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January 30, 2015Vol. 6, No. 4 Fort Wainwright, Alaska

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J.d. LeipoldArmy News Service

When the Army be-gan implementing de-fense cuts in 2011 and 2012, and drawdown operations kicked off in Iraq and Afghanistan, military leadership be-lieved the world would require less interven-tion on the part of U.S. forces.

“Frankly, that’s not happened, and I think that’s the concern,” said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odier-no, speaking at the As-sociation of the United States Army monthly Institute of Land War-fare breakfast, Jan. 22.

“The threat of ter-rorism is not going away ... it’s in our face every single day and it’s going to be throughout our lifetimes and prob-ably throughout our children’s lifetimes, so we have to figure out how we’re going to deal with this threat ... and challenge it face-on,” he said.

Odierno said that means the enemy’s intent must be under-stood and concepts must be developed that would allow the Army to respond across a broad

spectrum of conflict -- though the general said he doesn’t believe that extends to putting 150,000 or 200,000 Sol-diers on a border.

The chief said he be-lieves today to be the most uncertain time in the country’s national

security and that un-certainty is problemat-ic because the nation doesn’t know what it’s going to respond to as it did during the Cold War when the Army had op-erational concepts and strategy.

“Today, we don’t

have that luxury,” he said. “I can’t tell you if we’re going to be fight-ing on the Korean pen-insula ... can’t tell you if we’re going to be in Iraq or Syria fighting a war ... can’t tell you if we’re going to be in Eastern Europe deterring Rus-

sia ... I don’t know. We have to be prepared to do a variety of things simultaneously, and that’s the challenge we have.”

Odierno said what he and his counterparts work to do is develop budgets and create ca-

pability which support national security and in his mind that means the ability to support Soldiers with the right tools to do any job asked of them in the future.

He called for con-tinuing investments in national security to sustain the readiness needed to respond to the variety of threats the country faces.

“To sustain readiness ... we need to invest to-day; we need to invest tomorrow; we need to invest the year after that because you’re in-vesting in human cap-ital, men and women and their ability to train and respond around the world,” Odierno said. “You’re investing in the equipment they need to be successful, and if we don’t have that con-sistent funding to do that, what will happen is we won’t be properly invested in our people or equipment and then when we have to use them, they will not be at the level the Ameri-can people expect them to be.”

Odierno said that in 2013, 10 percent of the

Army must be prepared for multiple threats

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told Association of the U.S. Army members, Jan. 22, that defense cuts and peace dividends didn’t happen as the country withdrew from Iraq and Afghanistan and “that’s a concern.” (Photo by J.D. Leipold, Army News Service)

Don’t miss NFL Super Bowl XLIX airing live from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2:30 p.m. on NBC. Watch three time NFL Cham-pions New England Patriots take on the 2014 NFL Champions Seattle Seahawks with half-time show by performers Katy Perry and Len-ny Kravitz. Something for all ages, will your children recognize the voice behind this year’s National Anthem? It’s Queen Elsa from Dis-ney’s Frozen, Broadway star Idina Menzel. More on Page 4.

Popeye’s Chicken will be closed for renovations from February 9-13. It will reopen with new aes-thetics, complete with new paint, signage and more. Manchu Wok will be closed permanently on Jan. 31. In its place, Taco Bell will have its grand opening before Me-morial Day.

By sgt. sean Callahan USARAK PAO

United States Army Alaska’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Arctic Wolves” from Fort Wainwright is as-sisting the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., in vali-dating a new 18-day training cycle that will provide units with 22 percent more time to hone their war-fight-ing skills.

The goal of the new 18-day training ini-tiative is to enhance the National Training Center’s mission to prepare adaptive and agile leaders who can prevail in conditions of ambiguity; leaders who think fast, make sound decisions and exercise disciplined initiative. The four extra days of rotational training will allow units from across the Army to further re-fine those skills.

The National Train-ing Center, located in the Mohave Desert, conducts tough, real-istic, unified land op-erations with unified action partners to pre-pare brigade combat teams and other units for combat, according to Lt. Col. Steven J. Adams, the G3 opera-tions officer for NTC.

“While NTC and the

other Combat Train-ing Centers are similar in many ways, there are some differences,” said Adams. “NTC is the largest training center, spanning over 1,200 square miles. The terrain is rugged and well-suited for large combat forma-tions.”

Though there is plenty of land for training in Alaska, Fort Irwin is unique-ly resourced for mass training and eval-uation support at one location to sup-port a brigade-sized,

full-spectrum valida-tion.

“It’s nearly impossi-ble for the BCT to train at home station like we do at the NTC,” said Adams.

“NTC is resourced to provide an observ-er-coach-mentor to support, guide and train every command-er and staff section.”

“Every unit that trains at the NTC im-proves throughout the rotation. Additional repetitions afforded by the 18-day training model will provide ad-ditional time for the

unit to depart the NTC at a much higher lev-el than when they ar-rived.”

“We’re going to be able to seriously stress our systems and capa-bilities as a brigade,” said Lt. Col. Mick Braun, the Stryker Brigades deputy com-manding officer. The extended training will also allow the brigade more time with inte-grated enablers. “For example the aviation battalion assigned

Staff Report, Tax As-sistance Center

Fort Wainwright’s Tax Assistance Center is open and ready to serve all active-duty, military retirees from all branches and their Family members with their simple, 2014 per-sonal income tax re-turns.

Last year, the Tax Assistance Center

saved Soldiers and their Families $125, $251 in tax preparation fees and helped in ob-taining refunds total-ing $1,753,689.

Returns may also be filed electronically whether you are getting a refund or owe taxes. Only taxes prepared by a Fort Wainwright Tax Assistance Center staff

Tax center opens, serving residents on Fort Wainwright

Arctic Wolves validate new Army concept

Col. Cape S. Zemp, Fort Wainwright garrison com-mander and staff members of this year’s Tax As-sistance Center officially kicked off the tax season with a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 26. Fort Wainwright Tax Assistance Center is now open for walk-ins five days a week serving military, re-tirees and civilians. Zemp offered his thanks to the Soldiers and their units for volunteering their time and knowledge in providing a great service to the Fort Wainwright community. (Photo by Brian Schlumbohm, Fort Wainwright PAO)

Soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Arctic Wolves” con-duct convoy operations to a tactical assembly area at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 18. The mass movement tested the brigade’s ability to conduct convoy operations and establish a forward command post to support each battalion’s combat mission. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Prows, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

see COnCePt on page 2

see taX Center on page 2

see PrePared on page 4

2ALASKA POST January 30, 2015 Army NeWS

ALASKA POSTHome of the Arctic WarriorsEDITORIAL STAFF

Garrison CommanderCol. S.C. Zemp

Fort Wainwright acting PaOBrian Schlumbohm

staff writer/Community-MediaRelations Officer/Editor

Allen Shawstaff WriterTeresa White

ContributorsSgt. Sean Callahan, USARAK PAOBrandy Ostanik, MEDDAC-AK PAO

J.D. Leipold, Army News ServiceShawn Osborn, DPW ENV

Ganesa Robinson, IMCOM Marketing Communication

The ALASKA POST is authorized by Army Regulation 360-1 and is published by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Army, and is under exclusive written contract. Contents of the ALASKA POST are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the Department of the Army. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the U.S. Army Garrison Ft. Wainwright Public Affairs Office. The ALASKA POST welcomes responsible comments from its readers and will publish letters, articles or photos submitted at least one week prior to the next publication. The ALASKA POST reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. All submitted material will become official Army property unless otherwise indicated. To advertise call (907) 459-7548 Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. The Editorial office is located on Ft. Wainwright in Building 1047 #1; Mailing address is Public Affairs Office, 1060 Gaffney Road, 5900, Ft. Wainwright, AK 99703. Call 353-6779 or 353-6701, or send emails to [email protected]

The ALASKA POST – Home of the Arctic Warriors

Brandy OstanikMEDDAC-AK PAO

26 Week Health Challenge

Enhance health with sleep, activity and nutri-tion by taking the Per-formance Triad 26 Week Challenge. Think about what motivates you to live a healthier lifestyle.Week 13:

• Sleep – Having trou-ble sleeping? Visit Na-tional Sleep Foundation’s Sleeping Smart website. www.sleepfoundation.org

• Activity – Try a new activity this week. Join a fitness class, try a new fitness DVD, learn a new sport or dance.

• Nutrition – Eating out this week? Be mindful of how your food is pre-pared. Choose dishes that are steamed or broiled in-stead of fried or sautéed.

Stay in the Know: For health tips, information on changes to operations and hospital information follow us on Twitter @MEDDACAlaska or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Basset-tACH

FeedbackThe Army Provider

Level Satisfaction Survey comes to a random group of patients after appoint-ments to get feedback on the visit. Each APLSS

report returned with an overall Completely Sat-isfied rating gives MED-DAC-AK additional fund-ing. That funding is used to hire new staff and pur-chase updated equipment. Next time you receive a survey, please return it and help us help you.

No ShowIf you are unable to

make a scheduled appoint-ment, please call the ap-pointment line as soon as possible so that we can of-fer the appointment to an-other beneficiary in need. 361-4000.

Update Your InfoAll contact information

for beneficiaries is pulled from the Defense Enroll-ment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). If you change phone numbers, move or change family status, beneficiaries must change their information in DEERS for MEDDAC to have the most up-to-date information. Correct information is vital for de-termining eligibility and contacting beneficiaries.

TRICARE ServiceThe TRICARE Service

Center at Bassett ACH is closed. Self-service options are available at www.tri-care.mil or by calling (877) 988-9378.

MEDDAC Minute


Each day at Bas-sett Army Communi-ty Hospital between 75 and 100 patients will have their blood drawn for various reasons. Of those, about a dozen will bring at least one child into the pro-cedure room with them.

According to Capt. Joseph Letourneau this is a problem. “The chance of com-ing into contact with an infected needle in the lab is real,” said Letourneau.

Most parents would never think to take their child while getting an x-ray be-cause of the risk of exposure to radia-tion. “Taking a child into the lab is even more dangerous.”

We want to do ev-erything we can to make sure our ben-eficiaries and staff members are as safe as possible.

To do this, Bassett

ACH is now enforc-ing the policy that prohibits anyone from accompanying the patient with the exception being mi-nors and their guard-ians.

Letourneau knows that it will be an ad-justment that will be inconvenient to many of our benefi-ciaries and he is em-pathetic.

“While I was de-ployed my wife was at a new installation with a three-year-old and twin infants,” said Letourneau. “It wasn’t always easy to get time away for medical appoint-ments without the kids but she learned to lean on other spouses.”

Luckily, Bassett ACH beneficiaries have another option. Teddy Watch, of-fered and staffed by the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, of-fers not only free, reserved child-care for parents with ap-pointments, but also

walk-in child-care for parents who need to have lab work done. Services are avail-able to all beneficia-ries’ children ages six months to 12 years-old.

To use the service, parents must regis-ter their children at the Teddy Watch lo-cation inside Bassett ACH and bring in a current copy of im-munizations.

In spite of know-ing that there will still be some benefi-ciaries who will find the policy difficult, Letourneau knows this is the right de-cision, citing several instances in the past months that have caused great concern for patients, children and staff member safety.

“We’ve had a par-ent in the chair get-ting blood drawn while a toddler climbed into a seat and grabbed onto a hanging sharps con-tainer filled with used needles,” said

Letourneau. “When a patient is in the chair with a needle in their arm there is nothing they can do to protect their child.

In another in-stance, a young child thought the phlebot-omist was hurting his mother with the needle and the child tried to pull the nee-dle out of his mom’s arm.”

While Letourneau is worried about his staff in instances like this, he says the bot-tom line is that he doesn’t want to see anyone hurt, espe-cially a child.

“I don’t want to go to sleep at night knowing that a child now has Hepatitis C because we didn’t en-force the policy so we avoid inconvenienc-ing a parent,” said Letourneau.

“An hour of being inconvenienced is nothing compared to a lifetime of dealing with the consequenc-es of a stick by a con-taminated needle.

For safety’s sakeHospital laboratory is a no-child


While the Seattle Sea-hawks and New England Patriots are gearing up for Sunday’s Super Bowl, fans around the country are doing the same with their game day menus.

No matter which team fans will be cheer-ing for during the game, almost all of them will have one thing in com-mon: overeating.

According to a report from the Calorie Con-trol Council, Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving as the

largest food consump-tion day of the year. Top-ping the charts as some of the most popular and high-calorie Super Bowl snacks are chicken wings, pizza, chips, dips, cheese and meat plat-ters. On average, most Americans will consume more than 2,200 calo-ries just from snacking during the big game.

To make matters worse, chances are, other than cheering for their team, game-watchers won’t be doing a lot of ac-tivity during the day.

The good news is that the fatty, greasy food usu-ally served has healthi-

er alternatives that are more forgiving to the waistline.

According to Capt. An-drew Otto, chief of nutri-tional services for Medi-cal Department Activity – Alaska, one quick win is in food preparation.

“Rather than having deep fried hot wings, try baking them before tossing them in your fa-vorite sauces,” said Otto. “By doing this, you will still get that great taste, while reducing your fat and sodium intake.”

There are other easy ways to cut back on cal-ories and fat without los-ing taste.

When making dips, use Greek yogurt in-stead of sour cream; re-place potato chips with baked pita chips; if mak-ing chili, use more beans than meat or substitute hamburger for leaner turkey.

Portion control is also vital to cutting back on calories. Rather than setting out large bowls or platters of food, consider leaving the snacks in the kitchen, away from the television, so that guests have to make a conscious decision to move. Offer smaller quantities and smaller plates.

How food is presented

can also make a differ-ence. Serve sliders rath-er than full-sized ham-burgers, individual-sized pizzas as opposed to sharing several large piz-zas, and nuts in the shell instead of shelled will cut back on how much food is consumed.

The Academy of Nu-trition and Dietetics sug-gests kicking off the day with fresh vegetables and low-fat dip, fruit kabobs and whole-grain breads with a variety of lean meats for sand-wiches. Popcorn, baked tortilla chips with salsa, and apples with low-fat caramel dip are great

for munching on during the game. Fruit parfaits or angel food cake with chocolate sauce can round out the day.

Otto also advises game watchers to think about the calories in al-cohol.

“Be conscience of alco-hol consumption during the events, as well as other beverages being consumed. Those calo-ries accumulate quickly and do not provide much nutritional benefit,” says Otto.

By making small changes to the menu, football fans can enjoy the game and the food.

It’s possible to eat healthy during the big game

with us has Apaches, Blackhawks and Chinook helicopters; the armor company has M1-A1 Abrams tanks. We also have different signal assets assigned, military information sup-port operations and civil affairs ele-ments from not only regular Army, but also from Reserve and National Guard units not available to us in Alaska… It’s really going to allow the Stryker Brigade to put all the hard work done in Alaska to use and get the best training out of it.”

With the drawdown of our Armed Forces being what it is, the Arctic Wolves are also training on a total force concept, where Army Nation-al Guard units and Army Reserves are integrated with their active-du-ty counterparts. According to U.S. Army Alaska’s Deputy Commanding Officer, Col. Shawn Reed, “This is a rotation designed for one brigade combat team, but the fact of the matter is, this training is on a much larger concept of total Army integra-tion.”

CONCEPTContinued from page 1

member can be elec-tronically filed at the Tax Assistance Center.

“Every Tax Cen-ter Soldier completed Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program training, which is run by the Internal Reve-nue Service, and passed all requisite exams to prepare returns. These Soldiers received the same training as any commercial tax pre-parer,” Capt. Simona Shipp, Fort Wainwright Legal Assistance said. “The Fort Wainwright Tax Center is here to serve Soldiers, retirees and Families with effi-cient and accurate tax preparation.”

Before heading to the Tax Assistance Center, don’t forget to bring all necessary tax information for the tax

center’s representa-tives to properly com-plete your return.

Here is a list of im-portant documentation papers to bring with you: Social Security Card or Tax ID, mili-tary ID, banking infor-mation such as routing and account numbers, W2 Forms and all oth-er income records for 2014.

Also, if applicable, bring your Alaska Per-manent Fund Dividend 1098/1099 Forms, day-care expenses, college expense records and itemization deduction records.

The center can only process simple tax returns. Those with returns that include Schedule C with loss-es, complicated and advanced Schedule

D (capital gains and losses), Form SS-5 (non-deductible IRA), Form 8606 (minor’s investment income) and Form SS-8 (de-termination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding) are not able to be completed through the tax center.

The Tax Assistance Center is located in building 1051, suite 9, near the law center on the north side of Fort Wainwright. Walk-in hours of operation are: Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Thursday noon to 7 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 353-2613.

TAX CENTERContinued from page 1

3January 30, 2015ALASKA POST

Ganesa robinsonIMCOM Marketing Communications

When veteran Wil-liam McLaurin left the Army in 1985, he never imagined that he would have another opportu-nity to serve 27 years later.

“I am extremely grateful,” said McLau-rin, Heating, Ventilat-ing, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration in-structor with the Unit-ed Association’s Veter-ans In Piping program at Joint Base Lewis-Mc-Chord, WA. As one of the Army’s industry partners, the program provides Soldiers an opportunity to learn a new skill prior to leav-ing the service and of-fers entry to paid ap-prenticeship programs in welding, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrig-eration. “It’s a great op-portunity for me to help our Soldiers transition into the real world; I feel like I’m still serv-ing,” said McLaurin.

According to the De-partment of Defense, 130,000 Soldiers will transition annually from the Army to the civilian workforce over the next 10 years. Even with the current unem-ployment rate and the high numbers of tran-sitioning service mem-bers, McLaurin believes graduates from the UA VIP program should not have any problems finding employment.

“I’m glad the Army is preparing these Sol-diers for civilian life. When I reflect on the time I separated from the Army, there’s no comparison,” said Mc-Laurin. “There wasn’t a real push to ensure you transitioned well. You did your time and then you got out.”

With the motto, ‘Start Strong, Serve Strong, Reintegrate

Strong and Remain Strong,’ the Army is working to ease the transition into civil-ian life with a program that helps Soldiers plan ahead for their whole career: Soldier for Life. The program is based on the Soldier lifecycle. Soldiers start strong, serve strong, and rein-tegrate strong, and ul-timately remain strong as Army ambassadors to their communities. The Soldier for Life concept is a holistic approach to this entire cycle, which ensures veterans connect to re-sources and their com-munities as they make the important transi-tion from active duty back to the Army Re-serve, National Guard or become a part of the civilian workforce.

The Army collabo-rates with training and employment programs to help Soldiers learn occupational skills to become career-ready through employment

skills training, creden-tialing and apprentice-ships. When Soldiers and their families leave the service, they leave prepared with a net-work of people and or-ganizations that will connect them to em-ployment, education and health care

Soldier for Life’s three pillars of success-ful reintegration.

“[The Soldier for Life ] Career Skills Pro-grams marry our Sol-dier’s talent and experi-ence with the demands and employment oppor-tunities available in a variety of industries na-tionwide,” said Marnie Holder, chief, IMCOM Soldier for Life Fusion Cell. “It’s truly a win-win for all involved.”

As an instructor, Mc-Laurin uses every op-portunity to draw from his experiences in the Army to inspire his stu-dents to remain Army Strong. “When my stu-dents ask me if I was scared when I left the

Army, I say yes, and ex-plain to them that they did not have all of the training programs and resources they have now,” he said.

McLaurin tells his students that UA VIP is a way for them to start a new successful career and avoid unemploy-ment, which is common among many veterans. After teaching civilians for 12 years and now teaching transitioning Soldiers, he says there is a difference in the caliber of military stu-

dents. “Military people are

always noticeable,” Mc-Laurin said. “Soldiers come with a ‘Can Do’ attitude. On the job and in the classroom you can tell who was in the military before even confirming the answer. I see it in my UA VIP students. They have a unique experience that really develops their skills a lot faster than their civilian counter-parts. They have leader-ship skills and are hun-gry, ready to transition.”

McLaurin credits his Army experience and values for becoming a top performer through-out his civilian career. “I remember the man-tra, ‘we do more before 9 a.m. in the morning.’ The ability to get up early in the morning, discipline, leadership skills and my work ethic, it was those val-ues that allowed me to move up the ladder,” said McLaurin.

Joint Base Lewis-Mc-Chord established the first Army pilot Career Service Program - the UA VIP Welding and Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning pro-gram. Each program, which lasts 18 weeks, allows service members to train with the union while they are on active duty so they already have the training and jobs to step into when they separate from the Army. Service members from any military occu-pational specialty are eligible for the program.

Currently, there are four UA VIP programs located on Army in-stallations: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash-ington, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Fort Car-son, Colorado and Fort Hood, Texas, with many more programs in the pipeline to follow. For more information about the U.S. Army’s Soldier for Life program vis-it: www.soldierforlife.army.mil/employment.

NeWS

EXCHANGE CONCESSIONAIRE

EIELSON AFB EXCHANGEIN THE MALL - ACROSS FROM GCI

907-372-5106

FT. WAINWRIGHT EXCHANGENEXT TO GNC

907-356-1227

*50% off 2nd pair must be of equal or lesser value as the first pair purchased. Purchase of two complete pairs of eyeglasses required. Second pair must be purchased with the first pair and at the same date and time for the same person. Cannot be combined with any other discount, coupon or insurance plan. All eyeglasses and contact lens purchases require a current, valid prescription. No dispensing fee. Offer expires 03/07/15. ©2015 National Vision, Inc.

Former soldier William McLaurin, Refrigeration and HVAC instructor stands with new apprentice program graduates. (Courtesy photo)

Soldier for Life: Instructor draws inspiration from transitioning Soldiers

4ALASKA POST January 30, 2015 NeWS

staff reportFort Wainwright PAO

This year’s Super Bowl is a game played between the American Football Conference Champion, New En-gland Patriots and the National Football Con-ference Champion, Se-attle Seahawks.

It’s played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz will be performing at halftime and new commercials will be popping up throughout the day.

It is said to be one of the top-viewed televised sporting events. One of the greatest parts of the spectacle is that everyone has an opin-ion, a favorite, wheth-er it’s a team, player, dish or beverage. Here are a few comments, suggestions and prog-nostications cobbled from folks around post. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Dave said, “The Sea-hawks are going to get crushed.” His favorite cocktails for the game are: One Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, add five just like it and enjoy. MaCal-lan 12-year-old Scotch, add a glass and enjoy.

Larry said, “Go Pats.” Angela said, “Go Seahawks.”

“Anyway, if the Pats’ mojo doesn’t get deflat-ed due to the Deflatgate debacle,” Larry said, “I predict the Pats will win by a field goal, 27-24. If they have lost their mojo, the results could be the same as the Pats victory over the Colts; it could go either way. I believe the defenses will help keep this a close game. Bot-tom-line: Pats 27, Sea-hawks 24.”

Jason Sunkel said, “Seahawks, 27-24,” and Vicki Madick added, “Hawks all the way.”

Neta is hoping Seat-tle wins and she passed on a great Taco Dip rec-ipe:

1-8 oz package of cream cheese

1-8 oz container of sour cream

1 envelope taco sea-soning

Mix together well and spread on a large plate.

Finely shred and

lightly chop iceberg let-tuce and spread over cream cheese mixture. Use as little or as much as you want.

Chop tomatoes and spread over lettuce. Cover with a layer of finely-shredded ched-dar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend. You can also add chopped red or green pepper or black olives if you like.

Chill until ready to eat. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy the festivities and the game.

Super Bowl 49, aka XLIX, aka The Big Game

LT said, “This game will be similar to last year’s Su-per Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks have been the most dominant team since 2013, and they are eager. The Patriots are a great team, but they need to do a lot of things very well to neutralize the Seahawks RB Mar-shawn Lynch (BEAST MODE) and their WR Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin. Russell Wilson is playing for 10-0 vs Super Bowl-Winning QBs, and this Sunday he’s looking to get his second ring in a row and be the 14th team to make a back to back championship in NFL history (last team was the Patriots in 2004). The Seahawks offense will be different from the last game against Green Bay, in which we had a slow start offensively and four TO in the first half (three INT). I’m pretty sure Pete Carroll was paying attention to that first half, because in the last quarter-and-a-half, the story was different. The Seahawks made a dramatic run in the last three minutes of the game and scored 15 points in 44 seconds. This is something that I’ve never seen in my life. The Patriots need to focus on how to beat the Seahawks defense, and that is bad news. The Seahawks defense has allowed only a to-tal of 13 points in the last 9 games’ 4th quarters and this is something that the Patriots will have problems with if they don’t score early. Final score: Seahawks 30, New England 17.” (Courtesy photo)

Carey Woodell said, “My hubby and son are ready to see #24 unleash the ‘Beast Mode.’” (Courtesy Photo)

Dan said, “I predict that it will be the Patriots over the birds. Let’s go with a score of 31 to 24.” (Cour-tesy photo)

Army was ready and at the end of 2014 and to-day the Army is about 33 percent ready. He expects to sustain that, “maybe move up a little to 40 percent at the high-est.”

“Prior to 2001, rou-tinely, the Army was about 70-75 percent ready -- we had built up capability that was there to be used if necessary,” he said, noting that in 2016 the Army will face sequestration again and should that occur for the next three to five years, it would “hollow out” the Army.

“My definition of a hollow Army is one

where we don’t proper-ly train our Soldiers ... where they’re unable to do the exercises they need ... they’re not able to have the ammuni-tion necessary or the equipment they need ... they’re not able to sus-tain that equipment to the levels necessary for them to respond with no notice to an unknown threat in potentially five different places around the world,” he said.

The general also said the Army is not now adequately investing in modernization pro-grams, citing a 50 per-cent reduction in mod-ernization accounts.

“That will be worse if we go into sequestration ... so now we’re not in-vesting in training; we’re not investing in equip-ment, and this falls on the shoulders of our Sol-diers and that’s the point I try to make to every-body,” he said. “The ones who will pay the price are the men and women in uniform -- they will go no matter what. It’s up to us to make sure they have what they need.”

Odierno and other service chiefs are slat-ed to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jan. 28, regarding the effects of sequestration.

PREPAREDContinued from page 1

5January 30, 2015ALASKA POST

shawn OsbornUSAG FWA Outdoor Recreation Specialist, DPW ENV

Did you know that the majority of trails on Fort Wainwright train-ing lands are used by trappers in the winter? Trapping is defined as the capture of fur bear-ing animals by use of a spring trap or snare. Fur bearers are animals that have a high quality fur coat, frequently consid-ered to have a monetary value in the fur market. The most popular fur bearers trapped in Alas-ka include: beaver, coy-ote, fox, lynx, marten, mink, weasel, muskrat, river otter, wolf, and wol-verine. As most trapping

is done in winter when animal coats are at their prime, it is important to remember that winter trails in interior Alaska may also be someone’s trap-line. Trapping sea-son in Game Manage-ment Unit 20 Fairbanks Area typically runs from Sept. 15 to June 10. When recreating on

these trails, try to keep pets and children away from traps. If you come across a trap or see an animal caught in a trap, don’t tamper with it. Tampering with some-one’s traps is illegal. If you are concerned about the location of a trap and believe it is in an unsafe location, call the Alaska

State Fish and Wildlife Safeguard Hotline at (800) 478-3377.

Trapping is autho-rized by permit only on most Fort Wainwright training lands, includ-ing the Tanana Flats, Yukon, Donnelly, and Gerstle River Train-ing Areas. Trapping is closed on Fort Wain-

wright Main Post and the cantonment area. Because nearly every trail on Army land is already a registered trap-line, trapping on Army land is currently limited. Trapping op-portunities continue to exist on other federal and state lands.

People who wish to trap on Army-managed lands must acquire a trapping license from the state of Alaska and then register for a trap-ping permit, in person, with Natural Resources Management person-nel at Fort Wainwright, (907) 361-9686, or Don-nelly Training Area, (907) 873-1615. At that time, trappers must identify the exact loca-tion of their intended trap-line. Trapping on a trail that is already reg-istered is discouraged and considered unethi-cal among trappers.

As with other r e c r e a t i o n a l opportunities on Army-managed lands, users must obtain a Recreation Access Permit (RAP) to trap. A

RAP card is required for both active military and civilians over the age of 16 who wish to do any type of recreation on Army lands and can be obtained online at http://usartrak.isportsman.net or at kiosks located at the DPW Environmental Division office or the Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely Visitor Centers. Trappers must check into training areas using usartrak.isportsman.net or the USARTRAK automated phone system at (877) 250-9781.

If you are interested in trapping and want to learn more, contact the Alaska Trappers Association (ATA) in Fairbanks. ATA of-fers many educational opportunities for be-ginners and provides a great way to meet experienced trappers. For more information on trapping and trap-ping ethics, please call ATA at (907) 347-5965 or look online at http://www.alaskatrappers.org/index.html.

NeWSTrapping on Army Lands in Alaska Things you should know

The common fur bearer traps are (left to right) #330 Conibear, #2 Double Long Spring, #1 Double Coil Spring, #1 Jump Spring, and #1 and one-half Single Long Spring. (Courtesy photo)

staff reportDPW, Environmental Division

During the 2015 moose hunting season the Army expects a sig-nificant amount of train-ing to occur on lands withdrawn for military training to hunters and other recreational users during the month of Sep-tember.

Most of United States Army Alaska’s units are in the state and are training to meet read-iness requirements for future deployment op-erations. To meet the Army’s timeline for preparedness, units at Fort Wainwright will utilize the ranges in the Yukon Training Area, Donnelly Training Area East, Donnelly Training Area West, Black Rapids Training Area and the Tanana Flats Training Area frequently through-out September. The Air Force will also conduct training, which requires use of the impact areas in the Yukon Training Area and Donnelly Training Area West during the month of September.

The Army will contin-ue to ensure that all of its lands not being used to support training will be open to public recre-ational users.

However, it is always prudent for hunters to have a back-up plan and an alternate hunting site selected in case of a last-minute air or land closure.

Tanana Flats Training Area (TFTA)

Fort Wainwright’s Tanana Flats Train-ing Area falls in Game Management Unit 20 A. Most of the training area (TA), more than 652,000 acres, will be open for hunting except for the two impact areas.

Donnelly Training Area (DTA)

This 654,000-acre area is divided into DTA East and DTA West, DTA East is in Game Management Unit 20D, DTA West is in Game Management 20A.

Yukon Training Area (YTA)

The 265,000-acre Yu-kon Training Area is in Game Management unit

20B. Gerstle River

Training Area (GRTA)This 20,792-acre area

is in Game Management Unit 20D.

Black Rapids Training Area

This 2,775-acre Train-ing Area is in Game Management 20D and 13B.

All impact areas re-main off limits. Impact areas contain unexplod-ed ordnance, which is extremely volatile and could cause severe inju-ry or death. These areas are depicted on Alaska Department of Fish and Game maps as restricted areas.

The Army lands with-drawn for military train-ing, the TFTA, DTA and YTA, are outlined with dotted black lines in the 2014-2015 ADF&G Alas-ka Hunting Regulations. To further define the numbered training areas within TFTA, DTA and YTA, the Army has pub-lished color maps. These maps complement the ADF&G maps by depict-ing impact areas and off limits areas and by color coding the availability of hunting in each num-bered training area.

The maps are avail-able at the visitors’ cen-ters near the main gates of Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely. By Aug. 15, the Army will also pub-lish the maps on the web at: http://usartrak.isportsman.net/maps/recmaps

It is extremely im-portant for hunters to

exit training areas no later than midnight on the day prior to closure. Training area closures occur to facilitate mili-tary live-fire activities.

It is important for the public to remain outside of restricted areas at all times. These areas are associated with active live-fire facilities and unexploded ordnance. Aside from being a tre-mendous risk, entry into restricted areas on lands withdrawn for military training is a criminal of-fense and may result in criminal prosecution.

All users of Army lands are required to register for a Recreation-al Access Pass (RAP) and are required to call into the U. S. Army Alaska Recreation Tracking System (USARTRAK) system for updates re-garding the opening/closing of training areas for recreational use. The number is 353-3181 for the Fairbanks Area; 873-3181 for Donnelly Train-ing Area; or call 1-877-250-9781 outside these areas. Registration for RAPS can be done at ki-osks located at the Main Gate Visitors’ Centers at Fort Wainwright and Donnelly Training Area (closed on weekends) or at the DPW Environ-mental Office Building 3023. You may also ob-tain a RAP card and check into training areas by going to the USAR-TRAK website: http://usartrak.isportsman.net/home. RAP holders who have problems checking into USATRAK\ isports-

man may call the Envi-ronmental Office at 361-9686 for assistance.

Prior to accessing lands withdrawn for military training, hunt-ers and all other recre-ational users must call in to the USARTRAK system. The system pro-vides Army conservation

officials important infor-mation concerning the location of people within the training areas and assists with range clear-ing efforts before live-fire activities begin.

The Donnelly and Yu-kon training areas are likely to be the sites of extensive training this

year. While it is the Ar-my’s intent to allow as much recreation as pos-sible, training of Soldiers must take priority. Units are still locking in train-ing schedules. We will have more information on what training areas are open as we get closer to September.

Back-up plan suggested when planning hunt on military lands

6ALASKA POST January 30, 2015 COmmUNITy CALeNDAr

Friday - 30th

FAME GROUP EX-ERCISE SESSIONS, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 to 11:45, Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994. FAME child care is available from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to noon, Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-7713.

AFTER SCHOOL STO-RY TIME AND CRAFT, 4 to 5 p.m., post library, building 3700. Call 353-2642.

RECREATIONAL SKATING, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

COSMIC BOWLING, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

Saturday - 31st

KARATE ALL AGES SKIESUNLIMITED, Murphy Hall basement, building 1045. Call 353-7713.

WHITE MOUNTAINS SNOWMACHINE RUN, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Outdoor Recreation, building 4050. Call 361-6349.

WITW ICE FISHING, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Outdoor Recreation, building 4050. Call 361-6349.

GROUP CYCLING, 10 to 11 a.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

ZUMBA, 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

RECREATIONAL SKATING, 1:30 to 4 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

COSMIC BOWLING, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

ROCK’N’BOWL, 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

Sunday – 1st

NTC KIDS BOWL FREE, Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, build-ing 3702. Call 353-2654.

X-BOWLING, Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

AFE NFL SUPER BOWL PARTY, 2 to 6 p.m., Warrior Zone, building 3205. Call 353-1087.

SUPER BOWL BUF-FET, 2 to 6 p.m., Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

RECREATIONAL SKATING, 1:30 to 4 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

RECREATIONAL HOCKEY, 4:15 to 6 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

Monday – 2nd

KARATE all ages SKIE-SUnlimited, Murphy Hall Basement, build-ing 1045. Call 353-7713.

SAC OBSERVES BLACK HISTORY MONTH, all week, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., School Age Center, building 4166. Call 361-7394.

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994.

POLAR CARE, 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to noon, Melaven Fitness Center, build-ing 3452. Call 353-1994.

FAME GROUP EXER-CISE SESSIONS, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Melaven Fitness Center, build-ing 3452. Call 353-1994.

LUNCH TIME REC-REATIONAL SKATE, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

ZUMBA GROUP EX-ERCISE, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

Tuesday – 3rd

GROUP CYCLING, 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. and 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

ROMP AND STOMP PLAY GROUP, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Last Fron-tier Community Ac-tivity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

VA VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT OVERVIEW, 10 to 11 a.m., Soldier and Fam-ily Assistance Center, building 3414. Call 353-7322.

LUNCH TIME STICK HOCKEY, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

HOUR OF POWER: GROUP STRENGTH CLASS, noon to 12:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

REGISTRATION DUE FOR PARENT’S NIGHT OUT, 5:45 to 8:45 p.m., CDC I, build-

ing 4024. Call 361-4190.

ZUMBA GROUP EX-ERCISE, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

Wednesday – 4th

KARATE ALL AGES SKIESUNLIMITED, Murphy Hall basement, building 1045. Call 353-7713.



WIN A GAME, Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

POLAR CARE, 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to noon, Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994.

PERSONAL FINAN-CIAL READINESS CLASS, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Education Center, building 4391. Call 353-7438.

FAME GROUP EXER-CISE SESSIONS, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME, 11 to 11:45 a.m., post library, building 3700. Call 353-2642.

LUNCH TIME REC-REATIONAL SKATE, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

INTRAMURAL HOCKEY COACHES MEETING, 2 to 3 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.ZUMBA GROUP EX-

ERCISE, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

Thursday- 5th



GROUP CYCLING, 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. and 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

BABY SIGNS: SIGN SING AND PLAY, 9 to 9:30 a.m., Last Frontier Community Activity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

LEVY BRIEF, 9 to 11 a.m., Last Frontier Community Activity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

ROMP AND STOMP PLAY GROUP, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Last Fron-tier Community Ac-tivity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

LUNCH TIME STICK HOCKEY, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Physical Fit-ness Center Ice Rink, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

HOUR OF POWER: GROUP STRENGTH CLASS, noon to 12:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

FREE BOUNCY HUT NIGHT, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Last Frontier Commu-nity Activity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

ZUMBA GROUP EX-ERCISE, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-

7223.

Friday – 6th

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK, post library, building 3700. Call 353-2642.




DOLLAR CLIMB, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Outdoor Recreation, building 4050. Call 361-6349.

REGISTRATION ENDS FOR DEVEL-OPMENTAL FLAG FOOTBALL AND INDOOR ARCHERY, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Youth Sports and Fitness, building 1049 #2. Call 353-7482.

POLAR CARE, 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to noon, Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994.

FAME GROUP EXER-CISE SESSIONS, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-1994.

AFTER SCHOOL STO-RY TIME AND CRAFT, 4 to 5 p.m., post library, building 3700. Call 353-2642.

RECREATIONAL SKATING, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center Ice Rink, build-ing 3709. Call 353-7223.

COSMIC BOWLING, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

READERS WANTEDAlaska Guys Read, a

nationally-recognized program and part of the Fairbanks Library Foun-dation, is looking for vol-unteers who like to read out loud. Encouraging 4th grade boys to read for the fun of it, this or-ganization regularly vis-

its Fairbanks North Star Borough Schools for a 30-minute lunchtime program. A Guys Read party is scheduled at the Noel Wien Library, Jan. 31. They’ll be Guy games, Guy grub and a special guest reading. For more information, visit www.GuysGal-sRead.org or call Greg Hill at 347-6082.

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE APPROACHING

The deadline to turn in applications for the Commissary scholar-ship program is Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. Applications must be hand-carried and turned in for appli-cants to be eligible. For more information, call 353-6218.

SWEETHEART OF A DEAL

The Alaska Post will be publishing Valentine shout-outs in the Feb. 13 issue. If you want to see your favorite photo and a howdy-to-your-honey, send them to [email protected] no later than close-of-business, Feb. 9. For more information, call 353-6700.

LATIN DANCE NIGHT

DJ Slick will be pop-ping the jams at the Yu-kon Club on Eielson Air Force Base for a Latin Dance celebration Jan. 31 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Admission is free to any-

one with a Department of Defense ID. For more information, call 377-3539.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE

The Unites States Alaska Aviation Task Force and the Fort Wainwright Equal Op-portunity Office are hosting an African American/Black Histo-ry Month Observance Feb. 25 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Physical Fit-ness Center on post. For more information, call (863) 272-8663.

SEASON PASSES AVAILABLE

Birch Hill season passes are available on location or at the Fort Wainwright Outdoor Recreation Center. For more information, call 353-1998.

AVOID WINTER SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS

Winter in Alaska presents some very chal-lenging environments to cope with like the build-up of snow and ice on the roads, parking lots, sidewalks and entry-ways. Avoid slips, trips and falls in the work-place by conducting reg-ular self-inspections of facilities to identify and eliminate hazards. Have a program in place for ice and snow removal so that hazards are re-moved or treated before employees arrive. After removal, salt and sand the icy surfaces. Edu-cate employees on which areas of the workplace present potential slip and fall hazards. The proper footwear to wear for the hazards and slow down, and adjust their stride to a pace suitable for the walking surface and conditions.

CALLING ALL ZEBRAS

The Interior Youth Basketball program is looking for adults to of-ficiate games. IYB and the Fairbanks Basket-ball Officials Association will conduct a training session if enough peo-ple sign up. Referees

are paid for their ser-vices and may schedule games based upon their individual availability. For more information, call 457-4492.

Fort Wainwright Chapel Services

Catholic Mass, 9 a.m., Sundays at Southern Lights Chapel

Catholic Contact for Southern Lights Chap-el:

CH (MAJ) James Peak, call (907) 361-4269 or email: [email protected] Southern Lights Chapel is located on the corner of Neely Road and 8th Street, building 4107.

Protestant Service, 10:30 a.m., Sundays at the Northern Lights Chapel

Protestant Contact for Northern Lights Chapel:

CH (MAJ) Mike Keifman, call (907) 353-2088, or email [email protected].

Northern Lights Chapel is located on the corner of Rhineland and Luzon Ave., building 3430.

IN BRIEF

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