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Facebook Townhall

Soldiers, Families, civilians, contractors and our neighbors in the community are invited to participate in the Facebook Townhall Oct. 19, 6:30 to 8 p.m.  The conversation will be hosted on the Fort Benning Facebook Fan page.   This is a great opportunity to get questions answered directly from COL. Jeffrey Fletcher, Garrison Commander, and his staff from the comfort of your home.    

Doughboy Football

The Fort Benning Doughboys will play Georgia Military College at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at Doughboy Stadium.  Admission is free and open to the public.  The Gowdy and Doughboy parking lots will be open for tailgaiting before the game.  

What's that noise?

Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Oct. 12-13, all day Oct. 14-20 and 8 a.m. to midnight Oct. 26 and Oct. 29 to Nov. 1.

BOSS town hall meeting Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers will host a town hall meeting at 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Kelley Hill Recreation Center. This free event will feature the garrison commander and command sergeant major. For more information, call 706-626-0242.  

Change to Telephone Dialing Prefixes 

Starting Oct. 16, 2011, dialing prefixes 7 and 8 will be replaced permanently with the new dialing prefixes:   94 (DSN) and 99 (Commercial), so please start using them now to become familiar with the new dialing patterns.

This is an exciting week at the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning as we host the first International Paralympic Committee 2011 World Cup USA.  

What an amazing honor it is for us to welcome the 200 athletes and officials representing 27 nations here for this world class competition.  

During this week, these outstanding competitors will try to outdo one another in 12 events, using both rifle and pistol, as they seek to qualify for the Paralympic Games in London in 2012.

Having world class events like the IPC Paralympic World Cup is one of many examples of the high-caliber activities that happen at Fort Benning; in addition to the world class training and leader development we do 365-days a year. This week's competition is much more than a shooting event, though.  

Fort Benning is a talent magnet for leaders - as evident by the talented American heroes who have trained here and the world-class athletes who come to compete here.

As with all competition, I hope this week affords a meaningful experience - one filled with excellence, friendship, respect and pride as we continue to build on the rich history and tradition of the Spirit of Fort Benning.

One Force, One Fight! 

News

Maneuver Battle Lab: Addition to open in summer of 2012

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Engineers train on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles  

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Production highlights PTSD awareness 

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Retired colonel touts leadership, standards 

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Take steps to prevent home fires 

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Post leaders follow tradition with Roundhouse session   

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Dempsey outlines key themes in letter to troops

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Click here to read this week's Bayonet  

(note:  it may take a few minutes to download the paper)  

National Infantry Museum will display Cavalry and Armor History 

by Borden Black  

Some of the Armor's smaller artifacts, perhaps a WWI Liberty Tank and a mounted horseman are being considered for inclusion in the memorabilia.

The Armor Gallery will meet or exceed the standards of the rest of the museum. Phillip Linn, treasurer of the Armor and Cavalry Heritage Foundation, says his foundation has agreed to "conform to the design characteristics of other galleries, which means first-class."

The exhibit is expected to open within a year of the work beginning.

More than 250 Cavalry and Armor macro-artifacts, like tanks, and thousands of smaller artifacts are now at Fort Benning waiting for a climate controlled facility to be constructed to house them. Although a site for a future Armor Museum, just past the National Infantry Museum, has been marked with a sign, Linn says fund raising challenges could push groundbreaking to 2015 or 2016.

Ben Williams, National Infantry Museum Executive Director, is glad the NIM can help the Armor. "It's very important to the overall mission of educating the public about the sacrifices made by both branches," he explains.

A few armored Infantry exhibits outside the Infantry museum, including a personnel carrier from WWII, are also in the works. They will be displayed alongside the walkway to the parade field. A Fort Benning 1919 vintage narrow gauge railroad engine and observation car from a later era will also be on display.

Up Next!

Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Events 

The Destin Fishing Rodeo is a month long fishing tournament for saltwater anglers of all ages. The Destin Army Recreation Area is proud to participate in this historic event. Fish aboard the Stars and Stripes or Army One during the month of October, and your registration fee into the Rodeo is covered. Charter costs range from $150 to $1,200 for up to six people. For the Rodeo, we will add an extra hour to the trip at no additional charge. More than $100,000 will be awarded in cash and prizes. For more information, call 850-902-1115.

Join us for the annual Soldier Show at 8pm Oct. 15 on Wetherby Concert Field. This event is free and open to the whole community. You do not have to have a military ID to attend. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Bring lawn chairs and blankets! The 2011 U.S. Army Soldier Show is a high-energy 90-minute live musical production that showcases the talents of active-duty Soldiers who were selected by audition from throughout the Army.

Experience the Spirit of Fort Benning, when the Fort Benning Doughboys take to the field for a series of games against local colleges and regional teams at historic Doughboy Stadium. These games are free and open to the public. The Doughboys will play Georgia Military College at 2pm Oct 15, Columbus State Cougars Oct 27 at 7pm, and Team James All Stars from Atlanta Nov. 10 at 7pm. The Silver Wings Parachute Demonstration Team will jump in with the American flag and deliver the game ball at each home game. Door prizes will be awarded. During half time of each game, we will honor our veterans: Korean War vets Oct 15, Vietnam vets Oct 27 and all veterans Nov. 10. The Oct 27 game against CSU will be the second Doughboy Bowl. Tailgate activities will include inflatable jump houses for the kids and games, like corn hole and party pong, for adults. Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating. Doughboy team colors are black and gold.

Girls between the ages of 7 and 12 will love the American Girls Book Club at Sayers Library. This free club meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at Sayers Library. We provide the books and the refreshments, and we enjoy parental involvement. Younger girls who enjoy reading the series with their older siblings and parents thoroughly enjoy this club, also. Join us Oct. 5. For more information, call 706-545-4911.

Outdoor Recreation will host Family Fishing Night at Russ Pond from 6-8pm October 18. Fishing at Russ Pond is reserved for those 15 and younger, but parents and siblings are encouraged to help them reel in the big ones. This event is free. Reserve your pole by calling 706-545-7978.

Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers will host a town hall meeting at 3pm Oct. 11 at the Kelley Hill Recreation Center. This free event will give you an audience with the Garrison commander and the command sergeant major. For more information, call 706-626-0242.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Visit the Family Advocacy display at the PX October 7 and receive a gift. For a calendar of events, go to benningmwr.com/acs-familyadvocacy.php.

The Fort Benning Golf Course will host Golf Appreciation Day from 8am-8pm Oct. 7. This event is open to the community and includes free food and beverages. Green fees and cart rental fees will be waived. Register for shotgun starts at 9am and 2pm by calling 706-687-1940.

Help the Hooch! Partner with MWR's Outdoor Recreation as we join the annual effort to clean the creeks and ponds across Fort Benning from 8am-noon October 14. All volunteers will be provided with supplies and gloves. Participants must register to receive free lunch and a t-shirt. This is a popular event that draws a large crowd across the Chattahoochee Valley! To register, call 706-545-9636.

MWR's School Age services will host Lights On After School, an open house for the Fort Benning community, from 4:40-6:30pm Oct. 20 at School Age Services on Ingersoll Street. This event will include games, inflatables, refreshments and entertainment. Though it's free, guests must register by calling 7060545-3605.

Oktoberfest, Fort Benning's favorite fall tradition, returns to the Uchee Creek Activity Center October 21-23. Put on your dancing shoes and enjoy traditional German music (including an authentic oompah band!), food, games for all ages and a Volksmarch. There is no entry fee for this family event, and it is open to the public. For more information, go to benningmwr.com.

The annual Oktoberfest 10K Race will start at 9am Oct. 22. The cost of registration Sept. 1 - Oct 21 is $25 and $35 on race day. The first 100 participants to register will receive a free t-shirt. Awards will be presented to the top three finishers in each division. For more information, e-mail lori.smith6@us.army.mil. Register for the race at benningMWR.com.

Army Community Service will host a free Home Buying Seminar from 4-6pm Oct. 20 at Building 7, ACS headquarters on Baltzell Avenue. Reserve your spot by Oct. 14 by calling 706-545-7517 or 4043.

It's a party on four legs! Bring your furry friends in costume and join the fun at the annual Howl-o-ween at the Dog Park from 4:30-7:30pm Oct 28 at the park adjacent to the youth soccer fields (Blue and French fields) on First Division Road! We will have games, costume contests (for humans, too!), prizes and food, of course, for you and the critter. This event is free for all ages. Pets must be registered at the Fort Benning Vet Clinic. For more information, call 706-545-9636.

MWR's Child, School and Youth Services will host the third annual Edwin Jackson Mini Baseball Clinic from 1-3pm Nov. 19 at the Youth Sports Complex on Main Post across from Faith Middle and Dexter Elementary schools. This year's event will include a number of big-name professional baseball players. Stay tuned to benningMWR.com for details. This is a free family event.

CYSS Sports and Fitness will host a Family 9-Hole Golf Scramble at 1pm Nov. 20 at the Fort Benning Golf Course. The cost is $30. We have volunteers from the 198th Brigade anxious to "adopt" children whose parents are deployed. Cost of registration will be shared by both parties. Register at the Fort Benning Golf Course Nov. 1-18. For more information, call 706-545-1853.

Have an idea, an issue or a concern? The Army Family Action Plan has the answer. AFAP is an Armywide initiative to improve the overall quality of life for Soldiers and their families. It is a process whereby we identify critical issues concerning welfare and morale and present them to senior Army leadership for resolution. MWR's Army Community Service will host the annual Fort Benning AFAP conference Nov. 8-10 at the Benning Conference Center. Submit issues or ideas online at www.benningmwr.com/acs-afap.php. To volunteer as an AFAP delegate and make a difference in your community, call 706-545-2794.

The Family Entertainment Center and the Mall Bowling Center will host a heckuva holiday bowling special! November 23 and 25, games, shoe rental, hot dogs, fries and drinks are $1.50.

Join the BOSS program for free ice skating at the Columbus Civic Center from 7-9pm December 7. Call 706-626-0242 or 706-604-7675.

It's a Fort Benning holiday tradition! Join us for the annual Holiday Brunch Dec. 4 at the Benning Conference Center. We have two seatings, 10am and noon. The meal includes traditional holiday favorites, a classic breakfast menu, carving stations, assorted pastries and beverages and decadent desserts. Save time to visit with Santa! Brunch is $15.95 for adults, $7.95 for children 6-12 and free for the younger ones. Reservations are required for this popular event, as space is limited. Call 706-682-0640 or 706-687-1861.

Celebrate the Holiday at Riverside! Join us for one of our most popular events, Santa's annual visit to Fort Benning. From 5-8pm Dec. 8, Santa will sit for pictures on the lawn of Riverside, the home of Fort Benning's commanding general. We'll supply free refreshments and great prizes. Bring the whole family to this free event!

Army Family Team Building will host a Winter Warm Up December 12-16 in Building 359. This event includes training in AFTB levels I, II and III. AFTB training is designed to help family members understand Army culture and foster self confidence. Child care is available. Call 706-545-2794.

It's a BLOWOUT! The Mall Bowling Center on Marne Road will host the annual New Year's Blowout from 6:30pm Dec 31 to 1:30am Jan 1. This family event includes unlimited bowling and a breakfast buffet. Until Dec. 25, the cost is $50 per couple, $30 for a single and $15 for children 10 and younger. After that, the cost is $60 per couple, $40 for a single and $20 for children 10 and younger. For more information, call 706-682-7781.