By Ignacio “Iggy” Rubalcava
U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder Public Affairs Office
More than 900 Soldiers and family members made their
way from booth to booth at the annual Health and CARE Fair Sept. 11 and
gathered all the information they needed to prepare for the upcoming
deployment of the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder agencies and several other facilities like the Health and Dental Clinics, post exchange, commissary and many more set up temporary offices in the Hall of Champions to provide the community a one-stop shopping opportunity for all their official and personal needs.
Agencies participating provided a comprehensive representation of the community, including the City of Baumholder, represented by Michael Roehrig, assistant city mayor of Baumholder; AWAG, represented by European Chairperson Lorinda Risley; the 170th IBCT, the Baumholder School Behavioral Health and more. In all, 36, agencies were represented.
“It was a very successful event,” said Catherine Dubosc, event coordinator. “The focus of the fair this year was to prepare Soldiers and families for upcoming deployments,” said Dubosc. All participating agencies were handing out information related to preparing for deployment such as wills and power of attorneys from the legal office and child care benefits during deployment by Community Youth and Schools Services.
Because the focus was on deployment, the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team played a key role in this year’s CARE Fair. Booths sponsored by the 170th IBCT distributed Military One Source related information and battalion and company level specific Family Readiness Group information. This included contact information for FRSA, FRLs, and FRG leaders. FRG groups had activity and meeting information on hand.
Members of the 170th IBCT also registered visitors for their virtual Family Readiness Group and also took sign-ups for FRG specific activities. The virtual Family Readiness is a secure source used to communicate command information when the Soldiers are downrange to the families. Single Soldiers can sign-up family and friends that they would like to give this information too.
Jennifer Joyce from the Baumholder Community Spouses Club provided information about the organization, its benefits, upcoming social events and registered new members.
The housing office provided copies of the sample exception to policy memo and the point of contact memo for retaining quarters during deployment. They also introduced customers to the Army Housing Referral Network, the new housing referral automated system.
Also in line with deployment, the director of
logistics office provided information about privately owned vehicle storage
during deployment.
The new neighborhood watch program, IWATCH, was introduced by Laney Rich from the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder force protection office. He also provided information about National Preparedness Month and distributed including information about emergency preparedness.
The Baumholder Health Clinic had information available about health promotions, physical therapy, LTBI, Host Nation Liaisons, TRICARE, access to care, optometry, EDIS, chiropractor services and primary care. They also provided customers with influenza spray and inoculations
Continuing with the deployment theme, classes like Pre-Battle Mind, Resiliency, Let’s Get It On and Single parenting were taught by Army Community Services. “These classes were a new service this year and they were very successful,” said Dubosc.
Outside the Hall of Champions, the military police had an equipment display and provided gutsy volunteers the opportunity to be attacked by a military working dog, only after donning the appropriate protective clothing of course.
The USAG Baumholder fire department also has a vehicle and equipment on display outside the Hall of Champions.
A key element of this event is registration and the event gets bigger and bigger each year as the word gets out of the opportunity the fair provides to get important personal and official registration appointments settled at one location in one day.
The fair offered opportunities for community members to register for activities like volunteering, youth services, FRGs, private organizations, and much more.
Winners of the best booth competition were: First place, ACS; second place, CYSS; and third place, 170th IBCT.
Visitors also had the opportunity to win free tickets to any Hill Top Theater plays, free tickets to the Trier Christmas Market, water aerobics passes, an emergency safety kit from AAFES and a blanket from the American Red Cross. There were also free child care coupons, free games of bowling coupons and gift certificates to redeem at the FMWR Arts and Crafts Center. Stephanie Champi drove home the grand prize, a used car courtesy of FMWR Auto Crafts.