Alex Bender, safety and occupational health specialist with Fort Riley Garrison Safety Office, drives his car onto the ramps of a four post lift in preparation to
teach the Auto Skills Clinic attendees how to use the lift properly. The clinic was hos...

The Hearts Apart Services for Waiting Families Program organized an Auto Skills Clinic

March 26 hosted at the Fort Riley Morale, Welfare and Recreation Automotive Skills

Center.

The Hearts Apart Services for Waiting Families program offers support for families separated from their sponsor due to mission requirements, such as deployment, unaccompanied tour or extended temporary duty.

"This is a great tool for them, especially when their spouses deploy," said Bobby

Kimble, automotive technician at ASC.

The ASC is available for those on post who wish to work on their vehicles themselves in lieu of taking them to auto shops.

Alex Bender, safety and occupational health specialist with Fort Riley Garrison Safety Office, voluntarily taught the course and showed spouses around the auto shop. Bender said the ASC is a self-help shop and a privilege to Soldiers and their spouses.

"The class helps them know where things go and other safety things like what to do if oil spills," Bender said.

In addition to learning these basics, the class learned how to lift vehicles with both two and four post lifts.

Timmie Carter, outreach program coordinator for Army Community Service, said this class also gives spouses an opportunity to network and build camaraderie.

One military spouse in attendance, Laura Day, said she came to the class because she wanted to learn how to fix basic things on her car to save some money.

The safety portion of the event lasted more than an hour. Following this, attendees learned the location of everything in the shop and toured the tire, body, mechanic and engine rebuild shops.

Though ASC is specifically a self-help shop, Kimble said mechanics on staff have recently started doing oil changes for customers -- though it is required that one stays with their vehicle while the change takes place. There is a cost, although it is cheaper than going outside the gates.