Community Ledger, April 2

Reporting Suspicious activities or incidents

It is important to give a thorough report when notifying law enforcement of suspicious activity or an incident. Knowing the following guidelines will help you understand what a 911 operator, law enforcement officer, or security person responding to your call needs. Keep in mind, if you report over the phone or by e-mail, the responding officer who contacts you might have only the information you gave.

There are two key elements in giving a good report: accuracy and timeliness.

Report exactly what you saw, and nothing more. Don’t embellish. However, it is appropriate to include the reason the activity seemed suspicious, even if it’s simply, “It wasn’t normal.”

It’s very important to report anything suspicious immediately after you observed it happening. If you are able, immediately write down your observations so you don’t forget them. The suspicious situation will change, people will leave, or possibly alter their appearance.

It is important for the responding officer to quickly spot the suspicious person or activity. You can help by providing details and creating a “word picture.” Changeable details such as activity are important, but may not be the same when the officer arrives. Permanent details are very important.

● When describing a person, include: hair color, facial hair, race, age, sex, size, scars, tattoos, disabilities.

● When describing a vehicle, include: make, model, color, any body damage, bumper stickers, accessories, license number.

Practice describing vehicles you see on your commute or people you encounter in your everyday activities. The more you practice, the better your observation skills will become and the better you will do when nervous or excited.

Never confront suspicious persons or activities. Tell just what you saw. Tell why it is suspicious. If you have not written anything down before calling it in, then do so after you have reported it — in case the incident ends up in court and you are called to testify.

Whom to call:

● Emergency — If you think a life is in danger or a serious crime is about to be or has been committed, call 911.

● Non-emergency — If it is not an emergency, but you think that the person or situation should be investigated, do NOT tie up the 911 emergency number. JBLM Lewis Military Police Desk: 967-7112 or 967-7113, JBLM McChord Field Law Enforcement Desk: 982-5624

Most local police departments, and all state police barracks and 911 centers have non-emergency numbers. Look them up and record them in a handy place for ready reference when you need them.

Action Line

An Action Line has been established to allow Joint Base Lewis-McChord community members to express their concerns and ideas directly to the commanding general. Your issues will be addressed by the I Corps commander and his staff. The Action Line number is 967-0093.

Airman Leadership School award recipients

The 62nd Airlift Wing Airman Leadership School Class 10-C, which began Feb. 22, graduated March 25.

The class award recipients were:

● John L. Levitow recipient —

Senior Airman Jason D. Wilson, 62nd Security Forces Squadron.

● Distinguished graduates —

Senior Airman Bryce A. Kester, 10th Airlift Squadron;

Senior Airman Raymond W. Jones, 62nd Communications Squadron;

Senior Airman Brandon S. Nontelle, 8th Airlift Squadron.

● Academic Achievement Award —

Senior Airman Olivia D. Glover, 62nd Maintenance Squadron.

● Leadership Award —

Senior Airman Raymond W. Jones.

728th Airlift Squadron NCO nabs AFRC award

A Reservist from the 728th Airlift Squadron earned the Air Force Reserve Command Outstanding Aviation Resource Management Award for 2009. Staff Sgt. Terri Schmidt won the award in the noncommissioned officer category. She was honored for her performance in providing essential support for critical missions, streamlining the squadron’s on-the-job-training program, and tracking and logging more than 185 flying and ground training events for 145 assigned aircrew Reservists. Schmidt was also nominated for a Military Outstanding Voluntary Service Medal. She was the 446th Operations Group NCO of the quarter for the first quarter of 2009.

ACS job fair

Army Community Service will host a job fair in the ACS Annex, Building 2166, at 12th Street and Liggett Avenue April 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 967-3538 for more information.

Free movie

There will be a free showing of the movie “Open Window” at Carey Theater April 13 at 6:30 p.m. The film provides a powerful look at the effects of sexual assault on a victim and those who care about her. For more information call 967-3087.

Naturalization workshop

ACS Relocation Readiness Program is hosting a Naturalization Workshop April 16 at Stone Education Center. Session I is from 9 to 11 a.m. and session II is from 1 to 3 p.m. The workshop will include information on the following: military naturalization process, completing the N-400, G-325B and N-426, military facilitated applications for citizenship, waivers, exceptions and special cases, preparing for the redesigned naturalization test, child citizenship act and how to contact USCIS.

Military personnel are encouraged to attend. The workshop is also open to foreign-born spouses. To register, e-mail tara.j.hall@us.army.mil or call 966-6338.

Praise dance showcase

The Grace Anointed Praise Dancers of Grace Gospel Service are hosting their second annual praise dance showcase April 18 at 2 p.m. at the JBLM Lewis North Chapel. Grace Gospel Service has invited several area praise dance groups to perform during this powerful and uplifting showcase. The performance is free.

Family night

Fill up the family affordably at Family Night, April 8 at the Cascade Community Center from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat spaghetti buffet and ice cream bar for $4.25 per person for adults and $3.25 for children ages 3 to 10. Join in the free games and fun for the entire family. For more information, call 964-0331. Reservations are suggested.

Reunion workshop

Is your Soldier coming home soon? ACS has a workshop to walk you the through the reunion process April 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the ACS Annex, at 12th Street and Liggett Avenue. Discussions cover how to prepare for reunion day, what to do to help the transition and some possible expectations. RSVP by calling Pamela Allen at 967-8430 or e-mail pamela.j.allen@us.army.mil. You can also schedule unit or family readiness group reunion workshops.

Free child care is available with reservations by calling Clarkmoor Hourly Care Center at 966-2490. Children must be registered with CYS Services.

Mandatory classes for first-term Soldiers

First-term Soldiers are required to take eight classes taught by the Financial Readiness Program within 90 days of their arrival (AR 608-1, Section V Financial Readiness 4-38.c.) The classes will be offered every Tuesday afternoon beginning Tuesday at the ACS classroom at Waller Hall from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited to 20 Soldiers per class. Call 967-7166 to reserve a spot in each class. Classes will be repeated every four weeks to give Soldiers more than one opportunity to attend each class.

Earth Day

JBLM McChord Field’s Earth Day will be celebrated April 22, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in front of the McChord Field Commissary.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, Tahoma Audubon Society, Master Gardeners, Wolf Haven, Rain Gardens, Tagro, U.S. Forest Service, base organizations and others will have booths.

New this year is Tacoma Power Conservation Resources Management, which will exchange used compact fluorescent light bulbs for new ones. You can also sign up for refrigerator recycling (don’t bring your refrigerator). Information on Earth Day and the base recycling program will be available.

Promotional items and posters will be available to those who stop at the booths. Hybrid vehicles from Lakewood Ford will be available for inspection.

For information contact Valerie Elliott at 982-3913.

Logistics Gate closure

The Logistics Center Gate will be closed to all traffic on Wednesday, April 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. for maintenance on the in-ground security barriers. Those who routinely enter or exit the installation through this gate during those hours will need to find an alternate route. Rainier Gate and Madigan Gate are viable options for use.

Predeployment workshop

Let Army Community Service give you the tools to help you get prepared for a deployment. Join ACS at the April 8 predeployment workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the ACS Annex. Discussions include finances, the emotional aspect, Red Cross, care teams, communication, children and deployment and much more. Walk away with tools to help prepare you and your family for the upcoming deployment. To register for the workshop, call ACS at 967-8430 or e-mail pamela.j.allen@us.army.mil. Free child care is available with reservations by calling Clarkmoor Hourly Care Center at 966-2490. Children must be registered with CYS Services.

Ammunition amnesty

Amnesty Day is May 6, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a chance to turn in unauthorized ammunition, pyrotechnics or other materials with no questions asked, no fear of prosecution, no investigation, no paperwork required and no appointment necessary. For larger than .50 caliber, officials recommend calling EOD for pickup. This Amnesty Day is at the C-5 mock-up just outside JBLM Lewis Main’s East Gate. All ammunition will be accepted. No hazardous materials endorsement is required on license. Amnesty munitions can always be turned in at the Ammunition Supply Point during normal duty hours or at any of the amnesty boxes on base: in the ASP parking lot; on Jecelin Avenue at Range 2; on JBLM Lewis North, at A and 17th streets; at Mastin Avenue between 3rd and 4th Division drives (the Ranger compound); at Slone and South 20th streets (the Main Wash Rack); and at A and 8th streets (the North Wash Rack).

McChord Field annual Arbor Day celebration

JBLM McChord Field will celebrate Arbor Day April 15 at 3:30 p.m. The celebration will be at the end of Battery Road on the east side of the Co-located Clubs (Building 700) and adjacent to Memorial Grove. Parking will be available at the McChord Field Co-located Clubs. The celebration will include an award ceremony, where JBLM McChord Field will receive its 17th consecutive Tree City USA from the Washington Community Forestry Council and will plant eight beautiful, flowering pear trees. Come celebrate McChord’s wonderful trees. For more information, call 982-3913.

ASE examinations

Get professionally certified by taking the Automotive Service Excellence examinations at the Stone Education Center Testing Office on JBLM Lewis Main May 6 to 11. Register by completing a registration form and payment to Kristi Noceda at the Testing Office, Room A230, by 4 p.m. today. Payment includes a registration fee; $36 per individual and $28 per exam. DANTES will fund up to three exams for active-duty, Reserve and National Guard military members. The next opportunity to test will be in November.

ASE certifications are earned when a candidate passes one or more of ASE’s 40-plus exams and provides proof of two or more years of relevant full-time, hands-on work experience. ASE Study Guides are at http://www.ase.com. For more information, call 967-5657.

Pitch, hit and run

Youth baseball athletes will have the chance to show off their baseball skills at the CYS Services fields (JBLM Lewis Main) April 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. annual in the Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run competition. Registration will be at the fields on the day of the event; bring your child’s birth certificate. The free event is open to ages 7 to 14.

For more information, call 967-2494.

Local youth football and cheerleading

The DuPont-Steilacoom Youth Association is forming Sentinel Youth Football teams and cheer squads with youth from Steilacoom, DuPont and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and will play tackle football in the Thurston County Youth Football League. Participants are eligible who are in the 2nd through 8th grades in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Early registration will take place online at www.tcyfl.com through May 31; open registration will take place online through July 15. Early registration is helpful so that organizers can purchase the appropriate equipment and provide equipment issue on June 18 to 19, 25 to 26, and July 9 to 10, and 15 to 16. Practices will begin in early August in Steilacoom and be preceded by a Sentinel Football Clinic with Steilacoom High School coaches and players. The association also needs volunteers to support both the football and cheer programs. For more information e-mail football.dsya@gmail.com.

National Library Week

It’s almost time for National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in communities, schools and campuses nationwide. Joint Base Lewis-McChord libraries will participate in National Library Week from April 11 to 17. An open house will be held on April 14 at the Grandstaff and Book Patch libraries from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Crittenberger Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at McChord Library all day. Come in and see what new and exciting materials and activities your libraries have available for you.

Employment opportunity

Anthony Care, LLC, an employer specializing in adult care in the home, will be recruiting and conducting interviews for jobs every Wednesday in April and then May 5 and 19 (first and third Wednesdays) from 1 to 3 p.m. at the JBLM Employment Readiness Program, in Building 2166, located on the corner of South 12th Street and Liggett Avenue.

No experience is needed. The employer will provide training to new hires. The employer gives hiring preference to military spouses. For more information, call 966-8325, 967-7287 or 967-3538.

Seattle Mariners annual Salute to Armed Forces

Join the Seattle Mariners April 17 at 6:10 p.m. as they take on the Detroit Tigers at the 8th Annual Salute to Armed Forces Night. Fans in attendance will receive a special commemorative military coin courtesy of the Mariners and Boeing at the end of the game (while supplies last). Discount tickets are available to all military personnel at Leisure Travel Services (formerly known as ITT). For information on ticket pricing, call 967-3085.

Retiree health fair

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Retiree Council conducts an annual Retiree Activity Day that is cosponsored by Madigan Army Medical Center. Madigan supports this event by conducting a Health Fair with health education and health screenings. This year, the Health Fair is May 14, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The goal is to support HEDIS measures — cardiac risk education, diabetes and injury prevention. For more information, call Dr. Teresa Bruder at 967-3875 or 966-3757.

Operation Purple

The National Military Family Association is now accepting applications for its popular Operation Purple Summer Camps. This free summer camp program was developed by the association to support military children dealing with the stress of war. Each camp is “purple” and open to children of any uniformed service member, active duty or reserve component. Applications will only be accepted online at www.MilitaryFamily.org.

Calendar

The following holidays and days of no scheduled activities are planned:

● April 9, DONSA

● May 28, DONSA

● May 31, Memorial Day

● June 11, DONSA

● July 2, DONSA

● July 5, Independence Day holiday

● Aug. 13, DONSA

● Sept. 3, DONSA

● Sept. 6, Labor Day

Consumer alert

Before you buy any test prep service, contact your Education Center.

DANTES and several of the national testing programs such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Thomson Prometric, and Excelsior College, have issued a buyer-beware campaign regarding test preparation companies selling highly questionable products and services.

For more information please call 967-7174.

Birth announcements

The following births were reported by Madigan Army Medical Center: to

Rogers, Heather and Daniel, a boy, Feb. 12;

Biddle, Stacey and Terry, a girl, Feb. 13;

Keasling, Ashley and Randy, a girl, Feb. 14;

Campbell, Lyndsi and Joshua, a boy, Feb. 15;

Rose, Jennifer and Aaron, a girl, Feb. 15;

Grant, Meghan and Ian, a boy, Feb. 19;

Jones, Michelle and William, a girl, Feb. 20;

Uhrich, Catherine and David, a girl, Feb. 20;

Anongos, Michelle and Adonis, a boy, Feb. 22;

Rivas, Alisha and Ernesto, a girl, Feb. 23;

Bien-Aime, Tracee and Emmanuel, a girl, Feb. 24;

Cravens, Deana and Dusty, a boy, Feb. 25;

Enriquez, Brittney and Cruz, a boy, Feb. 26;

Fraley, Ashley and Richard, a boy, Feb. 26;

Taylor, Tracy and John, a boy, Feb. 27;

Warnhoff, Sybil and Ryan, a boy, Feb. 27;

Landon, DeWin and Shawn, a girl, Feb. 28;

Gardner, Danielle and Stephen, a girl, March 2;

Marsh, Eron and Frank, a girl, March 2;

Murphy, Brittany and Stephen, a boy, March 3;

Powell, Erica and James, a girl, March 5;

Pendergrass, Loni and Eric, a boy, March 6;

Bayard, Elisabeth and Jason, a girl, March 8;

Ziga, Kristina and Glen, a girl, March 8;

Nobles, Nora and Thomas, a girl, March 9;

Stephens, Crystal and Jason, a girl, March 10;

States, Michelle and Michael, a boy, March 11;

Trimble, Christina and William, a boy, March 11;

Holmes, Lianora and David, a boy, March 16;

Metter, Amanda and Sean, a boy, March 17;

Keith, Kaylee and Andrew, a boy, March 18;

Garcia, Katrina and Ray, a girl, March 19;

Thomas, Amanda and Brian, a girl, March 19;

Carlson, Erika and Jonathan, a boy, March 20;

Williams, Tina and Dathan, a boy, March 20;

Jun, Rachael and Adam, a girl, March 21;

Lance, Kaitlyn and Andrew, a boy, March 21.

Attention

Event announcements must be received no later than the Friday before publication. They can be e-mailed to nwgeditor@nwguardian.com. Announcements can be viewed online at NWGuardian.com. The Northwest Guardian office is located in the basement of Building 2026-B.

For more information, call 477-0184.