Tracks, the newspaper for Anniston Army Depot

Volume 31, Number 20230 February 7, 2019

U.S. Postage PaidPresort Standard

Anniston, AL 36201Permit No. 326

Address ServiceRequested

Black History MonthA list of events for

ANAD throughout the month of February and info about Black History Month.See article on page 2.

TaxesEmployees must sat-

isfy, in good faith, their obligations as citizens, in-cluding income tax return requirements.See article on page 3.

Ready Army CivilianDo you know what

training is needed to fulfill your job?See article on page 4.

SafetyKnow what to do

when you cross the test track.

ANAD has safety goals to meet each year. Do you know the goals for FY2019?See articles on page 5.

NOTES• ASIST classes• Bass Tournament• Table Tennis• Mentorship program• Making Tracks 5K• Prayer Breakfast• Retiree Breakfast• Cafeteria menus• And more

See info on pages 7 and 8.

InsideTRACKS

Two Anniston Army Depot employees participated in the testing of a new M777 prototype at the Yuma Proving Ground in January.

Bob Rosch, a mechanical engineer for the depot’s Directorate of Production En-gineering, and Jamey Smith, an artillery mechanic, traveled to Arizona to calibrate the slipper pads on the prototype, one of the steps in testing the experimental weapon.

The slipper pad calibration process cur-rently in use was established in 2015 at ANAD to enable M777 medium, towed howitzers to be mated with a new cradle af-ter their original cradle was damaged.

The procedure uses a laser tracker to accurately measure the elevation of the howitzer’s barrel through its full arc of mo-tion. On a typical M777, the arc is from 0 to 1,275 angular mils. For the new prototype, with its longer barrel, the arc is 0 to 1,200 mils.

According to the Towed Artillery Sys-tems Program Management Office, the M777-Extended Range howitzer is an Army and Marine Corps funded effort to increase the range of the weapon through a 55-caliber tube.

A more efficient muzzle brake mini-mizes blast over pressure on the gun crew, while a reinforced recoil yoke allows for higher firing loads.

The tube’s length means a need for lon-ger road arms to compensate.

Rosch and Smith said additional weight was also needed to anchor the gun, ensuring it remained motionless during calibration.

“We added weight to secure the gun and reduce movement,” said Smith. “The barrel is longer, so there was a concern its weight would cause some shift.”

The procedure was successfully adopted for use on the new experimental gun.

PM-Towed Artillery Systems says the

Long Range Cannon is a project funded in collaboration between the Army Rapid Ca-pabilities and Critical Technologies Office, the Army and the Marine Corps.

The program seeks to accelerate the M777-ER effort while demonstrating accu-racy improvements to long range fires with a Projectile Tracking System.

“A complement to the baseline LRC ef-fort is the integration of a full fires network infrastructure, the Location and Azimuth Determining System, and the ammunition required to achieve current and future long range precision fires objectives,” said Capt. Luis Gaitan, assistant product manager for the Long Range Cannon/ M777ER.

from Staff ReportsANAD Public Affairs

U.S. Army photo

Jamey Smith, an artillery mechanic for Anniston Army Depot, calibrates the slipper pads on the M777-Extended Range howitzer inside the maintenance building at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

ANAD part of prototype testingM777-Entended Range receives slipper pad calibration in Yuma

This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of TRACKS are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Depart-

ment of the Army, or Anniston Army Depot. TRACKS is published biweekly using desktop

publishing on recycled paper and on the Internet by the Commander, Anniston Army Depot.

The editorial office is located in the Abrams Building, Room 358, telephone 256-235-6281 (DSN prefix 571) or FAX 256-235-4695. TRACKS invites

comments and contributions from its readers. Ad-dress email to: usarmy.anad.tacom.list.publicaffairs@mail.mil and mail to: Editor, TRACKS, TAAN-SCO, 7 Frankford Avenue, Anniston, AL 36201-4199. DEADLINE days are Thursdays pre-ceding date of publication. Circulation: 5,900.

Postmaster: Send address changes to TRACKS,

PO Box 2285, Anniston, AL 36202.

Commanding Officer....................Col. Joel WarhurstPublic Affairs Officer...........................Clester BurdellEditor..............................................Jennifer BacchusPhotographers...................................Mark Cleghorn

Ben Williams

TRACKS2 February 7, 2019

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the essential role of blacks in U.S. History.

The event grew out of Negro History Week, which began in 1915. This week’s recognition took place half a century after the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.

Since February 1979, every U.S. President has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

The theme for this year’s observance is “Black Migrations.”

The movement of millions of Southern blacks to the North between 1915 and 1960 was known as “The Great Movement.” The majority of these migrants moved to major Northern cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and New York City.

By the beginning of World War II, the migration had begun to extend west to California, Oregon and Washington.

During World War I, approximately 454,000 blacks left the South, followed by 800,000 in the 1920s, 398,000 in the 1930s and over 3,348,000 be-tween 1940 and 1960.

The incentive for migration was a combination of escape from oppressive economic conditions and the promise of greater prosperity in the Northern states.

The plantation economy in the South had suf-fered following the Emancipation Proclamation.

The proclamation consisted of two separate or-ders.

The first, issued Sept. 22, 1862, declared free-dom for all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America which did not return to U.S. con-trol before Jan. 1, 1863.

The second proclamation named the specific states where it applied – Arkansas, Texas, Louisi-ana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

The few opportunities for advancement in the South and a demand for workers in Northern facto-ries, created in part by the start of WWI spurred the migrations of Southern blacks.

There were social aspects which inspired relo-cation as well, among them an unfair Southern le-

gal system, inequality in education, lynching and denial of the right to vote.

“The Great Movement” was the largest internal migration in the history of the U.S. and changed the urban North, the rural South and, in many respects, the entire nation.

Sources:• www.history.com• www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov• wwwsi.edu• www.battlefields.org• www.emancipationproclamation.org• www.blackpast.org

Great Movement reshaped U.S. from Renika BaggageANAD EEO Office

Graphic from Department of Defense

This year’s Black History Month poster displays the sil-houette of a man attired typical of a person from the early 20th century. The silhouette consists of numer-ous images of African Americans from all walks of life - inventors, scientists, military members, astronauts, actors/actresses, politicians, sports figures and others. Some members include an icon of their key invention, an aspect of their profession or life, or a key historical location. A complete legend of individuals shown on the poster can be seen at www.deomi.org.

EAST SIDETime Location10:30 Bldg. 47410:35 Bldg. 130 East10:40 Bldg. 409 West10:45 Bldg. 128 Middle10:50 Bldg. 143 and 411 West end10:55 Bldg. 106 West11:00 Bldg. 111

WEST SIDETime Location10:40 Bldg. 510:45 Bldg. 362-Door 310:50 Bldg. 710:55 Bldg. 31

BUS SCHEDULE

This is the bus schedule for the Black History Month luncheon, slated for Feb. 13 at 11:30 a.m. in the Berman-Varner House.

The bus will return employees at the conclusion of the event.

Anniston Army Depot’s Office of Equal Opportunity has planned several events in commemoration of Black History Month.

Black History Month events at ANAD

Photo courtesy of Alabama A&M University

Dr. Larry McDaniel Sr. will be the speaker for ANAD’s Black History Month Luncheon Feb. 13 at the Berman-Varner House.

Black History MonthLuncheon

Date: Feb. 13Location: Berman-Varner

HouseTime: 11:30 a.m.Speaker: Dr. Larry McDan-

iel Sr., chairman for the Depart-ment of Management, Market-ing and Logistics at Alabama A&M University

Menu: Fried chicken breast, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, jalapeño and plain cornbread, swamp water (iced tea with lemonade) and sweet potato pie.

Cost: $10 per personTicket sales end Feb. 8.

Black History TriviaTeam East vs. Team West

Date: Feb. 20Location: Bldg. 123Time: NoonBarbeque ribs, chips and a

soda will be offered for $7.

Lunch and LearnTopic: A Taste of GullahDate: Feb. 27Location: Bldg. 251Time: NoonBring your own lunch and

enjoy the presentation.

FOR YOUR ATTENTION

TRACKS 3February 7, 2019

Each New Year is quickly fol-lowed by income tax filing season.

Monday, April 15, 2019, is the 2018 tax return filing deadline for most taxpayers (Maine, Massachu-setts and District of Columbia resi-dent citizens have until April 17).

Federal tax returns for 2018 will be different, in some cases much sim-pler, due to the large and numerous tax code changes enacted last year.

Because of the increased standard deduction amounts, many taxpayers will find that itemizing deductions is not needed for their federal return; however, itemizing deductions for their state return may still be neces-sary or beneficial.

One of the 14 basic principles of Ethical Conduct in the Joint Ethics Regulation applicable to all Depart-ment of Defense employees is to sat-isfy, in good faith, their obligations as

citizens, including income tax return requirements.

The foundation for federal in-come taxes is premised upon the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which Congress passed in 1909 and which was ratified Feb. 3, 1913.

Visit www.irs.gov for information and forms you need to file your an-nual federal tax returns. You may also visit www.revenue.alabama.gov for Alabama tax filing information.

Military service members, mili-tary retirees and their dependents are entitled to tax assistance.

Military members and retirees may contact the Redstone Arsenal Tax Center for assistance. Appoint-ments are required for use of this ser-vice.

Military service members and retirees may contact (256) 842-1040 to schedule an appointment. Tax as-sistance is also available to Military service members and retirees at mili-taryonesource.com.

Income tax season is hereby Kyle Barrentine

ANAD Legal Office

Any individual or family whose adjusted gross income for 2018 was $66,000 or less can find at least one Free File software prod-uct they can use. Often, taxpayers are eligible for multiple products. The income limitation means that 100 million taxpayers – 70 percent – are eligible to use Free File.

Employees at Anniston Army Depot may fall into this category.

Workers, families with children, first-time filers and seniors who meet the income crite-ria are all eligible for Free File.

The software supports all the new tax law changes as well as long-time benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.

While most products have a set of eligibil-ity requirements, 10 Free File partners have a special offer for active duty military personnel by making their sole eligibility criteria an in-come of $66,000 or less.

Some Free File partners offer free federal and free state return preparation. And some states have their own Free File program.

How to use Free FileTaxpayers can only access Free File from

IRS.gov.To get started, simply go to IRS.gov/

freefile. Use the “Help Me” tool to enter a bit

of information such as age, income and state residency. The tool will match the taxpayer with the software products. Generally, taxpay-ers will have several options from which to choose. Taxpayers also can review all the of-fers made by each of the 12 partners if they do not want to use the tool.

Once taxpayers make their selection, they will be directed away from IRS.gov to the provider’s website to prepare their return.

Also, taxpayers can use the IRS2Go app to access Free File. Simply download the IRS-2Go app onto any app-enabled device. From their phones or tablets, taxpayers can access the “Help Me” tool and go to the provider’s website to do their taxes.

Free File will be available to taxpayers from Jan. 11 through the mid-October dead-line for extension filers. Taxpayers, regardless of income, also can use Free File to file an ex-tension from the April 15 deadline.

Learn more and access the options now available at https://go.usa.gov/xEbGQ.

Do you qualify to file taxes for free?from Staff Reports

IRS.gov

The Alabama eID app is a highly secure and free service for Alabama taxpayers.

After a successful 2017 pilot pro-gram, IDEMIA and the Alabama De-partment of Revenue have announced the full-scale deployment of the elec-tronic ID app (Alabama eID) to pro-tect residents against state income tax refund theft.

The Alabama eID app is available for download in Apple’s App Store and in the Google Play store for An-droid users.

Users complete a short registra-tion process in which their identities are verified by scanning their physi-cal driver’s license or state-issued ID and taking a selfie with their smart-phone.

This information is compared against the data and photo on record in the driver’s license database to ver-ify the person registering for the app

is who they claim to be.“The technology’s unique ability

is its secure link to the identity veri-fication process residents underwent to receive their Alabama driver’s li-cense or state ID. This authenticated connection between digital identity and physical identity is what ensures only you can claim your state income tax refund,” said Ed Casey, Chief Ex-ecutive Officer, IDEMIA Identity & Security North America.

“We’re proud Alabama is leading the nation in securing taxpayer identi-ties against state income tax fraud,” said Vernon Barnett, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Rev-enue.

“Not only will we protect taxpay-ers against criminals, taxpayers who use the Alabama eID app will also receive priority processing of their refund.”

For more information on the Ala-bama eID app and a list of supported devices, go to www.AlabamaeID.com.

Alabama deploys state-wide identity protection program

from Staff ReportsAlabama Dept. of Revenue

Deadline for filing taxes is April 15.

TRACKS4 February 7, 2019

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- With modernization and readiness at the fore-front of Army priorities, the Army Mate-riel Command’s Human Resources (G-1) is setting the standard to ensure its civilian workforce is prepared to respond with sup-port.

Coming on the heels of the Shape the Fight initiative to ensure the right level, type and assignment of human capital required to perform the mission, efforts are now being made to incorporate the Ready Army Civilian initiative - a move-ment focused solely on civilian readiness - throughout AMC.

“For our workforce to take on this ini-tiative, they must first understand what are the real characteristics of a civilian em-ployee who we consider to be ready,” said AMC Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel Max Wyche.

“How do we define Ready Army Civil-ian? What education and training do they need to do their job and be ready to sup-port?

The answer can be very complex with the extensive list of duties required for the mission.

Even with job descriptions that are straightforward, there is still training - combined with their current job skills and experience -- that will help employees master and perform their tasks in support of AMC and Army priorities.”

With its workforce being 96 percent ci-vilian, AMC is developing the Ready Army Civilian initiative with plans of it eventu-ally being adopted Army wide. AMC Hu-man Resources (G-1) will have a major role in the initiative as it works to implement the initiative among G-1 employees, en-courages its implementation to employees throughout headquarters staff sections and helps to oversee its implementation through AMC’s major subordinate commands.

“Our subordinate commands have been asked to undergo the same analysis we ap-plied in HQ AMC. The entire AMC enter-prise is being asked to become more effi-cient while enhancing our focus on lethal-ity, readiness and modernization. Shape the Fight and Ready Army Civilian are essential in our ability to adapt to and ex-ecute current and future requirements for our Soldiers and Department of Defense partners,” Wyche said.

The G-1 mission - to man the force, lead the human capital management pro-gram, cultivate and develop talent, over-see the health of the force, and execute the commander’s safety and occupational health program - puts it at the forefront of any employee development initiative.

AMC’s town hall with Lisha Adams, the executive deputy to the AMC com-manding general, in late 2018 helped set the stage to ensure employees are trained and equipped to support Soldier readiness.

“Ready Army Civilian gets to the heart of (AMC commanding) General (Gus) Perna’s goal of having the right workforce doing 100 percent of the work 100 percent of the time,” Wyche said.

“We’re in a stage within our organi-zation where a lot is expected of Army Materiel Command employees while, at the same time, we are transferring some responsibilities and work to the Army Fu-tures Command. There are high expecta-tions of AMC, our workforce and our lead-ers to take on different roles and tasks, and to maintain a high level of performance while doing so.”

Wyche expects supervisors within the G-1, and throughout AMC headquarters and its subordinate commands to “take deliberate actions to ensure our current workforce and future workforce are prop-erly trained and aligned to perform the

mission.”Supervisors, he said, must be able to

manage high performing teams while also working with employees individually to ensure each has the adequate education, training and experience to do their job.

While Shape the Fight allowed the G-1 to better align with its mission to develop and sustain an innovative and responsive human capital framework, and to maxi-mize workforce capabilities and output, Ready Army Civilian defines the require-ments of civilians so that solid pathways are clearly set to move the AMC enterprise toward mission accomplishment, he said.

“At the end of the day, employee per-formance must align to mission output,” Wyche said. “Ready Army Civilian en-sures employees are fully equipped to per-form jobs they are in. To do that, supervi-sors must effectively define requirements and expectations of each job.”

Just like Soldiers, Army civilians must be qualified to compete, perform and serve in a way that positively impacts Army readiness. AMC supports this effort by providing policies, guidance and resources needed to build and sustain a high per-forming workforce.

“This is really about, number one, ensuring we are effectively using our re-sources in terms of people and money. As trusted agents of the Department of De-

fense and the federal government, we are obligated to do that,” Wyche said. “And, number two, forming a workforce that has the tools needed to do their jobs, that has the opportunity and is empowered to per-form their mission.”

Following Perna’s guidance to “think big, start small” in designing a framework for civilian readiness, AMC G-1 will im-plement the Ready Army Civilian initia-tive by first doing an analysis of where em-ployees are in terms of education, training and experience. Supervisors must be able to identify gaps in employee qualifications and training, and then work to fill those gaps.

“We want to provide tools to help su-pervisors assess our current workforce,” Wyche said. “We want to help employ-ees assess themselves as well. We want to make sure everybody is effectively pos-tured to perform at a high level in their current position.”

The DOD Performance Management and Appraisal Program and other perfor-mance assessment tools, career programs, supervisory support and the Civilian Edu-cation System are all key to implementing the Ready Army Civilian initiative.

“There are many opportunities for employees who want to grow and be em-powered, who want to be high perform-ers. There are several tools for employees and leaders that help them to develop their skills, solve problems, resolve conflicts, communicate better and focus on the mis-sion, all elements of Ready Army Civil-ian,” Wyche said.

“The issue is that supervisors and em-ployees must determine which training courses are the best for the right kind of output, and then plan on when that training can occur without having an adverse effect on the mission. That’s the challenge.”

But, planning for those training oppor-tunities is well worth it in the long run, he said.

“When you enhance peoples’ ability to perform in a certain position and for the organization, then you have improved ci-vilian readiness and responsiveness to the Army mission,” Wyche said.

“We want employees to be able to per-form at top levels. If you take care of em-ployees’ education and training needs, you provide a positive and higher performing work environment, and you set a founda-tion of excellence that affects performance, retention and recruiting.”

AMC’s HR workforce leads standards for Ready Army Civilianby Kari Hawkins

AMC Public Affairs

U.S. Army Photo

Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark Esper stands with recipients of the annual Presidential Rank Awards presented in 2018 at the Pentagon. Army civilians who receive a Presidential Rank Award represent employees who have made extraordinary contributions to Army readiness and who exemplify what it means to be a Ready Army Civilian.

TRACKS 5February 7, 2019

Anniston Army Depot’s leadership provides workplace health and safety policies to encourage safe practices among the workforce and guide their actions related to workplace safety.

Though the leaders set the policies, every employee on the installation plays an important role in developing and sustain-ing a safe work environment, free from recognized hazards.

Our shared responsibilities – those of employees, supervi-sors and command staff leaders – are detailed in Commander’s Policy Statement #20, Safety and Health Rules.

You can find this policy statement, among numerous oth-ers, on the depot’s Intranet in the Commander’s Policies folder under Regulations and Policies.

Annually, the command also publishes safety and health ob-jectives. These goals are intended to improve the depot’s safety climate and reduce the frequency and severity of incidents and accidents.The goals for fiscal year 2019 are:

• Reduce ANAD Occupational Safety and Health Adminis-tration recordable incident cases to less than 50. This is equiva-lent to a total case incident rate of 1.6, which is 50 percent of the industry standard.

• Reduce days away, restricted or transferred cases, also known as DART, to less than 31. This is equivalent to DART of 0.98, which is 60 percent of the industry standard.

• Reduce ANAD recordable overexertion injuries/illnesses from 16 to 10 or less.

• Complete industrial breathing air systems upgrade by Sept. 28, 2019.

• Fully implement workforce safety training requirements in the following areas: Army, General, Industrial, and Supervi-sor (more than 95 percent of work force trained).

• Reduce ANAD recordable injuries/illnesses due to Proce-dural Failures/Non-compliance from nine to five or less.

Whenever employees and supervisors on the shop floor cre-ate or modify work procedures, they should use the installa-tion’s policies and objectives.

Safety in work procedures is often communicated to the workforce through a job hazard analysis, better known as a JHA.

Supervisors, safety monitors and employees create JHAs for any work process not already addressed in another docu-ment. For example, fall protection requirements may be cov-ered in existing safety policies, but proper wearing of a harness may need a JHA in your area.

JHAs break down tasks into individual steps, which are then reviewed to identify possible hazards. The JHA will then recommend ways to mitigate the hazards.

Each JHA is reviewed by the Safety Office for consider-ation of appropriate personal protective equipment as well as compliance with safety requirements detailed in the ANADR 385 series of regulations.

by Drew RamseyANAD Safety Office

Would you purposely drive in front of a train, a tractor-trailer or even another vehicle? Hopefully, the answer is a resounding, “No!”

Putting yourself in the way of a combat vehicle moving at 45 miles per hour or faster can be just as dangerous.

Employees and tenants have given in to tempta-tion and bypassed the barriers at the test track mul-tiple times since the beginning of 2018, according to “near miss” reports.

Below are examples of two recent events:• Jan. 24, 2019 – A pedestrian crossed track at the

pedestrian crossing while a M109A6 (Paladin) stan-dard road test was in progress. Vehicle crossing guard rails were in the down position.

• Nov. 7, 2018 – A forklift driver went around the vehicle crossing guard rails, which were in the down position, while a FAASV was testing.

In 2018, the depot’s Directorate of Public Works completed a project extending the gate arms to cover the width of the road. This was done to prevent the possibility of vehicles crossing the test track with the gate arms in the down (stop) position.

Depot Process Control Pamphlet 36, Operation of Vehicle Test Track, prescribes the policies, respon-sibilities and safety guidelines for combat vehicles during test track operations.

Section 3.9 states:a. All vehicles shall come to a complete stop and

proceed only when track is clear, except as covered in paragraph b below. Vehicle operators will observe the position of the guard rails. If guard rails are down (stop position), do not go around guard rails.

b. Heavy tow vehicles pushing another vehicle shall slow to approximately four miles per hour upon approaching test track and proceed or stop as sig-naled by guide positioned in front of vehicle. Guide shall assure that both vehicles have sufficient time to cross track to avoid vehicles being tested on test track.

c. Fourth Avenue East will be used as cross point only. It shall not be used as an entrance or exit for the test track.

Remember, the next time you have a need to cross the test track, exercise extreme caution, situational awareness and obey the following rules:

• When the gate is down, stop and wait. Do not cross.

• When the gate is down, that means a tank is op-erating on the track.

• Pedestrians must follow the same rules – if the gate is down, do not cross.

• Tanks operate at up to 60 miles per hour. Do not drive around the gate.

• When the gate is up, the test track is clear. Pe-destrians and vehicles should still stop and look both ways before crossing.

• Do not turn left or right on the test track. Drive or walk straight across.

• Contact the test track monitor at Ext. 4200 with additional questions.

by Shane RobertsANAD Safety Office

Use caution when crossing test track on foot, in vehicle

Command provides policies, goals for employee safety

U.S. Army Photo by Jennifer Bacchus

Vehicles and pedestrians crossing the test track should avoid crossing when the gate is down and use caution when the gate is open.

TRACKS6 February 7, 2019

Beneficiary designationIt is important for employees to peri-

odically review their electronic Official Personnel Folder to confirm whether or not the appropriate desig nation of beneficiary form is on file and to de termine whether or not the designation should be canceled or changed.

Anytime your personal situation chang-es, it is strongly recommended you review your benefi ciary designations.

Marriage, divorce or even death of a benefi ciary might necessitate a beneficiary change.

Otherwise, in the event of your death, the money in your accumulated retirement funds, Thrift Savings Plan account, life in-surance and final earning and wages may not be distributed according to your wishes.

If a designation of beneficiary is not on file, by law, any due benefits will automati-cally be paid in the following order of pre-cedence:

• First: to the widow or widower• Second: if none, to a child or children

in equal shares, with the share of any de-ceased child distributed among that child’s descendants

• Third: if none, to the employee’s par-ents in equal shares or the entire amount to

the surviving parent• Fourth: if none, to the executor or

adminis trator of the estate• Fifth: if none, to the next of kin under

the laws of the state where the employee lived at the time of death

If this order of precedence is acceptable, you do not have to fill out any designations of benefi ciary forms.

Emergency contact informationEveryone, at some point in time, is

touched by a tragic event.In that situation, emergency contact in-

formation is crucial in order for the depot to check on your safety and well-being.

An employee may update their emer-gency contact data by accessing their My-Biz+ account at https://compo.dcpds.cpms.osd.mil.

Once at the MyBiz+ homepage, under “Key Services,” click on the down arrow beside “Update Contact Information,” then click on “Emergency Contact.

You will then be prompted to the MyBiz Emergency Contact page where you will be able to input, view, or update your current emergency contact information. You will also have the option to list a primary and alternate emergency contact.

All employees should enter their emer-gency contact information into this database and provide a hard copy to their supervisor.

Make it a priority. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will help ensure your loved ones are notified in case of an emergency.

Verification of employmentThe Employment Verification Tool is

available for verification of employment and/or salary information.

All appropriated fund and non-appro-priated fund employees should use the Em-ployment Verification Tool via their My-Biz+ account.

Employees are responsible for provid-ing proof of their employment and/or sal-ary information to organizations or persons making the request.

MyBiz+ may be accessed through the Civilian Personnel Online website at https://compo.dcpds.cpms.osd.mil.

The employment verification link is lo-cated under “Key Services.” You will need an e-mail address from the requesting or-ganization where the secured information should be sent. A copy will also go to your e-mail address.

If this is your first time ac cessing your MyBiz+ account, you may have to register your Common Access Card before being able to log in to MyBiz+.

For additional information or assistance with accessing MyBiz+, please contact the CPAC office at 256-235-7860.

It’s the time of year again when you might hear “liberal leave” is in effect; usually due to adverse weather conditions.

But, what does that mean?Liberal leave refers to any un-

scheduled leave federal employ-ees may take in the event of ex-treme weather or a similar emer-gency, which prevents them from reporting to work as usual.

When a liberal leave policy is in effect, federal employees who are absent from work must request to use annual leave, leave without pay or compensatory time.

Employees taking liberal leave, or unscheduled leave, are required to inform their supervi-sors of that choice as quickly as possible; normally no later than two hours after the beginning of their scheduled work shift.

Exceptions: Federal employ-ees whose work is deemed essen-tial are designated “emergency employees” and are generally expected to report to work, even when a liberal leave policy is an-nounced.

Telecommuting federal em-ployees scheduled to work on that day are expected to proceed as normal unless the power is down or unless they inform their super-visors of their choice to take lib-eral leave.

Liberal leave reserved for emergencies

from Staff ReportsAnniston CPAC Office

Updating of personal forms importantfrom Staff Reports

Anniston CPAC Office

See something, say something

If you see something suspicious, report it to

security at 256-235-6222.

Girl Scout Daisies, Juniors, Ca-dettes and Seniors of Troop 20136, under the leadership of Valerie Jones, held a Flag Retirement Cer-emony at Word Alive International Outreach Jan. 28.

Guest speakers were Lt. Col. Roshun Steele, commander of the Anniston Munitions Center and Of-ficer Gerry Lyons from the Oxford Police Department. Steele shared her girl scout experience and the impact it had on her life and Lyons discussed the importance of the flag and service to the community.

At the conclusion of the cer-emony, 15 flags were properly dis-posed of.

U.S. Army Photo by Clester Burdell

Lt. Col. Roshun Steele, commander of the Anniston Munitions Center, spoke to Girl Scout Troop 20136 Jan. 28 at Word Alive International Outreach during their Flag Retirement Ceremony.

ANMC commander speaks to local Girl Scoutsfrom Staff Reports

ANAD Public Affairs

TRACKS 7February 7, 2019

Feb. 11Hamburger steakMashed potatoes and gravyField peasFried okraCornbread

Feb. 12General Tso’s chickenPepper steakFried riceStir fried vegetablesEgg roll

Feb. 13Bowl of chili or potato bacon soupGrilled cheese sandwichFries or onion rings

Feb. 14Fried chickenBaked chickenMac and cheesePinto beansTurnip greensCornbread

Feb. 19Beer battered codBaked fishFries or onion ringsBaked beans ColeslawHush puppies

Feb. 20Chicken or beef soft tacoSpanish riceMexican cornRefried beansTaco salad bowl

Feb. 21Brats and burgers

Feb. 22Snack line only

Feb. 25Fried pork chopScalloped potatoes Butter beansSteamed cabbage Cornbread

Cafeteria menus

Have info for TRACKS?

Call PAO at Ext. 6281!

notes from around the Track

Anniston Army Depot’s an-nual Chaplain Care Team Prayer Breakfast is scheduled for Feb. 22, at the Ber-man-Varner House.

Speaking at the event will be Chaplain (LTC) Scott Koeman from the Tank-automo-tive and Armaments Command.

Time: 8 a.m.Cost: $8

Menu: bacon, sau-sage, eggs, gravy, bis-cuits, potatoes, fruits, coffee and juice.

For additional infor-mation, contact: Lindia Hayes at 256-235-7626 or John Flood at 256-235-4974.

Prayer Breakfast set for Feb. 22

Anniston Army Depot’s next Retir-ee Breakfast is scheduled for March 20.

The speaker will be Chief of Staff Phil Trued.

To be added to the contact list for breakfasts, send an email to the Pro-tocol Office at usarmy.anad.tacom.list.protocol@mail.mil containing:

• Your full name• Your street address• Your preferred email address

Retiree breakfast plannedAward and event photos:www.flickr.com/photos/AnnistonArmyDepot

The DeSoto Pastime Center an-nounces a new format for electronic bingo – wireless tablets.

The handheld devices allow patrons to play bingo anywhere in the facility.

Electronic bingo is available Tues-days, Wednesdays, Thursdays and work Fridays from 3:30-8:30 p.m.

Games cost between 25 cents and $1.

Wireless electronic bingoAnniston Army De-

pot offers two-day Ap-plied Suicide Interven-tion Skills Training.

If you have ever wanted to identify and help someone who may be at risk of suicide, this is the course for you.

Participants learn to use a suicide interven-tion model to identify individuals with thoughts of suicide, seek a shared understanding of reasons for dying and living, de-velop a safe plan based upon a review of risk, be prepared to do follow-up and become involved in suicide-safer community networks.

All training will be held in Bldg. 94 from 8

a.m.-4:30 p.m.Employees from all

ANAD directorates, staff organizations and tenant organizations are encour-aged to attend.

The training is listed under ANAD DCFA 2019 APPLIED SUICIDE IN-T E R V E N T I O N SKILLS TRAINING-ASIST (ANAD19-012) in the TED system. Ask your supervisor for per-mission to attend, then contact your training coordinator to sign up for the course in TED.Upcoming classes:

March 6-7May 29-30June 26-27Aug. 21-22Sept. 18-19

ASIST classes scheduledFeb. 13: The Commander’s Town Hall will air live at 7:05 a.m. on LAN Channel 21.

Feb. 13: Black History Month lun-cheon - see details on page 2.

Feb. 18: Presidents’ Day holiday

Feb. 21: TRACKS publication - Deadline for submissions will be Feb. 14.

Feb. 22: Prayer Breakfast - see de-tails at right.

Feb. 27: The Morning Show airs live at 7:05 a.m.

DATES TO REMEMBER

ANAD’s Recycling Sales are scheduled from 8-11 a.m. on the following dates:

• February 23• March 23• April 20• May 18• June29• July 27

• August 24• September 21• October 19• November 16• December 14Dates are subject to change.Contact Cynthia Boyette at

256-235-6838 for additional in-formation.

Recycle sales scheduled

TRACKS8 February 7, 2019

Anniston Army Depot’s Mentor-ing Program currently has mentors who work with children in the An-niston City, Oxford City and Cal-houn County school sys-tems.

ANAD’s m e n t o r i n g is a one-on-one relation-ship through which an adult fosters the develop-ment of character and competence in a young person.

The depot’s Mentoring Program was initiated in Calhoun County in 1996. Volunteers from throughout the workforce spend one hour per week with a student identified as at risk.

If you would like to help the de-pot make a difference in the lives of children in our area, contact Marilyn Futrell at 256-741-5266.

Anniston Army Depot’s annual race, the Making Tracks 5K, is scheduled for April 20 at 8 a.m.

Run, walk or jog the route from the depot’s Physi-cal Fitness Center, through the gate near Capron Field, down Roosevelt and around the lakes near Jones Knoll.

This course can be handled by individuals with any level of activity, yet is challenging, with its final in-clines, for those who enjoy pushing themselves.

Awards will be pre-sented to the top three finishers overall as well as the top three male and female finishers in each age group.

Registration forms are available at Direc-torate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation locations on the installation. Pre-reg-istration ends April 11.

For additional in-formation, contact 256-235-6385.

The Northeast Alabama Table Tennis Club will hold the 14th annual State Teams Table Tennis tournament at Anniston Army De-pot’s Physical Fitness Center March 30 begin-ning at 9 a.m.

The tournament is capped at 20 teams.

The tournament is open to

all Alabama residents, students enrolled in state in-

stitutions and mili-tary personnel sta-tioned in Alabama.

B a c k g r o u n d checks will be per-

formed at the depot’s check point.If you have additional

questions, contact Mike Harris at 256-240-3675.

Anniston Army Depot’s Spring Bass Tournament will be held in March at Lake Logan Martin in Pell City.

The tournament date will be an-nounced in future issues of TRACKS.

The cost is $100 per boat and there will be two people allowed per boat.

The tournament is open to the pub-lic. Contact Outdoor Recreation at 256-235-7549 for registration.

Spring Bass Tournament

Table tennis tournament scheduled

Making Tracks 5KBe a mentor