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July 25, 2019
Pera Takes Charge of Prime Brigade Power Battalion Belvoir Warrior Transition Soldier
249th Engineer’s commitment to excellence continues into the future
flourishes at DoD Warrior Games
By Rick Musselman Sports Editor
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he 249th Engineer Battalion – Prime Power welcomed a new commander during a ceremony, Friday on Fort Belvoir’s Long Parade Field, as Lt. Col. Francis B. Pera assumed command from Lt. Col. Daniel R. Kent.
U.S Army photo by PFC Dominique Dixon
Sgt. 1st Class Jay Martin participates in the cycling event June 23 in Tampa, during the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games, an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured Service members and veterans. Approximately 300 athletes representing teams from U.S. and Allied military forces compete in a variety of athletic competitions.
By Mary Therese Griffin Army Warrior Care and Transition
cause your arms are not your legs –it’s all arms and upper body. I’m Time-Honored Traditions pretty much limited from the chest up. It’s hard, once got fitted gt.tradition 1st Class Martin, “The of Jay the change of acommand, as webut know it,Igoes back in to the bike, I realized I have to in trumpet the Army’s the time of the player Romanin legions where the passing of the commander’s get baton there keep going, because pracOld inGuard and Drum occurred front ofFife the troops to signify theand leader that would take them makes perfect,” said Martin. Corps, openlysaid admits wasAnthony never tice into battle,” Maj.heGen. C. Funkhouser, U.S. Army Corps He won a bronze medal for the his really athletic. “I wascommanding not athleticgeneral, of Engineers deputy and presiding officer for classification in hand cycling for until my and I started change of mid-forties command, during his opening remarks. “The Continental Army Team Army at this year’s Departracing BMX that bicycles, believe it or … continued tradition in the United States and we carry it on today, ment of Defense Warrior Games not,” Martin. with said our colors and standards to rally these Soldiers, these leaders, to in Tampa. Martin knew about the Biking was his gesture new hobby provide a symbolic with una tangible view of the command authority games before his accident but now til an transferred accident Jan. 6, one 2018, at an realized being from commander to the he next. could participate. He exindoor bike park. Martin can knew “Changes of command be imbittersweet,” Funkhouser continued. “We plains why he believes the Warrior mediately impact his legscommander have to sayon goodbye tothat the current of the 249th—Colonel Dan Games are important. were Kent.not going to be the same. After “Just like sports are important immediate surgery Colonel he learned hePera, “And we welcome Frank who with will come in withpersonality new ideas for kids developing would never walk again. to new and and and continue the journey greater things. You’re all aware of growth, sports at this point for As heKent’s transitioned through the injured Colonel outstanding leadership and hisorability to be everywhere, handicapped individuWarrior Transition Battalion at als as this unit gets stretched out around theisglobe,” he said. the same kind of thing . . . it Fort Belvoir, headded decided not to give Funkhouser he’s been able toshapes witnessdevelopment Kent’s leadership over you the and helps up biking and used in his adaplastontwo years and hisittransformation of the organization into an engine tive thatreconditioning. drives the response to many of the Army’s most challenging requireSee Warrior Games, page A5 “Hand cycling is different, be- in response to natural disasters and ments in the field and to our nation emergencies.
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Academic program could boost Soldier retention See Pera Takes Charge, page A5
Credentialing, along with bachelor’s degrees to senior NCOs who attended the Sergeants Machanges to promotion jor Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. boards, helps ensure the Dailey said the Army will provide Soldiers with some college credit or Photo by Rick Musselman best are promoted and professional credentialing for each Incoming 249th Engineer Battalion - Prime Power commander, level of NCO training. Lt. Col. retained Francis B. Pera, receives the unit colors from Maj. Gen. Anthony “The expectation is weC. give someFunkhouser, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general, thingdeputy back for that service,” Dailey By Joe Lacdan during a change of command ceremony,said Friday on Long Parade Field. at an Association of the U.S. Army News Service Army breakfast in Washington, he Army could add to its D.C. “Not just be able to say that record retention numbers by you served and sacrificed, but (getproviding more incentive for ting) tangible results. That’s what Soldiers to stay on duty, the ser- we owe to the American people–is a better product, to be more producvice’s top enlisted leader said. The Army has been testing a pilot tive in their hometowns.” Dailey said the Army has been program for academic credentialing at Fort Hood, Texas, and plans to working out the finer points of the extend the program to several ma- program to ensure higher quality jor installations by the end of 2019, training for Service members and said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel deciding how agencies will get payDailey. The Army plans to spread ment. The program will also be the program to all installations in available to National Guard and Army Reserve members. fiscal year 2020. Dailey said the Army has been Recently, the Army provided 110
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CYS 40th Anniversary
Col. Michael Greenberg, Fort Belvoir working with each of the military Garrison Commander, briefs community centers of excellence to provide and military leaders during the Bi-Annual technical skill training equitable to Community Leaders Luncheon and Forum academic skills. at the Officers’ Club, Tuesday on all of “We thought we need to build theonimprovements coming to Fort Belvoir that more, because 60 percent of the through the rest of the year. See complete Army is combat arms, so what tancoverage of the Community Leaders Lungible technical skills do they leave cheon in next week’s Belvoir Eagle. with?” he said. Photo by Paul Lara
Skilled labor required Dailey cited that 80 percent of American jobs require skilled labor, and that Soldiers can become productive members of the work force after leaving the Army. “There is a great opportunity for many of our Soldiers to fulfill the ranks of those skilled labor requirements in our hometowns of America, and they have the tangible skills,” Dailey said. “We just need to make it official. “We saw the opportunity to be able to capitalize on the great skills our Soldiers have now, and transA7
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Photo by Luc Dunn, AUSA
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey speaks about retention and academic credentialing at the AUSA Institute of Land Warfare breakfast in Arlington, June 26.
late those to civilian-sector skills, which we had not done.” Last year, with the help of Congress and the Army Continuing Education System, the Army created the credentialing assistance
See Credentialing, page A8 B1
DTRA Undefeated