Nov. 8, 2005

Capt. Derek EnzProvost Marshal Office

The following traffic changes willbegin in the week of Nov. 13.

Gate One (Aldo Moro) CasermaEderle outbound (exit) lane will beclosed due to construction forapproximately three weeks. Outboundtraffic will be directed to use both GateTwo (Chapel Gate) on a 24-hour basisand Gate Five (Health Clinic Gate)between the hours of 4:30-6:30 p.m. GateOne inbound vehicle traffic will not beaffected. Gate Four Bravo (AirborneGate) will close and Gate Four (adjacentnew barracks located on Olson Ave) willopen for inbound commercial truck,vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Gate One construction to beginUpon completion of construction on

the outbound lane of Gate One, the gatewill reopen for normal outbound traffic.

Construction will then begin on GateOne’s inbound lane and is expected totake approximately three to four weeks.

While construction on the inboundlane for Gate One is underway, inboundtraffic will be redirected through GateFour, (vehicle and commercial trucktraffic) and a re-opened Gate Four Bravo(Airborne Gate).

The provost marshal encourages allvehicle operators to expect delays andremain patient during this period ofinstallation improvement and to planaccordingly.

Remember: Safe driving iseveryone’s responsibility.

Smoke detectors

Time to change your batteries

Story and photoBy Laura KreiderOutlook Staff

For the second year in a row,the Vicenza Auto SkillsCenter has been awarded

the Army Recreation Award forOutstanding Recreation ProgramAuto Skills in the medium sizecategory at the Army-wide level.

The award was presented twoweeks ago during the NationalRecreation and Parks Associationconference held in Reno, Nev.

“The competition is based byregion,” said Charlie DeCelle, VicenzaAuto Skills Center manager. “Thereare 107 auto skills centers in the U. S.Army, and we compete [with thembased] by size.”

The Caserma Ederle facilityentered the 2005 InstallationManagement Agency-Europe levelcompetition winning top honors.

After entering the contest at theIMA-E level, the winners getsubmitted and compete against thewinners of all the IMA regions,explained DeCelle.

DeCelle is one of three people thatmake up the center’s staff. The othertwo being Larry Douglas andHoward Overacker.

The first time they received thisaward they thought that one of thejudge’s deciding factors was thatthe shop is Automotive ServiceExcellence Blue Seal certified.

This year, DeCelle still believes inthe importance of this certification,but also highlights the strength ofthe staff’s effort.

“I am really proud of my team, andthis is a team effort. Larry [Douglas]and Howard [Overacker] are equalparts of the three-men team here,” hesaid.

“It’s a team effort, no one can do itall by himself. I am very proud of thework they do and the way they takecare of Soldiers and Soldiersdependents, civilians and all the

Vicenza Auto Skills Center best in Army

community members here.”Both, Douglas and Overacker also

agree on what helped them attain thisachievement.

“We have a quality team thatworks well together,” said Overacker.“That’s what it takes to be a winner.”

“It is easy for us to make sacrificesand go out of our way to help ourpatrons when we see the sacrificesthat are made on a daily basis by theSoldiers and family members of thiscommand,” said Douglas.

“They deserve nothing but thebest, and we are proud to be servingthe very best,” he added.

But other winning points havealso been the maintenance of good

equipment available at the center andthe progressive upgrade, especiallyfocused on the diagnostic area.

“This is a continuous process ofdevelopment and maintenance.

“We maintain what we have, butwe also upgrade it, and if we noticethat we are missing something,subjected to the availability of funds,we get out and try to buy it,” explainedDeCelle.

In addition to offering high-quality equipment and professionalhelp, the automotive center alsofocuses on being active in thecommunity on Caserma Ederle.

“We have a classroom and aconference room here, and both the

Vicenza High School students and theCentral Texas College students comehere,” explained DeCelle.

“It is also important that we goout and engage the rest of thecommunity, because cars scarepeople sometimes. They are afraidbecause they don’t know. The wayaround that is for us to get out andengage the community, teach theFamily Readiness Groups classes,teach the Scouts groups or any othergroups that have an interest,”DeCelle said.

To keep up the good work, theVASC will be housing a TechnologyTraining where an instructor from thestates will teach auto skills centers’

staff coming from several locations.“We are going to have people

from all over Europe, includingAviano, Naples, and Camp Darby. Wewill close the shop for that, but it is animportant part of staying at the top,”DeCelle said.

The training is scheduled fromNov. 14 to 18. Except that week, theVicenza Auto Skills Center is openTuesdays through Fridays from noonto 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9a.m. to 5 p.m.

Basic fee to use the facility andthe equipment is $4 an hour. Otherfees depend on the type of service.

For more information about thecenter and classes call 634-7014.

USAG Vicenza Fire DepartmentPublic Service Announcement

Now that we have survived another Trick or Treat seasonand been rewarded with another hour of sleep, reward yourselfand your family with a little piece of mind.

In setting clocks back one hour it is time again to changethe batteries in smoke detectors too.

Dead and dieing batteries will activate continuously for noapparent reason. The only way to prevent this from happening is to replace your batteriesnow before the detector activates.

Don’t wait, do it today or you may be startled in the middle of the night by the soundof a screaming smoke detector.

Help the detector help you and change the batteries today.If you have an emergency call the Caserma Ederle Fire Department at 634-8911 on

base or 0444-71-8911 off base.If you have a question call 634-7092 on base, or 0444-71-7092 off base.Your fire department is here to assist you.

From left to right: The Vicenza Auto Skills Center staff work on a vehicle engine at the center. The center is an Automotive Service ExcellenceBlue Seal certified shop, which was awarded the 2005 Army Recreation Award for Outstanding Recreation Program Auto Skills (mediumsize) at the Army level.

2 THE Outlook Nov. 8, 2005

This forum is to discuss issues that affectthe community.

If you have an issue that you wish to submit,visit the USAG Vicenza Web site atwww.usag.vicenza.army.mil and click on theCommunity Action Council link. This linkprovides you the opportunity to review issuesthat have been previously submitted andresponded to by post agencies. There is also aform available for you to submit any new issueyou would like addressed. If you havequestions, call 634-5222 or 0444-71-5222 fromoff post.

The command encourages you to identifyyourself when submitting a CAC issue in orderto be able to answer your concern directly. Thecommand also reminds the community that CACissues submitted containing vulgar, derogatoryor inflammatory language will not be addressed.

Childcare is offered during the CAC at $4per hour, per child, for children ages 6 weeksold through kindergarten from 8:45-11:15 a.m.Preregistration is required. Children will be caredfor in the Child Development Center, building395. Children must be registered with Child andYouth Services Central Registration. Call 634-7219 or stop by their location in the Davis FamilyReadiness Center.

As Wednesday, Nov. 23, is the day beforethe Thanksgiving holiday, the next CommunityAction Council meeting is Nov. 22, at 9 a.m. inthe Ederle Theater.

Issue: Not everyone can attend themonthly CAC meeting, especially since it’sduring normal working hours. Although youhave done a good job of posting the issuesin The Outlook, someone hasn’t done a goodjob of keeping the issues updated on the U.S.Army Garrison Vicenza Web site.

Someone may want to look up a pastissue, and could probably search throughthe old issues of The Outlook to find it, but itwould be much easier if they can do it onlinewhere issues are listed in order with issuetitles.

The last issues posted on the Web sitewere from April 1, about six months ago.

Response from Plans, Analysis,Integration Office: The reason that we werebehind on updating the site was due to sometechnical maintenance being performed onthe system.

The contractor that maintains the site wasswitching the data over to a new server. Theproblem has been fixed and the Web site hasnow been updated. We do not expect to haveany more problems with posting the issuesin a timely manner.

Issue: It appears our commissary ishaving delivery problems with milk. Moreoften than not, the milk (1/2 gallon) on theshelves has an expiration date within one-two days of the current date. That is far tooshort shelf life expectancy.

From a customer’s perspective, this isinexcusable and may be an indicator ofinadequate inventory/supply management.

CommunityAction

Council

The USAG Vicenza Chaplain’sFamily Life Office, in partnership withdeployed SETAF and 173d AirborneBrigade chaplains, is writing a seriesof devotional articles based on thebest-selling book, “The Purpose-Driven Life,” by Pastor Rick Warren.

The intent of these articles is to offerdeployed Soldiers and their familymembers a devotional meditation,which they can use for weeklydiscussion and to hopefully deepentheir spiritual connection during theseparation.

Chaplain (Maj.) Jim SheilVicenza Community Catholic Pastor

From time to time most of us wantthings right now – we don’t want towait. We see this reflected in how fasttechnology helps us get this done.

We have instant messaging, instanttransactions on the Internet, computergames, faster ways of travel,instantaneous transmission ofinformation. Getting things done fastis fun, and we are used to it.

We would like the same thing tohappen in “real life.” As we grow weeagerly look forward to getting ourdriver’s license, getting out of thehouse, getting the missionaccomplished so we get back home.

It seems our focus increasingly ison a different time and place from wherewe are now. Yet, now is the only reality.Now is where things happen. Now iswhere we grow, because now is wherewe are. Now always is. The future neveris because when the future gets here,it is now.

To a great extent the futuredepends on the now – how we live andmove now. Our now has consequencesfor our future.

How we live in our now, whatchoices we make, what we do or don’tdo has a great influence on whatopportunities we will face in our future.

Now is also the only place weencounter God, who comes to us in ourrealities, not our fantasies. Our now is

It takes time

Response from DECA: The commissaryreceives milk deliveries on Tuesday andThursday of each week from the plant inDenmark.

The temperature of each delivery vehicleis checked or monitored as well as the displayunits within the commissary. This ensuresthat all products are received and displayedat the proper storage temperatures.

We encourage patrons to follow theguidelines on milk handling and storageprinted on each carton. Milk stored between32-40 degrees F (0-5 degrees C) willsignificantly prolong its shelf life. On the dateof receipt, products have a 10-day or longershelf life on all products received. There aretimes when the commissary has an excessinventory of various milk items when adelivery arrives. Every effort is made tominimize these excess quantities.

However, shopping habits vary anddemand of patrons change. These, plus otherfactors, make it difficult to accurately predictorder quantities.

In order to stimulate movement of excessinventories we will begin to offer all milk, withless than five days shelf life remaining, atreduced prices.

Issue: I have a question about civilianswho work for the Army. I know they haveranks in their civilian MOS, but do they haveranks that equal military ranks? I been toldother services do, but does the Army? I sawa chart showing Italy ranks against Soldierranks. Is there a chart you can show the

civilian workers against Soldiers?Response from USAG Vicenza Human

Resources: Normally, when a comparison isneeded, the Geneva Convention chart isused. However, the question was not detailedenough to provide a specific answer. Sincethis was submitted anonymously, the writercan resubmit with a more detailed questionin order for the CAC to provide an answer.

Issue: It is now 9:15 a.m. and there areno paper towels and a half a roll of toiletpaper in the women’s restroom in the CentralProcessing Facility. There are at least 15women who work here, and countlesscustomers who use the restrooms. We willsurely run out of this half roll of toilet paperbefore 9:45, but the cleaning team doesn’trestock around 2 p.m.

While we know you can’t fix the problemright now, this is a reoccurring problem andsomething needs to be done.

Response from Directorate of PublicWorks: The restrooms in question are usedby both the CPF and Joe Dugan’s.

This issue has been caused by a changein the NAF contract for the operation of JoeDugan’s, which no longer provides forresupply of the toilets. This issue is beingworked with DMWR.

However, as an interim solution, we havetaken the writer’s suggestion, and havestocked additional supplies at the CPF.

We will also post a sign in the restroomsexplaining how to obtain supplies when theyrun out.

“What do you think, Sir? You grew up in amilitary family, right? I just don’t know aboutputting my kids through this.”

As a new platoon leader, this conversation wasmy first introduction to Staff Sgt. John Doles: aleader, a Soldier, a father, a friend, and a hero.

Doles was a man of values; a man who alwaysput his Soldiers and his family first; the kind ofman this world desperately needs yet will sorelymiss.

His death on Sept. 30, 2005, is a tragedy to all;but his life will forever remain the standard for whata Soldier is truly made of, as exemplified by hisleadership while I was fortunate enough to servewith him during our combat tour in Iraq.

From our very first missions, we knew that Doleswas a cut above the other team leaders in theplatoon. He joined the military later than most ofhis peers, and his maturity and wisdom shined.With his thick, southern drawl, we would listen tohis crazy accounts of growing up in Oklahoma,patriotically joining the military, and graduating[Army] Ranger School before finally becoming ateam leader.

When his squad leader, an experienced E-6, leftthe platoon, my platoon sergeant selected then-Sgt. Doles to replace him.

At the time, it was extremely rare for a buck-sergeant to lead a squad in combat in the 173dAirborne Brigade. Yet our platoon sergeant, withmuch more troop leadership experience than I’llever have, had full faith and confidence in Doles’abilities.

For some reason, luck or leadership, thirdplatoon always made our giant cache discoverieswith Doles’ squad.

When led to a desolate farmhouse by aninformant, the commander and I were ready to giveup and head back to base. But his squad just keptdigging around, finally uncovering 34 hand-grenades, which led to the discovery of hundredsof AK-47’s, plastic explosives, and machine guns.It was our company’s largest find.

A month later, we were on patrol with his squadand a local informant, and we unearthed anotherhuge cache: five mortar tubes and literallyhundreds of mortar rounds and explosives. Afterdigging everything up and placing demolitions withthe help of an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team,we all fled the area to a safe distance, hunkeringbehind the vehicles for cover. But as usual, Dolesstayed out front with his video camera, coolly andcalmly catching the “fireworks display” on film.

Even more than these discoveries, however, I

will never forget his calm leadership by exampleduring a platoon mission.

During a cordon and search, we had isolatedan entire block of around 20 houses in a city inNorthern Iraq. Doles’ squad was the main effort,and, as usual, all chaos ensued once we began thelate night searches.

One house in particular was quite stubborn,and as I moved to the scene I witnessed Doles’sbravery, leadership, and compassion all at the sametime.

The man of the household, apparently drunk,wouldn’t open the door. As the squad began toforce their way in, Doles was right there, providingsteady supervision.

The door cracked open, and you could see theman reach for a weapon in his house. Doles jumpedthrough the door, tackled the resident, andsubdued him despite wild resistance while his mensecured the AK-47. The scene inside the housewas just as chaotic: three young children and theirmother huddled in a corner, all crying and terrifiedto death.

Doles could have easily shot and killed thisman defending his home. But instead, just aseffectively but requiring much more courage, heput his own life on the line for the sake of hissquad members and for the sake of an Iraqi man –a stranger – and his family, the likes of who Dolescame to protect.

Doles would have done anything to protecthis Soldiers, but he never abused the power orresponsibility he had as an agent for the U. S. ofAmerica.

I’m sure Doles was just as heroic and probablymore during his missions in Afghanistan, but I wasonly able to visit him once in country. I’ll neverforget the last time I saw John Doles.

I was down in Kandahar, attending a memorialservice in September for another fallen comrade.Out of nowhere, a big cowboy tackled me frombehind. He knew times were dangerous, but heflashed his big smile and talked about the future.He was going to the Ranger Training Brigade, wherehe would have a lot more quality time with hisfamily.

“John: Well done. We will never forget you.”Doles isn’t a hero because he died for a worthy

cause; he was a hero because of the life he lived.

Capt. Timothy M. BenedictExecutive Officer

Headquarters CompanyCJTF-76

Soldier remembers fellow warriorboth the consequence of what hashappened in our past and the revelationof God – the really real.

When we are serious aboutencountering God, however Godchooses to be God, we come to anawareness that God is with us,whatever is going on in our life.

We also come to know life as aprocess; a journey that has perhapsmore than its share of rough spots.

When these rough spots hit us –and they will – they are a chance togrow in many ways.

One day some Soldiers were talkingwith an older Soldier who had beendown the trail a few times and had areputation for “knowing things.”

One of them said, “How did youget such ‘infinite wisdom’?”

He replied, “Infinite screw-ups.”We need not be afraid of making

mistakes as we move on our journey inour now. Mistakes are inevitable, a partof growing up; of attaining some sortof wisdom.

When we let our fear of makingmistakes keep us from trying, we areavoiding our now and so avoiding ourunique opportunity to contribute togood and to grow.

The important thing for us toremember is that in everything thathappens in our life, every relationshipwe share, every situation we face, weare also encountering God.

This is both especially importantand especially difficult in situationswhere our now involves war andfighting.

When we come to know our now asGod revealing himself, we also cometo sense we are part of someone muchgreater than what we are facing or whatwe are doing.

We find a sense of purpose thatgoes beyond what we can imagine.

This is true in the experiences ofinterminable boredom, as well as inthose of fear and terror.

Now is real. God is real. Now iswhere we find God, but we have to workat it, and work hard.

Nov. 8, 2005 THE Outlook 3

SETAF CommanderMaj. Gen. Jason Kamiya

SETAF Rear CommanderMaj. Gen. David T. Zabecki

USAG Vicenza Commander/PublisherCol. Virgil S. L. Williams

EditorMs. Kelli Covlin

The Outlook is an unofficial publi-cation authorized and provided by AR360-1. All editorial content of the Out-look is prepared, edited, provided andapproved by the U.S. Army GarrisonVicenza Public Affairs Office in Build-

OutlookThe

Nov. 8, 2005 Vol. 38, Issue 44

ing 34 on Caserma Ederle in Vice-nza, Italy. DSN 634-7000, FAX 634-7543, civil ian telephone 0444-71-7000, fax 0444-717-543.

Email: editor@setaf.army.mil.The Outlook is published weekly

by the USAG Vicenza PAO, Un i t31401, Box 10, APO AE 09630. It isprinted by Centro Stampa EditorialeSRL, Grisignano (VI) 0444-414-303.

Editorial publication is an autho-rized section for members of theU.S. Army overseas. Contents ofthe Outlook are not necessarily theofficial views of, or endorsed by,the U.S. government, Departmento f De fense , Depar tmen t o f t heArmy, Ins ta l l a t i on Managemen tAgency-Europe, U.S. Army GarrisonVicenza or the U.S. Army SouthernEuropean Task Force.

The editor reserves the right toedit all submissions for style, brev-ity and clarity.

Circulation is 2,500.

Maj. Gen. David T. ZabeckiCommanderSETAF Rear

The Vicenza militarycommunity is a small world untoitself. We see the people we liveand work with frequently – ourneighbors are often our sportscoaches, teachers, coworkers,friends or maybe even the MPwho pulled you over for notcoming to a complete stop. Manyrelationships on a smallinstallation can overlap;sometimes in a positive way andsometimes in a way that isn’t aspositive. It’s easy to forget thatpeople are doing their jobs andwe need to respect the fact thatthey are doing them right. In everycircumstance we should treatothers as we would like to betreated.

The days are growing shorter,the foggy and rainy season iscoming and we’re at thebeginning of the holiday rush.These added stresses can makeus forget or overlook what is trulyimportant. To remember thatalthough we all experience stressand can be impatient at times, weare members of the samecommunity.

The broad definition ofcommunity means a group ofpeople living in the same localityand under the same government.This is true of our community. Weall share similar rules andregulations, but the betterdefinition of community is whatwe should strive for – a group whodefines itself by sharing,participation and fellowship.

This means being a part of thesolution and not the problem:Keep your yard clean and neat.Recycle properly to keep ourbroader community clean and torespect the laws of our hostcountry. Keep the noise leveldown if you and your neighborsshare a wall. Watch your children– it’s the responsibility of parents

Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki

Creating a caring community

and guardians to know where andwhat your children are doing.Watch your pets – remember thelease law. Your pet may not seemlike a menace to you, but otherpeople may not feel the same way.

If everyone took care of theseissues, we would be capableneighbors and a functioningcommunity, but in many ways wecan aspire to be better. To achievethis we each need to do a littlemore, such as an offer to help outa neighbor if you see they can’tkeep up with their yard. Or maybestrike an agreement with yourneighbor to take turns going tothe recycling bins. We could alldrive more defensively, especiallyaround bus loading and unloadingtime. To the many people in ourcommunity who do these thingsand more every day, I thank you.

As a community, we areinterdependent on each other andthat means it is sometimesnecessary to ask for help andsometimes necessary to offerhelp. I challenge each of you tolook for ways to make ourcommunity the best it can be.Maybe it’s as simple as thankinga neighbor who is putting an effortinto making their yard look nice –and the block look better – ormaybe it’s giving someone acompliment when you receivegood service. The little things addup and they add up to a healthyand vibrant community.

CommunityCommunityCommunityCommunityCommunityInvitedInvitedInvitedInvitedInvited

Veterans Day CeremonyThursday from 11 a.m.-noon at the Caserma Ederle

Chapel. Lunch and child care are provided.The guest speaker will be U.S. Army Europe

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael L. Gravens.Call the chapel at 634-7519 for more information.

By Chiara MattiroloCamp Darby Public Affairs

The Camp Darby communitygathered together Oct. 28 at 2:30 p.m.in the Livorno Chapel to mourn theloss of Lia Morelli, lead supplytechnician with the Field SupportBattalion-Livorno.

Morelli was born in Livorno Sept.21, 1961. She started her career withthe Department of the Army June 1,1983, as a clerk typist for theDirectorate of Public Works. Uponpromotion she was then assignedto the War Reserve, now known asthe Field Support Battalion-Livorno,where she worked for 20 years. Shestarted out as a supply clerk andworked her way to the lead supplytechnician in March, 2003.

“Lia fought her battle against herincurable sickness with an

Darby community pays final respectsunimaginable strength. In spite ofher physical weakness, she keptparticipating in dance competitions,her lifelong passion. Her temper, joy,and positiveness set an example forall of us,” said Massimo Carpina,support operations assistant officer,FSB-LI.

Her DPW colleagues rememberMorelli through her courage.

“Thank you Lia for teaching mehow to smile in spite of fear andsorrow,” said coworker CristinaSuardi “Your courage has been amessage of love for all of us.”

“We will never forget yoursweetness, your smile, and youravailability, not to mention thecourage you demonstrated inaffording the terrible challenge lifegave you,” said coworker Laura Nuti.

Morelli is survived by herdaughter Alice, 17.

Story and photoBy Spc. Justin NietoSETAF Public Affairs

Soldiers in the Army Reserve,along with their National Guardcounterparts, have always beenin the unique and often stressfulsituation of juggling lives as aSoldier and civilian.

Recently, Lt. Gen. JamesHelmly, chief of the U.S. ArmyReserve, created an award tohonor the sacrifices of theseSoldiers through the “WelcomeHome Warrior-Citizen AwardProgram,” which provides eachReserve Soldier who served inIraq or Afghanistan with a uniquelapel pin, commemorative coin, anencased flag and a unique“Warrior-Citizen” flag.

One such Soldier recentlyhonored with this award is Sgt. 1stClass Sayed Hessam, a ReserveSoldier with the SETAFAugmentees, who received theaward during a presentationceremony at the Munemori U.S.Army Reserve Center, Longare.

“This award is one-of-a-kindfor me,” said Hessam during theceremony. “I’ve got a bunch ofplaques and such, but nothing likethis.

“Nothing can replace thesacrifices made for year-longdeployments,” said a smilingHessam. “But this is a fine tokenof appreciation. This is somethingI can put in my home and be proudof. Thank you all very much.”

Present at the ceremony were

Soldier honored as ‘Warrior Citizen’

numerous members of the SETAFAug and representatives from the7th Army Reserve Command, likeCommand. Sgt. Maj. MichaelHarris, the top enlisted man for the7th ARCOM.

“I think awards are one of thebest things that’s ever happened,”said Harris. “A lot of people don’trecognize the sacrifice of thesetroops; they leave everything, theirjobs and family, to serve.”

Harris stressed the plight ofReserve Soldiers living in Europe,who often have no assurancestheir jobs will be their when theyget back, if they work off post, and

are called to mobilize fordeployment.

“They often have zero jobprotection,” said Harris. “Theymay very well lose everything,including their livelihoods.”

Col. Daniel Vargas, the 7thARCOM chief of staff, echoedHarris’ comments with his own.

“No one can recognize whatyou lose personally with preparingto deploy,” said Vargas. “But thisis to at least recognize thatsacrifice.

“This is General Helmly’s wayof saying every Soldier isimportant.”

Reservists hold up a commemorative flag for "Warrior-Citizens." Theflag is part of an awards package featuring an encased flag, a uniquecoin and lapel pins. The awards are for Reserve Soldiers who haveserved in Iraq and Afghanistan.

High speed in so many ways4 THE Outlook Nov. 8, 2005

Story and photosBy Spc. Jon Arguello173d Abn Bde Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD,Afghanistan – Few unitsin the U. S. Army are as

diverse in their skill set as supportbattalions. The 173d SupportBattalion (Airborne), 173d AirborneBrigade, is no exception, especiallyBravo Company.

The company’s best descriptionwould be general or miscellaneoussupport, but don’t get the wrongimpression. Bravo Company doesn’tconsist of Soldiers who have a lot oftime, waiting around for things to do.

“They’ve done a great job,” said1st Sgt. Norman Van Winkle, of hisSoldiers’ performance during the firsthalf of their deployment. “They arevery dedicated, and they never shyaway from missions.”

The fact that they don’t avoid themission may not be surprising, butthe vast range of support theseSoldiers provide is.

The 64 Soldiers of Bravo Company“provide direct support to all unitsaround Kandahar Airfield andthroughout Regional Command –South.”

What is direct support exactly?From air conditioning repair to nightvision goggles to weapons repair,Bravo Company maintains all of it.

“Every shop has been a standout

High speed in so many waysBrigade’s support battalion keeps equipment working

performance,” said Van Winkle, of Ft.Bragg, N.C. “Our C.E.M.A[Communications, Electronics,Missiles and Armorer] platoon forinstance took on the responsibilityof maintaining and installing[electronic counter measures] ontrucks. They had very little trainingand took it upon themselves tobecome subject matter experts. Andit’s because they know how importantit is.”

The C.E.M.A. platoon isresponsible for repairing radios,missile systems, such as the Javelinand improved TOW systems, smallarms weapons and other electronicdevices.

“I couldn’t have asked for a bettergroup of Soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st ClassKenneth McCoy, from Birmingham,Al. “They do an outstanding job. Alot of the stuff is new to them and ithas high visibility because it saveslives. The contribution of the entireplatoon is really something.”

Knowing that their jobs directlysave lives is one of the reasons theywork so hard, said Spc. ErnestJohnson, from Bridgeport, Conn.

“This is the best job in the Army.We’re not out there killing bad guys,but we’re doing a lot for the missionhere and you can feel you’re helping.”

Since arriving in Afghanistan inMarch, the C.E.M.A. platoon hasinstalled about 300 counterimprovised explosive devices

electronic systems. Overall, they havecompleted more than 1,000 missions.

Another section from the platoonworks on weapons. Sometimes thelack of qualified armorers increasesthe challenges.

“Most of the units submit jobs butdon’t have armorers, so they’re notsure what’s wrong with the weapon,”said Staff Sgt. Alan Rojas, from Aiea,Hi. “So the first thing we do is take itapart and figure out what’s wrongwith it.”

As challenging and demanding asthe jobs the Soldiers of BravoCompany have, they all seem to lookat the positive.

“It’s good when we’re at the[forward operating bases],” said Sgt.Demetrius Matthews, from Westover,Md. “You provide the support rightthere and 20 minutes later, thatweapon is on a mission.”

But the lifesavers who install theelectronic measures, fix targetingacquisition systems and repairweapons, aren’t the only hardworking Soldiers in Bravo. CompanyB also maintains and repair vehiclesfrom wreckers to humvees.

The company dedicatesone hard workingmechanic to inspecting

the damage and repair of vehicles.“My goal is to get the vehicle or

piece of equipment back on the roadas soon as possible,” said Staff Sgt.Yusef Davis, from Longbeach, Ca.“It’s important, not just with vehiclesbut with every piece of equipment,especially equipment that provideswhatever comfort to the guys on theline, like heaters or air conditioners.”

The first six months of BravoCompany’s deployment has beenchallenging to say the least. Alongwith their various responsibilities,they have a large and diverse groupof customers, basically everyone inRC – South, including its mother unit,the 173d Abn Bde.

Their workload is heavy, repairinghundreds of vehicles battered andabused by the extremely roughAfghan terrain, maintainingelectronics in a dusty, harsh climateand other jobs.

Even the operations sergeant,Sgt. Christy Mangual fromWinnsboro, La., trained as agenerator mechanic has severalother duties from master driver

responsibilities to fixing Soldiers’pay problems. Still Bravo’s Soldiersmaintain a good attitude.

“I really enjoy training andteaching Soldiers,” said Mangual.“This is a much better environmentto train in because there are fewerdistractions for the Soldiers. Webasically spend all of our timeactually doing our job.”

Van Winkle hopes that thesecond six months will bring moretime for the Soldiers to relax and enjoymore personal time.

“These Soldiers have beenworking very hard and staying on topof their game as far as knowledge oftheir profession. We’re lookingforward to a slower pace come for thenext six months due to rain and snow.Hopefully they’ll have a little moretime to do the things they like to do.”

Their commander acknowledgesjust how hard his Soldiers haveworked and said their performancewill be the same if not betterthroughout the next six months.

“It has been challenging andrewarding,” said Capt. Daniel Bidetti.“From combat maneuver training toinventorying equipment before weleft, to our workload now – it hasbeen challenging. It’s beenrewarding. We’ve done very wellsupporting the brigade and RC-South. Our guys will continue todrive on and continue to be ready tosupport the brigade and otherunits.”

As diverse as their jobs are, all ofBravo’s Soldiers have a few thingsin common, selfless service and agreat work ethic being the two mostprevalent.

A CEMA Platoon Soldier drills a hole to run wiring for electroniccountermeasures against improvised explosive devices on anarmored humvee. The Communications, Electronics, Missiles andArmament Platoon has installed more than 300 of thesecountermeasure since their arrival in Afghanistan.

A communications equipment technician with Bravo Company, 173dSupport Battalion (Airborne), installs an electronic improvisedexplosive device countermeasure on an armored humvee.

Purple Heart awardedSpc. Nathan Williams, Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry (Airborne) waits to receivethe Purple Heart from SETAF Rear Commander Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki Oct. 28, for hisactions during the following mission in Afghanistan.Able Co was conducting a mission in the border region between Nawbahar and Shamulzayidistricts when Williams was wounded by shrapnel and Staff Sgt. Troy Ezernack was killed inan engagement with the enemy. The purpose of the Able Co operation was to gain contactwith and destroy the Anti Coalition Militia personnel operating in the area. Additionally, theTaliban had recently conducted a series of attacks against the local police in the area, andthis area was a known transit route for the Anti Coalition Militia.The mission began with successfully clearing a sector of the target area in the Tangi RiverValley. Subsequent intelligence gathered from locals and radio intercepts led the element tomove from that valley to the Lura River Valley, where the intelligence suggested the presenceof a number of Anti Coalition Militia, to include possible ACM leadership.Able Co cordoned the village, and Afghan National Army soldiers entered the village to clear itof possible enemy. In the course of the clearance, an enemy-initiated explosion woundedboth Ezernack and Williams. The medevac helicopters were called in immediately, and aspecial crew of pilots with the ability to fly without the aid of the moonlight or other ambientlight, were dispatched to the scene. Although the surrounding area was not yet positivelycleared of enemy presence, the helicopter landed as soon as it arrived to the site. Once thehelicopters arrived, the medevac personnel on the aircraft took over medical treatment, andthe helicopters flew to Forward Operating Base Lagman. (Provided by 2-503d Inf (Abn))

Nov. 8, 2005 THE Outlook 5

Provided by the Equal Opportunity Office

Throughout history, native Americans havebeen among those Soldiers to be distinguishedby receiving the United States’ highest militaryhonor: the Medal of Honor. Given for military

heroism “above and beyond the call of duty,”these warriors exhibited extraordinary braveryin the face of the enemy and, in many cases,made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

These are the native Americans whoreceived the Medal of Honor for their actions

Soldiers remembered in honor of Native American History Monthduring the Korean War:

Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. – Company E,19th InfantryRegiment, 24thInfantry Division,U.S. Army.

On Nov. 5, 1950,near Chonghyon,Korea, from Cloud’s“position on thepoint of a ridgeimmediately in frontof the companycommand post hewas the first to

detect the approach of the Chinese Communistforces and give the alarm as the enemy chargedfrom a brush-covered area less than 100 feetfrom him. Springing up, he delivereddevastating pointblank automatic rifle fire intothe advancing enemy,” according to hiscitation.

Cloud maintained his position, refusingmedical treatment, until he was fatally wounded.His heroic action prevented the enemy fromoverrunning his company’s position and gainedtime for evacuation of the wounded.

Capt. RaymondHarvey – CompanyC, 17th InfantryRegiment, U.S.Army.

On March 9,1951, near thevicinity of Taemi-Dong, Korea, with“his companypinned down by abarrage of automaticweapons fire fromnumerous well-entrenched emplacements,imperiling accomplishment of its mission, Capt.Harvey braved a hail of fire and explodinggrenades to advance to the first enemy machine

gun nest, killing its crew with grenades,”according to his citation. Harvey continuedfacing a number of fortified hostile positions.

“Disregarding the hail of fire, he personallycharged and neutralized a third emplacement...Though wounded he then turned to order thecompany forward, and, suffering agonizingpain, he continued to direct the reduction ofthe remaining hostile positions, refusingevacuation until assured that the mission wouldbe accomplished.”

Pfc. Charles George – Company C, 179thInfantry Regiment,45th InfantryDivision, U.S. Army.

On Nov. 30, 1952,near Songnae-dong,Korea, Pfc. George“was a member of araiding partycommitted to engagethe enemy andcapture a prisonerfor interrogation,”according to his citation. George’s group “wassubjected to intense mortar and machine gunfire and suffered several casualties.” Theycontinued and completed their mission, butGeorge and two other Soldiers covered thewithdrawal. As they were withdrawaling, agrenade was thrown into their position and“with full knowledge of the consequences,unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade,absorbing the full blast of the explosion.”

EventsA Native American Month display will be in

the library throughout the month of November.Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m. the post theater will be

showing Wind Talkers.Dec. 2 at the South of the Alps Dining Facility

at 11:15 a.m. there will be a luncheon to celebrateNative American Month.

For more information on these events call634-7749.

Cpl. Mitchell RedCloud, Jr.

Capt. RaymondHarvey

Pfc. Charles George

Col. Bradley N. HarperCommanderU.S. Army Health Clinic Vicenza

Much has been heard and read inthe media about Influenza this year.

Health authorities give regularreports about the spread of Avian FluH5N1. Reports of people buying andstockpiling Tamiflu are alsocirculating. What is the threat? Whatshould I do now and in the event of aflu outbreak? Are we worrying overnothing, or is there a real threat?

Background: The worst pandemicin modern times was the Spanish Fluoutbreak at the end of WWI.

A pandemic is an epidemic thatspreads worldwide. This one startedin Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas,among Soldiers preparing to deployto Europe. Some 500,000 Americansdied, and world wide the toll isestimated between 20-40 millionpeople, at least half of whom werehealthy young adults.

Pandemics seem to occur roughlyevery 30 years, all of them InfluenzaType A. Other pandemics in the 20thcentury include the “Asian” and“Hong Kong” Flu.

The “Asian” Flu, 1957-58, caused70,000 deaths in the states. In 1968-69, the “Hong Kong” Flu caused34,000 deaths in the states and is stillseen periodically, but due to currentimmunization practices and naturalimmunity of those who contracted itbefore, it is not felt to constitute asignificant public health risk.

Pandemics occur when a familiarvirus undergoes mutation or“antigenic shift” so that it is no longeras recognizable to the human immune

system. Or, a new virus, that waspreviously restricted to animals,becomes pathogenic, capable ofcausing disease in humans. This isthe scenario that is now causing worldhealth officials the greatest concern.The Spanish Flu was an avian, bird,flu that mutated to infect humans and,because our immune systems hadnever encountered it before, causedrapid and widespread infection.

So, the risk is real. We do knowthat people can become infected asthere have been about 130 cases insoutheast Asia with roughly 50percent mortality. To date, every casewas caused through close contactwith infected fowl, and no cases ofperson to person transmission havebeen documented. That is the criticalstep necessary for a pandemic tooccur.

The concern is that a person witha human flu could become infectedwith Avian Flu, and the two couldexchange genetic information, thus a“Super Bug” could be born.

Avian Flu has been documentedin both Turkey and Romania recently,restricted to fowl. Public healthofficials are doing their best toquarantine areas with cases and aredestroying all infected flocks.Unfortunately, migrating birds cancarry the virus, so no one expectscentral Europe to avoid the infectionentirely.

Should a pandemic occur, the local,as well as the World HealthOrganization, would institute severalcoordinated efforts to restrict thespread of the disease. WHO definesthe phases of a pandemic as follows:

Interpandemic period – Stage

between pandemics.Phase 1 – No new influenza sub-

types present.Phase 2 – No new influenza sub-

types present in humans, but acirculating animal virus with risk tohumans is present.

Pandemic alert period is next.Phase 3 – Human infections with

a new sub-type but no human tohuman transmission. We arecurrently in Phase 3.

Phase 4 – Small clusters withlimited human to humantransmission, suggesting the virus isnot adapting well to humans.

Phase 5 – Larger clusters buthuman to human spread is stilllocalized, suggesting the virus isbecoming better adapted, but notfully transmissible, and thus not apandemic risk at that time.

PandemicPhase 6 – Increased and

sustained transmission in the generalpublic.

So while the risk is real, you cansee that there are several steps yetbefore a pandemic would becomereality. Should there be an outbreakof human Avian Flu, it is estimatedthat it would take about three monthsbefore an effective vaccine could bedeveloped. We cannot make aneffective vaccine now as we cannotpredict how the virus might mutatein order to become infectious. Thedrug Tamiflu has been shown to havesome effectiveness against the AvianFlu in animal models.

Steps are being made to allowother companies to manufactureTamiflu besides the one which holdsthe patent, and large amounts could

become quickly available. Personalhoarding of the medication is notadvised because of the need to savestockpiles to send to any area wherethe flu would first appear. Like a forestfire, if we can saturate an area wherethere is an outbreak with medicationand restrict travel, we would buy timewhile vaccines were being developedand distributed.

The bottom line is that the risk isreal but not immediate.

Pandemics do not suddenlyappear everywhere at once. Like theforest fire, there is a spark, a spread,and a pattern that allows for controlmeasures to have an effect.

In the meantime, we should all dowhat we can to maintain our health.Regular exercise stimulates theimmune system and makes us moreresistant to disease, as does enoughsleep. Grandma was right about a lotof things, and exercise and propersleep are still the best prevention, aswell as washing your hands regularly.

While the current flu vaccine willmost likely not protect you from theAvian flu per se, it does stimulate theimmune system, and that is anexercise we could all do with from timeto time.

There will be enough flu vaccineto immunize everyone this fluseason, so come on by the clinic foryour shot. Flu vaccinations areavailable during the followingschedule: Tuesdays and Thursdaysfrom 2-6 p.m. and Saturdays from1-3 p.m.

Flu shots are available to allmembers of the community that wantto receive them and are medicallyeligible (are not allergic to the

components contained in the fluvaccine and who do not arrive to theclinic on vaccine day with a fever).

To get the flu shot:Check in at the front desk. The

clinic will have you perform thefollowing on the day you receive theflu vaccine:

Fill out a DA 4700 – Medicalrecord supplemental medical datascreening sheet with specificinformation.

Sign the consent – After reviewingthe vaccine information sheet forinactivated influenza vaccine.

Fill in the patient identificationsection with name, date of birth, andsponsor’s full social security number.

Sit in the waiting room until yourname is called by the nursing staff.

After you receive the vaccine, youmust remain in the lobby for 20minutes for observation of possibleallergic reaction.

Remember, the flu vaccine takesabout two weeks to boost yourimmunity and it helps to decrease theseverity of the signs and symptomsin case you are exposed to the fluvirus. You have taken an excellent stepto promote you and your family’shealth. Continue to wash your handswith soap and water as often as youcan, cough into your sleeve, and keephand sanitizer in your pocket to keepyour hands free of germs during thisflu season to beat the bugs.

For further information on the fluand pandemics visit the followingWeb sites: www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en andwww.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/pandemics.htm

Pandemics, Avian Flu – What you should know

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.

Movie SynopsisTHE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN - Steve Carell, Catherine Keener.

40-year-old Andy has done quite a few things in his life. He’s got acushy job stamping invoices at an electronics superstore, a niceapartment with a proud collection of action figures and comic books,good friends, a nice attitude. But there’s just one little thing hehasn’t quite gotten around to doing yet—something most peoplehave done by his age. Andy’s never, ever, ever had sex. His friendsat the store consider it their duty to help, but nothing proves effectiveenough until he meets Trish, a 40-year-old mother of three. Andy’sfriends are psyched by the possibility that “it” may finallyhappen...until they hear that Andy and Trish have begun theirrelationship based on a mutual no-sex policy.

ROLL BOUNCE - Bow Wow, Chi McBride. X and his friends,who rule their local rink, are shocked when their home base goesout of business. Heading over to the Sweetwater Roller Rink, theyfind their modest talents are, at first, no competition for their trickskaters and pretty girls who follow their every move.

Caserma Ederle TheaterNov. 8 Closed

Nov. 9 The Skeleton Key (PG13) 7 p.m.

Nov. 10 Undiscovered (PG13) 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 March of the Penguins (G) 7 p.m.

Nov. 12 March of the Penguins (G) 2 p.m.

40-year-old Virgin (R) 7 p.m.

Nov. 13 March of the Penguins (G) 2 p.m.

40-year-old Virgin (R) 7 p.m.

Nov. 14 Closed

Camp Darby TheaterNov. 10 Four Brothers (R) 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 Just Like Heaven (PG-13) 6 p.m.

Nov. 12 Cry Wolf (PG13) 6 p.m.

Nov. 13 Roll Bounce (PG13) 2 p.m.

Now Showing

6 THE Outlook Nov. 8, 2005

By Dorothy SpagnuoloOut About&

ExhibitionsIn Padova, the 16th

Contemporary Art Exhibition ndMarket will be held Nov. 10-14 inthe city’s fair grounds. OpenThursday-Friday from 10 a.m.-8p.m., weekend from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.,and Monday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Entrancefee is 8 euro.

In the Verona exhibition groundsthe 34th Elettroexpo Exhibition andMarket will be held this weekend.Find the latest in computer science,satellites, radios and electronicradiant energy instruments. OpenSaturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m andSunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Entrance fee 8euro.

Human chutesand ladders

Nov. 12-13, the town of Miranowill hold its annual human-scaleGioco dell’Oca, similar to the boardgame Chutes and Ladders, on themain square.

The whole province shows upto watch the six teams representingthe six neighborhoods of the townfight it out in traditional costumes,climbing up ladders, jumping overgeese, running through the 63squares, over multiple obstacles.

The Gioco dell’Oca appeared forthe first time in Italy during theMedici period (around 1580), butthe oldest board game found datesback to 1640 and was made inVenice.

However, the game itself is olderthan that, as testimonials of similarforms of the Goose Game werefound in Egyptian tombs and onChinese prints. Then, it representedthe concept of Good and Evil, thegood being the goose and the evil,the obstacles.

The reason this game was sopopular during the Medici periodlies in its simplicity and the fact thatit relies uniquely on dice, sowhatever the age of the players,everyone had the same chance ofwinning (and losing) and everyonecould take part.

The game on the main square isNov. 13, but the city celebrates thegoose all weekend with markets,street entertainment and music.

Tractor ParadeThe town of Ponte di Barbarano

will hold its 17th Palio Nov. 12-13.Starting Nov. 12 at 8:30 p.m., four

of the town’s districts will competeagainst each other in five differentgames, to include a skippingcompetition and a carry-an-egg race.

Nov. 13, at 2 p.m.there will be a parade of tractors fromthe four districts followed by a tug-of-war competition and thethrowing of cornhusks.

At 5 p.m., the naming of thewinner of the palio is followed by afirework display. At 7 p.m. foodstands open serving bigoli,gnocchi, meat and baccala’ and, forthe first year, stewed snails (orserved with speck and spinach) willbe on the menu.

There will also be a vegetablemarket open throughout the day.Ponte di Barbarano is located 21kilometers from Vicenza.

The Fiat TopolinoThe Automobile Museum Luigi

Bonfanti in the town of Romanod’Ezzelino, province of Bassano,has over 40 Fiat 500 manufacturedbetween 1936 to 1955 in differentmodels and versions on show.

The exhibition is open dailyfrom10 a.m.-noon and 2:30-6:30 p.m.until March 3. Closed Mondays.Entrance fee is 6 Euro.

The Madmen’s CageThe island of San Servolo in the

Venetian lagoon, which onceserved as the province’s insaneasylum, is now a center for cultureand advanced studies, that seesmore than 35,000 students from allover the world attend differentcourses every year.

This past August a group ofartists were invited to live and workon the island to create works of artinspired by the theme of madness.

The outcome is the exhibit “LaCheba dei Mati,” The Madmen’sCage, and among the contributingartists are Rory Macbeth, LucyHarrison, Rebecca Agnes andGiovanni De Lazzari.

Open everyday from 10 a.m.-6p.m. until Dec. 4. Entrance is free.

Boiled meat festivalThe town of Isola della Scala,

in the province of Verona, celebratesits 5th Festival of Boiled Meat.

You’ll also find risottoall’isolana, vino novello androasted chestnuts.

The heated food tent seats 2,000people and is open everydaystarting Nov. 11-20 from noon-2 p.m.and 6:30 p.m.-midnight.

Medieval dinnerThe owners of the Castello di

Bevilacqua, province of Verona, willhold a medieval dinner Nov. 13.

The theme is “A cena conGiulietta e Romeo,” A dinner withJuliet and Romeo, and it will start at8:30 p.m..

Cost per person is 35 euro,children ages 6-10 are 20 euro, andyounger than 6 eat free.

Reservations for the event canbe made by calling 0442-93655. Youwill have to confirm via fax at 0442649-420 with your name andaddress.

If you have difficulties speakingItalian over the phone ask an Italianfriend to help.

The castle is approximately 31miles from Vicenza.

Ancient fair of SantaLucia di Piave

The ancient fair of Santa Luciadi Piave , in the province ofTreviso, was set up in 1998 withcultural, social and charitable aim.It takes form in a commemorationof the 14th century ancient fair ofthe town.

Nov. 12-13, the market of theperiod is reproduced and ispopulated with musicians,storytellers, animal merchants andthe reality of days gone by. Seevendors who skilfully preparesausages, traditional cakes andsweets for the occasion.

Events start Nov. 12 at 9 a.m.when the medieval market opens;exhibitions that day include birdsand animals that were used in the14th century and a medieval artexhibit. At 8:30 p.m. will be a freetheatre performance with PinoCostalunga.

Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. the medievalmarket reopens and visitors canwatch performances throughoutthe day of jesters, musicians,acrobats, and duels betweenknights.

There will be an exhibition-market of goods typical of the timewhere you can find differenttextiles, plants, embroidery, pursesand more. At 2 p.m. watch thehistorical parade with more than180 participants dressed in periodcostumes. 6:30 p.m. is the closingceremony.

Throughout the day Nov. 13,find money changers where youcan change your euro for “ancient”Veneto coins to buy the localproduce from dairymen, sausagemakers and wine makers.

If the weather is bad, the eventson Nov. 13 will take place on Nov.20.

The town of Santa Lucia diPiave is 77 kilometers from Vicenza.

“R” Rated MoviesThe AAFES Theater would like to remind the community that

children younger than 17 can only be admitted with their parentor adult guardian for “R” rated movies. The parent/adult guardianmust purchase admission for their child. Parent/adult guardiandoes not need to purchase admission for themselves, accordingto AAFES Exchange Operating procedures 14-2.

AAFES adheres to the following rating guidance:G - General Audiences - All Ages AdmittedPG - Parental Guidance Suggested - Some material may not be

suitable for childrenPG-13 - Some material may be inappropriate for children

younger than 13R - Restricted - Younger than 17 requires accompanying

parent or adult guardian.

By Kay BlakleyDeCA Europe Consumer Advocate

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Defense Commissary AgencyEurope officials have the unfortunate duty to inform commissaryshoppers that this year’s shipment of U.S. specialty Christmas candiessustained damage in transit, resulting in a reduced selection of gift-type chocolates available at commissaries throughout Europe.

Random sampling by military food inspectors revealed a number ofchocolates had surface blemishes commonly referred to as “bloom.”Bloom results when the cocoa butter has separated and risen to thesurface of the chocolate, giving it a dull or grayish-white appearance.This happens when the chocolate is subjected to either too humid ortoo warm storage conditions.

This is a quality issue negatively affecting the appearance, texture,and taste of chocolates. It is not a food safety issue – such chocolatescan be consumed without harm.

Because of limited production cycles of specialty candies for theholiday season, options for replacing the damaged shipment are notavailable. All holiday candies determined by military food inspectorsto be unaffected, are being shipped to commissaries for sale.

Commissary officials expect these items to be in excellent condition;however, customers are encouraged to return any chocolates failingto meet those expectations.

Commissary Christmascandies ruined

8 THE Outlook Nov. 8, 2005

VHS Volleyball

Above: Vicenza High School Volleyball Player #2 spikes the ball against the outstretchedarms of Livorno Player #8 while Travis Murphy gets ready to defend during the fourthperiod of the game played at the VHS gym Oct. 29. Vicenza and Livorno were two of thefour teams that participated in the ASIL Men’s Volleyball Conference: Aviano, Livorno,Vicenza and American School of Milan. During this match, Vicenza defeated Livorno 25-14; 25-20; 22-25 and 25-21.VHS Boys finished their regular season play with three wins against Sigonella,Marymount of Rome and Livorno and four losses against Aviano, American School ofRome, Naples and American School of Milan.Right: VHS Volleyball Player stretches out for the ball during the second period of theirgame versus Aviano during the ASIL Volleyball conference held at the Fitness CenterOct. 29. Vicenza also played the American School of Milan. The girls were defeated byboth teams during the conference.This past week both the VHS Volleyball teams, Boys and Girls, went to Germany toparticipate in the Med Championship (Boys) and the Europe Championship (Girls). (Photosby Laura Kreider, Outlook Staff)

VHS VolleyballVHS Volleyball

HalloweenFestivities

Above: The pumpkin carving contest is always one of the main eventsat the Camp Darby Halloween Fest. All participants get to take theirwonderful creations home. (Photo by Chiara Mattirolo, Camp DarbyPublic Affairs)Right: Nancy Coronado, age 12, wraps up her younger brother Brian,age 6, at the Mummy Wrap station during the Goblin Gathering atVillaggio on Halloween. Along with the Mummy Wrap, there werestations for fortune telling, pumpkin bowling, pony rides and many otheractivities for children. (Photo by Kelli Covlin, Outlook Editor)