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On Post
Living, working and succeeding at Fort Knox
Recruitment and Retention School
‘engenders a commitment’
 NABVETS active
in community
 Operation Homefront
hosts spring activities
 Fort Knox has Civil War,
Lincoln ties
March/April 2015
What’s inside?
OnPost
FRONT AND CENTER. Hooray for
Heroes to honor Vietnam veterans . . . . . . . . 3
Published and distributed by
The News-Enterprise
408 W. Dixie Ave.
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
www.thenewsenterprise.com
DID YOU KNOW? Fort Knox has Civil
War, Lincoln ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Volume 5 Issue 2
Publisher
Chris Ordway
HEALTHY KNOX. Camping
safety tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Editor
Ben Sheroan
270-505-1764
bsheroan@thenewsenterprise.com
FAMILY. Operation Homefront hosts
spring activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Advertising Director
Larry Jobe
270-505-1409
Fax: 270-769-1413
ljobe@thenewsenterprise.com
VETERANS SALUTE. Gary Rice invests
in other veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ON THE JOB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
CONNECTIONS. NABVETS active in
community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
NEAR HERE. Jefferson Memorial Forest
offers family fun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Account Executives
Bill Anderson
Paul Delaney
Nancy Farmer
Beth Pyles
Sara Phelps
Jennifer
Simpson
Cris Thomas
Contributors
Robert Villanueva
Becca Owsley
Layout and Design
Copy desk
Photographers
Jill Pickett
Neal Cardin
ON THE
COVER
Recruitment and
Retention School
‘engenders a
commitment’
. . . . 12
COVER SHOT. Shown is the shoulder patch worn by Recruiting Command soldiers.
Photo by Neal Cardin.
2 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
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ROBERT VILLANUEVA/The News-Enterprise
Some members of the board of directors for Hooray for Heroes are, back row from left, David Cowherd, C.T. Christie, Brenda
Thompson, Greg Lowe and Kendra Stewart Scott; front row, Diane Mattingly, Rene Bell, Randy Acton, Charlotte Masterson and
Johanna Smoke, a fill-in member for Michelle Watson. Board members not pictured are Charley Fraley, Don Cecil, Greg Milby, John
Campbell, Kevin Emdee, Mary Giulitto, Melanie Hibberd, Michael Bateman and Tom Brooks.
Front and Center
Hooray for Heroes to
honor Vietnam veterans
By ROBERT VILLANUEVA
The News-Enterprise
The efforts of many volunteers go
into coordinating Hooray for Heroes,
a special annual event for active,
reserve and veteran military, first responders and their families.
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Celebrating its 10th anniversary,
Hooray for Heroes is in Radcliff every
Armed Forces Day. This year, that
day is May 16, and the event will give
special recognition to Vietnam veterans in acknowledgment of the 50th
anniversary of the Vietnam War.
Hooray for Heroes is from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. in the adjoining parking
lots of Stithton Baptist Church and
Walmart Supercenter.
Community members Randy
Acton and Will Stolz established the
Turn to HOORAY, PAGE 4
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 3
ROBERT VILLANUEVA/The News-Enterprise
During a March meeting, Hooray for Heroes board member David Cowherd, center, discusses activities planned to honor Vietnam
veterans. Cowherd and C.T. Christie, right, head the committee in charge of coordinating activities.
HOORAY
Continued from PAGE 3
event in 2006.
“It was our desire to help the
communities around Fort Knox show
their appreciation for our military
and first responders and their families by providing a free day of food,
entertainment and fun,” said Acton,
board chairman.
In his role, Acton plans and officiates committee meetings and coordinates the day’s activities for the event.
In 2010, Hooray for Heroes became
a tax-exempt charitable organization,
having officially installed a board of
4 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
directors. Stolz is no longer involved
in the event.
Greg Lowe, vice chairman, said his
involvement evolved out of having attended for six years and enjoying it.
“Then I felt like I ought to be contributing somehow instead of just being a spectator,” Lowe said.
Since Acton has been a friend of
Lowe’s for more than 40 years, Lowe
contacted him and told him to call if
he ever needed help.
“Call me he did, and I have been
involved ever since,” Lowe said.
Event organizers expressed the
need for such an event, which includes giveaways, musical entertainment, food, children’s activities and
other attractions, all at no charge to
those being honored.
“These wonderful people need to
know that we understand and appreciate their sacrifices and service to us as
they protect our nation and our way
of life,” Acton said.
Lowe said because Acton is a
Vietnam veteran, he knows what it
means to serve. Lowe called him the
“unsung hero” of the event.
“He is one of my heroes because
of what he does for soldiers and for
this community,” said Lowe, also a
Vietnam veteran.
Board members C.T. Christie and
David Cowherd, both Vietnam veterans, have coordinated efforts to bring
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
the Traveling Wall, a smaller version
of the Vietnam Memorial, to the
event as well as for additional days.
“It will be great,” Christie said. “I
am so very proud to be involved in
this and for Randy giving David and
I the great honor to do this for all our
proud Vietnam veterans and honor
our fallen and missing.”
Cowherd said although he was
sometimes in harm’s way in Vietnam,
most of his tour was “safe and without
incident.” Hearing about others who
lost their lives made him realize he
was among the lucky.
“I finally let go of a lot of the past
of Vietnam when Fort Knox and
Hardin County had their Welcome
Home events in 2009,” Cowherd said.
“As a result, I became involved with
Vietnam Veterans of America, and
this led to my involvement in helping
bring displays to the Traveling Wall
event in E’town in May 2014. Shortly
after, I was asked to assist with bringing the Traveling Wall and other displays to Radcliff.”
Among other things, this year’s
event is aimed at showing Vietnam
veterans their war was not “a war of
shame,” he said.
“It is just my way to honor
my brothers and what they went
through,” Cowherd said.
Diane Mattingly became a board
member when the event started. For
the first five years, Mattingly was
responsible for coordinating support
and dignitaries from Fort Knox and
other tasks.
Mattingly was the community relations officer at Fort Knox from 2006
until 2010. She continued serving on
the Hooray for Heroes board after she
left that job.
“I remained for several reasons,”
Mattingly said. “Including the great
amount of respect I have for the
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
members of the planning board who
put so much effort into the event, the
respect I have for service members,
veterans, first responders and their
families, and the passion I have for
veterans and first responder issues.”
Mattingly is retired military and a
former volunteer emergency medical
technician and rescue squad member.
Charlotte Masterson, booth chairwoman, said she’s been on the planning committee for three years, but
has participated in the event since the
beginning. She stressed the importance of the event.
“It’s so easy to forget why we have
the freedoms we have and feel safe in
our home and community and in this
country,” Masterson said.
Rene Bell, treasurer, has been involved with the event from its inception and believes in its mission.
“Everything is free for those we
are honoring, no one is there to sell
you something or ask anything of you
except for you to have a wonderful
day with your loved ones,” Bell said,
describing the event.
Lowe extolled the event and what
it signifies.
“I was a soldier for 30 years and
have been a volunteer firefighter for
20 years and was a special deputy
sheriff for nine years,” Lowe said. “I
know the sacrifices required in all
those areas and know that it is a rare
instance that a ‘thank you’ is ever given for that service.”
Though getting “thank yous” is
not the reason for service, it is nice,
Lowe said, to be recognized “from
time to time.”
“Most of us never had a welcome
home ceremony,” Lowe said. “We
need to thank our heroes every day.
Hooray for Heroes fulfills that need.”
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MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 5
Did You Know?
Submitted photo
Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother, Bathsheba or Bersheba by different accounts, is buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Fort Knox,
which includes three generations of Lincolns. The current headstone was dedicated in 1960, replacing a field stone.
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Fort Knox
has Civil War,
Lincoln ties
By ROBERT VILLANUEVA
The News-Enterprise
Although Fort Knox did not exist at the time of the Civil War, the
land which encompasses the military
post has its share of Civil War and
Abraham Lincoln connections.
Matt Rector, historic preservation
specialist at Fort Knox, said the land
that is now Fort Knox saw a lot of
troop movement and guerrilla activity during the Civil War. At the time,
the several communities, such as Pitts
Point, Garnettsville and Grahamton,
were located on the land.
“This area of Kentucky was rampant
with guerrilla outlaws,” Rector said,
noting they came from both sides.
Newspaper reports of the time tell
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Submitted photo
A mantel built by Thomas Lincoln, the
father of Abraham Lincoln, is in the Saber
& Quill at Fort Knox.
of guerrilla activity causing fear in the
small communities. Accounts came
from newspapers ranging from New
York to Louisville.
Additionally, during the Civil War,
what is now Wilson Road was part of
the L&N Turnpike, Rector said.
“The L&N Turnpike was regularly
used by the Army,” Rector said.
Both Union and Confederate
troops used the L&N Turnpike as a
main thoroughfare. In 1862, Union
Gen. Don Carlos Buell took troops
through the area on his way to
Louisville.
“We had 60,000 marching up
Wilson Road,” Rector said, noting the
number is a rough estimate.
Gen. John Hunt Morgan also
made his way through the area with
Confederate soldiers during his raids
in 1863, Rector said.
Although the land that makes up
Fort Knox never saw any battles,
several of the towns that existed then
“saw minor skirmishes,” Rector said.
At one point, another fort was located on property that now makes up
Fort Knox.
During the Civil War, several earthen forts were built around Muldraugh
Hill. The most notable, Fort Duffield,
became part of Fort Knox when the
post was being established at the time
of World War I.
“I believe that was part of the original acquisition in 1919,” Rector said.
When Fort Duffield was owned by
Fort Knox, it was not used as a park
as it is now.
“There may have been some trainWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
ing activity on that hill,” Rector said.
In 1978, Fort Duffield was given
to the town of West Point and annual
re-enactments are conducted there.
Fort Knox has connections to
Abraham Lincoln as well.
“Actually, the president’s father
owned land right off Fort Knox,”
Rector said.
Thomas Lincoln bought a 238acre farm in 1803 near the southern
boundary of present day Radcliff and
Fort Knox off what is now known as
Battle Training Road. He brought his
mother, sister and brother-in-law to
live with him and owned the farm until October 1814.
An example of work by Thomas
Lincoln, originally constructed for the
Hardin Thomas home five miles south
of the Mill Creek farm, found a home
at Fort Knox. The Lincoln Mantle
is showcased in the Lincoln Room
of the Saber and Quill, having been
purchased in 1919 by Maj. William
Radcliffe and installed in its present
location in the 1930s.
Abraham Lincoln’s grandmother,
Bathsheba Lincoln — or by some accounts, Bersheba — is buried in one of
the post’s 121 cemeteries.
Bathsheba had moved from
Washington County to the Mill Creek
farm purchased by her son Thomas,
Abraham Lincoln’s father. Along
with Bathsheba came her youngest
daughter, Nancy Ann, and her son-inlaw, William Brumfield, Nancy Ann’s
husband.
“She’s actually buried in the Mill
Creek Baptist Church Cemetery,”
Rector said of Bathsheba.
The cemetery has been renamed
Lincoln Memorial Cemetery and also
is the final resting place of Nancy and
William Brumfield and their daughter,
Mary Crume. Over the years, some
headstones and markers have been
replaced.
In 1960, Bathsheba’s headstone was
replaced during a special ceremony
attended by then Illinois Gov. William
G. Stratton and Kentucky Gov. Bert
C. Combs. The base of the new headstone came from the shaft of Abraham
Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Illinois.
No one knows what happened
to the original field stone used as
Bathsheba’s grave marker.
Bathsheba’s replacement headstone
was reported missing in September
1975 and reportedly was located along
Interstate 65 near Cave City and
Turn to FORT KNOX, PAGE 9
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Healthy Knox
Metro Creative Services
Camping safety tips
By BECCA OWSLEY
The News-Enterprise
Spring is just around the corner and
that means camping season will begin.
But there’s more to camping than
just hitching the camper up to the
truck and pulling away. There are a
few things to think about to have a
safe camping experience.
Sometimes the biggest parts of
camper safety is making sure it is safe
from the road to the campground.
“One thing we recommend that on
all travel trailers have weight distribution bars on them,” said Erik Fisher,
RV sales manager at Skaggs RV in
8 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
Elizabethtown.
It will put the weight on the back
axle and helps keep the weight behind
you steady and even while you are
pulling it so that the camper isn’t all
over the lane when driving, he said.
It’s also important to make sure
the brake controller is set and working properly.
He said to make sure there are not
gas leaks from the LP tanks and to
make sure the tanks are in the off position as you drive. Check all LP and
smoke detectors to ensure they are
working properly so you can be alerted in an emergency, Fisher said.
Plugging in the camper also comes
with precautions.
When you plug the camper into the
30 or 50 amp plug, make sure you are
not standing in water, he said. People
get into such a rush that sometimes in
the pouring rain they’ll drop the plug
in a mud puddle and then try to plug
it into a 30 or 50 amp service.
Campers use 110 volts and sometimes people try to plug them into
220-volt outlets just because the end
of the plug fits. That will fry the entire electrical system, Fisher said, and
can be an expensive repair.
It’s also important not to be in a hurry when you leave a campsite, he said.
Make sure all compartments on the
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
camper are closed and latched.
“Take your time, be thorough and
don’t get into a rush,” he said.
If you are in a hurry, it is easy
to forget an item or run over something on a campsite. Or worse hit
someone. Look out for kids or pets
because they roam all over a campground, Fisher said.
Other things people do when in
a hurry are open a slide too close to
something or rushing off with one of
the jacks still down, he said.
When you purchase a camper
from a dealer or an individual, he
recommends a per-delivery inspection like they do at his company. It is
a complete check of the camper and
a walk through with the owner so
they know every aspect of the camper and how to use it.
The camper also needs to be
maintained between seasons. It’s just
as important to winterize your camper as it is to de-winterize it. Just don’t
take the tarp off and pull it to the
campsite, he said.
Tires sometimes develop dry
rot when sitting for a while. Make
sure the tires are stamped with their
build date and replace if they are
too old. A blow out in a camper is a
major problem and can blow a hole
through the camper, he said.
Make sure you go to someone
who knows what they are doing with
campers for any repair and that they
specialize in campers for any work
done, he said.
“It’s not an expensive hobby but
it’s also not a cheap hobby,” he said.
If you cut corners you can be
into a much bigger expense and if
you endanger other people on the
road your are in even more trouble,
Fisher said.
“It’s a lot of weight you’re pulling
behind you,” he said, adding a camper can weigh between 2,200 and
13,000 pounds.
The vehicle towing the camper
should also be safe. Make sure it
meets the standards for the weight
it’s towing because you don’t want
to exceed the limits of the vehicle,
Fisher said.
If you are towing a camper that is
more than your vehicle can handle, it
may not be able to stop.
When you are taking your camper
somewhere, it’s not just your safety
but everyone on the road, he said.
FORT KNOX
Continued from PAGE 7
returned to Fort Knox soon after its
disappearance.
In the summer of 2014, Nancy
Brumfield’s marker was replaced.
The original marker is on display in
garrison headquarters, Rector said.
William Brumfield’s original
grave marker is still in place at the
cemetery.
Throughout the cemeteries on
post, graves of both Union and
Confederate soldiers can be found.
At Tarpley Cemetery, a
Confederate veteran is buried almost within arm’s reach of a Union
veteran, Rector said.
Historic cemeteries within the
cantonment can be visited outside
of Memorial Day with relative
ease, he said. It is the old cemeteries out of that area where accessibility becomes an issue.
Any of the cemeteries, Rector
said, can be visited on Memorial
Day, when they are open.
Robert Villanueva can be reached
at 270-505-1743 or rvillanueva@
thenewsenterprise.com.
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MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 9
Family
Submitted photos
Operation Homefront again will host the Star Spangled Babies shower for families in ranks E1-E6.
Operation Homefront hosts spring activities
By BECCA OWSLEY
The News-Enterprise
Operation Homefront has several
spring activities planned for area military families.
The national nonprofit organization provides emergency and other
financial assistance to the families
of service members and wounded
warriors.
Melissa Swift, a program manager
with Operation Homefront Tennessee
Kentucky talked about three events
in April for military families.
The first event is a Louisville Bats
baseball game April 12. Discount
tickets can be purchased for $7 each
and there will be special seating
at the game. Kids eat free with a
paying adult and the organization
will have a booth set up to hand
out information about Operation
Homefront at the game. The organization also will choose a wounded
warrior to throw out the first pitch
at that game.
On April 17, Operation Homefront will be sponsoring the Star
Spangled Babies shower for about
50 pregnant moms or moms who recently had a baby. The families come
10 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Submitted photos
Operation Homefront again will host the Star Spangled Babies shower on April 17.
from the ranks E1-E6.
“We pamper them with gifts, education and resources,” Swift said. “We
just want to shower them with love.”
The families give up a lot when
their soldiers are deployed or in the
Warrior Transition Battalion, she said.
The purpose is to attempt to relieve some of the financial burden for
families, Swift said.
During the event, Kosair Children’s
Hospital will conduct a car seat safety
class and First Candle will donate
cribs and diapers as well as present a class on Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome to help parents know how
babies should properly sleep.
Each family will receive a baby
bundle of gifts. The organization still
is accepting donations of baby items
or people can donate online through
a wish list on www.amazon.com.
Sweet Retreat Bakery in Radcliff
will provide a cake and cupcakes
for the event and the VFW in Vine
Grove is supplying the food. There
will be activities, games and an
opportunity to network with other
spouses, Swift said.
For the first time, Operation
Homefront is partnering with Keeneland on its Military Appreciation
Day. Anyone with a military ID can
watch races and have lunch April 19
as a thank you for their service and
sacrifice, Swift said.
The event also will bring 10
wounded warrior families from Fort
Knox and Fort Campbell for the VIP
treatment. They will get to sit in a special box, get lunch and meet with the
special guest that Keeneland is bringing in for the event.
Operation Homefront will use
this event to spread the word about
what it does. A nationwide organizaWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
tion since 2002, it has been active in
Kentucky for three years.
Organizers trying to let people know about what they do for
soldiers’ families and how others
can help. Throughout the year,
Operation Homefront has morale
programs to bring families together
to reconnect as well as programs like
the baby showers twice a year, the
back-to-school brigade and holiday
programs.
Some of these events are in the
planning stages. Swift is looking for
volunteers and support through sponsorships and donated items from individuals and companies.
“We love our volunteers,” she said.
“Our program is not successful without our volunteers.”
Families can find out more about
Operation Homefront Tennessee
Kentucky through its Facebook page
and by checking announcements in
local media.
To participate or volunteer, go to
www.operationhomefront.net or call
502-791-1561.
Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741
or bowsley@thenewsenterprise.com.
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NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
Soldiers dressed in civilian clothes play the part of a potential recruit as soldiers practice and learn recruiting skills during class work
at the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox.
Cover Story
RRS ‘engenders a commitment’
By BECCA OWSLEY
The News-Enterprise
The United States Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort
Knox is responsible for training leaders and support soldiers who provide
recruiting and retention services for
the Army.
The school’s official ribbon cutting
was Feb. 11. It was the culmination of
the move that started in March of last
12 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
year when the Secretary of the Army
announced the school would relocate
from Fort Jackson, South Carolina,
to Fort Knox, Commandant Col.
Terrence Murrill said.
In April, the first course was
launched at Fort Knox and the RRS
was a split base operation starting
each new course at Fort Knox. The
last class at Fort Jackson graduated in
December and now the school is united at Fort Knox.
Approximately 100 military and civilian employees came with the school
to train 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers a year.
There are nine resident courses and
a mobile training team from the retention side of the operation. That team
is currently in Europe.
The main purpose of the RSS,
Murrill said, is to “engender a commitment.”
“We are training our soldiers how
to find strategies, tools, boldness,
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
Shown is the shoulder patch worn by
Recruiting Command soldiers.
courage and confidence to engender a
commitment,” he said.
On the recruiting side, the school
aims to convince a civilian to join the
Army. On the retention side, it aims
to convince a soldier to re-enlist or
transition into one of the other components.
The soldiers leave the school with
the confidence to get someone to pursue an interview for a career opportunity in the Army, Murrill said.
The recruiting component has
eight initial training Army recruiting
courses with the longest lasting seven
weeks. The soldiers selected come
from various parts of the Army to
become recruiters. Some will become
career recruiters and move from their
original Military Occupation Specialty.
Some of the curriculum is based
on the Army Learning Model 2015,
Murrill said. It shifts the focus of
instruction from one person on a
platform giving commands to a more
practical hands-on learning environment that can include role playing.
Some of the soldiers in the classroom
are dressed in civilian clothing playing
the role of people the new recruiter
will encounter.
The classrooms are set up to provide the look and feel of an actual
recruiting center, which he said adds a
since of realism to the courses.
Some of the training includes real
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Class instructor Sgt. 1st Class Taj Haith, standing, works with a recruiter trainee.
phone calls to recruits in order to provide a real-time learning experience.
It’s like firing a weapon, he said. At
some point, you have to fire it to understand the instruction.
The school trains civilian recruiters,
center leaders, battalion leaders and
those who are trained to re-enlist people already serving in the Army.
Staff Sgt. Paul Daly of Massachusetts is learning how to conduct
face-to-face meetings, phone calls, interviews and anything else that might
come up. Instructors throw them curveballs to practice, such as a conversa-
tion with someone who doesn’t want
to join the Army.
They learn as if they are working in
a recruiting center. His classroom was
learning as the Iowa Falls recruiting
center, going through day-to-day procedures members will see in the field.
“It’s helping a lot of people build
skills in talking to people,” he said.
You learn how to read a person
and know how to talk to them and see
what they might want to get out of a
career in the Army because for each
person it’s different, he said.
Turn to RRS, PAGE 14
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 13
Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
Sgt. Kevin Richards, front left, works on test material dealing with retention. Richards is stationed at Fort Bragg, but is attending the
U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox.
Col. Terrence Murrill is commander of the U.S. Army
Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Knox.
RSS
Continued from PAGE 13
“We don’t want to just put kids in
boots and send them off to war,” he
said. “We’re actually career counselors
that want to help people achieve the
goals in their lives.”
14 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
The Recruiting and Retention School framed football
jerseys representing the units of the soldiers who pass
through the school. The jerseys are displayed on a wall
of a lobby in the school’s headquarters.
He’s learned a lot since taking
the course on how to talk to people
about the Army. Instructors stress
that the worst thing someone can tell
them is no, so they might as well talk
to them about what the Army has to
offer, he said.
Throughout the course, Daly said
he and his fellow soldiers’ confidence
and enthusiasm has grown.
Participants in the course come
from a variety of Army duties, said
Sgt. Maj. Tony Conyers, who is the
sergeant major for the recruiting department. Some may be an MP or
cook now training to be recruiters.
The transition to this duty means
they must have adapt from a special
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Photos by NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
The U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention School recently moved to Fort Knox from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
operations unit to interact with their
peers and civilians, he said.
Most have deployed to a combat
environment and switch from giving orders into talking to civilians
and high school guidance counselors, which can be an adjustment,
Conyers said.
Capt. Tyrel Keplinger of the
Portland Recruiting Battalion is learning what he will do as an operations
officer within a recruiting battalion.
He said he knew the regulations and
now he’s learning in the classroom
environment how to use that information in his position.
He said the Recruitment Operations Officer Course will help him
know how to ask the right questions of
the NCO he will work alongside. He
wants to know how to ask the questions to get results.
“I think this is a phenomenal opportunity to get the institutional knowledge
to take back to our unit,’ he said.
On the retention side of the school,
Sgt. Kevin Richards from Fort Bragg,
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Soldiers who have just begun classes at the Army’s Recruiting and Retention School fill
a classroom at the school’s headquarters at Fort Knox.
North Carolina, said everyone in
his course wants to be here and that
makes the information easier to learn.
He can take what the teachers help
them learn and use it to retain the best
soldiers in the Army, he said.
“It’s a mentally challenging course,”
he said, adding there may be more
physically challenging courses. “But
for anyone who wears this badge, the
respect is there because it is earned.”
Soldiers on the retention side will
go back into the field and even deploy
to try to retain soldiers in active duty.
Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741
or bowsley@thenewsenterprise.com.
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 15
Veteran Salute
Rice invests in other veterans
By ROBERT VILLANUEVA
The News-Enterprise
NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
After medically retiring from the Army,
Gary Rice helps others receive benefits.
16 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
An Army veteran with 16 years of
service has found a role serving other
veterans in Hardin County.
Gary Rice, 57, is a case management volunteer with the Hardin
County Veterans Treatment Court.
In his role, Rice puts his knowledge
and experience to good use. His work
ensures other veterans get the help
they need and are aware of benefits
available to them.
After being medically retired in
1991, Rice entered a period of hardship he doesn’t want other veterans
to face.
Rice saw his paycheck drop to
about one-third of what it had been,
and he and his wife scrimped in order
to send her to college.
What he didn’t know then was that
VA benefits would have paid for his
wife to go to college.
“When I was medically retired, I
knew absolutely nothing,” he said,
referring to what assistance or VA
benefits were available to him.
His role with VTC comes after
his service with a local chapter of
Disabled American Veterans.
“I did claims for the DAV for VA
for about seven years,” Rice said,
noting he gets certified each year to
provide such assistance.
Originally, Rice said, he had seen
an ad for DAV needing van drivers.
Although he didn’t qualify to drive
the van, he began work as a service
officer. Rice has done volunteer work
for some 20 years, including working
with VA matters at Fort Knox.
Rice began his volunteer work with
Turn to RICE, PAGE 18
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NEAL CARDIN/The News-Enterprise
Veteran Gary Rice volunteers his time and experience helping other veterans in Veterans Treatment Court. Rice works from a shared
temporary office of a lawyer.
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MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 17
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RICE
Continued from PAGE 16
VTC in September 2013, shortly after
the program began.
Diane Hopkins, VTC program
supervisor, originally contacted Rice
to ask him if he would volunteer with
the program because her husband
knew Rice through DAV.
Through his role with VTC, Rice
helps veterans navigate through a system that can offer them VA assistance
they are often not aware of as well as
help in other forms.
“Each veteran comes in with specific needs and wants,” Rice said.
Rice sees cases of vets who have
gone through the court system because they’ve committed a criminal
offense. Typically, he will visit the vets
in jail as they enter the program.
Most of the veterans, Rice said,
must be convinced to seek counseling
as part of the program because they
have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
That is part of what is most challenging, he said.
“A lot of them don’t trust anyone
or anything,” Rice said.
Earning the respect and trust of the
veterans can take months. Once they
realize fellow veterans are opening up
during counseling, they tend to open
up, too, Rice said.
“He builds up relationships,”
Hopkins said.
Although each case with VTC
is different, Rice said, most involve
helping with VA claims for benefits.
“They don’t even know they’re eligible for benefits most of the time,” he said.
Other assistance can come in the
form of help with things such as utility bills, Rice said. Additionally, he
gets funds from organizations such as
DAV to allow vets in jail to call family
and loved ones.
Tuesday and Thursday mornings,
Rice works out of an office near the
Hardin County Justice Center, assisting six or seven participants in the
program each week. But Hopkins said
Rice’s work is different from staff case
workers in that Rice gives participants
his personal phone number in order to
be available at all times to the veterans.
“It takes a special person to be able
to do this work,” Hopkins said.
Crimes committed by veterans
participating in the program cannot
include DUIs or sexual offenses and
the level of violence is “scrutinized,”
Hopkins said, but participants are distrustful of the program representatives.
On the other hand, Rice said, it
is rewarding to help veterans get the
help and benefits they need.
“If they would not have gotten into
this program, they’d probably
re-offend,” Rice said.
Ultimately, many of the veterans
would be arrested again and could be
in prison the rest of their lives, he said.
“It’s definitely a godsend program,
that’s for sure,” Rice said.
Hopkins said participants generally spend 18-24 months in the program, though participation can be up
to five years.
Certain guidelines exist for a veteran to be eligible for the four-phase
voluntary program. The VTC program
includes educational sessions in individual and group formats and might
include individual counseling and
attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous
or Narcotics Anonymous, in cases
deemed necessary.
Rice said the program is needed to
give veterans a second chance. And
the program assists more than the participants.
“It helps me as much as it does
them,” Rice said. “It’s a good feeling
to give back.”
Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-5051743 or rvillanueva@thenewsenterprise.com.
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Submitted photos
Connections
NABVETS active in community
By BECCA OWSLEY
The News-Enterprise
The National Association for Black
Veterans (NABVETS) is an organization that
serves to address unmet concerts of minority
and low-income veterans, local post commander Terry Robinson said.
It helps address these needs through
services, training and partnerships as well
as addressing the concerns and issues associated with homelessness among veterans, he said.
NABVETS has partnerships with community-based and veterans organizations
and works with the federal, state and local
governments.
20 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
WWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
NABVETS helps veterans with
preparing claims, explaining the claim
process, power of attorney, benefits,
federal benefits for veterans, the chaplain corner, Eclipse magazine and financial assistance, Robinson said.
Fort Knox Chapter 70 was chartered
on Oct. 9, 2010.
A veteran who has received an honorable discharge or a discharge issued
under honorable conditions can join
NABVETS but they must have served
in the armed forces for a minimum of
180 days, Robinson said.
The organization has participated
in many events throughout the Hardin
County community.
Members of the chapter volunteer
at Feeding America on the second
Tuesday of each month. They also
participate in the Radcliff mayor’s
breakfast and place flags on the graves
of deceased veterans at the Kentucky
Veterans Cemetery-Central on
Memorial Day.
Each March, the organization hosts
an event for Women’s History Month
called Shining the Light on Military
Women, which is a banquet and
awards program.
“The banquet is held to honor the
accomplishments and service of our
women veterans,” Robinson said.
The Fort Knox chapter also hosted
the Gospel Extravaganza in August of
2014. Local choirs, soloists, dancers and
a variety of performers were a part of
the program to honor military spouses.
“Our main goal was to show appreciation to them for the extraordinary
community services they have provided in the absence of the service member,” Robinson said.
For Make a Difference Day in
November, the group sponsored a
clothing and food drive. Collected
items are donated to the Lord’s Supper
Soup Kitchen in Radcliff.
And for Thanksgiving, the chapter
donated three baskets to families in
need to make sure they could enjoy a
Thanksgiving meal, Robinson said.
Regular meetings are held at 6 p.m.
the fourth Thursday of the month
at the Hardin County District Water
Company No. 1, at 1400 Rogersville
Road in Radcliff.
”Each meeting consists of an opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and
recitation of the NABVETS Creed,”
Robinson said.
They introduce new members,
discuss old and new business and talk
about upcoming events for community
service and how they can assist veterWWW.THENEWSENTERPRISE.COM ● ON POST
Submitted photo
ans, he said.
For more information about the
national NABVETS organization, go to
www.nabvets.org and for the state organization, go to www.kynabvets13.com.
To find out more about the
NABVETS Fort Knox Chapter 70, find
them on Facebook.
Becca Owsley can be reached at 270-505-1741
or bowsley@thenewsenterprise.com.
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Submitted photo
Jefferson Memorial Forest, just a half hour’s drive from Fort Knox, offers opportunities for camping and other recreation.
Near Here
Forest offers family fun
By ROBERT VILLANUEVA
The News-Enterprise
Hiking, camping, fishing and
even a music event can be found at
Jefferson Memorial Forest, just a half
hour drive from Fort Knox.
Encompassing approximately 6,500
acres, Jefferson Memorial Forest is the
largest city-owned urban forest in the
eastern United States.
Additionally, the forest is designated as an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
and is a woodland tribute to area
veterans.
22 ● MARCH/APRIL 2015
“It goes back to the funding proposed in the ’20s,” Bennett Knox, parks
administrator, said of the desire to designate the forest as a tribute to veterans.
The efforts reached fruition after
World War II, Knox said, when a
“groundswell of support” rose to create veteran memorials.
Jefferson Memorial Forest includes
small streams, scenic trails, a fishing
lake, outdoor recreation facilities and a
conference center. A Welcome Center
provides visitors with, among other
things, trail maps, hiking supplies, nature-related books and souvenirs.
Each year, Jefferson Memorial Park
hosts Forest Fest, a day of music, food,
crafts, vendors and youth activities.
The event, now in its 11th year, is
held in a secluded area that provides
visitors a scenic getaway from city life.
“The event itself is really laidback,” Knox said.
Another event at Jefferson Memorial Forest is The Mayor’s Fall Hike
and Outdoor Adventure. Held near
the Forest’s Environmental Education
Center, the family-friendly event offers
a variety of activities such as introducing visitors to native plant gardens, an-
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imal exhibits and an education pond.
“We’ll be doing that again this
year,” Knox said.
During the Mayor’s Adventure,
visitors will be able to visit the Nature
Center, which is typically used only
for educational events and not open to
the public.
“That, for us, is really our open
house,” Knox said.
Archery, a guided hike and a canoeing demonstration on Mitchell
Hill Lake are part of the event.
Additionally, visitors can partake in an
Alpine Tower climb, 5K race, pumpkin decorating and hay rides.
As part of a fundraiser, food items
such as fruit, coffee, hot chocolate,
barbecue sandwiches, eggs, sausage
and biscuits and gravy are available for
purchase. The food offerings are sponsored by Wilderness Louisville Inc., a
non-profit group created specifically to
raise funds to support the forest.
Jefferson Memorial Forest is part
of the Natural Areas division of
Louisville Metro Parks.
Hiking trails are a big draw at
Jefferson Memorial Park. The forest
claims more than 35 miles of trails for
hiking and trail running and 11 miles
for equestrian use.
“That’s really our calling card,”
Knox said.
The trails, he said, often attract military personnel.
“We’ve had a lot of folks who are
training run the trails,” Knox said.
For campers, facilities are available
for tent camping and can accommodate both families and groups. Seven
family campsites and four group
campsites are provided, with latrines
and water near all the sites.
Anglers are in luck, too.
The 5.5-acre Tom Wallace Lake
across from the Welcome Center
provides a fishing experience for anyone who wants to wet a line. Only a
Kentucky fishing license is required
to fish the lake, which is stocked with
bass, trout, bluegill and catfish.
Three picnic shelters are available to rent in the forest and can be
reserved for a fee. Otherwise, the
shelters are available on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Several unsheltered picnic tables with grills are available at Tom
Wallace Lake Area. That area also
includes a children’s playground
and access to hiking, equestrian and
wheelchair-accessible trails.
A trail system consisting of an
11.3-mile share-use trail for hikers
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To find out more
To learn more about Jefferson
Memorial Forest, a woodland tribute
to veterans in southern Jefferson
County, call 502-368-5404 or go to
www.memorialforest.com.
and equestrians can be found at the
Paul Yost Recreation Area. The trail
system is rated easy to moderate.
Parking is available for up to five
large horse trailers.
Improvements are planned for
various areas. A contract is in place
for an Area Adventure Course to be
developed adjacent to the Welcome
Center, Knox said. The feature,
which is slated to include a zipline,
could be completed later this year or
next year, he said,
Volunteer opportunities abound
at Jefferson Memorial Forest, as well,
Knox said.
Anyone interested should contact
Sherry Wright at the Welcome Center
at 502-368-5404.
“We have a really robust volunteer
program,” Knox said.
Robert Villanueva can be reached at 270-5051743 or rvillanueva@thenewsenterprise.com.
Submitted photo
The Alpine Tower Climb is one of the many
events that are part of the Mayor’s Fall
Hike & Outdoor Adventure held annually at
Jefferson Memorial Forest.
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ● 23
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