At Ease April 2024 by APG Media of Chesapeake

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CAS AD S AT E BR YMILL

Villas for55+ Living

For VeteransPeteand WendyChambers, downsizingto a55+communitybecame somewhatof awelcomesurprise. “Ifyou would’vetoldmetwoyearsagothatwe wouldlivein a55andupcommunity,Iwould neverbelieveyou,” jokedPete.

OnestepinsidethefullydecoratedRainier modelatCascadesatEmbreyMillin Stafford, VA andtheChambersweresold. Thesemainlevellivingvillahomesby homebuilderMiller &Smith,setthetonefor comfort,with3-4bedrooms,2.5bathsand over2,800squarefeet.Butbeyondthe relaxeddesigns, astrongsenseof communityextendsfarbeyondthefourwalls ofthehome.CoupledwithEmbreyMill’s award-winning,amenity-richlifestyle,there

wasnothingquitelikeitonthemarket.

Frompools,parksandpickleball courts,a communitycafé andanexclusive55+ clubhouse.Tenmilesoftrailsand communitygardens.Gatheringspacesfor bothpeaceandprosperity.And alocation justminutesfromI-95tokeepconnections closetoStafford,Fredericksburgandeven Washington,D.C.Thegoodlifegetseven betteratEmbreyMill.

"Themainlevellivinglayoutofthehouse worksreallywellforusandtheamenities aregreat,"says Wendy."We'rehavingthe timeofourlives,enjoyingallthatwehave, becausewearerightwherewewantto be."

Jim Normandin jim.normandin@adamspg.com

Eli Wohlenhaus ewohlenhaus@dcmilitary.com

Campbell ccampbell@chespub.com Betsy Grifﬁn bgrifﬁn@chespub.com

Executive Editor of At Ease

Eli Wohlenhaus

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We’re in good hands

No, this is not an Allstate commercial, even if the headline above sounds like it. No, this is about our nation and don’t worry, it is not political.

Each April, At Ease’s theme is “leaders of tomorrow” and based on the stories we have in here, we are in good hands. Beyond that, as I have written before, I have the humble honor and privilege to be a volunteer judge for Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year awards.

Each year I am overwhelmed by the tenacity of these young people who make such incredible impacts on their fellow students and communities. It is so dif cult to read through these phenomenal testimonies and not award each and every kid because they are so deserving. You will get to see the announcement of the 2024 winners inside.

Beyond that, there are a lot of wonderful people out there who elevate these young leaders, enabling and equipping them to be pioneers. We’ve got that in this edition, too. It’s a refreshing reminder of how blessed we are as a country. We hope you enjoy!

Fireball Arcade and connections to main street Front Royal

They are the words every parent of teens and preteens dread: “I’m bored; there’s nothing for me and my friends to do!”

But one Virginia parent – U.S. Air Force veteran Steve Ontiveros – took those words to heart when his daughter Bailey made that complaint about the family’s new hometown of Front Royal, Va. Ontiveros opened a classic pinball and video game arcade in the historic downtown to help local young people and families experience the fun he had enjoyed going to arcades in his youth.

Story by Alice Swan

Photos by Jeﬀ Heeney

Built with love, Fireball Arcade has turned into a true family run business, with Bailey (who inspired the venture back in 2017) now filling co-owner and creative director duties, while son Trevor is the arcade manager on weekends.

After serving in the Air Force on active duty and as a reservist for many years, and enjoying a successful private industry career, Ontiveros was hired by the U.S. Department of Education, which drew the family to Northern Virginia.

“It was Thanksgiving 2017 when Bailey asked if she could go to a friend’s house,” Ontiveros explained. “I asked why she wanted to do that because it was the holiday, and we should be together. She said they were bored, there’s nothing to do and they were just going to hang out downtown. I told her when I was her age we’d go to the arcade to hang out, and she said she wished there was an arcade in Front Royal.”

“So that kind of got my wheels spinning and wondering if other kids felt that way. I did about 6 months of research to figure out what kind of arcade to open, how to find games and looking at small business loans and locations,” he added.

He was able to find storefront space on Front Royal’s Main Street in a building owned by Robert MacDougall and the TransForm Development company.

“He was so excited to have us, he refurbished the space and wiring to accommodate all of our machines and even added new bathrooms and heating and cooling systems for us, before a lease was signed,” Ontiveros shared.

With the location locked down, Ontiveros got financial assistance from the Warren County Economic Development Authority which helped with the purchase of the arcade’s initial 4 pinball machines and 8 video cabinet games.

“Fireball’s opening day was May 25, 2018, but only two of the pinball machines worked and 4 of the video cabinets,” Ontiveros laughingly recalled. “But we opened anyway as a declaration that we were there.”

“After that we had to get the games fixed and I had no clue how to work on any of (the machines),” Ontiveros said. “I figured it was old technology and I work on computers for a living, so it should be easy to figure it out. Boy was I wrong.”

Things changed that July when Chris Sitzlar, an arcade game fan, walked in the door while Ontiveros was working on one of the pinball machines and told him how to fix the flipper. “He walked into my life that day and thank goodness. If it wasn’t for him more than half of our games would be dead,”

Ontiveros admitted. Since that summer day, Chris has volunteered his time to keep Fireball’s machines in good working order.

Ontiveros has found the arcade’s classic pinball machines and video cabinets on sites like EBay or Craigslist and through word-of-mouth sources. Some of the games have been loaned to the arcade. The first game purchased was a 1980s Black Knight pinball machine. Since its start with just 12 games, the arcade now boasts 45 machines, including a namesake Fireball pinball machine dating from the early 1970s.

Ontiveros admitted his favorite game in the arcade is Star Wars Trilogy, which came out in 1998, featuring the music and actors’ voices from the movies. Arcade lovers are also drawn to the hard-to-find classic machines Ontiveros has been able to bring in: Spy Hunter, Mortal Kombat 2, Street Fighter 3, House of the Dead 2, Frogger, Ms. Pacman, and one of the few remaining original Dance Dance Revolution Max 2 games.

While proud that his goal of creating a fun place for young people to hang out has been successful, Ontiveros is prouder that he can offer them a chance to interact in person, and not on their devices.

He said that Fireball’s motto is ‘social interaction, not just social media’.

“I’ve seen with my kids that their phones and home consoles created a lot of isolation,” he said. “We wanted to be a safe and affordable place for kids and families to come together and have fun. We have become the digital watering hole for the community.”

Fireball Arcade is located at 218 E. Main Street, Front Royal, VA. You can find more information about the arcade and gaming events on Facebook and other social media sites.

All the machines are set to free play and admission allows all day access. Customers get a hand stamp to show paid admission, so they can go in and out without having to pay a reentry fee.

Admission costs are $10 for adults, $5 for Military and First Responders, and children aged 6-17. Children under 5 years old are free. Fireball accepts cash, credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, and Zelle.

The arcade is currently under winter hours, open on Fridays from 3-10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 1-10 pm. Summer hours will start Memorial Day weekend. The arcade can also be rented out for private parties; just call Fireball at (540) 6923995 for more information.

Story by Jake Russell

The USS BUNKER HILL (CG-52) 2023

New Year’s Deck Log Entry was written by LT Artem M. Sherbinin. Sherbinin was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. He immigrated to the United States in 2001, and settled with his parents in Pittsburgh, Penn. He is a native Russian speaker.

Artem graduated with a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, and commissioned

as a Surface Warfare Oﬃcer. He was selected as a Navy VGEP Scholar, and attended Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, which he graduated in December 2018 with an M.A. in U.S. National Security Policy.

His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), and various unit, service, and campaign awards. In 2020, he was selected as the U.S. Surface Navy’s Junior Oﬃcer Tactician of the Year. He was awarded the Surface Navy Association Literary Award in 2021, for his article “A Fleet without a Rudder.”

LT ARTEM M. SHERBININ

GILMER: Entry from 1942. Gilmer was on submarine patrol in Puget Sound. Deck Log entry includes references to several crewmembers.

Basilone: At U.S. Naval Station, Newport, Rhode Island, from 1966. The Deck Log entry was written and can be sung to the tune of “Downtown” by Petula Clark.

MILITARY CHILD OF THE YEAR 2024 winners

Army MCOY Allison Candelario

Marine MCOY

Isabella Arrieta

Air Force MCOY Noelani Martinez

National Guard MCOY Caleb Hatch

Navy MCOY Lindsay Carstairs

Coast Guard MCOY

Charlotte Tama

Space Force MCOY Taylor Walsh

COL Gregory Gadson, USA, (ret.) currently travels the country, speaking to corporate, nonprofit and sports audiences, bringing his message of teamwork and presence to 30,000 or more people annually. He is co-founder at Leaderly AI, a leadership software company and Culturepop a diversity and inclusion software company. He remains a Managing Partner at Patriot Strategies, LLC, a veteran-focused government contracting company. He’s an advocate for veterans, whether it’s by serving on boards like the Gary Sinise Foundation and the Workhouse Arts Center, or

actively supporting organizations like the Disabled American Veterans and Hope for the Warriors.

He recently co-authored a new book, Finding Waypoints, A Warrior’s Journey Towards Peace and Purpose with longtime friend and writer Terese Schlachter. In addition to his role in “Battleship” he has appeared on NCIS, and the 2021 movie

“A Journal for Jordan.” He lives with his wife, Kim, in Alexandria, Va., and enjoys frequent visits from his five grandchildren. Photos were taken by Jeﬀ Heeney during a booksigning and talk led by Gadson at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Va.

Story by Jeﬀ Heeney

Teaching kids to code

David Ryan’s Navy training as a sub-nuclear electrician’s mate has paid off in many ways in his post-Navy career. His driving passion today is teaching computer coding to youngsters ages five to 14. Thanks to the Navy, Ryan has mastered low tech

too, like when the company’s vacuum cleaner malfunctions, he can analyze the problem and repair it.

Ryan is the franchisee for Code Ninja in Alexandria, Va., where around 145 youngsters come after school and on weekends to learn coding.

“Coding is the process of transforming computer instructions into a form a computer can understand. Every website

Dave Ryan poses with Michael Lame, who was Code Ninjas’ coordinator of the year at Ryan’s franchise.

Story by Glenda C. Booth

Photos courtesy of Code Ninjas

and app operate because programmers write code,” according to ZDNET.com. The Code Ninja website calls coding “the literacy of the 21st century.”

Code Ninja is a for-profit, coding franchise with hundreds of locations in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. Families buy monthly subscriptions for youngsters to learn coding and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills by making games. Parents can choose the number of hours for the classes which cost from $159 to $279 a month. As they learn, the students, called “ninjas,” progress from white to black belt levels, similar to the nine belt color levels of karate.

Ryan believes he is filling a niche that’s missing from many elementary and secondary schools’ curricula. While many schools have computer labs, most do not formally teach coding. The Code Ninja students learn to code and build video games which they see as fun, not hard work, but as they create games, they are learning and problem-solving while having fun. They use tools like ScratchJr, MakeCode Arcade and Unity.

Screen time is learning time. The Code Ninjas website touts, “At our Centers, kids learn to code while building their own video games in a fun, safe, and inspiring environment. Kids gain confidence, logic, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”

He also teaches keyboarding to 5- and 6-year-olds and runs summer camps and day camps on school holidays. What motivates him?

“Technology is around us today and it will only get more advanced,” he said. “Systems

are all connected by code. If kids learn how technology systems are interacting, they’ll be better manipulators of those systems.”

He believes he’s giving them the foundation for future careers as game developers or computer programmers, for example.

While some people worry that young people are becoming addicted to computers and their screens, getting too much “screen time,” he said.

“You have to have balance. Kids need to go outside and play. We say, ‘It’s time to go touch the grass.’”

Military career

Originally from Memphis, Tenn., Ryan enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1989. During his 23-year military career, he got a bachelor’s Dave Ryan with his wife, Laura Fisher.

Dave Ryan

degree in human resource management and went to oﬃcer candidate school in Pensacola, Fla. He spent his first 10 years on submarines, as a nuclear-trained electrician’s mate and then was a surface warfare oﬃcer, driving frigates and destroyers, for example. He had three overseas deployments: the Persian Gulf in 2002; South America in

2008; and back to the Persian Gulf in 2010. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander in 2012 and worked for seven years for several defense contractors before discovering Code Ninja.

Learning about emerging security technologies, managing projects and supervising as many as 30 employees in the Navy fueled his entrepreneurial spirit and gave him valuable experience to manage a business.

An added bonus, he is giving back. Ryan said that when he realized that children were not learning coding in their schools, “I wanted to contribute to Alexandria providing service for the good of our community,” an extension of his 23 years of service to his country.

A few parents’ testimonials

“Our 8-year-old son did three of the coding classes at Code Ninjas: a Java class, a Roblox class and (his favorite) a Minecraft class. The teachers at the ‘Dojo’ all seemed friendly, and our son seemed to love every day more than the last, sometimes being upset if he was picked up on time (instead of getting to stay longer!)” — John T.

“My daughter loves this program. Her condence has de nitely increased with each task that she can link together. Because she plays video games, she can start to see connections and then she has been telling her friends about the skills that she has learned.”

— Nicolette M.

“What a wonderful place for kids gamers and coding lovers, if I may say. This review has three main points: the place overall, coding, and gaming XP League.

Overall: The place is very clean, large, and comfortable. I love the decor. There is a designated waiting room with even an area where little ones can play Legos on a table. Everybody is extremely nice, patient, and courteous. The programs are extremely varied so your kid will enjoy trying familiar as much as unfamiliar topics. They have fun themes every week so you have to be either very picky or spoiled rotten not to appreciate all the work done there.

Coding: Coding is an excellent way for kids to learn more about computers than just the gaming aspect. The program is progressive, and kids earn their belts as they complete projects.

They also accumulate raf e tickets at the end of each project, which for the younger crowd is an excitement in itself. Kids take breaks and during that time they can enjoy drawing on boards, playing board games or just chill.

XP League: If you have a kid or teen who loves gaming, you should consider joining the E-sport teams in Alexandria or Falls Church. My son is into the Fortnite League and loves it. He loves the whole concept of it. He also is excited to meet new teammates. It is a great way for them to socialize, be team player and graceful loser or winner.

“Conclusion: I love that place” — Virginie G.

Dave Ryan with this wife Laura Fisher and his son, Jack.

Combating unemployment in Hampton Roads

As a veteran, Sultan Camp understands the struggles of translating job skills from military service into the civilian world. After teaching the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at Naval Station Norfolk — a program that produces 12,000 attendants annually — Camp saw many transitions that went well, and many that did not.

Finding employment as a transitioning veteran or military spouse can be quite arduous. The current veteran unemployment rate within the United States is 3%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, while the unemployment rate for military spouses is even higher at 13%.

From his experience, Camp realized that there was a gap between the companies who claimed to hire within the military community and the actual number of individuals hired in those same companies. With 20 years of Naval service under his belt, Camp retired with new beginnings in

Story by Stephanie Allen Photos courtesy HRWC

Attendees pose for a photo during the Hampton Roads Workforce Coucil’s most recent 757 Career Summit Red, White & Brews mixer.

human resources, which taught him to look for talents that were most desirable for hire.

“The challenge was there were positions that military folks were a great fit for, you just didn’t know what they were from the outside looking in,” Camp said.

Now, Camp serves as the director for the military veteran and spouse division of Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC), working to combat the unemployment rate in his region by providing programming and resources for military spouses, transitioning service members and veterans.

From education to employment

Understanding the need for transferrable skills and certifications in the civilian sector, HRWC provides critical support to veterans and military spouses from the very beginning of their career journeys all the way through to the time they find employment.

HRWC operates through four main pillars of support: Employment, entrepreneurship, education, and HHERO (housing, healthcare, empowerment, resiliency, and opportunity). By ensuring that spouses and veterans have basic needs met and the educational foundation to succeed, HRWC can equip job seekers with resources to start or grow a business, polish up a résumé and land a job interview.

“What we try to do is find those employers that are truly willing to make a commitment and then be engaged,” Camp said.

For example, one way to ensure the right employers are on the scene is by working

with V3-certified organizations (Virginia Values Veterans), he said.

“If a company can’t figure that piece out, that’s generally a red flag for us.”

One company that works closely with HRWC is Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industry. Xavier Beale, Vice President of Human Resources at NNS, shared his commitment to recruiting veterans and military spouses.

“Collaborations internally with our veteran employee resource group, and externally with our partners, including the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, are critical to our ability to retain veterans and their families while providing them meaningful and rewarding careers.”

Attendees pose for a photo during the Hampton Roads Workforce Council’s most recent 757 Career Summit Red, White & Brews mixer

Celebrating new careers

Job seekers can connect with companies like NNS through HRWC’s career summits held throughout the year. But be prepared–these are not typical career fairs. With hype music welcoming attendees as they come in, the 757 Career Summits hosted by HRWC are unlike any other.

“We don’t do events,” Camp said. “We do experiences or we throw parties.”

These two-day celebrations begin with a Red, White & Brew social mixer where job seekers and hiring decision-makers meet in a casual setting. Those from hiring companies wear red name tags, while job seekers wear gold. Vetted community partners are also present to tap into the resources available as well.

The morning following the mixer, attendees are invited for professional headshots and on-the-spot résumé reviews. During panel

discussions in the afternoon, top experts discuss topics of interest such as landing a top-paying federal job or how to begin a career in project management.

The final portion of the summit is dedicated to the career fair.

“Here’s the secret sauce,” Camp said. “The employers get a spreadsheet of everybody who registers for the event.”

This document lists whether attendees are veterans or spouses, their level of education and their skill sets. This offers the employers an opportunity to review candidates of interest, reach out to them prior to the event and invite them to visit their table for a conversation.

The party doesn’t end with the summits though. Coming up in September, HRWC will collaborate with the Navy League and the Retail Alliance for an event tailored specifically to the military spouses new to the area. This “Welcome to Hampton Roads” occasion includes breakfast, networking, and a panel discussion on childcare options, housing, and even fun activities in the area. Later, attendees will enjoy a resource and business expo, all culminating into a guided bus tour of Virginia Beach.

“There’s such an ocean of goodwill out there,” he said. “We just have to help spread the word.”

HRWC’s next 757 Career Summit will be held June 5-6, 2024, at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. Visit www. theworkforcecouncil.org/veterans-services for a complete list of upcoming events.

The staff of Hampton Roads Workforce Council pose for a photo.

VETERAN’S CORNER Passing of the baton to the future leaders of America

By by Rev. Dr. Paul V. McCullough III

The church where I serve recently experienced a significant change in leadership – the senior pastor of 38 years decided to transition and pass the baton of leadership to a pastor half his age. This decision did not come easily, as he and his wife built the church from scratch and poured every ounce of time, money, and energy they had into making the church successful.

Despite the senior pastor’s desire to pass the mantle of leadership, so he could fully relax and enjoy the latter years of his life, he and the church board were very serious and diligent about selecting his successor. They discussed, strategized and prepared for it over a period of 7 years. During this time, the senior pastor engaged in three critical activities, which I believe are equally applicable to any civilian career field. He mentored, he empowered, and he modeled good leadership – intentionally paving the way for a man he believed in to become his successor.

Mentoring is a practice all leaders need to engage in, if we are going to successfully prepare the future leaders of America. Regardless of how much academic knowledge you may have, there is something special about having someone who deeply understands your personality and skills, along with your shortcomings, and is willing to invest time and energy to help you develop and grow.

In Proverbs 9:9, we read, “Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.”

Our outgoing senior pastor realized the importance of mentorship and spent seven years pouring into his successor, helping to shape him into someone who could successfully lead a congregation of over 700 people.

Empowering people is another critical aspect of leadership. When you ask someone to complete a task, there is a good chance they may not go about it in the same way that you would, but that does not make their way wrong. The future leaders of America need to be trusted with in-

Lt. Col. (Rev.) Paul McCullough, U.S. Army re�red, is president of the Associa�on of the U.S. Army’s Penn & Franklin-Greater Philadelphia Chapter and an Army Reserve Ambassador from Pennsylvania. He served 20 years in the Army, re�ring in 2018 as deputy director for supplier opera�ons, Defense Logis�cs Agency. He deployed to Opera�on Iraqi Freedom in 2005, and in 2017 as commander of the DLA Support Team-Kuwait. He holds a doctorate in business administra�on from Walden University.

creasingly larger tasks during their developmental years, so they are ready for any challenge when they assume the mantle of leadership.

This is confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 that reads, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Leaders, in any walk of life, need to give their subordinates a chance to learn and make mistakes. Our senior pastor gave his future successor countless opportunities to make decisions and utilize his skills in different areas, preparing him to make tough choices in the days ahead.

Most importantly, the senior pastor modeled what right looks like, in terms of being a leader of the utmost character that is above reproach. Having a mentor is great, and being given opportunities to lead and make decisions is exciting, but nothing is more important than being able to watch how a good leader engages with others. Character traits such as compassion, integrity, grit, respect, vision, influence, courage, gratitude, and resilience must be seen in order to be truly learned.

Titus 2:7-8 states, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned…” This final aspect of leadership prepared the new pastor for success.

Imagine what would happen if these three simple leadership principles were employed by leaders across the country, in every walk of life. My supposition is that America would have a bright future, with leaders at the helm who have been shown how to lead, have had opportunities to grow and make mistakes, and a mentor who challenged and developed them along the way.

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COMING UP

e Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard (OHPS), a nonpro t organization headquartered in Erie, Penn., has taken a huge step toward its goal of acquiring a modern Navy combat ship and opening it to the public as a museum ship. Phase 1 of preparations, which involved the Navy’s approval of OHPS’s request to apply for a ship, has now been completed.

Phase 2 has now commenced: a series of studies on the environmental, engineering, tourism, and economic impact of acquiring the USS Halyburton, a retired Perry-class Guided Missile Frigate. Lt. Sandra Rechis, USN (Ret.), who was the rst female o cer to serve aboard the Halyburton, now serves as an advisor to the OHPS, and gave her personal account of her experience on the ship and the importance of its future as a museum.