IMCOM boss visits Alaska
Allen Shaw, Fort Wainwright PAO
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- (June 29, 2012) A young off-duty Soldier in a white t-shirt and shorts stood in line at the dining facility June 21 with sweat beading on his brow from a morning bicycle ride chatting about his mountain-bike adventure with another Soldier, who was also waiting on a burger.
Spc. Masanja Cyrol, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division was telling Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, commanding general of Installation Management Command how much he enjoyed riding on the trails around Fort Wainwright, as they passed the time swapping stories.
Ferriter and his wife Margie visited Alaska last week and spent the longest day of the year in Fairbanks.
The general, accompanied by IMCOM Command Sgt. Major Earl Rice started off early with a visit to the Physical Fitness Center and a run around Ladd Army Airfield. The rest of the morning was spent in office visits with Maj. Gen. Michael Garrett, United States Army Alaska, commanding general, Ms. Debra Zedalis, director, IMCOM Pacific Region and Col. Ronald M. Johnson, United States Army Garrison Fort Wainwright, garrison commander.
Before breaking for lunch, Ferriter and Rice also met with IMCOM Pacific Region Command Sgt. Major Karl Schmitt, USAG Fort Wainwright Command Sgt. Major Wayne Jeffries and various Fort Wainwright IMCOM directors.
Margie Ferriter spent the morning touring Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, as well as paying respects with Gold Star Family members to the fallen Soldiers honored at Monterey Lakes Memorial Park.
After both parties rendezvoused for lunch, IMCOM's commander, also the Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management Command, toured Army Community Service, met with Gold Star Family members then assisted Johnson in the presentation of special Customer Service Awards recognizing garrison employees during an event at the Last Frontier Community Activity Center.
Those IMCOM civilians who received the awards were staff members of the Central Issue Facility: Stephen Shugars, Joyce Goins, William Lambert, Adam Rost, Edward Martin, Kevin Tirban, Marcia Rhodes, Miguel Guzman-Perez, Ricky Beaver and Angelo Atienza. Two other awards for outstanding customer service were presented to Michelle Benjamin for her work with Survivor Outreach Services and Timothy Mayhak for his dedication to the Garrison Safety Office, motorcycle safety program.
Ferriter took the opportunity to tell the many IMCOM employees in attendance the importance of customer service, reminded everyone "who we work for," the things "we are doing right" and "the things we can do better."
The group concluded the visit with a boat ride on an Outdoor Recreation vessel up the Chena River through downtown Fairbanks under a warm, crystal-clear blue, sun-drenched sky for dinner on the deck of a local eatery.
Photos are online http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortwainwright/sets/72157630226438770/
Related Links:
Official Facebook page of Fort Wainwright Garrison
Official Flickr photo-sharing page of Fort Wainwright Garrison
Social Sharing