The Citizen - February 2021

Vol. 50, No.2, February 2021

Serving the Greater Stuttgart Military Community www.stuttgartcitizen.com

Feeding your wanderlust:

How and where to explore during times of COVID

Defeat COVID-19 blues with these tips and tricks

Drafted vets continue to serve 50 years later

A letter from the editor

Stuttgart Citizen gets a facelift If you are reading this in the Stuttgart Citizen print edition, you may have noticed it looks and feels a little different this month. February marks the first issue of our new publication as we transition from the newspaper format that has served our community well for 47 years, to a magazine format.

Our dedicated team will continue to bring you the everyday, up-to-date news, on stuttgartcitizen.com and our garrison’s social media platforms, but we have chosen to upgrade our printed publication to this format to better serve you, our audience.

And to kick it off, we have filled the first edition with some advice for staying healthy and resilient throughout the pandemic. Within these pages you can find tips for improving your mental and physical health while access to gyms and fitness centers remains limited due to restrictions. Our featured story this month sheds some light on our hostnation’s deep love and respect for nature, and how you can share in that hobby to feed your wanderlust spirit during lockdown. Additionally, you can find beautiful local destinations, all within reasonable distances from our four installations, where you can escape the monotony of the house for a few hours.

the vaccine, what possible side-effects you might experience, and why the benefits of receiving it, far outweigh the risks.

While we maintain our news-worthy presence online, in this magazine, we can take the time to probe deeper and tell you the stories behind the story.

One way we intend to do that is through our features section. This community is made up of more than 28,000 individuals who come together to complete a mission. But each one of us is unique, and took a different journey to get here. These pages supply a canvas for their stories to be told. Stories like Haze Hardy Jr., a culinary expert who has served our community in practically every kitchen on-post for nearly half-a-century. He shares his humble beginnings and his secret to success on page 16.

Another long-time community member, Bill Hales, shares memories from his 52 years of service for our country on page 6. Both men were called to serve in the Vietnam draft, and both fell in love with this community and chose to stay.

Stories like Hardy’s and Hales’ are everywhere within our historical and diverse community. And our team of writers is itching to uncover those hidden gems and share them with you. If you or someone you know has a compelling story to share, let us know about it through our Facebook page. We want to know!

We will continue to share relevant news and timely specials on those subjects that impact our community the most. For example, the COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the end of December and we went to work putting it into the arms of our first responders, medical workers and as many high-risk So, as we at the Citizen embark on this exciting community members as we could. That news was will look forward to brought to you instantly on our website and online. new adventure, we hope you when a new edimonth; the of Thursday You may have read about it in January’s newspaper. every first culture, will hit and history, , adventure of full tion, But now we take a deeper look into the science humble seryour are We you. near rack magazine a local a of eyes the behind the vaccine, through are our you, And pen. expert on medications and how they interact with vants, armed with paper and us? join you Won’t told. be to waiting story our bodies. Army Health Clinic Stuttgart Pharmacist, greatest era, Dr. Barbara Roper, was a child of the polio and she takes us back to another time when germs kept citizens inside and physically distant from each other. In our feature article, Immunizing the Herd, Dr. Roper walks us through what it’s like to get

Your Citizen Team

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February 2021

Content UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON STUTTGART Commander Col. Jason W. Condrey

 News/

Announcements

Senior Enlisted Adviser Command Sgt. Maj. Billy Norman

A letter from the editor �����������02

Public Affairs Officer Larry Reilly

Commander’s Column ��������������04

Managing Editor Becca Castellano Contributors Bardia Khajenoori, Paul Hughes, Geoffrey Morris, Dan Rice, Andy Munsterman, Jason Johnston

 Daily Life & Leisure

USAG STUTTGART PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE Building 2949, Panzer Kaserne

New titles arrive at the Library ����������������������05

Army Post Office Mailing Address Unit 30401, APO AE 09107 German Mailing Address Panzer Kaserne Geb. 2949, 3rd Floor, Panzerstrasse, 70032 Böblingen

 Service Spotlight Answering the call to serve �����06

Telephone 09641-70-5962485 DSN (314) 596-2485

Local chef cooks up 50 years of service ����������������� 16

Website www.StuttgartCitizen.com Facebook www.facebook.com/ USAGarrisonStuttgart/ PUBLISHER

 Around the

AdvantiPro GmbH Europaallee 3 67657 Kaiserslautern Telephone +49 (0) 631-30 3355 30 Website www.AdvantiPro.com Managing Director Bret Helenius

installation Community hubs endure amid COVID-19 ���������������������������������08

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Display Advertising Contact Jennifer Holdsworth Telephone +49 (0) 631-30 3355 37 Email Ads@StuttgartCitizen.com

 Chapels Chaplain’s Corner: A picture of respect ����������������09

Stuttgart winter view

Photo by Robert Bleotu/Shutterstock.com

 Health & Wellness Feeding your wanderlust ��������� 10 Immunizing the herd ��������������� 12

Official website: home.army.mil/stuttgart

Official community news: www.StuttgartCitizen.com

Becoming physically and mentally resilient �������������������� 19

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@usag_stuttgart February 2021

The Stuttgart Citizen is an authorized newspaper, produced in the interest of the U.S. Army community in Stuttgart by the U.S. Army-Garrison Stuttgart Public Affairs Office. Contents of the Citizen are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or the Department of the Army.

The Stuttgart Citizen is printed by AdvantiPro, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Govt., under exclusive written agreement with U.S. Army Stuttgart. It is published monthly using the offset method of reproduction and has a printed circulation of 5,000 copies. Everything advertised herein shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all seven-digit phone numbers in The Stuttgart Citizen are DSN numbers and all longer numbers are civilian.

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Commander’s Column

Key factors to continued success in our fight against COVID

by Col. Jason Condrey USAG Stuttgart Commander

With the one-year anniversary of our first community COVID positive approaching soon, I want to take a moment to reflect on our successful testing and quarantine policies and how your efforts have made that success possible.

As we found ourselves in the “second wave,” our community has done a phenomenal job in limiting the spread of the virus. Up to now, over half of our positive cases can be traced back to travel.

With our travel testing policies and protocols, we have successfully limited the spread of COVID that we unknowingly imported from other locations.

Another line of defense that has allowed our community to set the terms of our fight with COVID is our contact tracing. About a third of our cases were identified because our tracing efforts identified close contacts that should be tested and placed into quarantine. Many had no symptoms or perhaps the slightest hint of a symptom at the time they were tested. Finding these individuals early undoubtedly prevented the spread of COVID in our work spaces, classrooms and in homes where families could not isolate from each other.

I know the testing lines can be long, and the process of returning for a second test tedious, but our collective efforts are making a difference in this community. For that, I offer my thanks.

In December, we took another critical step

toward winning our fight against COVID as we administered our first COVID vaccines to first responders and medical professionals. Vaccinations will be a critical piece to accelerating our way back to the “normal” we have spent nearly a year longing to see again. As we continue to receive additional doses of the vaccine, I will ask you to once again do your part to help the community.

Our fantastic clinic team has already begun to implement the COVID-19 vaccination plan for our community. As they do so, please take the time to do some research and get your questions answered. The only person who can make an informed decision to get the vaccine or not for you, is you. Our medical professionals have years of training, education, and experience to help you address specific concerns. Please reach out for the resources available to you to decide what is best for you and your family.

We have come so far from our first positive COVID case in March of 2020 and I feel immensely proud of how this community has risen to the challenge and continued to live and accomplish our mission in a COVID environment. As I look forward to the next several months, I believe that the light at the end of the COVID tunnel will arrive sooner rather than later. I know it hasn’t been easy and it likely won’t be for a while, but I am more confident than ever that we, as a community will persevere.

Our collective response allows me to honestly say, “I’m glad I live here.”

“I know it hasn’t been easy and it likely won’t be for a while, but I am more confident than ever that we, as a community will persevere.”

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February 2021

New arrivals at the library

by Becca Castellano U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Book covers and descriptions courtesy of goodreads.com

We may find ourselves unable to travel to exotic lands, or faraway places due to the pandemic, but that does not mean we cannot experience new adventures from the comfort of our homes. At the Patch Library, shelves upon shelves of books, audio books, movies and games offer you an escape from the monotony of restrictions, and the welcoming team of Family & MWR employees who run the library are always on the hunt for the next great read. Here are a few of the latest, must-read titles calling your name.

All the Devils Are Here

By Louise Penny The 16th novel by #1 bestselling author Louise Penny finds Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Quebec investigating a sinister plot in the City of Light.

On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life.

When a strange key is found in Stephen’s possession it sends Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, and his former second-in-command at the Sûreté, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from the top of the Tour d’Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives, from luxury hotels to odd, coded, works of art. It sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades.

Soon the whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Gamache will have to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past. His own family. For even the City of Light casts long shadows.

And in that darkness, devils hide.

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life

By Jonathan Alter From one of Ame­ ri­ca’s most-respected journalists and modern historians comes the first full-length biography of Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth president of the United States and Nobel Prize–winning humanitarian.

Jonathan Alter tells the epic story of an enigmatic man of faith and his improbable journey from barefoot boy to global icon. Alter paints an intimate and surprising portrait of the only president since Thomas Jefferson who can fairly be called a Renaissance man, a complex figure—ridiculed and later revered—with a piercing intelligence, prickly intensity, and biting wit beneath the patented smile.

Here is a moral exemplar for our times, a flawed but underrated president of decency and vision who was committed to telling the truth to the American people.

Prince’s Odyssey: On and off the record

By Neal Karlen A warm and surprisingly real-life biography, featuring never-beforeseen photos, of one of rock’s greatest talents: Prince Neal Karlen was the only journalist Prince granted in-depth press interviews to for over a dozen years, from before Purple Rain to when the artist changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Karlen interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories, wrote “3 Chains o’ Gold,” Prince’s “rock video opera,” as well as the star’s last testament, which may be buried with Prince’s will underneath Prince’s vast and private compound, Paisley Park.

According to Prince’s former fiancée Susannah Melvoin, Karlen was “the only reporter who made Prince sound like what he really sounded like.”

Karlen quit writing about Prince a quarter-century before the mega-star died, but he never quit Prince, and the two remained friends for the last thirty-one years of the superstar’s life.

Demagogue

By Larry Tye The definitive biography of the most dangerous demagogue in American history, based on the first-ever review of his personal and professional papers, medical and military records, and recently unsealed transcripts of his closed-door Congressional hear­ings In the long history of American demagogues, never has one man caused so much damage in such a short time as Senator Joseph McCarthy. We still use “McCarthyism” to stand for outrageous charges of guilt by association, a weapon of polarizing slander. From 1950 to 1954, McCarthy destroyed many careers and even entire lives, whipping the nation into a frenzy of paranoia, accusation, loyalty oaths, and terror. When the public finally turned on him, he came crashing down, dying of alcoholism in 1957. Only now, through bestselling author Larry Tye’s exclusive look at the senator’s records, can the full story be told.

Wild Thing

By Philip Norman Over fifty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) is celebrated as the greatest rock guitarist of all time. But before he was setting guitars and the world aflame, James Marshall Hendrix was a shy kid in Seattle, plucking at a broken ukulele, in fear of a father who would hit him for playing left-handed. Bringing Jimi’s story to vivid life against the backdrop of midcentury rock, and with a wealth of new information, acclaimed music biographer Philip Norman delivers a captivating and definitive portrait of a musical legend.

To learn how you can check out these books and more, give your friendly librarians a call at 09641 70 596 5232.

February 2021

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Service Spotlight: Answering the call to serve

by Geoffrey Morris Stuttgart Citizen volunteer

Former Kelley Auto Shop Manager Bill Hales understands very well what it means to be called to serve. His 52 years of service to his country began in 1969, when he was drafted into the Army and ordered to report to basic training at Fort Bliss.

Photo by Steven Gerlich/Kelley Auto Skills Center

That was actually Hales’ second time being called up in the draft. The first time his number was drawn, he failed the pre-selection board.

Determined to join, Hales was pursuing his GED when his number was drawn again and this time he received his official induction notice in the mail.

“6:15 sharp was in red,” he said. “It stood out and I remember it very clearly. That was when I had to report.”

Hales attended basic training at Fort Bliss before reporting to aviation school at Fort Rucker. He waited for class to start for over a month, and spent that time working as a fireman in the barracks.

Hales explained that he was not the kind of fireman who put out fires, but one who kept them burning.

“I was one of two people who had to keep the fires that were warming the prefabricated metal buildings used for housing facilities going throughout the night,” said Hales.

After aviation school, Hales shipped off to Vietnam where he began working on Bell AH-1 6

February 2021

Cobra helicopters. He soon made a name for himself through his “all or nothing” approach to maintenance and repairs.

“Basically, either it works or it’s not going to,” explained Hales. ``80 percent or 90 percent, in a helicopter, will get you killed. If it’s not 100 percent, it’s a death trap. You can’t pull over and try to fix a cut corner in the air so 100 percent or it didn’t get cleared to go” It was that attention to detail that saw Hales promoted to corporal and moved to quality control and record keeping. Eventually, his reputation earned him an appointment by the Secretary of the Army to be an Army Senior Quality Control Inspector.

Hales recalled a memorable story where a disgruntled officer tried to revoke his position, only to be corrected by their commanding officer who remarked, “no one aside from the Secretary of the Army could remove that appointment.”

That work ethic carried Hales through 25 years of active duty service before he retired as a Sergeant

First Class in 1994 and began a career with the DOD. He continued serving his country and the Stuttgart Military Community through various roles in an information technician (IT) specialist, planer and collaboration support specialist at EUCOM, AFRICOM, SOCEUR and SOCAFRICA, to name a few.

After more than 40 years of serving his country, Hales retired from the civil service. However, he wasn’t ready to stop working and began a third career with Stuttgart’s FMWR as an IT specialist.

With so much experience in mechanics and quality control assurance, Hales became an obvious front runner when MWR needed a manager to reopen the Kelley Auto Skills Center last August.

“He has an extensive background that makes him uniquely qualified,” said Daniel Delvalle, the Panzer Speedy Lube Manager and one of the people involved in hiring Hales for the position. “The old cars he’s rebuilt by hand speak for themselves.”

As the manager at the Kelley Auto Skills Center, Hales led the effort of stocking the shop and acquiring tools

and equipment from other bases, like Kaiserslautern, when their programs were downsized or eliminated.

“This was an empty building when I walked in, only the ramps had been installed, there were a bunch of cables hanging down, and we had to put everything in here,” said Hales, who completed the project in time for their reopening last summer.

The long awaited auto skills center offers the community a location, tools and expert guidance to safely work on their vehicle, whether for maintenance or as a hobby. With his mission complete, Hales stepped down from his role as the manager last month. But he said he is confident in the “good, well-trained team he is leaving behind and the manager who will take his place.”

And as he prepares to say goodbye, he added he will still be around, to lend a hand and share his experience with anyone who wants to learn.

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7

FMWR facilities like the Swabian Special Events Center, Patch Library, Java Cafe and Backlot bar were social hotspots before COVID-19 restrictions limited gatherings.

Courtesy photos

Community hubs in COVID-19 holding pattern

by Paul Hughes U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

USAG Stuttgart’s social hubs – which depend on revenue from the community to survive— are facing some of the toughest financial challenges in their history, but the staff are determined to persevere.

Community members and guests have been gathering at the Swabian events center, or the Kelley club, to socialize, celebrate and unwind for decades. But now, due to COVID restrictions they sit empty. The function rooms and their bars, silent. It could be months until they are reopened, causing financial alarm for some business leaders.

While some Family and MWR services are fully funded, others are only partially funded. Then there are facilities like the Java Cafe and the community clubs, which are self-sustaining through the majority of their own profits.

“All our community facilities need to turn a profit to stay open… in a normal operating year the money coming in creates funds not only to sustain, but also to improve facilities and offer 8

February 2021

more programs and events,” said Ray Jenkins, Family and MWR Business Manager. “The Patch Community Club and the Kelley Club have had no business for seven months and it’s not that people don’t want to go, it’s that they can’t.”

While COVID has caused community favorites, such as Karaoke, Trivia night and Salsa dancing at the Swabian events center to be cancelled, the facility has continued to offer space for mission essential conferences. According to Jenkins each conference request made in COVID times must be scrutinized by the garrison commander for an approval or denial and when approved the staff must ensure that they meet every COVID mitigation requirement.

Circumstances have dictated that since November, staff adopt a holding pattern revolving around deep cleaning and planning new activities for the day that the doors reopen. Currently, they are planning a St. Patrick’s Day party and a bar Olympics, with hopes that they will be allowed to reopen soon.

“In normal times, we offer what off-post businesses don’t,” said Jenkins. “We are close to home and have the sports, the events, the celebrations,

anything you can get in America, you can get in our clubs.”

While MWR is optimistic that their facilities will all be able to reopen when COVID restrictions are lifted, the longer those restrictions remain in place, the more the facilities, their employees and the Stuttgart community suffers without these social hubs.

“Living in the barracks, there isn’t much to do sometimes and being able to head to the Swabian with a group of friends was a nice escape from just being in my room on a Friday night,” said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Maria Alvarez.. “I really miss those experiences.”

While most in the community look forward to the day they can attend social functions in groups again, the staff at Family and MWR are continuing to plan and prepare for that reality. They ask; however, that when their doors finally do reopen, everyone does their part to keep COVID at bay so they can continue to serve the community.

For a list of future events visit stuttgart.armymwr.com.

by Chaplain Dan Rice Special Operations Command Europe

We could not believe our luck; my wife and I were about to see a U.S. president in person. Many years ago we were walking downtown San Antonio, Texas when we saw an unusually large crowd gathered outside the Alamo. Curious we approached the crowd and asked someone what was happening. “President Bill Clinton is in town and giving a speech,” they said excitedly. Wow! A sitting President was right here close to us. My wife carried a camera with her, so we were ready to capture this historic moment. (Brief history lesson — Back in those days, cell phones were not a thing so people used cameras to take pictures. Cameras had film in them, which recorded the pictures you took. Each roll of film had a limited capacity of pictures. Once filled, you took out the roll of film and had it developed. Key point — you needed film in your camera to take pictures.)

We managed to work our way through the crowd so that we could actually see President Clinton. I took the camera and held it as high over my head as possible, pointed it toward the President, and snapped several pictures. At least I thought I had. Truthfully, I pressed the button on the camera and heard it click, and I assumed I was taking pictures. When we got home that night, we were excited to develop the film with pictures of the President. We got the camera

and then prepared to take out the roll of film. To our immense disappointment, there was no film in our camera. We saw the President, but we can never prove that we were there.

Immediately after this happened, we told several of our friends about the incident. Besides laughing with us and admitting similar occurrences in their lives, many of them shrugged their shoulders and said, “Well at least it was ‘just’ President Clinton.”

Respect begins with us. I know this is a hard pill to swallow. Pause and think about this for a moment. Respect begins with us.

We cannot wait for someone else to demonstrate respect first. We need to lead. Our friends, in this story, did not respect President Bill Clinton, so in their minds, not taking a picture of him was no loss. For me, however, it was a huge disappointment. I may have disagreed with his politics and some of his actions, but he was the President of our country. I respected him.

This past Presidential election was very controversial. Today the divide between Americans is wider than at almost any point in our country’s history. How do we begin to heal? How do we begin to forgive and move forward? Demonstrate respect toward others.

We do not have to agree politically, but we need to respect each other. We can take the first step. As we celebrate President’s Day this year, please remember that respect begins with us.

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Chaplain’s Corner: A Picture of Respect

Feeding your wanderlust

r A snowman at the Pfaffensee l wor r thei turn n let the lockdow

Walkers and cross-country skiers enjoy trails near the Pfaffensee, located close to Patch Barracks.

Story and photos by Bardia Khajenoori U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

The adopted English word “wanderlust” has come to represent a general desire to travel and explore. But in a time when traveling for pleasure is verboten, one can still satisfy that craving in a way that both complies with lockdown rules and runs closer to the term’s literal German language origin: enjoyment of hiking or wandering.

Roughly a third of Germany’s land is forest, and its people are the fifth most active in Europe, 10

February 2021

according to European Union statistics. Although renowned hiking destinations like the Black Forest and Swabian Alb lie close enough for a day trip from Stuttgart, the city and its surroundings offer numerous opportunities for residents to “take the air” without traveling too far from their front doors.

This can make all the difference for resilience and well-being, especially under pandemic conditions.

Michele Stockdale and her husband arrived in Stuttgart last September, just over a month before Germany’s Nov. 2 introduction of partial lockdown measures. They began a two-week quarantine upon arrival, during which they could not even leave their hotel room. Since then, and through the introduc-

tion of a curfew and subsequent national lockdown measures, walks in the fresh air with their dogs have been both a welcome escape and a way to settle into their new community.

“The walking has been a lifesaver for us, and even though we can’t do much else right now, it’s allowed us to experience Germany,” said Stockdale.

“It seems to me that a lot of people, when describing their country, describe nature. So for us to get out into nature kind of helps us feel the country, its culture and its heartbeat.”

Stockdale drew a parallel with the Japanese practice of “forest bathing,” an example of nature therapy. The term refers not to literal bathing, but

rather taking in the natural atmosphere through one’s senses in a deliberate way.

“Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, [and] refresh and rejuvenate us,” wrote Dr. Qing Li, a scientist and expert on the topic, in a 2018 article for Time magazine. “Even a small amount of time in nature can have an impact on our health.”

To this end, Germans, in general, appear more environmentally aware and conscious of the health aspects of spending time outdoors, said Andy Osborn, Second Vice President and Trailmaster of the Stuttgart GermanAmerican Wandering Club 1972. not to reminds walkers The club practices volksmarchn. ld upside dow ing, described by Osborn as “an organized social activity where the main event is walking; typically in the woods, but not necessarily.” A key part of that description is the word ‘social’, and coronavirus-related restrictions on gatherings have been a death knell for group outings. A calendar that would normally see a walk hosted almost every weekend has instead been stripped of nearly every event since March of last year, said Osborn.

“There are still ‘permanent’ walks in various areas which members can get credit for doing,” he added, but the restrictions have had a great impact on doing volksmarching as sport.

Osborn makes a conscious effort to walk at least 10,000 steps per day—city streets on weekdays for reasons of time, and local forests on weekends.

Even walkers whose routes are more exclusively urban can attest to the benefits of getting out and about.

Katie and Eric Carraway live in downtown Stuttgart without a car and regularly walk to destinations within the city center. While Eric works from home full time, Katie’s deeper dive into walk-

ing began at the start of the first lockdown last April as an attempt to plan how to get to work at Kelley Barracks if public transportation shut down. Although it never did, she was struck by the relative shortness of the distance and the pleasant, active start to the day brought upon by walking.

“The only reason I discovered it is because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get to work anymore,” she said.

Since then, the Carraways have employed a strategy of deliberate serendipity to diversify their routine.

“We’ve actually got a motto: ‘OSO,’ (pronounced oh-so) or ‘one street over,’ where we intentionally turn a different corner to get off our well-worn paths,” said Katie Carraway. “What’s been kind of nice in an unexpected way, with the lockdowns and not being able to travel, is that we’re getting to discover more of Stuttgart than we probably ever would have otherwise, even in the three to five years that we’ll be living here.”

The city has a “secret garden aspect to it with all the staircases,” she added, noting that climbing them serves as a good workout while gyms are closed to the public.

Stuttgart is, in fact, famous for its many urban stairways, or “Stäffele,” whose origins go back hundreds of years to a time of less urbanization and more extensive winegrowing. There are between 500 and 600 of them, depending on what is counted, according to the city’s tourist board. In addition, a corridor of about five miles of interconnected parks from the Schlossgarten to Killesberg, called “the green U” due to its approximate shape, provides an exceptionally long and contiguous urban green space.

The options are just as rich outside of Stuttgart, including the Schönbuch Nature Park south of

Panzer Kaserne (which, alone, contains nearly 350 miles of trails) and Siebenmühlental, near Leinfelden-Echterdingen.

By way of encouragement for the hiking-uninitiated, and especially those who might feel hesitant to start outdoor activity in the middle of winter, Eric Carraway invokes a classic German proverb: “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothing.”

Nor should beginners be too concerned about getting lost. Designated parking areas for hikers, or “Wanderparkplätze,” often have maps showing marked trails. Mobile apps can be useful, especially with GPS enabled during the journey. Each Stuttgart military installation has forests, trails, or other green space within walking distance.

“One thing I can say about Germany is that hiking trails [and green spaces] are more accessible; they seem to be near just about every neighborhood, so no matter where you are, you can access those green spaces,” said Stockdale.

Potential walkers should consider simply getting out there rather than agonizing over routes or timing. “Whether it’s 15 minutes or two hours, anything’s a plus in my book,” said Osborne.

Walkers enjoy outdoor trails near Stuttgart.

February 2021

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Immunizing the herd Story and photos by Becca Castellano U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

When COVID-19 began its rapid spread around the globe, it brought with it a whole new set of rules to live by. From physical distancing to obsessive hand washing routines, and the new normal of mask wearing, the virus changed our existence in a matter of weeks. But for those in older generations, COVID-19 is not the first time they have had to stay home for fear of spreading dangerous germs.

From 1916 until 1955, late summer was known as Polio Season. Swimming pools would close and movie theaters would spread guests out to avoid close contacts. Special “polio insurance” was sold to protect newborns as one of the most feared viruses in history began its annual spread across the nation.

Back then, the term “Iron Lung” was well known. Nurses patrolled playgrounds, offering cold milk on ice to lure mothers and children in and observe them for symptoms of polio. If any were present, they could take that child away from their parents to be quarantined in a hospital ward.

Dr. Barabara Roper is a clinical pharmacist at the U.S. Army Health Clinic Stuttgart, and a child of the polio era. While she was not old enough at the time to remember the worst of the virus, she recalls the mission to eradicate it once a successful vaccine was developed.

“It was a very interesting time because parents, who didn’t know a lot about it, were bringing their kids in to be immunized. We would take it on a sugar cube,” said Roper. “We had a vaccine but [Polio] was still on the map at that time.”

The polio vaccine was developed in 1955 and by 1962, polio’s presence in the world was reduced by 90 percent. By the end of the decade, the most feared virus of the 20th century was more of a faint memory for most.

“The herd got vaccinated and that was what was

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Dr. Barbara Roper, a clinical pharmacist at Army Health Clinic Stuttgart, holds her COVID-19 vaccination record card after receiving her first vaccine on Dec. 31, 2020.

beneficial with polio,” said Roper. “Enough people were willing to get vaccinated that they greatly reduced the spread of the virus long enough to get it under control.”

65 years later, the general population, aka “the herd”, are being asked to get immunized again in the fight against COVID-19, and Roper believes strongly in the science behind the mission.

“We know how to make vaccines and we’ve been doing it successfully for a long time now,” she explained. “We’re going to put something into the body, that is not live — so you are not going to really get it — but it can still stimulate the immune system to create a response so that if that virus comes again, it says ‘hey I know that and we need to push that out of here.’”

Roper also said that despite what many believe to be a quick turnaround, it is common for medicine to hit the market as fast as the COVID-19 vaccines did.

“Drugs get fast-tracked a lot,” she explained.

“Especially if we already know a lot about them or we start seeing results that are overwhelmingly Top: Crystal Bosserman, a positive. They will actu- behavioral health therapist at ally stop a clinical trial Army Health Clinic Stuttgart, in the middle of it when receives her first COVID-19 the data is so robust that vaccination on Dec. 31, 2020. it says ‘hey, go for it, we need to use this.’”

Right: Pfc. Brian Lloyd, Katalin Kariko was a a medic with the 554 MP scientist at the University company, grabs a COVIDof Pennsylvania, who 19 Vaccine while Brittaney refused to give up on Gurski, a registered nurse at what most in the scien- Army Health Clinic Stuttgart, tific community deemed gathers paperwork from a far-fetched idea: patients waiting to receive Messenger RNA. After their vaccine, on Dec. 31, 2020. nearly a decade of trial and error, and a demo- Bottom left: A nurse pretion for a lack of prog- pares the Moderna COVID-19 ress on her research, vaccine for distribution at she finally discovered Army Health Clinic Stuttgart a break-through that on Dec. 31, 2020.

would ultimately lead to the development of both Moderna and BioNTech startups — the latter of which would go on to hire Kariko as their Senior Vice President.

Since BioNTech’s start in 2008, and Moderna’s in 2010, the two companies have been experimenting with several uses for mRNA technology, including the concept of custom cancer vaccines. The point, according to Roper, is that the research wasn’t rushed. It began long before the new coronavirus mutated and began infecting humans.

“There’s a lot of people out there already doing research so they already had background information about this through clinical trials,” said Roper.

“That’s why they could get to work and come up with a solution so fast. If it were an idea that they had to generate from step one, it would take much longer.”

When the first doses of the Moderna vaccine were offered to health care and emergency services workers at USAG Stuttgart on Dec. 31, 2020, Roper was one of the first in line to take the jab.

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“I really, truly believe in it,” she said. “30,000 people received the vaccine in the trials, that’s a lot of people. So, if you look at the number of people that had a very negative outcome, it was not large.”

Despite her confidence, she understands why others may be cautious due to all the sensationalism and misinformation out there. She urges everyone to check their sources and to reach out to their primary care provider or pharmacist to get guidance and answers.

“They can help you determine what’s best for you,” she said, adding that pubmed.gov is a credible source where all clinical trials are published.

Despite her pro-vaccination belief, Roper respects every individual’s right to decide what is best for themselves and strives to provide clear, honest guidance to her patients.

“That’s what pharmacists do, we talk about side effects and give you all the information so you’re well prepared,” she said. “Because we don’t want people to be frightened when anything they weren’t expecting happens.”

Some of the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine can be soreness, redness and warmth at the injection site said Roper. She added that a small population reported experiencing flulike symptoms and felt lousy for a few days and admitted to having a headache herself for a day or two after receiving her first dose.

“You may get a response to it but that’s your body doing its job and now you’re going to be prepared and you can fight it off when it comes again,” said Roper. “Yes, there’s a risk that you

could be that person who gets a negative reaction. But that’s why we screen on the immunization forms and we ask questions before you get it.”

As a clinical pharmacist, Roper has a continuously evolving knowledge of more than 5,000 drugs on the market and an understanding of how they interact with each other. She is always reading, researching, and learning, to help patients with conditions like diabetes, high-blood pressure, hypertension and asthma, live healthier lives. Now she hopes to use that knowledge to help those afraid of COVID-19, understand the facts and make an informed decision.

“In 2000, when my daughter was born, the autism scare around vaccines was still a hot topic, and so much of that came of published false information. The aftermath was very negative,” Roper said. “That affected a lot of people, but I had a great provider who answered my questions and gave me the real facts, and that changed the dynamics for me. That’s what I always aim to do. Just provide the facts.”

But in a time when facts are far fewer and speculation runs rampant, Roper said she continues to read the research, study the clinical trials, and learn from history.

“I just come back to what we know. Polio was devastating, I mean, people were in iron lungs. It was really scary. Yet, we all but eradicated it through immunizing the herd,” said Roper. “And now we have to do it again. This is how we protect those who are immunocompromised. At the end of the day, the benefits far outweigh the risks.”

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By Geoffrey Morris Stuttgart Citizen volunteer

“Everyone looks at their yearbook three times; when they first get it, when they get their friends to sign it, and when they find it in their attic years down the road,” said Shana Blankenship, the Yearbook Advisor at Stuttgart High School.

But for the Class of 2021, their yearbook is going to look a little bit different.

Stuttgart High School’s award-winning yearbook program sells hundreds of books every year. In pre-COVID times, Zeitgeist, the club that creates the yearbook, acted as one of the most influential

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student-run organizations, hosting or covering every event that took place.

However, due to fewer in-person events taking place during the school year, they are hardpressed to get photos for the publication.

To make up for that deficit, they have taken to crowdsourcing, asking students, staff, and family members to send in pictures of their own — anything that captures what life is like for a high school student during this unprecedented time. While this tactic was used before the pandemic to round-out extra pages in the publication, this is the first time it will be the primary source for content. It is one of several changes the yearbook staff has had to embrace this year.

During a pre-COVID school year, sports and social clubs would fill the bulk of the pages. Now, most of those pages are out of commission. To overcome these challenges, a new design principle was implemented when it comes to making new pages.

Gina Forzano, Stuttgart High School senior and coeditor-in-chief of the yearbook, explained the guidelines for the new pages.

“It must be photographable, or recognizable by photos alone, and it must have a place in the heart,” she said.

The yearbook staff has proven themselves dedicated to ensuring their fellow students have a yearbook full of positive memories to look back at in the years to come.

“Their innovative thinking and hard work have not gone unnoticed,” said Blankenship, remarking on the several awards the brand has earned, including the 2019 Balfour Book of Distinction.

Karen Burbach has been the printing company’s representative for Stuttgart High School’s Yearbook program for the past few years and said there’s been a lot of ‘creating and recreating the wheel’ at Stuttgart. She also said their greater emphasis on the students’ contributions from home is something unique to this high school and something she hasn’t seen elsewhere.

“They’re submitting pictures and stories about what people have been baking or about their pets, and it really lets there be a new focus on the students and their families at home,” said Burbach. “It’s not just about events, it’s got a true human interest element.”

Whatever the remainder of the year brings, the yearbook staff is confident that the product they are creating will reflect the perseverance, determination and strength of every student of Stuttgart High School to look back on for years to come.

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The Original at the Originals Café Story and photos by Becca Castellano U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

Outside the Original’s dining facility on Panzer Kaserne, snowflakes drift silently to the ground during an early January morning. Soldiers stomp the snow off their combat boots before entering through the wooden doors and into a warm, welcoming atmosphere, where the sights, smells and tastes, are enough to make anyone enjoy waking up before the sun.

Amid the smells of eggs, bacon, and other breakfast selections that mingle together to create a tantalizing aroma, a man in a white chef’s coat works at a stainless-steel prep station, chopping a medley of peppers for today’s lunch special: Soul Food. But Haze Hardy Jr. Says soul food isn’t a real thing.

It’s just some term invented to market meals that are also associated with southern black American culture.

“Most soul food was more accurately cheap food for poor folk,” he says as he dumps the colorful peppers into a large pot. “The food that we call soul food; ham-hocks and pigs feet and red beans and rice and collard greens, most of them were ate by the poor people, black and white. Because it was cheap.”

Despite Hardy’s thoughts on the title soul food, he pours his soul into every dish he makes for the Stuttgart military community, and into the young soldiers he mentors inside the kitchen.

“He’s a fixture in this community and has been for many years,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dirk Yamaguchi, the manager of the Originals Café.

Hardy came to Stuttgart in 1969 as a medic and worked on Panzer Kaserne, but he said the medical

field was never his fit. He found his true passion in cooking, several years before when his mom got him a job at a restaurant she worked in.

“One of the cooks just up and quit one day and they didn’t know what to do,” he said. “Mama just told them ‘My son can do it, I’ll teach him. I was working there as a janitor at the time but cooking paid more money so I said why not?”

Hardy began to find success as he grew into his role as a chef and fell in love with cooking. Not long after his 18th birthday, he splurged on a 1968 Canary-yellow, Road-Runner. He loved to slide onto it’s white leather seats and drive around. Hardy was just beginning to settle into his new career when Uncle Sam came calling.

“03-03-50. That’s my birthday and with those three numbers, I won the lottery — only lottery I ever won too,” he jokes as he counts out six bay leaves for the jambalaya he’s making.

Despite being drafted, Hardy enjoyed his time in the Army and would have made a career out of it, if the pay had been better.

“You couldn’t raise a family on what they paid back then,” he said. “I remember getting my first paycheck and counting out $90. I said to the payroll officer, ‘Ok, see you next week.’ and he said ‘for what? That’s your pay for the month.’”

Hardy recalls counting each bill again and walking away in shock. It wasn’t too long after that he returned his new car.

He knew he could not afford the monthly payments on his new income.

“Now-a-days they really take care of soldiers and pay them much better but back then you couldn’t raise a family on $90 a month and , since that was what I wanted eventually, I knew I had to do something else,” said Hardy.

Haze Hardy Jr. prepares ribs for “Soul Food” day at the Originals Dining Facility on Panzer Kaserne, Jan. 14.

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After his enlistment was up, he separated with an honorable discharge and immediately began looking for a job back in the kitchen. Hardy said back then it was difficult to get hired when you stayed on a tourist visa but he got lucky when a position at the golf course opened up.

Hardy spent nearly three decades working for MWR at the golf course and Robinson barracks, before making the move to the officer’s club on Kelley and, ultimately, landing at the Patch Dining Facility. When they closed, he brought his skillset to the 10th Special Forces Original’s Dining Facility on Panzer Kaserne.

Yamaguchi said Hardy brings an amazing attitude and work ethic to the team and has bridged the gap between the generations.

“He’s relatable to the young guys and the older ones and the Soldiers and Civilians alike all love and respect him,” Yamaguchi added.

Staff Sgt. Malcolm Andrews said Hardy is the epitome of a Chef and inspires him to keep learning.

“His confidence will rub off on you when you hear him say ‘there’s not a thing in here that I can’t cook,” said Andrews. “When he comes in the building and says ‘Alright ya’ll, lets get hot,’ you know that no matter how difficult your day seems, Mr. Hardy’s going to help you get through it.”

“I love cooking,

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After more than 50 years of cooking for the community, Hardy’s duties include a lot more administrative tasks than they used to, but he still finds time to dirty a dish or two in the kitchen.

“I love cooking, and I like to see people enjoy their food,” he said. “When people say ‘man, that was good!’ or someone goes out of their way to let the kitchen know they enjoyed their meal, that just makes my day.”

Hardy stirred in the final ingredients to his jambalaya before pulling a rack of ribs from the industrial oven behind him. Together, the smells create a delicious aroma and it isn’t hard to imagine that the 71-year-old Chef’s day will be made with a compliment or two before the day’s lunch is over.

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya Ingredients: 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. shrimp 1 lb. of your favorite sausage, sliced 3 bell peppers (one each: yellow, red and green), chopped 2 ribs of celery, chopped 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1 white onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 medium can of diced tomato 4 cups of chicken stock 1 cup rice, uncooked 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning 1 tsp thyme 1 bay leaf Preparation: Sauté sausage for 5 minutes and set aside • Sauté all vegetable and garlic for 8 minutes • Add in diced tomatoes, chicken stock, rice and bay leaf, simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done • Add sausage and shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink • Remove bay leaf and enjoy!

2021 EDITION

and I like to see people enjoy their food.”

The

2021 edition Graphics by Ninchik/Shutterstock.com Photo by AS Food studio/Shutterstock.com

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Get your own copy at: • Army Community Service • FMWR • Commissaries February 2021

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Events like the C.A.R.E. (Community Activities Registration Education) Fair, spearheaded by the Relocation Readiness Program, help to get newcomers quickly settled in—but a sponsor can streamline the process further, starting even before arrival. Photo by Paul Hughes

Sponsors hold key to successful PCS moves to do and when, such as shipping their car or taking the driver’s license exam online before arrival.

“It was the first time we’d ever had a sponsor, When Kaymi Kurfis’s family received orders for a and our first overseas PCS, which has so many permanent change of station (PCS) move to U.S. Army unknowns,” said Kurfis, who still keeps in touch Garrison Stuttgart just over two years ago, she had the with their sponsor and continues to thank her for usual newcomer questions and took a typical approach. the assistance in getting settled. “I’m actually nervous for our next PCS because I know it’s not going “I posted on one of the community Facebook to go as smoothly as this one did.” pages and said, ‘tell me everything,’” said Kurfis.

Indeed, an effective sponsor can play an imporIt was there that the family’s sponsor found her. tant role in reducing stress and easing concerns “She messaged me saying, ‘I think your husband about such a move. is my replacement!’ and basically told me everything I “99% of our family issues could be resolved needed to do,” said Kurfis. before a new community member and their family Despite the unusual initial approach, the Air arrive to the overseas location, had they had a sponForce spouse found their sponsor and the overall sor,” said Michael Martin, USAG Stuttgart Director of experience to be “amazing.” The sponsor kept tabs Human Resources. “Someone on this side of the pond on required tasks and ensured the family was on who can provide information on housing, schools, track, both performing tasks on their behalf—such local customs and courtesies, driving, weather…so as setting up a mailbox—and advising them on what when incoming folks arrive, they already know what to expect.”

Knowing what to expect helps both incoming personnel and An English-speaking, Bible-believing church of many nations and cultures sponsors. www.ibcstuttgart.de “We have a tool Untere Waldplaetze 38, 70569 Stuttgart called the ‘sponsor(across the street from Patch Barracks) ship needs assessment’ Worship Services Sunday Service: 9:30 & 11:30 which basically allows Other Opportunities to Connect a sponsor to learn who Sunday School, Awana, Youth, Young Adults, their newcomer is and Men’s, & Women’s Ministries what their needs are,” said Jeremy Plumley, Relocation Readiness Program Manager We’d love to get to know you and see how we can minister with you and your family. at Army Community

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February 2021

Service, who provides the assessment as part of sponsorship training.

It asks, for example, if the incoming family has someone enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program, or if a family member is pregnant or plans to look for a job — in which case they could be connected to the relevant support services at the new duty station. Personal experience is vital to the process, which is why organizations should match sponsors and newcomers very deliberately.

“A sponsor should be someone who has been fully trained, has the same military occupational specialty or background, and the same demographic,” said Plumley. “So if you’ve got a newcomer arriving who’s married and has children, the sponsor should also be married with children because they will have experience with a lot of those questions that the newcomer will have.”

And while having that personal experience can be exceptionally useful, Plumley assures his sponsor trainees that they do not need to know everything about everything to do a great job.

As relocation program manager, he provides a regularly scheduled, approximately hour-long sponsorship training open to all services, as well as civilian employees. The training covers the ins-and-outs of inprocessing, among other relevant information, and aims to teach sponsors what they need to do and how to do it as proactively as possible.

In the days of COVID-19, this includes an overview of the testing and quarantine process newcomers must undergo upon arrival in Stuttgart, and the sponsor’s responsibilities as part of it.

Plumley also provides training on request to “spouse sponsors,” who are volunteers typically associated with unit family readiness groups. They serve as a complement to an official sponsor who, in addition to sponsorship duties, is also working their regular job.

“This gives the spouse someone they can reach out to directly who’s willing and available to answer questions about their specific concerns,” said Plumley.

Younger family members aren’t left out either, with a youth sponsorship program targeting middle and high schoolers.

“Youth sponsors meet new teens at the school, introduce them to their teachers, give them a tour of the facilities, and help them get their class schedules,” said Plumley, who added that, unlike official and spouse sponsors, youth sponsors are trained by the School Liaison Office and Child and Youth Services.

Kurfis, for her part, came out of the sponsorship process with thoughts for both newcomers and potential sponsors.

“Listen to and use the advice your sponsor is giving you,” she said, pointing out that most issues newcomers face can often be prevented with the right guidance, “if they had just done what the sponsor had suggested.”

And for sponsors, she added, “be patient and remember how it was when you PCS’d. Give all the advice you can, even if you think it’s not needed, because it will all be useful one day.”

Sponsorship training is currently held virtually over Microsoft Teams, 2-4 times per month depending on PCS volume, and also by request.

It is open to all services. Call DSN 596-3362 for more info.

Go for a walk The wonderful thing about living in Germany is the abundance of walking trails. Even with COVID restrictions, you can go out for a walk. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends people participate in a walk or other moderate intensity exercise for 150 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) or more a week for health benefits such as a lowered risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. For weight loss, 250 minutes (about 4 hours) or more of moderateintensity activity is recommended per week.

Exercise does not have to be an all-out effort in order to get the benefits. Of course, if you want to run or bike, those are also healthy options that will allow you to take advantage of the local area’s abundance of trails.

Defeat COVID blues with a healthier mind and body

Socialize The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) has cited evidence that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. Exercise may

by Andy Munsterman Community Ready and Resilient Integrator

It’s 2021, and in any “normal” year we would set resolutions to help us reach goals and break bad habits throughout the months ahead. If ever we had a good excuse to not start exercising or getting into a routine, it would be this year. But despite global conditions that limit what we can do, we can choose to make positive changes in our lives, and the key to being successful in changing our habits and setting realistic resolutions this year is to be kind to ourselves and to start small.

improve mental health by helping the brain cope better with stress. This is also an opportunity to catch up with a friend and gain the social benefit of having a workout partner. We all need to make sure we combat isolation and loneliness and stay connected with friends, families, and colleagues.

Outdoor activities ensure that we can connect in a safe, responsible way that is also good for our mental and physical health.

Build a healthy immune system Research shows that consuming a well-balanced diet, one with sufficient energy to maintain a healthy weight, a focus on grains, fruits, and vegetables to provide sufficient carbohydrate and polyphenols, can reduce exercise-induced inflammation and improve viral protection. When you have to work from the home office, home school, or are employed, it can be hard to stick to a regular meal time. Now is a great time to experiment with healthy recipes, create your own healthy snacks, and to drink more water. Try to make sure you have meal times consistently each day and that you aren’t just waiting until you are hungry or eating from boredom. The same practice applies to sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep with all of your electronic devices muted and avoid excessive alcohol intake and caffeine at least 6 hours prior to going to sleep.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our resiliency in every feasible way over the last year, but as we move through 2021, we have the benefit of experience on our side now. We can focus on improving and maintaining our emotional, mental, and physical well-being as we work toward a better new year.

Top: Ruck march for resilience — Marine Sgt. Margarita Valenzuela participates in a ruck march on Kaserne’s local training area in November, 2020.

COVID-19 has closed the majority of fitness centers off-post, and on-post there is a limit to what we can do in the gyms. So, what steps can we take to make sure we have a healthier 2021? How can we take care of our physical and mental health while building a healthy immune system as we wait for immunizations? Here are a few ways to stay fit both physically and mentally in the year ahead.

Photo by Rey Ramon/TSC Stuttgart

Bottom: USAG Stuttgart Garrison Commander Col. Jason W. Condrey takes part in a garrison PT session.

Photo by Becca Castellano

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February 2021

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