Belvoir Briefs for April 15

Army Warrants
The Lord Fairfax Silver Chapter, US Army Warrant Officer Association has its monthly membership meeting April 15 at 5 p.m. The meeting location is the Kingstowne Library at the corner of Beulah and Telegraph roads. All active, reserve, and retired warrant officers are invited and encouraged to attend.

Information is available from chapter president, CW2 Meisha Atkinson, 703-706-2540.

Former wrestler, author at library
Former professional wrestler, Mick Foley, celebrates National Library Week and the Month of the Military Child at Van Noy Library April 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Foley, a New York Times' bestselling children's author, will read selections from his book.

After story time, he will be available to sign autographs and meet with the children and their families. The first 10 families will get a free copy of one of his books.

Information is available by calling 806-3323.

AOWCGWA
The Army Officers Wives Club of the Greater Washington Area hosts a luncheon on April 15 in the Koran Room of the Fort Myer Officers Club from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sandra O'Connell will discuss lessons learned from 800 letters her husband's family exchanged during World War II, as documented in the book, "An American Family in World War II."

The event costs $20. Reservations must be mailed by April 9 to Ruth Howell, 7709 Little River Turnpike, Suite 100, Annandale, Va., 20003.

Information is available from Wendy Gifford, 703-903-1542; or Ruth Howell, 703-941-1300.

Red Cross classes
Fort Belvoir's American Red Cross Office offers the following classes:
SFA CPR/AED Adult, April 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CPR Child and Infant, April 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CPR Adult, Child, Infant and First Aid, April 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

People can register and pay for the class online at redcrossnca.org or by calling 703-584-8452. People interested in training for groups or organizations can call Ashley Cleveland, 703-584-8716.
The office on Belvoir is at 9716 Middleton Road.

KIDSFEST, family fun
MWR celebrating military children April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the School Age Services Building, Barlow Road.

The free event includes face-painting, games, food and prizes.

Information is available by calling 805-9114 or 9116 or 9117 or 9118.

Community yard sales
The Villages at Belvoir Yard Sales are one weekend a month through October. All residents of The Villages at Belvoir can sell. However, anyone can stop by and make purchases.

Scheduled yard sales this year are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days.

Residents can only sell during yard sale dates announced and authorized by The Villages at Belvoir, unless otherwise authorized by community management offices.
Upcoming 2010 yard sale dates, weather permitting, are:

April 17 and 18; May 15 and 16; June 19 and 20; July 17 and 18; Aug. 14 and 15; Sept. 18 and 19; and Oct. 16 and 17.

Autism Class
The Fort Belvoir and Fort Myer Military Community Exceptional Family Member Programs are sponsoring "Tricare/Other Benefits and Safety Issues for Military Parents with Children with Autism and Other Cognitive Disabilities" class and support group, April 22 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Army Community Service, 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg. 200, Fort Belvoir.

Guest speaker will be Lt. Col. Scott Campbell, parent of an autistic child and secretary for the Autism Society of America's Northern Virginia Chapter. Join us for a wonderful opportunity for families to not only learn about medical benefits and safety issues for their autistic children, but to also network with other families. Reservations are required for class slots, on-site child care, and free foods/beverages.

If a child care reservation is not cancelled by 10 a.m. April 21, the parent may be responsible for childcare payment. For reservations, general or disabled access information, contact Marcia O'Connor, EFMP manager at 703-696-8467 or TTY at 703-696-4675. Due to unreliability of answering machines, reservations must be made over the phone directly to Mrs. O'Connor.

West Point Glee clubs
The West Point Glee Club, along with the West Point Alumni Glee Club, perform in a concert at 4:30 p.m. April 25 at Hayfield Secondary School Auditorium.

Tickets are $15. Information and tickets are available by calling 703-263-2364 or from the Web site, wpalumnigleeclub.org. Tickets can be picked up at will call starting at 3:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m.

Military Child celebration
The customer loyalty team from DeWitt Army Community Hospital sponsors an event in honor of Month of the Military Child April 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the hospital.

The celebration includes face-painting, therapy dogs, K9 Rock Star, K9 agility and tricks, food, prizes and more.

Win tickets to Antiques Roadshow taping
For the first time ever, Antiques Roadshow, PBS's most-watched series since 1998, is coming to Washington, D.C. WETA TV 26, the public broadcaster for the Greater Washington region, and WGBH, the producing station for Antiques Roadshow, invite the public to enter a random drawing for free tickets to the taping on Aug. 21. Ticket-holders will each be able to bring two items for appraisal and may appear in an upcoming episode of the show. The event is free, but individuals must have a ticket in order to attend; all tickets will be distributed in advance and there will not be tickets available the day of the taping. Due to the huge demand, there is a random drawing for this free event. The deadline to enter is April 19. Visit www.weta.org/local/wetaevents/antiques to enter.

Washington Metro Investment club
The Washington Metro Investment Club is having open house meetings on April 17 and May 15 the McCourt Building off Prince William Parkway. The meeting will start at 4 p.m. WMIC meets once a month to discuss investments in the Stock Market. The club is member of National Association of Investment Corps and is comprised of a small group of novice investors interested in learning about current trends in investing. Through a monthly plan of investing directly with companies and participating in their respective Dividend Reinvestment Plans, club members hope to reap a steady and respectable return while learning more about financial planning for the future.

Please contact Ken Wright at 703-801-1465 or Lavoy12@yahoo.com.

Bingo night
The Belvoir Enlisted Spouses Club invites enlisted spouses to attend a free bingo night April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Vernondale Community Center. Enlisted Spouses of all services are encouraged to attend, have fun, win great prizes and learn more about this private not for profit organization designed to create a family oriented, informative and social interest among the enlisted families of the Fort Belvoir and MDW area. For more information about the free bingo event, please contact Trisha at 703-781-4050.

AFTB Level I
Fort Belvoir Army Family Team Building is offering a one day Level I Navigating the Military on April 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This course teaches basic military knowledge and includes Military Acronyms and Terms, Chain of Command and Basic Military Benefits and Entitlements. This class will be held at the ACS Building located at 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg 200.

To register for this free class, please contact AFTB Program Manager, Colandra Sealey at 703-805-2769 or by e-mail at colandra.sealey2@ us.army.mil or fb-mwr-aftb@conus.army.mil.

AFTB Level III
Fort Belvoir Army Family Team Building is offering a Level III Leadership Skills on May 4-6 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.This course teaches you how to become a better more effective leader and includes Communication Skills for Leaders, Managing Group Conflict, and Coaching and Mentoring. This class will be held at 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg 200.

Limited free childcare is available. Children must be registered at CYS. Childcare deadline is April 23.

To register for this free class and make reservation for childcare, please contact AFTB Program Manager, Colandra Sealey at 703-805-2769 or by e-mail at colandra.sealey2@us.army.mil or fb-mwr-aftb@conus.army.mil.

Motorcycle Grand Tour of Virginia
Registration is now open for the motorcyle Grand Tour of Virginia. Those with a passport can head out on the highway and find adventure at Virginia's premier tourism destinations and attractions throughout the commonwealth and win some great prizes, as well.

This year's Motorcycle Grand Tour provides a great opportunity for riders and passengers to explore the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway along with all the other regions of Virginia.

To participate in the 2010 Motorcycle Grand Tour of Virginia, riders and their passengers can register online at www.vamotorcycletour.com.

For a $25 registration fee, registrants receive an official Grand Tour T-shirt, passport and a great reason to spend more time on their bikes exploring Virginia.

Completed Motorcycle Grand Tour of Virginia passports must be mailed and postmarked by Nov. 1 to be eligible for ride prizes. A complete list of the sponsors, prizes and rules are posted on www.vamotorcycletour.com along with a Virginia map highlighting all of the stops on the 2010 Grand Tour.

1st Cavalry Division Association
The National Capitol Region Chapter of 1st Cavalry Division Association meets April 17 at 9:30 a.m. The location is the Soldier and Family Assistance Center, 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg. 200, Fort Belvoir.
Guest speakers include the commander of the Warrior Transition Unit and a representative of Army Emergency Relief.

In addition to discussing support to the SFAC and WTU; the association expects to discuss a chapter-sponsored cookout for members and family from the WTU scheduled for May 15; and support of the 3rd Annual Katz Deli Lunch for Wounded Warriors and families, June 19 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Soldiers who served with the 1st Cav. Div. are invited to attend this meeting.

More information on the chapter is available from the Web site, 1cda.org/National_Capitol.htm.

Child professionals' conference
Fort Belvoir's Family Advocacy Program hosts a Child Maltreatment for Multidisciplinary Professionals' Conference April 22. The conference covers a broad range of topics on issues related to child maltreatment, including factitious disorders; Munchausen syndrome by proxy; child interviewing; child sexual abuse from a survivor's perspective; basic medical issues in child sexual abuse; the relationship between deployment stressors and child maltreatment.

The conference is open to multidisciplinary professionals - mental health providers; FAP, CID and medical personnel; chaplains; child development staff and others who work professionally with children.
The conference is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required.

Registration is available by calling 703-805-3339 or 2693.

The Armed Forces Center for Child Protection, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., which provides objective child maltreatment expertise when needed throughout the DoD, conducts the conference.

Hearts Apart
Hearts Apart is a support group of people whose sponsor is deployed, on TDY or serving an unaccompanied tour.

The group meets at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month at Army Community Service, 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg. 200.

Free child care is provided with advance notice.

Child-care reservations and information is available by calling the Relocation Readiness Team, 703-805-5058 or 3436.

Green thumb?
MWR is starting a gardening interest group for people who enjoy gardening to meet monthly and share gardening tips, exchange ideas and plants, and gain insight and knowledge on how to successfully grow and maintain a garden year round.

The group will cover a wide variety of gardening topics, conduct events with guest speakers, and provide unlimited literature. Explore the local area on field trips and find resources for all, including the novice and those who are already master gardeners. The club welcomes people with a variety of growing spaces, from a small balcony to several acres.

The group's first meeting is April 25 at 11 a.m. at Outdoor Recreation, Bldg. 778, Tompkins Basin on the Potomac.

Interested people are asked to call 703-805-1143 to sign for the first meeting and to be added to the group e-mailing list.

12th Aviation Battalion open house
Community members are invited to view aircraft and technical rescue vehicles April 24 at a 12th Aviation Battalion open house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

People who attend can speak with military members about their daily operations within the Military District of Washington.

Additionally, air crews and helicopters from the D.C. National Guard and Fairfax County Police Department will be on display.

The open house is at Davison Army Airfield, off of the Fairfax County Parkway, Route 7100, between routes 1 and Exit 166B of I-95.

Information is available from Capt. Kevin Merrill, flight operations officer, daafopenhouse@gmail.com.

Virginia Defense Force
The 23rd Battalion, Blackhorse Brigade, of the Virginia Defense Force is looking for former company-grade officers, former noncommissioned (or petty) officers, and new recruits to fill its ranks in any of its five Northern Virginia companies.

The VDF forms the governor's ready response force - it can't be federalized, go overseas, or be armed (except under order of the governor in extreme circumstances), and it can't be ordered to deploy outside of Virginia's.

VDF volunteers train a minimum of four hours per month on emergency management-related tasks; complete online Federal Emergency Management Agency courses; and perform such missions as inauguration support; communication support to the Virginia National Guard during hurricanes; and augmenting the Virginia Emergency Operations Center, upon request.

When mobilized by the governor, VDF personnel get regular military pay. Units typically have between 15 and 30 personnel and have almost no equipment that needs to be maintained or safeguarded.

The VDF has no set enlistment period and personnel between 16 and 65 years of age can join.

Information is available from the VDF homepage, vdf.virginia.gov/, or through 2nd Lt. Eric Roos, EricRoosVDF@gmail.com, 703-216-7962.

Enrichment in housing
Staff from Child, Youth & School Services offer free enrichment activities at the housing community centers. Children and youth must be accompanied by an adult. Activities are from 10 a.m. to noon.

Events are free and open to the public.

The schedule is: Mondays in April, Fairfax Village; Tuesdays, Vernondale; Wednesdays, Lewis; Thursdays, George Washington; Fridays, Woodlawn.

Each week has a different topic, including creativity, library, Earth and Health and Fitness Week.

Information is available by calling 805-1906.

Kayaking for Wounded Warriors
Join Team River Runner, Outdoor Recreation and Benyaurd Pool to learn the basics of kayaking in the comfort of an indoor pool. The next classes are April 28; and May 12 and 26 at 7 p.m. Information is available by calling 703-805-3081.

Online safety, cyber-stalking prevention
Army Community Service can show people how to enjoy online chats and job networking and help children safely use the Internet.

A free class is April 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. in ACS, Bldg. 200. Pre-registration is needed by calling 703-805-2693, 1794 or 1793.

Scholarships available
The Belvoir Enlisted Spouses Club is accepting applications for its annual scholarships for high school seniors and enlisted spouses within the Fort Belvoir and MDW area. The deadline for submissions is May 7.

Three $800 scholarships will be awarded at a ceremony May 25 at the Vernondale Community Center on Fort Belvoir.

Since 1980, BESC has provided tremendous community and family support to the soldiers and families of the Fort Belvoir Community and MDW area. Applications can be found at the Barden Education Center , Nye Library, and the Belvoir Thrift Shop. Electronic applications can be downloaded from the BESC's Web site www.belvoiresc.org.

For inquiries or additional information please call Marty at 202-290-2906.

EARTH DAY EVENTS
Tompkins Basin Park events
• April 17: Family Campout at Tompkins Basin with guided canoe and kayak trips at 2 and 4 p.m.

• April 18: Potomac Watershed Clean-Up Day 8 a.m. to noon. Sign-up to volunteer

• April 19: Guided bird walk through Accotink Bay Refuge, 8 and 10 a.m., call to sign up

• April 20: T-17 Gunston Cove Loop Trail and Handicapped Fishing Pier Dedication with support from the Warrior Transition Unit. Guest and dedication activities at 1 p.m.

• April 22: 30th Anniversary of Accotink Bay Refuge and Dedication of the Shoreline Project at Tompkins Basin with guest speakers at 1 p.m. A tree-planting ceremony follows.

• April 23: Kent Knolls' Raptor Show at 10 a.m. at Castle Park. A free lunch will follow at the pavilion.

Information and registration is available by calling 703-805-1143.

Exchange offers reusable bag discount

AAFES press release
The Fort Belvoir PX rewards military shoppers who are doing their part for the environment through its new "Use a Bag, Save the Planet" initiative.

Instead of using traditional plastic bags, retail facilities at Fort Belvoir Exchange encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags. Beyond helping the environment, shoppers who "Use a Bag, Save the Planet" will get five cents back for every reusable bag used.

The five cent credit applies only to shoppers who bring in and use reusable shopping bags and not plastic bags at the Main PX and Class Six/Shoppette and all other AAFES-operated retail facilities at Fort Belvoir Exchange. Soldiers who decline a plastic bag, but do not use a reusable bag do not qualify for the five-cent credit.

Bay cleanup volunteers needed
The Environmental and Natural Resources Division needs volunteers to help clean Accotink Bay, as part of the 22nd Annual Alice Ferguson Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. The event is April 18 from 8 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers will meet at the Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center, Bldg. 780, and are asked to dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring a water bottle to refill as needed. Gloves and bags will be provided by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

Adults, children, organizations and community groups are encouraged to participate.

Interested volunteers are asked to call Kevin Walter, 703-805-3969.

Route 1 cleanup volunteers needed
Fort Belvoir participates in the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce's Richmond Highway Spring Cleanup April 24. Interested volunteers are asked to call Pauline Hunter, 805-2034.
People who volunteer should wear sturdy shoes, long-sleeved shirts and pants; and bring water, gloves and a long stake, to lessen bending.