FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Fort Bragg Garrison command, agencies and customers exchanged ideas at the town hall meeting held Sept. 14 at the Yntema Club on Gruber Road.

According to Kari Gonzalez, Army Family Action Plan program manager, the meetings are held quarterly and are open to the military community. Colonel Stephen Sicinski, Fort Bragg Garrison commander, said the meetings provide an opportunity for units and individuals to get feedback.
"This is your ability to have a person-to-person interface with those individuals who impact your quality of life on Fort Bragg," said Sicinski.

Issues brought before the command ranged from simplifying the Child, Youth and School Services registration process to increasing competitive activities for teens and from placing more health professionals in off-post schools to more classes for single fathers.

Sicinski said he could not wave a magic wand and bypass the CYSS registration process, which his Family faces yearly. Based on suggestions from those attending, the following changes could likely occur with CYSS registration:
If no changes to documentation occur from the previous year's registration, parents/guardians will be able to notate such and not endure the tedious process of registering.

CYSS registration will move from the Soldier Support Center on Normandy Drive to the Wonderful World for Kids on Knox Street.

Annual updates will be allowed at youth centers and at child development centers on post.
Fort Bragg will soon stand up a new school-age center, said Dan Ahern, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director. To better serve the needs of teens who want more competitive activities, FMWR has previously conducted some 3-on-3 sports tournaments.

However, although the requests have been made, there has been low teen participation in sports activities, Ahern said.

"We are going to rework the program so that we're providing the service where the interest is," said Sicinski.

To garner more support from teens, parents and Family readiness group leaders urged leadership to advertise sports activities on Facebook, through text messages and in locations other than on post at Tolson Youth Activities Center.

In other business, Sicinski said that in upcoming meetings that he would address requests for the placement of more nurses in off-post schools.

In other business, Ahern said Family Advocacy is in the final stages of developing a single parent workshop for both fathers and mothers.

Command continuously works to make the lives of Soldiers, Families and civilians better. It is part of keeping the promise to support customers by enabling them to thrive and maintain resiliency.
To rate the importance and performance of Fort Bragg services, take the Fort Bragg Customer Service Assessment until Sunday at www.mymilitaryvoice.org.

For more information about town hall meetings, call AFAP at 396-4447.