When you see an event called “Spouses Newcomer Orientation” the first thing that comes to mind is another boring PowerPoint presentation, but the orientation on Aug. 5 was anything but that. Mixed in with the informational slides were anecdotes of fishing on post, family outings and new hobbies perfected while living here.
Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander Col. Wayne Green and presenters from the Garrison and its partners provided both entertainment and information for more than 300 spouses of Command and General Staff College and permanent-party Soldiers who participated in the orientation and the question-and-answer period.
The night was all about the spouse’s perspective of what life can be like at Fort Leavenworth. At the heart of the messages from the Garrison were the social programs and safety of both the Soldiers and their families.
“What we really are here is a place for you to find a break, to find some respite. We’d like you to reconnect with your husband, or in the case of the male spouse, your wife. We’d like you to spend some time with your kids, we’d like you to reconnect with God … we take our safety and security seriously, some say too seriously,” was the message Green expressed about life at the fort.
Green has been calling Fort Leavenworth “The Best Hometown in the Army” for quite a while now, and his presentation and the installation itself have already made most spouses think it is true.
Ursula McGrue, the spouse of a student in Intermediate Level Education class 2011-01, said she “thought it was a hometown before I even saw the little sign.” She went on to say it is so “home-townie” and “Mayberry-like.”
Another ILE spouse Demirah Thrash agreed and said she “really like(s) it” and “it’s very quiet and smaller than the post that we left.”
McGrue and Thrash have been through several military moves, so they should know what they are talking about.
During the question-and-answer period spouses communicated concerns about child care, housing, exceptional family member programs, parking, in-home businesses, sports and physicals for children, maps of post, fishing, hunting, licensing and pets. Green and Director of Plans, Training and Mobilization Tom Cowan answered their questions with the assistance of the Garrison directors and community partners.
At the end of the briefing there were a few unanswered questions, but overall the spouses came away smiling and well informed. A few of the lingering questions and concerns were: housing availability, lack of a welcome packet/contact list or how to find answers to some questions, presence or lack of fluoride in the water, hospital and emergency care availability for family members, rules for running and bicycling on post, and additional registered child care facilities. See page B1.
The biggest thing that Soldiers and their families mentioned was the helpfulness of the Fort Leavenworth website before and since their move here. Go to the websites listed below to find out about the services available to Fort Leavenworth residents and visitors.
All in all, Fort Leavenworth should be used as an opportunity for Soldiers and their families to enjoy their down time, find a new hobby, work on relationships, spend time with family, volunteer in the community and make it their hometown.
The road to becoming the best hometown may be a rough one with continuing road construction, renovations and ICE comments, but if the spouses at this orientation are any indication, the Garrison may already be there.
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When you see an event called “Spouses Newcomer Orientation” the first thing that comes to mind is another boring PowerPoint presentation, but the orientation on Aug. 5 was anything but that. Mixed in with the informational slides were anecdotes of fishing on post, family outings and new hobbies perfected while living here.
Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander Col. Wayne Green and presenters from the Garrison and its partners provided both entertainment and information for more than 300 spouses of Command and General Staff College and permanent-party Soldiers who participated in the orientation and the question-and-answer period.
The night was all about the spouse’s perspective of what life can be like at Fort Leavenworth. At the heart of the messages from the Garrison were the social programs and safety of both the Soldiers and their families.
“What we really are here is a place for you to find a break, to find some respite. We’d like you to reconnect with your husband, or in the case of the male spouse, your wife. We’d like you to spend some time with your kids, we’d like you to reconnect with God … we take our safety and security seriously, some say too seriously,” was the message Green expressed about life at the fort.
Green has been calling Fort Leavenworth “The Best Hometown in the Army” for quite a while now, and his presentation and the installation itself have already made most spouses think it is true.
Ursula McGrue, the spouse of a student in Intermediate Level Education class 2011-01, said she “thought it was a hometown before I even saw the little sign.” She went on to say it is so “home-townie” and “Mayberry-like.”
Another ILE spouse Demirah Thrash agreed and said she “really like(s) it” and “it’s very quiet and smaller than the post that we left.”
McGrue and Thrash have been through several military moves, so they should know what they are talking about.
During the question-and-answer period spouses communicated concerns about child care, housing, exceptional family member programs, parking, in-home businesses, sports and physicals for children, maps of post, fishing, hunting, licensing and pets. Green and Director of Plans, Training and Mobilization Tom Cowan answered their questions with the assistance of the Garrison directors and community partners.
At the end of the briefing there were a few unanswered questions, but overall the spouses came away smiling and well informed. A few of the lingering questions and concerns were: housing availability, lack of a welcome packet/contact list or how to find answers to some questions, presence or lack of fluoride in the water, hospital and emergency care availability for family members, rules for running and bicycling on post, and additional registered child care facilities. See page B1.
The biggest thing that Soldiers and their families mentioned was the helpfulness of the Fort Leavenworth website before and since their move here. Go to the websites listed below to find out about the services available to Fort Leavenworth residents and visitors.
All in all, Fort Leavenworth should be used as an opportunity for Soldiers and their families to enjoy their down time, find a new hobby, work on relationships, spend time with family, volunteer in the community and make it their hometown.
The road to becoming the best hometown may be a rough one with continuing road construction, renovations and ICE comments, but if the spouses at this orientation are any indication, the Garrison may already be there.
Informational websites for the Fort Leavenworth area:
Garrison — http://garrison.leavenworth.army.mil/sites/local
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation — www.fortleavenworthfmwr.com
Frontier Heritage Communities — www.ftleavenworthfamilyhousing.com
Garrison Comprehensive Soldier (and Family) Fitness —http://garrison.leavenworth.army.mil/sites/seervices/csf.asp
Garrison Master Event Calendar — http://garrison.leavenworth.army.mil/sites/commander/keyevents.asp
Garrison Severe Weather — http://garrison.leavenworth.army.mil/sites/about/weather.asp
Ready Army Disaster Preparedness — http://www.acsim.army.mil/readyarmy
Religious Services Office — http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/Staff/chaplain/index.asp
Public Affairs/Fort Leavenworth Lamp — www.ftleavenworthlamp.com
Munson Army Health Center — https://www.munson.amedd.army.mil
Army and Air Force Exchange Service — http://odin.aafes.com/conus_cer/ft_leavenworth/index.html
Commissary — www.commissaries.com
Unified School District 207 (on-post schools) — www.usd207.com
Leavenworth-Lansing Chamber of Commerce — http://www.llchamber.com
Leavenworth Main Street — www.leavenworthmainstreet.com
