2015 Winter Fort Campbell MWR Life for Retirees

Time for a Vacation?

My husband and I took our granddaughter on a mini-vacation during the holidays. She’s eleven years old but if you ask her - she’s almost twelve. One evening at the hotel, we were waiting on the elevator along with a few other people.

We started joking around about how the elevator will arrive faster if you keep pushing the button. One of the women who was also waiting on the elevator looked sideways at my granddaughter and remarked, “and you’re teaching her that?”. I just laughed it off, but it did start me thinking. What are some of the things we want to teach our grandchildren? Be a good person is pretty high on my list, along with treat others with kindness and don’t treat anyone differently because they don’t look like you or they believe something other than you believe, be loyal, work hard and don’t ever forget to have a sense of humor. I always say, “I did not get up this morning to hurt someone’s feelings.”

I’m sure that everyone has their own ideas about what they want to pass to their children and grandchildren - I just wanted to share mine with our readers.

Speaking of vacations - in this issue, you’ll find an article about planning your next vacation. Whether you want to go alone or take your Family, Leisure Travel Services can help you with all of your details. We also say goodbye to Van Stokes and hello to Gary Burton. We will certainly miss Van but I think that Gary has some great things planned for MWR. Don’t forget that as Retirees, you can still use all of our MWR facilities and programs. It’s another benefit of your loyal service to our country!

Stay safe this winter and if you get to take a vacation, send us some pictures – you might see them in a future issue.

Editor CynDe Clack

CynDe Clack, Editor mwrliferetiree@fortcampbellmwr.com (270) 461-0274

Contributors William D. Corlew III Mignon Deason Ted Faulkner Tara Goodson Jenelle Grewell Ramon M. Maisonet Publisher Creative ink

Inside this issue 3

Ahhh, Retirement – Let’s Take a Vacation Make some amazing memories.

Creative Director Sears Hallett Advertising 931-801-4531 sales@creativeinktn.com Photography CynDe Clack Jenelle Grewell Shutterstock

Spotlight on MWR

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MWR Leadership Burton Brings Focus, Follow-Ups to Fort Campbell MWR Fort Campbell MWR’s new Deputy Director.

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In the Know Retired Pay, VA Waivers, CRDP and CRSC Explained Understanding your Retiree pay.

pgs 3, 4, 8, 14, 16

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Down the Block An Overall Cost of…Zero Why pay when you can get it for free?

12 ECFT 2015 Eagle Challenge Fitness Tour Launching our third year!

Disclaimers: Fort Campbell’s MWR Life Magazine is a monthly magazine produced by the Fort Campbell MWR Marketing Department under the authority of AR 215-1. Facilities and activities publicized are open to authorized patrons.The mention or appearance of commercial advertisers, commercial sponsors and/or their logos does not constitute endorsement by the Federal Government.

The information in this issue is current at the time of publication; activities and events are subject to change.

MWR Marketing is located at 5663 Screaming Eagle Blvd, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. For more information, call 270-798-7535 or log on to www.campbell.armymwr.com.

24 hr. event line - 270-798-3172 www.facebook.com/fortcampbellmwr

14 Healthy Living The TRIAD for Health Activity, nutrition and sleep!

16 Body, Mind & Spirit A Helping Hand Have people you can rely on.

Spotlight on MWR

Ahhh, Retirement - Let’s Take a Vacation!!

By Mignon Deason

Finally Retired! Now you have time to plan and take that much needed vacation. Despite the fact that you may have traveled quite a bit during your years of service, the destinations may not have been ideal. But now it’s time to think about where you want to go and what you want to see and do. Whether it is relaxing with a cold beverage while your toes play in the sand, exploring a European city, or even sailing the blue seas on a luxury cruise ship, you finally have the time and freedom to take advantage of your much needed rest and relaxation.

For those undecided on where exactly they want to go, cruises offer a great variety of destinations all within one sailing. Those destinations can be in the warm, sunny Caribbean, the beautiful scenic landscape of Alaska, the fall colors of the New England coast, or the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. For those with more far reaching destinations in mind, northern Europe cruises touch on destinations such Norway, Germany, Poland and Sweden.

Mediterranean Sea cruises can take you from Spain, to France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. For more adventure, the South Pacific cruises can show you the wonders of Australia, New Zealand and the tropical islands of Fiji and Tahiti. Not only are the destinations endless on a cruise, so is the food! Well, in a manner of speaking - cruises are known for their scrumptious cuisine as well as top notch service.

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I, for one, can attest that you will feel like royalty with all the personal service you will receive. Your options for entertainment while on board are vast as well. Pamper yourself with a custom massage in the spa. Try your luck in the casino. Relax poolside and enjoy the live music. At night, there are Vegas and Broadway style shows for all to enjoy as well as night clubs, comedy shows, games and more. If you want to bring the grandkids along, they will also be fully entertained.

From preschoolers to teens, kids clubs on the ships have something for all ages to enjoy! Having everything right on board your ship makes cruises an ideal and easy vacation. With meals and entertainment provided, a cruise is a very budget friendly option as well.

Now that you have more time on your hands, most Retirees look into taking advantage of the Air Mobility Command’s Space A flight option. With destinations such as Alaska, Canada, Europe, Australia and more, you can plan your dream vacation and practically eliminate one of the most expensive parts of the trip - your airfare! Of course there is a catch. You must have a flexible schedule as flights are not always guaranteed. Military on active duty status, and travelers on official orders have priority space on AMC Flights. For more information on AMC’s Space A flight programs visit their website at www.amc.af.mil/amctravel/.

Another benefit to being a military or DoD Retiree is access to

the Armed Forces Recreation Centers and on base lodging located all over the world. From stateside to overseas, options for very affordable accommodations are available to you. Ever thought of skiing in the Alps? You can with a vacation to the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in southern Germany. Located just south of Munich, the Edelweiss Lodge is located in the picturesque town of Garmisch. Just walking around this quaint little town will make you feel relaxed, not to mention the access to the fabulous skiing in the beautiful snow covered Alps. You can even take day trips right from the Edelweiss Lodge to Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Explore the famous “Cinderella” castle, Neuschwanstein, and Berchtesgaden Eagle’s Nest, or tour the sprawling metropolis of Munich.

If adventure is your thing, think about a bike rental for a trail ride, a white water rafting trip, kayaking and more offered with Alpine Adventures. Oh, but did I mention the food? The lodge offers a full service breakfast, lunch and dinner. With all that you can do and see right from the lodge, this is certainly a great bucket list item to check.

If warmer temperature and sandy beaches are what you crave, the Caribbean has a vast array of islands from which to choose. All inclusive resorts are very popular with many travelers, as you have all your expenses pretty much paid up front - from accommodations, to food and beverages, some in-resort activities and entertainment and even non-motorized water sports. Some resorts cater to a couples’ only atmosphere, making reconnecting time with your Spouse easy.

You can even splurge on some upgraded rooms that offer your own personal butler, trained to the same standards that the butlers for the Queen of England have been given. For those taking the kids and grandkids along, many resorts offer Family friendly amenities and entertainment for kids of all ages. Resorts will also offer an activities desk where you can book excursions into the local areas, take in local shopping, go on zip-lining tours, scuba diving, catamaran cruises, Mayan ruin tours and so much more. Ever want to swim with dolphins? There are many places in the Caribbean and Mexico where this is offered and the experience can be a definite memory of a lifetime!

Maybe being newly retired means a tighter budget, which is often the case. That just means you may have to be more creative with your vacation ideas and possibly not go as far. That’s okay. There are plenty of places right in your own backyard to explore. How about checking out the local museums, learn more of our history, area, and culture?

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Historical sites can be very enlightening and certainly make you appreciate how far we’ve come. Just simply having the time to finally check out a new town, go camping in the mountains, raft down a river, and take in a Civil War reenactment at a local battlefield - you’ll think to yourself, now why have I not done this sooner? Getting out there and exploring what’s in your own backyard can be just as fun as hopping on a plane and jetting off to some far away location.

Whether you take that one amazing trip of a lifetime or spend each year at a different location, vacations are a must for anyone.

Need a starting point? Stop by the MWR Leisure Travel Services office inside the main Exchange Mall and speak with our agents and browse our brochures. You can visit our website at www.campbell.armymwr.com and start your planning. Leisure Travel Services can be reached at (270) 798-7436. Newly retired, young or older, see what’s out there. New places, old architecture, and beautiful natural scenery. But most importantly, make some amazing memories!

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Burton Brings Focus, Follow-Up to Fort Campbell MWR

MWR Leadership

By Tara Goodson

At the end of 2014, Fort Campbell MWR saw a few changes in our leadership. A familiar face on post and in our community, Van Stokes, retired after 38 years of Civilian service. Mr. Stokes spent 29 of those years at Fort Campbell. Not only was Mr. Stokes the Community Recreation Division Chief, he was also our Deputy Director for MWR. With Mr. Stokes departure, DFMWR Director Robert Vail split the dual-hatted position and hired two executives. Gary Burton, former Chief Information Officer with the Exchange, was selected for the Deputy Director position. Mr. Burton retired from the Exchange after 32 years and joined our team in November. It has been more than 10 years since Fort Campbell MWR has had a Deputy Director that was not also a Division Chief. As Deputy Director, Mr. Burton’s attention to detail will help all of our programs, businesses and facilities work to achieve outstanding customer service and meet the needs of our community. Our new Community Recreation Division Chief is Mr. Dan Cain.

As Deputy Director, Mr. Burton’s initial focus has been on the appearance of our facilities to meet the customer’s expectations. “We have to make sure we take care of the basics, before we add on the ‘nice to haves’. Looking at our programs with the customer’s eyes,

checking out the competition, and putting ourselves in the customer’s shoes are the top priorities. We need to emulate those standards and maintain them. One thing that is not lacking here is passion! I’m looking forward to working with the facility and program managers to help everyone meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.” With Mr. Burton’s arrival, the details are being assessed with attention to maintaining standards and process improvement.

Other areas of focus are information technology and marketing.

Mr. Burton wants to ensure we are reaching all of our eligible patrons, no matter how each one wants to obtain information. You’ll notice a new look to our website, www.campbell.armymwr.com, making it more user friendly. Whether you access it on a mobile device or a traditional computer, the look is similar and the spotlight is on the calendar and events. Within information technology, Mr. Burton states that there will be WiFi available in the R. F. Sink Memorial Library sometime in February! In addition, the Library will receive new monitors for the public-use computers.

As a self-described “follow-up king,” Mr. Burton has worked with military Families since he was 15 years old. As an Air Force brat, he started working at the commissary and then transitioned to the Exchange at age 16. He began as a cashier and quickly moved to a roving position and worked wherever he was needed. Within a short period of time, he became a supervisor, then a manager. Most of his career was spent in Europe, and in recent years he has been stationed at the Exchange headquarters in Dallas, Texas. “The scope of the Exchange was much narrower as a retail, food and concession business compared to the diversity of businesses within MWR”, Mr. Burton commented. He is quickly learning everything that MWR encompasses, particularly here at Fort Campbell. With over 100 programs, business and facilities to review, he is covering ground quickly.

He has spotlighted key areas that he will assist Mr. Vail to improve, including a streamlined training and hiring process. With his attention to details, Mr. Burton’s goal is to help managers meet their goals, continue their professional development, and find efficiencies within our organization. Mr. Burton’s arrival brings a fresh set of eyes to assist all of MWR to meet the standards our community deserves and we welcome him to Fort Campbell with enthusiasm.

Burton speaks with Soldiers about Wifi coming to the Library.

www.campbell.armymwr.com

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Retired Pay, VA Waivers, CRDP and CRSC Explained

In The Know

By Ted Faulkner

Many Retirees have applied to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for compensation for service connected injuries or illnesses. Once adjudicated by the VA, the Retiree receives the all important manila envelope containing the rating decision in the mail. This VA correspondence tells the Retiree what the rating decision was, how much they are to receive as compensation and when it will begin. But the excitement over this new income is often dampened when the Retiree receives the updated Retiree Account Statement outlining the dreaded “VA Waiver” under “Gross Pay”. The VA waiver, also called an offset, is the amount that is offset from retired pay dollar-for-dollar. In other words, you keep all of your disability compensation, but your retired pay is reduced by whatever you received from the VA (thus reducing your taxable retired pay). All length of service Retirees or Chapter 61 Disability Retirees with 20 years of active federal service (AFS) and a VA rating of 40% or less and Chapter 61 Disability Retirees with less than 20 years of AFS will incur this offset.

To understand this, one has to look far into history to the 1890s. Congress was still fighting the Civil War where former Union congressmen wanted retired Union officers to receive both disability pay and retired pay. Former Confederate congressmen disagreed, with the end result being that neither of the groups benefited and all were stuck with the offset. This continues today with two small exceptions: Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) and Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC).

CRDP allows certain military Retirees to keep all military retired pay and all VA compensation with no offset.

You may be entitled to CRDP if you are eligible for retired pay as a regular length of service Retiree with a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater or a Reserve/ARNG non-regular Retiree with 20 qualifying years of service, who has a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater and who has reached retirement age. If you retired under Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA) and have a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater, or you are a Disability Retiree with at least

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20 years of active federal service and you have a VA disability rating of 50% or greater, you also qualify for CRDP (you do not have to apply for this program as it begins automatically once VA compensation begins).

There is one important caveat for Disability Retirees with over 20 years of active federal service or a non-regular disability Retiree with 20 qualifying years of service that is eligible to draw retired pay. Title 10 USC, Section 1414 speaks to special rules for Chapter 61 Disability Retirees. In plain English the law says if retired pay based on the Army disability rating is more than what retired pay would have been if based on length of service, the difference will be offset from the member’s retired pay. While there normally is not an offset (VA waiver) amount for those that fall under CRDP, this situation allows for just that.

Check out the example below: Army Disability percentage High-3 monthly average Retired pay (Disability)

70% $3500 $2450

Multiplier for 22 yr/3 months of AFS High-3 monthly average Retired pay (Length of service)

55.63% $3500 $1947

Retired pay (Disability) Retired pay (Length of service) VA Waiver (offset)

$2450 $1947 $503

CRSC was also created to allow Retirees to recoup some of the money lost to the offset for all Retirees, regardless of disability percentage. Two major benefits of CRSC are that it is tax free and is not divisible as property during a divorce. All Retirees who are eligible for CRDP are also eligible for CRSC. In fact, every year, DFAS will mail the Retiree correspondence asking which program they want to fall under for the new year.

This program, however, is much stricter with regard to what it will pay for. CRSC only compensates for combat-related injuries. Although a Retiree may have a combined rating of 70%, some injuries may not be combat related. This means that Retiree would not recoup for all 70% of the disabilities, but rather, a smaller percentage for those injuries or illnesses that are specifically combat-related.

Unfortunately, for those that do not meet the requirements outlined above, including those retired due to disability, the VA waiver will continue to reduce their retired pay amounts and in some cases, completely offset retired pay.

For those in this situation, the only alternative to recoup the offset amount is to apply for CRSC. If you have questions regarding the VA waiver, contact us at (270) 798-5280/3310.

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Down the Block

r e v O n A

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, III rlew o C D. lliam i W By:

One great benefit to military life, especially at Fort Campbell, is the opportunity to experience various new concepts and ideas from different peoplewho come from around the world. Like great pairings, life at Fort Campbell is like peanut butter and jelly, fruitcake and eggnog, turkey and dressing, biscuits and gravy, or a New Year and a fresh

resolution - it just goes well together. Yes, we make self-improvement declarations to ourselves each year that we plan to uphold and endure without fail for 365 days. And the biggest promise that Americans make to themselves each year is to get fit.

People employ various strategies to become healthier by getting fit. Some choose

to start a new diet or stop eating certain foods or consuming specific beverages; others resolve to quit smoking or end an annoying habit such as biting one’s nails, shopping on television or the internet, excessive texting, or swearing. Regardless of the specific reason to do something different during the upcoming year, trying things that are new has its benefits andchallenges. For example, trying new trendy diets may result in an upset stomach or missed days at work because you’re suffering from digestive issues, or starting a membership at a local gym may require a costly, lengthy contract and interest in this New Year’s promise may soon fade and develop into an expensive burden. Nonetheless, why do so many who enjoy the benefits of Fort Campbell, KY consider paying for something that they have the opportunity to receive for the low-low cost of -- totally free?

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Jennifer Wick, Fitness Facility Manager for the Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center located at 7979 California Road and among all of the new “stuff” this fitness center has to offer, the

best benefit of using this brand new fitness center today and for your New Year’s resolution is that it is free.

MWR Life Magazine: How is the Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center better than other fitness centers in the local Clarksville, TN, Hopkinsville, KY area?

Mrs. Wick: First and foremost: it’s new, it’s modern, and it’s free. The location is close to unit areas, residents, and other Fort Campbell patrons. We offer an indoor, 3-lane track (11-laps is a mile) and this location is frequently used for individuals who are going through rehabilitative measures as well as for recreational purposes.

MWR Life Magazine: What are some advantages of using your facility?

Mrs. Wick: Our facility offers 3 basketball courts, 2 wooden courts and 1 rubber court that we can quickly convert to a volleyball court. Our facility can also be used for group/unit activities. It only requires service members in the rank of Sergeant and above to reserve specific areas for various functions.

We also offer a multifunctional 18-person classroom.

MWR Life Magazine: Are there any other advantages to using the Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center?

Mrs. Wick: There are many: we are a disabled accessible facility with an entrance ramp, full service elevator, and fitness equipment that

accommodates various ambulation devices.

We have an indoor climbing wall, sauna, free lockers, and it is easy to use our equipment to do various cross fit type-exercises.

MWR Life Magazine: What are your hours of operation and busiest fitness times?

Mrs. Wick: We have an average of 7,000 fitness patrons per week coming to work out at our facility. Our busiest times are between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. during unit physical fitness hours, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to close during the work week.

Our regular hours are 5:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; we alternate openings on DONSAs (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with Freedom Fighters Physical Fitness Center. Of course, Retirees are always welcome to use our facilty!

Retirees and Civilians at Fort Campbell.

Therefore, instead of trying something new by investing your hard-earned money into a plan with no guarantee, give the Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center a shot. Your only risk is that you may become addicted to a healthy behavior for the overall cost of zero!

Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center 7979 California Road (270) 461-2293/2294

Lastly, I asked Mrs. Wick what is the main attraction for someone wishing to begin the year by improving their physical fitness and overall health by starting new gym attendance? She emphatically stated, “The Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center is a full service facility with modern equipment and can accommodate many different ideas and levels of physical fitness. Oh, and I forgot to mention - there is no membership requirement at the Gate 10 Physical Fitness Center and it’s free!” Overall, I can tell just by talking to Mrs. Wick that she excitedly shares knowledge about her facility and enthusiastically describes her fitness center as well as her devotion to the Soldiers, Families,

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2015 Eagle Challenge Fitness Tour

ECFT 2015

By CynDe Clack

We’re starting our third year of the Eagle Challenge Fitness Tour and this series of events gets better every year! The 2015 ECFT will bring back several favorites from past years and add a couple of new ones.

We have everything from a functional fitness challenge to a mud run and a duathlon to a color run. There will be 10 events scheduled from February to November with two alternate events offered, one in April for youth and one in September for all ages. Two events will be held in Clarksville, two in Hopkinsville and the rest on Fort Campbell.

Scheduled Events: February 21

Love Your Heart 10K, 5K and Fun Run Freedom Fighters PFC, Fort Campbell.

March 28 4th Annual USO 10-miler, 5K and Fun Run Gate 10 PFC, Fort Campbell.

April 25 Du the Dream Duathlon (Run, Bike, Run) Clarksville.

May 16 Little River Days 5K Run and Bike Tour Hopkinsville.

June 20 Warrior Challenge Obstacle and Mud Run Old Clarksville Base area, Fort Campbell.

July 18 Color Run Destiny Parks & Pavilions, Fort Campbell.

August 22 Functional Fitness Challenge Fryar Stadium Fort Campbell.

September 12 Trot for the Troops 10K, 5K and Fun Run Hopkinsville.

October 17 Go Commando Half Marathon, 5K and Fun Run Clarksville.

November 14 Fitness Finale 10K, 5K and Fun Run Fort Campbell Town Center.

November 20 ECFT Awards Reception Cole Park Commons Fort Campbell.

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Alternate Events: March 14 September 5

Youth Triathlon Gardner Pool Fort Campbell.

Wellness Walk Fort Campbell.

The Eagle Challenge Fitness Tour (ECFT) is a program that was conceived as a vision from Fort Campbell senior leadership to provide our military community, as well as Oak Grove, Hopkinsville, and Clarksville, with opportunities for a fun and healthy active lifestyle. The events are designed for all ages, with components for children, wounded warriors and disabled Civilians, competitive adults and those who are just beginning their journey to fitness. All events are open to everyone in our communities, both inside and outside the gates of Fort Campbell. At the end of the program in November, everyone completing eight out of ten events will receive a Commander’s Gold Medal; six out of ten will receive a Silver Medal; and four out of ten will receive a Bronze Medal. Register for ECFT events on line at www.campbell.armymwr.com, just click on the ECFT Logo from our home page and select your event. Each event will have a nominal entry fee.

The 2015 Eagle Challenge Fitness Tour kicks off on February 21 with the Love Your Heart 10K, 5K and Fun Run at Freedom Fighters Physical Fitness Center (PFC).

Details for many of the 2015 ECFT events are still being worked out but you can always find information on www.campbell.armymwr.com. Look for the featured ECFT article every month in the MWR Life magazines.

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Healthy Living

The Triad for Health

By Jenelle Grewell

The road to a healthy lifestyle isn’t a one step process. Many factors should be considered when trying to improve your wellness, but the basic aspects can be summed up in the Performance Triad. The Performance Triad consists of activity, nutrition and sleep. If you want to start off 2015 right and keep improving your health and well-being, then follow the Performance Triad.

Activity Physical activity is important. It helps prevent weight gain and aids in weight loss; it can help lower stress and depression, strengthen your body and boost your confidence. A good rule of thumb for physical activity is to get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, two days a week of strength training and 10,000 steps in your everyday activity.

Fort Campbell and the surrounding community offer plenty of ways to keep you active and exercising daily. You can visit Estep Wellness Center and participate in their group fitness classes, utilize a personal trainer or follow your own work out plan in their cardio and weight room. The physical fitness centers on-post are free and offer a variety of equipment you can use for whatever your goals may be.

Going to the gym isn’t your thing?

Try Gardner Indoor Pool. Swimming offers a fun overall body workout. You can swim laps or get into a water aerobics class. Go to Outdoor Recreation and try archery or rock climbing. Even bowling at Hooper Bowling Center would be great way to get more active.

It is really easy to become more active in your life. Move around at least 10 minutes of every hour because sitting still for too long increases the risks of blood clots, obesity and heath disease. Take the stairs, pace while you talk on the phone and park further away when you go the store - these are all easy ways you can get those extra steps and become more active.

Nutrition In order to achieve your activity goals for the year, you need to fuel your body with the right stuff. Good nutrition can help maintain a healthy weight, lower post-exercise muscle soreness and help build stronger muscles.

To make the most out of your workouts, follow these nutrition tips: eat a small snack or www.campbell.armymwr.com

meal along with two to three cups of water about 2-4 hours before you work out. Make sure you drink plenty of water during your work out.

If you are exercising for more than 60 minutes, make sure to drink a sports drink and also take a break to consume some fruit around the 20 minute mark. After your work out, rehydrate and eat something with a good amount of carbohydrates and protein within 30 to 60 minutes.

Good post-workout snacks are low-fat chocolate milk, fruit, peanut butter, low-fat yogurt or a protein sports bar.

No matter how much you work out, you cannot erase a poor diet. When eating throughout the day take the different food groups into mind. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, nutrients and generally good stuff for your body. Carbohydrates fuel your muscles and your brain. Get your carbohydrates from whole-grain bread, cereal and pastas. Rice, oatmeal, beans and fruit are also a healthy source of carbohydrates. Lean proteins such as poultry, fish, lean beef, pork, milk, yogurt, eggs, tofu and beans are good ways to provide amino acids to your muscles to help them repair and grow. Healthy fats such as olives, salmon, nuts and avocado are good for you in moderation.

Sleep We shouldn’t have to be reminded to get enough sleep and practice good sleep habits but it can get difficult sometimes. Sleep is important and getting optimal sleep will increase the benefits of sleeping.

Follow these sleeping tips and you can get the rest you need and deserve. Create a dark and comfortable sleeping setting. Try to eliminate light and create an environment that puts you at ease so it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Utilize the bedroom for sleep only and stop watching TV or playing on your electronic devices while in bed. Stop consuming caffeine at least six hours before you go to bed.

Don’t drink alcohol before you go to bed. Get your exercise out of the way by the early evening. Never go to bed hungry.

For those with sleeping problems, the following tips are especially important. Make sure you maintain a regular routine with a fixed time to wake up. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed. Be smart about when you take naps - 30 to 60 minutes of a nap in late morning or early afternoon is ideal.

Move your clock to where you cannot see the time.

If you follow the guidance for the Performance Triad, you should be well on your way to reaching your fitness goals for 2015.

Check out armymedicine.mil for more information.

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A Helping Hand

Body, Mind & Spirit

By Ramon M. Maisonet “I just got off the phone with my mom” said a friend of mine. “She sounded like she was in tears.” Concerned, I replied, “Is she ok?”

“Well,” responded my friend, “she just came from the food bank because times are tight with her and my step-dad and she felt ashamed.”

You are probably thinking, “What’s the big deal? If you have a need, get help—it’s really that simple. Right?”

The truth is, to some of us, accepting a helping hand from someone is not difficult. We experience a need, we ask and we really don’t give it another thought. For others, it is a task that is incredibly difficult–with some refusing even when their needs become dire. How do I know? Because I am such a person.

I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense. What makes it so hard to accept help when there is a legitimate need? I can tell you that for me, my parents were very unreliable as I was growing up. As a result, it forced me to raise myself and to become independent at the age of 17. It was that mindset that hindered my ability to accept help from others.

That’s my story. I was, however, curious as to why others had a difficult time accepting help. I asked, and here were some of the responses: “I find it difficult because as a grown man, I think I should have the answer figured out. Also, I don’t want to be seen as a weak person.”

-36 year old male “I don’t want to feel vulnerable and exposed. This person I ask may look at me and judge me. Thinking about it even more, it’s a trust thing as well. How do I trust that this person isn’t going to gossip or talk bad about me to other people when they find out my situation?” -28 year old female “I’ve been let down in the past by people who have promised that they would help me but never came through. It’s stressful you know; how can you hound someone who promised to help you when they don’t? So it’s just easier not to ask, because you can’t be disappointed.”

-44 year old female

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“Well, the reason I don’t ask is because of my pride, quite honestly. I’m just a very prideful person and I just can’t bring myself to ask. I know it’s silly, my wife gets on me all the time about it, but that’s just how I am.”

-38 year old male “I just don’t like the feeling that now I may owe this person, or like they’ll throw it in my face later on if something happens between us.”

-33 year old female Here is the irony in all of this, and as it relates to my own response, while I was writing this article and having these conversations, I also found myself trying to help a Family in need. The husband in particular was being resistant. So I invited him to the mid-week service at my church and during the lesson, the following scripture popped up on the screen: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

I smiled softly at him, my eyes communicating the message that as a Christian, I just wanted to help a brother in need. He nodded back, seeming to understand what I was conveying. Later on I would find out that he was just embarrassed and admitted to letting his pride get the best of him.

“I understand,” I remember saying to him, “but keep in mind that your unwillingness to allow me to help you in your time of need could be hindering my purpose on this earth.”

And then, bam! It hit me.

The poem, “Alone” by Maya Angelou states very simply and beautifully that “nobody, but nobody, can make it out here alone.”

We are not supposed to cope alone - we shouldn’t have to manage life without the assistance of others when we get in trouble. The truth is that it is healthy to be interdependent with others. It is healthy to have people that you can trust and rely on—even if that circle of people is small.

It doesn’t make you weak, or vulnerable, or a “loser” to ask others for help. What it makes you is human.

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