By Samantha Harms, Fort Hood Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas — Due to an increased mission set in the Fort Hood Legal Assistance Office, tax assistance will no longer be offered for service members and retirees here.

Personnel are encouraged to consider the following options.

The first is Military OneSource MilTax. It is easy-to-use, free software for preparing and e-filing federal and state taxes. Additionally, Soldiers can call a MilTax expert 24 hours, seven days a week, at (800) 342-9647. To find more information, visit their website at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/taxes/miltax-military-tax-services/.

The second option is visiting a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance location in the area. This is free in-person assistance with federal taxes for qualifying individuals. To find the nearest VITA location, use the VITA locator tool at https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1543 or call (800) 906-9887.

FORT HOOD, Texas – Texas state legislators and their staff attended the Texas State Legislative Day Jan. 20 here. Hosted by Fort Hood and the Killeen Chamber of Commerce, the event was held to familiarize attendees with Fort Hood and the Army.

Staffers and legislators were exposed to the many resources on Fort Hood that contribute toward the preparation of Soldiers for the demanding and complex requirements of combat.

This day-long event started out with a Fort Hood overview briefing, an aerial tour of the installation from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and then watching a People First Center interactive skit about peer pressure between Soldiers and how to intervene.

“I represent Texas House District 145, and Vanessa Guillen was one of my constituents. Her family still lives in my district. So, it was really important for me to come here today because I wanted to see firsthand what Fort Hood is all about,” shared Rep. Christina Morales, Texas State House District 145. “As a person who represents that district, I’m very concerned about the safety of our servicemen and women. So, I’m happy to see that there have been improvements and I’m happy that we agree that there’s still so much more that needs to be done. And I’m optimistic that we will get there.”

Attendees were then given the opportunity to see military equipment and vehicles featuring an M1A2 Abrams tank, AH-64 Apache helicopter, MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system and a M2A3 Bradley. Soldiers were on hand at the static displays to explain what each piece of equipment is used for, how they maintain the equipment and the significance of it in combat.

“Interacting with Soldiers, saying hi, getting to kind of see like, what their background is and then going inside of the vehicles is really cool. I’ve never been inside of a military vehicle,” said Olivia Lasater, a staff member for Rep. DeWayne Burns, Texas State House District 58. “That kind of took you off into like, not another world, but he (the Soldier) really gives you an insight of what it (would) be like.”

For most of the attendees, this was their first time on the installation, which fostered an environment filled with questions and exclamations of people’s excitement at what they were seeing.

“I’ve always enjoyed teaching people about my job. It’s always been fun. If I had to describe in one word, entertainment. It was a very entertaining time having everybody around, having everybody learn,” said Spc. Nicholas Frankovich, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “Just watching people, eyes wide open and be like, ‘Oh, this is awesome,’ brings a smile on my face.”

From there, the legislators and staff met with III Armored Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General Lt. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe for lunch where he discussed Fort Hood capabilities, infrastructure, the Central Texas community and the needs of Fort Hood.

Bernabe also expressed his gratitude to the state legislators, their staff and community leaders for their part in ensuring, and preserving, Fort Hood remains the Great Place.

“Thanks for spending time with us today,” Bernabe said. “It’s really a treat for us. Our Soldiers love to talk about what they do. They love to demonstrate their expertise as members of the profession of arms and as members of the III Armored Corps. So, thanks for allowing them that chance. It’s great to see you and tell you what we do. We are proud to be a part of this community and a part of the state of Texas.”

Following lunch, legislators and staff participated in various training simulators, including medical simulations and close-combat tactical trainers. These simulators provided an opportunity to gain hands-on experience for attendees, as well as drive home what Soldiers do on a daily basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broll of the Texas Legislative Day events

Lieutenant General Sean C. Bernabe, Commanding General of the III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, speaks during Texas Legislative Day

Interview with the Fort Hood Garrison Commander Col. Chad R. Foster

Interview with Rep. Christina Morales, Texas State House District 145

FORT SILL, Oklahoma – The commander, III Armored Corps announced a deployment readiness exercise January 10^th, 2023.  The emergency deployment exercise will test the capability to alert, recall, and prepare to deploy under emergency conditions.

Deploying personnel include elements from 2^nd Battalion, 20^th Field Artillery, and the 67^th Forward Support Company, 75^th Field Artillery Brigade from Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  The deploying units fall under the III Armored Corps at Fort Hood, Texas. This exercise is also a test of the installation’s capability to support the deployment of this unit under emergency conditions.

“This Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) is an opportunity to validate our Army’s ability to deploy world-wide short notice,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, III Armored Corps, deputy commanding general. “The EDRE provides the unit an opportunity to exercise the procedures associated with recalling unit members, preparing personnel and equipment for deployment, deploying, and planning and conducting a mission. Additionally, the exercise highlights the strong commitment from the Fires Center of Excellence in supporting III Armored Corps units as their integration through installation assets is critical to the unit’s success.”

Conducting Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises validates the Army’s expeditionary capabilities to support combatant commander requirements across the globe on short notice.  Elements from the 2^nd Battalion, 20^th Field Artillery, and the 67^th Forward Support Company, 75^th Field Artillery Brigade will deploy to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California to participate in routine training.

For any question or additional information, please contact III Armored Corps Public Affairs office at [email protected].

FORT HOOD, Texas — Lt. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood’s commanding general, in conjunction with the City of Killeen Chamber of Commerce will host a Texas Legislative Day Jan. 20 here.

Texas Legislative Day is a day-long event that will bring together Texas government officials and their staffs to gain hands-on experience with a variety of military equipment as well as participating in various training simulators at Fort Hood while having numerous opportunities to interact with Soldiers. They will be exposed to the many resources on Fort Hood that contribute toward the preparation of Soldiers for the demanding and complex requirements of combat.

Opportunities will be available for brief interviews with the Texas government officials during the morning portion of their tour.

Media desiring to cover the event should call (254) 449-5298 no later than 3 p.m. Jan. 19. A public affairs representative will meet media in the southside parking lot of the Marvin Leath Visitors Welcome Center at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 20.

FORT HOOD, Texas — III Armored Corps and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood leadership formally recognized a retired Soldier for his gallantry during the Vietnam War. Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding general, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, presented Staff Sgt. (Ret.) John Footman the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for valor in a ceremony Jan. 11 here.

Footman, a Vietnam War veteran, was presented his awards 33 years after his retirement from the Army.

Footman, who retired from active-duty service after 20 years, was deployed to Vietnam twice in his career. Footman was never formally presented his awards for his service and gallantry during combat. Upon hearing the story, Fort Hood leadership stepped in to change that.

The Bronze Star Medal with Valor was presented to Footman, for distinguishing himself by outstanding meritorious service in connection with ground operations against a hostile force on July 15, 1970, in the Republic of Vietnam.

“I feel really great right now,” Footman said following the ceremony. “This was a great ceremony, a great event and something that I waited for longer than I thought.”

The ceremony was hosted by the Fort Hood Garrison commander, Col. Chad Foster. The awards were presented by the III Armored Corps commanding general, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe.

Footman is a native of Tallahassee, Florida. He was drafted into the Army in June 1967 as an infantryman and served as a cavalry scout throughout the remainder of his military career.

Footman’s assignments included serving in Germany, Vietnam and various U.S. assignments. He retired in July 1987 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

“Military service relates to the past,” Foster said. “We stand on the shoulders of those military families that served in the past.”

Sergeant Maj. (Ret.) Joe Gainey, the first senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, was also in attendance and echoed Foster’s sentiment.

“When they handed him that Purple Heart and that Bronze Star, it let me know for a fact that this general, and his command, cares about his troops,” Gainey said. “I know that because he showed us that he takes care of his people whether they’re former or currently serving Soldiers.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broll of the ceremony. Login to DVIDS in order to view the high resolution download.

By Janecze Wright
Fort Hood Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas — Thousands of Soldiers, family members, veterans and members of the community gathered to connect with employers at the Mega Career Fair Jan. 10 at the Lone Star Convention Center here.

The Fort Hood Transition Assistance Program, which helps to prepare service members as they transition from military to civilian life, hosted the event to bridge the gap between employer and prospective employee.

Jerry Hernandez, marketing manager for TAP, explained that the TAP process can start as early as two years out from retirement, and the event was great resource to help service members start the process.

“No matter where you are in the (TAP) process as you get ready to transition out of the military … you have some that can be two years up in advance or some that are 30 days, we have employers here that are ready to hire,” Hernandez said.

Nearly 200 employers crowded around the stage in the main ballroom before the start of the event to listen as Col. Chad R. Foster, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Hood commander, encouraged them to open their arms to job seekers and be willing to take a chance on some of them.

“It’s our soldiers that have been our credentials for however many years of service they have given to their country, they soon become your credentials, at your places of employment, at your businesses,” Foster expressed.

“Find a way to get to yes on someone that you’ve got a good feeling about. Find a way to get to yes on someone that’s here, putting themselves out there, and looking for that hand up, as they transition to that next phase in their lives. I don’t think you’re going to regret it if you do,” Foster declared.

The event is the largest career fair in the Department of Defense with over 100,000 employment opportunities available to 3,500-5,000 attendees.

Employers from as far away as Canada were on hand to speak with job seekers, discuss their organizations and relay what they look for in a potential hire.

Workforce Solutions Panhandle was new to the event and eager to connect with job seekers.

“This provides us a great opportunity to really go out of our area and hopefully bring some really talented people back home with us,” said Phillip Flores, Workforce Solutions Panhandle business services representative.

“This is the best opportunity that we have in order to get people with the skills that our employers are looking for,” he added.

Soldiers, family members and veterans took full advantage of the opportunity to make lasting first impressions on representatives from local, state, national and international companies.

Sgt. Lakisha Miller, 20^th Engineer Battalion, plans to transition in July 2024 after eight years of service to become an RN. She was thankful for the opportunity to speak with potential employers face to face.

“To be here, to get the information, to be able to understand the processes that we have to go through to transition to our next career, it’s very important,” she stated.

The event not only makes it convenient for Soldiers to meet with representatives from in-demand career fields, but it also provides a plethora of potential hires for companies to choose from.

“This makes it seem as the employers are competing with each other to get me, instead of me competing with all the other service members to get one of them,” said Sgt. First Class Jason Smith, 36th Engineer Brigade. “So I don’t have to sell myself, but they’re going to sell themselves to me.”

Smith transitions in about four months after 15 years of service and hoped the event would help him choose a civilian career field.

Larissa Spiller, manufacturing leadership recruiter at Tesla, said that service members have many of the skills required to be successful at her organization, making them prime recruits.

“We’re always rolling with the punches, so we need people to have that flexibility, know how to jump in and do something that maybe is not really with their job title,” she explained. “With military personnel, it’s a big thing, that’s part of your strategy, that’s part of your training, so we definitely appreciate that and think that’s one of the main qualities we need as well at Tesla.”

This is one of several career fairs that happen throughout the year. Contact Fort Hood TAP at (254) 287-3513 for more information.

Broll of the Mega Career Fair. Login to DVIDS to see the high resolution download.

 

FORT HOOD, Texas — In a press release issued Jan. 10 on Army.mil, the Department of the Army announced the winners of the 2022 Army Community Partnership Awards.

Of the seven community partnerships recognized, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood was awarded three. One for a partnership with the City of Killeen, Texas, Fire Department; one for a partnership with the City of Killeen Regional Airport and one for a partnership with the Central Texas Emergency Management Working Group.

“The partnerships recognized here are great examples of the unmatched level of support and cooperation that our installation enjoys with the Central Texas Community,” Col. Chad R. Foster, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood commander, said. “Our community partnerships play a key role in building a safer, better quality of life where we all live, work, and play. I want to thank our partners for what they do every day to support the Soldiers and Military Families at the Great Place.”

The seven awards will be recognized during a virtual Pentagon awards ceremony from 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 21. The installations and their community partners are being recognized for forming innovative partnerships to improve quality of life for Soldiers and their families, enhance readiness, modernize services, provide efficiencies, expand capabilities, strengthen community relations and contribute to reform initiatives throughout the Army.

The Army deputy chief of staff for installations and the assistant secretary of Army for installations echoed Foster’s sentiment for all Army installations including the four other partnerships recognized today. The other awards went to Fort Riley and the Unified School District 475, Kansas; USAG Daegu, and the Gyeong-Sang Buk Do Province, South Korea; Rock Island Arsenal and the City of Rock Island, Illinois; and Fort Carson and the City of Fountain, Texas.

“These partnerships are an outstanding opportunity for the installations and their communities,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy chief of staff for installations (G-9).

“These transformative partnerships will improve the quality of life for our Soldiers, families and neighbors in surrounding communities, with whom we interact daily, and will simultaneously increase our level of readiness,” said Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.

The seven awardees are:

Fort Riley and the Unified School District 475: Fort Riley submitted the first Design-Build Capital Improvement, Repaired and Maintenance Intergovernmental Support Agreement with their partner, Unified School District 475. This IGSA expands mission capability and improves training capabilities through a cost-effective modernization of facilities required to train and prepare units to conduct multi-domain operations. This IGSA creates a 49% cost savings for the Army and stabilized the contract workforce supporting USD 475. This resulted in an 83% procurement time savings that expands operational capabilities and improves community relations.

Fort Hood and the City of Killeen Fire Department: The City of Killeen Fire Department and the Fort hood Directorate of Emergency Services are partnered with a mutual-aid agreement for emergency management, structural emergencies, wildland fires and swift-water rescue support. This agreement responds to initial fire suppression protection to all of Fort Hood’s non-continuous housing villages, where nearly 1,500 Soldiers and families live. KFD recently provided substantial mutual aid assistance to help extinguish a 33,000+ acre wildland fire. This collaboration has evolved into a seamless partnership between the two communities that resulted in combined training in live fire structures, as well as swift-water and boat operator training on Fort Hood.

USAG Daegu and the Gyeong-Sang Buk Do Province: USAG Daegu Fire Department and Gyeong-Sang Buk Do Province, Republic of Korea, have worked together through a mutual-aid agreement to protect over 20,000 square miles of the most geographically separated garrison, protecting 11,000 U.S. personnel and over 5 million Korean nationals. The two communities have joined forces and conduct monthly recon meetings to bring both fire departments together and integrate their capabilities to provide reciprocal resources. Quarterly meetings are held with mayors, staff and emergency responders to prepare for upcoming events, including 30 fire station tours for students, work with local orphanages and schools, and hosting fire prevention week activities for children.

Fort Hood and the City of Killeen Regional Airport: Robert Gray Army Airfield and Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport signed a joint-use agreement in 2001, and an intergovernmental support agreement is now in place to share responsibility for the maintenance of all airfield infrastructure at RGAAF. This enhances operation and mission capabilities to sustain and upgrade airfield infrastructure. This IGSA has decreased pavement maintenance timeliness, and added efficiencies such as increased response to identify pavement deficiencies. Additionally, as payment in kind for the initial investment by the City of Killeen, Fort Hood provides all air-traffic control and crash rescue support to K-FHRA. Between 50-60% of KFHRA traffic is Fort Hood-centric.

Fort Hood and the Central Texas Emergency Management Working Group: This partnership improves training capabilities by bringing together emergency management subject matter experts from Fort Hood and the Central Texas community. This working group partnership includes Bell County, Coryell County, the city of Killeen, the city of Copperas Cove, the Killeen School District, the American Red Cross, and the United Services Organization for Emergency Management Preparedness. This working group is instrumental for USAG Fort Hood to provide targeted preparedness information to Soldiers, families, civilians and contractors. This partnership improves the ability to anticipate resource requirements and incident impacts during real-world emergency response.

Rock Island Arsenal and the City of Rock Island: This 10-year intergovernmental support agreement pertains to water treatment and distribution system plant operations and maintenance, waste-water collection, waste-water treatment and exterior electrical lighting maintenance. This partnership gives Rock Island Arsenal the ability to leverage the City of Rock Island’s experience and expertise in providing these municipal services. This partnership also created a revenue stream for the City of Rock Island, which allowed them to purchase a bucket truck to be used on and off post for electrical services. This IGSA has promoted a bond of mutual trust and confidence in each partner’s ability to communicate, plan and execute mutually beneficial partnerships.

Fort Carson and the City of Fountain: Fort Carson has established two 10-year IGSAs with the City of Fountain for general facility construction and pest control. This partnership significantly shortens the bidding and contractor selection process for small projects or repairs, allowing for faster delivery of services and capabilities to our Soldiers, civilians and family members. The general facility construction partnership allowed for the completion of an electrical project inside a hangar to provide a reliable electrical source to power a downdraft table. These partnerships with the City of Fountain have streamlined the work-order process and made staff more timely and efficient, allowing Fort Carson to maintain its mission and readiness initiatives.

The Army Community Partnership Awards Program seeks to highlight examples of exceptional cooperation and diligence that will encourage continued collaboration to achieve the full potential of community partnerships.

Awardees included partnerships signed in fiscal years 2019-2022 by garrisons, reserve centers and armories. Submissions were evaluated using the following criteria:

• improves Soldier/family quality of life
• improves or enhances readiness
• modernizes a service, system or process
• provides cost or other efficiencies
• expands capability
• improves community relations

For additional information, please contact David Leinberger at [email protected].