1Z 8avar|ar NeWs 3epleroer 28, 2011

NeWs
USACE projects still
continue aIter EIfcient
Basing GraI initiative
By 1ennifer Aldridge and
Rachel V. Goodspeed
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Europe District
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany In April
2010, oIfcials Irom all over the U.S.
Army celebrated the turnover oI the fnal
construction project as part oI EIfcient
Basing GraIenwoehr, a U.S. Army Europe
program designed to upgrade the Army`s
premiere training Iacility outside oI the
United States.
The U.S. Army Corps oI Engineers
Europe District celebrated successIul
management oI EBG projects 80 proj-
ects over seven years, more than $750
million oI the $1.1 billion program.
But despite the ceremonious comple-
tion oI EBG, GraIenwoehr Training Area
continues to evolve and grow with rough-
ly $50 million planned in construction
through 2015, and according to oIfcials,
there`s still more work to be done.
'One oI the things I always fnd in-
teresting is that a lot oI people think that
we`re done dealing with construction
here, and actually we`re not, said Col.
Vann Smiley, U.S. Army Garrison GraIen-
woehr commander. 'While we may be at
the tail end, we have a lot oI construction
projects still ongoing and still planning
Ior the Iuture.
As work continues here, the goal is to
keep the momentum created during EBG
and apply the lessons learned to ongoing
projects, explained Peter Barth, Europe
District regional program manager.
'We still have a pretty decent workload
here in GraIenwoehr, he said. 'The Ioot-
print oI the garrison was almost doubled
by EBG, meaning that they have a lot more
maintenance. We have a couple oI inter-
esting projects the outdoor recreation
center that we just started construction on
and we also have a chapel in design.
Additional projects include six single-
Soldier barracks (three oI which are cur-
rently being awarded to industry), Air
Support Operations Squadron and Un-
manned Aerial System Iacilities, and a
dental clinic. Renovations to various mili-
tary Iamily housing units, training range
upgrades and additions to maintenance
Iacilities are also in the works.
'Here at GraIenwoehr, we have not
really slowed down much. My staII, the
DPW, has not grown nearly as quickly
as our buildings have grown, said Andy
Spendlove, director oI the garrison`s Di-
rectorate oI Public Works.
The post went Irom roughly 800
active duty Soldiers to 3,500, not in-
cluding civilian employees and Iam-
ily members. The GraIenwoehr Train-
ing Area is the U.S. Army`s largest
overseas training area and also serves
as a platIorm Ior multinational train-
ing. Two oI the Iour maneuver brigades
in U.S. Army Europe are stationed here.
Outdoor Recreation
'A lot oI people think that (EBG)
chapter`s been closed, but there is an on-
going eIIort here, Audre Binder, Direc-
torate oI Family and Morale, WelIare and
Recreation director said. 'As the director
oI FMWR, my work is not yet done.
For example, the 7.7 million euro out-
door recreation complex, Iunded with non-
appropriated Iunds and being construction
through USACE, will include a multipur-
pose room, cabins, campgrounds, a climb-
ing tower, a ropes course and a paintball
course. Additionally, with its convenient
location next to Dickhaeuter Lake, boating
and canoeing will also be available.
'Our Soldiers and our Iamilies have ba-
sically been in a constant state oI deploy-
ment Ior 10 years. We know when our Sol-
diers come back, it`s diIfcult to come out
oI a red zone where there`s a high state oI
alertness, Binder said. 'There`s a whole
lot they`re dealing with and we needed to
give them an opportunity to work oII some
oI that anxiety, work through some oI that
stress. We needed to do that on the instal-
lation, not oII the installation.
The main purpose oI the Iacility is to
provide redeployed troops a place where
they can relieve stress in a healthy man-
ner by the introduction oI high-risk, low-
threat activities. The program is being co-
ordinated in conjunction with the Warrior
Adventure Quest, which takes redeployed
troops and introduces them to a new skill
set such as rock climbing. Engaging in
team activities such rock climbing or
ropes courses allow Soldiers to decom-
press as a unit in a saIe, positive way.
The new outdoor recreation center will
allow Soldiers and their Iamilies to decom-
press through their choice oI activities.
Netzaberg Chapel
Additionally, a new chapel Ior the
Netzaberg housing area is in the works,
Iorecasted to be the largest chapel in Eu-
rope, Barth said.
'The chapels that we have now are
old. They`re small, tough to handle the
population that we have now so the one at
Netzaberg is a Iantastic Iacility in terms oI
what it`s designed to be so hopeIully that
comes to Iruition, Smiley said.
With more than 800 units in Netza-
berg, the chapel will not only serve as a
religious service Iacility, the additional
classrooms and large open spaces will al-
low Iamilies to use the building Ior com-
munity activities and events, Barth said.
'We don`t have a place like that here,
said Andrea Hoesl, a project manager with
the DPW. 'It will be directly co-located
with the schools, the youth services cen-
ter and the CDC. It`s really the center oI
liIe Ior the Iamilies so this is the perIect
location Ior it.
Designated as an enduring base, units
not only use the training area to prepare
Ior combat, they also live here.
According to DPW, transIorming
GraIenwoehr into an enduring base has
improved the quality-oI-liIe Ior Soldiers
and their Iamilies. Soldiers stationed here
now train where they live a Ieature that
benefts the Soldiers, their Iamilies and
even the U.S. taxpayers, Spendlove said.
'A Solider lives on post, he goes
into the Iront door oI the company ops,
he changes, he goes out the back door
right into his vehicle, does his training,
comes back, reverses it, comes out the
Iront door and he`s on his own time,
Spendlove said. 'It`s a much higher
quality-oI-liIe Ior the Soldiers. Training
is more eIfcient, we save more than $25
million a year in transportation costs.
One-stop shopping
One oI the lingering memories oI EBG
is the baudeinstelle, a specialized team
Iormed to coordinate the entire EBG pro-
gram. The cell co-located members Irom
the USACE Europe District, the garrison`s
DPW and the local German construction
authority (known as the Baumter) on the
installation.
Although the cell has downsized since
the completion oI the EBG program, the
concept is still very much alive and con-
tinues to work with projects across the in-
stallation, Smiley said.
'Even though we drew down the size
oI those (EBG) oIfces, ... we still have
the historical knowledge and we still have
the ability to respond to diIIerent things,
he said. 'There were some synergies well
beIore I got here in terms oI monitoring
the construction, ensuring that we were
meeting standards and then we were able
to adjust to any issues or problems as they
occurred.
The co-location provided eIfcien-
cies that helped speed up communication
and decision making during EBG, help-
ing keep projects on time, on budget and
averting the domino-like eIIect should a
project be delayed, Hoesl said.
Building strong in Bavaria
Design continues
on a new chapeI-
compIex to be
Iocated in the
Netzaberg miIitary
famiIy housing
area.
Photos by
Rachel V. Goodspeed
Contractors continue construction, Aug. 17, on the $9.8 miIIion Outdoor
Recreation Center near the Grafenwoehr Training Area. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Europe District is managing the project. Construc-
tion is scheduIed to be compIete in 2013.
said Petersen, 'but you really
need to perIorm and connect
with the audience.
Making that connection has
come easily to this year`s semi-
fnalists. For some, though, it
has taken more eIIort. Stepha-
nie Lewis perIormed through-
out her childhood and adoles-
cence, but she took a 10-year
break to raise a Iamily. Then
anxiety set in time was slip-
ping by. 'I realized that part
oI me was dying on the vine,
explained Lewis. 'I needed to
keep singing, just Ior Iun, just
Ior my own soul.
She promised her Iamily
she would give Rising Star a
shot. Lewis` biggest motivator
was showing her daughter how
to overcome nerves.
Competitor Command Sgt.
Maj. Steve Schwartz echoed
Lewis` reasons, saying he per-
Iormed mainly to be a good
role model Ior his fve chil-
dren, but also to have Iun. In
Iact, nearly all oI the singers
declared that having a good
time was their primary reason
Ior doing Operation Rising
Star. But more than one openly
yearned Ior the grand prize.
Spc. Joshua Baumbach
started singing at age 7 and,
at one point, attempted a Iull-
time stage career. Baumbach
still dreams oI getting a record-
ing contract, but he had a rival
several steps away.
'I really want this, and I
will fght to the end Ior it, said
PIc. Hector Pedroza. For him,
the competition began during
morning PT. His unit wanted
prooI Pedroza had the goods
beIore they would get behind
him, so he sang Ior them.
'It was nerve-racking, ex-
plained Pedroza. 'It was right
in the morning . right beIore
PT, so I was groggy, but I went
Ior it and I got through it. The
command perIormance earned
him a sizeable cheering section
at the PerIorming Arts Center.
Having Ians in the seats,
both during the second and
third rounds, was more than
just a morale booster. Audi-
ence members received a bal-
lot so they could vote Ior their
Iavorite perIormers. The audi-
ence votes were counted and
matched evenly against the
judges` votes, giving the con-
testants a potential leg-up.
BeIore the judging com-
menced, singers belted out
various hits Irom country to
disco to Rat Pack-style croon-
ing. StaII Sgt. Darren McGraw
connected with everyone by
changing the lyrics oI Ray
Charles` classic about Georgia
to 'CONUS on my Mind. His
nostalgia Ior the simple plea-
sures oI America also got judge
Markie Richer`s attention.
'I want to commend you on
taking something that`s a stan-
dard song and personalizing
it to your own situation, said
Richer. 'Wow, that`s a giIt in
itselI right there.
Corl|rued lror pae 1
These adrenaline pumping
adventures tested the limits
and abilities oI the recently re-
deployed Soldiers as part oI the
Warrior Adventure Quest pro-
gram. Numerous 2CR Soldiers
have fltered through the WAQ
program over the last three
months as part oI the Army`s
holistic approach to reset its
Soldiers Iollowing a long de-
ployment.
WAQ was introduced to
the GraIenwoehr community
more than two years ago has
had continued success. During
a long deployment, an adrena-
line rush can become a normal
part oI a Soldier`s everyday
liIe. While many oI the adven-
tures oIIered through the pro-
gram parallel the intensity Sol-
diers Ieel downrange, through
WAQ, they are exposed to
healthy alternative high-adren-
aline activities in a saIe, con-
trolled environment.
Additionally, the program
provides Soldiers with coping
skills that can address unre-
solved transition issues, build
unit cohesion and morale, and
contribute to combat readiness.
The Rose Barracks` Out-
door Recreation provides
WAQ adventures fve days a
week and although the ele-
ments change slightly day-
to-day, the goal is always the
same.
'It`s about the rush, said
Pvt. 2 Ethan Strouse. 'I believe
in this program. It`s a great out-
let.
StaII Sgt. Todd Cozort
agreed.
'I think a program like this
really works, said Cozort. 'A
lot oI the guys are reminded oI
their time in AIghanistan, the
intensity is the same, but it`s
controlled. It`s saIe.
Throughout the day, Sol-
diers challenged themselves
by negotiating numerous chal-
lenges on the high ropes course,
rock climbing and rappelling,
and also working together as a
team to navigate a 20-Ioot wall
Ior the team challenge.
'You can see the cohesion,
the guys work together and
accomplish tasks they may
not have otherwise, said JeII
Carson, program manager Ior
WAQ. 'Most guys are volun-
told` to be here, but at the end
oI the day, they want to be here
and they want to come back.
You see a real appreciation Ior
the activity and program.
Carson hopes the Soldiers
who participate in the program
will continue to take advantage
oI the everyday adventures oI-
Iered through ODR.
From klettersteig to caving,
whitewater raIting, hiking and
mountain biking, ODR and
the WAQ program provide an
outlet Ior redeploying Soldiers,
deploying Soldiers and every-
one in between.
'It`s not your normal work-
day, said Carson. 'And that`s
our goal.
Corl|rued lror pae 1
WAQ makes it right
From Ieft: 2CR
SoIdiers Spc.
Lucas McTyre,
Pfc. Jordan
CoIe and Pvt.2
Ethan Strouse
give Spc.
Joshua San-
chez a heIping
hand during a
team buiIding
exercise as part
of the WAQ pro-
gram, Sept. 15.
Singers bring it home
Corl|rued lror pae 1
Martindale ready to lead in Hohenfels
together, Spiszer said.
'Any colonel would give his right arm
Ior this proIessional opportunity and such
a great mission and such a great team,
said Spiszer. 'A great team made up oI
great people.
Though excited Ior his new assign-
ment in Wiesbaden, Spiszer declared
there was no better place or job in the
Army, than commanding JMRC at Ho-
henIels.
'And you`re coming at a great time,
Spiszer said to Martindale. 'A perIect
time to inject your more recent and rel-
evant experiences into the training mis-
sion, your energy into the HohenIels
Military Community, and your vision Ior
what lies ahead.
Martindale and the 'Raider Brigade
recently returned Irom a yearlong de-
ployment in support oI Operation Endur-
ing Freedom as the frst heavy brigade
combat team in AIghanistan. Assuming
operational control in Kandahar Province
in southern AIghanistan, Martindale`s
unit conducted deliberate clearance op-
erations in Kandahar City, the Arghandab
River Valley, Shah Wali Kot and Khakrez
districts.
'(Martindale`s) qualifcations to lead
this nation`s premier training center are
truly remarkable, said Boozer.
Martindale said the Spiszer leIt big
shoes to fll, and pledged to carry on his
traditions oI community spirit. He also
said he could tell how serious the Soldiers
and civilians took their duty in preparing
units Ior combat.
'As we stand here today, the war
continues in AIghanistan, and Soldiers
remain in harm`s way in Iraq, said Mar-
tindale. 'Other contingency operations
loom on the horizon and it is here, in the
fnest training center in Europe, where we
will prepare Soldiers Ior the challenges
that lie ahead.