military

A BRAC Move, One of Many, Moves Forward

By ARLnow.com

Earlier this week, the military broke ground on a new building in Fort Belvoir.

The $19.6 million, 88,000 square foot facility will house the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve (OCAR), which is currently housed in leased office space in Crystal City.

Once the new facility is completed, the office and its 400 employees will move out of Crystal City and in to Fort Belvoir.

It’s just one of dozens of such moves that will be taking place over the next 10 months as the result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005. A few BRAC moves have already taken place, but most of the 17,000 BRAC-affected workers in Arlington are still here.

“This event marks a significant milestone in the BRAC timeline and journey,” said Joyce Morrow, an assistant to the Secretary of the Army, at the groundbreaking.

By law, the BRAC moves must be complete by Sept. 15, 2011. That will mean a lot of people leaving Arlington — particularly Crystal City — next year.

“There are 317 days left until the BRAC deadline when all of the [OCAR] personnel must be here at Fort Belvoir,” said Col. John Stycula, an official at Fort Belvoir. “With that said, let’s get digging.”

Photo by Marc Barnes/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Murray Hopes to Benefit from Moran “Public Service” Swipe

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Republican congressional candidate Patrick Murray is seizing on remarks about his experience made by his opponent, Rep. Jim Moran, at an Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. And, it seems, Murray is picking up some long-sought traction, at least from right-leaning media outlets.

With cameras rolling, Moran said of Murray, a retired Army officer: “What [Republicans] do is find candidates, usually stealth candidates, that haven’t been in office, haven’t served or performed in any kind of public service. My opponent is typical, frankly.”

The gaffe-prone congressman then dug the hole a bit deeper while referring to Murray’s limited government stance.

“Of course for 24 years he’s taken a government check, because, frankly, the military is still part of the federal government, and yet his principal platform is to cut government spending,” Moran said.

The Murray camp, in response to Moran’s “public service” swipe, has issued a flurry of YouTube videos, press releases and blog posts. Today at 12:30 p.m., nearly three weeks after the original remarks were made, Murray will be holding a news conference in Alexandria with veterans who support his campaign. (Update at 5:00 p.m. — The campaign has posted video from the event here.)

The press conference comes as right-leaning outlets like the Washington Examiner, The Weekly Standard, Fox News and others have started to pick up the story. It’s the first round of sustained media exposure in a race that has otherwise seen a dearth of reportorial interest from mainstream news outlets.

In what may be a preview of today’s press conference, Murray released a video response to the comments.

“Congressman Moran, I’m proud to have served my county in the Army for 24 years, including tours in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq during the surge,” Murray said. “Why don’t you come with me to Arlington cemetery, where more of my friends and fellow service members are buried than I care to think about — and tell their surviving family members that their loved ones had no public service.”

For his part, Moran says that he misspoke.

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ACPD Helps Give Segways to Wounded Veterans

By ARLnow.com

At a ceremony on the grounds of the Iwo Jima memorial this morning, some 50 wounded warriors will receive brand new Segway personal transport vehicles, the reward for “graduating” from a training program sponsored by the military charity Segs4Vets.

Although two such graduation ceremonies have taken place here every year for the past couple of years, this is the first in which the Arlington Police Department is playing an integral part.

ACPD, which has 12 officers trained to operate the department’s six Segways, helped train today’s recipients, and helped assemble and transport the 51 Segways that are being given away. County motorcycle officers are also helping to escort the group between the ceremony and meals at Army Navy Country Club today.

It’s a partnership that Segs4Vets and the police department hope to extend.

“Here was a way to reach out to the community,” said Capt. David Herbstreet, one of the overseers of the department’s Segway program. “How can you say no? This is an awesome cause and we’re humbled and honored to do it.”

The officers involved in the training all volunteered for the program.

“It’s a wonderful relationship that we’re really excited about,” said Mike Kelly, who serves on Segs4Vet’s advisory board.

Segs4Vets has given away 525 Segways to severely injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans nationwide since 2005. The organization says the device gives wounded vets an additional degree of freedom and mobility while not drawing attention to their disability.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cicadas Are Back — It’s not the swarm of 2004, but there are a few cicadas around this summer. This one was spotted on a window screen in Pentagon City.

Breast-Feeding Mix-up at Virginia Hospital Center — In January, a newborn went missing in Arlington’s Virginia Hospital Center. The child’s mother eventually found him being breast-fed by another woman — the result of a hospital mix-up. The Washington Post reports that the incident has given rise to questions about the frequency of such incidents and the possibility that the baby could be harmed as a result.

Moran Votes ‘No’ on Afghanistan Funding — Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) voted against a bill to provide an additional $37 billion in funding for the war in Afghanistan. “There exists no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan,” Moran said in a statement. “The mission we set out to accomplish following the attacks on September 11th – the rooting out of al Qaeda in Afghanistan – has largely been achieved, thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of American military and civilian personnel… Instead of increasing our troop presence, we should be limiting our mission in Afghanistan.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Army Chief Apologizes for Mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery — Poor record-keeping and inept management has resulted in hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery, the military revealed. At a press conference, Secretary of the Army John McHugh apologized to families whose loved one’s final resting place was affected by the mix-ups. He also promised to reform the “dysfunctional” management culture at the cemetery. Two of the top cemetery administrators are being forced out as a result of the Army probe. More from the Washington Post.

Battle Lines Drawn for East Falls Church Redevelopment Fight — A plan to redevelop the area around the East Falls Church Metro Station has many East Falls Church residents up in arms. Michael Perkins of the blog Greater Greater Washington, however, is singing the plan’s praises, saying it would “transform the East Falls Church Metro area into a mixed-use, pedestrian, bicycle and transit-oriented community.” More from Greater Greater Washington.

Registration for Library Summer Reading Program Begins Saturday — Last year a record 4,800 kids and teens signed up for the Arlington Public Library’s summer reading program. Library officials expect to set another participation record this year. Registration for the program will begin Saturday.

Flickr pool photo by brianmka

To Do Tonight: Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial

By ARLnow.com

It’s a weekly summer tradition in Arlington, and it’s starting tonight.

The Marine Corps’ first Sunset Parade of the year starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Iwo Jima Memorial. The hour-long performance features the music of “The Commandant’s Own” Marine Corps Band and a silent precision drill team.

The parade is free and open to the public. Plus there’s plenty of room on the grounds to lay out a blanket for a picnic before or even during the performance.

The Sunset Parades began in 1956, two years after the unveiling of the memorial. The parades are meant as a “tribute to those whose ‘Uncommon valor was a common virtue.'”

The performances will continue every Tuesday though August 17.

Marine Corps photo.

Help Afghan Villagers Without Leaving Northern Virginia

By ARLnow.com

Give to the World, an Arlington-based organization that helps the U.S. military conduct humanitarian relief efforts, is seeking volunteers to help box up supplies destined for Afghanistan.

Volunteers will meet at an area thrift shop to pack up clothes, shoes, blankets, stuffed animals and other donated items. The goods will then be sent to villagers in Afghanistan.

Adults and teens are welcome to volunteer for the effort, which will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on June 13, June 27 and July 25.

Those interested in helping out should go to the organization’s web site or call Shannon Stapleton at 703-532-4734.

Flags In at Arlington National Cemetery This Afternoon

By ARLnow.com

The annual Memorial Day weekend tradition of “Flags In” will take place from 4:00 to 7:00 tonight at Arlington National Cemetery. A group of service members from each branch of the armed forces will place small flags in front of each of the cemetery’s more than 250,000 graves.

More from the Arlington National Cemetery Facebook page:

The time-honored tradition of “Flags In” at Arlington National Cemetery is scheduled to begin after funerals are complete for the day on Thursday, May 27.

Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) will be joined by service members from the U.S. Marine Corps Ceremonial and Guard Company, U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard in placing small American flags, known as grave decorating flags, on the gravesites of all who rest at Arlington National Cemetery for the Memorial Day weekend.

“Flags In” has been conducted annually since the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) was designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit in 1948. Flags are placed one foot in front and centered before each headstone in the cemetery. Flags will also be placed at the Tomb of the Unknowns by the Tomb Sentinels and at each of the cemetery’s columbarium courts.

While no volunteers are needed to assist the Old Guard with this sacred duty, visitors are welcome to come and pay their respects during this event and are encouraged to arrive at the cemetery after 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 27. It will take approximately three hours to place the more than 250,000 flags. Parking is available in the Visitors Center parking lot.

All flags will be removed on Tuesday, June 1 before the cemetery opens to the public.

Flickr pool photo by marchebm2.

As Thousands of Jobs Leave Arlington, Workers Plan to Stay

By ARLnow.com

The Defense Department will be losing hundreds — if not thousands — of experienced, talented and security-cleared employees over the course of the next 16 months, if yesterday’s BRAC job fair was any indication.

About 500 enlisted employees, DoD civilians and contract workers showed up at the Crystal Gateway Marriott to find alternatives to moving to out-of-state bases or commuting to traffic-clogged exurbs. The moves are mandated by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closing Act, which will result in the closing of dozens of government offices and the loss of about 17,000 jobs in Arlington by next September.

The job fair attendees shared two common traits: they all like their current job and they all want to stay here.

“I might move with it because I like my job, but my family and my support system are here,” said one Army employee whose job is moving to Texas. “If I can find something and stay here, that’s what i’m going to do.”

“We have so many meetings at the Pentagon… I don’t understand why we’re moving to San Antonio,” she continued. “To me that does not make a lot of sense.”

Several other attendees said they would not move under any circumstances.

“I wouldn’t dream of going outside this area to seek employment,” said a military human resources employee whose job is moving to Fort Knox, Ky. She said 90 percent of her office was planning to stay in D.C. instead of moving to an area where “there’s nothing around but the base.”

“Not a chance,” responded one man — a manager in an office that deals with missile defense systems — when asked if he would consider moving with his job to Huntsville, Ala. (which is having a hard time accommodating new BRAC workers). He said he has lived in the area for 24 years and will learn new job skills if necessary.

The man added that his office will be losing at least 75 percent of its staff to the move.

“It’s detrimental to the department,” he said. “I’ve built a good team over the years, and it’s going to a situation where people don’t have nearly the experience we have.”

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National Guardsmen Running from Maine to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Two National Guardsmen are running 550 miles from Maine to Arlington National Cemetery.

Col. Jack Mosher and Maj. Herbert Brock are taking turns running daily half marathons, for a total of 26.2 miles every day. They’re also documenting their experience on the web.

The men say doing it to promote “resiliency” and to encourage “the warrior spirit in everyone.”

Their journey, which is now in its third day, will wrap up with stops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the World War II Memorial and, finally, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on May 28.

Photo from the OneLifeWarrior Flickr page.

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