THE HIGH DESERT WARRIOR - Aerotech News and Review

High school graduation, 

pages 12–13 

Change of Command 

The change of command of the U.S. 

Army Air Ambulance Detachment will take 

place May 30 at 8 a.m. in Jackrabbit Park. 

Lt. Col. Jose A. Bonilla will relinquish command 

to Maj. Dean L. Martin. 

Skateboard Competition 

A skateboard competition will take place 

at the Fitness Connection June 6 at 5 p.m. 

There will be two competitions, one for 

beginners and one for advanced skaters. 

The free competition is open to everyone. 

Helmets are required. 

More information: The Fitness Connection 

at 380-7242. 

Siren teSt 

The Directorate for Plans, Training, Mobilization 

and Security will conduct a test 

of the mass notification system throughout 

the installation on June 10. The test will 

be conducted from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. The test 

will include a short siren along with the 

announcement, “This is a test, this is a test, 

this is a test of the mass notification system; 

please disregard.” The announcement will be 

made before each test of the system. 

More information: David Richardson at 

380-2395. 

tarantula team family day 

The Operations Group’s airborne Tarantula 

Team will hold its Family Day on 

June 10 at the Tarantula Drop Zone next 

to Bike Lake. 

More information: Sgt. 1st Class Adam 

Dobson at 380-5793. 

taCo bell CloSure 

Taco Bell will be closed until further notice 

during construction and renovation. A notice 

will be e-mailed through “Irwin Postmaster” 

when the restaurant is ready to reopen. 

More information: Christopher Ruffin at 

380-4789. 

HEADCOUNT 

584 

fort irwin SoldierS 

Currently deployed 

Source: Directorate of Human Resources 

National Training Center and Fort Irwin 

The National Training Center and Fort Irwin 

Th e hi g h DeserT Wa r r ior 

Volume 4, Number 21 www.irwin.army.mil May 29, 2008 

Ch a n g e o f Co m m a n d — ga r r i s o n 

The U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Irwin, held a change-of-command 

ceremony May 23 at the Sandy Basin Community Center. 

After serving 35 months as garrison commander, Col. Christopher 

Philbrick relinquished command to Col. Jim Chevallier. 

“A change of command after 35 months in the saddle, for any 

military leader, is fraught with significant challenges,” Col. Philbrick 

said. “The obvious emotional issues and reluctance to surrender the 

unit colors come quickly to mind.” 

Col. Chevallier most recently was chief of the U.S. Central Command’s 

Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force at MacDill 

Air Force Base, Florida. 

Col. Chevallier was once a scenario writer with the Operations 

Group and an observer-controller at the National Training Center. 

He was commissioned into the Army in 1984 through the University 

of Tennessee’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. 

Col. Chevallier said he plans to build on the foundation Col. 

Philbrick established for him at Fort Irwin. 

“You can leave knowing your efforts have made a significant difference 

in the lives of Soldiers, civilians and Family members,” he said. 

Col. Chevallier also said that during his tenure at the National 

Training Center, he plans to ensure that NTC remains the “premiere 

training experience in the world,” and that it continues to be a “great 

place to live, serve, deploy from and raise a family.” 

J. Randall Robinson, director, Installation Management Command, 

West, was the reviewing officer during the ceremony. 

See Garrison, page 14. 

Ch a n g e o f Co m m a n d — meddaC 

The U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, Fort Irwin, held 

a change of command ceremony May 23 at the Physical Fitness 

Center. 

MEDDAC Commander Col. Margaret Bates relinquished command 

to Col. Judith Bock. 

Col. Bates had served as Fort Irwin’s MEDDAC commander 

since June 2006. 

“My Bible tells me … there is a time for everything and a season 

for every activity under heaven,” Col. Bates said. “My season to bid 

farewell to this awesome community and organization has arrived.” 

Incoming MEDDAC Commander Col. Bock is completing her 

final year at the U.S. Army War College and will earn a master’s 

degree in strategic studies in July 2008. 

A native of San Francisco, Col. Bock graduated with a bachelor of 

science degree in nursing from San Francisco State University in 1983. 

She also received a master’s degree in nursing education in 1988. 

Col. Bock earned a second master of science degree in anesthesia 

nursing from the U.S. Army/University of Texas-Houston graduate 

program in December 1996. 

“Col. Bates, I will strive to continue the fine leadership you have 

shown and to support the outstanding staff who provide the best 

medical care to our Soldiers and Family members at Weed Army 

Community Hospital,” she said. 

Brig. Gen. Sheila R. Baxter, Western Regional Medical Command, 

was the reviewing officer during the ceremony. 

See MEDDAC, page 14. 

Photo by Richard Mattox 

Col. Jim Chevallier, incoming garrison commander, accepts 

the colors from J. Randall Robinson, director, Installation 

Management Command, West, during the U.S. Army 

Garrison, Fort Irwin, change-of-command ceremony May 

23 at the Sandy Basin Community Center. 


Col. Judith Bock, incoming MEDDAC commander, speaks 

during the MEDDAC change-of-command ceremony May 

23 at the Physical Fitness Center.

2 

High Desert Warrior 

May 29, 2008 

Civilian employees honored for excellent work 

By Candice Jamoles 

HDW Contributing Writer 

Two Fort Irwin civilian employees were 

honored for their excellent work on post 

during the second fiscal quarter. 

David Aboytes, a human resources assistant, 

was given the top honor as Civilian 

Employee of the Quarter in the GS1-GS6 

category. 

Mr. Aboytes said he was not expecting to 

receive the award. 

“I was very excited and surprised,” Mr. 

Aboytes said. “I had no clue that I was even 

in consideration.” 

Mr. Aboytes assists Fort Irwin Soldiers 

with their personnel records. 

The retired Army veteran said he performed 

the same job when he was a Soldier. 

“I like the interaction with the Soldiers,” 

he said. “I still enjoy being able to get them 

taken care of.” 

‘Fun for the whole family’ is relative 

By Jacey Eckhart 

CinCHouse.com 

If we wanted the teenage boyfriend 

o play a board game with the family, we 

ere going to have to choose something 

loodier. 

“The only reason to play a game is annihiation,” 

Jeff announced. “That’s what makes 

game fun.” 

“That’s what makes people cry,” I told him. 

If families that play together are supposed 

o stay together, you can’t go around making 

eople cry.” 

Jeff gave me exactly the same look my 

rothers always gave me when I didn’t want 

o play Risk. 

“It’s just a game,” he said. 

“It is bankruptcy! Death! The slaughter of 

nnocents!” I protested. 

Jeff only laughed. 

It made me wonder why anyone besides 

ilton Bradley ever recommends having 

Brig. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard ........ Commanding General 

Command Sgt. Maj. Robert A. Moore ............. Post CSM 

Col. Jim Chevallier .........................Garrison Commander 

Command Sgt. Maj. Mark A. Harvey ....... Garrison CSM 

John M. Wagstaffe............................. Director, NTC PAO 

Kenneth Drylie ..................... Deputy Director, NTC PAO 

Vickey M. Mouzé ..............Command Information Officer 

Etric Smith ................................... Media Relations Officer 

High Desert Warrior Staff 

Robert Abrams ........................................................ Editor 

Aileen Humphreys ..................Contributing Photographer 

Candice Jamoles .................................Contributing Writer 

Agustin Rodriguez...................... .......... Editorial Assistant 

Aerotech News 

Jen R. Kirk ............................................Graphic Designer 

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil 

Cornelius Johnson, supervisor for Target 

System Operations, was named Civilian 

Employee of the Quarter in the GS7-GS11 

category. 

“Well, it was surprising, but it lets me 

know my leaders are noticing what I am doing,” 

Mr. Johnson said. 

Mr. Johnson said he helps support live-fire 

exercises for rotational training units at the 

National Training Center. 

Taking on new challenges is what Mr. 

Johnson enjoys most about his job, he said. 

“We have opened a lot of new ranges and 

expanded the live-fires,” Mr. Johnson said. 

“Each rotation brings on new challenges 

for us.” 

The retired Army platoon sergeant has 

been a civilian employee at Fort Irwin for 

three years. 

Honorees are chosen based on the recommendations 

of a judging panel. Mr. Aboytes 

and Mr. Johnson will each receive a $500 

cash award. 

game nights as a way to keep families close. 

The premise is good. A family gathering 

around the table to have fun without spending 

a lot of money sounds like what we need. 

It’s an especially great idea for military families 

who need firm family traditions when the 

rest of life is a little rocky. 

However, I’ve found that the games themselves 

— particularly the ones designed for 

children — are exactly what send kids running 

to their rooms. Being sent back to home 

base three times during a Sorry! game had 

first-grader me packing my bags and heading 

down the driveway. 

I don’t think that’s the fault of the games. 

I think it is our own fault. We choose the 

wrong games for our particular family. If you 

want to have a better chance at a successful 

game night, look at what the winner must 

do to win the game. In games like Monopoly 

and Risk, Jeff is right. You must annihilate, 

or the game goes on forever. You must force 

everyone else into bankruptcy. You must take 

David Aboytes 

over the world. You must send little girls back 

to home base, even if they are two spaces away 

from the Safety Zone. 

For some families, these games are a great 

way to dispel competitive feelings. I bet the 

Kennedys would have been prodigious Monopoly 

players had they not been so busy 

playing football on the lawn. 

Other games like Spoons or Monopoly 

Junior are won by pure chance. Winning or 

losing isn’t connected to skill. The winner isn’t 

smarter or better than the losers, just a little 

luckier. This time. A crafty parent can often 

lose these games on purpose. 

Then there are games like Scrabble or 

Trivial Pursuit, in which you can lose by 

a landslide yet still feel pretty good about 

some aspect of the game. Maybe you actually 

could remember the winner of the 1979 

World Cup. Or you could name a novel by 

James Joyce. Or you successfully spelled 

uvilium — not because you know what it 

means, but because you had the letters. And 

The High Desert Warrior, a civilian enterprise newspaper, is an authorized publication for 

members of the United States Army and Fort Irwin community. Contents of this newspaper 

are not necessarily official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of 

Defense, Department of the Army or Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. The High 

Desert Warrior is prepared weekly by the Public Affairs Office, National Training Center and 

Fort Irwin, P.O. Box 105067, Fort Irwin, CA, 92310-5067. Telephone: (760) 380-4511 or 

DSN 470-4511. FAX: (760) 380-3075. 

The High Desert Warrior is distributed every Thursday 50 weeks per year. It is produced at 

Aerotech News and Review, 456 East Avenue K-4, Suite 8, Lancaster, CA, 93535, (661) 945- 

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in this publication. Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, 

use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national orientation, age, marital 

the high deSert warrior 

Cornelius Johnson 

it was on a triple word score. 

If games are supposed to be fun for a family, 

you have to be willing to identify what 

fun is for them. And if certain aspects of a 

game bother your group, change them. Offer 

different family members a handicap of 50 

or 100 points in Scrabble, so that everyone 

can play their hardest. Play teams in games 

like Trivial Pursuit, so that the game goes 

faster and you have more brain cells available 

than just your own. Set a one-hour timer for 

Monopoly, so that the winner is determined 

by who has the most money instead of who 

forces everyone else out of the game. 

If the game isn’t fun for your family 

it isn’t worth keeping. Sell it. Donate it. 

Pitch it. Even if it is a classic. Because the 

important thing here isn’t the playing of the 

game. The important thing is the gathering 

of the family. 

(A 19-year military spouse, Jacey Eckhart 

is a nationally syndicated columnist with 

CinCHouse.com.) 

status, physical handicap or political affiliation of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation 

of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in refusal to print advertising 

from that source. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an 

endorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised. 

When e-mailing submissions, please keep in mind that deadline is noon Thursday for 

the following week’s edition. Please do not e-mail PowerPoint slides or Microsoft Publisher 

documents; neither will be accepted. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for style, 

space, clarity, taste, and libel and security considerations. 

Photos should be sent as individual attachments (high-resolution JPEG format is best), 

not pasted into Word or PowerPoint documents. Caption information should be included 

in the text of the e-mail message. That information should describe the contents and when 

the photo was taken, fully identify all recognizable persons (first and last names, titles, ranks 

and unit if applicable) and include the photographer’s name. 

Winner of 2007 Dept. of the Army Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware newspaper competition — Tabloid category 

Honorable Mention, Dept. of the Army • 2nd place, IMCOM-West 

Photos by Candice Jamoles


May 29, 2008 

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Soldiers complete march around Tiefort Mountain 

By Spc. David E. Alvarado 

Regimental Public Affairs 

As the sun began to rise in the early morning 

of May 13, more than 1,500 Soldiers 

prepared their rucksacks for the day’s 

mission: a 50-kilometer road march around 

Fort Irwin’s Tiefort Mountain. 

For the Black Horse troopers of the 11th 

Armored Cavalry Regiment, the two-day mission 

would bring both mental and physical 

challenges. 

“We started off on blazing hot, hard asphalt 

for the first four miles of the march,” said Cpl. 

Matthew Wood, Headquarters, Headquarters 

Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. “But 

after that, the formation was hit with extremely 

soft sand, rocky hills and uneven terrain.” 

With the Soldiers facing an unknown 

challenge, it would take more than just being 

physically fit to get them through the mountain 

pass. 

“Motivation is what kept the Soldiers going,” 

according to Cpl. Wood. “There were 

many Soldiers out there singing “Allons,” 

chanting cadence and simply just talking to 

each other to keep up the spirits of their battle 

buddies to the left and right.” 

Blue Force 

Tracking system 

Motivation kept the Soldiers moving to 

their rest point for the night, where they were 

given the opportunity to experience the traditions 

of the cavalry. They ate hot chow in a 

mountain pass under the evening sky, watched 

the cavalry film She Wore a Yellow Ribbon with 

John Wayne, picketed the regiment’s horses in 

the pass and ended the night with the playing 

of Taps on a bugle. 

“When men and women in uniform share 

a hardship or accomplish a difficult mission 

together, it brings them closer,” said Command 

Sgt. Maj. Fred H. Morris, the 17th command 

sergeant major of the 11th ACR. “Several 

troopers have told me how much they enjoyed 

the challenge. Even the ones who limped up to 

me were smiling.” 

The next morning, the Soldiers came 

closer together to help each other finish the 

last stretch of the road march. They were met 

with screams and cheers as spouses, Families 

and other Soldiers welcomed them back to 

their starting point at Fritz Field for their endof-march 

celebration. 

“On the individual level, many of our 

younger troopers have yet to be challenged 

in the manner that a 50K road march will 

challenge them,” said Command Sgt. Maj. 


Spc. James Wallace, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat 

Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., adjusts 

a Blue Force Tracking system on a Humvee 

May 25 in the National Training Center’s training 

area, “The Box.” The system is used to track and 

locate vehicles on the battlefield and for twoway 

satellite communication. 

Memorial Day ceremony 

Morris. “When a young trooper completes a 

road march that long, he or she has learned 

something about themselves and gained a con- 

3 

fidence they can apply later. On a group level, 

it’s been my experience that shared hardships 

create bonds.” 

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Soldiers make their way through John 

Wayne Pass during the morning of May 14 as part of the unit’s 50 

kilometer, two-day road march around Tiefort Mountain. 

Photo by Spc. Sherri Coons 

Photo by Kenneth Drylie 

Boy Scout Troop 169, Barstow, Calif., prepares to lay a wreath during a Memorial Day ceremony at Desert 

View Cemetery in Barstow, Calif. May 26. 

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil

4 


May 29, 2008 

Crime 

Stoppers 

Information provided by the 

Provost Marshal Office 

“Crime Stoppers” informs the public of what crimes have 

been reported to the Provost Marshal Office on a weekly basis. 

If you have any information regarding any of these crimes 

or other crimes, please call the Provost Marshal Office at 

380-4444/2707. Individuals are able to remain anonymous. 

Reported between May 16 and May 22. 

OT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NO 


FORT IRWIN 

POLICE 

To protect 

and serve 

Assault: There was an assault during a domestic altercation 

in Mojave Desert housing area. Subjects were 

detained. 

Damage to Private Property: A report was made of a 

damaged soda machine located at a retail establishment. 

Larceny of Government Property: A report was made 

of seat cushions stolen from a military vehicle at the 

RUBA. 

Larceny of Government Property: A report was made 

of stolen tools from a unit facility. 

From the 

Vault 

This week in 1991, the Leader Trainer, 

predecessor to the High Desert Warrior, reported 

that Soldiers returning home from the Persian 

Gulf were welcomed back with parades in 

a number of cities. Parades were held in 

Hollywood and Torrance, Calif. 

Torrance held its welcome-home parade 

during its annual Armed Forces Day celebration. 

Local Soldiers involved in the parade included 

the 31st Maintenance, NTC Support Battalion, 

FSB and 1/63rd. All branches of the military 

were represented in the Torrance parade, and 

the Air Force was the featured service branch. 

Many of the organizations participating in 

the Torrance parade also took part in the 

Hollywood parade the next day. 

offiCer Candidate SChool 

Warrant officers and enlisted Soldiers stationed at Fort Irwin 

interested in becoming part of the U.S. Army Officer Corps 

can apply for upcoming Officer Candidate School slots. The 

National Training Center has 11 slots for active-duty Soldiers, 

who meet eligibility requirements and complete an OCS application 

in accordance with Army Regulation 350-51. 

The third-quarter, fiscal-2008 OCS Direct Selection Board 

will meet June 11 at 8 a.m. in the G1 area, Building 312, Room 

10, on Avenue F. The selection board will consist of one lieutenant 

colonel and two captains, who will interview applicants. 

Please contact your S1 office or refer to the G1 public folder 

for instructions. Your complete OCS application is due to the 

G1 personnel office before close of business on June 6. 

More information: Carla Marcus at 380-4176. 

optionS for CommuterS 

Active-duty Soldiers, Army civilians and NAF employees can 

participate in Fort Irwin’s mass-transportation benefit program 

to help lower commuting costs. 

A Monday-to-Friday shuttle service runs between Victorville 

and Barstow and Fort Irwin. The first shuttle arrives at Fort Irwin 

at 5:40 a.m., and the last shuttle leaves Fort Irwin at 6 p.m. 

Van pools also are available to commuters, who can receive up to 

$115 per month toward the cost. A number of van pools currently are 

in operation, and commuters also can start their own van pools. 

Applications are available in the G-8 public folder and also 

can be obtained from Building 566. 

For those with short-term transportation needs, monthly, 

round-trip and one-way passes are available for a fee from the 

Transportation Office, Building 565. 

More information: Ann Moore at 380-3337.

library eventS for June 

Special Events 

June 9-Aug. 1 — “Go for the Gold” summer reading 

program. Sign-up continues through June 9. Kick-off is 

June 9 at the Oasis Pool. 

Grade-level programs are as follows: 

Tuesdays, 1 p.m. — grades 3–5 

Wednesdays, 1 p.m. — grades K–2 

Thursdays, 1 p.m. — grades 6–8 

Note: There will be no programs June 16–29 during max 

leave. 

All Month — American Girl Reading 

Promotion for ages 7–14. 

Come in and sign up to win. 

Displays 

Author of the Month — Maurice 

Sendak 

Regular Programs 

Pagemasters Book and 

Game Club for Kids — 

Wednesdays at 2 p.m. 

Preschool Story Time — 

Thursdays at 11 a.m. 

Book Clubs 

Spinecrackers Book Club for 

Adults — June 10 at 7 p.m. 

Selection: Change of 

Heart, by Jodi Picoult. 

More information: please 

call 380-3462. 

library Summer reading program 

Children preschool through grade 8 are invited to 

register for the “Go for the Gold” summer reading program 

at the Post Library. Sign-up is at the library now 

through June 9. You also will be able to register at the 

kick-off event June 9 at 4 p.m. at the Oasis Pool. 

Once you register, you will use a record sheet to keep 

track of the amount of time you spend reading or being 

read to by someone (if you can’t read) between June 9 

and July 31—including book title, date and number of 

minutes read. Once you reach 600 minutes, bring the 

record sheet to the Post Library, where you will receive 

a goodie bag for reaching the reading goal along with 

another record sheet. 

For each additional 300 minutes you read, your name 

will be entered into a drawing to be held at the Summer 

Reading Finale Carnival Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. at the Fitness 

Connection. The more you read, the better your chances 

are to win great prizes. All reading records must be turned 

in no later than noon on Aug. 5. 

The library summer reading program also will include 

weekly grade-level programs. These programs may include 

games, crafts, stories, songs, refreshments and more 

prizes. Times are as follows: Tuesdays, 1 p.m., grades 

3–5; Wednesdays, 1 p.m., grades K–2; and Thursdays, 

1 p.m., grades 6–8. 

Also, Preschool Story Time is held each Thursday 

at 11 a.m. 

More information: please call 380-3462. 


May 29, 2008 

Chapel activities 

Recurring Sunday worship services 

Center Chapel 

9:15–10:30 a.m. — Roman Catholic Rosary / Mass 

10:45–11:45 a.m. — Catholic Religious Education 

9:30–10:30 a.m. — Protestant Sunday School 

11 a.m. — Collective Protestant Worship Services 

11 a.m.–noon — Gospel Sunday School 

12:30 p.m. — Gospel Worship Service 

12:30 p.m. — Latter Day Saints Religious Education 

Blackhorse Chapel 

11 a.m. — Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Worship 

9:30 a.m. — Samoan Worship Services, 1st Sunday of each month 

6 p.m. — Protestant Evening Worship Service (PEWS) 

Contemporary Worship 

Recurring weekday worship services 

Center Chapel 

11:30 / 11:45 a.m. — Catholic Rosary / Mass Monday, 

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 

PWOC — Tuesday 9–11:30 a.m. and 6–8:30 p.m. 

MOPS — 2nd and 4th Wednesday 9–11 a.m. 

Gospel — Wednesday 5 p.m., Choir Rehearsal; 6 p.m., 

Intercessory Prayer 

Gospel — 7 p.m. Bible Study 

Awana’s — Wednesday 4 p.m. 

CWOC — Thursday 9–11 a.m. 

More information: Center Chapel, 380-3562 

5 


6 


May 29, 2008 

Community happenings 

The goal of the High Desert Warrior is to 

serve all members of the National Training 

Center and Fort Irwin community — Soldiers, 

spouses, children, civilian employees, 

contractors and retirees. We want to publicize 

and communicate stories, information and 

ideas our readers find interesting and useful. 

To serve the greatest number of commu- 

Child and youth aCtivitieS 

Middle School Activities 

Thursday — Swimming Trip / Baseball Craft 

Friday — Skate Hockey at the Fitness Connection / 

Madden ’07 on Xbox 

Monday — Climb Mount Blackie / Lizard Keepsake / Sonic Xbox 

Tuesday — Bowling Trip / Decorate a Bowling Pin / Wii 

Bowling Tournament 

Wednesday — Fear Factor Day 

Teen Activities 

Friday — Swimming Trip, Teen Night at the Pool 

Saturday — Bowling Night 

Teen Center 

Hours of operation 

Friday — 5:30-11 p.m. 


nity members in limited editorial space, we 

write and edit newspaper articles and briefs 

long enough to communicate essential information. 

We also aim to maintain the editorial 

quality of both photos and text. 

To maintain editorial standards and meet 

editorial deadlines, the policies of the High 

Desert Warrior are as follows: 

Editorial Guidelines 

Saturday — 3:30-11 p.m. 

Sunday–Thursday/Holidays — Closed 

More information: Fernando Lopez at 380-3732. 

• Except for news briefs on community 

events of 100 words or less, we do not accept 

unsolicited submissions. 

• For all submissions, we reserve the right 

to edit for style, length, clarity, taste and 

accuracy. Submission does not guarantee 

publication. 

• Our deadline is noon Thursday for 

SChool eventS 

Summer School Information 

Who: Grades K-7 

Where: Tiefort View Intermediate School 

When: June 2–June 26; Monday–Thursday; 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. 

Transportation: no bus transportation 

Who: Grades 8-12 (currently enrolled students with SVUSD) 

Where: Silver Valley High School 

When: 1st session, June 2–June 19; 2nd session, June 20– 

July 3; Monday-Friday; 7:20 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Transportation: bus transportation provided at the LES parking 

lot and FIMS parking lot off of Normandy. 

School district welcomes new principals 

Ruth S. Williams 

New Principal — Tiefort View Intermediate School 

As a new principal in the 

Silver Valley Unified School 

District, Ruth Williams 

has 30 years of experience 

to share with the students, 

teachers and staff of Tiefort 

View Intermediate School. 

She was born in Oakland, 

Calif. but raised in 

Baton Rouge, La., where 

she attended Southern 

University and received 

bachelor’s and master’s degrees 

in education along 

with certification as a 

reading specialist. 

Ms. Williams taught middle and elementary school for 13 

years with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board before 

joining the Moreno Valley Unified School District in 1990 

as a Title 1 facilitator and administrative designee. 

Ms. Williams attended California State University-San Bernardino, 

where she trained as a Reading Recover teacher. While 

there, she worked with students from March Air Force Base. 

Ms. Williams began her administrative career in 1995, and 

she has continued to serve as an instructional leader at various 

school sites. She also served as an adjunct instructor at the 

University of Phoenix and National University. 

As a mother and grandmother, she believes that all children 

deserve to be in an environment where they feel valued, 

respected and are given opportunities to celebrate successes. 

Her focus is to continue to put children first. 

Cameron Smart 

New Assistant Principal — Silver Valley High School 

Cameron Smart, the 

new assistant principal at 

Silver Valley High School, 

comes from Hesperia 

Unified School District. 

He moved to Hesperia in 

2001, teaching physical 

education and serving as 

the athletic director of 

Hesperia USD. 

Prior to moving to the 

High Desert, Mr. Smart 

taught for seven years on 

the Navajo Indian reservation 

in Arizona, five years 

at the elementary level, 

and two years at the high school level. In addition to his 

teaching background, Mr. Smart also brings experience as 

a vice principal at both Sultana High School and Hesperia 

Jr. High School. 

Mr. Smart received his bachelor of science degree in 

physical education from the University of Wyoming and his 

master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. 

He is married and has no children yet, but he does have 

three dogs. His interests include playing golf and traveling 

with his wife. 

Mr. Smart believes athletics and activities enrich the high 

school experience, and he wants to continue to promote 

communication with staff, parents and the community. In 

essence, he wants to continue the great progress taking place 

at Silver Valley High School. 

Charles Thatch, new Fort Irwin Middle School principal; and Derek Pinto, new Yermo School principal, will be 

featured in the June 5 High Desert Warrior. 

Today 

7 p.m. Prom Night (PG-13) 

7 p.m. 21 (PG-13) 

the following week’s Thursday edition. For 

example, for a news item to be published in 

the Thursday, June 5 High Desert Warrior, 

we would need to receive the item by noon 

on May 29. 

Please call the newspaper office at 380- 

3450, if you have news or information you 

would like to share with the community. 

road CloSureS 

Upcoming road work will take place in four phases to lay 

new asphalt along the following roads. Each phase will take 

about two weeks. 

The project will start June 9 and will finish during the week 

of August 18. Work will take place Monday to Friday between 

7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Roads will be closed during scheduled 

repairs. Please use caution and find alternate routes. 

• Phase 1: B Avenue from the intersection of Goldstone 

Road to the intersection of 4th Street. 

• Phase 2: B Avenue from the intersection of 4th Street to the 

intersection of 7th Street; start 5th Street from the intersection 

of B Avenue to the intersection of Barstow Road. 

• Phase 3: 5th Street from the intersection of B Avenue to 

Pork Chop Hill. 

• Phase 4: 5th Street from the intersection of Pork Chop 

Hill to the intersection of North Loop Road. 

More information: Ken Berg at 380-3542 

youth SportS CampS 

Fort Irwin’s Youth Sports will be holding the following youth 

sports camps: 

• Tennis Camp, June 2–6, ages 6–16; registration ends May 

23; late registration, May 26–30. 

• Start Smart Camp, June 2–6, ages 3–5; registration ends 

May 30. 

• Golf Camp, June 9–13, ages 6–16; registration ends May 

30; late registration, June 2–4. 

More information: Youth Sports at 380-7044. 

at the movies 

Friday, May 30 

7 p.m. The Ruins (R) 

7 p.m. Nims Island (PG) 

9:30 p.m. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R) 

9:30 p.m. Stop Loss (R) 

Saturday, May 31 

4 p.m. The Forbidden Kingdom 

(PG-13) 


7 p.m. Street Kings (R) 

9:30 p.m. Stop Loss (R) 

9:30 p.m. The Ruins (R) 

Sunday, June 1 


(PG-13) 

7 p.m. 88 Minutes (R) 


Monday, June 2 

7 p.m. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R) 


Tuesday, June 3 


(PG-13) 

7 p.m. The Ruins (R) 

Wednesday, June 4 

7 p.m. 88 Minutes (R) 


This schedule is subject to change at the last minute to accommodate 

changes in movies and free showings. ID cards are required from all 

personnel not in uniform when purchasing movie tickets. For more 

information and movie updates, call 380-3490.

Rotation 

Schedule 

Day Date Time Facility Activity 

TD-6 Thursday May 29 1–3 p.m. ACS / FAP Stress / Anger Management Introduction 

TD-7 Friday May 30 7 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Fitness Connection 80 Skate Night 

TD-8 Saturday May 31 11:30 a.m. Arts & Crafts Bldg. 976 Father’s Day Handprint Class — $5 

TD-9 Sunday June 1 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Outdoor Recreation Self-directed Tour — Grand Canyon 

TD-9 Sunday June 1 1–4 p.m. Fitness Connection Youth Summer Program 

TD-9 Sunday June 1 9–11 a.m. Fitness Connection Beat the Heat Challenge — $10 person 

TD-9 Sunday June 1 — Library Author of the Month — Maurice Sendak Display 


May 29, 2008 

TD-10 Monday June 2 10–11 a.m. Fitness Connection Mommy and Me Skating Lessons — $4 Daily Lessons 

TD-10 Monday June 2 — Oasis Pool Swim Lessons — $25 session 

TD-10 Monday June 2 9–11 a.m. Youth Sports Start Smart Developmental Sports Camp 

TD-10 Monday June 2 6 a.m.–5:30 p.m. SAS Bldg. 1315 Adventure Quest Week (Summer Camps Begins) 

TD-10 Monday June 2 9 a.m.–noon MST Summer Camp — Adventure Week 

TD-10 Monday June 2 — Youth Sports (CER Bldg. 1322) Soccer Registration 

TD-10 Monday June 2 9–11 a.m. Youth Sports Youth Sports Tennis Camp 

TD-11 Tuesday June 3 10 a.m. ACS, CLP Mayors’ Meeting — Garrison Conference Room 

TD-11 Tuesday June 3 1–3 p.m. ACS / Financial Readiness Checkbook Management Class 

TD-11 Tuesday June 3 3–3:30 p.m. ACS / Financial Readiness E-4 and Below Initial PCS Move 

TD-11 Tuesday June 3 5–6 p.m. Auto Craft ½ Off Solvent Tank — $1 

TD-12 Wednesday June 4 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Army Community Service WIC — Women Infant and Children 

TD-12 Wednesday June 4 3 p.m. Arts & Crafts Bldg. 976 Kids’ Summer Craft Class — $5 Shell Box Class 

TD-13 Thursday June 5 10:30–11:30 a.m. ACS / AFTB (Forum) AFTB Advisory Council Meeting 

TD-13 Thursday June 5 10–11 a.m. ACS / EFMP (Forum) EFMP Support Group 

TD-13 Thursday June 5 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Army Community Service Monthly USDA Commodities Distribution 

TD-13 Thursday June 5 9–10 a.m. Army Community Service (Forum) Installation Volunteer Advisory Council Meeting 

TD-14 Friday June 6 — Arts & Crafts Bldg. 976 Deadline to Sign Up for Kids’ Letter Craft Class on June 18 

TD-14 Friday June 6 7–10:30 p.m. Fitness Connection Old School Skate Night 

TD-14 Friday June 6 7–10:30 p.m. Fitness Connection Xtreme Skate Competition — $20 Admission 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 9 a.m.–2 p.m. MWR (Army Field) Swap Meet /Auto Show 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 12:30–2:30 p.m. Ingalls Rec. Ctr. Strut Your Mutt at Soccer Field 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Outdoor Recreation Self-directed Tour — Fishing 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 11:30 a.m. Arts & Crafts Bldg. 976 Craft Class King Tut — $20 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7–Aug. 9 — Oasis Pool Guardstart Junior Lifeguard Program, ARC Program — $100 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 8 a.m.–noon Outdoor Recreation Exploration of Mount Blackie and Rec. Area at Ft. Irwin 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 9 p.m.– 2 a.m. Outer Limits Beach Bash — $5 

REGEN-1 Saturday June 7 7 p.m. Reggie’s Mongolian BBQ 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9 10 a.m. ACS, CLP (Ingalls Rec. Ctr.) Community Service Council Meeting 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9 5–6 p.m. Auto Craft Tire Changer Class — Free 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9 4–5 p.m. Library Summer Reading Program Kick-off Pool Party — Free 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9–June 13 6-7:30 a.m. SAS Bldg. 1315 Summer Camp — No Limit Sports Camp 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9–June 13 9–11 a.m. Youth Sports Summer Camp — Golf Camp 

REGEN-3 Monday June 9–July 3 — Youth Sports (CER Bldg. 1322) Start Smart Soccer Registration 

REGEN-4 Tuesday June 10 7 p.m. Library Spinecrackers Book Club for Adult — Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult 

REGEN-4 Tuesday June 10 3–3:30 p.m. Reggie’s It’s Bunco Time — Gourmet 

REGEN-4 Tuesday June 10 3–3:30 p.m. ACS / Financial Readiness E-4 and Below Initial PCS Move 

DMWR Director ........ 380-5111 

Ingalls Rec ................... 380-3585 

Outer Limits ............... 380-3045 

ACS ............................ 380-4784 

FMWR events & activities 

Looking for something to do? Try one of the following Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities.* 

Fitness Conn ............... 380-7242 

Bowling Ctr ................ 380-4249 

Fitness Ctr ................... 380-3685 

Reggie’s ....................... 380-6717 

Contact numbers 

Arts & Crafts............... 380-4767 

NAF / CPO ................ 380-6227 

Paws ’n’ Claws ............ 380-PETS 

Auto Craft ................... 380-3531 

Outdoor Rec ............... 380-3434 

Post Library ................. 380-3462 

BOSS .......................... 380-3586 

Tickets ’n’ Tours .......... 380-4767 

Youth Services ............. 380-4163 

CYS............................. 380-3646 

Oasis Pool ................... 380-3046 

MST ........................... 380-3732 

* Information provided by FMWR Marketing, 380-3358. Events are subject to change. Please call the sponsoring activity for the most up-to-date information. 


7

8 


May 29, 2008 

Rank Name Unit Reenlistment Option 

SPC Oehrig Holly Ann RHHT, 11th ACR Army Training 

PFC Montford Octavian Terry RHHT, 11th ACR Overseas Assignment 

SPC Birks Tarius Montelle RHHT, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Simmons Korey Thomas RHHT, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Moreno Lourdes A RHHT, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SPC Conover Christopher James 1st SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SSG Amora Paul Aguro 1st SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SGT Ahn Simon Jin 1st SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SPC Hunt Lloyd Henry Jr 1st SQD, 11th ACR Stabilization 

SPC Garner Leandre Lavance Jos 1st SQD, 11th ACR Stabilization 

SPC Davis Kyle Patrick 1st SQD, 11th ACR Army Training 

SPC Bowman Ashley Jayne 1st SQD, 11th ACR Overseas Assignment 

SPC Williams Charles Wilfred Jr 1st SQD, 11th ACR Overseas Assignment 

SPC Moore Jeffrey Allen 1st SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SPC McGuire Ronald Keith Jr 1st SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SPC Ware Robert Aarondemar 1st SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

PFC Weston Jillian Kathleen 1st SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Craddock Darren Keith Jr 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SPC McConnell Lawrence Star 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SPC McWhorter Scott Frazier 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SPC Reza Eric Gustavo 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Stabilization 

SPC Rodriquezfigueroa Felix J 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Overseas Assignment 

SPC Raines Jesse Morgan 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Overseas Assignment 

SPC Pollock Mark Edward 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SPC Taylor John Daniel 2nd SQD, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Combs Justin Davidmanahane RSS, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SPC Acevedojuarbe Jonathan RSS, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SGT Figueroa Ignacio RSS, 11th ACR Needs Of The Army 

SGT Turner Tracy Marie RSS, 11th ACR Stabilization 


Stay army – hooah! 

The following Soldiers recently reenlisted 

Rank Name Unit Reenlistment Option 

SPC Gomezrodriguez Silvia Evely RSS, 11th ACR Army Training 

SPC Coleman George Stafford RSS, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Johnson Burnis Dale Jr RSS, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

PFC Staples Joshua Clint RSS, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SPC Davis Teisha Rasheen RSS, 11th ACR Conus Assignment 

SGT Vasquez Carlos Salvador Jr NTC SPT BDE Needs Of The Army 

SGT Bolton Brian Richard NTC SPT BDE Needs Of The Army 

SGT Cabo Michael Lynn Jr NTC SPT BDE Needs Of The Army 

SGT Miranda Guadalupe NTC SPT BDE Needs Of The Army 

SGT Asuncion Christopher Alexte NTC SPT BDE Needs Of The Army 

SGT Gadd Jesse James NTC SPT BDE Stabilization 

SPC Escobarsanchez Francelia Fr NTC SPT BDE Stabilization 

SPC Wombles Kacie Erin NTC SPT BDE Stabilization 

SPC Murillo Leonardo Jr NTC SPT BDE Army Training 

SPC Medrano Alma Rosa NTC SPT BDE Overseas Assignment 

SPC Dreyer Jeffrey William NTC SPT BDE Overseas Assignment 

SPC Canto Bernard S Jr NTC SPT BDE Overseas Assignment 

SPC Ellis Jeffrey Michael NTC SPT BDE Overseas Assignment 

PFC Sault Jessica Lynn NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

PFC Everett Robert Lee NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SPC McKnight Michael Anthony NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SPC Lewis Darrell Demetric NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SPC Ramirezacosta Julian NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SGT Williams Carl Lloyd III NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

PFC Mendoza Jaime Mendoza NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SGT Goss Thad Albert NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SGT Vallejos Eric Wayne NTC SPT BDE Conus Assignment 

SSG Reed Annette OPS Group Needs Of The Army 

SGT Beyers Kevin OPS Group Needs Of The Army

11th ACR Soldiers reenlist 

Photo courtesy of Post Retention 

Maj. Robert Purvis, executive officer, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (foreground 

left), administers the oath of reenlistment to Sgt. Lourdes Moreno, 

Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. 


May 29, 2008 

Photo courtesy of Post Retention 

Maj. Jason Whitten, Operations Group (left), administers the oath of reenlistment 

to Spc. Robert Ware, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Spc. 

Ware’s mother is at right. 

9 


10 


May 29, 2008 



May 29, 2008 

11 


12 


May 29, 2008 

high School graduation 

Class of 2008 graduates from Silver Valley High School 

The Silver Valley High School Class of 2008 held its commencement 

ceremony May 19 at Barstow (Calif.) Community 

College. The senior class of 100 students — including 

42 from Fort Irwin — listened as Fort Irwin’s Venee Hummel, 

valedictorian; and Kylie Negin, salutatorian, addressed the 

graduating seniors. 

Brandee Alvarado, senior class president; and David Payne, 

who also was named a class valedictorian, also spoke to the 

assembled students, families and friends. Fort Irwin was 

represented at the ceremony by Col. Christopher and Tami 

Philbrick. 

“And now, finally, all of us are graduating and anticipating 

what walking across this stage will mark. All of us are sitting 

here today in these caps and gowns, excited that our countdown 

is finally over,” Ms. Hummel said. “Today we are one, with 

nothing separating, classifying or dividing us. Right now and 

in this defining moment, we will be forever known as Silver 

Valley High School’s Class of 2008.” 

What Are Your Plans after Graduation? 

Sydney Hurley 

“I’m attending Texas A&M University.” 


“We have spent nearly a fourth of our lives with the people 

sitting around us. We’ve grown, laughed, learned and cried 

together, but most of all we have lived together,” Ms. Negin 

Matthew Brito 

“I’ll be attending Ohio State University.” 

Parker Harris 

“I’ll be moving to North Hollywood to attend 

a junior college for two years. Afterwards, 

I’ll transfer to USC to study film.” 

said. “Our experiences as this body of people will help us not 

only overcome the challenges life will present us, they will help 

us to get the best out of life.” 

Photos by Etric Smith 

(Above) Silver Valley High School Class of 

2008 graduates celebrate at the end of the 

commencement ceremony May 19 at Barstow 

Community College. 

(Left) Graduating seniors applaud during the 

Silver Valley High School Class of 2008 graduation 

ceremony May 19 at Barstow Community 

College. 

Timothy Tims 

“I’m going to Northern University, Arizona.”

(Note: Fort Irwin graduates are in 

boldface.) 

Alvarado, Brandee 

Alvarado, Myeesha 

Superintendent’s Award of Excellence 

Amandla, Malik 

Aponte, David 

Army Reserve National Scholar/ 

Athlete 

Desktop Publishing Award 

Behrend, Amanda 

Bennett, Catherine 

Beramendi, Adam 

Sons of the American Legion Yermo 

Post 797-$200 

Berry, Robert 

Boldman, Jacob 

Brien, Shane 

American Legion Auxiliary Post 

751-$500 

Brito, Matthew 

2008 CIF/Farmers Scholar-Athlete 

of the Year 

United States Marine Corps 

Distinguished Athlete Award 


Fisher House Scholarship-$1500 

Knights of Columbus #1830-$250 

Fort Irwin Officers’ and Civilians’ 

Spouses’ Club-$2000 

Butler, Brooke 

Barstow Community College 

Foundation-$500 


Carroll, Alan 

Carter, Misa 

Association of the United States 

Army-$1000 

Cook, Jasmine 

Venee Hummel, Valedictorian 

Parents: Command Sgt. Maj. Alan and 

Sandra Hummel 

GPA: 3.953 

Academic Awards: California Scholarship 

Federation, Superintendent’s Award of 

Excellence, Outstanding Social Studies Student, 

United States Marine Corps Scholastic 

Excellence Award, Baylor’s President’s Gold 

Academic Scholarship 

Extracurricular Activities: Mathletes and 

Club Fusion 

Community Service: Peer Tutoring at Silver 

Valley High School 

College/Career Plans: I will be attending 

Baylor University in Waco, Texas and will work 

toward a bachelor of arts in psychology. 

Advice to Class of 2009: Keep a planner of 

all your application and scholarship deadlines. 

Keep all of your essays, applications, paperwork 

and letters organized, so you can easily get them 

together and mailed off. 

Crump, Dayshell 

De La Vega, Lucia 

Deimler, Rebecca 

CSF Gold Seal Bearer 


Barstow Optimist Club-$500 

Diaz, Maria 

Dodrill, Christopher 

Earl-Flowers, Jimmy 

Echeverria, Nathan 

Enderle, Scott 

Estes, Jessica 

Gaitan, Jaime 

Garcia, Brittany 

Garcia, Lorraine 

Gonzales, Anastasia 

Gonzalez Rivera, Jonathan 

Grant, Joshua 

Gueits, Jacob 

Hansen, Timothy 

Hardiman, Leona 

Harper, Darshan 

Harris, Parker 

Barstow Optimist Club-$500 



Hemphill, Cory 

Hernandez, Richard 

Hoffman, Mark 

Hollingsworth, Autumn 

Hummel, Venee 

Valedictorian 




Scholastic Excellence Award 

Social Studies Award 



Silver Valley High School 

Class of 2008 Graduates 

Kylie Negin, Salutatorian 

Parents: Lt. Col. Jonathan Negin and Starla 

Negin 

GPA: 3.875 

Academic Awards: California Scholarship 

Federation Gold Seal Bearer, Portfolio Honors, 

English Department Award, Distinguished 

Athlete Award, Association of the United States 

Army Award, CIF Award, Superintendent’s 

Award of Excellence, Silver Valley Unified School 

District Student of the Year, Salutatorian 

Extracurricular Activities: Varsity Softball, 

Mathletes, Soccer, Jazz Band, Marching/Concert 

Band 

Community Service: Strategic Planning for 

Silver Valley Unified School District, School 

Site Council President, Club Fusion 

College/Career Plans: I plan to attend 

UC Davis in the fall in hopes of becoming a 

doctor. 

Advice to Class of 2009: Don’t take your 

senior year for granted. 

Hurley, Sydney 




Imai, Nicholas 

Johnson, Xavier 

Keck, Alexander 

Kimble, Jessica 

Klenk, Kylie 

Koehler, Gregory 

Lambing, Evan 

Lauretta, Candice 

Lockridge, Jessica 

Lute, Joshua 

Music Award 

Marquez, Venisha 

Marshall, Kimberly 

Sons of the American Legion Yermo 

Post 797-$200 

Kiwanis Club of Barstow-$500 

Knights of Columbus-$250 

Martinez, Ryan 

McCampbell, Leslie 

Menard, Joseph 

Monroy, Milagros 

Montgomery, Jordan 

Moore, Thomas 


American Business Women’s 

Association-$2000 

Newberry Springs Chamber of 

Commerce-$200 

Kiwanis Club of Barstow-$500 


Army-$2000 


Science Award 

Negin, Kylie 

Salutatorian 


2008 CIF/Farmers Scholar-Athlete 

of the Year 


Army-$1500 


Distinguished Athlete Award 




SVUSD High School Student of the 

Year 

Language Arts Award 

Nelson, Justin 

Niesen, Joshua 

O’Brien, Lisa 

Olaveson, Adam 

Orawczyk, Sarah 

Barstow Women’s Club-$1000 

Barstow Emblem Club #311-$500 

Ortiz, Carlos 

Payne, David 

Valedictorian 



Commerce-$200 


Math Award 

Pemberton, Leah 

Perez, Karen 

Perkey, Brandi 

Pina, Myra 

Pizzitola, Cory 

Porter, Jamarkus 

Quitugua, Gabriel 

Ramos, Justin 

Rauschkolb, Benedict 

Raymore, David 

Reese, Michael 


May 29, 2008 

13 

Reynolds, Allison 

United States Marine Corps Semper 

Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence 



Rhodes, LaQuennton 

Rivera, Nestor 

Romero, Starra 

Rosencrans, Randy 

Royalty, Nicole 


Commerce-$200 

Silver Valley Education Association- 

$200 

Schooler, Isaac 

Shropshire, Christian 

Snyder, Richard 

Styles, Casandra 

Sullivan, Megan 

Preceptor Gamma Chapter of Beta 

Sigma Phi-$100 

Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete 

Silver Valley Education Association- 

$200 

Thomas, Tatyana 



Tims, Timothy 

Tinajero, Lilia 

Valadez, Justine 

Walker, Tacara 

American Legion Auxiliary Post 

751-$500 

Wheeler, Kayla 

Williams, Adolfo 

Williams, Aranda 

Yniguez, Victoria 

Zamora, Lorenzo 

Zuniga, Geovany 

Class of 2008 Valedictorians, Salutatorian 

Fort Irwin’s Venee Hummel was named one of two valedictorians of Silver Valley High School’s Class of 2008, along with David Payne; and Fort Irwin’s Kylie Negin was named class salutatorian. 

Venee Hummel Kylie Negin 


14 


May 29, 2008 

Garrison, from page 1 

MEDDAC, from page 1 


Photo by John M. Wagstaffe 


(Above) Col. Christopher Philbrick, outgoing 

garrison commander, speaks during the U.S. 

Army Garrison, Fort Irwin, change-of-command 

ceremony May 23 at the Sandy Basin 

Community Center. 

(Left) Col. Jim Chevallier, incoming garrison 

commander, speaks at the podium during 

the U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Irwin, changeof-command 

ceremony May 23 at the Sandy 

Basin Community Center. 

Photos by Richard Mattox 

(Above) Col. Margaret Bates, outgoing MED- 

DAC commander, speaks during the MEDDAC 

change-of-command ceremony May 23 at the 

Physical Fitness Center 

(Left) Col. Judith Bock, incoming MEDDAC 

commander, accepts the colors from Brig. 

Gen. Sheila R. Baxter, Western Regional Medical 

Command, during the MEDDAC changeof-command 

ceremony May 23 at the Physical 

Fitness Center.


May 29, 2008 

15 



16 May 29, 2008 

Embroidery machine 

Zoraida Danieles, an employee at Bradley’s Monograms on Langford 

Lake Road, uses a computerized embroidery machine May 23 

to sew letters onto uniform patches. 

Motorcycle safety class 

Cheryl Westfall, an instructor with the Army Traffic Safety Program, 

teaches a motorcycle safety class May 23. With her are (left to right) Staff 

Sgt. Vong Serey, Sgt. Joseph Gagnier and Thomas Root. 



Asian Pacific heritage 

Photo by John M. Wagstaffe 

The Somoa-Mo-Somoa dance troupe performs May 21 at Ingalls Recreation Center in celebration 

of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. 

Photo by Richard Mattox


May 29, 2008 

17 


18 


May 29, 2008 

Macaspac wins his second All-Army Chess Championship 

By Tim Hipps 

FMWRC Public Affairs 

FORT MYER, Va. — First Lt. Arthur Macaspac honed his game 

by playing tournaments at New York’s renowned Marshall 

Chess Club and won his second crown in the All-Army Chess 

hampionships May 11–16 at Fort Myer Community Center. 

Macaspac, 34, a New Jersey Army National Guardsman, won 

0 matches and settled for a draw in his final game to win the sixay 

tournament with 10.5 points. 

Sgt. Chris Drake, 36, of Fort Bragg, N.C., was the runner-up 

ith nine points, followed by Capt. Chris Pitts, 44, of Fort Bliss, 

exas, with 8.5. 

Spc. Jhonel Baniel of Landstuhl, Germany; Sgt. Darryl West 

f Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; and Pfc. Christopher King of Camp 

asey, South Korea, rounded out the top six players, who are all 

cheduled to represent the Army in the 2008 Armed Forces Chess 

hampionships June 9-13 at the Desert Lightning Community 

enter on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. 

Macaspac also won the Army Family and Morale, Welfare 

nd Recreation Command-sponsored tournament in 2006 and 

nished runner-up to seven-time All-Army champion Staff Sgt. 

udy Tia Jr. in 2007. 

Having already played in more than 20 tournaments this 

ear as a member of the Marshall Chess Club in New York City, 

acaspac said he was sharper than ever before for the All-Army 

hampionships. 

“Practice was the key to winning here,” Macaspac said. “Since I 


See Chess, page 19 

Photo by Tim Hipps 

New Jersey Army National Guard 1st Lt. Arthur Macaspac plays to a draw against Sgt. Darryl West of Camp 

Arifjan, Kuwait, in their final match of the 2008 All-Army Chess Championships May 16 at the Fort Myer (Va.) 

Community Club. Macaspac posted 10 victories and one draw to win his second All-Army crown. West finished 

fifth in the weeklong tournament.

Chess, from page 18 

left active duty, I moved to Union, New Jersey 

— very close to New York, which is the center 

of chess in the United States — so I’ve been able 

to play once or twice a week in good tournaments 

against a lot of strong players.” 

Macaspac, who is scheduled to deploy to 

Iraq in August, also finished runner-up to 

Drake in the speed-chess competition. 

“This is a nice TDY,” Macaspac said. “Kris 

D’Alessandro, the tournament coordinator, 

really helped me. Without him, I don’t think 

I could play here because the National Guard 

is not aware of this tournament.” 

Drake, a member of the Fayetteville (N.C.) 

Chess Club, finished fourth in the All-Army 

Championships in 2006 but missed the tournament 

last year while deployed in Iraq, where he 

managed to play only about five games. 

“Arthur is a very solid player,” said Drake, 

whose only loss in the 2008 All-Army Championships 

came at the hands of Macaspac. “If 

you make a small mistake, he’s going to take 

advantage of it and punish you for it.” 

Macaspac thought Drake played right into 

his game plan. 

“He played passively,” Macaspac said. “He 

could have defended a pawn, but I think he 

overlooked it, and then I managed to grab a 

pawn. Normally, if I have a pawn advantage, 

I’m able to convert it to a winning game. It 

was just a small mistake on his part, but it was 

critical for me to win the game.” 

Drake agreed. 

“That’s what happened in our game,” he 

said. “I made a slight error. I put my rook on the 

wrong square, and he punished me for it. But 

I’m really happy that I get a chance to continue 

on to the inter-service championships and play 

chess for the Army. That’s awesome. 

“I’m grateful that my unit would release 

me from our daily responsibilities to let me 

come play chess. We are at a time of war and 

our unit does have a tremendous amount of 

work that we have to do, so I feel grateful that 

they let me come and participate …. I think 

the unit recognizes the importance of MWR 

and making sure that they work with MWR 

to keep the Soldiers happy, because we are on 

a rapid deployment schedule.” 

Macaspac was the only player in last year’s 

tournament who defeated Tia, but a setback at the 

hands of Pitts knocked him into second place. 

“I had a chance to avenge myself this year,” 

said Macaspac, who defeated Pitts in the sixth 

round. “I think he miscalculated and lost the 

center pawn. After that pawn disappeared in 

the middle, I had a strong center. From then on, 

it was easy development for me and eventually 

his position just fell.” 

Pitts, a nine-time participant in the All- 

Army Chess Championships, improved upon 

his fourth-place finishes of 1997 and 2007 

despite losing to Macaspac and Drake. 

“I’m always close,” said Pitts, who noted the 

absences of All-Army regulars Lt. Col. David 

Hater, Maj. Michael Cerezo and Tia, who 

might return next year. “This year, I focused a 

lot more and the competition was not as stiff 

as it has been in the past. I made sure of all my 

moves and took my time. I was patient.” 

Pitts, however, may have let a golden opportunity 

escape. 

“I’m upset because I thought I could have 

done better,” he said. “I have won and drawn 

against Arthur before, but against him and 

Chris, I went for wins — and I lost both matches. 

Against Drake, it was pretty much a deadeven 

game but I miscalculated a combination. 

Had I won those two games, I would’ve been 

sitting here as the champ instead of the chump. 

But I went for it. I tried to win them all.” 

Regardless of his final place in the tournament, 

Pitts, who has deployed to Iraq, Kuwait 

and Afghanistan, felt fortunate to be back in 

the tournament. 


May 29, 2008 

19 

“It’s good to get away from the job,” he 

said. “It’s good that you get to compete to test 

yourself against the Army’s best and just see 

how good you are. If you’re a competitor, you 

love this type of thing. I love to compete. 

“Being in the combat zone, you’re away 

from family, you’re away from friends, and 

you’re in hostile environments. When you 

come back home, you appreciate what you’re 

over there fighting for better, because you know 

that those people back home are reaping the 

benefits of your frustrations and your courage 

and your time being taken away from your family 

— so you’re sacrificing for a greater good. 

You’re only one person but you’re one person 

taking care of multiple families.” 

Pitts then tipped his hat to Army MWR. 

“The accommodations are great,” he said of 

the weeklong tournament. “Kris and (tournament 

director) Ron (Braud) run a tremendous 

tournament. They take care of us and make it 

soothing. It’s really a great environment. The 

years (of the tournament) that I did miss, I do 

regret. I missed them only because I chose not to 

come, but in the long run it paid off because I was 

going to school and concentrating on different 

things, and I ended up getting commissioned. So 

I sacrificed for the greater good in that case, too. 

I’m always sacrificing, one way or the other.”

THE HIGH DESERT WARRIOR - Aerotech News and Review

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