Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sgt. Dailey receives first Amanda Miller Award

By Paul Bello
Staff writer

The U.S. Army Prime Power School may be leaving Fort Belvoir, but not before making some history first.

In its final graduation ceremony at the installation, the school handed out its very first Amanda R. Miller Award to Sgt. Alexander Dailey, a four-year Army veteran who graduated from the school as an electrical engineering specialist.

The award goes to the graduate who best exemplifies Miller’s strong character and inspiring values. Traits include being in the top 50 percent of your class, academically; being a team-builder; a leader in physical fitness and being active in the community.

Graduates awarded this honor are selected by their peers and cadre as the individual who best represents Miller’s core values during their training at the Prime Power School. For the school’s last graduating class from Belvoir, there wasn’t anyone better than Dailey. 

“It came as quite a surprise and I’m deeply honored. First Class Miller was well-respected and made quite an impact here at the Prime Power School,” Dailey said at the ceremony’s conclusion. “It means a lot to me to be chosen by my peers for this incredible award.

Dailey, who is planning on making the Army his career, joins his older brother and current member of Belvoir’s 249th Engineer Battalion Charlie Company, Staff Sgt. Taran Dailey, as Prime Power School graduates. His next assignment takes him to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he will serve with the Prime Power 2nd Platoon as an electrician.

“This year-long course was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in life - even harder than the time I had to deploy to Iraq,” Dailey said. “The best advice I can give someone going to the school is to take as much math as you can, particularly college algebra. Other than that, just work hard and stay focused.”

Miller, a construction electrician and First Class Navy Seabee, graduated from the Prime Power School in 2008. Upon graduating, she received the “Iron Man” award for having the highest score of any Soldier or Sailor in her class. Well-respected by her instructors and peers, she often helped fellow students academically and was very active in community service. 

Miller was diagnosed with cancer after her graduation and died in April at age 24. Those associated with the school said they will continue to remember and honor her through this award.         

Elevated lead amounts found in water samples at Fort Belvoir North Area

Belvoir Eagle

Recently, Fort Belvoir’s Directorate of Public Works issued a public service notice stating that some drinking water samples in the Fort Belvoir North Area exceeded the acceptable levels established by the Safe Drinking Water Act for lead.

According to the public notice, the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir North Area Waterworks found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some newly constructed buildings in the area.

Officials said the public notification was issued, as required by law when lead or copper is found in excess of federal standards.

Although elevated lead levels in drinking water is serious, DPW officials said there is nothing to be concerned about for water users on main post or in water systems serving nearby neighborhoods.

“(The findings) are isolated to the Fort Belvoir North Area,” said Tim Betts, Fort Belvoir’s drinking water program manager. “Fort Belvoir North is a completely separate water system from the main post.”

The findings are isolated to the pipes inside the new construction, Betts said.

Betts said water provided to the building from the waterworks is potable and meets all requirements. “The samples we took were actually from inside the building. Typically, that’s where lead and copper get into the water system,” he said.

The North Area Waterworks is working hand-in-hand with Fairfax Water to monitor the situation, said Marcia Kicos, chief of the Environmental Compliance Branch in DPW’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division.

“They have not detected any problems in their system. It is strictly isolated to the new construction,” Kicos said.

DPW officials said it is not typical to sample administrative buildings for lead and copper; however, as a permitted waterworks - a public utility which provides water to a community - Fort Belvoir is required to do so. 

Since the findings, DPW has been working aggressively with the Corps of Engineers and contractors to determine the source of the metal, by conducting follow-up monitoring to nail down the extent of the problem, carefully reviewing the results, consulting with state health officials and promptly taking appropriate action when necessary.

Right now, we’re not sure what the problem is, but we are working towards figuring it out and correcting it,” Kicos said.

Up Front and BRAC Fact for Aug. 26

Arts & Crafts Center Framing Class
Basic framing techniques are taught the third Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. The cost is $60 and includes an 8-inch by 10-inch kit. The kit contains a picture, mat board, foam core, glass, molding and mounting materials as well as use of the facility. Students will go home with framed artwork ready to hang on the wall. Call 703-806-4655 for registration.

2011 Teen AFAP
Fort Belvoir conducts its annual Teen Army Family Action Plan Symposium Aug. 31 from 8 a.m. to noon at Army Community Service, 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg. 200.

Teen AFAP allows local teens the chance to identify and document the concerns of teens.

To participate, interested teenagers are asked to call Faitheleen Henderson, 703 805-4152; or Colandra Sealey, 703 805-2967.

Family campouts
Looking for a fun camping experience with your family, then grab your camping gear and join us at Outdoor Recreation. Families are invited to pitch their tents on the spacious field next to the outdoor recreation building and sleep under the stars. During the day, take advantage of what the great outdoors has to offer with opportunities to fish, kayak and canoe, hike along the Accotink Bay and roast some s’mores over a campfire.

Campout dates are Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 25-26. The events runs 10 a.m. Saturday until 4 p.m. Sunday.

Cost to participate: the cost is $5 per person which includes a tent space, fishing equipment & bait, a scavenger hunt, sporting equipment, and s’mores over an outdoor fire pit. Call 703-805-1143 for more information.

OSAA change of command
Operational Support Airlift Command has a change of command Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. in Walsh Hangar at Davison Army Airfield. Col. Laurence W. Howl relinquishes command to Lt. Col. Steven L. Nicolucci.

BRAC Fact
The recently completed Joint-Use Intelligence Analysis Facility at Rivanna Station near Charlottesville, Va., will be able to produce 480 tons of central cooling, equivalent to more than 160 homes, for the facility.

Additionally, 60 tons of supplemental cooling, equivalent to more than 20 homes, will also be available, with a total chiller capacity of more than 1,000 tons.

Teens excited about upcoming symposium

By Paul Bello
Staff writer

The opportunity to talk and network with others your age has teenage volunteers with Fort Belvoir’s Army Community Service buzzing with anticipation.

On Tuesday, the installation conducts its annual Teen Army Family Action Plan Symposium where teens are allowed a forum to discuss whatever topics and concerns they have together.

One of those participating will be 16-year-old Brianna Freeman, a sophomore at Alexandria’s West Potomac High School. She’s been spending her summer as a volunteer helping ACS with teen newsletters and posters promoting the upcoming symposium. She thinks it’s a great idea and just what her peers need. 

“This will be my first time participating in anything like this and I’m looking forward to it. I know some of us have concerns about finding pediatric doctors specific to our age group,” Freeman said. “It seems there are many for kids and adults, but not too many for teens. If we talk about it together, I think we can better understand it and help each other.”

15-year-old Alex Dixon believes that can be said about a lot of things. He is one of about 25 teens joining Freeman at the symposium. A freshman at Alexandria’s Bishop Ireton High School, Dixon has been working with ACS this summer through an administrative internship program. He feels it’s important for teens to talk about college preparation and about setting goals for themselves.

“Unfortunately, a lot of teens don’t put enough emphasis on academics. Many are more concerned about playing sports and trying to score a scholarship to a big-name school rather than focusing on their studies,” Dixon said. “That’s not realistic. Not everyone is the next John Wall. That’s why I think the symposium is so helpful. It gives teens an opportunity to discuss topics and outline their expectations together.”

Both Freeman and Dixon agree that teens should keep their grades up and participate in as many activities as they can. They say that’s how one separates him or herself from the rest of the pack.
“There will be an adult facilitator, but the discussion is going to be driven by our young folks. This is their forum,” said Colandra Sealey, program manager for Army Family Team Building. “This is a great networking opportunity and something that will inspire great conversation. I’m excited to see them all in action.”

Customer Service conducting month-long survey for feedback

Submitted by Plans, Analysis and Integration Offic

Fort Belvoir’s annual Customer Service Assessment, sponsored by Headquarters, Installation Management Command, begins Monday.

Available online at mymilitaryvoice.org until Sept. 26, it collects feedback from leaders, Soldiers, family members, civilians, retirees and veterans on garrison service delivery.

This includes services from Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities; housing; military personnel services; transportation; religious services and more.

The assessment is the opportunity for all customers of these services to let the garrison know what is important to them and how the garrison service providers have performed over the last year.

As well as rating service delivery, survey participants can comment about what has been done and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

“The annual Customer Service Assessment is just one method for the garrison to get the voice of the customer,” said Heather Aubain of Belvoir’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office. “It’s essential that we capture feedback from senior leaders and junior enlisted Soldiers within the companies and units and get feedback from family members, veterans, retirees, civilian employees and contractors, as well.”

Survey results will be reported separately by the different groups.

“The best way the garrison commander and directors can get an accurate picture of customer satisfaction and expectations is from maximum participation,” Aubain said. “For this year’s survey, we will be making a big push to get more feedback from all constituent groups. Their input will enable the garrison leadership to determine where improvements can be made.”

Information on the 2010 assessment is available by calling 805-2108 or via e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Get to know JPPSOWA for Aug. 26

Did you know?
Our office can provide you with a response within 24 to 120 hours concerning delayed personal property shipments and crates?

What does this mean to you?
In the event your personal property shipment is delayed, the carrier of record or the carrier identified on your Personal Property Government Bill of Lading will trace shipments at the request of the customer or government agency and provide a response within 24 hours for domestic shipments and 120 hours for international shipments.

For tracer actions requested on a weekend or holiday, the 24 hours begins the next business day.

Please do not hesitate to visit the nearest Personal Property Processing Office or Transportation Management Office at your location, or contact our office at the following website: belvoir.army.mil/jppsowa.

Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services obtain additional equipment

By Fire Chief Patrick K. Reid

With the expansion of Fort Belvoir under BRAC, installation agencies have been planning for quite some time to meet the expected increased demands for services. One of these installation groups includes the Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services, which is under the direction of Fire Chief Patrick Reid.

Fire and Emergency Services has seen a steady increase in calls for emergency services over the past several years. We expect the demands for service to double due to the increase in population. As with many other installation directorates, FES has been working to get funding for equipment and staffing to meet these new demands.

FES has also been working diligently to find creative ways to obtain equipment without increasing the costs to the installation and Army.

Fort Belvoir’s garrison commander, deputy to the garrison commander and the director of emergency services have been strong supporters of FES over the last several years and have helped FES with its efforts to get equipment from installations that are closing due to BRAC, thus saving the Army much-needed funding for the war effort. 

Some of the equipment FES is trying to replace is more than 20 years old and is not able to carry equipment needed to a fire or emergency.

FES is also getting new equipment for the DES-Emergency Services Center on Fort Belvoir North Area. This will, of course, provide much-needed coverage for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency site, and provide a backup role in the event of an emergency on main post.

The Army recently bought a new fire engine for the installation to partially meet Belvoir North’s requirements. This engine is a 2010 model manufactured an apparatus builder from Appleton, Wis. This engine carries 750 gallons of water and can pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute. Fire engines are the primary response vehicle for the Fire Service.  Some of the primary incidents they respond to include fires, medical emergencies and hazardous-materials incidents, in which they are used in a support role for hazmat units.

In the spring, FES sent one of its 1988 aircraft crash rescue fire fighting vehicles to Florida for a rehab, which involves removing the engine and transmission from the 1988 vehicle and putting the components into a new vehicle frame and building it up from there. This method is a heavy version of a rehab but still provides the Army and the installation with cost savings, because the process uses components from the old truck. The truck will be configured into a fire engine and will be placed at the Davison Airfield Fire Station replacing its 1996 fire engine.

FES hopes to have this vehicle delivered by mid-August and will be equipped similarly to the rest of the fleet’s fire engines.

Recently, FES received another rehabbed vehicle. The Special Services Unit is a 2000 model year Freightliner truck with a large, red, square body. FES obtained funding to have the unit converted to a special unit, capable of allowing personnel to fill their fire-fighting air bottles on the scene of emergency incidents and provide emergency lighting for extended periods of time for fire and police incidents and large-scale, natural disasters. FES previously did not have the capacity to do this on a medium to large scale. The addition of this unit fixes that problem.

This Light and Air Unit can provide 75 kilowatts of emergency power to the installation if critical buildings lose power due to storms or other events. Fire and Emergency Services will be able to support the telecommunications building and other critical structures with power, which will help keep the installation running smoothly during critical times.

This unit will also carry, funding permitted, smaller generators to supply housing residents with critical electrical power for life-saving medical equipment for children and adults. 

Additionally, the Light and Air Unit will also be used on hazmat incidents and confined-space, technical and water-related rescues.

In the future, FES hopes to get a heavy rescue squad, which is the primary response vehicle for motor vehicle accidents involving people trapped in cars and confined-space and technical-rescue calls, which happen frequently when there is a large amount of construction in an area. 

As part of FES’s effort to increase fire safety awareness, the Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services received a 27-foot fire safety trailer. The Bull-Ex Fire Safety Trailer represents the latest advancement in fire-training technology. It is the only training system using self-generating, digital flames combined with actual heat, sound, artificial smoke and smart props.

Training props consist of a full-use kitchen with interactive stove top, oven and waste basket fires that can be extinguished with a simulated 5-pound fire extinguisher. The children’s bedroom has a heated door, a smoke generating machine and an escape window for secondary exit.

The exterior graphics are set up to provide fire safety training outside of the trailer, explaining smoke detectors; escape routes; stop, drop and roll; and other fire safety messages. The trailer will provide training to school-age children and adults living on Belvoir and the surrounding communities.

As the installation grows, Fire and Emergency Services grows to meet the new demands to provide the installation with top-notch fire and emergency services. With current and future equipment, FES continues to work to ensure a high level of service delivery.

DES Journal for Aug. 26

From the Chief
The National Capital Region Drug Suppression Team of Fort Belvoir’s CID Office asks people who are aware of any illegal drug activity occurring on Fort Belvoir are asked to contact the National Capital Region Drug Suppression Team with the Fort Belvoir CID Office.

During duty hours, the numbers to call are 703-806-1993 or 0497. After duty hours, people are asked to contact the Fort Belvoir Directorate of Emergency Services, 703-806-3104 and ask for the National Capital Region Drug Suppression Team. 

Logbook
For the week ending Aug. 22:
• Larceny of private property - $100 and over, Lewis Village
• Civilian cited for improper driving, resulting in damage to government property
• Soldier cited for driving while license suspended, failure to yield rightaway to a   pedestrian, 12th Street and Belvoir Road
• Larceny of private property, $100 and over, Lewis Village
• Civilian charged with shoplifting, AAFES Main Exchange
• Traffic violations, other duties of driver in event of accident involving damage only to unattended property, DLA loading dock
• Larceny of private property, $100 and over, South Post RV lot, 16th Street
• Larceny of private property, less than $100, Lewis Village
• Mail frauds and swindles, Lewis Village
• Soldier cited for traffic accident resulting in damage to property, following too closely, intersection of J.J. Kingman Road and Gunston
• Civilian cited for traffic accident resulting in damage to government property, 16th Street and Gunston Road
• Civilian charged with shoplifting, AAFES Main Exchange

Traffic violations for the week ending Aug. 22:
• Traffic stops, 120; warnings, 79; citations, 59

Fire & Emergency responses through Aug. 21:
• Emergency medical treatment, 11; rescue, other, 1; hazardous condition calls, 1; service calls, 5; good-intent calls, 2; false calls, 9.

Total responses on Fort Belvoir - 29.
Total responses since Jan. 1 - 1,232.

Road closures for Aug. 26

Walker Gate
Walker Gate is closed to all traffic until 5 a.m. Monday for renovations to guard booths and overhead canopy. Road signs and detours will be in place to reroute traffic through Pence Gate until construction renovations are complete.

Woodlawn Village gate
West Gate entrance into the village, at the intersection of Pole Road and Plantation Drive, for replacing asphalt, curbs and gutters. Weather permitting, closed through August.
The East Gate entrance is open and manned.

Fort Belvoir North Area
The Fullerton construction access road to the Fort Belvoir North Area is closed till mid-September while VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration begin final stages of completing the Fairfax County Parkway. Construction crews or personnel needing to access FBNA must enter through Barta Road.

Gunston Road
Through Dec. 28, Gunston Road has a traffic shift for utility relocation and construction of a realigned road and the road’s bridge.

First sign of West Nile Virus hits Belvoir

By Preventive Medicine Services

A mosquito sample collected on Fort Belvoir during the last two weeks in July tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

Preventive Medicine Services specialists at DeWitt Army Community Hospital said it is the first sign of the virus during the 2010 mosquito season.

There have not been any confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus on the installation.  The virus poses a very low risk to humans, health officials said, though it can be transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. Less than one percent of people who are bitten and get infected will become severely ill. Symptoms can include neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and paralysis.

Samples collected during July and August at Virginia Beach, Va., also tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health. The positive tests are an expected trend, DeWitt health officials said, and many measures are in place to minimize spread of the virus on Belvoir.

Preventive Medicine Services and the Directorate of Public Works began surveillance and control measures early in the spring, and weekly observation and testing continues.

People can take a few simple steps to reduce the risk of infection and protect themselves and their families. Wearing long sleeves and pants, fixing holes in screens and removing pools of standing water from around homes are good steps to take, health officials said.  Lastly, use insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET. The concentration of DEET should not exceed 10 percent if being used on children. Adults can use products containing 10 to 50 percent of DEET, which is very effective in deterring ticks, chiggers and fleas, as well. Products containing 30 percent DEET are safe to use on anyone more than two months old.

More information about West Nile Virus is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://cdc.gov, or the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine at http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil.