Renovated Lois B. Wells Health Clinic offers top-notch care to Warriors

Fort A.P. Hill reopened its health clinic on March 18. Shown here cutting the ribbon from left are: Sgt. Christopher J. Watson, clinic noncommissioned officer, Col. Thomas S. Bundt, Kenner Army Health Clinic commander, Nurse Practitioner Carol Campbell, Lt. Col. Peter E. Dargle, Fort A.P. Hill commander and Sgt. Ramon Peguero, Wells Clinic noncommissioned officer in charge.

FORT A.P. HILL, Va. – The newly-renovated Lois B. Wells Memorial Health Care Clinic here officially reopened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 18.
The ceremony marks the completion of an eight-month, $1.4 million renovation that transformed the old clinic into a bright, modern facility.
The renovation included new furnishings, medical equipment, a new heating and air conditioning system, new ceilings, walls, floors and insulation as well as Americans with Disabilities Act compliant rest rooms, according to Allen Dodge, Quality Control Manager at Kenner Army Medical Clinic, Fort Lee, Va.
“Everything is new,” Dodge said.
For the last several months the clinic occupied temporary buildings near the clinic but moved back to the renovated clinic recently.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Nurse Practitioner Carol Campbell said the clinic was named after the late Lois Wells to honor her 23 years of dedicated service to Soldiers as the clinic’s receptionist.
“I can’t even tell you how excited I am,” Campbell said. “The Soldiers deserve a nice clinic.”
Wells’ daughter, Terry Banks, was on hand for the ribbon cutting and said she thought her mother would like the newly-renovated clinic.
“I know my mom would be proud of it,” Banks said.
Banks said that even when her mother was ill she still worked at the clinic out of dedication to the Soldiers.
Kenner Army Medical Clinic commander Col. Thomas S. Bundt closed the ceremony with brief remarks, noting how impressed he was with the clinic and the training facilities at A.P. Hill.
“What do I have to do to get assigned here?” Bundt joked. “Seriously, though, this is an absolutely beautiful facility that will support our Warriors well.”
Bundt added that facilities such as the Wells Clinic come about because someone planned for the future.
A lot of the things we do in the Army benefit the next generation, he said. This clinic is here because someone thought ahead and planned for it. Our Soldiers will benefit from someone’s foresight.

Fort A.P. Hill FMWR Awards Ceremony

Fort A.P. Hill FMWR Awards Ceremony, a set on Flickr.

Thank you FMWR for your continued, high quality service to the Fort A.P. Hill community of warriors & their families, DA Civilians and retirees. You make our Garrison, Army Stronger!

Commander’s Message For President’s Day Observance

Fort AP Hill will observe President’s Day on 18 February and enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the rich legacies of our National Leaders who were crucial in forming our national heritage and instrumental in making our great nation what it is today. The holiday is also a tribute to the General who created the first military badge of merit for the common Soldier. Revived on President George Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears President Washington’s image) is awarded to Soldiers who are injured in battle. As with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, this offers another opportunity to honor the country’s veterans.

Before we conduct this long weekend, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous service to our Nation as well as your proven dedication to Fort AP Hill’s mission. I am extremely proud of your commitment and dedication to all our Warriors. This weekend provides a great chance for many of you to reset and spend quality time with Friends and Family. I ask you simply to be safe and to apply composite risk management (CRM) as a life skill. Make sure you manage risks 24/7 with good and informed decisions. Motor vehicle accidents remain the number one killer of our Soldiers, Civilians, and Family members. Use the Travel Risk Planning System (TRiPs) at https://safety.army.mil , a proven tool to help identify and mitigate the risks of traveling.

Take care of each other and have a safe and great President’s Day Weekend. To support your planning efforts and facilitate your safe movement to observe this holiday period, I authorize early departure, up to 59-minutes, on Friday, 15 February 2013 for the Fort AP Hill Staff and Workforce. Director Heads will execute all necessary administrative actions to support this IAW higher policy and regulations as well as ensuring all mission requirements are satisfied prior to release. Directors report status for execution to DGC NLT 1200 on 15 Feb 2013.

Thank you again for your selfless service to our great Nation. Enjoy this holiday, but remember to always play it safe.

“Bring Hill Up!!!”

v/r
Peter E. Dargle
LTC, AR
USAG Fort A.P. Hill Commander

African American/Black History Month

African American/Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role African Americans played in U.S. history.

The story of this annual celebration actually dates back to 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by African Americans. Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored the first weeklong event in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures.

In the decades the followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing proclamations to recognize an annual event that would highlight the accomplishments of African Americans. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the Civil Rights Movement, the weeklong observation evolved into a month long event at many college campuses. President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized African American/Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments” of African Americans in shaping both the history and future of our great nation. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as African American/Black History Month.

The 2013 theme for African American/Black History Month is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” This year’s theme addresses a complex topic in that 2013 marks the 150th and 50th year anniversaries, respectively, of two parallel events – President Abraham Lincoln’s enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and, a full century later, the March on Washington in 1963.

Enriching our understanding of African American history serves to broaden our understanding of our nation’s history. We should embrace this time as a celebration of the great diversity of the American landscape and understand that diversity is what essential to keeping the strength of our nation. Throughout this month, we look to recognize and celebrate the dedicated service and contributions of African Americans, both past and present. We will host an African American/Black History Luncheon on 13 February at Romenick Hall and look forward to everyone’s participation in this great celebration and event. Attached is the tri-signed letter from Secretary of the Army, Army Chief of Staff, and Sergeant Major of the Army recognizing the importance of African American/Black History Month.

v/r
Peter E. Dargle
LTC, AR
USAG Fort A.P. Hill Commander

Fort AP Hill Commander Message for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance

Monday, 21 January 2013, marks our observance of the great life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A driving force behind the American civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s, we continue to celebrate Dr. King’s life and dream of advancing equality, opportunity and social justice. We mark his birthday by commemorating and committing ourselves to his belief in justice and universal equality. Through great faith and unwavering perseverance, Dr. King changed the course of our Nation forever. He lived by the measure “What are you doing for others?” — an ideal that resonates in both our personal and collective AP Hill values.

Since 1994, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been set aside as a national day of service. It also is part of United We Serve, President Obama’s national call to Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.

“The time is always right to do what is right,” Dr. King proclaimed, calling on each of us to make a difference through shared responsibility and service within their community. Dr. King challenged us to do our part in breaking down barriers, serving others, and reaching out to those in need. There are three key messages that Dr. King passed on to us that we should all take pause to reflect on, consider, and apply in our lives, not just today, but everyday:

1. You Are Special- Celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. remembering that what makes you special is what’s on the inside, not how we look on the outside.

2. Love Everyone- It can be hard for us to truly comprehend what our nation was like and how segregated it was at one point in our history. We should always serve and treat others how we want to be treated. Treat everyone with absolute dignity and respect and it will come back to you double.

3. Keep on Dreaming- Dr. King stood up for what was right and kept fighting for his dream. Take pause to think about your own dreams and continue to persevere to make those dreams a reality.

As we observe this special day, I strongly encourage you to participate in commemorative events and to take an active role in your community.

To support your planning efforts and facilitate your safe movement to observe this holiday period, I authorize early departure, up to 59-minutes, on Friday , 18 January 2013 for the Fort AP Hill Staff and Workforce. Director Heads will execute all necessary administrative actions to support this IAW higher policy and regulations as well as ensuring all mission requirements are satisfied prior to release. Directors report status for execution to DGC NLT 1200 on 18 JAN 2013.

Thank you again for your selfless service to our great Nation. Enjoy this holiday, but remember to always play it safe.

“Bring Hill Up!!!”

v/r
Peter E. Dargle
LTC, AR
USAG Fort A.P. Hill Commander

Commander’s Dispatch -16 December 2012

Without a doubt, AP Hill welcomed the holiday season this past week with great joy for our many blessings this past year and great anticipation for an outstanding year to come. Your individual and collective efforts enabled AP Hill to enjoy unparalleled success. Every mission, every endeavor, every challenge, was met with a commitment to ensure our Warrior’s success. I am thankful to the Great People at AP Hill whose professionalism and spirit have allowed us to thrive despite the many challenges faced. AP Hill presents our Joint Forces with a challenging and realistic training environment necessary to fight and win our Nation’s wars. Despite the Garrison’s small staff size, our professional and dedicated workforce maximizes every resource and capability to an extent that both tenant and rotational units receive “The best training and support – Anywhere.” We retain a steadfast commitment to Warrior success and supportive community relationships through innovation, stewardship, teamwork, professionalism, communication and safety. By actively communicating with our diverse community of employees, tenant organizations, rotational units, and extended civilian population, we adeptly meet current and future mission requirements at the greatest benefit and least cost. We have built a team of teams that is mission focused and dedicated to our People.

Fort AP Hill Commander’s Message for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a joyous and magical time of year.  Enveloped by traditions, they are a time of thanksgiving with friends and families and visits with dear ones near and far.  They are a time filled with love, gifts, songs, stories, and hope.  Whether anticipating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or just time among family and friends, always know that you are a part of a great Team, a great Family, at AP Hill.  It’s a wonderful time to be part of the Fort AP Hill Family – a Family as diverse as our mission – where we provide the best customer service and support to the very best Military in the world. 

 

The success we’ve seen in the past year has certainly given us many reasons to be thankful and joyous during this holiday season.  Your individual and collective efforts have enabled AP Hill to enjoy unparalleled success.  Every mission, every endeavor, every challenge, was met with a commitment to ensure our Warrior’s success.  I am forever thankful to the Great People at AP Hill whose professionalism and spirit have allowed us to thrive despite the many challenges we have faced.  You have truly embraced the concept of the AP Hill Family as an extension of your own.  Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to serving our Soldiers, Civilians and Families. Mr. Wright, CSM Whitcomb and I wish the best to you and your Families for a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We hope that this holiday season provides enhanced opportunities for both personal reflection and well deserved recreation time. 

We must also remain keenly aware that the holiday season traditionally brings a significant amount of stress into our lives. As we do every day, we need to look out for each other, for our teammates, Family members and friends, and if we recognize potential warnings signs, reach out and help.  Now, more than ever, is the time to remember to take care of yourself, your Family as well as your extended AP Hill Family as well — battle buddies, co-workers and the person next to you.  As you travel or attend celebrations, be mindful of your actions and surroundings, keeping safety and responsibility at the forefront of your mind. 

Thank you again for your selfless service to our great Nation. Enjoy this holiday, but remember to always play it safe. I have attached the holiday message from CG & CSM, IMCOM, who also extend their best wishes to each and every one you during this season.  We all wish you and your Families a happy holiday season, prosperous New Year and look forward to starting 2013 with each member of our great AP Hill Family! 

 

“Bring Hill Up!!!”

 

v/r

Peter E. Dargle
LTC, AR
USAG Fort A.P. Hill Commander