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MANEUVER CENTER OF EXCELLENCE - TEAM OF SOLDIERS, FAMILIES, AND CIVILIANS FROM THE BEST ARMY IN THE WORLD!
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Quick Links
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Check out the latest edition of The Bayonet, which now hits the streets Wednesdays versus Fridays.
There will be a change in the way Network Enterprise Center delivers IT services. Call 706-545-2178 or 706-545-2179 to place a trouble ticket or a work order and you will be reach the Army Enterprise Service Desk.
The speed limit off of I-185 from Lindsay Creek Parkway to the intersection of Dublinsky Street and Dixie Road is 35 mph. From Soldiers' Plaza on Dixie Road to Sightseeing Road the speed limit is 25 mph.
Upcoming events:
Fort Benning Garrison will host a Facebook Town Hall Jan. 12 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Log onto www.facebook.com
/fortbenningfans to participate.
In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17 is designated as a federal holiday.
The monthly Retirement Ceremony is Jan. 18 at 9:30 in Benning Conference Center's Supper Club.
The 2011 AFAP Conference is Jan. 25-27 at the Benning Conference Center.
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From the Top
 Welcome back from the holidays. I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and feels refreshed as we enter the New Year.
This will be an exciting and historical year at Fort Benning as we fully nest the Armor School; reaching full- operating capability in September. As we go through the year, remember you are part of our success story. Each of you plays a critical role in accomplishing our mission of training the best Soldiers in the world.
You also play a role in ensuring the Army continues to provide the high level of quality of life our Soldiers and their families deserves.
At the end of January - Jan. 25-27, we will be hosting the annual Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) conference at the Benning Conference Center. The AFAP is an Army-wide initiative to keep a finger on the pulse of the efforts to support and enhance the quality of life for our Soldiers and their families.
As such, there is a process to identify critical issues concerning welfare and morale to senior leadership for resolution. The process begins with volunteers who are assigned to work groups to review issues, suggestions and concerns submitted for consideration from members of the community.
Anyone can volunteer - Soldiers, Active Duty, National guardsmen or Reservists, military retirees, family members and Department of the Army civilian employees.
The AFAP is a wonderful program that brings issues and suggestions from the people of the Army to the Army leadership. I encourage you to learn more about AFAP; maybe this is something you would like to become involved with in 2011.
Remember, each of you plays a critical part in the Fort Benning success story. If you have thoughts, suggestions or ideas of what is working, not working, or could work better - I encourage you to get involved and let your voice be heard.
One Force, One Fight!
Robert B. Brown
Major General, U.S. Army
Commanding General
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BRAC Community Update
The January MCoE Community Update included announcement of the post's first Facebook town hall to take place Jan. 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will include the garrison directorates and agencies.
Also announced was the release an updated map identifying the areas of land being considered for potential acquisition by the Army. The map includes new areas of study located in Harris and Talbot counties.
The MCoE gets 252 days closer to full operational capability with the Armor School's first class beginning Jan. 10. In addition, Commanders of the 1st Battalion 378th Infantry Regiment will case their Battalion Colors at Fort Benning to represent the Battalion's inactivation and thereupon transfer authority to the 2nd Battalion 46th Infantry Regiment.
The 2-46 is a basic combat training battalion that relocated from Fort Knox, Ky. to the 192nd Infantry Brigade of the Armor School at Fort Benning. The Battalion represents the first unit to arrive from Fort Knox to the Maneuver Center of Excellence as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law. The battalion's first class begins Jan. 11.
Click here for the January BRAC Community Update
Provided by MCoE Public Affairs |
News
Lights, camera ... IED simulator':
Safety awareness video filmed at Fort Benning
In an effort to stem accidents and keep troops from making their own simulator devices in roadside bomb training, the Army is producing a short safety awareness video set for release this summer. The film will feature footage shot here Dec. 13-15 with Fort Benning Soldiers, vehicles and ammunition. U.S. Army Forces Command is heading the project, while the Soldier Requirements Division and Maneuver Battle Lab served as host organizations during shooting.
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 Soldiers' retention boon leads to changes
Soldiers planning to re-enlist may see their options reduced, according to a recent Army memorandum. The changes took effect Tuesday. In a policy memo sent to Fort Benning's installation retention office last week, initial term, mid-career, career and deployed Soldiers will see changes to re-enlistment options. Sgt. 1st Class Nikikki Whitaker, operations NCO for the installation retention office, said the changes are related in part to how well the Army did in recruiting and retention for fiscal year 2010.
"We are already at 50 percent across the board for (fiscal year 2011)," said Whitaker, who noted the office has already reached the halfway point of its mission to re-enlist 602 Soldiers before October.
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__________________________________________________Lieutenant puts hockey career on ice
Zach McKelvie still has dreams of playing in the NHL but says he's more than happy serving his country. The 25-year-old first lieutenant, who played four years at Army and was team captain his junior and senior seasons, signed with the Boston Bruins as an undrafted free agent in July 2009 shortly after earning his commission from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. However, a change to the Department of Defense's alternative service option prior to his senior year meant he'd have to serve two years before pursuing pro hockey.
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___________________________________________________U.S. Army Ranger School graduates first Army 'vet tech'
The first U.S. Army veterinarian technician has earned the Ranger Tab. Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Klagenberg, assigned to duty as the regimental veterinarian technician, 75th Ranger Regiment, graduated Nov. 12 from the U.S. Army Ranger Course. "All in all Ranger School didn't feel too physically demanding, it was just a 61-day suck-fest," said Klagenberg. "Once you embrace that suck and understand that the men to your left and right are in the same boat, it's a lot easier."
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BRAC: Road projects under way as post grows
 Columbus Ledger Enquirer--By the time more than 28,000 soldiers, civilian workers and their family members move to Fort Benning, many Columbus roads will be improved or under construction, city officials said. "I think we are making tremendous progress," Deputy City Manager David Arrington said. Many road projects have been on the planning books for years, but the Base Realignment and Closure was considered in the process to get them completed.
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The Big Benning TheoryIn a major realignment, the Army's Armor and Infantry Schools merge to create a mega-base: the Maneuver Center of Excellence.  American Legion Magazine--On Aug. 11, five M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks from the U.S. Army Armor School in Fort Knox, Ky., lumbered off train cars and headed up the new Fort Benning, Ga., tank trail, proof positive that a massive institutional and cultural undertaking begun in 2005 by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission had become a reality.
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Vision for the future: Installation Management Community ARLINGTON, Va. -- Like many others this time of year, I have been reflecting on the past 12 months and looking forward to the new year. In my professional capacity, I am focusing on the future of the Installation Management Community. Specifically, what should the Installation Management Community look like a year from now?
I have been asking this question of Installation Management personnel during meetings, town halls, and garrison visits. After all, the dedicated professionals at the garrisons and headquarters are doing the work on a daily basis; they know what it takes to deliver the facilities, programs and services that support our Soldiers and Families.
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_____________________________________________________Get ready, Enterprise Email rolls in with the new yearDuring 2011, Army email users will migrate to Enterprise Email service. Instead of accessing email through local email servers at each installation, users will reach through the network to access their email services from the Department of Defense "cloud".
The Army is the first service to migrate to Enterprise Email as part of a larger DoD effort. The goal is to improve capabilities and security, while simultaneously reducing costs. The HQDA staff will be among the first Army users to migrate to the new email service. Migration refers to the automated process of copying current email and calendar data from each user's local email account to their Enterprise Email account. The process normally occurs overnight at a time coordinated with customers to minimize operational impact.
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Military fields new mine roller technology to defeat IEDs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The U.S. military is fielding new mine roller technology expected to provide even more protection from improvised explosive devices.
The new roller, called the Self-Protection Adaptive Roller Kit System II (SPARKS II), is a part of an integrated family of equipment that allows service members to adapt to changing IED threats.
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 Good news for 2011--is it possible to exercise too much?
U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional)--It is an accepted fact that exercise is essential for a healthy body and mind. However, is it possible to get too much exercise?
Yes, when a person pushes the body too hard or too long and does not give it a chance to recover with adequate time, rest and nutrition, it can result in overtraining.
Overtraining can occur with aerobic exercises such as running, biking or swimming, and with resistance exercises such as weightlifting. The condition of overtraining occurs when either exercise volume or intensity exceeds what a person should be doing for an extended period of time.
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Click here to read more news
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Fort Benning Training Land Expansion Map Released
The Fort Benning Garrison Commander, Col. Tom Macdonald, has released an updated map identifying the areas of land being considered for potential acquisition by the Army. The new map is more defined and also includes new areas of study located in Harris and Talbot counties.
Harris and Talbot counties were not initially included in the study area, since much of the property bordering the northeast portion of the installation was unavailable for purchase due to the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program. The ACUB program prevents encroachment and protects natural resources by creating buffers around the installation. While the ACUB program can purchase land for this purpose, it cannot be used to acquire training lands.
Harris and Talbot counties were also not included in our initial study area as land values in the two counties were considered too costly due to the tremendous growth in that area. However, during the Public Scoping period (June 4 -July 7), several comments from citizens questioned why these two counties were not included for consideration.
"The National Environmental Policy Act requires us to consider all reasonable comments and suggestions as part of our Environmental Impact Statement study," Macdonald said.
"In addition, the Savannah District Corps of Engineers Real Estate Division was contacted by a Mead Westvaco land management agent. The agent proposed we include in our study approximately 23,000 acres of contiguous lands owned by Mead Westvaco, located in Harris (5,700 acres) and Talbot (17,400 acres) counties."
From the onset of this process, the preference has been to focus on large tracts of commercial timberland. Purchasing land through timber companies would limit the number of real estate transactions and insure the land is purchased from a willing seller.
As a result of the Public Scoping comments regarding Harris and Talbot, both counties are now included in the environmental and real estate study process.
Coordination efforts to schedule public information meetings in the various affected counties are underway. Public comments or questions may be directed to Ms. Kim Raymer at (706) 545-8830 or email land.benning@us.army.mil.
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Lt. Col Chris Hussin to take command of 11th Engineer Battalion
Lt. Col. Christopher A. Hussin will assume command of the 11th Engineer Battalion from Lt. Col. Dwayne R. Smith during a change of command ceremony 10 a.m. Jan. 6 on Stilwell Field. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Hussin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1993.
His most recent assignment was as the chief of engineer operations for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.
He is no stranger to Fort Benning and the 11th Engineer Battalion, having served here with the unit as both the operations officer and as its executive officer from 2007 to 2009.
Smith, the outgoing commander, is retiring after 20 years of active duty. Nearly 700 Soldiers are assigned to the 11th Engineer Battalion.
The battalion is comprised of five companies - Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Forward Support Company, 362nd Engineer Company, 63rd Engineer Company and the 60th Engineer Company. The mission of the 11th Engineer Battalion is to support the maneuver force.
Elements of the battalion have served multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to Freedom Hall.
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Upcoming Change of Commands
1-15 IN, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 6, 2 p.m. Sledgehammer Field
2-69 AR, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 7, 11 a.m.
Sledgehammer Field
3-1 CAV, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 7, 2 p.m.
Sledgehammer Field
1/10 FA, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 10, 2 p.m.
Sledgehammer Field
1-378/2-46 TOA,
Jan. 10, 10 a.m.
Pomeroy Field (tentative)
3-3 BTSB, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 11, 11 a.m.
Sledgehammer Field
203rd BSB, 3rd HBCT
Jan. 11, 2 p.m.
Sledgehammer Field
3rd HBCT
Jan. 13, 2 p.m.
Sledgehammer Field
(tentative)
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Thank you for taking the time to look through the Fort Benning E-Newsletter. We will continue to tell our Soldiers' great stories through this and other mediums. The Benning E-Newsletter will be sent out weekly. Please support us by forwarding this email to a friend via the "forward email" link at the bottom of the newsletter.
Sincerely,
Fort Benning Public Affairs Office |
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