Take 5 for Safety!! That is this year’s Army Summer Safety

Campaign. We at the Fort Sill Well-Being Center, ASAP want

to encourage all to take care of self and others this summer

and ensure that safety standards are being met at all times. This seasonal awareness period should spark the fire that lasts

for a lifetime. Inside this edition of Workforce Pride, you will

find safety tips for alcohol consumption, water play, heat dan-

gers, summer finances, personal satisfaction, and much more. Enjoy your reading experience, and as always…..BE SAFE!

Safety First this Summer

WORKFORCE PRIDE Fort Sill Community Newsletter

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9

I would like to take this opportunity to

thank all garrison employees for the

professionalism you demonstrated as

your leaders had to make difficult per-

sonnel decision in order for the garrison

to meet DoD mandated personnel re-

ductions. Because of your cooperation

and willingness to work as a team, we

have achieved our reductions without a

single employee losing their job. Our

focus now shifts to the realignment of

the workforce in a way that allows us to

accomplish our mission more effectively

and efficiently. We are all painfully aware

that some sections are experiencing

personnel shortages. In spite of those

shortages, you continue to get the job

done!

You may not do it as fast or as many

times as before, but enough to ensure

the mission is accomplished. I couldn’t

be prouder of each of you.

How we got to the right number –

Limiting hiring to only those positions

that were approved by HQ IMCOM

helped us reduce our Garrison staff by

100 employees. Another tool that

served to reduce the impact of the

restructuring was the approval to au-

thorize Voluntary Early Retirement

Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Sepa-

ration Incentive Pay (VSIP) for those

interested in retiring or separating

early. Additionally, some employees

decide to move on to the next chapter

in their lives and retire from govern-

ment service. Normal attrition also

helped us manage our final employee

count.

Discovering new skills - As part of

this effort we asked all employees to

update their resumes to ensure they

reflected current knowledge, skills, and

abilities which may provide additional

opportunities throughout the garrison

that they may find interesting. Training

was also made available to assist them

to meet minimal qualifications.

We also addressed employee short-

falls by detailing employees to duties

that would gain them experience.

We continue to match employees to

critical jobs throughout the garrison

as we tackle our skills imbalance.

We have managed to reduce our

skills imbalance to less then five per-

cent of the workforce.

Good news — The good news is;

we have done so well with reducing

our workforce, IMCOM HQs has

granted us approval to hire many of

our hard to fill positions that cannot

be filled internally. This will allow us

to hire engineers, attorneys, air traf-

fic controllers, and other key posi-

tions. This will allow us to continue

to provide the quality support we are

accustom to. Again, without your

willingness and cooperation, this

personnel reduction could have been

much tougher. Human resources is

Team Sill’s most important resource,

and I will do everything in my power

to ensure that each employee has the

opportunity to maximize their contri-

bution to the mission by creating an

environment for all to thrive.

Paul S. Hossenlopp

Colonel, Field Artillery

Garrison Commander

Sill on Target with Realignment INSIDE THIS ISSUE

TAKING 5 MIKES

2

SITTING BEAR BY THE

CREEK WITH SATANK 3

JUNE CALENDAR: ALAN IS COMING! 4

TAKE TIME TO PLAN FOR LIFE 5

DEAR FRAN, MY BOSS MAKES ME DRINK!! 6

BROWN BAGGING IT WITH COL HOSS 7

GRATEFUL FOR A SMOKING BBQ

8

OUR MANAGERIAL BLESS-ING AND GENERATIONS

AT WORK 9 WAS IT THE MAILMAN?

10 ONLINE ID CARD APPOINT-

MENTS, SAFE TRAVELS, SAV-INGS, 11 SOARING TO HEALTH AND

FUNNY BABIES 12 INTERNATIONAL OPPORTU-

NITY AND SNEAK PEEK 13

D H R , A S A P , E A P

W E L L - B E I N G T E A M

P R O D U C T

P A G E 2

By Janice Carter, RRPC

Now that the weather is turning warmer Soldiers and their Families will begin to take advantage of their down time by

heading outdoors. Summer is a fun time and Team Sill continues to make safety a priority by being smart during the hot

summer days and nights. Applying these safety tips will increase your summer fun and assist in reducing your summer

pain.

Be aware of the heat, pay attention to it and modify your activities appropriately.

Drink plenty of fluids before you become thirsty.

Try to stay in relatively cool areas, even when outside, many public

places such as libraries, shopping malls and movie theatres are air condi-

tioned.

Never leave children unattended in a car parked in the sun.

Always swim with a partner and swim in places that are supervised by a lifeguard.

Learn some life-saving skills, such

as CPR and rescue techniques.

Eat well-balanced, light and regu-

lar meals.

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and

light-colored clothing.

Cool beverages are good for

cooling down the body, while

alcoholic drinks can impair the

body's ability to control its tem-

perature.

Click SUMMER for more Take 5 information.

Take 5 for Safety this Summer

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 Statistics and History

A stream runs past the west side of the Polo Field on Fort Sill and swings under I-44 on its way to the south end of the basic training area. The creek is named Sitting Bear in

honor of a Kiowa warrior and leader of the Kiowa 10 bravest War Society named Sitting Bear (Satank). This stream carries his name because he died near this creek at the hands of soldiers from Fort Sill on 1871.

Satank was a warrior who fought white settlers, wagon trains, outposts, and soldiers most of his life. In his youth he helped organize peace between the Kiowa, Cheyenne,

and Arapaho tribes so they could all fight the white invaders. But Satank was also a senior Kiowa leader and signed the Medicine Lodge Treaty in 1867 to move his tribe into the reservation around Fort Sill. Satank was never happy on the reservation and continued to live his

life in the old ways when possible. Satank was part of a war party which at-tacked a supply train on 18 May 1871 in Texas. They got back to Fort Sill but some bravado and loose talk by a fellow raider identified Satank as one of the raiders. He was arrested, shackled, and put in a wagon under escort

on his way to Fort Richardson, Texas to be tried for murder. As the wagon approached the stream south of Fort Sill Satank started singing his death song. When finished he jumped the guard riding with him and knocked him out of the wagon. Still shackled, he grabbed the guard’s carbine before he went down in a hail of bullets from the mounted escort. On the South Boundary Road just west of building 5960 in the basic training area is a

small rock marker to commemorate this event.

By Dale Keesee

Team Sill seems to be making the smartest choices when it involves alcohol. Remember

with summer activities quickly upon us that many of these activities require high levels of

coordination and balance, so your favorite pastime may become especially dangerous after a

drink or two.

With temperatures already reaching in the 100’s we can safely say that summer is here.

You’re probably looking forward to the family barbeque, a trip to the lake, hanging out at

the pool or just that get-together with family or friends on the weekends. With the long

days and warmer weather, summer is the perfect season to spend time with loved ones and

friends. If your party plans include the consumption of alcoholic beverages, however, you

should carefully consider the safety risks of mixing summer fun with even one drink.

Whether you’re boating, swimming, water skiing, driving, hiking, rollerblading or just loung-

ing by the pool, alcohol poses a major threat to safety. Studies show that a single drink can

impact your ability to observe and react, two critically important skills in the event of an

emergency. In addition, many summer activities require high levels of coordination and bal-

ance, so your favorite pastime may become especially dangerous after a drink or two. Since

you’re less able to help someone else who’s been injured and more likely to hurt yourself,

alcohol poses a major threat to summer safety for people of all ages on and off Fort Sill.

Before you head for the lake, the pool, the park or the campground, give some thought to

summer safety. When you decide to consume alcohol the possibility of accident or injury

increases dramatically.

This sum-

mer, weigh

the risks

and if you

choose to

drink do it

responsibly.

Responsible

drinking will

help you

enjoy the

summer

even more

and help

avoid re-

grets.

Last newsletter, we discussed

one area of Maslow's hierar-

chy of needs (love and be-longing). To continue down

that path let’s discuss safety

and security needs. These

needs take precedence and

dominate behavior. We as

human beings require

and feel the desire to

be safe and secure throughout our daily lives. It is what gives us the

freedom to do our jobs and raise our families.

Safety and Security encompass our lives at all

times. These needs include personal and financial

security, health and well-being. Let’s break each

one down. Personal Security is feeling safe at your

work, home, and in your community environment.

Being able to walk down the street without fear of being robbed is a feeling of security. Being subtly

aware that there are police, fire and other first

responders’ on-call twenty-four hours a day gives

us a feeling of security. Also, just knowing emer-

gency rooms are open all of the time is another

type of security. However, small or large these are

they important to us.

Financial Security is especially important. We desire a need to know that all is well with our

money and investments. Knowing that you have

secure savings, investments, and retirement ac-

counts provides CALM to an otherwise uncertain

future. There are many other things that make us

feel secure, for instance knowing you can make

you debt payments on time, understanding your

finances i.e. stocks and bonds and knowing about the deductions on your paycheck provides us with

a feeling of security. Bottom line: it is critical that

one understands and knows where your money is

going.

Although there is no ranking for these needs, I

would put this one at the top. Our overall Health

and Well-being is important to our lively-hood.

The more we know about how to stay healthy and understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and

healthy living we are destined to a rewarding and

satisfying life.

All of these safe and security needs provide us

with a less stressful life and a great outlook on the

future. There is always a light at the end of the

tunnel! That is we always can find someone to talk

to. If you believe in God you can pray, if you have other beliefs then seek guidance through those

beliefs. If you just want to talk you can always call

a life-line 800-342-9647

Tom. Easterly works in the Plans, Analysis & Integra-

tion office as a Management Analyst for the Fort Sill

Garrison. He has been awarded a PH.D in Theological

Studies (honorary) and is pursuing a Doctorate in

Education.

Thomas M. Easterly, Ph.D

Safe and Secure WAY TO GO TEAM SILL!!!

47

17

12

8

16

4

15 1413 12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1st QTR 2nd QTR 3rd QTR 4th QTR

Alcohol Offenses

FY 10

FY 11

FY 12

By Stephanie Armel, RRPC

Sitting Bear Satank

Way to Go Team Sill

Keep up the great work of a downward trend for the 3rd Quarter …

P A G E 4 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 ASAP CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

June 20 12

ONE Brief

Unit Prevention Leader Training (Well-Being Center, ASAP 0800-1600)

CWBO MEETING

Well-Being Center,

ASAP 3415 Miner Rd

Tues 1800-2000

Weds 1900

BPL Meeting

(0800)

Alan Jackson

concert

Like Us on Facebook!!

Click to visit our ASAP

Website

For more community events, activities,

and trainings, check out the MWR and

ACS websites: (click on logos)

Fishing Tournament (LETRA, 0600)

Movies on the Beach (LETRA, 2100)

Tour of the Wichitas (6th&Ferris, 0700)

ADAPT (WBC-ASAP 0830-1630)

Gambler’s Anonymous

(WBC,1800)

Gambler’s Anonymous

(WBC,1800)

Gambler’s Anony-

mous (WBC,1800)

Gambler’s Anonymous

(WBC,1800)

Alcoholic Anonymous

(WBC,1900)

Alcoholic Anonymous

(WBC,1900)

Alcoholic Anony-

mous (WBC,1900)

Alcoholic Anonymous

(WBC,1900)

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9

This month’s Brainteaser: Two women and two doctors walk into an ice

cream parlor. They each order an ice cream cone.

When their ice creams come, there is only 1

strawberry, 1 chocolate and 1 vanilla. How come

they didn't complain?

Answer in next month’s issue

Last Month’s Answer: Three, there are three letters in Ten

EAP Mental Health Minute

Life focus If you have depression, there is a very real risk that at some point in the course of the illness you may experience thoughts of suicide. While the emo-tional pain that has triggered these thoughts may feel overwhelming, it does not mean that you will lose

control or act on your thoughts. In fact, hav-ing a suicide safety plan in place is one method you can use to cope with your bad feelings

until circumstances change. What Is a Suicide Safety Plan?

A suicide safety plan is a written set of in-

structions that you create for yourself as a contingency plan should you begin to experi-ence thoughts about harming yourself. It will

contain a series of gradually escalating steps that you will follow, proceeding from one step to the next, until you are safe.

How to Create Your Suicide Safety Plan You should work together with someone you trust -- such as your best friend, a close family member or your doctor or therapist -- to

develop your suicide safety plan. It is best to get these people involved, since you will most likely need to call on them if you decide to execute your plan. It is best to create the plan while you are feeling well and can think clearly rather than waiting until you are

actively suicidal. Put your suicide safety plan in writing and keep it in a place where you can easily find it should the need arise. Information to Include in Your Suicide Safety Plan

Your suicide safety plan should include the following elements, in the same order as presented below: When the Plan Should Be Used: This step will involve making yourself familiar with what types of situations,

images, thoughts, feelings and behaviors might precede or accompany suicidal urges for you. List these

warnings signs so that you can refer back to them when deciding whether to activate your plan. Examples: "When I feel suicidal, I tend to isolate myself and not take good care of my health." Or: "Suicidal thoughts are often triggered for me when I am reminded of my childhood abuse."

What I Can Do to Comfort Myself If I Am Feeling Suicidal: Create a list for yourself of activities that are sooth-ing to you when you are upset. Examples: Taking a hot bath, listening to music, exercising

What Are My Reasons for Living? Create a list of your reasons for living. When you are feeling suicidal, it is

very easy to get caught up in the pain you are feeling and forget the positives in your life. Your list will help you refocus your attention on the reasons to keep going until your suicidal thoughts and feelings pass.

Examples: My children, my spouse, my faith in God Who Can I Talk To? Keep a list of contacts you can talk to if you are unable to distract yourself with self-

help measures. List names, phone numbers or other contact information and be sure to have backups

in case your first choice is unavailable. Examples: Your significant other, friends, relatives, pastor

Who Can I Talk To If I Need Professional Assistance? Create a list of all professional resources available to you,

along with their phone numbers, email addresses and other pertinent contact information. Examples: Your psychiatrist, your therapist, a crisis hotline and don’t forget the ASAP 442-4205.

How Can I Make My Environment Safe? Plan what steps you can take to make yourself safe. This may involve removing or securing any items that you are likely to use to hurt yourself, or going to another loca-

tion until the urges have passed. It may also involve getting another person involved to help you. Examples: "When I am feeling suicidal, I will ask my brother to keep my guns at his house." Or: "When I feel like hurting myself, I will go to a public place, like a mall, restaurant or library to distract myself."

What To Do If I Am Still Not Feeling Safe: If all other steps have failed to keep you feeling safe, go to your nearest hospital emergency room and ask for assistance. Keep the name, address and directions to the hospital listed in your plan for easy access or save it in your GPS. If you do not feel that you can

get to the hospital safely on your own, call 911 or the emergency contact number appropriate for where you live and ask for transport to the hospital.

How to Use Your Suicide Safety Plan

If you begin to experience any of the warning signs of suicide listed in your suicide safety plan, proceed through the steps you have previously outlined for yourself, one by

one, until you are feeling safe again.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

PROGRAM COORDINA-

TOR (SPPM)

ROBERT DODRILL

We all need someone to talk

to sometimes: Call the confidential

and free National Suicide Prevention Life-

line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24

hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is

available to everyone. Or, call your local ASAP

Office for assistance at 442-6069.

Brainteaser

A Safe Plan for Life

If worries are keeping you

awake, get help

Stress keeps millions of people from sleeping

well at night. Family matters, work, and

money are the top three things people worry

about most, according to a recent survey by

the Better Sleep Council. If worries are

keeping you awake, talk with your doctor

about your sleep problems. Some symptoms of stress can also be indications of

depression or other conditions. Check with you physician if you are concerned

about any aspect of your health.

Testing, one, two, three, testing… One of the interesting ques-tions asked repeatedly of the

ASAP biochemical drug testing team is what substances is the laboratory testing for. Usually the person asking gives the

name of a medication. The lists of substances are wide descriptions which cover a multitude of prescription and illegal

drugs. On the list of substances that the Army tests for, one would say amphetamines without the names of hundreds of prescription and illegal drugs which fall under that heading.

Beside the street drug methamphetamine, amphetamines this class of drugs may also cover some diet pills or include medications such as Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Desoxyn, ProCentra, and Vyvanse,

but that is just a small list out of hundreds more. Many times looking up the brand name of the substance in an online encyclopedia will tell a person what category a substance falls into

and thereby solve the mystery. Sometimes that is exactly what the ASAP drug testing team does in order to answer the questions for them. There are SO MANY brand names and substances out there that

even the experts end up having to look them up! Below are drugs the laboratory tests for: Military routine: Tetrahydrocannabinol/THC (Marijuana, Ben-

zoylecognine (Cocaine),, 6-Monoacetylmorphine (Heroin), Amphetamines (AMP), Metham-phetamines (METH), MDMA, MDA, MDEA, (Ecstasy).

All Opiates, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates are special test re-quests. Civilian routine: Tetrahydrocannabinol/THC (Marijuana), Ben-

zoylecognine (Cocaine), 6-Monoacetylmorphine (Heroin), Ampheta-mines (AMP), MDMA, MDA, MDEA, (Ecstasy), Phencyclidine (PCP) and Codeine/Morphine. All Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates

are not tested. If you have further question call the testing team at 442-4447/5378/4205.

A Friendly Note

By Ft. Sill Drug Testing Coordinators

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9

Lady Gaga has revealed that at age 19, she felt cocaine was "sexy"

and that "the drug was my friend."

Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, appeared on the

Demi Moore-produced series "The Conversation with Amanda de

Cadenet" last night, and discussed her dark period starting out as a

musician in New York. Gaga says that drug use took her off the

path for a good chunk of her early 20s.

"I was very depressed when I was 19 ... I would go back to my

apartment every day and I would just sit there. It was quiet and it

was lonely. It was still. It was just my piano and myself. I had a tele-

vision and I would leave it on all the time just to feel like somebody

was hanging out with me," she said. "And especially during the pe-

riod when I was doing cocaine. It was like the drug was my friend. I

never did it with other people. It's such a terrible way to fill that

void, because it just adds to that void, because it's not real."

Gaga, who is now 26, says that her drug phase continued for a long

time.

"At a certain point, I just began to feel sick," says Gaga, who in the

interview wears a black lace dress and veil. "I remember one night

being in the shower. I was bent over and had the cold water on,

coming down. I'd just done so much [cocaine], I didn't even feel

good. I felt like crap. I had a thing of Nyquil, and I was drinking it."

She says that soon after this low point, she was able to kick the

habit completely.

She remembers, "I sort of [bleeping] woke up one day and was like,

'You're an ***hole. You're not an artist. If you were a real [bleeping]

artist, you'd be focused on your music. You wouldn't be spending

your money on the white devil.'"

"There's this perception and romanticism around drugs. That it's

sexy," continues Gaga. "Or that it's artistic or that you're troubled

and you're going to make great music when really, you're just a

[bleeping] loser. I just stopped and focused 150 percent of my en-

ergy on my happiness. On 'what do you want to do? What is it that

you really want?' ... You have to know it and knife fight your way to

your dream."

Ref: nypost.com

Old Friends: Lady Gaga and Cocaine

Drug Awareness

Dear Fran,

Help!!! I have so much stress at work that I have problems

doing my job. Basically, my boss is the worst. He keeps de-

manding more and more of me,

and he is never satisfied with my results. I feel unappreciated

because he never acknowledges the things that I do well. He

has singled me out, attacks me and humiliates me in front of

others. My co-workers do not want to have anything to do

with me. Lately, I find myself drinking more and more alcohol

to help me relax. Please help. Any advice would be appreci-

ated.

Stressed beyond measure

Ft. Sill, OK

DEAR STRESSED BEYOND MEASURE,

You are acting and feeling very human! When experiencing emotional stress,

one of the first things that humans do, is look for a mood-altering experience.

If you have not developed some healthy coping skills, alcohol becomes the

choice. Alcohol can help you relax but it takes more and more each time to

reach the same level of relaxation, due to tolerance, and can become another

problem adding to your stress.

Job satisfaction is a shared responsibility. It is possible your boss has not at-

tended the Supervisor Training that emphasizes how important it is for an

employee to know exactly what is expected of them, in order to meet goals

and feel appreciated for the job they perform. Have you approached your

boss to ask how you can improve your performance to meet his goals? You

also may not be taking advantage of your Employee Assistance Program. This

tool allows you to express your frustrations and may even lead to a mediation

session with your boss. Humiliating an employee in front of co-workers is not

acceptable and can be seen as bullying. Don’t try to drown your stress in

drinking. Be proactive and look for some positive

way to deal with this stressful situation. Good

employees are valuable assets and should be

treated as such!

Fran

DEAR FRAN

What to say to Your Teen Research shows that when par-

ents talk openly about drugs and

drinking, children have better self-

control and develop more nega-

tive perceptions of these risky

behaviors.

Don’t want your teen drinking or

using drugs? Tell him how you

feel and what you expect from

him. Be warm but firm. For exam-

ple, you might say:

"I'm not trying to ruin your fun. I

love you and I want you to stay

healthy. The best way to do that is to stay completely away from drugs and alcohol. I

need you to promise that you will."

"I realize there's a lot of temptation out there. I also know you're a really smart, strong

person. That's why I expect you to stay clean — no matter what your friends are doing.

Agreed?"

"There's a lot of new science about teens, drugs and alcohol. It scares me to know how

easily you could damage your brain www.drugfree.org/teenbrain <http://

www.drugfree.org/teenbrain or get addicted. I want your word that you'll steer clear of

all that, and keep me in the loop on the kids you hang out with, too." Taking a little

time to discuss alcohol and drug use with your teen may help you both avoid a lifetime

of pain and heartache.

Fran Alltizer, LCSW, ASAP Supervisor

If you have any questions or

concerns that you would like

Fran to address,

please contact Fran

through our ASAP

Facebook page:

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9

Brown Bagging with COL Hossenlopp

A Townhall update to the workforce is planned

for June.

Guns & Rockets is shut down for renovations,

Garcia will support.

GC supports efforts to instill cost culture in

contractors to manage programs more effi-

ciently.

Congratulations to ASAP for passing the recent

Army Center for Substance Abuse and IMCOM

ASAP inspections as the best in the Army !!!

The new Sheridan Shoppette Expansion will include a Pizza Hut (with on-post delivery)

Class VI will move to the Sheridan Shoppette expansion (with increased stock)

A Starbucks will move into the current Class VI location

The Impact Zone drive through will re-open soon

MWR will open a coffee bar in the ed center

Taco Bell will move to where Church’s Chicken is at PX food court

Church’s Chicken will move to the new BK/Church’s dual food facility next to the current BK

Dunkin donuts will replace Cinnabon in the PX food Court

Goldner Gym Floor will be replaced with all rubber for a “Fort Sill Iron City” weight room.

The GC asked all participants to share information from the BB lunch with their teams. There

are no secrets!

COL Hossenlopp spends valuable time with members of his Garrison Team to discuss their concerns and answer their ques-

tions every month. The following are the questions and concerns with answers as presented during the last brown bag session.

Q/C1. PCF Consolidation; When is

the move planned for? What will the

final numbers be? PCF cannot get a

quote for LAN and phone lines.

A1. Let’s move forward with the esti-

mate, plan for 12 employees and a

move date of 1 October. The true

number will probably be somewhere

between 7 and 12.

New CG is familiar with PCF, GC will

give new CG a facility lay down sepa-

rately from the PCF brief on 22 May.

C9. PCF parking (Bldg

3430/Wilson) is not avail-

able because used by sol-

diers for PT, vehicles are on

the grass and in Motorcycle

parking spots.

A9. This is a problem along

Wilson form east to west

to include the IMPAC zone

and Chapel. GC is not going

to address it because we

exist to support the sol-

diers. GC will however get

with DES to address those

parked on the grass or in

Motorcycle parking spots.

May 2012 GC Brown Bag

Lunch Q&As Questions/Concerns

Q10. Are there still plans

for a new education cen-

ter?

A10. No, we just in-

creased classroom capac-

ity by 1/3 by moving

admin out of the ed cen-

ter and into Bldg 4700.

There is currently a de-

bate at DA level about

consolidating ed centers

and libraries with various

courses of actions.

Q11. Will there be MMA cages in the gym?

A11. Fort Sill has a fight house with 2 fighting cages on

Randolph road, but we are looking for a different location.

We are at this time not looking for additional cages because

they need to be supervised, take up a lot of room, and

there is currently not enough interest from the population.

Q8. Can we please have

signs that direct to the

Well Being Center/ASAP? A8. Identify intersections

and send to the DGC

Q/C4. Are we over or under in the 0085

series? RCF is going to lose a PCF escort.

A4. We currently 2 short but have delib-

erately taken that risk with S3U folks at

the gate. GC can order command directed

assignments, based on an assessment of

the “greatest level of pain”.

Q3. How will the RM Division Chief position

be filled?

A3. FRAGO 7 provides us with a new tool

(daisy chain promotion) which is an excep-

tion to CHRA policies and only applies to

about 5-7 people. Below is a list of tools that

helped us reduce our workforce by over 100

positions;

1. Get numbers down through:

- Hiring freeze

- VERA VSIP

- Natural Attrition

2. Realign:

- All employees asked to update resume on

resumix

- Place barely qualified/but qualified

- Accept training

3. Address Shortages:

- 120 day details

- Promote into positions vacated by VERA

VSIP

C6. DOL move to AMC

A6. GC sees no change in the way he will

support DOL or DOL will support Garrison.

The move to AMC will only add an interme-

diate layer.

C2. Team appreciates GC’s and DGC’s

efforts in avoiding a RIF. Phase II will be

rumor control

A2. FRAGO 7 is out, we are anticipating

FRAGO 8. We currently have no tool for

internal competition to place people in

vacant positions, are hoping for installa-

tion or IMCOM only competition in

FRAGO 8 so as to not add to the IM-

COM numbers. The IMCOM CG ap-

proves every request for critical fill. Al-

though we made our numbers Fort Sill

still has about 60-70 misaligned personnel.

Some skill sets we need to get from out-

side (e.g. engineers, fire chiefs, ATC, labor

lawyer), but some skill sets are available

right here. The good news is; we have the

payroll to cover our workforce. Payroll is

currently based on onboard personnel

but even if it goes to current TDA we will

have enough funding to pay our work-

force.

GC’s priority #1 was to keep everyone

employed. That has been achieved.

The new priority #1 is realignment of the

workforce. GC is aware of and working

with sections that experience substantial

shortages that are negatively affecting

mission.

Q12. Can DA Civil-

ians get gas from

AAFES? Currently DA

civilians can get gas on

Sheridan but not on

Fort Sill Blvd.

A12. Will need to find

out from AAFES

GC’s Comments:

No RIF needed at

Fort Sill, we made our

numbers. There are

still some realign-

ments going on.

Other Garrisons have

union issues and IM-

COM overall is still

1,600 over.

C7. Can we please synch the traffic lights on

Sheridan Road (and Ft. Sill Blvd)?

A7. GC will talk to DPW and DES to request

synchronization as well as signs (e.g. green

light at 38mph), GC will also address the

temporary light on Moway. 84 out of 432 new

homes in Buffalo Soldiers Acres have been

completed, will need to look at future

throughput.

GC’s

Tid

bits

P A G E 8 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9

Wellness Window

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic pow-

der 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 whole chicken, halved

Applewood chips for smoking, as needed

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Rub the

seasoning over the both halves of the chicken. Cover the chicken

with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Place wood chips in the smoking tray of the grill. If you don't have

this option you can make a packet out of aluminum foil and punch

a few holes in the top of it with a fork and place directly on the

hot coals.

Place the chicken on a hot grill over medium-heat with the meat

side down. Grill over the wood chips for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Cover, this will keep in the smoke and to prevent oxygen from

igniting the smoking wood. After 30 minutes

turn the chicken to its opposite side. The

juices near the bone should run clear.

Complete Well-Being

Quitting

smoking adds

years to your

life, no matter when you

stop. Re-

search shows

that after 10

to 15 years, a previous

smoker’s risk

of premature

death ap-proaches that

of a person

who has

never smoked. Here are four tips on quitting from the Ameri-

can Lung Association:

Join a stop-smoking program like Freedom From Smoking

from the American Lung Association, www.ffsonline.org.

Pick a good time to quit. Don’t try to quit when your

under a lot of stress.

Set a quit date. Stretch out the time between cigarettes

as your quit date approaches.

Don’t give up. The odds of quitting for good increase

with ever effort you make.

For more information regarding the IMCOM & DOD

Wellness Program please click the following links:

IMCOM WELLNESS and DOD WELLNESS

Guided Imagery segment: youtube.com

Being grateful for one’s blessings is a key ingredient of happiness. Here is a simple exercise

to practice daily, based on the teachings of Tal Ben-Shahar, the author of Happier. This

gratitude exercise takes only two to three minutes a day:

Find a quiet place where you can reflect.

Write down at least five things for which you are grateful that happened during the

day.

Do the gratitude exercise every so often with others— with your partner or child or

parent.

Practice doing the gratitude exercise for at least a month, until it becomes a habit

“As you live each day, remember to appreciate all that is in front of you, around you, and

within you.”

—Tal Ben-Shahar

Click GRATITUDE to take a moment to relax, reflect, and stay positive!!

PEACEFUL PLAZA: Reflect on the Attitude of Gratitude

Cooking Excellence SMOKED BBQ

CHICKEN Quit Smoking Today

Reference: The Food Network

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 Etiquette and Manager’s Notes

Those that Came Before

Change Exchange Monthly Tip: Find the Blessing

Ask yourself: How could this situation, as

hard and painful as it is, turn out to be a

blessing in disguise? Allow the questions to

sink in for awhile. Your first answer may not

be the best or final one.

This segment is brought to you through The Change Your Life Book by Bill

O’Hanlon.

CHANGE EXCHANGE

The four generations may have different work styles, but

they also have much in common, including a shared desire

for work-life balance. Click on the links below and identify

something you have in common with a co-worker from each

of these generations:

Traditionals (born before 1946)

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

Gen X (1965-1977)

Millennials (1978-2000)

Workplace Etiquette 101:

Generational Differences

This approach believed that

workers needed to feel empow-ered rather than controlled. Managers quickly realized that

healthy relationships in the workplace can improve the bottom line. This so called humanistic approach also recog-

nized that informal organizations existed within the formal one. The humanistic perspective

opined that a manager’s author-ity rests on his or her subordi-nate's acceptance of his or her

right to give orders and to ex-pect subordinate's compliance with them.

In the early 50’s another movement in management en-couraged managers to think of

production in terms of inter-related systems. The systems work as a whole toward a common purpose and interacted with the environment to survive. This perspective saw organizations as open systems characterized by en-tropy, synergy, and subsystem that work interdependently. The mission of the managers was to

manage these subsystems in a way to promote synergy amongst the subsystems. A contingency view of management evolved in the late sixties that encouraged managers to con-sider variables in each situation. It promoted the notion that each managerial challenge is different

requiring them to examine the variables for good decisions and develop a way forward. It was the manager’s job in this perspective to search for contingencies and to fit solutions to characteristics of a specific situation for your type of organization.

A decade later TQM commanded center stage. The quality movement is strongly associated with Japan, however, its originator, W. Edwards Deming, was an American. The goal was to elimi-

nate waste and integrate high-quality values in every step of the production process. It also asked

producers to deliver quality from the customers perspective and encouraged employee involvement, benchmarking (measuring and comparing production against other firms) and continuous improve-ment.

The mid-nineties ushered in management’s acceptance and incorporation of technology to leverage Customer Relationship Management. The latest technology would be used to stay in touch with customers, collect customer data and manage supply chains. Outsourcing the became the rage as the complexity of firms grew . Outsourcing is the prac-

tice of contracting functions or activities to other organizations to cut costs. China and India have benefitted the most from American outsourcing - China for its products, and India for its technology and services.

Collaborating. Finally the open collaboration is the latest management trends. Now the keys to

managerial success is creating, an open platform around your innovations to allow customers, employees and even your com-

petitors to build on each others ideas. This helps create an ongoing, evolving community of users, doers and creators. How we managed labor, capital, and natural resources to some final product or service has dramati-cally transformed throughout the years. Looking back should help us develop perspective and a healthy appreciation of all those managers that struggled with the same challenges that we struggle

with today. Through all our struggles the United States economy still has emerged as one of the

strongest and most productive. An economy where some of our state’s GDPs top those of entire nations. We are certainly doing some things right, but it would not have been possible without learning from those that came before. It seems that we got there by stakeholders collaborating with

one and other. In recent years this collaborative effort has gone online.

Managers owe a debt

of gratitude for to those leaders that came before, and by paying

homage to our mana-gerial ancestors we

may gain some perspective on today’s workplace chal-lenges. Today’s thriving workplaces acknowledges and

competitively fits into their internal and external environ-ments. Successful management approaches have always been a

dynamic and competitive response to the social, political,/legal and economic forces that bear down on the work-place.

In the beginning...We may have forgotten that the field of management is a relatively new science. Initial at-tempts grew out of the economic forces of the industrial

revolution. Firms that grew during the industrial revolu-tion in the late 1800’s and early 1900, as today, sought to maximize profits. However, the rapid growth and in-

creasing complexity of managing that growth forced new approaches to command and control to maintain profitability. Our first at-tempt, referred to by historians as the classical approach, placed emphasis on science, bureaucracies, and administration to keep companies profitable..

The thought was that efficiency and labor productivity could be improved by using scientific methods. As a matter of fact, Frederick Winslow Taylor, a pioneer in this management perspective stated that workers “could be re-

tooled like machines”. Managerial decisions were made based on precise procedures resulting from various studies Henry Gantt’s, “Gantt Chart” and time and motion studies were hallmarks of our earliest attempts. The

classical approach also pioneered standardized methods to perform each job, matching the selection of workers to a job, training to standard, and mone-

tary incentives for those who produced more. Managers planned work and

did their best to eliminate work interruptions. Bureaucracies were also born during the industrial revolution. Managers wrestling with the immen-sity and complexity of production thought the best way to increase profits

was to divide labor with clear distinctions of authority and responsibilities. The resulting positions established were then arranged in a hierarchy of authority. Managers were subject to rules and regulations that ensured reliable and predictable behavior and decisions were in writing.

Administrative principles identified five functions of management: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. This managerial approach also emphasized unity of command, division of work, unity of di-

rection, and the principle that there should be a clear line of authority from top to bottom linking all managers at all levels.– think the military’s chain of command. the workplace. What about us? The almost singular focus on

the science and processes tended to forget the employees actually doing the work. The social context of work and man’s higher needs to feel like part of something greater were largely ignored. Inherent worker differences em-

ployee ideas and suggestions for improvement were now considered with this new thinking. A more collaborative and humanistic approach to manage-ment evolved because of push back from social and political forces (and growing unions) that encouraged managers to understand human behav-

iors, needs, and attitudes.

By Jay Khalifeh

P A G E 1 0 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 Postal News Updates

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced

plans to move ahead with a modified plan to consolidate its net-

work of 461 mail processing locations in phases. The first phase of

activities will result in up to 140 consolidations through February

of 2013. Unless the circumstances of the Postal Service change in

the interim, a second and final phase of 89 consolidations is cur-

rently scheduled to begin in February of 2014.

“We revised our network consolidation timeline to provide a

longer planning schedule for our customers, employees and other

stakeholders, and to enable a more methodical and measured

implementation,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General

and Chief Executive Officer of the Postal Service.

“We simply do not have the mail volumes to justify the size and capacity of our current

mail processing network. To return to long-term profitability and financial stability

while keeping mail affordable, we must match our network to the anticipated work-

load,” said Donahoe. “Our current plan meets our cost reduction goals, ensures seam-

less and excellent service performance throughout the implementation period, and

provides adequate time for our customers to adapt to our network changes.”

The Postal Service will begin consolidating operations this summer – which mostly

involve transferring mail-processing operations from smaller to larger facilities. Due to

the volume of high-priority mail predicted for the election and holiday mailing seasons,

no consolidating activities will be conducted from September through December of

2012. Approximately 5,000 employees will begin receiving notifications next week

related to consolidating and other efficiency-enhancing activities to be conducted this

summer.

“We will be conducting consolidation activities this summer at only 48 locations,” said

Megan Brennan, chief operating officer of the Postal Service. “As a result, nearly all

consolidating activities in 2012 will occur in August and then will resume again the early

part of next year.”

These consolidating activities will reduce the size of the Postal Service workforce by

approximately 13,000 employees and, when fully implemented, will generate cost re-

ductions of approximately $1.2 billion annually.

“The Postal Service will be communicating with our customers and employees about

these changes in great detail,” said Megan Brennan. “We will work closely with our

customers to ensure there are no surprises as we move forward.”

The Postal Service also announced it is working with its unions for an employee retire-

ment incentive, although no final decision has been made. “The Postal Service has

reduced the size of its workforce by 244,000 career employees since 2000 without

resorting to layoffs,” said Brennan. “We are a responsible employer and we will work with our

employees to ensure a smooth transition to a much leaner organiza-

tion.”

The Postal Service also announced that it would soon issue a new

regulation to modify its existing Service Standard for overnight deliv-

ery. The Postal Service said a Final Rule would soon be published in

the Federal Register that would initially shrink the geographic reach of

overnight service to local areas and enable consolidation activity in

2013. The new rule would further tighten the overnight delivery stan-

dard in 2014 and enable further consolidation of the Postal Service

mail processing network absent any change to the circumstances of

the Postal Service.

“We are essentially preserving overnight delivery for First-Class Mail

through the end of 2013, although we are collapsing the distance that

we can provide overnight service to the distribution area served by a

particular mail processing facility,” said Megan Brennan. Approximately

80 percent of First-Class Mail will still be delivered overnight.

The Postal Service stated its expectation to pursue additional consoli-

dation activities for an additional 89 mail processing locations beginning in 2014 unless its

circumstances change. These consolidations would be based on long-term service standards

that would significantly revise mail-entry times for customers seeking overnight delivery.

“Given that the Postal Service is currently projecting a $14 billion net loss in FY2012, and

continuing annual losses of this magnitude, we simply cannot justify maintaining our current

mail processing footprint,” said Donahoe.

When fully implemented in late 2014, the Postal Service expects its network consolidations

to generate approximately $2.1 billion in annual cost reductions, and lead to total workforce

reduction up to 28,000 employees.

The list of 140 mail processing locations to be consolidated by February of 2013 is available

after 3 p.m. ET today at http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/

welcome.htm.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of

postage, products and services to fund its operations.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service announced a new strategy

today that could keep the nation’s smallest Post Offices open for business,

while providing a framework to achieve significant cost savings as part of

the plan to return the organization to financial stability.

The plan would keep the existing Post Office in place, but with modified

retail window hours to match customer use. Access to the retail lobby

and to PO Boxes would remain unchanged, and the town’s ZIP Code and

community identity would be retained.

“Meeting the needs of postal customers is, and will always be, a top prior-

ity. We continue to balance that by better aligning service options with

customer demand and reducing the cost to serve,” said Postmaster Gen-

eral and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe. “With that said, we’ve listened to our

customers in rural America and we’ve heard them loud and clear – they

want to keep their Post Office open. We believe today’s announcement

will serve our customers’ needs and allow us to achieve real savings to

help the Postal Service return to long-term financial stability.”

The new strategy would be implemented over a two-year, multi-phased

approach and would not be completed until September 2014. Once imple-

mentation is completed, the Postal Service estimates savings of a half

billion dollars annually.

“The Postal Service is committed to serving America’s communities and

providing a responsible and fair approach for our employees and custom-

ers,” said Megan Brennan, Postal Service Chief Operating Officer. “The

Post Offices in rural America will remain open unless a community has a

strong preference for one of the other options. We will not close any of

these rural Post Offices without having provided a viable solution.”

The Postal Service will provide an opportunity for the Postal Regulatory

Commission (PRC) to review this plan prior to making any changes. The

Postal Service intends to file a request for an advisory opinion on the plan

with the PRC later this month. Community meetings would then be con-

ducted to review options in greater detail. Communities will be notified by

mail of the date, time and location of these meetings. This new option

complements existing alternatives, which include:

1) Providing mail delivery service to residents and businesses in the af-

fected community by either

rural carrier or highway contract route;

2) Contracting with a local business to create a Village Post Office; and

3) Offering service from a nearby Post Office.

A voluntary early retirement incentive for the nation’s

more than 21,000 non-executive postmasters was also

announced. Survey research conducted by the respected

Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) in February,

showed 54 percent of rural customers would prefer the

new solution to maintain a local Post Office. Forty-six

percent prefer one of the previously announced solutions

(20% prefer Village Post Office, 15% prefer providing

services at a nearby Post Office, 11% prefer expanded

rural delivery). This strategy would enable a town to

possibly have a Post Office with modified hours, as well as

a Village Post Office. The Postal Service has implemented

a voluntary moratorium on all postal facility closings

through May 15, 2012. No closings or changes to Post

Office operations will occur until after that time. In addi-

tion to maintaining a retail network of more than 31,000

Post Offices, the Postal Service also provides online ac-

cess to postal products and services through usps.com and

more than 70,000 alternate

access locations. Nearly 40-percent of postal retail revenue comes from purchases on

usps.com and through approved postal providers such as Wal-Mart, Staples, Office

Depot, Walgreens,

Sam’s Club, Costco,

and many others.

The Postal Service

receives no tax

dollars for operating

expenses and relies

on the sale of post-

age, products and

services to fund its

operations.

Postal Service Moves Ahead with Modified

Network Consolidation Plan 9-Month Implementation; $1.2 Billion in Cost Reductions

New Strategy to Preserve the Na-

tion’s Smallest Post Offices Modifying Retail Window Hours Could Keep Offices Open

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 Financial Fitness and Tip to Clip

Travel plans are on many minds as this

is the time of year when many people

will be enjoying time away from home.

Traveling to new destinations is fun

and enjoyable, however, it can be dan-

gerous if safety is not considered while

making plans.

Whether going on a business trip,

family vacation or first trip alone, here

are some tips to assist you in getting

the most out of your trip without fear

of becoming a victim of a crime:

* When booking your trip online, al-

ways consider a major travel site

whose reputation you are familiar with

or comes highly recommended from

friends or business associates. Be cautious of travel sites that offer discounted

prices that are too good to be true. You may not receive the promised tickets

or reservations, only to find your money was taken.

If you are unfamiliar with the travel site, check its reputation with the state

consumer protection agency or Better Business Bureau. Also, look for cus-

tomer satisfaction sites that may give you information concerning the company

considered for travel purchases to learn from others who may have had favor-

able or unfavorable experiences.

Be careful when entering your credit card information and see if the website is

secure for financial transactions.

* When making any travel plans, be careful and read thoroughly the fine print

and all agreements relating to the cancellation terms and penalties that could be

involved.

* For personal safety always, make sure someone

knows your travel destination plans, with a thorough

itinerary of your trip where you could be reached in

case of an emergency.

The “Character”

Couch:

Citizenship

Do your share to make your

school and community better •

Cooperate • Get involved in

community affairs • Stay in-

formed; vote • Be a good

neighbor • Obey laws and rules •

Respect authority • Protect the

environment • Volunteer

Vacationing? Plan for Financial Safety

* Refrain from carrying large amounts of cash

with you. Consider using your debit card,

credit card or travelers checks. (Yes, they

are still available.) Contact your credit card

company before going on a trip to inform

them where your destination is going to be.

This notification will allow a fraud alert to be

placed on your card, and your purchases won't be suspect by being made in different

areas than normal purchases are made. My wife and I both did this before taking a recent

trip, and the credit/debit card companies were thankful when the notification was made.

Have the telephone number of the credit/debit card company available in the event the

card is stolen or lost.

* Be careful not to flash money, jewelry or other valuables when on the trip. Keep all

valuables in the room safe or hotel safe, and leave electronics devices and cameras in the

room safe when you're not using them.

* Should anyone knock on your door, check through the door viewer before opening the

door. Always have your hotel door secure and locked at all times. Consider leaving the

lights on and the television/radio on when you are not in the room to make it seem as if

the room is occupied when you're not there.

* When leaving the country, guard your passport and carefully protect it. Passport theft

and fraud are growing problems as passports can be used in money laundering, drug traf-

ficking, terrorism and illegal entry into the United States. It is important to contact the

nearest U.S. Embassy if your passport is lost or a theft occurs.

* Finally, know and obey all local laws of the area in which you are traveling, especially the

drug laws. As within the United States, saying "I didn't know about that law" is no excuse.

Also, in many countries, the burden of proof is on the accused, and few countries have

jury trials, pre-trial release or bail. It could cost you physical intimidation or a large sum of

money.

Traveling to new places is exciting; but make your travel experience a safe one.

Steven Parker, a national voice of McGruff the Crime Dog, is a retired crime prevention

officer for the Des Moines County Sheriff's office. His column appears in rotation with

Des Moines County Conservation's Chris

Lee the fourth and fifth Fridays of the

month.

A COUPONING TIP YOU CAN CLIP!

Double-Up Your Savings Combining your coupon with other

promotions going on in the store will save you a bundle. If you have a

shopper's card, look for those items that you have a coupon for

that are also discounted with your shopper's card. Double-up on 2-

For sales, such as two cans of soup for a discounted price, plus your

coupon. This is also an excellent time to use the coupons that spec-

ify that you save only when you buy two of the same product. Always

shop with the grocery store print-outs of

what is on sale so

that you don't miss

any of the super

buys.

ID Appointment Scheduler has a new web ad-

dress,

https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil

Using the ID Card Facilities web-based appoint-

ment scheduling system allows you to make,

cancel, or find your previously scheduled ap-

pointment at your convenience with no waiting on the telephone. Use this

new web address to get started: https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil

and press the MAKE APPOINTMENT tab button on the menu bar. Select a

state from the drop down menu “OK” (for Oklahoma), press “GO”, select a

city “Fort Sill”, press next, and then follow the prompts. The calendar will

show six weeks of appointment blocks. As a reminder, multiple card issu-

ances require one appointment per two Family Members. The current

phone number 580-442-5010 will still allow you speak to a representative

for those personnel who do not have access to a computer or need addi-

tional assistance. You can also access the appointment scheduler from the

Fort Sill internet address, tab SERVICES drop down menu and clicking on ID

Cards/DEERS.

New Web Address: ID Appointment Scheduler

P A G E 1 2 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 9 Inspire and Encourage

EAP INSPIRATION STATION: Soar Like an Eagle

EAP FUNNY CORNER What the Good Doctor Says

Book Review by Mr. Jay Khalifeh

Dr. David B. Agus has startled the medical world with his latest book title “The End of

Illness” In it the cancer doctor, researcher, and technological innovator skirts conven-

tional wisdom about health and encourages everyone to view the body as a whole

system. Because no two people are alike, Dr. Agus believes each system is different

and that we should not take a cookie cutter approach to our health. He also believes

that each of us should become more aware of our bodies and he implores us to survey

our breathing, energy levels, appetite, sleep, hair, nails, etc… to get a better picture of

our overall health. He recommends that we should view the relationship with our

doctors as a partnership and to not put blind trust in our doctors. His controversial recommendations include;

Unless you are pregnant or correcting a legitimate nutritional deficiency, avoid taking multivitamins

and supplements. They add very little nutritional value to a good diet and his study demonstrates

that they could significantly increase risk for cancer in the long run.

Avoid sitting around most of the day, it can be worse for you than smoking, even if you do a morning

workout. Make opportunities throughout the day to get up and move if you already don’t.

That baby aspirin, anti-cholesterol medication (statins) and annual flu vaccine can help avoid inflamma-

tion (and heart attacks). Avoiding inflaming the cells reduces chances of cancer developing.

Keep and store you own medical information. This will help you understand your body better and to

prepare for revolutions in medicine coming soon made available through technological advances.

Eat, sleep, and exercise about the same times 365 days a year to keep your body from be stressed.

When stressed, the body is off balance and according to the good doctor, good health is all about

balance.

Those who trust in the LORD will find new

strength. They will soar high on wings like

eagles. They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

ISAIAH 40:31

THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE, the person who

truly trusts in God is compared to an eagle.

The eagle has some pests, one of which is the

crow. He’s always squawking, always causing

the eagle trouble. The truth is, we all have a

few crows in our lives. You may have an entire

flock of them, along with a few chickens and

turkeys as well!

Certain people can rub us the wrong

way; they can irritate us if we allow them to.

We need to take a lesson from the eagle in-

stead. When the eagle is out flying, often a

crow will come up right behind him and start to pester him, aggravating and

annoying him. Although the eagle is much larger, it cannot maneuver quickly.

To get rid of his pest, the eagle simply stretches out his eight-foot wingspan,

catches some of the thermal currents, and rises up higher and higher. Even-

tually he gets to an altitude where not other bird can fly. The crow can’t even

breathe up there. On rare occasions, eagles have been spotted at altitudes as

high as twenty thousand feet, nearly as high as a jet flies.

In the same manner, if you want to get rid of your pest, you need to

rise higher. Don’t ever sink down to the opposition’s level. Don’t argue;

don’t try to pay somebody back; don’t give the pest the cold shoulder. Be the

bigger person. Overlook faults. Walk in love, and dare to bless even your

enemies. In the long run, crows can’t compete with eagles.

Friend, you are an eagle. You’ve been made in the image of Al-

mighty God. Learn to live above you circumstances. Rise above the petty

politics at the office. Don’t let people pull you into strife and division and get

you all upset of gossiping.

Always remember, the turkeys, chickens, and crows cannot live at

the altitude at which you were designed to soar. God is in complete control

of your life. He’s promised if you will remain at rest, He’ll make your wrongs

right. He’ll bring justice into your life. You don’t have to worry, nor must

you controlled by your circumstances. You can do as the eagle and rise up

above.

You won’t see an eagle pecking around in the chicken coop with a

bunch of chickens. An eagle lives in the high places, where he’s close to God.

Moreover, when the storms come, and eagle doesn’t

simply to through the storm. No, he puts his wings

out, catches a little more wind, and rises above it.

He’ll rise higher until he’s completely above all that

turmoil. That eagle is not concerned about the storm

he’ facing. He doesn’t get upset. He knows he has a

way out.

No doubt, he probably could fight his way through

the storm, struggle and strain, and come out weary,

worn and all beat up. What a shame for him to live

that way when God has given him the ability to rise

above it.

Yet struggle is what many of us do. God has given us

His peace. He’s told us to cast our cares on Him. He

said if we’ll just remain at rest, He will fight our bat-

tles for us. Too, often, though, we allow ourselves to

become worried and upset. We let people steal our

joy. We get bent out of shape if our plans don’t work

out exactly as we had hoped. Or maybe we’re frustrated because our boss or our hus-

band or wife is not doing what we want them to do.

You may not be able to change certain aspects of your life, but you can rise

above them. Turn those situations over to God. Make a decision today that you are

not going to allow those things to upset you and bother you anymore.

Did you know that the crow has to flap his wings tenaciously simply to fly?

He has to work constantly. The chicken can barely get off the ground; no matter how

much he flaps his wings, he’s not going far. Yet an eagle merely catches the right wind

currents, and he’ll soar. He doesn’t have to be like the crow, working and straining all

the time. He just puts his wings out and rests in what God has given him, letting the

winds carry him.

If your are always frustrated, trying to fix everything in your life, trying to

straighten this person out for what he or she said about you, worried about your health,

worried about your finances, you’re acting like that crow. You’re working and working,

flapping and flapping. Friend, life doesn’t have to be that way. Why don’t you relax?

God is in complete control of your life. He said He’d never leave you or forsake you.

He said He’d be the friend that sticks closer that a brother.

Today’s Prayer to Become a Better You

How easily I forget, Father, that trusting You isn’t about flapping harder but about letting

You lift me. Thank You for Your promise not to let me fall.

Today’s Thought to Become a Better You

To fly like an eagle, I’ve got to think and trust like an eagle.

Excerpt from Joel Osteen

Think I’m cute?? Check out my friends!

Click BABY for this month’s funny corner

video.

TALK TO ME...

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!

Please contact us if you HAVE ANY SUG-

GESTIONS!! Your comments will be greatly

appreciated!!!

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD

LIKE TO SHARE??

Contact me at 580-442-4205/6306 or at

rashonda.labrador@us.army.mil.

FAMILY CELEBRATIONS AND VACA-

TIONS

This time of year brings lots of travel, relaxation,

fun in the sun and family gatherings. The next

edition of Workforce Pride will address the

many issues that all of these adventures can

bring. Also, the top 5 vacation spots will be ex-

plored and discussed for those last minute plan-

ners for a fabulous getaway, close, afar and

abroad. Until next time…..be blessed!!

3415 Miner Road

Fort Sill, OK 73503

Phone: 580-442-4205

Fax: 580-442-5704

E-mail: rashonda.labrador@us.army.mil

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/

Lawton-OK/Fort-Sill-Army-Substance-

Abuse- Program/115638415119642 Website: http://sill-www.army.mil/USAG/

DHR/ASAP/

YOUR EAP IS READY TO SERVE

EAP Services to Employees and Supervisors:

Assessment, problem identification, and short-term counseling/intervention.

Referral for treatment and rehabilitation to appropriate community counseling/treatment resources.

Follow-up services to aid an employee in achieving an effective readjustment to his or her job after

treatment.

Training and education for supervisors and employees about alcohol and drugs.

EAP Services to the Installation Organization:

Training and consultation for supervisors and managers on how and when to make proper use of EAP services for improving employee performance and conduct.

Consultation to management about trends in

employee needs, work groups, and related con-cerns dealing with work/life/wellness support programs.

Well-Being Center, ASAP

Sneak Peek: What to Expect Next Month

COME VISIT US AT:

Disclaimer:

Information, views or opinions expressed in the Workforce Pride e-newsletter originates from many different sources and

contributors throughout the general community. Please note that content and hyperlinks external to the US Government

websites does not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions of the Fort Sill Garrison, the Fires Center of

Excellence or the United States Army or their affiliates nor are the events endorsed by the same.

RaShonda M. Labrador, MS, CEAP

(580)442-4205/6306

rashonda.labrador@us.army.mil

The International Military Student (IMS) Host Family Sponsor Program is a hospitality program designed to

provide IMS at Fort Sill and, in some cases, their spouses and children, an opportunity to become ac-

quainted with American family life. The Sponsor Program consists of Volunteers who agree to act as

sponsors, take a genuine interest in the students and help them to know and understand the American

people. And reciprocally, the sponsor gets a better understanding and appreciation for the country each

student represents as they learn from each other. Ideally, the sponsor endeavors to show the student all

aspects of our country by affording them the opportunity to participate in home and community

activities and permit the student to come to their own conclusions about the American way of life.

Through simple hospitality, mutual tolerance, understanding and respect, students and sponsors share their

cultural background and national origins as they mold lasting friendships.

For registration call Ms. Quendresenia Foster at (580) 442-3689

Or visit the International Student Division in Bldg 5690 Geronimo Road, Fort Sill, OK

Share Your American Traditions

Join the International Military Student Host Family Sponsor Program

Brian Langford

July 27, 1970-June 1, 2012

Team Sill is saddened by the loss of one of our dedicated team members. Mr. Brian

Langford, Ft. Sill Firefighter, passed away on 1 June 2012. We would like to send our

condolences to the Langford family. Also, at this time, the Langford and Ft. Sill Fire

Department family would like to say thanks for the tremendous amount of support

received from the local community. The acts of service are greatly appreciated.