Pentagram 110113

LeadershipE-4s learnvaluable skillspage 10

KudosATM organizers

recognizedpage 3

Published for Joint Base Myer-Henderson HallVol. 60, no. 42 November 1, 2013

IndexCommunity Spotlight p.2Commentary p.3Community p.4News Notes p.4Feature p.6Classifieds p.11

Giving thanksDirectorate of ResourceManagement in thespotlightPg. 9

HQ hauntingsIs a 100-year-old nursespooking JBM-HH?Pg. 4

Pentagram26.2

By Rhonda ApplePentagram Staff Writer

On any given Sunday before dawn, themajority of streets around the NationalCapital Region have little traffic and veryfew people are filing onto the sidewalks andpathways. However, Oct. 27 was not yourtypical Sunday. It was the day of the “People’sMarathon” – the 38th annual Marine CorpsMarathon.Thousands of runners, supporters, mara-

thon staff, charity organizers and volunteers– including Marines stationed throughout theNCR – began to congregate near the Marine

Corps War Memorial and along the entirerace course from Arlington, into Washingtonand back toward Rosslyn before daylight.Excitement filled the crisp morning air, withthe temperature hovering around 49 degrees.MCM announcer Rob Power’s upbeat voice

boomed with encouragement and inspira-tional messages as runners gathered at themarathon arch, located between ArlingtonNational Cemetery and the Pentagon onRoute 110. Among the 30,000 registered mar-athoners were those wearing trash bags foradded warmth over their running clothes.

38th Marine Corps Marathonflanked by supporters

PHOTO BY RACHEL LARUE

Girma Bedada (upper left), runs the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 27. He went on to win with a time of2:21:31.

see MARATHON, page 8

By Julia LeDouxPentagram Staff Writer

Groceries were not the only itemsbeing unloaded Oct. 25 at the commis-sary on Joint Base Myer-HendersonHall.The military food store served as a

local drop-off location forNational DrugTake-Back Initiative day.“I really worry about the narcotic

ones,” said Maggie Maguire as shetossed her unwanted prescriptiondrugs into a cardboard box located nearthe store’s entrance. “I don’t want themaround.”Sponsored by the installation’s Army

Substance Abuse Program office and

other agencies, the event provides anopportunity for people to safely disposeof their unwanted or unused prescrip-tion drugs in a safe and environmental-ly friendlymanner, saidJBM-HHArmySubstance Abuse Program CoordinatorGeorge Suber.“Law enforcement is going to trans-

port [what we collect] down to the DEA[Drug Enforcement Agency] substationat [Reagan]National Airport,” he con-tinued. “They actually take it back toVirginia State Police. They take it outto an undisclosed area and burn all ofthis up.”JBM-HH partnered with the

National Guard Bureau in collectingthe unwanted items last week, added

Suber.Calling the day a really big help,

Maguire recalled “a time when peoplewere flushing them [unwanted orunused prescription drugs] down thetoilet. But then the streams weregetting pollutedwith the various drugs.This way, they’re prescriptions, youturn them in.”ArmySgt.StuartArnett,noncommis-

sioned officer in charge at the AndrewRader U.S. Army Health Clinic, saidthe joint base hosts a prescription drugtake-back day every six months.“The only things we don’t take back

are injectables,” he said.Suber and Arnett manned the drop-

JBM-HH community gets rid of unwanted meds

see TAKE BACK, page 5


Andrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic phar-macy NCOIC Sgt. Stuart Arnett, (left) andArmy Substance Abuse Program PreventionCoordinator George Suber, (center) collectitems from Maggie Maguire, (right) duringDrug Take-Back Day on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in the commissary Oct. 25.

By Jim DresbachPentagram Staff Writer

Nearly a half century ago, Americans witnesseda late November darkness that was eventually illu-minated by an eternal flame.On Oct. 29, that flame at the John F. Kennedy

gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery wastransferred from temporary to permanent statusby Secretary of the Army John McHugh and thecemetery’s Chief Engineer and Acting Chief ofStaff Army Col. Michelle Stewart.The temporary flame has been used at the JFK

burial site since April so construction upgradescould be performed. The U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers Norfolk District and construction part-ners combined to finish a number of tasks before theassassination anniversary. The project replaced theburner assembly and the supporting infrastructureincluding gas, electric and compressed air lines forthe flame as well as installed new drainage linesbelow the flame. Workers also relocated gas pres-sure regulators from inside to outside the chamberto provide easier maintenance and access.“An upgrade such as this can be challenging for

any project, but even more so for such an iconicsymbol that remained so visible to the public duringconstruction,” Army National Military Cemeteriesand Arlington National Cemetery ExecutiveDirector Patrick K. Hallinan told a gathered crowdof several hundred during the 20-minute ceremony.He called the transfer “an historic event” and

explained that millions of servicemembers andtourists from around the world have traveled toArlington to pay respect to the 35th president ofthe United States and his family at the Cape Codfieldstone grave, which is highlighted by a five-footcircular flat-granite stone that rests below the re-transferred perpetual flame.“And they come to see the eternal flame,” the

executive director said. “[It is] the embodiment ofhope and renewal – a symbol that is just as rel-evant today as it was then.”

JFK flametransfer startsmonth ofremembrance

see FLAME, page 5

2 Friday, November 1, 2013 PENTAGRAM

The Pentagram is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents ofthe Pentagram are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense,the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, or Joint BaseMyer-Henderson Hall.

The content of this publication is the responsibility of the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall PublicAffairs Office. Pictures not otherwise credited are U.S. Army photographs. News items should besubmitted to the Pentagram, 204 Lee Ave., Bldg. 59, Fort Myer, VA 22211-1199. They may also befaxed to (703) 696-0055 or e-mailed to [email protected].

Circulation of 24,000 is printed by offset every Friday as a civilian enterprise newspaper by ComprintMilitary Publications. ComprintMilitary Publications is located at 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg,MD20877. Telephone (301) 921-2800. Commercial advertising should be placedwith the printer.

Comprint Military Publications is a private firm in no way connected with the Department of theArmy or Department of the Navy.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication, to include all inserts and supplements,does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the Army or Department of the Navy ofthe products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made avail-able for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser,user or patron. A confirmed violation of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser shall resultin the refusal to print advertising from that source.

Printed on recycled paper

http://www.army.mil/jbmhh

Editorial staff

Commander Col. Fern O. Sumpter

Command Sergeant Major Earlene Y. Lavender

Director of Public Affairs Mary Ann Hodges

Command Information Officer Sharon Walker

Pentagram staff

Editor Courtney Dock (703) 696-5401

Staff Writer Rhonda Apple (703) 696-1363

Staff Writer Julia LeDoux (703) 696-7605

Staff Writer Jim Dresbach (703) 696-5488

Staff Photographer Rachel Larue (703) 696-7606

Pentagram


Semper FiBallard Hall crosses the Marine Corps Marathon finish line as Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos (right) watches Oct. 27. For more photos, logonto www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh.

Caption This #40If you’ve ever looked at a photo, read the caption underneath and thoughtyou could do better, now is your chance. Each week, “Caption This” willhave a photo taken from around the base. It’s up to you to figure out thebest, funniest or craziest caption that describes what’s going on in the pic-ture. The only rule is you have to KEEP IT CLEAN!“Caption This” submissions can be sent either by emailing them to [email protected], commenting on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/jbmhh or just stopping by Headquarters Bldg. 59, suite 116 and drop-ping it off. Don’t forget to add the “Caption This” number, your name, rankor position and where you work.Every week the Pentagram staff will pick their favorite. The winner’sname, caption along with the photo, will be printed in the newspaper. Com-pete with your friends and coworkers and see who can come up with thebest one. And if you have a photo you think would make a great “CaptionThis,” send it in.

Caption This

Caption This #39“No, you do it like this.”

Adam Runk

PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. NATHAN AKRIDGE

Commander, Joint Base Myer-Henderson HallCol. Fern O. Sumpter’s vision and philosophy:

With a team of resource management savvy and technically competentDoD professionals, establish JBM–HH as DoD’s premier provider of consis-tent, quality services that enhance readiness and the overall well-being ofour customers.We must be ...- Experts at what we do … constantly improving our skills and knowledge.- Focused … set priorities and complete the mission.- Committed … to the mission and each other, fostering a community of

excellence.- Professional/respectful … remain calm, even when others are not…

count on each other at all times, treating everyone with dignityand respect.

•Name (rank)?Staff Sgt. AlbertoRodriguez•Job title/where do you work? HQ Co.,HQSVC Bn., HQMC, Henderson Hall,Admin. Chief.•Military service? USMC.•Favorite sports team? New YorkYankees, FC Barcelona.•Favorite Book? “A message to Gareia”by Elbert Hubbard, “Blink” by MalcolmGladwell and “The Alchemist” by PauloCoelho.•Favorite food? Pork chops and Phillysushi roll.•Favorite band/music artist? Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”•Favorite movie? “Fight Club.”•Favorite place you’ve ever traveled to or been stationed?Palma de Majorca, Spain; Malta; Kyoto, Japan.•What do you like most about working on/visiting JBM-HH?The Cpl. Terry L. Smith Gym.•What are your goals for the year? Finish writing a book.•What do you like most about living in the National CapitalRegion? The city-like environment, D.C. events, the parks,museums and the night life (Adams Morgan).•What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Every personis responsible for their own actions and well-being. “If people aregood only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward,then we are a sorry lot indeed,” Albert Einstein.

Community Spotlight

PENTAGRAM Friday, November 1, 2013 3

Veterans Day holiday hoursMost offices on Joint Base Myer-Henderson

Hall will be closed Nov. 11 in observance ofVeterans Day, a federal holiday. Some militaryactivities will have curtailed operations Friday,Nov. 8, to allow for a training holiday for mili-tary personnel.

The following facilities and places of busi-ness will have altered hours during the upcom-ing holiday. Unless otherwise noted, this listapplies to Nov. 11. This list is not all encompass-ing. Please check with the facility you wish tovisit for more details.• Headquarters Command Battalion – Nov.

8 (curtailed operations) and 11 (closed).• Old Post and Memorial Chapel – Closed.• Rader Health Clinic – Closed.• Rader Dental Clinic – Closed.• Fort McNair Health Clinic – Closed.• Commissary – Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

holiday hours.• Fort Myer Exchange – Open from 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m.• Fort Myer Shoppette – Open from 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m.• Fort McNair Shoppette – Closed.• Subway – Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.• Flower Shop – Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Barber Shop (Fort Myer) – Open from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Barber Shop (Henderson Hall) – Openfrom 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Barber Shop (Fort McNair) – Closed.• Cleaners/Alteration – Open from 9 a.m. to

3 p.m.• GNC – Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Optical Shop - Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Firestone – Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.• Marine Corps Exchange, The Vineyard

Wine & Spirits – Open from 10 a.m. to 6p.m.

• CYSS – Closed.• Army Community Service – Closed.• Fort Myer Fitness Center – Open from 9

a.m. to 5 p.m.• Fort McNair Fitness Center – Closed.• Cpl. Terry L. Smith Gymnasium – Open

9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec Pool – Closed.• Library – Closed.• Recreation Center – Closed.• USO - Closed.• Auto Shop – Closed.• Fort Myer Officers Club – Closed.• Fort McNair Officers Club – Closed.• Spates Community Club – Closed.• Java Café – Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Bowling Center – Open noon to 6 p.m.• MCCS Henderson Hall Car Wash – Open

24/7.• Legal Services & Claims Office – Closed.

Change of seasonSteve Kurtiak

Driving DirectorateU.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center

Fort Rucker, Ala.

One of the most beautiful times of theyear for a motorcycle ride is during the fallas nature’s colors reach their full brilliance.However, despite the season’s beauty, fall canbe an especially dangerous time for riders.With days getting shorter and temperaturesfalling, motorcyclists need to adjust theirriding techniques accordingly.See and be seenAs the days shorten, you’ll be spending more

time riding in the dark. While you’ll be able toenjoy some beautiful sunrises and sunsets asyou ride to and from work, you’ll also have todeal with the sun’s glare. That glare, especiallywhen the sun is low on the horizon, can makeit hard for drivers to see you or you to seethe road. You have probably experienced thismany times in a car.Despite leaning your head back, pulling

down the sun visor and wearing your sunglass-es, you’re still partially blinded by the glare.This problem can be worse for motorcyclists.Even if your helmet has a visor or tinted shieldto reduce the glare, you’ll still have problemsseeing oncoming traffic. If you can’t reduce theglare, you’ll have to hold your head so you cansee the road while trying to keep the sun out ofyour eyes. This usually means riding with yourhead in an awkward, tucked position.To be seen, you need to position yourself

in your lane where you’ll be as visible as pos-sible to oncoming traffic. This is particularlyimportant when approaching intersections,where the bottom-line rule is to always assumesomeone will pull out in front of you.You need to prepare yourself for that by

adjusting your speed accordingly, being readyto maneuver quickly and always leaving your-self a way out. While these tips apply yearround, they’re especially important in thefall, when the sun’s glare makes it harder forothers to see you during sunrise and sunset.Slip-sliding awayFalling leaves present their own hazards.

Wet leaves reduce traction and can makeriding to work or taking weekend trips ontwisty, two-lane roads more dangerous. Smartriders adjust their speed going into curvesand look well ahead to choose the best line toavoid any wet, slick leaves. As temperaturesdrop, smart riders will be on the lookout forshaded curves, where the lack of sunlight haskept the ice from melting. Whether you ride inthe Great Smokies, Cascades, Adirondacks orfoothills of the Alps, it’s up to you to be awareof the road conditions before you ride. Everymorning, I check the weather, dress according-ly and mentally prepare myself before startingmy motorcycle.Speaking of dressing for the ride, there’s

nothing worse than having cold hands andfeet. Not only is being cold uncomfortable, itcan impair your ability to control your motor-cycle. Whenever my hands begin to feel aslight chill, I start adding layers of clothing.I put my summer gloves away and wear my

winter set without the liner. When my handsstart feeling cold again, I add the liners andI’m good until the spring. I do the same thingwith my jacket and pants. Because my bootsprovide excellent protection from the elements,I just wear thicker socks in the late fall andearly winter. The cold not only affects yourbody, it can also affect your ability to makegood decisions. A friend with many years ofriding experience crashed during an earlywinter morning when he failed to recognizeslippery road conditions ahead of him on anexit ramp. Being cold, he was less alert todangers and didn’t spot the spilled diesel fueluntil it was too late to avoid it. Luckily forhim, he was wearing the appropriate personalprotective gear and only suffered a broken leftarm and some ruffled pride. Regardless of yourlevel of riding experience, being cold and nothaving your head in the game can bite you.Storing your motorcycleWhen the riding season ends, you’ll definite-

ly want to protect your motorcycle by properlywinterizing and storing it. Some of you willput up your bikes in November, so now is thetime to start thinking about the proper storagetechniques. Your owner’s manual, coupledwith the T-CLOCS (tires, controls, lights, oil,chassis and stand) inspection checklist, willguide you through the proper steps.Winter — and the snowplow that buried

your driveway with two feet of snow to shovel— will soon be gone. By following the steps inyour owner’s manual, T-CLOCS checklist andthe check sheet youmade, you’ll save money onmaintenance costs and get on the road quickerin the spring. Live to ride and ride safe!

Safety tip

Job fairThe JBM-HH Army Career and Alumni

Program will sponsor a job fair Nov. 5 from 10a.m.-2 p.m. at the Fort Myer Officers Club, 214Jackson Avenue, on the Fort Myer portion ofthe joint base. The job fair is open to all transi-tioning servicemembers, veterans and militaryfamily members. All military and prior militarymay pre-register online at www.civilianjobs.com and be matched with companies based oncareer and geographic preferences. For moreinformation, visit www.civilianjobs.com or call1-678-819-4153.

National American Indianheritage month

Celebrate National American Indian heritagemonth Nov. 14 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. by touringthe National Museum of the American Indian.The bus departs from Bldg. 405 on the Fort Myer

portion of the joint base at 9:30 a.m. Uniform iscivilian attire. Reservations are due by Nov.7. To register, contact Sgt. 1st Class AdrienneRobinson at [email protected] by calling 703-696-2964 or Sgt. 1st ClassMichael Swinton at [email protected] by calling 703-696-8729.

Daylight saving timeMark your calendars for daylight saving. Set

clocks back one hour, effective Nov. 3 at 2 a.m.

By Cory HancockJFHQ-NCR/MDW Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, Joint ForceHeadquarters-National Capital Region and theU.S. Army Military District of Washington com-manding general, hosted an award ceremony atthe Fort Lesley J. McNair portion of Joint BaseMyer-Henderson Hall to recognize the efforts ofthe Army Ten-Miler organizational team Oct. 29.Certificates of appreciation were awarded to

Stefani Beale, Gia Bower, Heather Boyd, andEarl McKnight for their outstanding performanceof duty over the past year planning, coordinatingand achieving outstanding results culminating inthe highly successful running of the 29th ArmyTen-Miler.Buchanan awarded the Department of the

Army achievement medal for civilian service toNancy Brandon for her performance on the ArmyTen-Miler organizational team. Brandon demon-strated outstanding leadership in strategicallyreinforcing the Army Ten-Miler brand and over-seeing the development of the new website.James Vandak was presented the commander’s

award for civilian service by Buchanan. Vandakexhibited exemplary skill and versatility in over-coming the challenges presented by the govern-ment shutdown. His hard work and expert man-agement resulted in a successful Army Ten-Miler.

“The Army Ten-Miler is produced by theU.S. Army Military District of Washington andall proceeds benefit Army Morale, Welfare andRecreation programs. To date, the race has gen-erated $4 million for Army MWR,” said Vandak,Army Ten-Miler director. “This year, 35,000runners registered in a record 20 hours to competefor top honors in the third largest 10-mile runningevent in the world. ATM is the only race to startand finish at the Pentagon.“The MDW command works on planning and

coordinating the Army Ten-Miler with internaland external partners throughout the year,” saidVandak. “After completing the after-action reportin early November, planning immediately beginsfor the next Army Ten-Miler.“In 2014, we will celebrate the 30th anniver-

sary of the Army Ten-Miler,” said Vandak. “Therace date is set for October 12, 2014.”Rear Adm. Boris D. Lushniak, the acting

United States surgeon general, joined Buchananat the ceremony. Lushniak presented the entireArmy Ten-Miler organizational team with acertificate of appreciation from the Office of theSurgeon General.“The Office of the United States Surgeon

General and the United States Public HealthService Commissioned Corps is dedicated to pro-moting and advancing the health and safety ofour nation,” said Lushniak. “In essence, the ArmyTen-Miler team exemplifies the surgeon general’svision of a healthy and fit nation by taking lead-ership, showing dedication and commitment toimproving our nation’s health.”There currently are more than 6,700 public

health service officers on active duty. Officersare assigned to all of the PHS Agencies and to anumber of outside agencies, including the Bureauof Prisons, U.S. Coast Guard, EnvironmentalProtection Agency, Health Care FinancingAdministration, and the Commission on Mental

Health of the District of Columbia.“I am delighted and invigorated that for the

past four years the U.S. Public Health ServiceCommissioned Corps has been able to work withMr. Jim Vandak and his team in the inclusion ofour uniformed service in this special and patrioticevent,” said Lushniak. “This year, we had a teamof about 100 sign up for the Army Ten-Miler, com-missioned corps officers that came from as far asAlaska to join the run; next year we hope to have200.“We look forward to the continued relationship

between the Office of the Surgeon General andthe Army Ten Miler team,” said Lushniak.

Army Ten-Miler team recognized

PHOTO BY CORY HANCOCK

Rear Adm. Boris D. Lushniak, the acting United Statessurgeon general (far left) and Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S.Buchanan, JFHQ-NCR/MDW commanding general (farright), stand with members of the Army Ten-Miler orga-nizational team following a ceremony recognizing theirefforts in planning, coordinating and executing the29th Army Ten-Miler. (From left) Nancy Brandon, EarlMcKnight, Heather Boyd, Gia Bower, Stefani Beale andJames Vandak were recognized during a ceremony heldat the Fort Lesley J. McNair portion of JBM-HH Oct. 29.

News you can use


Death noticeAnyone with debts owed to or by the estate of

Master Sgt. Gary Dix, Directorate of the Pentagon,must contact Capt. Brandon Bennett, the summarycourt officer for the Soldier. Dix passed away Oct.3, 2013. Call Bennett at 703-607-7998.

Legal services closed Nov. 1The legal services office in Bldg. 201 on the Fort

Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hallis closed Nov. 1 for training. Legal services willreopen Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. For more information, call703-696-0761.

Thrift shop openThe Fort Myer Thrift Shop will be open Nov. 2

from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Clothing and shoes with redtags will be on sale. For more information on salesand specials at the store, visit www.fortmyerthrift-shop.org.

Shake off the shutdownMark your calendars to shake off the shutdown.

The U.S. Army Band Downrange will join forceswith The U.S. Army Orchestra Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m.and Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. for a special performance ofmusic from the classic rock band The Who. Bringfamily and friends to Brucker Hall on the FortMyer portion of JBM-HH for this free performance.No tickets are required.

Daylight saving timeMark your calendars for daylight saving. Set

clocks back one hour, effective Nov. 3 at 2 a.m.

Gates, barrier maintenance timePeriodic preventative maintenance work will be

done on JBM-HH gate bollards and pop-up bar-riers Nov. 4, 5 and 6 according to the followingschedule:Fort Myer and Henderson Hall portions of the

joint base, Nov. 4, morning: Henry Gate; afternoon,Gates 1 and 3, Henderson Hall portion of JBM-HH.Nov. 5, morning: Wright Gate, afternoon:

Hatfield GateNov. 6, morning: ceremonial gate on the Fort

McNair portion of JBM-HH; afternoon, 2nd StreetGate.Traffic disruption will be minimal during the

work, but use caution when traveling through thegates during this time. Expect to hear testing of aspeaker system during the work. For more infor-mation, call 703-588-2810.

Parking limited at Summerall FieldThe Summerall Field parking lot will be closed

Nov. 4, 5, 10 and 11 so that participants in theNov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony and activities canpractice and perform. The parking lot, on the FortMyer portion of the joint base, runs along SheridanAvenue between Bldg. 417 and Bldg. 243. For moreinformation, call 703-696-3291.

Tickets available forholiday festival concerts

See www.usarmyband.com for details about theU.S. Army Band’s American holiday festival con-certs. Free tickets will be available online begin-ning Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. for this year’s holiday con-certs that will be held at Brucker Hall on the FortMyer portion of JBM-HH Dec. 7, 8 and 13.

Resiliency training open to allComprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness is

open to everyone with a Nov. 4 class titled avoid-ing thinking traps. Class will be held from 1-3:30p.m. in Bldg. 405 on the Fort Myer portion of thejoint base. The next training will be held Nov. 18from 1-3:30 p.m. in Bldg. 405. To get more infor-mation or to register, call 703-696-2619 or [email protected] or visit http://csf2.army.mil.

Flu season is afootAndrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic on

the Fort Myer portion of JBM-HH will provideseason influenza vaccine to active duty and reservecomponent military personnel, DEERS eligiblebeneficiaries ages two and above and JBM-HHDoD civilian employees at the Memorial ChapelFellowship Hall from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 5; Nov.12 and 14; and Nov. 21. Children under the ageof two must see their assigned primary care pro-vider. Rader Clinic enrolled children under the ageof two can get the vaccine on a walk-in basis atthe Rader Immunization Clinic, Monday-Friday,during normal clinic hours, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.The clinic is closed from noon-1 p.m. A pediatricappointment is not necessary.Through Nov. 17, flu vaccine will be provided at

the above flu clinics only, except for Rader-enrolledchildren under two years of age. The flu vaccinewill also be offered to enrolled beneficiaries duringa scheduled visit with their primary care manager.Do not schedule an appointment early to get a flushot. All eligible beneficiaries must show a valid IDcard or DoD common access card prior to gettingthe flu vaccine. Call the flu hotline at 703-696-2994for updated information.

News Notes

Community

Continues on next page


Army Staff Sgt. Danilo Fernandez became amilitary policeman on Sept. 11, 2001 and leftNew York City two days before the 9/11 terroristattacks at the World Trade Center.He returned to one of the city’s most iconic

sites last month for a personal milestone cer-emony.While surrounded by family, Fernandez indefi-

nitely reenlisted in the Army at the World TradeCenter Memorial Oct. 18.Fernandez, born and reared in New York City,

is currently a military policeman with the 241stMP Detachment at Fort George G. Meade, Md.“The main reason I chose the World Trade

Center Memorial is because [9/11] played a sig-nificant part in my life,” the staff sergeant said.“I was going through rites of passage that day.On 9/11, we were in a room hearing rumors[about the attacks], but I didn’t find out about ituntil after I became a military policeman laterthat day.”A large group of family members joined

Fernandez at the bottom portion of Manhattan

for the ceremony. His father was a Soldier andhe grew up as a self-described “Army brat.”“I have a pretty extensive family,” he said

during a telephone interview. “I have a lot ofaunts and uncles in New York City.”

MDW Soldier reenlists in NYC


The growing catalog of ghostsightings in Northern Virginiaand Washington, D.C., exponen-tially grows and tends to receivemore print and airtime duringghoul and goblin time. TheFort McNair portion of JointBase Myer-Henderson Hall hasthe ghost of convicted Lincolnassassination conspirator MarySurratt. Many say when thefog rolls off the Anacostia andPotomac Rivers, Mrs. Surrattcan be seen walking the paradefield. Ghost hunters and someovernight VIPs swear the WhiteHouse provides a roof for theapparition of Abraham Lincolnhimself.Word now is that the

JBM-HH headquarters building(Bldg. 59) may have its own in-house haunter.In August, a United Services

Organization employee claimsshe briefly rendezvoused with aquick-stepping, yet heavy-footed“nurse.”USO Development Associate

Victoria “Vix” Mechlin is awork-time resident of Building59’s top floor. After descend-ing the two flights on the backstaircase at the end of theday Wednesday, Aug. 28, sheheaded for the front door and

Lee Avenue. What she encoun-tered for less than a half minuteproduced goose bumps on theback of her neck.“It was five o’clock. I just

heard [the bugle call] retreat

over the loudspeakers. I washeading out of the build-ing [through the front door],”Mechlin recalled. “I waswalking down the hallway, andI heard rustling like a move-ment of clothing and heavyfootsteps. It was so quiet I justnoticed it.”Now more curious and

approaching the vicinity ofCommand Sgt. Maj. Earlene Y.Lavender’s office, Mechlin got aglimpse of what she thinks wasa Victorian-Age nurse.“The thing that made me

turn my head to the righttoward the front staircase wasthe sound of a skirt sweepingthe floor,” she said. “I lookedand right past the pictures ofthe commanders I saw a [long,blue] skirt, which seemed out offocus to my eyes, and the backof a woman’s head with brownhair in a bun. Her hair wasalmost all covered with this cap– it was a white cap – and shewas wearing a white apron. Itwas a lot of clothing. What firststruck me was ‘wow…who’sthat?’ She looked like somebodyin costume, but it was awful hotoutside for that much clothing.”That Wednesday evening,

a Twilight Tattoo was sched-uled for Whipple Field, but acall by the Pentagram to theMilitary District of Washington-National Capital Region publicaffairs office, which overseestattoos and Spirit of Americaperformances, confirmed thatno Spanish-American War orWorld War I era costumednurses were a part of the 2013pageants.As the medical personnel

vision headed toward the com-

mander’s office, she disappearedfrom Mechlin’s sight.“I then wondered where she

was going. She was movingfast. She had a heavy, intentfulwalk,” Mechlin remembered. “Iwas wondering if she was doinga reenactment. I must have sawher for 10 or 15 seconds – mybrain was trying to take it inas fast as I was seeing it. Shedidn’t turn around. She seemedvery busy. Whatever she wasdoing, she was in a hurry.”The history of building

59 gives a bit of validity toMechlin’s encounter- the head-quarters was once the base hos-pital.“The colonel’s office in

Building 59 was the surgicalsuite; the colonel’s outer officewould have been the [surgi-cal] prep room area,” formerJBM-HH Historian Kim Holienexplained.When interviewed for the

story, Mechlin was shaken bythe incident, but felt whatevershe bumped into meant her noill will.“Yeah, it threw me off. But I

just want her to stay here,” theUSO employee laughed.Holien is a major student

and follower of past events andthe important men and womenwho shaped D.C. history, andhe keeps an open mind aboutghost stories. Yet, while heworked in an office that bordersthe hallway where the Augustsighting occurred, he hadhardly felt a chill or heard abooted footstep.“In 18 years, I never saw

anything [resembling a ghost],”Holien said of the Building 59hallway.

A boo debate at Bldg. 59:Argument is on whetherJBM-HH HQ is haunted

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Army Staff Sgt. Danilo Fernandez (center) joinsfamily members along with 241st MP DetachmentCommander Capt. Hamid Conteh (far right) afterFernandez reenlisted at New York City’s World TradeCenter Memorial Oct. 18.

PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

A USO employee claims to have hadan encounter with a ghost resem-bling a Spanish-American War eranurse which was dressed much likethe one above.


Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s headquarters building (Bldg. 59) used toserve as a hospital. The original parts of the building are over a century old.


Power outage scheduledOn Nov. 6 from 4 p.m.-midnight, there will

be a power outage on the Fort Myer portion ofthe joint base that will affect several activities.Workers will install and activate a new trans-former and remove old equipment. The build-ings affected include Bldg. 305 (CID, DES andunions); Bldgs. 306, 312, 313 and 318 (DPWand DOL clothing sales), Bldg. 314 (The OldGuard motor pool), quarters in Bldg. 317, Bldg.307 (PGOV), Bldg. 321 (environmental) andBldg. 322 (USACEW). Rain date for the outageis Nov. 7. For more information, call 703-696-8692 or 703-965-6072.

Ethics training slatedAll employees who are required to file a

financial disclosure must also receive annualethics training. Training for members of theMilitary District of Washington, Joint ForceNational Capital Region and JBM-HH whohave not received this training must satisfytheir training requirement by attending thefollowing session:The Fort McNair portion of the joint base

in the Inter-American Defense College audito-rium, from 11 a.m.-noon, Nov. 6 and 19.If you are unsure of whether you are a desig-

nated OGE form 450 filer, consult your super-visor. Supervisors may contact the administra-tive law division, specifically Amanda O’Neil,at [email protected] or TracyHernandez at [email protected] by calling 202-685-4582.

Toddler play group meetsThe Marine Corps Community Services New

Parent Support Program holds a play groupfor children 5 years old and younger and theirparents Nov. 12 from 10-11:30 a.m. at MarineBarracks Washington. Playtime, story time andactivities are planned, and snacks are provid-ed. The group meets at MCCS Post 5 classroomin Bldg. 20, second floor. For more information,call 703-696-7204 or 202-433-4881.

CFC mid-season rallyPlan to join colleagues Nov. 12 from noon-2

p.m. at the Fort Myer Fitness Center, Bldg.214, to get more information on the combinedfederal campaign. For more information, callBarbara Edmondson at 703-696-3110.

Managing holiday stressOn Nov. 13 from 9-11 a.m. in Bldg. 201 on the

FortMyer portion of the joint base, get the basics ofidentifying stressors in your life and learn how tocreate a stress management plan with an empha-sis on holiday stress. Registration is required. Forquestions or to register, call 703-696-3512 or [email protected].

Holiday home safetyBring children, ages up to 5, for a time of play,

holiday crafts and stories Nov. 14 from 10 a.m.-noon, in the ACS classroom on the Fort Myerportion of the joint base. You will receive a safetykit that will include items to help ensure thehome you are staying in is safe for your little ones.Registration is required. For questions or to reg-ister, call 703-696-3512 or email [email protected].

Junior wrestling registration openChild and Youth Services is hosting junior wres-

tling and registration is now open. Registrationdeadline is Nov. 15. Open to youth of eligibleDepartment of Defense personnel, ID card holders,retirees and DoD civilians, five-14 years old, co-ed.To register, contact Parent Central Services, Bldg.483 on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base,or call 703-696-0313/4942. The junior wrestlingprogram is also looking for coaches. For moreinformation, contact Annette Engum at 703-696-3728 or via email at [email protected].

Baby stagesLearn about stages for your child in a class that

provides an overview of the developmental mile-stones for children ages 0-3 Nov. 15 from 1-3 p.m.in the ACS classroom, Bldg. 201 on the Fort Myerportion of the joint base. For questions or to reg-ister, call 703-696-3512 or email [email protected].

Thanksgiving dinnerThe JBM-HH Gospel Service and Better

Opportunity for Single Soldiers (BOSS) will behosting the annual servicemembers ThanksgivingdinnerNov.16 from12:30 -4p.m.at theCommunityCenter, Bldg. 405, on the Fort Myer portion of thejoint base. This dinner is free and open to all ser-vicemembers and their families. Join the JBM-HHGospel Service and BOSS for food, fun and fel-lowship. Special music will be provided. For moreinformation, call Freda Womack at 703-618-4344.

TransParentingOn Nov. 18 and 25 from 9-11 a.m. in the ACS

classroom, Bldg. 201 on the Fort Myer portionof the joint base, join this two-part seminar toprovide parents who are separated or divorcedwith the tools to ensure that they are able tocontinue supporting and encouraging their chil-dren despite the breakup of the family unit. Youmust attend both sessions to receive a certificateof completion. Registration is required. For ques-tions or to register, call 703-696-3512 or [email protected].

Military career and education expoMark your calendars for Nov. 21 from 10 a.m.-2

p.m. for the JBM-HH military career and educa-tion expo to navigate your way to a better future.The event will be held in Bldg. 405, the commu-nity activities center, on the Fort Myer portion ofJBM-HH. Call for more information and to regis-ter for some of the briefings at 703-696-1541/3178.

Radio City Christmas SpectacularJBM-HH Hall Family, Morale and Welfare

is going to New York for the annual Radio CityChristmas Spectacular featuring the RockettesDec. 14. Cost of the trip is $125 per person, andthe bus departs from the JBM-HH CommunityCenter at 5 a.m. and returns at 10 p.m. Fortypeople must be signed up and paid in full in orderto take the trip. Call the Community Center at703-696-3469/3470 as soon as possible to purchasetickets. Credit card payments will be accepted byphone or mail payment to JBM-HH CommunityCenter, 228 McNair Rd., Bldg. 405, Fort Myer,Va., 22211.

Get onboard with ACAPArmy Career and Alumni Program has classes,

seminars and workshops to suit your transitionneeds. Get a timeline of how you should planto transition from military service to a civiliancareer. For more information, call 703-696-9603.See a schedule of upcoming classes and get thetimeline at www.army.mil/jbmhh and click onArmy Career and Alumni Program under hottopics, right side of the page.

Please send your news notes to thePentagram at

[email protected].

The Oct. 29 ceremony ended a period whichmarked only the second time a temporary flamehas been used at the grave. The first time waswhen First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy lit a tem-porary flame during the Nov. 25, 1963 burial fol-lowing her husband’s Nov. 22 assassination. Thatflame was then transferred to the permanenteternal flame in March 1967.“As we approach the 50th anniversary of

President Kennedy’s death, it is fitting that weonce again transfer the flame from a temporaryone to a permanent eternal flame – a flame thatis more modern, more efficient and ensuring thelight continues to remain a beacon of hope andremembrance for all who see it,” Hallinan added.The transfer ceremony starts a string of JFK

remembrance events that will take place at

Arlington National Cemetery. Starting Nov. 15,a special pictorial exhibit honoring PresidentKennedy’s legacy will be on display in the base-ment of the Memorial Amphitheater. This exhibitwill be on display through Dec. 1, 2013. On Nov.22, Arlington National Cemetery will conducta wreath-laying remembrance ceremony atPresident Kennedy’s gravesite. On the 50th anni-versary of the funeral, the Irish Defence Forces37th Cadet Class will conduct a remembranceceremony at President Kennedy’s gravesite. The37th Cadet Class flew to Washington to providean honor guard during the 1963 Kennedy funeralservice.

0104

0558

7B

01040095B

off location for fourhours, from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Within the first 30minutes of being openfor business, 27 peoplehad dropped off unwant-ed prescription drugs.According to Suber,

95 participants had

dropped off a total of222 pounds of unwantedor unused drugs at theevent, filling 10 bags.The National Guardlocation tallied approxi-mately 50 participantsand 72.8 pounds of pre-scription drugs.

Take back, from page 1

Flame, from page 1


Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh lights the per-manent eternal flame at the gravesite of President JohnF. Kennedy during the ceremony to transfer the tempo-rary flame to the permanent eternal flame Oct. 29.

News NotesContinued from previous page

PENTAGRAM Friday, November 1, 2013 76 Friday, November 1, 2013 PENTAGRAM

38th Marine Corps MarathonPHOTOS BY RACHEL LARUE UNLESS NOTED

The Marine Corps Marathon hosted its second-largest participation during the 38th running of the event surpassing 23,000 finishers for the second consecutive year ushering in 23,480 finishers. The MCM10K, held simultaneously with theMCM, welcomed a record with 7,576 finishers. Girma Bedada captured top honors at the 38th MCM, winning the event in 2:21:31, while U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Patrick Fernandez placed second overall at 2:21:51. The women ran a competitiveevent as Army, Navy and Air Force runners took top honors from their fellow female marathons. Finishing first was Army Capt. Kelly Calway who ran an impressive 2:42:15, making her the seventh-fastest woman to complete the MCM. All ofthe “Groundpounders” completed their 38th consecutive MCM, displaying that marathon running can become a lifelong practice as Mel Williams and Will Brown finished together in 6:18:57, while Al Richmond finished in 5:53:02 and Matt Jaffecompleted the event in 6:43:30. (MCM Press Release). For more photos, log onto www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh.

PHOTO BY JIM DRESBACH

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By Courtney DockPentagram Editor

For the last 10 months,people have been lookingat me like I’m nuts. At thebeginning of the year, I madea decision I was going tochange my life; I was goingto run the Marine CorpsMarathon.If you had met me in

January, you would knowthat I couldn’t have run amile. I was terribly embar-rassed of that fact. I am aveteran. How in the worldhad I let myself get to thepoint that I couldn’t haverun a PT test if I wanted to?Things needed to change.But a marathon?My best friend, Ashleigh,

works for Disabled AmericanVeterans. Through her, Ihad worked with DAV ona few small projects. I hadalso attended a few USAWarriors hockey games;DAV is a sponsor and theteam is comprised of dis-abled veterans.I was inspired by the

Warriors playing such aphysical sport. The teamcaptain, Mark Little, is adouble-leg amputee. He’samazing to watch skate andlead on the ice. All the teammembers are amazing.I was also moved by

Ashleigh and other disabled

veterans I had seen runningthe marathon in 2011. Therewas no reason I couldn’t doit. So I went from Team DAVcheerleader to Team DAVteam member. I told myfamily and made the officialannouncement on Facebook.I was committed.The first thing I did

was start recruiting otherpeople to the team. And byother people, I mean all myfriends, all of whom are vet-erans. If I was doing this, Iwas going to drag them allinto running too. Most camewillingly. My selling pointwas, “If I can do it, you can,too.” So they signed up.Through the team, I was

given a tailor-made train-ing schedule. My teammatesand I found races to runin together to keep loggingmiles. I personally thoughtof every single excuse I couldthink of to get myself out ofrunning. And then I founda reasonable solution so Icould stop making excuses.Before training for the

marathon, I hated running.In the first couple of monthsof training, I would makeup songs in my head duringmy runs about how muchI hated running. Then oneday it finally all clicked. Igot home, felt awesome anddidn’t hate that I just spent30 minutes pounding the

pavement with my feet.I was able to take advan-

tage of a program throughInstallation ManagementCommand called the CivilianWellness Program, whichallows participants up toone hour, three times aweek to work out duringtheir normal working hours.And while I wasn’t happyto be furloughed during thesummer, I used the time

off to get in longer trainingruns. Each week, I reached anew achievement.It became intoxicating. It

was exhilarating to see howmuch further I could go eachweek. Having teammatesmade a big difference too.They would hit new mile-stones and personal records,which encouraged me tokeep striving for more. Turnsout that my enthusiasm

motivated them as well. Themore they saw me achieve,the more they worked atmaking sure they would beready to run Oct. 27.I was in denial leading up

to marathon day. On raceday, I woke up at 3:30 a.m.,got dressed and picked upmy teammates to head offto the start line. I was stillin denial when I crossed thestart line. I couldn’t believeI was doing this, so I tooka “selfie” to document themoment. The fact that I wasgoing to be running a mara-thon didn’t actually hit meuntil about a quarter mileinto the race.I’m a slow runner, so I

knew I needed to pace myselfthroughout the run. It’s veryhard to do when you’re sur-rounded by thousands ofpeople about to embark onthe same insane life decisionand thousands more specta-tors who came out to cheeron the insanity.It’s nearly impossible

not to get emotional whenyou are out there. So manypeople are wearing teamshirts in support of variousveterans organizations,shirts in honor of fallen ser-vicemembers and spectatorsholding motivational signstelling runners how inspiringthey are.

Others wore costumes – from ballettutus to a couple dressed as a cartonof milk and a box of cereal. Therewas a Washington Redskins fandecked out in a team jersey jug-gling three semi-inflated footballsand a runner without shoes. Dozensof charities’ logos flanked colorfulrunning apparel.Family members, friends and

locals lined the sides of the road withcolorful signs and cowbells, chattingamicably.Marine Staff Sgt. James Sides,

a Marine Explosive OrdnanceDisposal tech from Gainesville, Fla.,completed his first official skydivenear the MCM start line. Sides wasblinded in his left eye and lost hisright hand attempting to disman-tle an improvised explosive devicein July, 2012. He was joined byfellow skydivers retired Marine Lt.Col. John Bates and retired Army1st Sgt. Dana Bowman, a doubleamputee and former member of theArmy’s Golden Knights parachuteteam. The three were part of the11-member skydiving team, whichcarried a 7,800 square foot Americanflag, the largest flag to be includedin a performance jump. They alsocarried smaller U.S. flags and thefive flags of each military service.About 20 minutes after the skydiv-

er’s performed their “jump into theMCM,” a celebratory gun salute froma 105mm Howitzer M2A1 (M101)fired to signify the start of the racewith the wheelchair and hand-cycleracers beginning their 26.2-milejourney, followed by runners for boththe MCM10K and full marathon.“It’s exciting being here for the

first time to see my husband runthe marathon. There is so muchenergy here,” said Jennie Cross ofCumberland, Md., wife of retiredMarine Corps Master Sgt. Joe Cross.He finished the marathon in 3:24:15.Jennie said her husband had run

18 marathons, and this was his fifthMCM. “It’s just awesome here andthere are all these charities that willbenefit from this. The Marine CorpsMarathon does it big,” said Jennie.Marine Maj. Seth Goldstein, sta-

tioned at Quantico Marine CorpsBase, said he was at the mara-thon to support his friend, Marineveteran Tony Katafiasz of Toledo,Ohio. Katafiasz crossed the finishline at 5:52:17.“He decided to run the Marine

Corps Marathon for the first timethis year, and this is the first timeI’ve attended,” said Goldstein. “Themass of people here is incredible, notonly the people coming out to run,

but so many people get up early tocome out and watch it,” he said.About an hour after the race

started, Reggie Payne, a formerArmy National Guardsman fromGeorgia, rested under a large treeon the grounds of the Marine CorpsWar Memorial. “I’m having a littlepicnic,” said Reggie while munchingon cookies.“I’m here to support my wife,

Katherine. It’s her first marathonand we came from Fort Myers, Fla.,where we relocated for my wife’s job.She’s an Army veteran and workedas a communication specialist. She’sbeen running for about 20 years, butshe never ran an official race otherthan a 5K in Atlanta. Katherine saidrunning the Marine Corps Marathonwas on her bucket list and she had todo it,” Reggie said with a smile.After training for the MCM for

18 months, Reggie said there wasvalid concern his wife might not berunning the marathon this year if itwas cancelled due to the recent gov-ernment shutdown. “She was madbecause she had been getting up at4 o’clock every morning to run, shewas concerned it might not happen,but here we are, and it’s incredibleto be here,” Payne said. KatherinePayne completed her first MCM at5:34:00.Pre-race ceremonial events includ-

ed the presentation of colors by theMarine Ceremonial Platoon fromMarine Corps Base Quantico, Va.The a cappella group the LibertyVoices performed the nationalanthem.The MCM10K, held simultaneous-

ly with the MCM, had 7,576 finish-ers who completed the 6.2 mile runfrom the National Mall to the finishat the Marine Corps War Memorial.The 2013 Marine Corps Marathon

hosted 100 wheelchair and hand-cycle participants.Girma Bedada of Columbia, Ga.,

captured top honors, winning theMCM in 2:21:31. Coast Guard Lt.Patrick Fernandez of Alexandria,Va., placed second overall at 2:21:51.Military women were competitive,

with Army, Navy and Air Forcerunners taking top honors. Firstwas Army Capt. Kelly Calway, ofManitou Springs, Colo., finishingin 2:42:15. Navy Lt. Gina Slaby,of Virginia Beach, Va., capturedsecond among the women comingin at 2:48:03, and Senior AirmanEmily Shertzer of Jonestown, Penn.,finished a close 2:48:07.Of the 30,000 who registered for

this year’s MCM, 23,480 peopleofficially finished, according to theMCM website.

Marathon, from page 1

ByRhonda ApplePentagramStaff Writer

Near the base of theMarine CorpsWarMemorial, Stephanie Reyna ofBedminster, N.J., rested with her sister, Tracey Reyna of Alexandria, Va., afterthey completed theMarine CorpsMarathon 10K. “We’re running in honor of ourdad, Lawrence Reyna. He served in theMarine Corps in Vietnam,” said Tracey.“He ran with us here the first year they did a 10K at theMCM, but couldn’t behere today,” added Stephanie. “I’ve run a couple of marathons before, but nevertheMCM,” said Tracey. “Today was a personal challenge for me because I literallycouldn’t walk two years ago due to disk issues inmy back,” said Stephanie. Thesisters said they’ve run theMCM10K numerous times and enjoy each year theyparticipate.“Being here is not competitive – it’s ‘The People’s Marathon,’ and other racers

are cheering one another on. The atmosphere here is great,” said Tracey. “It’s veryinspirational,” added Stephanie.Hand-cyclist Joe Lopez relaxed after completing his seventh consecutiveMarine

CorpsMarathon. “I think I made good time – I always try to finish under 2:30:00,”said theMarine veteran. Lopez said he was stationed with 1st Battalion, 24thMarines out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and was deployed to Iraq when he got sickin 2006.“I got a small pox vaccination before deployment, and it gaveme an autoimmune

disease, which attackedmy brain andmy spinal cord [after I was in Iraq]. Theyflewmymom to the hospital in Germany because they didn’t think I was going tolive. While I was in the hospital, I saw theMarine CorpsMarathon on televisionand I said ‘I want to do that next year,’” he said.Lopez completed his seventhMCMOct. 27 and plans to continue competing

each year. As determined as he was to heal from his spinal injury and learn towalk again, Lopez shared equal determination about continuing to hand-cycle infutureMCMs. “I want to train even harder next year and improvemy time.”Heather Schultz of Orlando, Fla., was the 15th female to cross the finish line.

“It’s my first Marine CorpsMarathon of 20marathons I’ve run,” she said. “Ithought about my ‘dad’ the entire race. I was raised bymy grandfather, EdwinJones. He was a disabled vet who served in the Air Force and suffered from condi-tions as a result of Agent Orange,” she said as she fanned away tears in her eyes.“I’ve always wanted to run theMCM. It was very inspirational running here. Itried to pay attention to the historical sites. Also to see all theMarines along therace course encouraging the runners was great.”AaronMendelsohn, a nativeWashingtonian now residing in NewYork City,

finished his thirdMCM this year. “I loved running down Rock Creek Park nearwhere I grew up. I sawmy parents andmy little four-year-old daughter on the racecourse,” he said.Aaron said he was proud he completed the “People’s Marathon,” and each year

he runs it, he improves his time. However, this year, another marathon weighedheavily on his mind.Aaron ran the BostonMarathon April 15 with his brother, retired Army 2nd

Lt. BruceMendelsohn. “Hemetme at the finish line, and we went to a party atBoylston Street, which was directly above the first explosion. I was about fivefeet inside and Bruce was right by the windowwhenwe heard this great ‘boom’[sound],” Aaron recalled. “I looked over and saw smoke coming in the window andBruce on the ground. He jumped up and toldme to get everyone to the back of thebuilding, there could be a secondary explosion and ten seconds later there was.Bruce ran outside and put a tourniquet on a girl’s leg and helped save her life. Itwas very heroic.”Like somany who run in honor of a fallen loved one, a fellow battle buddy, or

even a charitable organization which helps those in need, Aaron said he ran theMCM for Boston. “I ran in honor of the people in [the] Boston [Marathon] whodidn’t finish, for those who were injured and also for my brother.”He said runningmarathonsmeans a lot to so many people. “It’s a triumph of

human spirit and physicality. For those kids to attack the finish line of amarathonis devastating. That’s why anytime someone finishes amarathon [now] they cansymbolically think ‘I defeated that.’”

Reflections of ‘ThePeople’s Marathon’

Commentary: My 26.2 mile journey

PHOTO BY COURTNEY DOCK

Courtney Dock, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall public affairsspecialist, poses at the official half-way mark at Haines Point,Washington, D.C., of the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 27. This wasDock’s first marathon.

see COMMENTARY, page 9


Emotions finally got the best of me near thehalf-way point on Haines Point. There are fewspectators on this stretch of the run. You’re outthere and realize you’re barely at the halfwaypoint of the entire marathon, and you still have toget to the Mall and beat the bridge. It just sucks.As motivation, someone put signs out every 20

feet on the point. Most were very funny. I laughedout loud at a lot of them. Some even made me stopfor a picture. And then there was one that said,“Remember why you’re out here doing this.” Andthat’s when I stopped running and started crying.I was out there for so many reasons. I was

running for Team DAV. I was running for myfriends. I was running for my fellow veterans,for those who couldn’t, for the servicemembersdeployed around the world. I was running to set agood example for my daughter so she’d have a rolemodel to look up to. I was running to prove all thepeople wrong who looked at me like I was nuts.

I was running to prove to myself I could do it.After hitting the official halfway point and

taking another selfie, I collected myself andcarried on. I was only halfway there and thatmeant I had a long way still to go.A lot of people asked me what I think about

while running for that long. I thought about a lotof stuff… my grocery list for the week, one-yearand five-year life goals, cheeseburgers stackedhigh with bacon, how funny a spectator’s signwas, as many state capitals I could remember…weird stuff. I also spent a lot of time thankingspectators and volunteers for being out there.Without them it would have been terribly boring.When the route lapped back on itself I also lookedfor Team DAV members to cheer them on. I alsotook a lot more pictures. Hey, I am a public affairsspecialist, I needed to document this for my scrap-book!As I got closer to the end and after hitting the

dreaded “wall” I started texting my friends at the

finish line who were waiting for me. I let themknow how many miles from the end I was. I justwanted to get there. And though I did hit the wall,at no point in time did I ever think I couldn’t doit. I knew I was completing this thing no matterwhat.When I got to the 26-mile mark I started crying

again. I only had .2 miles left to go and my daugh-ter was waiting for me at the finish line. I stormedthe hill to the Marine Corps War Memorial. AsI crossed the finish line I felt amazing. I couldn’tstop crying and smiling. I had truly achievedsomething I had once said I would never do in amillion years.In the last 10 months, I have logged more than

450 miles, lost almost 40 pounds, told countlesspeople about an amazing veterans service orga-nization, set a positive example for my daughterand accomplished an amazing feat that mostpeople don’t even dream to achieve.It has been an amazing 26.2 mile journey.

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Commentary, from page 8

By Julia LeDouxPentagram Staff Writer

Joint Base Myer-HendersonHall Commander Col. Fern O.Sumpter recognized membersof the Directorate of ResourceManagement at the quarterlydirectorate luncheon Oct. 30 at theFort Myer Officers Club.“Thank you, thank you, thank

you,” she said to the civilians gath-ered together for the luncheon.“We’ve been through a lot. Everytime, as a team, we’ve pulled ittogether.”That coming together in the face

of adversity was also the themeof JBM-HH Installation ChaplainLt. Col. Clyde Scott’s address toattendees. He noted that manySoldiers have experienced finan-cial, marital and other personalproblems due to serial deploy-

ments and spending significantamounts of time away from theirfamilies and loved ones.“In its efforts to better enable

returning Soldiers to cope, theU.S. Army has launched a programcalled comprehensive Soldier andfamily fitness,” he continued.

The program has five dimen-sions – physical, social, emotional,family and spiritual, said Scott.“A great amount of training time

is devoted to physical health andconditioning, but total fitness alsoinvolves emotional and spiritualaspects,” he noted.Scott stressed that human

beings are spiritual creatures.“There’s something inside of us

that isn’t controlled by the worldaround us, rather it guides ourresponses to the world around us,”he said.Scott shared that his father was

an alcoholic who physically abusedhim when he was a child. Thatabuse, he said, left deep emotionaland psychological scars.“As I grew in my new found faith

in the early ‘70s while serving inGermany as a 63 Hotel mechanic,I realized more and more the needto reconcile with my father,” hesaid.Before that reconciliation could

happen and he could work onhaving a more functional relation-ship with his father, Scott said hefirst had to forgive him.“The physical side of me was

incapable of facilitating thehealing necessary to develop thefather-son relationship that I wasso desperately looking for,” saidScott, who had to engage his spiri-tual nature to begin the reconcili-ation process.“It’s this same external spirit

that I encourage all of you to tapinto more and more, especiallywhen we are overwhelmed withlife’s challenges that constantlyassail us,” he said.Scott said the military calls

that resiliency and encouragedluncheon attendees to engage theexternal, the invisible, the eternal.“My bet is when you intention-

ally engage your spirit, you willfeel better equipped to deal withothers, including your supervisor,your co-workers, your customers,more patiently, with empathy andcompassion,” he said.Sumpter presented each awardee

with a commander’s coin.

Resource Management personnelrecognized at quarterly luncheon


Installation Chaplain Lt. Col. Clyde Scottaddresses attendees of the directorate ofthe quarter luncheon Oct. 30 at the FortMyer Officers Club on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The lunch is supportedby the joint base chapel community andrecognized members of the Directorate ofResource Management.

MARINE SGT. ALVIN WILLIAMS JR.

Chow timeMaj. Gen. Michael R.Regner, staff directorfor Headquarters MarineCorps, receives breakfastfromadiningfacilityworkerat the Consolidated DiningFacility on the Fort Myerportion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Oct 25.Regner was at theDFAC having break-fast with Marines fromHeadquarters and ServiceBattallion.

PHOTO BY JIM DRESBACH

HalloweenA young Spiderman displayshis costume before the startof the Demon Dash Two-MilerOct. 31. The Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Directorate ofFamily and Morale, Welfareand Recreation estimated thatmore than 100 runners startedand finished in front of the FortMyer Fitness Center. Awardswere presented for best andscariest costumes, best groupcostume and largest militaryunit. For more photos, logonto www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh.

PHOTO BY LAUREN POINDEXTER

AwardJoint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s EqualOpportunity Advisor Sgt.1st Class Michael SwintonJr. (left) is awarded themeritorious service awardby Lawrence Romo (right),director of SelectiveService System, Oct.31. Swinton was recog-nized for his support ofthe agency’s culturalawareness program fromJanuary 2011 to October2013.


By Rhonda ApplePentagram Staff Writer

Marines and a Soldier on JointBase Myer-Henderson Hall havebeen acquiring leadership skills inthe Corporal’s Course held on theHenderson Hall portion of the base.The three-week command-spon-

sored course, part of the enlistedprofessional military educationprogram, began Oct. 15 and will runthrough Nov. 1.“Marines are eligible to attend at

the rank of corporal. Also lance cor-porals are allowed to attend if theircommand believes they’ve earnedthe right and displayed leadership,maturity and all the qualities ittakes to become a corporal and non-commissioned officer,” said Staff Sgt.Joseph Morris, senior instructor forthe course. “We have 10 Marinesand one Soldier in this course. SixMarines are corporals and four arelance corporals. Two of the lance cor-porals will be promoted to corporalon November 1, the day we gradu-ate.”Morris explained Marines are

taught leadership skills includingcounseling, proficiency and conductmarks, and mentoring during thecourse.“The Marine Corps mentorship

program is something we do on adaily basis, so any interaction wehave with our junior Marines oreven Marines at our same gradelevel in everyday conversationsis [the opportunity] to make thatMarine better,” said Morris. “It’sabout giving them advice [about]what’s going on in their lives, howthey can deal with their problems,what they can do to advance theircareers, or if they just want todo four years and get out [of theservice], what they can do to preparefor that.”The senior instructor said Marines

get a really good idea of how to bea leader in this course. “It’s a firstlook at the big picture of the MarineCorps with operational training –including war-fighting, joint opera-tions with other services, includingallies Marines work with in othercountries and the makeup of theMarine Air Ground Task Force, saidMorris.Morris said the course is also

available on the Internet, butHenderson Hall command leader-ship prefers the servicemembersattend the resident-based course.The advantage of a physical courseversus a virtual one is the face-timethe Marines get with their instruc-tors – senior Marines who have timein service and real-world, workingexperience to share with juniorMarines.Trained in motor transportation,

Morris is a master instructor andcurriculum developer in his job spe-cialty. He taught Motor T courses atFort Leonard Wood, Mo., prior to hisassignment at Henderson Hall.“I love teaching and being with

the Marines. They volunteered tocome [to the course] and they wantto learn everything we know.”Morris said the course also

includes the physical fitness test andcombat fitness test and includes theopportunity to go out patrolling andusing hand and arm signals, as wellas practicing land navigation with amap and compass.In addition, class members visited

Quantico Marine Base to completeboth an obstacle and endurancecourse.“Since we are a joint base, I’m

hoping more Soldiers take the coursethe next time it’s offered here,” saidMorris.Spc. Bryan Hinton, human

resources specialist withHeadquarters and HeadquartersCompany, United States ArmyGarrison on the Fort Myer portion ofthe base, is the first Soldier to takethe Corporal’s Course on JBM-HH.“My first sergeant Nicholas Strong

told me about the course and askedif I wanted to attend,” said Hinton.With a goal of being promoted to ser-geant, then staff sergeant, attendingjump master school, finishing hisundergraduate degree, and obtain-ing a master’s degree, Hinton saidhe liked the course. “I’ve particularlyenjoyed learning the traditions andcustoms of the Marine Corps.“I wanted to see how similar and

how different the two branches ofservice are, and pick up some knowl-edge that I would have never gainedelsewhere because in the operationalArmy you don’t often get to workwith Marines,” Hinton added.The Soldier said he gained valu-

able information in the course aboutleadership styles. “A military leader,in general, has to be flexible. Therehave to be different leadership stylesfor different Soldiers because whatmay work for one may not work foranother,” Hinton explained.“I’m learning Marine Corps-

specific information, which is verysimilar to the Army Warrior LeaderCourse I took at Fort Bragg [N.C.].”Despite the similar information,Hinton feels learning the MarineCorps way could benefit him in thefuture. “If I go to a joint unit andhave Marines with me, I will knowexactly what I need to do to helpthose junior Marines progress,” hesaid.He also said there was a differ-

ence in the services’ physical fitnesstests – and the Marines additionallytake a combat fitness test, which heparticipated in as part of the course.“The instructors are very knowl-

edgeable about the material they’reteaching, and I’m making newfriends with my Marine classmates,”said Hinton.“Working inside the Pentagon,

getting out of the office is somethingwe don’t do often,” said Cpl. CurtisDunham, a communications special-ist assigned to Headquarters MarineCorps Administrative ResourcesInformation at the Pentagon.“Also, when I was in communica-

tion school at Twentynine Palms,[Calif.], I was made class command-er of our class and our sister class. Ihad 36 Marines under my charge totake care of, make sure they got toclass and take care of them as bestI could as a lance corporal,” said

Dunham.The Marine explained in addition

to him being older than most of hisfellow classmates, he was reclassi-fied to his present military occupa-tion specialty due to a medical injurywhile training as an infantryman.“After that experience, I look back

at the things I wish I would’ve donebetter as a leader and how I wouldfix it. That’s why I wanted to takethis course – it teaches a lot aboutleading junior Marines and how tobe a better leader,” Dunham said.“Also, it will help me improve myselfthe next time I’m put in a situationto take care of junior Marines. I cannot only do a more effective job, butI can feel better about myself as aleader because I have a better skillset.”Dunham said not only was the

course a benefit for personal progres-sion, but career progression as well.“At the end of the course, I want

to be able to feel like a noncom-missioned officer. I plan to reenlistand whenever I go to another dutystation out in the fleet, whether as acorporal or hopefully as a sergeant,it will be expected of me to know

this [information].”He said an interesting aspect of

the course has been the sword andguidon manuals. “We’re the onlyenlisted noncommissioned officers inall the branches of service that areallowed to carry a sword, so learningto carry it properly, with efficiencyand pride is a big thing — it’s theone thing that sets us apart fromjunior Marines — that and the bloodstripe on our dress blues.”Dunham said in addition to learn-

ing how to effectively carry outleadership through mentoring andcounseling, he places high impor-tance on the “keeper of traditions”section of the course. “The legacy ofthe Marine Corps has to be taught tojunior Marines. If we don’t preserveand carry on those traditions andpass that down, it’s going to be lost.”said Dunham.“It’s pure motivation for me to see

Soldiers and Marines in our firstinterservice training, especially sincethis course is hosted on a joint base.The Corporal’s Course is the firststepping stone to leadership continu-um,” said Henderson Hall BattalionSgt. Maj. Craig D. Cressman.

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Corporal’s Course paves way for future leaders


Cpl. Maurice Fullenwider (center) takes part in the Combat Fitness Test the morningof Oct. 17 on the Henderson Hall portion of JBM-HH. Fullenwider, along with otherMarines and a Soldier, is taking part in the Corporal’s Course.



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