erald Union H Vol. XIX, No. 10
Wiesbaden: Our home in Germany
Helau! Wiesbaden and Mainz celebrate Fasching
www.herald-union.com
March 2, 2017
Wiesbaden celebrates Black History Month Story and photos by William B. King 2nd Signal Brigade Public Affairs
Photo by Nadine Bower
Swollen heads march down the parade route in Mainz during the Rose Monday (Rosenmontag) Parade Feb. 27. Approximately 550,000 spectators lined the nine kilometer parade route, according to news reports. About 400,000 turned out the previous day to the parade in Wiesbaden, which featured plenty of family-friendly entertainment.
TRADOC CSM cites big changes for NCO learning By Master Sgt. Crista Mary Mack U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs
“What we are really facing right now is a moment in our history as noncommissioned officers, I think it’s revolutionary, not evolutionary, the changes we are making to our entire education system,” Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport said. Speaking during a town hall event at U.S. Army Europe headquarters on Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, the command sergeant major of Army Training and Doctrine Command
discussed expanding the focuses of TRADOC for the future of the U.S. Army’s more than 91,000 NCOs, citing new career maps, more emphasis on civilian education, attention to broadening opportunities, and increased opportunities for joint professional military education. Even the name has changed, he explained, referencing the noncommissioned officer education system, or NCOES. “We will no longer call it the NCOES. We will call it the NCOPDS, the noncommissioned officer professional development system,” he said,
Overseas housing allowance survey
Soldiers residing off post are asked to complete a survey on rental expenses to help ensure accurate rates. Page 2
“because there is more to being a noncommissioned officer than just going to your required primary military education.” In his remarks, Davenport also explained the Army’s need for STEP, an acronym that stands for “select, train, educate and promote,” a relatively new Army program that he calls a “forcing function to get our NCOs to school.” STEP is an implementation of the noncommissioned officer professional development system across the Army, in accordance with Secretary of See ‘NCOs’ on page 2
Members of the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden community came together for the Black History Month Observance Feb. 15 at the Tony Bass Auditorium on Clay Kaserne. The observance was hosted by 5th Signal Command (Theater) and featured guest speaker Sgt. Maj. Robert Atkinson, the U.S. Army Europe G-1 sergeant major. Atkinson spoke about the history of the 25th Infantry Division Bicycle Corps, a primarily black unit that conducted tests for the Army on the feasibility of using bicycles on the battlefield in the late 1800s. As part of their testing and evaluation mission the unit once rode about 1,900 miles from Fort Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri in June 1897. Atkinson said he didn’t previously know anything about the 25th Infantry Division Bicycle Corps, but was fascinated by what he learned and the lessons the story can provide for Soldiers today. “I truly believe that stewardship in your profession, in this great profession that we have, is a must for Soldiers,” Atkinson said. Atkinson noted the unit’s 1,900-mile ride happened in 1897, which he described as a difficult time for black Americans. “This was decades before
Easier tax-free shopping The Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce is bringing back a program to help shoppers identify retailers that accept VAT forms and offer assistance in English. Page 11
Service with a smile
Wiesbaden Entertainment Center serves up food, drinks and customer care. Page 10
U.S. Army Sgt. Arturo Salgado, 5th Signal Command (Theater) command driver, serves a selection of soul food following the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden community Black History Month Observance Feb. 15 at the Tony Bass Auditorium on Clay Kaserne. Dr. King had the famous dream, and these men were sweating together, they were bleeding together, they were riding together and they were training together as a team, as one,” Atkinson said, referring to the famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Atkinson told the audience stories of the Soldiers pushing their 55-pound bikes plus gear up the Continental Divide, carrying them across rivers and riding along bad roads and rail lines. “Although the bicycle was See ‘Black History’ on page 2