble floors.

Left: View of the chapel of the villa,which is in the villa’s park, near asmall pond.

Left: Detail of the statue of the fountainlocated in the park facing VillaTacchi.Below: Detail of a fireplace in one ofthe several rooms of the Villa Tacchi.The villa, built at the end of the 17thcentury, is located in the countrysideEast of Vicenza. Influenced by thePalladian style, Villa Tacchi has beenrestored and transformed into ameeting center with a capacity of over200 seats.

celebrateshistory,impact

CIAO women’s conferencecelebrateshistory,impact

CIAO women’s conference