FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Senior garrison leaders here hosted the February Community Information Forum virtually via the Fort Leonard Wood Facebook page Wednesday.
The monthly forum is designed to be an information exchange and dialogue between the garrison and the community on a range of topics and interests to improve quality of life for service members, families, civilians and retirees, said Megan O’Donoghue, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director.
“Today’s theme is community resources, so I’ve got a panel of briefers that will come up and brief what is available here on Fort Leonard Wood,” she said. “We are in the heart of the Ozarks. You may have to look a little harder, dig a little deeper, but we have a lot of treasures here.”
GLWACH
Col. Aaron Pitney, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital commander, spoke on the scope of services available to Tricare beneficiaries at the hospital.
“When I describe to our new employees what the hospital does, it’s that we are a community hospital with some very strategic additional services that we provide based on where our location is with the training population, etcetera,” he said. “For example, a community hospital like GLWACH — if it was in Waynesville or St. Robert, or maybe another like-size community — they probably wouldn’t have a 12-bed inpatient behavioral health unit. They probably would not have a physical therapy service that provides, literally, dozens of appointments every day — hundreds of appointments every week — for physical therapy services. But those are two examples of things that we do strategically that are here, that are very important for our mission set with the training population and permanent-party population.”
Pitney highlighted the Acute Minor Illness Clinics, located directly across from the Emergency Room, and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, including holidays.
Beneficiaries may be seen there for cough and cold symptoms, nausea and vomiting, cuts and lacerations, rashes and allergy symptoms, fractures and sprains, sports physicals, skin infections, headaches, nose bleeds, earaches or pain, sore throats, and urinary symptoms.
For more information on the AMIC, call 573.596.9602.
Visit the GLWACH Facebook page for the latest information from the hospital here.
ASAP
Malia Nemetz, from the Army Substance Abuse Program office here, spoke about some of the risk-reduction tools available for commanders, including what’s called the Commanders Risk Reduction Tool and the Unit Risk Inventory.
“Please reach out to the ASAP staff, and we’ll come out and do some desk-side training on that,” she said.
Nemetz also highlighted some of the training they offer, including Prime For Life, a 12-hour class that’s held monthly for service members, DOD civilians and families that teaches positive life choices. A 4.5-hour version is also available, she added. Nemetz asked that civilian employees first speak with their Employee Assistance Program specialist, Guy Caley, by calling 573.596.7199, or by email at guy.r.caley.civ@army.mil.
The ASAP staff is available to conduct tailored trainings at units, Nemetz said.
“We like to do a road show, so please have us come to your organization,” she said. “We have some interactive tools, drunk-driving goggles, THC goggles; we have adult tricycles that bring a lot of fun and discussion to see what happens when you go from sober to double the legal limit.”
Nemetz, who is also the Installation Suicide Prevention Program manager, spoke on some of the suicide-related trainings available, including Ask, Care, Escort, or ACE, and ACE-SI, that incorporates a more advanced level of suicide intervention and awareness of the stigma that sometimes follows someone who receives behavioral health assistance.
Anyone thinking about suicide is encouraged to call GLWACH’s Behavioral Health Service Line at 573.596.0522, or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.TALK (8255), and press 1 for the Military Crisis Line, or text 8-3-8-2-5-5. Both are available 24/7. Additionally, Military OneSource is available for assistance finding help. They can be reached at 1.800.342.9647, or online.
Call 573.596.6754 for more information on ASAP and suicide prevention resources available here.
DHR
Felesia Herron-Bryant, from the Directorate of Human Resources, reminded units that in-processing personnel remain assigned to their accountability NCOs for 45 days before reporting to their new unit here.
Herron-Bryant also noted the ID Card facility is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday. Walk-ins are accepted daily. The ID Card facility is located on the second floor of Bldg. 470.
Permanent party in-person reassignment briefings are resuming, Herron-Bryant said. The next briefing is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday in Bldg. 470, Rooms 2224 and 2225, and spouses are welcome to attend.
The go-live date for the Integrated Personnel and Pay System — Army, or IPPS-A, has been moved to Sept. 20. Herron-Bryant said the software is a web-based human resources system that provides integrated personnel and pay capabilities and a comprehensive HR record for all Soldiers in all components of the Army.
Call 573.596.0136 for more information on personnel-related information here.
DES
Lt. Col. Nicolas Birch, Directorate of Emergency Services director and Provost Marshall, highlighted some of the services available through both the fire and police departments here.
“One of the big things the fire department prides itself with is being subject matter experts on not just saving lives, but also helping you prevent injuries,” he said.
In line with that, Birch said the fire department offers free child car seat safety at any fire station on post. Parents can learn how to install the seats correctly and which seats work best in any specific situation.
The fire department also offers facility inspections — including assistance with evacuation plans for on- and off-post housing — and fire drills on a by-request basis.
Call the fire prevention section at 573.596.0883 for more information on these and other programs offered at Fort Leonard Wood.
Birch also highlighted the iSportsman website. All recreational activity is conducted via the website, from purchasing appropriate permits to determining when areas are open or closed, along with sign-in and sign-out procedures.
Contact Jason Ploss, Conservation Law Enforcement supervisor, at 573.596.5002 or 573.528.8136, email jason.a.ploss.civ@army.mil or visit the Fort Leonard Wood website for more information regarding outdoor recreation opportunities on post.
Birch also highlighted DWI prevention briefings that are offered on a by-request basis from the Traffic Management and Accident Investigations section. Call Aric Freed at 573.596.1136, or email darrell.a.freed.civ@army.mil for more information.
ACS
Shawn Steen, from Army Community Service, highlighted some of their services available, including the new parent support program, Bundles of Joy. The six-week program for expecting or new parents is offered quarterly, and topics discussed include bonding, swaddling, safe sleep information, budgeting and car seat safety. Call 573.596.2936 for more information or to register.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Steen said. Call a domestic violence victim advocate 24/7 at 573.528.5784 to report teen dating violence.
Financial literacy training is also offered through ACS, Steen said, and many trainings can also now be completed online via the Army’s Financial Frontline website.
Steen also highlighted Army Emergency Relief, which has new categories of assistance. Call 573.596.7505 for details. For emergencies on federal holidays and after hours, call 877.272.7337.
CYS
Tamara Smith, Child and Youth Services coordinator, said CYS staff completed a series of focus groups last week to help define issues, concerns and impacts to mission in regards to child care.
“We had a great turnout and a lot of good feedback, and a lot of areas that we have an opportunity to look at and create some courses of action for it, so that’s to come,” she said.
Spring sports sign-ups, including track, soccer and volleyball, start Monday, Smith added. Coaches are also needed.
Part-day preschool is now available from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday in Bldg. 408, for children ages 3 through 5.
For more information on CYS programs here, call 573.596.0200.
FMWR
Jeff Barrett spoke on behalf of FMWR’s business and recreation section, and highlighted programs, including the 1,000- and 500-pounds Club, which is held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Specker Gym. Call 573.596.7377 for more information.
The Swim Across the World series continues at Davidson Fitness Center this month with Swim Across France. The free competition tracks participants’ miles swam during lap swim hours — 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Call 573.596.4359, or check the FMWR Facebook page for the most up-to-date information on these and other upcoming classes and events at DFC.
Leisure Travel Services is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Mini Mall, and offers hundreds of discounted tickets for local and national attractions. Call 573.329.8587 for more information.
Barrett also mentioned an FMWR hiring fair, set to take place on Feb. 23 at the Bruce C. Clarke Library. Call 573.596.0241 for more information.
Religious Support Office
Martha Strong, director of Religious Education, mentioned some of the upcoming activities to be offered through the Religious Support Office, including the 10-week ChristFit — spiritual fitness for the family through faith, food and fellowship — which begins next week, and meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Main Post Chapel.
An orientation event for Financial Peace University takes place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Main Post Chapel.
A marriage wellness event that includes dinner was moved to 6 p.m. March 25 and 26 at the Main Post Chapel. Strong said the RSO is taking reservations now, and spots are available for 24 couples each evening.
Family movie night — that includes free popcorn — begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Main Post Chapel.
The Catholic Women of the Chapel are organizing a pilgrimage on March 4, to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Snows in Belleville, Illinois. Strong asked those interested to please RSVP by Feb. 18 to cwocflw@gmail.com.
Kids4Christ — for children in first through fifth grades — runs from 4:15 to 6 p.m. Mondays in Bldg. 590.
Call 573.596.0089, or visit the Fort Leonard Wood Religious Support Office Facebook page for details and the most up-to-date information.
Other announcements
Kelly Brownfield, USO Western Missouri Regional Operations director, highlighted some upcoming events at the Fort Leonard Wood USO, including a spouses’ craft social at 11 a.m. Friday. Details on more upcoming events are available here. Call 573.329.2039, or email kbrownfield@uso.org for more information.
Casey Thompson, the USO transition specialist here, also highlighted upcoming events, including a Veterans Administration home loan workshop scheduled for Feb. 23. More details are available here, or by calling 785.492.9207.
March’s forum
The next forum is tentatively scheduled for March 2. To view more information on the slides from this or previous events, click here.
Fort Leonard Wood community members may submit topics of interest or issues they feel should be addressed through the Community Information Forum via the Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, website.
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