When work is finished. FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2006

Story and Photos by

JEREMY S. BUDDEMEIERAssistant Editor

PUPUKEA, Hawaii — Fifteen miles north of Schofield Bar-racks the frenetic pace of life is suspended. Bumper-to-bumper traffic and the sounds of the city fizzle as the

waves gently lap the sand on the North Shore. A rooster crowssporadically — piercing the solitude — and the warm, sweet smellof alfalfa hay permeates the air.

Although this tranquil scenario might seem like a bucolicdream, it’s just another day at the office for Mark and TammyBecker.

The Beckers, who have owned and operated Happy TrailsHawaii horse-riding adventures in the Waimea Valley for morethan 10 years, wouldn’t have it any other way. And though theyhave been removed from the bustle of corporate world since1993, they have no trouble relating to their city-folk guests.

“Your horses come equipped with power steering and powerbrakes, but not auto-pilot,” Mark says as he demonstrates each“feature” on Princess Leia, a light brown thoroughbred mare. “Soyou have to direct your horse one way or the other or pat herevery once in a while to let her know you’re still up there.”

Mark’s demonstration is part of an informal but pertinent15-minute pre-ride brief, which guests receive regardless oftheir horse-riding experience.

Paniolo style

Following the brief, visitors saddle up and begin the one-to two-hour ride through the lush Waimea Valley. On a sooth-ing, rhythmic ride, guests get a slice of what paniolo (Hawai-ian cowboy) life might have felt like in the mid-1800s — with-out all the backbreaking work.

The horses generally stay in line and stick to the trail,which is mostly an old cattle run that meanders through thevalley and comfortably straddles the fence between sun andshade. Occasionally, the horses stop for a snack.

Pulling up the rear, Mark directs the visitor with thestalled horse to give her a few light taps with his heels.From the horse’s perspective, Mark lightheartedly says,the ride is like “constantly walking through a smorgas-bord.”

Feeding the herd

The horses’ appetites, however, are no laughing matter. Ac-cording to Tammy, an active horse can inhale 20 pounds of foodper day — and that doesn’t include salt blocks, supplemental nu-trients with electrolytes, or anything they pick up on the trail. Inall, feeding a horse can easily run over $225 per head each

month; the Beckers have 24horses and one dog.

Food costs, though,are just the tip of thesalt lick for this fami-ly. Depending on thebreed and where it ispurchased, a horse

can cost anywherefrom

$2,500–$15,000, not including shipping and boarding costs andveterinarian bills. Tammy placed the average annual figure atabout $7,000 for one horse.

The ohana the Beckers have built isn’t just a herd of hungrymouths though. They know each horse by name and quirksabout their personalities. And though they’ve considered ex-panding their multiple-horse operation in the past, the simpleNorth Shore life and stress-free commute brought the Beckersback to their senses.

When pressed to choose her favorite Tammy replied, “Justone? We love them all.”

for a taste of the country Giddy up

Right — Sierra is just one of the 24horses at Happy Trails horse-ridingadventures in the Waimea Valley.

Left — David G. Shiel of Seattle sits atopPrincess Leia at Happy Trails Hawaii.

Above — (from left to right) Shawn Date, IndiaClark and Chrysanthemum Castillo head on downthe trail during a 1.5-hour ride through the valley.

Right — A rooster crows from his perch behindthe Happy Trails office in Pupukea, North Shore.

If you go:

Make reservations by phone (638-7433),through the Web site(www.happytrailshawaii.com) or through thebase ITR office.

Costs (with military or kamaaina discount) runabout $45 (1.5 hrs) and $65 (2 hrs).

Wear comfortable covered shoes and jeans / long pants.

Bring a camera and sunglasses.

DONNA KLAPAKISStaff Writer

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Soldiersabout to deploy now have one lessworry. Getting base passes for theirfamily members’ houseguests is pain-free again.

“Three categories of people are ex-empt from the background check atthe moment,” said Brenda Vande-grift, management and program an-alyst at business operations division,directorate of community activities,“caregivers, houseguests, and agents.”

The sponsor or family memberwho is applying for the pass mustfirst go to his or her own communi-ty housing center (not the big hous-ing office on Schofield), pick up theform, fill it out, and get the housingofficial to sign off.

“OBSB [Oahu Base Support Bat-talion] does approve a one-year guestpass when Soldiers are deploying,”wrote Lisa Lepore, housing propertymanagement coordinator, in an e-mail interview. “Our communitymanagers make sure the pass requesthas a copy of the deployment ordersbefore they approve it and send it toOBSB. We take each family’s situationinto consideration before approvingor declining,” she wrote.

After receiving the housing of-fice’s approval, Vandgrift said, theapplicant then goes to the commu-nity OBSB, which also signs off onthe form.

The third and last stop is the in-stallation access pass office (IAP),where prospective houseguests mustshow picture IDs and social securitycards. If the guests do not have theirsocial security cards with them, theymust have state or federal identifi-cation that shows their social securi-ty numbers.

“The most important thing for peo-ple to know when they come to geta houseguest pass is that they have tobring their social security card,” saidVandegrift. Most people don’t carryaround their social security card, andmost states don’t use a social securi-ty number as a driver’s license num-ber anymore.

“People need to tell their friends orfamily — before they leave the main-land — to bring their social securitycards with them,” she said. “Anyonewho is 10 years old or older needs tobring their social security card.”

The only alternative for peoplewho do not have their social securi-ty cards is to go to the social securi-ty office downtown or in Kapolei toget certification that their social se-curity number belongs to them, saidVandegrift.

Guest passon Oahu’sposts getsimproved

VOL. 35 NO. 18 | MAY 5, 2006

INSIDE

Desert protestSoldiers at the National

Training Center push theirlimits and train for real-life

war scenarios

A-4

Still carrying the torch

Hundreds attend the Special Olympics Softball championship at WAAF

B-7

Rockin’ for the troops

From John Legend to thegovernor, a star-studdedcast celebrates Hawaii’s

military, Saturday

B-5

This issueLightning Spirit A-2

Deployment Series A-3

News Briefs A-4

Community B-2

MWR Sports B-6

ARMY RECRUITING BATTALION, PORTLANDNews Release

PORTLAND, Ore. — Soldiers now haveanother reason to recommend the Army toa friend. Soldiers who refer civilian friendsthrough the Sergeant Major of the ArmyRecruiting Team (SMART) Program can earna $1,000 referral bonus. When a friend en-lists, completes basic training, and graduatesfrom Advanced Individual Training (AIT),the referring Soldier receives a $1,000 lumpsum payment.

To receive the bonus, the Soldier mustprovide the friend’s name before an ap-pointment is conducted with a recruiter.Soldiers can refer anyone except immediatefamily members, including spouses, parents,step-parents, siblings, and children (natural,

adopted and step). The initiative is already paying div-

idends, both for the Army, in terms ofnew recruits, and financially for indi-vidual Soldiers.

Sgt. Jeffrey Kauten, of Char-lottesville, Va., was the first Soldier toqualify for the bonus.

“The recruiter worked great with my re-ferral,” said Kauten. “My referral called meduring the process to keep me posted onhow the Army enlistment process was goingand it gave me the chance to see how he wasdoing. I think that the referral bonus in-

cen-tive program helps moti-vate people who are already in uniformmaintain a more active role in the recruitingprocess.”

“I believe the new authorities providedby Congress, such as the $1,000 per referralbonus, will help continue the positive trendof meeting our recruiting objectives [as wehave] for the last seven months in a row,”said Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis J. Har-vey, following a Pentagon briefing Jan. 18.

All Soldiers except those on recruitingduty are eligible.

The Army recently expanded eligibil-ity to include Soldiers performing dutyin the Hometown Recruiter AssistanceProgram (HRAP), Special Recruiter As-sistance Program (SRAP), and Addi-tional Duty Special Work Program(ADSW). The only Soldiers not eligible

for the referral bonus are those involved inrecruiting or retention assignments, includ-ing some staff members receiving specialduty assignment pay for recruiting or re-tention.

The Referral Bonus Pilot Program wasauthorized under the National Defense Au-thorization Act of 2006. The program is in ef-fect from January 18, 2006 through De-cember 31, 2007.

STEVEN DONALD SMITHAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON — DeputyDefense Secretary GordonEngland signed a directive im-plementing the new NationalSecurity Personnel System duringa roll-out ceremony here April 28.

“Today is a milestone event,"England said during the Pentagonceremony. “After two and a halfyears of hard work, the Deparmentof Defense is initiating the humanresources phase of the NationalSecurity Personnel System."

About 11,000 Defense Depart-ment civilian employees from 12DoD organizations will be part ofthe initial “Spiral 1.1" phase-inprocess of the new system.

England said the old civiliansystem has been in place for 50years and is not capable of keep-ing pace with the department'sneeds.

“As our military forces are re-oriented to better address a chang-ing landscape, the civilian work-force too needs to become moreagile, adaptable and fully inte-grated with the efforts of our mil-itary forces," he said.

Employees will be converted topay bands, replacing the generalschedule, and will receive new re-sults-focused performance plansthat are linked to their organiza-tion's mission and goals, defenseofficials said.

The performance appraisal cyclefor Spiral 1.1 began Sunday andends Oct. 31. Employees will re-ceive their first performance payincreases in January 2007.

FORT BENNING, Ga. — Capt. Tracy Trudell (left) and 1st Lt. Patton Nix ofthe 25th Infantry Division carry their rucksacks out of Victory Pond afterbeing dropped by a Blackhawk helicopter and swimming across the pondon the final day of the 2006 Best Ranger Competition, April 24.

Battered but not beatenDavid Dismukes

New NSPSnow rulescivilians

Hui distributes $42K in scholarships, grantsStory and Photo by

AIKO BRUMManaging Editor

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — Every year inthe May-June timeframe, just as the tradi-tional school year winds down, the anticipa-tion builds. Throughout the U.S., tens ofthousands of high school seniors who haveapplied for scholarships and grants learntheir fate – just how much outside assistancethey will receive towards their post-second-ary education.

At Schofield, the Hui O Na Wahine, anall-ranks spouses club, provides scholarshipsto both high school seniors and adult Huimembers or their children attending under-graduate and graduate classes. Welfare grantsare also set aside to benefit numerous otherorganizations such as nonprofits, schoolsand service-oriented activities.

“The big consideration is how will theybenefit the community,” said Kara Ander-son, president of the Hui. “The main pur-

pose is to give back to communities thattouch us.”

Monday evening, nine military familymembers and 27 nonprofits received a share

of $42,000 raised by “330 loyal Hui mem-bers.” The club hopes the recipients will use

SEE NSPS, A-11

SEE HUI, A-11SEE PASS, A-11

In the money — Nine military family members show off their scholarship awards from the HuiO Na Wahine: (From left to right) Alexandria Neason, Katie Angelucci, Tracy Goodley, Steffanie Peters, Brooke Sorrell, Kayley Squire (accepting for her sister Sydney Squire), SonyaGleason, Lisa Davey and Sarah Rodriguez. The nine awardees received a combined $14,000.

www.usarec.army.mil/smart/ or call

$1K recruiting bonus available