LŌKAHI" WORKING TOGETHER"
ISSUE 1
LŌKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER" November 2020 The CYS Sports & Fitness staff are a few of the many super heroes on the Hawaii Child & Youth Services TEAM!!
CYS Sports & Fitness Staff Step Up! A
lthough CYS Sports & Fitness programs have been discontinued
for the last several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the very active CYS Sports & Fitness staff have not stopped working to provide care and services for the Military youth. Most of the CYS Sports & Fitness staff have been temporarily reassigned to work at the School Age Centers (SACs) on Schofield Barracks and the Aliamanu Military Reservation (AMR) throughout the summer and beginning of the school year, where they spearheaded the Functional Fitness Program, an exercise and workout program that is implemented during the children’s breaks from virtual schooling, that is designed to help children amplify their cardiovascular system, expand their muscles, and enhance their quickness and agility. The CYS Sports staff have also developed virtual fitness videos on their Facebook page to keep children/youth and their 'ohana active and healthy during the pandemic. In addition, the CYS Sports Staff has been assisting the SAC staff with duties such as, but not limited to, supervising the children with their virtual schooling (due to the majority of Oahu schools required move to virtual or distance learning to start the school year), providing homework support, fabricating and installing Plexiglas sneeze guards or dividers, laying out the SACs in accordance to CDC guidelines, enforcing mask policies, etc. There is no job too small or too tall that for the CYS Sports & Fitness Staff – they are always willing to Step Up!! Checkout some cool workouts, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/himwr/albums/72157715754549601
Content 1
2-3
Staff Spotlight: CYS Sports and Fitness Division Announcements
4
Employee Spotlight: Meet the DirectorRhonda Hunter
5
Facility Spotlight-Outdoor Recreation Center (Schofield Barracks)
6
Contest/Survey Link
Want to contribute to the DFMWR Lokahi Newsletter? The Lokahi Newsletter Team is looking for DFMWR volunteer employees to assist with the development and publication of subsequent issues. Employees with backgrounds or experience in either, or a combination of, communications, marketing, English, journalism, or graphic design would be very helpful. Please contact Todd Kobatake at todd.k.kobatake.naf@mail.mil if interested.
Pg 1
LĹŒKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
ISSUE 1
Division Announcements Child & Youth Services
Safety First: Babysitting and CPR/First Aid Workshop available for youth ages 12-18! Bennet Youth Center (Schofield Barracks) 12/22/20: 8am-2pm (Babysitting) 12/23/20: 8am-2:30pm (CPR/First Aid) Aliamanu Youth Center (AMR) 12/29/20: 8am.-2pm. (Babysitting) 12/30/20: 8am.-2:30pm (CPR/First Aid) Register Online: https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil Or call (808)655-8380 (Schofield Barracks) or (808)833-5393 (AMR)
Congratulations
Ms. Albertine Butler! -Recreation Assistant Schofield Barracks Arts and Crafts Center
Army Material Command Coin Recipient Sewed and provided over 90 masks within 48 hours to CYS Caregivers!
CPR/ First Aid class fee is $40.00 and Babysitting Course is FREE!
Community Recreation Division
The Outdoor Recreation South Checkout Center at Bldg. 1535 on Fort Shafter Flats is Now Open! Open Mon, Thurs, Fri from 0900-1700 and Sat 0800-1600. Open to all Servicemen and Servicewomen of any Military Branch of Service, Military Dependents, and DOD Civilians (including DFMWR Employees)! Equipment RentalsSurfboards, Bounce Houses and more! Boat Storage and Equine Feed Sales are also available! Call 808-438-9402 for more information.
Pg 2
LŌKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
ISSUE 1
Division Announcements NAF Support Division (Marketing) The U.S. Army has partnered with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) to create the Digital Garrison mobile app. Digital Garrison integrates information from AAFES and two IMCOM-operated website networks: https://home.army.mil and https://www.armymwr.com/. Digital Garrison securely delivers information and facilitates access to a full range of installation Quality-of-Life services using informationage technology. Digital Garrison is a one-stop information source for Army communities. The app puts real-time information into Soldiers’, families’, and civilians’ hands and keeps military communities connected, a key part of readiness and resiliency. You can find programs, addresses, and phone numbers, newcomers’ guide, Gold Star Family Badge, community announcements, and gate information. Authorized Exchange patrons can also shop through the app. Search for Digital Garrison in app stores now and download!
Business Operations Division
Need a Little Get Away after the Stay At Home Order Ends? Pilila’au Army Recreation Center (PARC) is open and cabins are available for staycation. Cabins are also open to DOD Civilians, including DMWR Employees. Take advantage of this unique opportunity while there is availability! Call (808)-696-4158 to make reservations or for inquiries.
Army Community Service The ACS Lending Closet exists to alleviate the stressors associated with out of pocket moving expenses when transitioning in and out of Hawaii by providing basic household items at no cost for a period of up to 60 days. Extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis. The Lending Closet hours of operation are 0730-1600 hours, Monday- Friday, except on authorized Federal holidays and authorized training days, or as directed by the Chief, ACS. Due to the current health threat of COVID-19, the Lending Closet is operating on a virtual/no contact basis. On average, we assist 25 Soldiers/Families per week with Lending Closet items.
DFMWR Improvement Projects (facilities are still open for use): Leilehua Golf Course (Driving Range), Fort Shafter Bowling Center (Restrooms), Schofield Barracks Bowling Center (Cosmic Lighting), Pilila’au Army Recreation Center (Grounds), Hale Ikena (Restrooms).
Pg 3
LĹŒKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
ISSUE 1
Employee Spotlight: Meet the Director- Rhonda Hunter
I
was born in the small town of Burley, Idaho, and am a proud military spouse, mother of four, and grandmother of five. I started my career with MWR in Hawaii in January 2002 (the MWR acronym eventually changed to DFMWR in 2006), where I was originally hired through the military spouse preference program as a Program Analyst for the Business Operations Division, then advanced into the Quality Assurance Officer / Financial Manager position prior to PCSing with my husband to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where I was fortunate to be hired as the Quality Assurance Officer there. During my time at Fort Huachuca, I became the Acting Chief of Business and Community Recreation and was later hired permanently into that position. As with many military spouses, I was then faced with the dilemma to either move with my husband to Kansas where he would complete one year of schooling or remain in Arizona with my children to pursue my own career. Shortly thereafter, a third option arose for me with an opportunity to become the Chief of Business Operations Division in Hawaii. Both my children and I really enjoyed our previous experience living in Hawaii, and had fallen in love with the islands.
Thus, I made the decision to move with my kids back to Hawaii while my husband moved to Kansas. After my husband finished his assignment in Kansas, we were blessed as he was able to PCS back to Hawaii. During my second tenure of six years with DFMWR Hawaii, I served as the Chief of Business Operations Division, Chief of NAF Support Management, and acting Deputy Director for several periods off and on, and sometimes all three positions simultaneously. In 2015, my husband then received news from the Army that it was time for him to leave Hawaii again-and this time it was to relocate to Japan. At this point, I had only my two youngest girls at home and they were excited for an overseas adventure so I made the decision to leave Hawaii, the place I love and called home, behind again. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, as I was able to continue my career with DFMWR and was eventually selected as the DFMWR Director in Japan. In 2018, I made another tough decision to be away from my husband temporarily to pursue the DFMWR Director position in Hawaii so that we could get my daughter settled back home in Hawaii for her final years in high school. A few months after I moved back to Hawaii, my husband then left Japan for Arizona where he remained for a year. After a year in Arizona, the Army was good to us again as my husband was then able to get an assignment back home in Hawaii. One thing that I also wanted to share with you is that I did not have a degree when I initially began working for MWR. I started taking classes after being encouraged by a co-worker, Ms. Cherie Westphal, who is now back in Hawaii as the PAIO chief, and was able to utilize much of my work experience to target specific class credits through a Experiential Learning program, which allowed me to take advantage of accredited courses offered through the MWR Academy. The credit I received for those courses and the experiential learning program allowed me to obtain by Bachelor's Degree (Major: Business, Minor: Accounting) in a much more affordable and timely fashion. While I had no clue at the time in 2002 that I would be starting a long career with DFMWR, it didn't take me long to discover my love for our DFMWR programs and that is all attributed to the amazing and dedicated DFMWR employees I have encountered along the way. DFMWR has really become a 2nd family to me and as a Army family member, I really want to thank all of you for all that you do for our Soldiers, their families, and the Army Community.
Sincerely, Rhonda
D
Hunter
Pg 4
LŌKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
ISSUE 1
Facility Spotlight:
Schofield Barracks Outdoor Recreation Center ... Not just an equipment rental center
W
hen you ask the question “do you know what services the Outdoor Recreation Center provides?” to most DFMWR employees that do not work for the facility, the most common answer you will find is something to the effect of “yes, they rent equipment out”. However, being just an equipment rental center could not be further than the truth. While the Outdoor Recreation (ODR) Center on Schofield Barracks provides a variety of outdoor equipment available to rent, they also offer a wide array of other programs and activities, most of which are open to DOD Civilians, including DFMWR employees. The Adventure Programs are one of these longstanding programs offered by the ODR Center, that include activities such as hiking, biking, mountain biking, kayaking, surfing and stand up paddle boarding, and depending on the activity, are offered (and can be signed up for on an individual basis) either daily, weekends, or on specific days, and include instruction or an activity guide. Two of the newer activities that the ODR staff also encourage private groups to sign up for is Reball and Blitz Ball. Reball is a version of paintball that is modified by using paint-less paintballs in lieu of real paintballs (click here to watch clip of Reball being played). In addition, a brand new 80’ x 110’ Reball field is currently being built on the ODR Center facility grounds and is tentatively scheduled to open in October of 2020. The second new activity offered by ODR is Blitz Ball. Blitz Ball is a fun variation of soccer where all players wear a bubble on their upper bodies while playing. The ODR center also offers private group reservations for both the Adventure Programs and newer activities (i.e. Reball and Blitz Ball) or can customize a program plan with a combination of activities according to a group’s needs and budget, which are optimal for outings with family or friends or team building exercises. When speaking with an ODR staff member, another common misconception amongst the Army Community is that the activities that ODR offers are only open to the Active Duty. However, this is only the case for their PT programs, and both Military Dependents and DOD Civilians (which include DFMWR employees) are not only eligible to sign up for most activities, but are eligible to sponsor Civilian Guests to the activities as well. What also goes unknown is that the cost of the activities that ODR offer are usually less than compared to off post. So the next time you think of the Outdoor Recreation Center, just remember that they are way more than just an equipment rental center and feel free to stop by the facility at 435 Ulrich Way (BLDG 2110) on Schofield Barracks to check out what they have to offer or give them a call at (808) 655-0143 to further inquire.
Pg 5
LŌKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
Looking for more career opportunities with DFMWR Hawaii? Look for openings within DFMWR by: 1. Visiting www.usajobs.gov 2. Entering “Army MWR” in the Keyword search box (top left) 3. Entering “Hawaii” in the location search box (top right)
ISSUE 1
DFMWR Happenings: • Open for Breakfast Schofield Bowling Center • Opens at 7 a.m. (808) 655-0573 • Saturday, November 21 Drive-In Movie Night at SB Bowling Parking Lot 7 p.m. • 30 Stalls - First Come, First Serve • Thanksgiving Meals To-Go Tropics Recreation Center & Hale Ikena are both offering Thanksgiving Meals To-Go Tropics: (808) 655-5698 Hale Ikena: (8080 438-6712
SURVEY This internal newsletter was created and developed by a random group of DFMWR employees across all divisions and ranks who volunteered to be a part of a broader DFMWR Strategic Planning initiative. Please click on the below link to answer a few simple questions that is integral to this Strategic Planning initiative: (survey cannot be accessed on a gov pc, please use mobile or personal device)
https://forms.gle/dq7nqnGWZUqf62Ua6
CONTEST Enter for your chance to win some cool MWR Hawaii Logo "Swag!" Open to all DFMWR Hawaii employees One entry per employee Email: todd.k.kobatake.naf@mail.mil Subject line: I WANT TO WIN! Deadline to enter is Monday, November 16 Winner will be announced in the next Lokahi Newsletter.
• Schofield Arts & Crafts Center fall classes scheduled, art kits and ceramic pieces ready to go and offers engraving, framing and embroidery services. (808) 655-4202 • Tropics Rec. Center Friday Lunch Special $10 Steak Lunch Plate • 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Curbside/Drive-up service offered. (808) 655-5698
Stay Up-to-Date: • MWR Hawaii Facebook • US Army Hawaii Webpage
LŌKAHI "WORKING TOGETHER"
Pg 6