3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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Transcript of 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

Page 1: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

1

2012 HOLIDAY EDITION

BATTALION

COMMANDER 2

COMMAND

SARGENT MAJOR 3

HHB 4

ALPHA BATTERY 5

BRAVO BATTERY 6

GOLF COMPANY 7

BOSS 8

COMMUNITY

HAPPINGS 9

YOUTH/TEEN 10

HEALTH 11

MONEY

MANAGEMENT HOLIDAY SPENDING

12

CONTACT INFO 13

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

This newsletter contains official and unofficial information. The inclusion of some unofficial information in this FRG

newsletter has not increased the cost to the Government, in accordance with DOD 4525.8-M.

SWIFT AND BOLD HOLIDAY SPENDING

CONTENT SOURCE:

HTTP://WWW.MILITARYONESOURCE.MIL/PFM/BUDGETING-AND-BASIC-MONEY-MANAGEMENT?CONTENT_ID=267397

The average American spends more than $1,000 during the holiday season. And much of

that spending is on credit cards, which means that many people face big bills in the New Year. The key to keeping holiday spending (or almost any other kind of spending!) under control is planning and sticking to a budget. By planning your holiday spending carefully, you can save money and still keep the holidays happy. Remember to start early! Sometimes bargains can be found months in advance.

SETTING A HOLIDAY BUDGET

The first step in controlling holiday expenses is deciding exactly how much you can afford

to spend. There are four main areas in which most people spend: gifts, entertaining, travel, and decorating. And each one comes with hidden expenses. For example, gift-giving costs much more than the price of each gift. You also have to consider wrapping and, often, shipping costs.

Take time to make a list of everyone you want to buy gifts for. Then consider your list. Are

there people who could get a card rather than a gift? Someone you could chip in on a gift for rather than paying for it by yourself? Then, set a price limit on each gift. For example, you might decide that you'll set a $30 limit on immediate family members, $20 on children in your family, and $10 on acquaintances like co-workers or teachers. Don't forget to add in the cost of wrapping paper and shipping, including what you'll pay for a catalog- or online-ordered gift to reach you before you ship it to the recipient. Many people forget to factor in the cost of holiday entertaining. Even if you aren't having a party, providing snacks and drinks for neighbors or friends who drop by and serving the holiday meal can be expensive. If you'll be traveling during the holidays, even if it's by car, be sure to include these costs in your budget. Finally, estimate how much you'll spend on holiday decorations. This is often an easy area to cut back in. Finally, add up the estimates from all four areas. If the total amount is more than you can afford, go back to your lists and the tips in this article to see where you can either cut back on your budget or save on expenses so you won't have to. Ideally you'll do this early enough in the year so you can slowly set aside money to cover your holiday expenses or shop for reasonably priced gifts throughout the year. Once you've reached a reasonable budget limit, you need to commit to sticking to it. The tips below can help.

WAYS TO SPEND LESS

Many people blow their holiday budgets because they get carried away by the excitement

of the season. It's important to remember that you can still have a joyous holiday season without busting your budget. Try to focus on the true spirit of the season rather than the more commercial aspects. Also, don't give in to pressure to give expensive gifts. The best gifts are those chosen with an eye toward what's personal and meaningful to the recipient, and they don't have to cost a lot.

(Continued on page 12)

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 2: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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COMMANDERS COMMENTARY

SWIFT AND BOLD

BATTALION COMMANDER

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a great New Year! It‘s been a busy cou-ple of months since our last newsletter and the Centaur train has not stopped moving. For those of you who attended our Saint Barbara‘s day ball thank you, thank you, thank you for making it another fantastic event. Ladies, you looked absolutely amazing and I was surprised to see how well our Soldiers cleaned up. All in all it was a great event and great fellowship with the Professionals from 3-6 FAR and our fellow Artillerymen and women within the Division.

Deployment is just around the corner and this Battalion is well trained, families are resilient, FRGs are strong and we have great missions, whether they are

here at Drum as a contingency force or on a FOB supporting our maneuver brothers in Afghanistan. Every single one of us will be busy. I would ask families and spouses to stay engaged in your FRGs, contrary to some peoples thoughts we are not ―splitting‖ the battalion, we just have two missions going on simultaneously in two different locations. By staying engaged in your battery programs you will not only receive the most current information but you will also have a pool of resources to pull from as our wives have an incredible depth of experience and collectively we can solve just about any issue that will arise. We will have a world class team of professionals in charge while the Battalion is operating in two loca-tions. Here at Fort Drum the team will consist of; CPT Clint Hauger with 1SG Vanorman, our FRG Ad-visors, Pam Oeschger and Melinda Thomas, our FRSA, Kim Williams, and all of the Battery FRG lead-ership continuing to support. We are the best Battalion in the Army and it‘s because of the people that are in it. For our families out there that don‘t participate in the FRG‘s know that they are there when and if you need them. I‘m proud of all our Centaurs and our Families; you are amazing people who collectively make us an incredible organization. God Bless each of you, my next note will be from Ghazni Province, Afghani-stan with an additional Commander commenting as Clint Hauger picks up the rear D command. If you have questions ASK them we don‘t know what we don‘t know. Please enjoy your Christmas leave with your families, come back safe, be kind to one another…thanks for all you do every day. Merry Christmas.. LTC O

LTC MICHAEL T.

OESCHGER

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 3: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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BATTALION COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR

Swift and Bold! This month I would like to discuss the importance of the Military Family. Often family members do not truly understand the significant role they play in a success-ful Military career. I personally have witnessed on numerous occasions over the last 24 years the confidence and vigor a Soldier can attain from the strength of his or her Family. Many successful missions can be attributed to the dedication and understanding of a Soldier‘s Family. Our Family is about to experience a deployment next month… Being a Resilient Army Family means knowing how to prepare for and get through a deployment

successfully. An important part of supporting your Soldier is to prepare for a deployment by knowing what to expect. Spouses and Family members who are engaged in learning about resources ahead of time will be emotionally and logistically better prepared. Becoming more involved in your Family Readiness Group (FRG) is one of the best ways to under-stand and enhance your knowledge of the pending deployment. Keep in mind that every deployment is different and adapting to this change is key to your success as an Army Family. FRG's were established to increase the resiliency of the Unit, Soldiers, and their Families. They pro-vide practical tools for adjusting to Military deployments and separations and can also enhance the well-being and esprit de corps within the unit. One of the goals of an FRG is to support the mission by pro-viding support, outreach, and information to Family members. Many Volunteers in this Battalion are here to educate and help you along the way and we appreciate their commitment to the CENTAUR family. I urge you to please take advantage of the programs offered to you. Some may just find the experience a rewarding one that will last a lifetime. My door is always open and if you may ever have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank you for everything you do.

CSM Thomas

CENTAUR 7

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR COMMENTARY

SWIFT AND BOLD

CSM MICHAEL B.

THOMAS

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 4: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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HEADQUARTERS BATTERY

SWIFT AND BOLD November has been another busy month for the Gladiator Bat-

tery, but luckily one where we had some down time as well. I

hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed a well-

deserved break. The Soldiers of HHB have been working tire-

lessly to ensure the Battery is prepared to deploy, spending

hours loading containers and conducting training.

As part of our predeployment training several Gladiators trav-

elled to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels,

Germany to train on the use of the D30 Howitzer – the standard

artillery piece of the Afghan National Army. With lessons learned from the Ger-

many trip, Soldiers from HHB are preparing to take over the mission to train Afghan

Artillerymen with the goal of conducting a fire support missions on their own. For

many of us, this type of mission will be different from previous deployments, but a

vital one which will play a pivotal role in accomplishing the Battalion and Brigade

mission.

Early this month the Gladiators took time to remember one of our fallen

comrades, SFC Todd Harris. On November 2nd, HHB was joined by Bravo Battery

and Soldiers from across the Battalion in a Memorial run for SFC Harris. Following

the run Soldiers who had had the honor of serving for SFC Harris spoke, reminding

us all what an inspirational figure he was, and allowing us all to reflect on those that

have sacrificed all for their brothers in arms. We must never forgot them, nor fail to

honor their memory.

In a more jovial Gladiator tradition, HHB Platoons duked it out for brag-

ging rights during our annual Gladiator Bowl. This year it was 3rd Platoon who

claimed the title in a close-fought match with 5th. While the Platoon Sergeant for

the victorious team, SSG Carroll, organized the event and drafted all the rules, it

surely had nothing to do with his Platoon‘s triumph. Congratulations to 3rd Platoon

for their hard-earned victory.

It is my continued honor to serve with the Gladiator Battery in the Cen-

taur Battalion, and I look forward to meeting all of our upcoming challenges, which

we will overcome with the extraordinary support our Soldiers get from their families.

Thank you all.

CPT Charles E. Thompson Gladiator 6

Gladiator Families, I want to start off by saying Thank You.

There has been a lot going on in the HHB family with the prepa-

rations for deployment, for both those deploying and those not

deploying. This has probably meant some stress for your Soldier

coming home from work, and some longer hours. I know some-

times their stress can be carried home with them and they rely

on your support. A lot of Soldiers have even missed getting

some time off due to training. I wish that I could promise that it

will slow down, but it probably will not.

During the next few weeks we will be conducting a lot of last

minute training to wrap up everything for the deployment. During this time there

may still be some late nights. We held the Saint Barbara‘s Day Ball on the 1st of

December. I was glad to see a lot of you there. In January I will be taking over as

the CORE Battalion, Command Sergeant Major. I will sadly be moving on from

Headquarters Battery after more than two years as the First Sergeant. I will be

leaving the Battery in the very capable hands of SFC Bejar.

On a better note we have Christmas leave coming up. Hopefully you all

have plans for block leave, whether you will be traveling or enjoying a possible

white Christmas here in the North Country. For those both leaving the area and

staying please be careful. For those who are experiencing your first winter up here,

you may have gotten a small taste of it driving between Parish and Sandy Creek

over the Thanksgiving break. It is hazardous to travel on these roads and as I al-

ways stress to the Soldiers, please plan ahead. Allow yourselves extra time for

travel. Have some emergency supplies in your vehicle, i.e. a folding shovel, some

blankets, flares, even food and water. It is not unheard of to be stranded on the

highway for a period of time around here, so please be careful.

Finally I want to say a final thank you as the HHB First Sergeant. It has

been an awesome experience with a lot of fond memories. Thank you and Merry

Christmas.

GLADIATOR 7

Family Readiness

Gladiators, For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mindy Thompson. I am your HHB FRG leader, Cindy Aldana is the Co-leader, and I would first like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who helped support our recent Scentsy fundraiser. Your participation truly exceeded our expectations! The money we raised will be used toward our upcoming Christmas party. Details for the party will be put out sometime next week when they are finalized. Also, on Sunday, December 16th, HHB will participating in another fundraiser. We will be wrapping gifts at the Post Exchange from 9am until 9pm. We are now seeking volunteers to help with this fundraiser. Any time at all you can help would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about this fundraising event please contact myself, Mindy, at (347) 585-2902 or Cindy Aldana (505) 417-9857. We hope you stay warm out there, as it seems winter is now upon us. We look forward to seeing you all again soon, or meeting those of you whom we haven't had the chance to meet yet.

CPT THOMPSON

COMMANDER 1SG VAN ORMAN

1ST SERGEANT

SFC Brady Smith and SFC Heath Heriger con-ducting D30 training in Germany.

3rd Platoon playing in the Gladiator Bowl

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 5: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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ALPHA BATTERY

SWIFT AND BOLD Greetings Alpha Rock Family and Happy Holidays from 1SG Johnson and I; we are humbled and honored every day to serve and work with the Soldiers and leaders of Alpha Battery. Over the past three months, Alpha Bat-tery has gone from conducting back to back field exer-cises at Ft. Drum, NY and the National Training Center to conducting Change of Command Layouts and Inven-tories for CPT Clint Hauger and CPT Robert Bauleke.

CPT Clint Hauger and Svetlana‘s dedication and service to the Soldiers and Families of Alpha Battery will not be

forgotten. Following Change of Command inventories, Alpha Battery had a week long field training exercise to certify FDC and howitzer sections on M777 tables VI and XII. The Battery was the first in the division to successfully conduct sling load operations with Chinook helicopter support from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) to prepare for movement of howitzer pieces in Afghanistan. Alpha Battery returned from the field with a short recovery time and immediately went into load-out operations for deploy-ment. Load-out operations include the packing of multiple containers and preparing howitzer pieces for movement from FDNY to Afghanistan; it‘s also a good reminder for Soldiers and families to start preparing their personal items for storage during the deployment. Soldiers and families can expect Alpha Battery to deploy in the middle of January with a few exceptions who will be leaving earlier to set the conditions for the battery in Afghanistan. Maintaining Alpha Battery‘s equipment and preparation to deploy is im-portant, but more important is making sure Soldiers, leaders and families are taken care of before deploying. There are several long weekends and a well deserved three week Holiday leave scheduled 15DEC2012 to 06JAN2013 to allow Soldiers and leaders to spend time with their friends and families. I truly appreciate the families and loved ones of the Sons of Alpha for their continued support and commitment to the mission and men!

Rock 6

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. This had been yet

another busy month for the Soldiers of Alpha Battery.

Upon completion of an intense Change of Command

inventory, the Soldiers moved straight in to the field for a

week to complete Section and Platoon Table V, VI and

VII certifications. Also during the field problem, the Sons

of Alpha conducted Air Assault operations with the aid of

the Aviation Brigade; a rare opportunity for the Battery.

As always, the Soldiers have been working non-stop on

field recovery combined with load out for the pending deployment. I

strongly advise everyone to take full advantage of the upcoming block

leave in order to spend quality time with your loved ones before the de-

ployment.

Hope to see you all at the Saint Barbara‘s Day Ball and have a Merry

Christmas. ROCK SOLID!!

- Rock 7

1SG JOHNSON

1ST SERGEANT

CPT BAULEKE

COMMANDER

Alpha Battery Change of Command Ceremony;

CPT Bauleke assumes command of Alpha Bat-

tery and hands over the Battery Guidon to 1SG

Travis Johnson who is the custodian of the

guidon.

Alpha Battery conducts

M777 Sling Load opera-

tions with Chinook from

10th Combat Aviation Bri-

gade. This technical train-

ing will prepare Soldiers

and Leaders of Alpha to

transport and emplace

howitzers during their

deployment to Afghani-

stan.

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 6: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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A few upcoming FRG events are: Christmas Party – 8 December, FRG Meeting- 16 January (tentative), Zumbathon- 26 January (tentative) Thanks to Daphney Bunyan, Tessa Conaway and Britney York, Penny Mullins, Tocarra Leiter, Camille Moreno, & Renee Griswold for their hard work in the Bravo Battery Family Readiness Group.

BRAVO BATTERY

SWIFT AND BOLD Bravo Battery Families I hope this newsletter finds you all gearing

up for the holidays and prepping for quality time with loved ones.

I need to give big kudos to CPT Graf for relinquishing a top notch

battery of soldiers and families.

Let me start off by introducing myself and my girls. I am CPT Rod-

ney J. Bunyan, the current commander of Bravo Battery as of 1

November 2012. My wife Daphney is every bit the professional

mom, dividing her time between volunteering and studying for the

Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). We have three beautiful girls:

De‘Ja, (14 yrs old) who is buried in books and volleyball; Sarah (8

yrs old) and Nya (5 yrs old) who are both all about the gymnastics, dance and Girl

Scouts. We are Team Bunyan!

I‘m excited about being a part of this brigade, battalion, and this great battery. One wise

man said to me as he passed the guidon to me… ―You own it!‖ With that being said, I

owe this battery sound leadership, realistic training, professional development opportuni-

ties through military and civilian education, and a strong family readiness group, every

single day.

My battle buddy, 1SG Green, and I are dedicated to providing unequivocal leadership for

this battery. One way to ‗get after‘ this is through ongoing in-ranks inspections which

enforce standards, good order and discipline ultimately setting the example for all to

follow. We will strive to be a winning team for this battery and for 3-6 FA BN as a whole.

The focus since I took command has primarily been on pre-deployment training in sup-

port of the battalion‘s upcoming deployment. The maintenance of our weapons, vehicles,

and radios ensuring that we can shoot, move, and communicate during impending Table

V and Table VI field training exercises. Additionally, the focus in the approaching months

will be on attending military schools in an effort to continue the development of soldiers,

NCOs, and officers.

My wife, Daphney is now serving as the FRG Leader and we both share a passion for the

families of Bravo Battery. We had our first FRG meeting on November 14th at the Pine

Plains Bowling Center and it was a HUGE success! We were able to put out some great

information as well as fill a few key positions. We spent the rest of the night, meeting and

greeting- getting to know each other, bowling and eating pizza! It was really a good time!

We would like to congratulate and welcome the following to the Bravo Battery Bull Fam-

ily:

Bravo Bull Newlyweds:

SPC and Mrs Meza PFC and Mrs Paiz

Thanks so much for all you do and your continuous support for the Bravo Battery Fam-

ily!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

FAREWELLS CPT Graf- Took command of HHC 1BSTB 1LT Fridline- Transfer to A-Btry SGT Alcantara- PCS to Hawaii Thank you for your service to our great nation and especially to the BULLS, you will be missed.

HAILS

As we say farewell to these outstanding Soldiers, I would like to welcome the newly assigned members of our team. I have no doubt that they will be an asset to this Organization.

CPT Bunyan- coming to us from 1-87 IN 2LT Savage, 2LT Valenzuela, 2LT Harshman- Fort Sill (OBC) SFC Mensah- PCSed from Fort Carson SPC Scott- PCSed from Fort Carson PVT Karmane and PVT Thompson- Fort Sill (AIT)

PROMOTION During the months of October and November, We had the privilege to pro-

mote PFC Robinson, PFC Miller and PFC Ricker to the rank of Specialist, a rank that all three Soldiers are truly deserving of. Getting promoted to Specialist signifies the ad-vancement from the ranks of privates and to a rank that leaders will start to mentor for the eventually advancement to Sergeant. The Rank of Specialist is significant and requires a Soldier to start or continue to take initiatives and display the traits and attributes require to be a Noncommissioned Officer. Becoming an NCO is not a right, but a privilege that comes with a lot of obligations and sacrifices, but at the same time very rewarding. Good luck to these newly promoted Soldiers of Bravo Battery and for the ones who trails in their footsteps.

DATE: 8 December location

TIME: 6-9pm

LOCATION: Hillside Lodge

TOPIC: Christmas Party

NEXT FRG EVENT

CPT BUNYAN

COMMANDER

CPT Bunyan and 1SG Green prepar-

ing to serve the outstanding Troops

of 1ST BCT during the Thanks Giv-

ing Holidays. Bravo Battery soldiers conducting mainte-

nance on the M119A2 Howitzer. Bravo Bull New Born Baby:

Kylila Denise Graveline

1SG GREEN

1ST SERGEANT

Bravo Battery FRG Meeting at Pine Plains Bowling Cen-ter.

Bowling anyone? Bravo Battery families having a good time.

Cleaning the guns for the St. Barbara Day Ball!!!

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 7: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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GOLF COMPANY

SWIFT AND BOLD It has been a busy month since our last update in October. The Sol-diers of Golf Company continue to provide the greatest battalion in the Army with non-stop logistical support. Our Soldiers have been busy preparing the battalion for the upcoming deployment with container load out support and updating vehicle and howitzer main-tenance services. These mechanical services provided by the mainte-nance platoon for the Battalion’s vehicles and howitzers are crucial to ensure the Battalion is ready to fight when deployed to Afghani-stan. Our Soldiers who are deploying are embedded with their re-spective Batteries prior to deployment in order to build solid unit cohesion. The Distribution Platoon has been active in the past weeks

with platoon level training as well as supporting various Battalion missions prior to Christ-mas block leave. The cooks of the Company did an outstanding job at the Brigade’s Thanksgiving Dinner working countless hours to provide the Soldiers of the Warrior Bri-gade had an outstanding Thanksgiving meal. After a well deserved Christmas block leave, the Guardians will continue to support the Battalion as they prepare for deployment in January. Once the battalion de-ploys, the Guardians will continue to provide logistical support to Bravo Battery as they prepare for gunnery live fire exercises in February. The Company will be conducting small arms ranges in the coming months as well as various other training events to enhance our mission essential skills to make the Company even better. The Company will be a losing a valuable member of the Company in December as SFC Dominique Baker, the senior food service specialist in the Company; will be moving up to Brigade. She will always have a place in the Guardian family. It is truly an honor to command such an outstanding unit and I am forever grateful to the Soldiers and the families of Golf Company. “Strength through Support” CPT Keith Carroll Guardian 6

Over the past month Golf Company has had new Soldiers come into the Guardian family and Soldiers have been acknowledged for pro-motions. The new Soldiers that have joined Golf Company are SSG Pigford and family, PFC Brooks, SPC Cruz and family, PFC Cupid, PVT DeloSantos and family, PV2 Kolin, PV2 Lucas, PFC Pierre, PFC Braca-monte and family, and PV2 Vazquez. The following Soldiers have been promoted SGT Tarter to SSG, PFC Lemus and PFC Anderson to SPC and PV2 McQueen to PFC. We are continually supporting the Battalion for the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan through weapon and vehicle services thereby enhancing the Battalions capa-

bilities to do our part in winning the nation’s war on terror. “Strength through Support!” 1SG Toby Gibson Guardian 7

DATE: 11 December 2011

TIME: 5pm

LOCATION: BN Class-

room

NEXT FRG MEETING

CPT CARROLL

COMMANDER 1SG GIBSON

1ST SERGEANT

The “Swift and Bold” cake prepared by Guardian cooks

on display at the Brigade Thanksgiving dinner Novem-

ber 14, 2012. SSG Gary Tarter being congratulated on his promotion to Staff

Sergeant in the Centaur Motor Pool on November 2, 2012.

SPC Kevin “The Rocker” Hirons and

SPC Jeremy Fontaine cool down

after Golf Company’s Halloween Fun

Run.

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 8: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

8

BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLE SOLDIERS

SWIFT AND BOLD

BOSS EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2012

S U N M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grand Opening of Vets Outreach Center

Friday, December 7, 2012 at 10:00am 247 State Street, Watertown, NY 13601

By MHA Jefferson Co Military/Veteran

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 BOSS - End of the World

Party, 10pm, Jack T Sweet BOSS Center

21 22

23 24 BOSS - Home for the

Holidays, 3pm, BOSS Building 25 BOSS - Home for the

Holidays, 3pm, BOSS Building 26 27 28 29

30 31 BOSS - New Years

Celebration, 9pm-1am, Pine Plains bowling Center

BATTALION CONTACT FORT DRUM CONTACT

NAME SGT Randy White NAME SPC William Sweamingen

PHONE 315-774-5108 / 832-707-1630 PHONE 850-718-6654

E-MAIL [email protected] E-MAIL [email protected]

FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/

fortdrum.boss FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/fortdrum.boss

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 9: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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FORT DRUM EVENTS

SWIFT AND BOLD

EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2012

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Have questions or concerns? Be

sure to contact your FRG Leader

or FRSA.

HHB

Mindy Thompson

Cindy Aldana

Alpha Battery

Katherine Parker

Jill Burke

Bravo Battery

Daphney Bunyan

Tessa Conaway

Golf Company

Rachel Hirons

Advisors

Pamela Oeschger

Melinda Thomas

Family Readiness Support

Assistant

Kimberley Williams

315-774-5132

Rear Detachment

Commander

CPT Hauger

315-774-5165

Rear Detachment NCOIC

1SG Van Orman

315-774-5173

Page 10: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

10

YOUTH/TEEN

SWIFT AND BOLD

YOUTH TEEN FOR DECEMBER 2012

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 11: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

11

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

SWIFT AND BOLD

Source: Dr. Jack Smith http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/doctor_is_in.aspx?fid=26

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOU This time of the year can be quite stressful for many people. Just as Thanksgiving dinner is wrapping up, the holiday frenzy shifts into overdrive. The holiday season brings a constant barrage of consumerism, family and social obligations and increased demands on time and energy. To minimize the effects of stress, it is important to avoid an unhealthy indulgence in too much holiday cheer; to practice firm financial restraint in our holiday shopping (lest we suffer BS—"bill shock" come January); and to slow down, relax and enjoy the good tidings the holiday season brings. Many people ignore these recommendations, however, since stress is generally present in every person's life. Stress is defined as "a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize." Well known for his research on stress in the 1950s, Hans Selye stated that "stress is not necessarily something bad; it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental."

THE EFFECTS OF STRESS Stress in small quantities can motivate and help you become more productive, such as in your job. On the other hand, too much stress over an extended period of time can actually harm a person's mental and physical well-being. Long-term stress sets people up for generally poor health, as well as specific physical or psychological illnesses like infection, heart disease or depression. Persistent and unrelenting stress may lead to conditions, including anxiety, depression and other unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and alcohol or drugs abuse. People may demonstrate psychological symptoms like anxiety, irritability, loss of temper, fear, frustration, decreased concentration, helplessness, depression, anger, sleeping difficulties and nightmares. Physical symptoms are usually characterized by a rapid or irregular heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, rapid breathing, dizziness, muscle tension, fatigue, headaches, sweating, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, jitteriness and abdominal pain—which may be the only symptom of stress in a child.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES There are a variety of proven techniques or skills for stress management that will help during high pressure situations and help avoid the problems of potential long-term stress. Stress management skills can be categorized into three main groups: Action-oriented skills: Actions in which you seek to confront the problem causing the stress, often changing either the environment or the situation; Emotionally-oriented skills: Actions in which you do not have the power to change the situation, but you can manage stress by changing your perception of the situation and the way you approach it; and Acceptance-oriented skills: Actions in which something has happened in which you have neither power nor control and so you focus on just surviving the stress.

STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING STRESS MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

Understanding what stress is and identifying the stressors in your life to order to reduce, manage and try to avoid it;

Living a fit and healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising regularly;

Learning to strike a balance between personal, family, and work life;

Applying mental relaxation techniques like yoga, mental imagery, meditation, biofeedback, using music, and hypnosis; and

applying physical relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation and/or personal hobbies/interests.

We want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. Taking the steps outlined above may assist in managing the stress related to the holidays and help to develop the skills to manage stress throughout the rest of the year. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WARTIME STRESS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, PLEASE VISIT: http://stress.about.com/cs/familymarital/a/aa032103.htm

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT

Page 12: 3-6FA December 2012 Newsletter

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MONEY MATTERS

SWIFT AND BOLD

HOLIDAY SPENDING Continued from Front Page

HERE ARE SOME MORE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY DURING THE HOLIDAYS:

SET EXPECTATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY If you're worried about your finances this holiday season, talk about it with friends and family. They might be just as relieved as you are to set limits on spending or, in some cases, to skip gift-giving entirely. Let them know if you'll be cutting back on the number of gifts or how much you plan to spend. This is especially important for children, who often have unrealistic expectations about gifts and don't fully understand the costs. Also consider price-limited charitable donations in the family's name.

LOOK FOR WAYS TO CUT BACK ON THE NUMBER OF GIFTS YOU BUY

There are many ways to shorten your gift list. If you have a large family or group of friends, ask if they'd like to draw names out of a hat and give one gift per person. Or give family gifts, such as a board game, a laser-tag session, a movies-by-mail membership or a pass to a local museum rather than individual gifts.

CONSIDER HOMEMADE GIFTS

Many heartfelt, thoughtful gifts don't come with a sales receipt. You could cook some treats; put together a photo album; make a themed gift basket full of smaller items, like tea, paperback books, or gardening tools; or give the gift of your time by making homemade coupons or certificates for child care, cleaning, providing a heat-and-eat dinner for the family, etc.

MAKE A SHOPPING PLAN

Don't head out to the mall without a specific list of gift ideas. This is how you end up spending more than you budgeted for. Flip through catalogs and check websites for ideas and develop a list before you even set foot in a store.

LOOK FOR BARGAINS

Buying several gifts from one catalog or website helps save on shipping, or better yet, look for sites that offer free shipping. Comparison shop using fliers from the weekend newspapers to find the best deal around or check out websites with printable coupons from major retailers. Consider buying gifts on sites that offer many new, high-quality items at discount prices. Also, at large chain discount stores, you can get quality, brand-name clothing, accessories, house wares, decorative items, toys, coffee and food gifts, and even pet supplies at a fraction of their retail cost. You can also save on websites that provide deeply discounted limited-time special offers on dining and other services and products.

BRAINSTORM FOR WAYS TO CUT ENTERTAINING COSTS

For example, invite friends and neighbors over for a cookie swap rather than baking batches to give away. Or host "pot luck" holiday meals with friends or family instead of supplying all the food yourself.

CUT BACK ON MAILING EXPENSES

If you always send boxes of gifts or holiday cards to loved ones far away, think of ways to save on or eliminate shipping costs this year. Buy magazine subscriptions or send online gift certificates or gift cards instead of shipping gifts. Send holiday postcards or even e-cards instead of regular cards. And be sure to mail things early so you don't have to pay extra for fast shipping.

MAKE CAREFUL TRAVEL PLANS

If your holiday plans include a trip, thoroughly investigate your options as early as possible. For example, could you drive instead of fly? Stay with a friend or relative instead of in a hotel room? Make do without a rental car? If you need to travel by air, take advantage of websites to help you find cheaper tickets. If possible, be flexible about dates. You could save a lot of money by flying immediately after the holidays rather than before.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Focus on enjoying the simple pleasures of the holiday season, like spending time with friends and family or taking a walk with a to-go mug of hot chocolate to see the holiday decorations in your neighborhood. Take a driving tour of best decorated houses in your area (local news websites and newspapers often provide a listing of these houses). These kinds of activities often capture the spirit of the season better than expensive gifts or elaborate celebrations.

USE YOUR CREDIT CARD WISELY

Finally, think before you use your credit card to pay for holiday expenses. Don't use it unless you know you can pay it off right away. Remember, by buying a sweater on sale with a credit card only to make the minimum monthly payments on the card, you could end up paying double the sweater's sale price. A Happy New Year does not start with huge credit card bills!

CENTAUR ROLL CALL 3RD BATTALION, 6TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT