A4 July 2, 2015 www.FortHoodSentinel.comEDITORIAL/OPINION

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the III Corps Public Affairs Office, Fort Hood, Texas, 76544. The Advertising office is located at 1805 Florence Rd., Herald Plaza, Ste. 1, Killeen, Texas 76541.

COMMAND STAFFCommanding GeneralLT. GEN. SEAN MACFARLAND

III Corps Public Affairs OfficerCOL. CHRISTOPHER GARVER

Fort Hood Public Affairs OfficerTOM RHEINLANDER

Command Information OfficerDAVID LARSEN

Public Affairs Sergeant MajorSGT. MAJ. DONALD SPARKS

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Stand tall knowing you’re part of honorable tradition

BY LT. GEN. SEAN MACFARLANDIII Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General

Three weeks ago, we celebrated the United States Army’s birthday by remembering and honoring the 240 years of selfless service to the nation. Since the first ten companies of riflemen were authorized by the Continental Congress for the common defense of the thirteen original colonies in 1775, through wars both at home and abroad, the history of the United States Army has been the history of the United States of America.

This Saturday, Fourth of July, we will celebrate our nation’s 239th birthday. On that day in 1776, after three weeks of writing and four days of deliberation and revi-sion, the Second Continen-tal Congress representing the thirteen original colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, formally indicating their intent to sever the ties between Americans and King George III of England.

The Founding Fathers believed that the powers of government should come from the consent of the governed – that a government should repre-sent its people and not just rule over them – was a radical, dangerous idea in the late 1700s. As the Founding Fathers knew that rulers of the time did not just allow their subjects to voluntarily leave, the Declaration of Independence included the requirement for a newly formed government repre-senting its people to “provide new Guards for their future security.” This was punctuated by the fact that on July 2nd, as the Congress deliberated the final wording of the Declaration, a large fleet of the Royal Navy landed a force roughly four times the size of George Washington’s army on the shores of New York.

For five long years after the signing of the Dec-laration, George Washington and his army fought to secure the freedom of Americans to determine who would govern them and how they would be governed. Washington’s army defined selfless service, often fighting for months without pay, without regular supplies and without much hope of success. In 1781, at the Battle of Yorktown, the Army secured that freedom for future generations

of Americans.So as Americans across the nation decorate their

homes and towns with red, white and blue, plac-ing their patriotism on display, you should take pride in the knowledge that it was the Army who stood as the “Guards for future security” during the Revolutionary War. Stand tall knowing that you are members of a long and honorable tradition of protecting and securing your fellow Americans, this great country and the ideals it represents.

III Corps and Fort Hood will begin this year’s Independence Day Celebration with a 5K “Color Run” in the morning, hosted by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at the Harvey Functional Fitness Center; on-site registration starts at 7 a.m. In the evening, the celebration moves to Hood Stadium and includes live entertainment, food vendors, and an incredible fireworks display. The gate opens at 4 p.m. and the fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. I hope to see you there celebrating with fellow Soldiers, Airmen, Families, civilians and our local community members.

However you choose to celebrate the holiday over the long weekend, I’d like to remind you all to celebrate it safely. People celebrate the 4th of July weekend in a variety of ways, such as boating, cycling, camping, hiking, backyard barbequing and playing sports, all of which can be dangerous if done unsafely The only thing more tragic than a serious accident is one that could have been pre-vented through a little common sense and buddies taking care of each other. If you can legally drink alcohol, do so in moderation and do not drive. It is also every individual’s responsibility to understand the regulations and policies regarding personal fireworks on the installation or in our local com-munities. Let’s all endeavor to ensure that every one of us is back at work Tuesday morning safe and sound.

Finally, as you celebrate this weekend, please take a moment to remember the Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines and Department of Defense civil-ians deployed around the world.

There are more than 11,000 III Corps and Fort Hood Soldiers deployed away from their families and loved ones, honorably doing the nation’s busi-ness and working to make the world a safer, better place.

Phantom Warriors, Army Strong!

BY NORMA HERNANDEZDFMWR Special Events Coordinator

Let’s see your patriotism. Red, white and blue will be the colors many will

wear to celebrate American’s Independence Day, the anniversary of the publication of the declara-tion of independence from Great Britain in 1776.

Many towns will hold parades that will have their streets lined with spectators anxiously wait-ing for patriotic themed floats, marching bands, and beauty queens to pass by. American flags will proudly be waved showing support, patriotism and love for our county.

While some may choose to barbeque at home, others will take to the parks and playgrounds to celebrate the day. The high temperatures will entice Families to trek to the local lakes and water parks but still, some may prefer to stay home enjoying the extended holiday weekend.

At the Great Place, we will celebrate our nation’s birthday with a concert and a booming fireworks show. Food trucks will be onsite selling hotdogs, barbeque, hamburgers and all sorts of great foods to eat. To beat the heat, ice cream and snow cones will also be available for purchase along with a variety of beverages like sodas, sports drinks and beer to quench your thirst.

We’ve added a few more activities to this year’s

celebration. Several bouncy houses will be placed in the stadium to invite the kids to bounce the day away and the military working dog teams will surely wow the audience with a jaw dropping dog demonstration.

We also have music – the Dal-las-based band, Jon Christopher Davis and Lone Star Attitude, will kick off their county-rock jams at 6 p.m. fol-lowed by our very own 1st Cavalry Bands, Warrior’s Call and Cross Fire. For some extra flare, the salute battery, comprised of Soldiers from 3rd Cav. Regt., will add a succession of booms joining in on the band’s playing of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”. To close out the evening, our spectacular fireworks show will immediately follow the entertainment. The display, brought to you by our Fort Hood’s Recycle Program, is the biggest in all of Central Texas and this year will be no different. The

dazzling 30-minute presentation will light up the sky at 9:30 p.m.

There are 5,500 stadium seats available, but you are more than welcome to bring lawn chairs and

blankets and grab a spot on the foot-ball field to enjoy the festivities.

Shuttle bus-ses will be avail-able to transport people to and from the stadium from designated on-post parking areas. Visit the Fort Hood and FMWR websites and Facebook pages for complete bus routes and

parking details. Please be mindful of the list of prohibited items:

explosive weapons, firearms, knives, clubs, brass knuckles, glass containers (except baby bottles), pets, alcohol, fireworks, and pop-up canopies/tents. Bag checks will be conducted.

Don’t miss out on this great celebration! Have a happy 4th of July from DFMWR.

Celebrate 4th of July on Fort Hood safely, smartly

Saturday is the 4th of July. What’s your favorite thing about America?

“Barbecuing, Family values – it’s different in other countries.”

Pvt. William Welsh, 3rd Cav. Regt.

“Rock and roll, muscle cars and pretty girls.”

Lt. Col. Leon Hooten, 7238th MSU

“That we have a big, great Army, and free-dom.”

Tatyana Reese, 8, civilian

“The freedom, of course. The freedoms that other countries don’t have.”

Staff Sgt. Terrell Isaac, 1st Cav. Div.

“The opportunity to do whatever you want to do – the sky is the limit.”

Capt. Ken. Wilkerson, 4th Sust. Bde.

DES RELEASE

Effective immediately, in accordance with Department of Defense directives, Fort Hood and the Directorate of Emer-gency Services will no longer conduct vehi-cle registration operations at the Fort Hood Visitor Welcome Center.

DoD identification cardholders (Sol-diers, registered Family members, retirees and DoD civilians) will no longer need to possess DoD decals on their vehicles in order to gain access to the installation.

DoD ID cardholders will be allowed to proceed directly to installation access points and present their DoD ID cards to security personnel.

Fort Hood and the DES acknowledge that this process is different than previous access requirements and will have a transi-tional period from June 30 until Aug. 31 as well as an information campaign to ensure the transition is as convenient as possible in accordance with the directive requirements. During this transitional period, which will end on Aug. 31, DoD ID cardholders may present their state-issued driver’s license as a form of identification as previously permitted.

DoD ID cardholders will continue to be able to escort passengers inside of their vehicles (who are in possession of a valid ID card, such as a state-issued driver’s license).

Between June 30 and Aug. 31, non-DoD ID cardholders who are driving will be required to be on an Installation Access Pass issued at the Visitor Welcome Cen-ter. Passengers in these vehicles will only be required to produce a valid ID card to security personnel.

Beginning Sept. 1, all non-DoD ID cardholders will be required to report to the Visitor Welcome Center and be included on the installation access pass in order to be allowed access to the installation. This includes the driver and all passengers, except children 17 years or younger who may be vouched for by another adult occu-pant. Also, all non-DoD ID cardholders who walk onto post or ride a bicycle will also be required to obtain a pass from the Visitor Welcome Center.

Vehicle registration operations cease