UPCOMING EVENTS TOday:

Army Emergency Relief fundraising campaign begins

TOday, 3-6 P.M.:Youth/Teen Job Fair - McGill

WEdNESday, 12:30-4 P.M.:Military Spouse Newcomer’s Seminar

- Community Readiness Center

MarCh 15, 7-10 P.M.:Karaoke Night - The Lanes

MarCh 28, 11:30 a.M.:National Prayer Luncheon -

Club Meade

ShOrT STOrIESMacArthur sixth-graders

shine in county young authors contest

page 7

ChaMPIONSMeade High takes first Anne Arundel County

wrestling titlepage 12

Soundoff!́vol. 64 no. 9 Published in the interest of the Fort Meade community March 1, 2012

photo illustration by natasha hendrix

During February, Fort Meade celebrated Black History Month with a variety of activities that supported the national theme of “Black Women in American Culture and History.” A highlight of the celebration was the post’s annual observance hosted Feb. 23 at Club Meade by the Defense Information School. Joanne Martin, co-founder of the national Great Blacks In Wax Museum in Baltimore, served as keynote speaker. See the story on Page 10.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

Commander’s Column

Cont ent sNews............................. 3 Sports..................................11

TroubleTicket............... 4 SportsShorts......................13

Community................... 8 Movies.................................14

Editorial StaffGarrison Commander Col. Edward C. rothsteinGarrison Command Sgt. Maj. Charles E. SmithPublic affairs officerChad t. Jones Chad.T.Jones.civ@mail.milChief, Command informationPhilip H. Jones Philip.H.Jones.civ@mail.milassistant Editor & Senior Writer rona S. Hirsch Staff Writer lisa r. rhodesStaff Writer Brandon Bieltzdesign Coordinator timothy davis Supplemental photography provided by Patuxent Publishing Co.

advErtiSinGGeneral inquiries 410-332-6300

allison thompson 410-332-6850 Allison.Thompson@baltsun.com

Michele Griesbauer 410-332-6381 Michele.Griesbauer@baltsun.com

If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are experiencing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail TP@baltsun.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by the Patuxent Publishing Co., a subsidiary of The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year in conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must reach the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. Mailing address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort Meade, MD 20755-5025. Telephone: 301-677-1361; DSN: 622-1361.

Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap or sex of purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source.

Printed by Patuxent Publishing Co., a private firm, in no way connected with the Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are their own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the Army. The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised.

www.ftmeade.army.milYou can also keep track of Fort Meade on twitter at twitter.com/meadetv

and view the Fort Meade Blog at meadetv.wordpress.com.

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As we move closer to spring, I continue to get questions about our plans for the future in regard to upcoming construction projects.

My intent today is to share with you the most recent information I have about the status of the Courses.

As many of you know, the Fort Meade golf course has a long history of serving our com-munity, dating back nearly 70 years. Challenges to keep the Courses began in 2008 when we lost nine of its 36 holes and its driving range due to the Base Realignment and Closure construction of the Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Media Activity.

Many of you also know that the closure of the remaining 27 holes has been anticipated. It was my intent to maintain the Courses through this fiscal year and turn the property over to the National Security Agency on Oct. 1.

However, the golf course’s closing date has been moved forward to May 1 to accommodate construction that needs to begin.

The golf course has been one of Fort Meade’s most visible recreation sites. I played the full 36 holes during past assignments. I enjoy playing the Courses now with Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Charles E. Smith as often as possible.

I know the golf course will be missed. It has served me along with the entire Team Meade community, helping our service members, civil-ian workers, retirees and families balance work and life activities.

The loss of the golf course is an emotional issue. However, the decision to support national security, DoD priorities and our partners is not difficult.

Losing the golf course to support these priori-ties is the right thing to do.

That said, I want you to know that Fort Meade and I are aggressively continuing efforts to find an alternative resolution to meet our community golfing requirements. Garrison lead-ers, civic and business leaders as well as many of our friends outside Fort Meade’s gates are engaged in discussions that will help us find positive alternatives for the post community.

These discussions include long-term solutions like constructing a new golf course on another location on post to possibly purchasing a local golf course. In the short term, we are working to establish reciprocal agreements with county golf courses.

A reciprocal agreement will provide the Fort Meade golfing community with opportunities to golf at local public courses for a price equal or similar to what they currently pay.

Due to the reality of today’s budget con-straints, building a new golf course or even purchasing a course will not happen overnight.

However, with spring around the corner,

I want you to know that a reciprocal agree-ment allow-ing our golfers to play county courses such as Compass Pointe Golf Courses in Pasadena, E i s e n h o w e r Golf Course in Crownsville or the Timbers at Troy in Elkridge is being negotiated for this season’s play.

And I am not going to stop there. We will continue to work with other local communities to explore ways to support our community.

Looking ahead, I also want to share some good news about a couple of other items we are addressing on post.

Built in 1982, Club Meade is one of several aging facilities on the installation. As a result, the dining and catering facility has struggled to meet its financial standards. In fact, during the past 10 years, Club Meade has lost approxi-mately $329,000. The good news is that due to new management and BRAC growth, the club has significantly increased its ability to generate revenue over the past six months.

Through the use of successful business revi-talization program tools, including strategies like implementing updates to daily and catering menus, the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation has identified more than $166,000 that can be directed toward renovation projects for the facility. The goal is to make Club Meade more visually appealing and increase its ability to better serve the post community.

The post bowling center, The Lanes, has also experienced improved financial performance over the past year. New management and a renovated lounge have been major factors in its success. The monthly Karaoke Night, weekly Texas Hold ’em contests and other special events have led to increased customer satisfaction and profits.

Other projects include the planned construc-tion of a new Child, Youth and School Ser-vices Child Development Center, a new Veterans Affairs clinic and efforts to expand services at the installation’s Family Pet Care Center and Camp Meade RV Park.

Combined, these efforts tell me we are on the right path that continues Fort Meade’s great rep-utation to support our community. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on how to carry on in our Team Meade approach.

Forging a new course

COL. Edward C. rOthstEin

Garrison Commander

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! �

News

By Dave Vergun Army News Service

Pfc. Bradley E. Manning was arraigned Feb. 23 at Fort Meade on 22 charges, which include wrongfully releasing intelligence, theft of records and aiding the enemy.

Manning elected to defer his plea and also to defer the forum selection for his court-martial — whether he will be tried by a judge or a panel.

The court set a tentative date of March 15 to 16 for the next session to hear pre-trial motions.

Manning was charged with aiding the enemy in violation of Article 104 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. He was also charged with 16 specifications under Article 134 of the UCMJ: wrong-fully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet, knowing it is accessible to the enemy.

He was charged with five specifications of Theft of Public Property or Records, in violation of 18 United States Code 641; eight specifications of Transmitting Defense Information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793(e); two specifications of Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030 (a) (1) ; and five specifications under Article

92, UCMJ, for violating Army Regulations 25-2 “Information Assurance” and 380-5 “Department of the Army Information Security Program.”

If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of reduction to private E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for life and a dishonorable discharge.

Most of the 16 specifications against Article 134 relate to Manning giving “intel-ligence to the enemy, through indirect means” while at Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between November 2009 and May 2010. He is charged with sharing this illegally accessed intelligence with “a person not entitled to receive it.”

Specification 10 of Article 134 mentions Manning obtaining and then divulging “five classified records relating to a military operation in Farah Province, Afghanistan, occurring on or about May 4, 2009, with reason to believe such information could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.”

Editor’s note: A date for the trial has not been set. However, a mid-March date was selected for the military judge to hear defense and prosecution arguments on a number of legal issues.

Army charges private with leaking intelligence

illustration by Marine sgt. shawn sales

Pfc. Bradley E. Manning stands to face the judge as 22 charges are read at his arraignment Feb. 23 in this artist’s rendereing of the courtroom at Fort Meade.

Photo by air Force staFF sgt. Matthew Fournier

wAy to goCommand Chief Master Sgt. Jorge Mustafa, of Headquarters Puerto Rico Air National Guard, congratulates graduates from Airman Leadership School on Feb. 10 at Fort Meade. Instructors at the school, which is open to Airmen, Sail-ors, Coast Guardsmen and members of the Air National Guard, are assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing. Airman Lead-ership School is the first level of professional military education for enlisted Airmen and a requirement for promotion to the rank of staff sergeant.

By Capt. Kimberly WyattKimbrough Ambulatory Care Center

What do Vince Lombardi, Ronald Reagan, Darryl Strawberry, Ruth Bader Gins-burg, Sharon Osbourne and Pope John Paul II have in common?

They have all battled colon cancer.Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in America,

with 5 to 6 percent of the U.S. population diagnosed with colorectal cancer.The good news is colon cancer can often be prevented with appropriate screen-

ing. Screening is typically done by colonoscopy, an outpatient procedure that can detect and remove very small polyps long before they become cancerous.

Are you turning 50 this year? Do you have a parent or sibling who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 60? Has your doctor ever told you that you are at increased risk of colon cancer?

If you answered yes to any of the questions and have never had colon cancer screening, see your primary care provider to discuss colorectal cancer screening now.

This one visit could be a giant step in preventing one of the most common cancers effecting adults today.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Early screening key to colon cancer prevention

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

News

Feb. 21, Assault consummated by a battery: The Directorate of Emer-gency Services received a 911 hang-up call; the call was traced. Units were dispatched to the area to try and make contact with the caller. On arrival, contact was made with the subject who stated that she and the victim were in an argument and that she punched him in the face.

Feb. 23, Shoplifting: The Directorate of Emergency Services was notified of a larceny at the Post Exchange. An inves-tigation revealed that AAFES security observed the subject place a DVD under his arm and exit the store without render-ing proper payment.

Feb. 25, Wrongful damaging of private property: An investigation revealed that the victim arrived at her vehicle and observed

extensive scratch marks over the vehicle’s entire body, which appeared to be keying marks.

Feb. 26, Driving on suspended out-of-state license: The Directorate of Emergency Services was noti-

fied of a vehicle that was speeding through a security gate. A check with the National Crime Information Center was conducted and revealed that the driver had her license suspended.

Feb. 26, Larceny of private property: The Directorate of Emergency Services was notified by gate security that a woman at the gate wanted to file a complaint. The victim stated that she met several men at a bar in Washington, D.C., who asked if they could put their phone numbers into her phone. She agreed, but she later real-ized they hadn’t return the phone.

New Traffic PatternThe Defense Information School

will begin to occupy the new Swing Space classrooms at the intersection of Simonds Street and Taylor Avenue.

As a result, that intersection will become a four-way stop.

Motorists traveling on Simonds Street will now be required to stop at Taylor Avenue.

Be cognizant of pedestrian traffic in that area.

CommunityCommunityCrime Watch

Compiled by the Fort Meade Directorate of Emergency Services

Trouble Ticket

Issue: Plan: Status:

Youth Services Sports Complex is in need of

renovations

Renovate the Youth Services Sports Complex

Actual use of fields will be this fall to allow grass to mature

Community members have concerns about golf

course service availability in light of Base Closure and

Realignment

Maintain a minimum of 18 holes at current site;

restoring golf operations on a site south of the

installation is also proposed

Golf operations are unchanged through

May 1

Have you noticed an issue on post and wondered if anything is being done to fix it? Email concerns and

issues to chad.t.jones.civ@mail.mil. Each week, Soundoff! will

address issues identified on post and describe what is being done to

solve them.

file photo

Play equipment near the Boundless Playground is currently undergoing repairs.

The Installation Safety Office has deemed and marked some play equipment at Burba Lake as unsafe

Repair the play equipment so that it is functional

Repairs are under way

On the lookout for theftthe Directorate of emergency Services is actively working to

keep neighborhoods safe.families residing on post should remember to ensure that

windows and doors to homes, cars and garages are locked at all times, regardless of time of day.

Although the crime rate in military housing is lower than off post, it is important to remember that fort Meade is not immune to crime. to protect your family and belongings, remember to take an active role in deterring crime.

Remain aware of your surroundings and immediately report any suspicious activity to the fort Meade police at 301-677-6622 or 6623.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! �

News

Story and photo by Tina Miles, Public Affairs Officer780th Military Intelligence Brigade

With a stroke of the pen, a partnership between the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade and Meade Heights Elementary School became official on Feb. 14.

The Partners in Education, or PIE, program, once called Adopt-A-School, is designed to support local schools by allowing service members to help in a number of ways.

PIE volunteers act as mentors and tutors, and they participate in events designed to help increase students’ chances of academic success.

By signing a partnership agreement, the 780th MI Brigade formalized its role as Meade Heights Elementary School’s partner unit and pledged its support to the educational activities of that particu-lar school.

At a small informal ceremony, Col. Jonathan E. Sweet, commander of the 780th MI Brigade, and Susan Gallagher, principal of Meade Heights Elementary,

signed the contract between the brigade and school.

“Partnering with Meade Heights Ele-mentary is just one opportunity that allows us to contribute, or give back, to the community that has given so much to us, here at Fort Meade,” Sweet said.

The signing was witnessed by Lt. Col. (P) Edmund Barrett, commander of Headquarters Command Battalion, and Sara Bonise, director of Fort Meade School Support Services and PIE liaison, as well as several Soldiers from the 780th MI Brigade.

Meade Heights Elementary School had already embraced the 780th MI as a partner when they exchanged valentine cards just days before the actual contract was signed.

Students from the pre-kindergarten and fifth grades made cards for deployed Soldiers. The brigade reciprocated by presenting the classes with a thank-you card signed by members of the 780th MI.

“Getting those cards from the stu-

780th MI formalizes partnership with Meade Heights Elementary

dents made my heart smile,” said Spc. Chatonna Powell, orderly room clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Com-pany, 780th MI.

Powell serves as the PIE representa-tive, or coordinator, for the brigade.

Ten Soldiers volunteered to assist with

the school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Night on Feb. 23.

Other 780th MI service members are scheduled to read to students at the school Friday for the National Educa-tion Association’s Read Across America Day.

Spc. Chatonna Powell, orderly room clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 780th MI Brigade, shows students at Meade Heights Elementary School the valentine card signed by HHC as a token of appreciation for the cards that the children designed and gave to the unit.

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http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

News

By Lisa R. RhodesStaff Writer

Colorful drawings of the Post Chapel and the Fort Meade Commissary are fea-tured in a new 12-month cal-endar created by 12 children enrolled in the installation’s School-Age Care Center.

Enrica Chesi-Beasley, the homework and art instructor for the center’s Youth Technol-ogy Lab, and Marcus Allen, the lab’s technology instructor, helped the children transform their original artwork into a community calendar.

“Our children are very proud and accomplished,” Chesi-Beasley said. “The level of art turned out to be pretty good.”

The School-Age Care Cen-ter at 1900 Reece Road pro-vides before- and after-school care and full-day care on school closure days for the children of service members and DoD civilians. The center provides a wide range of edu-cational programs and recre-ational activities for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

After Chesi-Beasley sug-gested topics for the artwork, the children began drawing in class last summer. Chesi-Beasley selected the 12 best entries, while Allen complet-ed the graphic design for the project.

In addition to scenes of Fort Meade life, the calen-dar includes drawings of the seasons, animals, plants and holiday celebrations.

Participants in the proj-ect are: Miguel Guzman, 10; Imani King, 10; Michael Bratten, 9; Zack Mueller, 10; Mikayla Hudson, 8; Zora Craft, 7; Kylie Mckinzie, 8; August Jordan, 8; Jada How-ell, 8; Joshua Sims, 6; Lindsay Van Horn, 11; and Gwenith Hudson, 7.

Calendars are available at the center.

“It will be cherished for many years to come,” Chesi-Beasley said.

School-Age Care Center children produce calendar

photo by enrica chesi-beasley

Joshua Sims, 10, and Mikayla Hudson, 8, are two of 12 children enrolled at the Fort Meade School-Age Care Center whose original artwork is featured in a new 12-month calendar. Marcus Allen, the technology instructor at the center’s Youth Technology Lab, completed the project’s graphic design.

Meade High senior places first in state essay writing contestBy Lisa R. RhodesStaff Writer

In a phone call Saturday, Meagan Chesser learned she will soon be a published writer.

Louise Batchelor, of the Anne Arundel County Reading Council, called to congratu-late Meagan on her first-place win in the high school essay category of the State of Maryland International Reading Association Council’s

statewide Young Author’s Contest.

“I am just so amazed,” the 17-year-old Meade High School senior said. “I’ve been kind of hear-ing ‘I told you so’ from everyone.”

As a first-place winner, Meagan’s essay, entitled “The Wallflower,” will be published in an anthology

along with the works of other first- and second-place contest winners.

The book will be given to the winners dur-ing a reception at the SoMIRAC conference on March 28 at the Hunt Valley Marriott in Hunt Valley. The young authors will also receive a gift certificate to a book store.

Meagan qualified for the statewide contest after taking first place in the high school essay category of the Anne Arundel County Read-ing Council’s Young Author’s Contest in early February. She was scheduled to be honored Wednesday at a reception at the Phoenix Cen-ter Annapolis, an Anne Arundel County high school.

“The Wallflower” is about a teenage girl who “never gets noticed by anyone, no matter what she does,” Meagan said.

The girl’s fate changes, however, when she catches someone’s eye.

“She is so happy about it,” said Meagan, not-ing that the essay is based on her own life.

Meagan resides in Hanover with her parents, Carole and Wayne Chesser, a retired Air Force master sergeant, and four siblings.

“I am amazingly proud of her,” Meagan’s mother said.

Meagan, who is taking an Advanced Place-ment English literature class at Meade High, hopes to become a television or movie script writer.

“I never thought I’d be published at this age,” she said. “It’s something small, but a pretty big step.”

Meagan Chesser

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! �

News

Story and photo by Lisa R. RhodesStaff Writer

Anna, a young girl living in Poland during World War II, is secretly taking violin lessons from a Jewish neighbor and music teacher.

One day her teacher mysteriously disappears. Years later, an adult Anna creates an orchestra in memory of her beloved friend.

This touching scenario is the plot of “A Violin For Anna,” a short story by Sophia Czaja, a sixth-grader at MacArthur Middle School.

The story won second place in the sixth-grade short-story category of the Anne Arundel County Reading Council’s 2011-2012 Young Authors Contest.

“I feel really excited,” said Sophia, 12. “A lot of people said I wouldn’t be able to win, I’m just an ordinary per-son. But it turned out I did win.”

MacArthur sixth-grader Seray Cer-ezo took second place in the sixth-grade poetry category for her poem, “Fear of the Battlefield,” about a Sol-dier on the verge of going to war and the mixed emotions of excitement and fear he experiences.

“I’m pretty surprised,” the 11-year-old said. “I didn’t think I would try for it, but then I thought, what if I did win?”

The Anne Arundel Reading Council is a local affiliate of the International Reading Council. The local nonprofit organization is committed to improv-ing literacy throughout the county.

Sponsored each year, the Young Authors Contest aims to promote a love of writing and effective communi-cation among youth, said Lenora Fox, president of the Anne Arundel County Reading Council.

The contest is open to all Anne Arundel County elementary, middle and high school students and encour-ages students to submit an original short story, poem or essay.

For the 2011-2012 school year, about 400 entries were submitted by county middle school students.

Sophia and Seray were scheduled to be honored at a reception Wednesday at Severna Park Middle School.

Molly Bugaile, their advanced English teacher at MacArthur, also

planned to attend the reception along with their parents. Sophia and Seray were slated to receive a certificate of participation and present their work to the audience.

“They are both very creative, very brilliant girls,” Bugaile said. “They love to read and challenge themselves. ... This opportunity makes them shine.”

Seray, whose father serves in the Air Force, said she wanted to write about what service members feel before they go to war.

“My Dad showed me poems by other authors, and they were really good,” she said. “I was hoping I would win with a poem like this.”

Seray has been writing poetry since she was in fourth grade and hopes to become a pediatrician.

Sophia, who has Polish ancestry and plays the violin, said she came up with the theme for her short story after hearing stories about World War II from her family and members of

her church.“My Dad told me stories that were

passed down,” said Sophia, whose father is a Marine. “I also did some research.”

Sophia has been writing short stories since second grade. She plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and become a forensic scientist.

Bugaile said the class was study-ing novels and character development when Sophia and Seray submitted their work to her last fall for consideration in the contest.

A group of sixth-grade language arts teachers at MacArthur selected six entries from 20 student submissions.

Sophia and Seray’s work were sent to the contest because of the impres-sive quality of both pieces, Bugaile said.

“There was a lot of thought process behind their work,” she said. “It was obvious they wanted to impact readers and write something very powerful.”

Opportunity to shineMacArthur students place second in county literary contest

Seray Cerezo, 11, and Sophia Czaja, 12, sixth-graders at MacArthur Middle School, are second-place finishers in the Anne Arundel County Reading Council’s Young Authors Contest. Seray won for her poem, “Fear of the Battlefield.” Sophia won for her short story, “A Violin For Anna.”

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Get the insider’s advantage

Join the conversation on Fort Meade’s social media platform for the latest com-munity news.

Connect with more than 8,000 post community mem-bers on the installation’s Facebook page. Stay updat-ed with Tweets from Fort Meade’s Twitter feed. Catch the latest episode of Meade Week’s video blog. Visit the installation’s website at www.ftmeade.army.mil and visit the links to add your voice to the conversation.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

Community news & notes

The deadline for Soundoff! community “News and Notes” is Friday at noon. All submissions are posted at the editor’s dis-cretion and may be edited for space and grammar. Look for additional community events on the Fort Meade website at www.ftmeade.army.mil and the Meade TV Blog at http://meadetv.wordpress.com.

For more information or to submit an announcement, email philip.h.jones.civ@mail.mil or call 301-677-5602.

National Prayer LuncheonThe Fort Meade National Prayer

Luncheon will be held March 28 at 11:30 a.m. at Club Meade.

The event is sponsored by the Garrison Chaplain’s Office. Chief of Chaplains Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Donald L. Rutherford will be the guest speaker.

Service members and civilian employees are encouraged to attend with supervisory approval and without charge to annual leave. Administrative leave is authorized.

Seating is limited to 300 people. Tickets are now available.

The suggested donation is $10 for civilian employees and service members with a rank of E-6 and above.

Tickets can be obtained through the unit sergeant major or noncommissioned officer in charge.

For more information on tickets, call the Garrison Chaplain’s Office at 301-677-6703 or 301-677-7842.

Easter workshop Design handmade gifts and cards at

an Easter workshop on March 10 and 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arts & Crafts Center, 6530 York Ave.

Cost is $35 and includes all supplies.To register or for more information,

call 410-575-4224.

Karaoke NightThe 11th Frame Lounge at the Lanes

is hosting a free Karaoke Night on the third Thursday of the month.

The next Karaoke Night will be March 15 from 7 to 10 p.m. The public is invited.

For more information, call 301-677-5541.

Newcomer’s seminarThe Military Spouse Newcomer’s

Seminar is held Wednesdays from 12:30

to 4 p.m. at the Community Readiness Center, 830 Chisholm Ave.

Spouses from all military branches are invited. Information is presented on different installation agencies. Door prizes are also awarded.

For more information and reservations, call the Army Community Service Relocation Office at 301-677-5590.

Auto care coursesThe Automotive Skills Center at 6530

Taylor Ave. is offering the following courses from 1 to 3 p.m.

• March 11: “How to change oil and maintain your vehicle”

• March 25: “How to change wheel bearings”

• April 8: “How to replace drive belts and anti-freeze”

• April 22: Proper procedures for replacing timing belts

Cost for each course is $10. For more information, call 301-677-5542.

Fleet Center classesThe Fleet and Family Support Center

at 830 Chisholm Ave. offers classes that are open to DoD identification cardholders. Advanced registration is required.

• Common Sense Parenting, Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Medical Records Review: Have your medical records reviewed by Joseph Thornton of AMVETS. An appointment is required.

To register or for more information, call 301-677-9017 or 9018.

OSC scholarshipsThe Fort Meade Officers’ Spouses’

Club will award scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic school year in the spring.

Completed applications must be postmarked by April 1.

• The Etta Baker Memorial Scholarship will be awarded for academic advancement to deserving college-bound high school seniors.

• The Merit Scholarship for continued learning will be awarded for academic advancement to graduating high school seniors and students currently enrolled in college.

• The JROTC Scholarship will be awarded to highly motivated,

community-minded students to further their education beyond a high school diploma.

• The Military Spouse Scholarship will be awarded for academic advancement to highly motivated, community-minded individuals to further their education.

Application forms with all eligibility requirements are available on the OSC website at www.fortmeadeosc.org and at high school guidance offices.

For more information, email Pat Hagerty at snow29man@aol.com.

Romp ‘n StompRomp ‘n Stomp playgroup, for

parents and their children up to 5 years old, meets Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Youth Services gym, when Anne Arundel County Public Schools are in session.

For more information, call Rikki Ford, Parent Support coordinator, at 301-677-3617 or e-mail rikki.l.ford.ctr@us.army.mil.

Youth/Teen Job FairA Youth/Teen Job Fair for ages 16 to

21 will be held today from 3 to 6 p.m. at McGill Training Center.

Students, graduating seniors and entry-level college and vocational students are welcome.

Participants have the opportunity to meet representatives of more than 30 companies and learn about available jobs and internships.

In addition, representatives of colleges, technical schools and volunteer organizations will provide information.

Teens also will learn resume tips, how to work a job fair and how to prepare for an interview.

For more information, call 301-677-5590.

StorytimeThe Medal of Honor Memorial Library

offers Pre-Kindergarten Storytime every Thursday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and 10:30 to 11 a.m.

• Today: “If You’re Happy and You Know it “

• March 8: “Waddle We Read Today?” - a duck-themed Storytime

• March 15: “It’s Easy Being Green Storytime” – Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early by reading books about all things green.

• March 22: “Spring into a Good Book” – Celebrating spring

• March 29: “Reading Makes Us Hoppy” - Songs and finger plays about bunnies

For more information, call 301-677-5522.

Easter Bunny brunchHop over to the Courses Clubhouse

on March 31 for brunch with the Easter Bunny. Two seating times will be available: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy scrambled eggs, bacon, french toast sticks, tater tots, ham, boneless chick-en wings, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti sauce, fruit salad and beverages.

Seating is limited. Tickets are available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Youth Center, 909 Ernie Pyle St.

Cost is $7 for ages 5 to 10 and $11.50 for ages 11 and older. Children ages 4 and under attend free.

For more information, call 301-677-5326.

Out & About• Hopkins Symphony Orchestra’s

20th annual free concert for children and families will be presented today from 1 to 2 p.m. at Shriver Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore. Conducted by Jed Gaylin, the concert will feature excerpts from Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrouchka.” After the performance, the audience is invited onstage to meet the musicians and see their instruments up close. No tickets or reservations are needed. For more information, call 410-516-6542 or email http://www.jhu.edu/jhso/.

• Leisure Travel Services is offering discounted tickets for active-duty service members to the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show from March 21 to April 1 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For more information, call LTS at 301-677-7354.

• Leisure Travel Services, 2300 Wilson St., is offering monthly bus trips to New York City on Saturday and April 14 and May 18, and discounts to attractions. Bus cost is $55. For more information, call 301-677-7354 or visit www.ftmeademwr.com.

• Monthly Prayer Breakfast, hosted by the garrison, is held the first Thursday of every

NEWS & EVENTSEDUCATION

YOUTH RECREATION

MEETINGS

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! �

Community news & notes

month at 7 a.m. at the Courses Clubhouse. The next breakfast is today. Post employees, family members, and civilian and military personnel are invited. No cost; donations are optional. For more information, call 301-677-6703 or email diana.l.durner.civ@mail.mil.

• Fort Meade Chapter of Military Officers Association of America will sponsor its next luncheon meeting today from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Club Meade. The guest speaker will be Rita McDermott of MOAA headquarters who will discuss the MOAA Scholarship Fund, which provides grants/scholarships and interest-free loans each year to the children of military personnel.

Cost is $15. The luncheon is open to the public. Reservations are required. Call T. Wayne Hobbs at 410-799-8331.

• Meade Rod and Gun Club meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Perry’s Restaurant and Odie’s Pub at 1210 Annapolis Road, Odenton. The next meeting is tonight in the banquet hall in back of the building. If you come early, you may join us for dinner at 6 p.m. For more information, call 410-674-4000.

• EMPOWERING Parents of Teens Support Group meets the first and third Monday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at School Age Services. The next meeting is Monday. Refreshments and free child care provided. For more information, call Rikki Ford, Parent Support coordinator, at 301-677-3617 or e-mail rikki.l.ford.ctr@us.army.mil.

• Retired Officers’ Wives’ Club will meet Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Club Meade. Lynda Maxwell of Destinations Inc. will demonstrate some of the best ways to pack for a trip to any destination.

Cost is $15. Reservations must be made by noon today. Members may call their area Reservation Committee member; all others may call Betty Wade at 410-551-7082. For more information, call ROWC President Lianne Roberts at 301-464-5498.

Guests who are eligible to join may attend one meeting before they are required to join. Dues, normally $25 per year, are reduced to $12.50 for the remaining meetings through May.

• Officers’ Spouses’ Club will meet March 15 at 10:30 a.m. at the Courses. The theme of the luncheon is “Wedding March.” The club is collecting wedding photos of members. Email a jpeg (and include wedding date) to 1stvice@fortmeadeosc.org by Friday.

Wear white to get in the wedding spirit, and encourage members to don their best “Royal Wedding Hat.” To RSVP or to be a vendor, visit www.fortmeadeosc.org or email reservations@fortmeadeosc.org. Cost

is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers.• Spouse PTSD Support Group,

sponsored by the Behavior Health Care Service, Religious Support Office and the Army Substance Abuse Program, will meet Wednesday and March 14, 21 and 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cavalry Chapel, Bldg. 8465, Simonds Street and 6th Armored Cavalry Road. Seating is limited. Registration is required by Friday. Child care is available.

This time-limited support group is for spouses whose loved ones are exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. To register or for more information, call Lt. Cmdr. Fields at 301-677-8870.

• Parenting With a Purpose will meet Wednesday and March 14, 21 and 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Meuse Forest Neighborhood Center at 8700 91st Division Blvd. Learn what your parenting style is and the art of judo-parenting. For reservations, call Rikki Ford, Parent Support coordinator, at 301-677-3617 or email rikki.l.ford.ctr@us.army.mil.

• Fort Meade E9 Association meets the second Friday of every month at 7 a.m. in the Pin Deck Cafe at the Lanes. The next meeting is March 9. The association is open to active, retired, Reserve and National Guard E9s of any uniformed service. All E9s in this area are invited to attend a breakfast and meet the membership. For more information, visit www.e9association.org or call 410-551-7953.

• Single Parent Support Group meets the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. at School Age Services, 1900 Reece Road. The next meeting is March 12. For more information, call Rikki Ford, Parent Support coordinator, at 301-677-3617 or email rikki.l.ford.ctr@us.army.mil.

• Enlisted Spouses Club meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Clubhouse in Bldg. T-4, across from the Pet Care Center. The next meeting is March 12. For more information, visit www.ftmeadeesc.org.

• NARFE Chapter 1519 will meet March 13 at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish Hall, 7436 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd., Glen Burnie. The speaker will be Karen Straughn, an assistant attorney general and director of the Mediation Unit for the Consumer Protection Division, which mediates disputes between consumers and businesses.

Current and retired federal employees and their spouses are invited. For more informa-tion or to join, call Diane Shreves, publicity chairman, at 410-760-3750.

• Bridging the Gap deployment support group, sponsored by Army Community Ser-vice, meets the second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. at Potomac Place Neighbor-

hood Center. The next meeting is March 13. For more information, call Sharon Collins at 301-667-4116 or email sharon.j.collins@us.army.mil.

• Meade Branch 212 of the Fleet Reserve Association meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at VFW Post 160 on Route 170 in Glen Burnie. The next meeting is March 14. Active-duty, Reserve and retired members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are invited. For more infor-mation, call 410-761-7046 or 301-262-6556.

• Fort Meade TOP III Association meets the second Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Courses. The next meeting is March 14. The association is open to all Air Force active and retired senior noncommis-sioned officers. For more information, call Master Sgt. Jonathan Jacob at 443-479-0616 or email jajacob@nsa.gov.

• Retired Enlisted Association meets the third Thursday of the month from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center. The next meeting is March 15. For more information, visit www.trea.org or call Mary Gray, the local president, at 410-916-5385 or Arthur R. Cooper, national president, at 443-336-1230.

• Fort Meade Homeschool Co-op meets Fridays at 9:30 a.m. at 1900 Reece Road. For more information, call Laura Edens at 443-510-4715 or email ftmeadehomeschooling@verizon.net.

• Cub Scout Pack 377 invites boys in first through fifth grades, or ages 7 to 10, to attend its weekly Monday meetings at 6 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center. For more information, email Kimberly Smith at pack377_cc@yahoo.com.

• Boy Scout Troop 379 meets Mondays at 7 p.m. at Argonne Hills Chapel Center on Rockenbach Road. The troop is actively recruiting boys age 11 to 18. For more information, email Lisa Yetman, at lisayetman@verizon.net or Wendall Lawrence, Scoutmaster, at lawrencewendall@juno.com.

• Protestant Women of the Chapel invites

women for prayer, fellowship and food at its weekly Wednesday meeting from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Argonne Hills Chapel Center. Child care and a home-school room are provided. For more information, call Christine Washburn at 443-230-1553 or email cwash1993@comcast.net.

• American Legion Post 276 is open to veterans and active-duty service members at 8068 Quarterfield Road in Severn. Breakfast may be purchased beginning at 9 a.m. Lunches may be purchased from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Happy Hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. Dinner may be purchased at 6 p.m. on Fridays and the fourth Sunday of every month.

Membership discounts are offered for active-duty military. For more information, call 410-969-8028 or visit www.americanlegionpost276.org.

• Meade Area Garden Club will meet March 16 at 10 a.m. at the Jessup Community Hall at the corner of Route 175 and Wigley Avenue. Susan Barbi, a national judge for the African Violet Society of America and a Maryland master gardener, will present a slide show on African violets. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are not required.

The meeting will be canceled if Anne Arundel County schools are closed or opening two hours late due to bad weather. For more information, call Pat Loosararian, membership chairman, at 410-519-6443 or Lois Stephenson, club president, at 410-740-8024.

• Patient/Family Advisory Council meets the third Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. at Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center. The next meeting will be March 15 in Kimbrough’s main conference room on the third floor, room 3C03.

The council is committed to improving the delivery of our health care by collaborating with providers, patients and family members. For more information or to become a council member, call Patient and Family Centered Care, at 301-677-8261.

Chaplain’s WordHEROISM

“We must be quality people before we can do quality

things. The potential for heroism, like any other element of

character, is revealed in our everyday choices.”

— Nicole Moliere

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil10 SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

News

photos by sarah pastrana

A wax figure of the late Dorothy Height, former chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, stands in the lobby of Club Meade for the installation’s Black History Month observance on Feb. 23. Height is just one of many wax figures on display at the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum in Baltimore.

co-founding the museum, the Martins (who are not related to the commandant) “had the vision for wanting to be a part of something greater than themselves.”

He said the couple invested the $30,000 they had saved for a house into creating the museum.

“They thought it was important to serve the community,” he said.

During her speech, Martin stressed the importance of passing a culture’s history to its youth and how that commitment shaped the founding of the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum.

She said that in the years since the civil rights movement, the black community has endured a great loss.

“We lost something when we decided after the civil rights movement, that in help-ing our children to ‘have a better life,’ we weren’t going to talk to them about slavery and lynching,” said Martin, who earned a doctoral degree from Howard University. “So we’ve reached a point where now we feel that our children are very materialistic and not interested in history.”

Martin said that when her husband, who died in 2001, taught at Morgan State Uni-versity, he encountered students who believed

that “learning black history and culture wouldn’t get you the American Dream, the middle class dream, the corporate dream.”

So when the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum celebrated its grand opening in 1988 on East North Avenue in Baltimore, its vision was guided by Elmer Martin.

“We want the story of the museum and the impact of the museum and the power of this medium to say the struggle has been [about] maintaining your dignity,” Martin said. “... [My husband] wanted to create a museum so compelling that people all over the world would want to come.”

Today, the museum features wax figures of President Barack Obama, Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman, in addition to a wax replica of a slave ship and wax artifacts depicting the Underground Railroad.

Martin said that in educating young blacks about their history, the community’s elders must not minimize the hardships they faced.

“We can’t continue to expect our young people to understand the struggle without giving them a sense of what the struggle was,” she said. “We need to give them a sense of how our parents were not allowed to reach their full potential.”

Martin recalled how at age 6, growing up

By Lisa R. RhodesStaff Writer

In 1997, Joanne Martin and her husband, Elmer, co-founders of the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, curated in New York an exhibit on lynching.

While touring the exhibit, a group of black students told Martin that they had never heard of lynching and did not know what it was.

The black community’s failure to institu-tionalize its history was one of the reasons why the couple created the museum, said Martin, who is also chief executive officer of the museum, in her speech at the installation’s annual observance of Black History Month.

The 90-minute event, held Feb. 23 at Club Meade, was hosted by the Defense Informa-tion School. This year’s theme is “Black Women in American Culture and History.”

Sponsored by the garrison command and the Fort Meade Equal Opportunity Office, the program featured remarks from the DIN-FOS commandant, a poetry reading and food samplings of fried chicken, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese.

Displays included a wax figure of the late Dorothy Height, former chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women in a pink suit and her trademark hat, and a civil rights exhibit from the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African Ameri-can History and Culture in Baltimore.

More than 300 people attended the event.

“I enjoyed it tremendously,” said Theresa Heard, an investigator with the Office of Personnel Management, after Martin spoke. “She talked about how you should know your history so you can feel proud of your-self. I share the same sentiments with my grandchildren.”

Angela Robinson, the registrar at DIN-FOS, served as mistress of ceremonies.

Air Force Master Sgt. LaShawndra Ramsey, noncommissioned officer of the Directorate of Logistics at DINFOS, sang the National Anthem. Air Force Tech Sgt. Kathy Parker, a photography instructor at DINFOS, performed the Negro National Anthem.

DINFOS Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Travis Sears delivered the invocation. Robert Jordan, a DINFOS public affairs instructor, recited “The New Day,” a poem by Fenton Johnson.

In his opening remarks, DINFOS Com-mandant Col. Jeremy Martin said that in

Sharing stories of struggleBlacks wax museum co-founder stresses passing history to youth

in a small, segregated town in Florida, she visited the doctor’s office with her mother and aunt to remedy their colds during a flu epidemic. But black patients, who were seated in a separate waiting room, were only served after all the white patients were treated.

“No matter how sick you were, sickness had a color too,” Martin said. “Even in sick-ness, there was no breaking of the rules or traditions.”

At the end of her remarks, Martin said that when she speaks to young blacks, she reminds them of the sacrifice of their African forebearers.

“You’re in the world today with the blood of ancestors flowing through your body right now who were put on slave ships, but who also did something unbelievable — they lived through that experience,” she said. “They gave the world’s most precious gift — life.”

After the program, the commandant pre-sented Martin with a certificate of apprecia-tion.

“I enjoyed the presentation, letting the younger generation know how far we’ve come and how far we have to go,” said Spc. Christopher Ramirez, 28, of the 742nd Military Intelligence Battalion. “[Martin] is a beacon of light.”

‘We want the story of the museum ... to say the struggle has been [about] maintaining your dignity.’

Joanne Martin Co-founder and chief executive officer, national Great blacks In Wax Museum in baltimore

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! 11

SportS

By Brandon BieltzStaff Writer

Capt. Anthony Cooper isn’t a big bas-ketball fan. He’s more of a football and baseball kind of guy.

But being a sports fan, he was eager to sit courtside at an Atlantic Coast Confer-ence men’s basketball game last week as the University of Maryland Terrapins defeated the University of Miami Hur-ricanes in a tight contest, 75-70.

“To be close to the action, that’s where all the fun is,” Cooper said.

Cooper was one of four Fort Meade service members from the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity who received courtside seats and were rec-ognized during the Feb. 21 game at the Comcast Center in College Park.

“Fort Meade Day” was the final game of a season-long military appreciation program, which featured service members from the installation at each home game.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring out the troops from Fort Meade and integrate them into our game-day presentation,”

said Christian Lewis, general manager at Terrapin Sports Marketing.

Prior to Fort Meade Day, Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein was interviewed by the long-time “voice” of Maryland athletics, Johnny Holli-day. Rothstein discussed the partnership between Fort Meade and the University of Maryland.

“This is a good way to show how we can partner outside the fence line,” Roth-stein said.

Twenty students from the Defense Information School were also featured during the pre-game events when they unfurled a large American flag across Gary Williams Court during the National Anthem. The flag extended from free-throw line to free-throw line.

DINFOS photography student Pvt. Codie Mendenhall, who was among the group that extended the flag, said he was excited to partake in the pre-game cer-emony on the court.

“I think it’s great,” he said.After folding up the flag, the students

Terps for TroopsUniversity of Maryland honors Meade Soldiers at Comcast Center

took their seats in the Comcast Center to watch the action. Pfc. John Russell, a combat documentation/production spe-cialist student, said the evening was a good opportunity for the Soldiers to get out of the daily school routine.

“We spend a lot of time on post,” he said. “We always try to focus on study-ing. All we talk about is videography or photography. So to get out and interact with people is kind of cool.”

Near the middle of the game’s first half, Rothstein, Cooper and Col. Jona-than E. Sweet, commander of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, joined four other Soldiers — Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Charles E. Smith, Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Alvelo, Spc. Tyler Mazur and Spc. Justin Haynes — at the edge of the court to be introduced to the 12,871 basketball fans.

This was the first time Mazur was ever given a large standing ovation.

“It was definitely an experience,” he said. “I definitely appreciate it.”

Rothstein, who has attended multiple military appreciation events as garrison commander, said the enthusiastic response from large crowds gives him pride.

“It is a true sense of ‘wow,’ ” he said. “This is all about Fort Meade and Team Meade, and people are applauding what we’re doing.”

TOP LEFT: Capt. Anthony Cooper (right) takes photos of the University of Maryland men’s basketball team while Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Alvelo watches the game during “Fort Meade Day” on Feb. 21. Cooper and Alvelo were among four service members from the Fort Meade U.S. Army Medical Department Activity who were honored at the game in College Park.

LEFT: Capt. Anthony Cooper, Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Alvelo, Spc. Tyler Mazur, Spc. Justin Haynes, Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein, Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Charles E. Smith and Col. Jonathan E. Sweet, commander of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, receive a standing ovation from the 12,871 basketball fans during “Fort Meade Day” at the University of Maryland men’s basketball game on Feb. 21.photos by brian krista

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil12 SOUNDOFF! March 1, 2012

SportS

By Brandon BieltzStaff Writer

At the Meade High School wrestling team’s first practice last November, coach Chad Vos-burg preached to his wrestlers that they should be the Anne Arundel County champions.

“We drilled it into their heads all season long,” he said.

So when Isiah Alston narrowly defeated Northeast High School’s David Skiratiko 8-7 at the Anne Arundel County Championships on Feb. 18, Vosburg was relieved.

Isiah’s championship-round victory sealed the wrestling program’s first county title. After finishing 5-9 a year ago, the team improved to 19-3 this season with the county title and a second-place finish in the regional tournament last weekend.

“It feels good — the first time in history,” senior wrestler Kojo Boadu said of winning the county championship.

While Vosburg believed the team had a shot at finishing in the top three at the county competition, actually winning the title came as somewhat of a surprise to the coaching staff, who called a team meeting prior to the cham-pionship-round to discuss the likely results.

When looking at the match-ups faced by the Meade wrestlers, it appeared the team would fall short of its goal and end up in second place.

“Thirteen of them went out there to pull upsets,” Vosburg said. “Each wrestler got the job done.”

At the county championships, 11 Meade wrestlers qualified for last weekend’s Class 4A/3A East Region championships — six more than last year. With four wrestlers fin-ishing in the top four of their weight class at the regional competition — including Lance Alderman’s first-place finish in the 152-pound weight class — Meade captured a second-place finish behind River High School in Clarksville.

Lance, Isiah, Stephen Lloyd and Mark Scarlas all qualified for the state championship tournament on Friday and Saturday at College Park. Kojo, Trevon Jordan and Nana Boadu will be alternates for the tournament. Only one Mustang qualified for the state competi-tion last year.

Stephen, a senior on the team, said he plans on taking his successful 29-4 season all the way to a state-championship win.

“I’ll do everything in my power to win,” he said. “I refuse to get less than first place.”

Vosburg said the East Region is the most competitive in Maryland high school wres-

Going to the matMeade High School wrestling team captures first county title

photo by ed bunyan

Meade High School’s Tayler Creek (on top) works to control Mason Kilcarr of Reservoir High School in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association 4A/3A East Regional Wrestling Tournament at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia on Friday. Eleven Meade wrestlers qualified for the regional tournament after the team won the Anne Arundel County Championship on Feb. 18.

tling. By finding success at the regional tourna-ment, he expects the wrestlers to place well at the state-level competition.

“Any of our kids who make it out of the region have a good chance to place in the top six at [the state championship],” he said.

At one point in the season, nine Meade wrestlers were ranked in the top 20 in Mary-land in their respective weight classes. Over-all, the team was also ranked in the top 20 throughout the season.

“I think we’ve shown that we can wrestle with anybody,” Vosburg said.

Vosburg credits the program’s short turn-around to the offseason commitment of the student-athletes. A majority of the wrestlers trained three to four times a week, starting at the end of last season.

“They work extremely hard during the season itself as well as the offseason,” said Dave Lanham, Meade High’s athletic director.

“Many are training and wrestling year-round now, and I think this plays a large role in the success we are having.”

Kojo said attending camps and going to other schools’ open-mat sessions to train for the 2012 season helped the team improve.

“We came here and worked hard in the offseason,” said Stephen, who captured his second county championship this year.

Although Vosburg is quick to pass credit to his wrestlers, Lanham said the coaching staff is the main reason for the team’s success. Without a feeder program, very few wrestlers come to the team with experience. It’s up to the Meade coaching staff to teach them the basics.

“Chad and the staff he has assembled deserve 100 percent of the credit for the overall success of the wrestling program,” Lanham said. “How they’ve been able to develop wres-tlers with little or no junior league experience is amazing.”

The wrestling team’s title is another suc-cess for Meade High’s athletics program. This season, the football team won its first playoff game in nearly two decades, while the Unified Sports bowling team clinched the county title. And for a consecutive year, the girl’s basketball team took the county championship.

Lanham said the recent success should help Meade build a stronger, more competitive athletics program in the future.

“Student-athletes want to be involved in a winning program,” Lanham said. “I think this is evident in the number of players that we are now having try out for our teams. Wrestling itself had almost 60 people try out for the team, and we had 180 players try out for football.

“Overall, the number of student-athletes trying out for our teams has increased dramat-ically in the last two years. I attribute a large part of this to our teams starting to win.”

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil March 1, 2012 SOUNDOFF! 13

News

Tell me you saw Juan Pablo Montoya run into that fuel truck at Daytona Monday night? http://on-msn.com/zpkMDJ

No?How about when “King” James proved

his royal punkness at the All-Star game? You didn’t see that either?

Well, don’t feel too bad if you missed it. So did I.

Now this is the part where I’d like to whine about how the garrison is keeping me too busy with town halls, commissions and communication plans, or maybe talk about all that quality time I’m spending with the family, or inform you that I’m going blind from hitting the school books.

But that would be shady.For one, I was blind well before becom-

ing a Towson Tiger. For two, even though work is keeping me plenty busy (Google FGGM or scan the newspaper if you don’t believe me), and family time has been ade-quate thanks to futon nights, Sunday school and backyard baseball (speaking of which, Youth Sports is still looking for coaches this spring), none of those things are keeping me away from my sports.

Xbox 360 is. More specifically, NHL 2012.

I can’t get enough of it. I’m not to the point of liking Xbox Anonymous on Face-book, but I did recently have to put hockey tape on my fingers to protect my blisters. Band-Aids seemed too whimpy.

In about a month, I’ve played an entire 82-game regular season and am 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. And that doesn’t even include the game I played but didn’t save because I have a hard time los-ing games I should have won. For example, I had to play three, Game 3s against the Oilers because Nikolai Khabibulin stood on his virtual head and stopped 79 of the 80 shots I put on net.

“So if you don’t win, you just reset the game?” my wife asked.

“When it’s justified,” I replied.That’s when I realized Mrs. Jones just

doesn’t get it, and I began to sense a bit of envy in her voice whenever she mentioned “The Box.”

I used to only hear stories about video game widows, which apparently is much worse than being a football widow because football players are real athletes as opposed to codes. But I do believe, at least for me, there is an explanation for my recent

behavior.First — and I

am probably the last person to real-ize this — gaming systems have come a long way since the days of Sonic and Super Tecmo. Therefore, it’s only fair to partially blame my current run on the fact that after 11 years on PS2 (I also dabbled with Wii), I can’t get over what Xbox and an HDMI cord bring to a video game experience. It has to be like a person’s need to drive after upgrading from an ’86 Skylark to a new Escalade.

But more than technology, basketball and pretty much every other sport that’s not Big Ten basketball stinks right now. Tiger isn’t winning, NASCAR is NAS-CAR, and the biggest thing in the NBA is Jeremy Lin.

So something had to fill the void left by the NFL. That’s why I can’t tell you who leads the NBA or NHL in scoring, but I do know that my virtual Pavel Datsyuk is awesome.

I also can’t tell you how a professional race car driver ran into a gas truck dur-ing a caution. I’ve been driving on roads jammed by fuel tankers for 20 years and never hit one.

But I do know my digitally remastered enforcer, aka Yasuf B. Jones, dropped the gloves and hit everyone on Chicago’s top-two lines so that I could send them an e-message of pain and intimidation before heading into the playoffs. It obvi-ously worked because I ended their season without a single reset.

However, Honey, and all of you new gaming widows out there, have no fear. Two things stronger than any pseudo addic-tion are on the way - baseball and March Madness.

It won’t solve all your issues. We will not want to watch “Real Housewives” with you, and our minds will still be on something else while snuggling.

But at least the objects of our affection will be meaningless things made of flesh and bone as opposed to 0s and 1s.

If you have comments on this or anything to do with sports, contact me at chad.t.jones.civ@mail.mil.

Livin’ on the box

Chad T. Jones, Public Affairs

Officer

Jibber Jabber - OpiniOn Sports ShortsIce Breaker Golf Tournament

The Ice Breaker Golf Tournament will be held March 24 at the Courses. Shotgun start is at 9 a.m.

The event will feature a two-person scramble format.

Cost is $25 per player or $50 per team. Fee includes lunch and awards, which will follow the event.

Register by March 21 at 301-677-5329.

Bull & Oyster RoastThe Meade High School Baseball Program

is sponsoring a Bull & Oyster Roast on March 31 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Gambrills Athletic Club, 682 McKnew Road, Gambrills.

The menu features pit beef, pit turkey, oyster on the half shell, fried oysters, oyster stew, mash potatoes, green beans, vegetables and desserts.

Entertainment includes a disc jockey, money wheel, silent auction, door prizes and 50/50 raffle.

Tickets cost $40. Proceeds will benefit Meade High’s new batting cage.For more information, email Dave Lanham at dlanham@aacps.org or call

410-672-1369.

Texas Hold ‘emTexas Hold ‘em no buy-in games are played Mondays at 7 p.m. at the Lane’s

11th Frame Lounge.Games are free and open to the public. For more information, call 301-677-5541.

First Tee youth golfYoung golfers are invited to participate in the free First Tee golf program at

the Courses.• The “Player” course for beginners, ages 4 to 6, will be held Thursdays

through April 26 from 4 to 6 p.m.• The “Par” course, for those who have already completed the Player course,

will be held Saturdays through April 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.For more information, call 301-677-1196

Spring Sports registrationRegistration for spring sports is under way at Parent Central Services,

1900 Reece Road.Youth sports are available for ages 3 to 18 years old.Spring sports include soccer, T-ball, baseball, softball, track, swim,

indoor football and county basketball for ages 10 through 13.For more information, call 301-677-1149 or 1156.

Coaches neededCoaches are needed for the Child, Youth and School Service’s spring sports season.All coaches are required to complete a background check and attend coach

certification training. Head and assistant coaches whose children are enrolled in spring sports will be given a coach’s discount.

For more information, call 301-677-1329 or email jesse.c.miller2.naf@mail.mil.

For more Fort Meade sports, visit www.quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.