Blog Posts tagged with "Quality of Life"

What’s your B.H.A.G.? What were our Big Hairy Audacious Goals? Did we define our B.H.A.Gs? Did we meet them?

After a fast-paced week of meetings and events, the 2011 EUCOM Quality of Life Conference wrapped up Thursday on a positive note. Several senior leaders on hand to hear the final briefs and recommendations of working group delegates. Thirty-five delegates representing all five component services and eleven Healthy Living Initiative stakeholders from agencies such as Chaplain Services, Department of Defense Dependent Schools-Europe (DoDDS-E), Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and the base and post exchanges, spent the week in deep and sometimes heated discussion on important issues involving the quality of life of our Service members and their families. The mission of the working groups was to look at current quality of life programs across the Department of Defense, identify redundancies and make informed recommendations to senior leadership which programs should be enhanced, sustained, and in some cases, discontinued.

Facilitator Carrie Shult led a lively and productive discussion about Healthy Lifestyles Initiatives in the Health of the Force and Family working group. They were charged to define the Healthy Lifestyles Initiative and provide a communication and marketing plan. They decided:

• “HLI is not a program;” It is a positive, collaborative campaign which markets through existing programs and partnerships.
• “HLI is not duplication;” It promotes and enhances existing programs.

During the conference, the group filmed several PSAs for healthy living, and wrote an additional PSA to be presented to the First Lady, Michelle Obama, for filming. The EUCOM Commander, Admiral Jim Stavridis, and his family have already endorsed the Healthy Living, Stronger Together Initiative and Logo through several public service announcements currently running on the Armed Forces Network.

The remaining three working groups were at full throttle from conference start to finish. The Service and Family Member Working Group, facilitated by Frank Battistelli, represented a very diverse demographic population stationed across Germany, Italy, Turkey, and the UK. This group explored issues involving housing referrals and assignment processes, and expanding childcare services and counseling services to support family readiness.

The Remote and Outlier Working Group, facilitated by Eric Damm, drew individuals from locations ranging from Azerbaijan to Turkey and from military communities ranging in size from 4 to 4000. The group discussed programs such as the virtual High School, Army Spouse Employment Program, and the Spouse Fit for Life initiative, and found they have real potential to improve QoL for remote and outlying military communities.

The Single and Unaccompanied Service Member Working Group, facilitated by Sandra Schlosser tackled issues with inconsistencies across the services involving overcrowding and inadequate unaccompanied housing assignments.

EUCOM’s Fleet Master Chief Roy Maddocks wrapped up the conference by thanking all the participants and presenting some with challenge coins – a true honor for those familitary with this military custom . In his closing remarks he pointed out that our most precious assets and valuable resources are our people. With all that is expected of our forces today, quality of life plays a vital role in our national security.

Maddocks reminded us of some of the successes from past quality of life conferenceslike the stigma attached to seeking mental healthcare which was addressed during the 2009 conference; top leadership recognized this as real problem affecting our service members and their families, and have made it a priority to remove the stigma and encourage members to seek the help they need.

Now that the conference has come to a close, we can reflect on what we have learned about quality of life. With all the budget constraints and across the board cuts, quality of life programs are in jeopardy of falling by the wayside, or becoming inadequate.

Dep. Asst. Sec. of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, Mr. Robert L Gordon III’s question from the beginning of the conference was: What are our Big Hairy Audacious Goals? Our B.H.A.G. is to sutain and enhance our best quality of life programs through joint efforts and public and private sector partnerships. As far as meeting this goal, it is a continuing effort that starts with leadership, but involves us all.

Captain Deanna G. Goudeau
Air Force IMA
HQ EUCOM QoL Staff Support

What are our Big Hairy Audacious Goals? Hopefully, Robert L. Gordon III’s question will be answered by the end of the European Command’s Quality of Life Conference happening this week.

During his brief to conference delegates and attendees, Gordon, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, focused on four key priorities for support and care of military families, which can be found in Presidential Study Directive #9. The priorities include enhancing the overall well-being and psychological health of the military family; ensuring excellence in military children’s education and their development; developing career and educational opportunities for military spouses; and increasing childcare availability and quality for the Armed Forces.

I joined more than 130 participants for the 2011 conference kick off Monday as Gordon and several members of top EUCOM leadership as well as distinguished visitors from the Defense Department addressed the need for good quality of life programs, but also stressing the fiscal challenges of sustaining and maintaining many of these programs.

European Command’s Quality of life Conference is a proven method to hear the unvarnished community voice first hand. Since 2004, we have hosted more than 240 delegates -- community members who help manage expectations upon return to home station. They become peer ambassadors for change.

Focusing this year on sustaining and enhancing, our conference objectives changed slightly to consider a future of constrained resources; review goods and services with a sustain and enhance program value theme; and seek greater service, interagency, private sector and host nation collaboration and synergy in the joint environment.

We were joined via pre-recorded message by Adm. James Stavridis, EUCOM commander, who welcomed the attendees and issued two challenges to participants. He challenged us to first look jointly across the services at how we can work together at what we can do to create holistic coverage in the European Command. Second, we should look at how the public sector can connect with the private sector to enhance current quality of life programs.

Rear Adm. Charlie Martoglio, the EUCOM chief of staff, set the scene with how quality of life fit in with our National Security Strategy. He explained how shared awareness between agencies helps to better apply our resources to help sustain and enhance our quality of life programs. He charged the delegates to review programs for applicability in today’s environment considering program worth and seek redundancies for elimination; and develop ideas to enhance scalability, common standards, joint applicability, self help/wellness, host nation participation, expectation management – all while accommodating uncertainty.

Col. Michael Godfrey, EUCOM J1 director, followed with the Conference Flow and Action Plan review for the QoL Executive Steering Committee. This select group of senior leaders from each of the components focuses their discussions on programs and resources we currently have. They define the programs and services of value, look for overlap, and seek out joint ventures and greater host nation programs.

Our two speakers from back in Washington, D.C. , addressed issues facing the EUCOM and larger community. Assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Honorable Thomas Lamont added important information on suicide prevention and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The rest of the conference this week will be filled with concept briefs; hours of working group sessions; Executive Steering Committee meetings; and distinguished visitor and senior spouse engagements. The four working groups are Remote and Outlier; Service and Family Member; Single/Unaccompanied Service Members; and Health of the Force and Family. Between these four groups of delegates -- representing all component services -- and the Executive Steering Committee, I expect this to be a very productive week.

We wrap things up tomorrow, so I hope to have some good news to report!

Captain Deanna G. Goudeau
Air Force IMA
HQ EUCOM QoL Staff Support

When I was selected to participate in the Quality of Life Conference, I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect. After arriving here at the conference, I was very surprised at the relaxing, yet passionate atmosphere I experienced. I was placed in the Community Services I Group. My group was very energetic, enthusiastic and full of really great ideas. There were times of strong disagreements, but we were always able to come to a conclusion that was beneficial to all of EUCOM.

Voices from this conference will be heard! I was not aware of all of the ideas for changes that generate from conferences such as the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill transferability. I really feel that the ideas we brought to the attention of leadership at this year’s conference will help make a great and much needed change within EUCOM. Being at this conference and being part of something that may help generations to come is truly a great feeling.

Overall, it would be my honor and privilege to return to this conference in the future to help be the voice for our service members.

Conferences such as these show that our military is not complacent on its procedures, but rather open and accepting to change to help create a better Quality of Life for our service members and their family members.

Air Force Senior Airman Krystal L. Kidnocker
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany

Hello everyone. Day three of the Quality of Life Conference has all but come to an end. Focus groups have met for their final session as they put the finishing touches to their presentations.

What should have been a pretty smooth morning, only turned upside down. My focus group, Health of the Force received shocking news that one of our top two topics to be address this afternoon, needed to be rebuilt from the ground up. It was back to the butcher board. Despite some remaining conflicting points of view, it was thanks to our groups amazing negotiating and team skills that we were able to revitalize the topic we felt most passionate about presenting. That is the beauty of being a part of this process. Despite the difference of views and opinion, the bottom line is we are here for the benefit of our community.

Part of the agenda for the day was also to help prepare their representing speaker for this afternoon’s Q&A. Our representing speaker, Brian Hardy was grilled amongst our group to help him prepare for this afternoon as well as for the closing briefing tomorrow. This will be our group’s opportunity for our issues to be address, so the voices of the military community can be heard.

Even though there is still this evening’s Banquet event, I will say good bye for now. Thank you to everyone who has participated this week. Unit next time.

Army Sergeant Rebecca J. Tauber
12TH Combat Aviation Brigade
Ansbach, Germany

This is my first time attending a Quality of Life (QoL) Conference, but what an opportunity it has been for me. This conference has enabled me to express so many morale issues that affect my location. As a secondary effect, I was able to interact with members of other services and align my issues with these sister services to create a joint or “purple” problem.

I want to express how excited I am that one of our focus group’s top two issues has been addressed which currently affects me, my family and so many others across the force. Attention has been brought to the poor medical screening process for family members with special needs prior to a PCS. All too often families with special needs are going to locations where medical treatment facilities are not capable of supporting them.

This is a service wide problem where families are slipping through the cracks. This issue being addressed has given me, personally, a ray of hope for an improvement process where families will be adequately cared for based on the capabilities provided from each location.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Cole
Volkel Air Base, Netherlands

The life that a man or woman experiences while serving in the military is often one of sacrifice, hardship and honor. A normal day is often long and stressful. Families aren't perfect outside the military and they are no different inside except the normal stressors on a military family are extraordinary. Families break all the time. Some breaks are permanent, some temporary, some caused by the stressors of a military life. Now throw in deployments to overseas locations where families cope with strong cultural challenges, language barriers, and being a thousand miles from their own homeland. Now we have to throw 9 years of combat operations into the mix. Deployments mean more sacrifice, hardship and places fragile families in danger of breaking and solid families endure loneliness, depression and loss of intimacy.

How do we do it? How do families survive intact? How does a service member come home after long separations under harsh conditions and perhaps with battle fatigue, now called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), thrown into the mix? How does a father come home and hold his daughter again or listen quietly to his wife talking about her day; how does a mom come home and retake her role as mom. How do the children cope at home, at school on the playground? How lonely might it be for the single soldier coming home to a barracks room? All the while the future appears to hold fast to an appetite for even more deployments and combat operations.

Do we just ignore it and hope for the best? Do we create check the block programs that make might make some leaders sleep better knowing that they put money into a program that seems to address the issue of the day ... Or do we listen and think and work and develop a plan that addresses these issues, tenaciously follows the flight of each one until we conclusively and satisfactorily bring these issues into the light of day, and work them at all levels and with all military departments and if necessary through OSD and into the halls of Congress.

Well that's what's happening in Garmisch this week as delegates from around the European theater push through the fog of war and bureaucracy and emerge with tangible deliverable issues and recommendations for the EUCOM and Service Component Leadership to take on in the months and years ahead. It is the EUCOM annual Quality of Life Conference and it developed issues raised by the grass root delegates.

This precious conference is unique to Department of Defense; no other COCOM has a comparable program. It has had many past victories that support the health and welfare of our forces, and our families and many yet to come.

Army COL Michael Godfrey
Director, ECJ1 (Manpower, Personnel and Administration)

This is it …. the big day, after the delegate outbriefs with the senior leaders the “Top 10” will be revealed in order of priority. The priority was determined by the Executive Steering Committee (ECS) who voted on the order of precedence on the issues presented yesterday.

Ok, for those of you who were paying attention and can count are probably thinking … if there were only 4 focus groups, how can there be a “Top 10." One can say a lot about the Texas educational system, but it did teach me that 4 times 2 does not equal 10. So the additional 2 issues came from The European Strategy Conference, which focuses on remote Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) areas, held last week in Ramstein, Germany.

Before I reveal the “Top 10” I want to say that everyone did a wonderful job at this conference. The facilitators and the delegates worked hard to produce their top 2 issues, the Subject Matter Experts provided valued information to the focus groups and the senior leaders provided their knowledge and years of experience to the delegates by listening and providing feedback on the issues.

I would also like to acknowledge the individuals who without their dedication and focus, this year’s QoL conference would not have been a success. Individuals from QoL, Information Technology, Graphics, Plans and Policy, Protocol, and Action Officers from each component made this happen.

I was there when the chaos was happening; last minute changes; computers going down; miscommunication; reprints of various items, and unhappy individuals complaining about something or another. I know they wanted to pull their hair out numerous times, but you know what ... they kept their composure, stayed professional, kept it moving and made it happen. Kudos to them !!!!!!!

Now for the “Top 10”
1. Establish a joint medical Permanent Change of Station (PCS) review process for exception family members.
2. Establish a joint campaign of change to educate the community and influence healthy eating options.
3. Establish a joint policy that closes that benefit gap between Continental United States (CONUS) and overseas (OCONUS) surviving spouces.
4. Increase awareness of DoDDS transfer policies regarding credits and diplomas.
5. Establish a joint EUCOM teen panel.
6. Fund a second privately owned vehicle shipment for those who execute a PCS overseas.
7. Expand the vision services element of the TRICARE contract overseas.
8. Provide personal interactive spouse language training for ODC.
9. Develop a joint Causality Assistance Program.
10. Procure annual gym memberships for family members and Department of Defense civilians assigned to ODC postings.

You know I almost forgot to mention ... last night was the QoL banquet which was very entertaining. The Air Force Band, Direct Hit, performed hits from the 60’s to today. I didn’t get the 60’s songs, but I knew the 70’s songs ... hey it was disco and no matter your age, who doesn’t know K.C. and the Sunshine band hit Get Down Tonight and I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

Then the IPods came out. All I have to say about that is ... who says senior leaders don’t know how to “Get Low."

Well that’s it for this year’s QoL conference … see you next year.

Army Capt. Elizabeth M. Griffith
U.S. European Command Public Affairs

As a social worker, who has worked for so many years in the civilian sector, I am always amazed at how well the military tries to take care of its soldiers and families. If only the rest of the people in the U.S. had access to some of the wonderful programs designed to support and enhance families and their quality of life. I have been at the Quality of Life Conference here in Garmisch since Monday, and have been impressed and moved by the enthusiasm, true caring, and willingness to help that the military has for the people who dedicate their lives to our country.

Today, I sat in on a brain-storming session for the POWER program, Providing Outreach While Enhancing Readiness. As a POWER trainer, it was wonderful to hear both the problems that people are having trying to use this wonderful tool, and the agreement about the need for the program. The military recognizes how much all the caregivers need help to prevent burnout. What is less clear for our military leaders may be who these caregivers are. It includes spouses, FRG leaders, and providers, but it also includes the service members themselves.

I think this program could be used for everyone, and could help a very broad spectrum of both civilians and military personnel. The other issue is how to keep the program going forward in a time when there are fewer resources and even less time available to us all. I hope we can find a way to use this tool, and carry it out to the people who need it.

I am grateful for this forum, and grateful for the time I have been given to participate in this conference.

Priscilla Fleischer, Ph.D., LCSW
Family Advocacy Program Manager, ACS
Hohenfels, Germany

Garmisch is known for its skiing and leisure options but little do most people know that in the lower conference rooms of the Edelweisse Lodge and Resort Quality of Life (QoL) issues are being battled out. I did not know what was in store for me when I was selected to attend the QoL 2010 conference. I knew the meaning of the term quality of life but I did not know how concerned military officials were with it. Much to my amazement, military officials seriously care about issues affecting our service members and their families.

We spent our first few hours of the conference listening to high ranking officials talking about the impact we were going to make by attending this conference and representing the heart and soul of the EUCOM family. We then spent several hours behind closed doors in small work groups trying to determine our top ten issues; it was not an easy task by any means. We had an infinity wall system covered in sticky notes that voiced issues we felt were important. By the end of our day we had boiled down almost 200 issues down to the top ten we wanted to represent our group.

The second day started with a feeling of anticipation. Our group was eager to hear the news of the top two issues selected from our top 10 that the steering committee wanted us to focus on. We were ecstatic when we heard the news that we were covering two issues that were near and dear to our hearts. We worked hard to find supporting information and statistics that would further our concerns and push our issues. We took full advantage of the subject matter experts and our facilitator. They were a wealth of knowledge and helped us to prepare our issue papers for the top two issues.

I look forward to what the future holds for this conference. It has been an amazing adventure. I cannot wait to see the results of our top issues and the impact they will have. I highly recommend this conference to leaders, service members and family members. I love the fact that it is not a single service conference. We are truly thinking purple in our actions. The fighting force of family members, civilians and service members banding together to improve the Quality of Life for our EUCOM family is amazing.

Christina Maxwell
Family Readiness Support Assistant
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
Landstuhl, Germany

We walked in this morning and discovered the two issues that we were to work (out of the original 10). The morning started off passionately, with many of us referring to the current practices of our own branches. Our first issue of the day was a purple training school to standardize casualty assistance officers and how to care for the joint military community overseas.

As we worked through the descriptions of the mentioned problem, the active duty members and spouses in our group stepped into situations that none of us want to face. The curtain that is always present was pulled away as we thought about and discussed what our service members and their families (spouses, next of kin, etc) go through, emotionally and mentally, during times of great loss.

We all stepped out of our comfort zones to find ways in which we can further train and provide a more consistent and compassionate net to catch our families when the death of a loved one sends them into an inevitable free fall.

It is our hope to better serve those who serve alongside us.

Laura McVay
Community Service II Delegate

Today was a very productive day for the ‘Distractonators;’ we were very busy focusing on our focus papers issues. Our main product became Young Adults (High School Students) being able to put out their voices and getting an echo back, rather than what the adult supervisors deciding what they will do. We defined the young adult opinions as a whisper rather than a voice.

As a group we collectively created a program to eliminate the adult ‘middle man’ process resulting in what we are interested in being expressed. This program, if allotted the five year requested trial program, is expected by the young adult delegates to directly reduce the amount of at-risk behavior.

The second discussion issue was about DoDEA accepting credits, when we were then informed that there was already a process for transferring students’ credit acceptance. Hopefully our outcome will be able to reduce many different levels within the high school setting on the ultimate road to graduation.

Personally we had a great accomplishment within our group today on a special case. One of the delegates in our focus group, a few years ago as a senior in Louisiana, became very sick. Her family then had to move to a new school system where the DODDEA system did not identify the policy of transferring credits. She had to retake classes, setting her back on getting a diploma, and today she turned 20. Mr. Toth, a DoDEA representative, heard her situation, was astounded, got a copy of her transcript and now she is going to be taken out of her access classes and possibly be allowed to graduate at the end of this year.

Together we feel very accomplished and believe that we will be able to convey the issues and improve in our areas now. I’m excited about the accomplishments ahead.

Brannon Niblock
MARFOREUR Teen Delegate

Hello everyone, another day to get down to business. The mission for our group today was to take our top ten issues from yesterday, and pin point which top two issues would be our priority to address during tomorrows briefing. I will not give away any clues. However rest assured, the voice of military service members as well as their family members have been heard.

Commencing early this morning, our focus group quickly began working together to further deepen what issues we were attempting to address. By discussing amongst ourselves details such as Describe the Problem; what is the desired outcome; stating the Recommendation for achieving desired outcome; stating the Limitations to carry out recommendations or achieving desired outcome. As with any discussion, questions did come up amongst group members. Even small disagreements as to, were our top issues necessarily the most important to address.

Many issues we face today seem to revolve around the common question. Where is the loss of communication between the service member families and the information they need for their benefit? With the help of our Subject Matter Experts, the focus group for the Health of the Force was able to fully detail the key issues that were felt to be the most important to the health and welfare to our military community. After all, that is why we all came together this week.

It’s not to reinvent the wheel but to help make the wheel more effective for everyone. Again with the stickies, which turned into the butcher board which would transform into a outstanding final product. Not to forget our group was so dedicated to ensuring everything was perfect, that we all worked during lunch.

Being a part of this conference has definitely turned out to be an amazing learning experience. I am looking forward to see how the rest of the week turns out. Mixing together the difference of views can sometimes be the best medicine. Until tomorrow.

Army Sgt. Rebecca J. Tauber
12th Combat Aviation Brigade
Ansbach, Germany

I am sitting here surrounded by the beautiful mountains in Garmisch and am in complete awe of everything around me. Not just the scenery, but of all the amazing folks that have come together for this Quality of Life Conference to effect change across the military. I mean, really – who can say they get this opportunity to let their voice be heard at this level? And not only be heard, but actually make suggestions to affect real change. The things I’ve seen on the agenda are astounding.

I am here not as a delegate, not as an observer or even as a Subject Matter Expert, aka the SME… but here because I belong to the P.O.W.E.R. Group – a program that was put into place based on the needs expressed from attendees at conferences just like this!

Providing Outreach While Enhancing Readiness is a program based on compassion fatigue, or caring for the caregiver – and to be invited to see Quality of Life issues being discussed, and talked about so passionately by service members, family members, teens and leaders all together working for common goals, really helps me see just how much EUCOM is really trying to improve and encourage our QOL issues to be addressed and resolved.

I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the high school students here – they are energetic and excited about what they are doing! They are fully engaged and very much verbally enthusiastic about their role here … then again, that’s teens! It also reminds me of my days as a military dependent teen and how far they have come from the early ninety’s when I was in their shoes. (Did I really just tell you how old I am?)

I am also encouraged as a military spouse, married to a Combat Arms Soldier, by what I’ve been hearing since arriving two days ago. The changes that were talked about by some of our key note speakers – such as non-chargeable R&R leave, the reworking of the possibilities of cashing out use or lose leave options, and the one that caught my attention the most – the possibility of FRGs being allowed to fundraise off-installation – are real things, things that will be felt across the board at the grass-root level by all service members, all family members across the “purple” communities.

I also learned quite a bit in a session today about the options Military One Source/Home Front offers. As an Army Community Service employee, I know the basics – they offer counseling and education and help for deployments. But the scope in which they provide services is truly phenomenal! There is so much there that I can take back to my installation and show off – and I love to show off what the military is doing for their Family.

And, as a side note, I must say that this is one of the most well-organized conferences I’ve been to in a while. My job allows me to go and play … I mean work … at conferences on occasion and I have to say this one has been outstanding so far. Everything is moving quite smoothly and everyone knows exactly what they are doing! Imagine that! And, you know, it doesn’t hurt to be here at Edelweiss to experience the beauty of the area, the beauty of the passion I see here in everyone and the beauty of what will certainly be accomplished by this week’s events.

Nicole Heller
Army Community Services, Mobilization & Deployment Specialist
P.O.W.E.R. Facilitator
USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany

The four focus groups, Health of the Force, Community Service I and II, and the Youth/Teen Dependent Education, have worked hard for the last four days. It has been an interesting experience for me. I have had an opportunity to sit in on a couple of the focus groups and on every occasion everyone was highly engaged in the discussions and very passionate about every issue.

Today was the rehearsal before the real test tomorrow which will be presenting their issues to the EUCOM Component Commanders. Representatives from each focus group presented their two issues to the executive steering committee (ECS). The ECS was made up of representatives from manpower, personnel and administrations from each component, and the senior enlisted leaders from each component. Army Col. Michael Godfrey and Navy Fleet Master Chief Roy Maddocks co-chaired the ECS.

It was evident how hard each group worked to come up with their top two issues. With no surprise, each issue presented ensued questions from members of the ECS, but each representative stood strong and gave passionate and factual responses to the ECS members’ questions.

All of the issues presented were important but Shawn Conderman, from the Youth/Teen Dependent Education group, captured everyone’s attention. He talked about a 20 year old, who due to the lack of awareness of the credit transfer policy or incompetence, is classified as a junior in high school. When I first heard that, I was shocked and a little disturbed by the fact that this young woman, through no fault of her own, was a junior in high school.

Thankfully, she attended this conference which allowed her to connect with a Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) representative who, from what I hear, will be able to work with her to resolve her issue. There definitely needs to be some type of changes made, I’m not sure what, but something needs change. Brining this type of issue to light is exactly what the conference is all about.

Tomorrow is the big day for the focus groups; they deal with the “big wigs” tomorrow. Based on their showing today, I’m sure they will represent their groups well.

Well tomorrow will mark the official presentation of the QoL “top 10” and will officially end the QoL’s 2010 conference. It’s been an eye opening experience and I’m glad I was able to share this experience with everyone.

Army Capt. Elizabeth M. Griffith
U.S. European Command Public Affairs

The Quality of Life Conference kicked off bright and early today with a video from the European Command Commander (EUCOM), Adm. James Stravridis. In the video he apologized for not being here but said he was currently in Washington D.C. testifying before congress on our behalf, but he knew everyone there was going to do a great job.

After the video, the Chief of Staff for EUCOM, Army Maj. Gen. John Morgan provided the opening remarks welcoming everyone to the conference…and so it began.

I got a chance to sit in on the opening remarks from several of the guest speakers. Mr. William Carr, Deputy Under Secretary Of Defense Military Personnel Policy, Mr. Thomas Lamont, Assistant Secretary of the Army Manpower & Reserve Affairs, and Ms. Carolyn Stevens, Office of Military Community & Family Police Office of Children & Youth were among the first guest speakers to speak at the conference.

First up was Mr. Carr and he hit on a subject that is near and dear to everyone’s heart overseas….cost of living allowances (COLA). He pretty much summed it up by saying “The number one purpose for COLA is to ensure that your purchasing power is the same as your counterparts stateside, and it’s where it should be”.

Mr. Lamont was up next and what I found interesting about his remarkes was when he said among family members education topped health care and housing. I pulled Mr. Lamont over to the side and asked him about his comment and he said that family members are worried about their children, which is a constant thing, and their education is important to them. Health care, not that it’s not important to family members but unlike education it is an "as you need it" type of thing.

He spoke about the program that allows military members to transfer their G.I. Bill entitlements to their dependents. I personally think this is a great program for several reasons; it addresses their concerns on education and it’s available to reservists as well. For years programs or entitlements were only for active duty personnel but now several programs are becoming available for reservists, who in my opinion, can no longer be considered as just "weekend warriors" and should be entitled to some benefits.

Ms. Carolyn Stevens was last to speak today and she also touched on education as well, reiterating that it was the top concern for family members. She also spoke about the complaints for the need for more childcare facilities overseas. She said those complaints were heard and stressed and since 2008 there have been 15 projects in Europe dedicated to expanding child care centers.

Well in a nut shell, that pretty much sums up the first day of the conference. After the opening remarks everyone was given a break to go to their designated rooms. Now the focus groups will do their thing for the next couple of days and on Thursday we will see the final fruits of their hard labor.

Make sure to keep watch because there will be bloggers from the focus groups posting for the next couple of days. You will get to get a firsthand look at what they are doing in those focus groups.

Army CPT Elizabeth M. Griffith
U.S. European Command Public Affairs

Hi I’m Brannon Niblock and I am a first timer at the QoL Conference in Garmish. As a Teen Representative from MARFOREUR I am a part of the Youth Delegate Crew.

We have nicknamed ourselves the “Distractonators” because of our enthusiastic natures. When I first entered the conference room we had fun little trinkets setting the scene for the “youth” role and our views on school and teen activities Europe wide.

We kicked off the conference with some icebreakers to get to know one another with some random facts, one of which delegates were given a coin and stated something that happened to themselves that year. This morning we started with a mass conference to inform the attendees of certain policies and what key leaders would like to move towards.

In our focus groups we placed our topics on post-its and organized them under categories including DoDDEA, Youth Programs, Sports, and added the subject of transportation. After completing our top ten topics today our group will be enjoying a night at Edelweiss’s Zuggys and meeting the United States Ski team.

Brannon Niblock
Delegate MarForEur Teens

Day one of the quality of life conference went pretty much how I thought it would. An array of issues and excellent observations from large instillations to small were discussed. I was impressed with everyone’s issues and participation; it made the day fly by.

Participation was maximized and real issues were brought to light and narrowed down by what the group (Community Service I) felt was most relevant across the European enterprise. Family issues and support were high on the group’s priority list as was the health of the troops to my pleasure.

Our upbeat and genuinely motivated facilitator kept the group interested and moving forward. An excellent job was done helping us portray or intent on each issue. Already you could feel a sense of accomplishment within the group as our top 10 issues were finalized.
I’m looking forward for tomorrow when we receive our top 2 issues to focus on. It’s a rewarding feeling to know we are making a difference; the only regret is that we are unable to focus on each issue brought up.

Marine Gunnery Sergeant Jamie Glickman
Marine Forces Europe/Africa

Well, I have to say “Welcome" to everyone attending this year’s Quality of Life Conference. I have been in Germany for all of four months and thrilled to be here in the beautiful city of Garmisch. As a new Delegate for the Ansbach community, being a part of EUCOM’s mission for Quality of Life has turned out to be quite an experience.

The Conference officially began on March 7, 2010, beginning with the kick off Ice Breaker. Walking into a room filled with complete strangers can be quite unnerving. However, after making a sample plate, the only thing to do was to pick a table and say “hello.” After all, one of the good things about attending this conference has been the opportunity to meet new people from all the different branches that make up European Command.

Following this morning briefings that began at 8:00 am, I finally met my focus group, “Health of the Force.” During our focus session, we would discuss issues ranging from: Non Medical Issues to Family Readiness Support to the Wounded Warrior Program. After much discussion, a little debate, and the many stickies on the wall, our group consensus was finally ready to produce our top ten issues. These issues will be narrowed down to two issues which will be presented on Thursday to all of the attending EUCOM Senior Leadership.

The outcome of our great debate will have to come on a later date, since there are a few more finishing touches that need to be made before our group representative makes his presentation. Until tomorrow.

Army Sgt. Rebecca J. Tauber
12TH Combat Aviation Brigade
Ansbach, Germany

Grüss Gott from Edelweiss Lodge in the picturesque Bavarian town of Garmisch, Germany. My name is Thomas and I have the wonderful and unique privilege to represent my fellow Airmen and service members at the EUCOM Quality of Life conference. The overarching mission of the conference is to identify “purple” issues, or those who affect the entire European theater for all service members and their families. All delegates have converged here after soliciting and compiling inputs from our local environments in order to elevate the most pertinent concerns.

The diverse combination of personnel here is truly a wonder to behold. This is my first conference of this type and I’m absolutely impressed after just one day! All levels of the chain-of-command are represented here for the entire European theater. My grass-roots voice has the potential to carry to the upper most echelons of leadership. After hearing the opening remarks from last night’s icebreaker social to this morning’s senior leader briefings, I know that I will be heard.

My focus group is focused on Community Services to include entitlements, benefits, legal services, financial services, PCS moves, and much more. We a committed to engaging with each other to prioritize our hardest-hitting issues in a professional and meaningful environment. Already this morning we covered the walls with yellow sticky notes in order to help us get the “big picture.” I can’t wait to get back to the action and engage with the spouses, dependents, active duty, and civilians that comprise my group. Last night we were strangers, but now, we are a “purple” team.

Air Force 1st Lieutenant Thomas G. Lanigan
USAFE, 86 Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

I was at EUCOM for about two months when I heard of a section within EUCOM called Quality of Life (QoL). Now I have to admit, when I first heard of the QoL section, I had no idea what they did let alone what their mission at EUCOM was. In my many years of being in the Army, I have never heard of a section within a command whose main function was improving the quality of life for its military and family members.

Obviously, I had a few questions…what do they do and more importantly, what happens at these conferences? Quite frankly, what is Quality of Life?

After attending various meetings on the preparation for this conference, I still didn’t get it…until I was given the Quality of Life report from 2009. Then I gained an understanding of the importance of this section and the importance of its yearly conference.
On Monday, March 8th, the U.S. European Command will kick off their annual Quality of Life (QoL) Conference. It will concentrate on developing new ideas and solutions to improve the quality of life for EUCOM’s military and family members.

Some of the issues that came out of last year’s conference dealt with access to behavioral/mental health counselors, mental/health care for wounded warriors, teens at risk, behavior awareness and prevention, remote location for OB/GYN travel for family members of uniformed members assigned overseas and cost of living allowances. These are only a few issues that the QoL team is continuously working on to find solutions.

One issue discussed last year brought to light the need to deal with the stigma in dealing with mental health care. No matter how you slice it, everyone knows there is a stigma associated with seeing a mental health specialist. From this issue the Behavioral Health Care Bill of Rights was born, which was a major accomplishment.

This document was developed to help combat that “mental health” stigma and it addresses various other issues associated with seeking mental health care. Admiral James Stavridis, the European Command Commander, and each service component commanders showed their support by signing the document.

Bringing together representatives from each component, various government agencies, and family members, to include teenagers…yes teenagers, is what makes this conference unique. Through their collaboration, what they call a “Top 10” was developed and revealed on the last day of the conference. The Top 10 are the major theater wide QoL issues that they came up with simply by rolling up their sleeves, sitting down and getting to it. I am very interested to see what the top 10 will be for this year.

Well, I am leaving today to get set up for the conference. I, as well as others, will be blogging throughout the conference. Make sure you check out the QoL conference web page on the EUCOM website to get the most up to date information and the latest blog entries.

Army CPT Elizabeth M. Griffith
U.S. European Command Public Affairs

The United States Army Garrison--Stuttgart motto is a good one and says a lot about our community. The Garrison leadership's goal is to have people say "I'm glad I live here." Stuttgart is a wonderful city, and the USAG Stuttgart is a fantastic place to live and serve.

One very important reason for the high Quality of Life in the Stuttgart community is that people who live here give back to their community in many ways through volunteer efforts. Giving to the community positively improves the Quality of Life for all who live and serve here.

Finding a unique way to give something back to the community, this year members of Headquarters EUCOM and the local USAFE Mission Support Squadron participated in Earth Day 2009, April 22, by helping to clean up Patch Barracks in Stuttgart. Led by MSgt Ceci Brandt and CDR Stacy Henderson, these volunteers spent several hours patrolling the streets and work areas on Patch Barracks and picking up about 11 grocery-sized (commissary) bags worth of litter. LeRose restaurant and DeCA donated pizza & water, so kudos to them also for supporting these Earth Day volunteers.

This was a first-ever participation in the Earth Day event for most of these volunteers and military members of Patch Barracks. "It's a small start, but it's an experience that we can now draw from for future Events," said MSgt Brandt. "I hope we can do another project next year other than picking up trash. There are plenty of ideas on the internet, so if you think you've found a good one, please let me know."

This year's Earth Day campaign motto is The Green Generation CampaignTM.  Next year, 2010, is the 40th Anniversay of Earth Day which will also be  marked by The Green Generation CampaignTM. Earth Day 2009 was intended to  be a day of action and civic participation, to defend The Green GenerationTM's core principles.

Wherever the USAG community leaders choose to go from here, community
members can check out 'earthday.net' and find events that may be close to
them...or start their own events and post them so other like-minded citizens
can join in.

COL Phil Smith, US Army
EUCOM J1

I want to acknowledge all the delegates and invited guests who participated in last week’s Quality of Life Conference and thank you for the work you did making a difference in quality of life for Families.

When General Craddock hired me as EUCOM Senior Enlisted Leader three years ago, he laid out four priorities for me. One of them was quality of life for Service members and their Families. A couple years ago at the December 2006 QoL conference, I spoke to the delegates and laid out what I foresaw to be our greatest quality of life challenges. A lot has happened since 2006. As co-chairman of the EUCOM Quality of Life Executive Steering Committee, I’ve seen tremendous diligence as we address issues brought to us from the conferences and resolve them through the QoL Action Plan.

This year’s conference was my third and last. I’m planning to retire in a couple months. As I prepare to leave, there are some concerns I have that I hope my successor and fellow senior enlisted leaders will fight to improve. Some of my primary concerns deal with infrastructure, especially with housing and schools. We also cannot overlook quality of life and services at emerging locations within our theater. Compensation and entitlements is always a big issue with me – every one of us should be paid for the level of work we perform on behalf of this nation. In a joint environment, we must address joint basing policies and standards. We must take care of our Families, but also ensure we have the backs of our single service members, who are about 40% of our force, and minimize distinctions between single and married QoL services.

Likewise, I look to EUCOM leaders and their spouses to continue their hands-on level of involvement in fighting the QoL fight. The conference provides a great forum with diverse participation. Let’s keep this forum going, and keep the grassroots voice and the interaction with senior DoD officials alive. Deployment support is absolutely critical and we must look holistically at the process from start to finish, especially when we look at mental health care and counseling services. Finally, and probably most important – we must challenge the “status quo.” We must never settle for “this is what we’ve always done,” if we know we can do things better. We need to stand up for our people at the highest levels of government. It’s what the good men and women of EUCOM deserve.

Senior leaders must understand the dynamics of the current contemporary operating environment and push for policy changes and resources for quality of life services – it’s important to the Service member and the Family members. We are about our people; they will always be our most precious resource.

The issues we fight for aren’t easy. The solutions may be even harder. But we will fight the good fight on your behalf. Thanks for allowing Kim and me to be quality of life champions on your behalf.

God Speed,
CSM Mark Farley
Senior Enlisted Leader, US European Command

Based on the amount of interest  during the QOL conference in "what assistance is available to Service Members" in the "Economic downturn and Housing issues," the following slides and article are provided for additional information.

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Update on Homeowner's Assistance Program
 

Additional funding for a program to help military personnel forced to sell their homes in the midst of the current real estate crisis was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recently signed into law.  The $555 million for the Department of Defense Homeowner's Assistance Program (HAP) will allow the Defense Secretary to acquire title to a military person's property or reimburse the individual for losses after a private sale or foreclosure.

A message on the HAP's website states, "The President signed the American Economic Recovery Act which included expansion of the HAP authority.  HAP is a Department of Defense (DoD) program, and they will establish policy guidance on applicant processing and benefits.  Until that time, potential applicants may submit applications to appropriate HAP districts; however, no action will be taken on the applications until any change to the HAP authority has been enacted and DOD guidance is received."

There are three HAP field offices.  To find out which one services your area, visit their website at http://hap.usace.army.mil/Homepage.asp

Our fifth Quailty of Life Conference since 2004 is coming to a close.  The conference culminated with five delegate spokespersons briefing their group's top issues to the EUCOM Commander, component commanders, Senior Enlisted Leaders, Senior Spouses, and conference participants.  Below are the issues brought forward by the focus groups:

- Expand awareness of Family Deployment Support programs

- Reinforce EUCOM Global Force Management Deployment Process

- Reinvigorate sponsorship program

- Inform custormers about discontinued products at AAFES/NEXMART Outlets

- Expanded meal plan initatives

- Develop a joint mentorship program

- Provide two OCONUS round-trip tickets annually for full-time CONUS college students

- Establish Student Cultural Exchange Orientation Program OCONUS

- Establish USEUCOM Mental Health Bill of Rights

- Standardize long-term (12-18 month) post-rintegration follow-ups for all Service Members including Individual Augmentees

Following the conference, my office will incorporate these issues into the EUCOM Quality of Life Action Plan.  The work of the delegates, facilitators, recorders and SME's has been outstanding this year.  I truly appreciate all the hard work they did to bring the issues of grassroots constituents to our quality of life agenda.  I also thank all the outstanding guest speakers and DoD leaders who took time from their busy schedule to share updates and their insights for this very important cause.

I invite you to contribute your thoughts on the articles posted to this Blog site.  Please stay connected with us and continue to let your voice be heard at the Quality of Life page .

Wayne Boswell, Chief, EUCOM Quality of Life Branch

DeCA Europe Director, Thomas Milks, his wife Mary, and members of his staff attended this terrific conference this week.  We are all grateful for the opportunity to meet and share with many of you in order to obtain a greater understanding of what is important to your life in the military.  Many of you expressed great satisfaction with our stores and those of you who had issues provided excellent insight to areas where we need to take a closer look.  The many employees of DeCA Europe are here to serve you and your families.  We strive to make sure your commissary is always worth the trip!  Keep up with your commissary benefit on www.commissaries.com.  We hope to see you all next year...or even sooner at the May 09 AWAG conference here in beautiful Garmisch.

Gerri Young, DeCA Europe Public Affairs Officer, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Kapaun Air Station

We were fortunate this morning to have the opportunity to meet with Ms. Miles, director of DoDEA. She answered many of our questions concerning the changes and assessments they are working on with our schools. We all feel that DoDEA is on its way to being a better place for our children to learn, no matter the location of the school.  Our day continued with informative meetings from the USO, and DECA. After a working lunch where we were informed and entertained by Chris Underwood, as he spoke about the Diversity of the Generations in the Work Force, we reconvened and learned more about

Military One Source and Military Home Front. If you have not been on these sites recently I urge you to take some time to look them over. They have greatly expanded what they have available. Some interesting facts, they have translations for many many languages that they can do on any information you fax to them. There is a library with books for adults, auto repair, career advancement and young children. Deployed members and family members can log on to computers at their respective locations and read a book together. Amazing. There is a Prepare for your Move link on the Military Home Front that will give you a check list, monthly dates and all you need to know about how to have a stress-free move.  This barely touches what is offered.

We had a very informative day and thank the staff for making these sessions available to us. This day ends a very interesting week. Observing the focus groups as they worked through the Quality of Life process has been very informative. They have all come up with wonderful programs to send forward for consideration. My hat is off to all of them for their commitment and excellent work, and to the staff that has set this all up and helped them to their final product.

Helen Kisner, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart Germany

(Mrs. Kisner is the wife of Air Force Maj Gen Frank J. Kisner, Commander, Special Operations Command Europe)

This has been a true and honest opportunity to express & share past experiences throughout the military. These good and bad experiences have been heard and considered for the future we hold within ourselves.  These experiences may not be taken into action overnight, but someday we will see it happen. 

Karina Viesca, Ghedi AB, Italy

(Ms. Viesca is a delegate in the Youth/Teen & Dependent Education focus group)

When I first came to the conference I wasn't sure what to expect.  But each passing day provided me with the knowledge that I represent thousands in my position.  That my opinions, and experiences were a vital part of making this conference work.  So I asked myself if not me then who?  

Letosha Shepherd, Lajes Field, Portugal

(Ms. Shepherd is a delegate in the Teen/Youth & Dependent Education focus group)

Today we received our final feedback, since today was our last working day we had to finish up refining and work on our representative's speech for the out brief tomorrow.

Upstairs agreed that our #1 issue's statement paper (to modify the Joint Federal Travel Regulations to get 2 plane tickets home instead of one) didn't need any refining, but the other (on the exchange program) needed to switch the organization from DoDDs to MWR or CYS. So we spent most of morning establishing SCEOP (Student Cultural Exchange Orientation Program). After an hour or two of work on that we are all very proud of the end result.

We then set about writing the speech of our representative, and practicing that.

Although we all (well at least I) have really enjoyed the Conference I think that today we were all having a little trouble focusing, and possibly a little less tolerant    :) But I have really enjoyed the process, it'll be sad to leave tomorrow.

(By Teen Delegate) Molly Kisner, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart Germany

(Ms. Kisner is a delegate in the Teen/Youth and Dependent Education focus group)

On Tuesday, members of the EUCOM Quality of Life Executive Steering Committee (ESC) met with senior Department of Defense officials.  The QoL ESC is a body of leaders that govern the Quality of Life Action Plan.  Members include the Directors of Personnel and the Senior Enlisted Leaders from EUCOM and each of the service component commands in Europe.  The QoL Conference give members of the ESC the unique opportunity to engage with senior DoD officials and carry the command's QoL message to the Pentagon. 

At Tuesday's meeting, EUCOM updated leaders on the status of active issues in the QoL Action Plan to include future steps toward successfully resolving the issues.  Each component command that provides quality of life services (US Army Europe, US Air Forces Europe and Naval Forces Europe), presented their QoL challenges and successes from the past year. 

Ed Patrick, Acting Director, Readiness Division, EUCOM Directorate of Personnel

European Command continued the Quality of Life  Conference Monday, March 9.  Speakers included Dr. Shirley Miles, Director, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA);  Mr. Sam Retherford, representative from Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and Jacey Eckhart, a motivational speaker,  syndicated militarycolumnist, and author of "The Homefront Club." 

The sixty four delegates, who represent a cross-section of each service component, are divided into five focus groups discussing military and family deployment support; youth, teen and dependent education; Wounded Warrior and mental and physical healthcare; single service members; and relocation and housing issues.  Delegates spent Monday morning in focus groups brainstorming ideas and sharing a myriad of quality of life concerns.  By the end of they day, each group narrowed down their issues from several to their top 10.

A reception Monday evening featured an array of hor d'eouves, socializing, and networking. During his welcome remarks, EUCOM Chief of Staff, Army Maj. Gen. Ken Keen thanked the delegates for dedicating their time to be here and said he looked forward to working with them over the next few days. 

The goal of the conference is to build on the accomplishments of the past and to cultivate new ideas for the future. The conference began in 1997 and is the only joint conference of its kind.

For the first time, this year's Quality of Life Conference has a focus group dedicated to teens.  Ten teenage students from throughout Europe are digging in to represent the youth voice at the conference.  Last year, two teenagers participated in a focus group made up primarily of adults.  Their performance was so stellar, one of the teens, Victoria Rivera, was selected by her focus group to be the spokesperson during the outbrief to the EUCOM Deputy Commander.  Their contribution inspired planners to have a focus group solely for teens.

As a subject matter expert on child, youth and teen issues for the EUCOM Quality of Life Branch, I have the privilege of observing the 10 teens participating in this year's conference.  They are excited to be in Garmisch (probably because they're missing a week of school), and eager to share their concerns with command leadership.  Donnie "Woody" Wood and Lisa Ordakaya are doing a great job leading this energetic group, a noteworthy task considering the high-energy audience.

I'll keep you posted on the work this group is doing throughout the week.

Ms. Karen Damm, EUCOM Quality of Life Branch

(Karen Damm has been a member  of the EUCOM QoL Branch since 2005 working child, youth and teen policy matters.)

Let us hear what concerns you have or what you like most about working and living in Europe.

Single service members send us your thoughts.

We will address many issues this week brought forward by delegates from all our commands, but want to provide an opportunity for everyone to have a voice. Lets us know what you think.

MG Ken Keen, United States Army
EUCOM Chief of Staff

The 2009 EUCOM Quality of Life Priorities are:
- Predictable Access to Mental and Physical Healthcare
- Quality of Life Military Construction (incl. schools) and Funding
- Adequate Housing and Full Dependent Education Support
- Support for Child, Youth and Teen Programs
- Deployment and Counsling Support for Servicemembers and Families
- Advocacy for Servicemember Benefits and Entitlements

The U.S. European Command is gearing up for its fifth annual Quality of Life Conference March 8-12, 2009, in Garmisch, Germany. Grassroots representatives from throughout the command will gather to share their concerns about subjects such as housing childcare deployment support services Wounded Warrior Care issues facing teenagers and much more. During the conference the 60 delegates will have opportunities to interact with senior EUCOM leaders Component Command leadership and Department of Defense officials.

This year's conference will feature regular web updates with news articles photographs and blog posts. Stay tuned to www.eucom.mil/english/QoL_Conference.asp for the most current information or to share your thoughts about quality of life. You may also track conference discussions on Twitter by following EUCOM QoL and using the eucom 'hashtag'.

Lt. Col. Cecily Christian
ECJ1

It's refreshing to be assured by the EUCOM commander, Army Gen. John Craddock, that quality of life issues for members of the EUCOM community are being noticed and he is working with his staff to find the right answers. GEN Craddock has a very distinguished 38-year record and when he says he's going to work an issue, I for one, am compelled to believe him. The GEN has spent countless hours working on ways to improve the quality of life for service members, family members, DoD civilianns, and contractors who live here in Stuttgart.

A few questions that came up from the EUCOM community were if Flex-time has ever been considered? The GEN asked his staff and they are going to take measures to find out if that would benefit members of our community. But remember, there are things that need to be kept in mind: childcare hours, mission requirements, filling gaps, people who are on temporary duty, or vacation. But that is why he has asked his staff to look into it and see if it would truly benefit all members of the community.

The parking question, which is one of the most famous questions that I have heard at all town hall meetings - from the Garrison town halls, to the Deputy Commander's, and all the way up to the Commander. I guess the short answer is: they know there is a problem and they are working to try to alleviate some of the parking problems. But, as the Garrison Commander, COL Pastore pointed out: there is parking available at the Community Center and behind the gym, so although it's not the most convenient answer, parking does exist. It'd be nice to have a real solution, but we take what we can get at times. There will be 45 more parking spaces available in Washington Square, so we just need to be a bit patient until that happens, but of course, it's a first come, first serve basis, as it is now.

One of the most important quality of life issues came from a group of parents who have been attending meeting and working with the school board, because it has been rumored that the fifth graders of Patch Elementary School will be moved to Robinson Barracks next year, in order to make room for the High Schoolers. The parents were very well organized and proved a very valid point: young children should not be forced to take a bus for up to 50 minutes per day to get to and from school. The Commander fully agreed that that is the wrong answer. He brought up building temporary classrooms for the high school children until a more permanent solution could be made. That made the parents representing their case, as well as most people in attendance, very happy and the GEN was applauded for making that decision, which greatly improves the quality of life for everyone who has children, and the children themselve at EUCOM.

Another issue, the lack of medical services provided. A representative from the medical department was at the meeting and he acknowledged that there is a problem, but assured everyone that the medical clinic is doing what they can in order to get people seen in a timely manner. He also reminded the audience that we can get referred to a civilian doctor or another medical facility in Germany. Although he makes a great point, driving an hour and a half to Heidelberg isn't always the best answer for us. I haven't been seen at a civilian medical facility here, but I am not a stranger to driving to Heidelberg or Landstuhl to be seen by a doctor for a routine appointment. There is a bus available to Heidelberg, but I don't necessarily have an entire day to leave at the crack of dawn and then sit there all day until the bus heads back to Stuttgart. I choose to drive my own vehicle and don't get reimbursed for fuel because there is a bus available. My appointments to Landstuhl allow me to be reimbursed, but it seems like such a waste of time to drive for nearly two and a half hours to be seen by a doctor for 15 minutes. This is yet another issue that is recurring at EUCOM, especially since our community was increased by thousands of people because of the stand-up of AFRICOM. I guess for now, we'll take what we can get and keep our fingers crossed that changes will be made in the future.

And finally, another key issue is daycare services. This one actually hits home with me. It is nearly impossible to get children into daycare, well, in a timely manner, that is. I received orders in December of 2007 to report to EUCOM in July 2007. I immediately put my son on the waiting list. I reported and low and behold, I had to use hourly care for over two weeks. Hourly care is a good temporary solution; however, working nine hours per day at four-dollars per hour adds up. It was brought up that there are other facilities, and yes, I acknowledge that there are; however, they were all full when I arrived and I took the first one that I could get, which was not my facility of choice, but it was care for my son. Overseas it is hard to get daycare providers, but I think these are all issues that either were ignored or not brought up when we decided to stand up another combatant command in this area. However, the commander and his staff are aware of the child care issues and they are working to come up with a solution. A modular space, which will hold 100 children, is in the works for the Kelly CDC.

These are my thoughts on the town hall meeting. I decided to blog about this so that we could get other members of the community, who maybe are too shy, to bring up their quality of life concerns or issues. By no means is the blog meant to slam the efforts that the EUCOM leadership and staff are making. Everyone, including the Commander, is doing everything that they can in order to not make this a bad place to come, or as the general put it - we do not want this to end up being a hardship tour.

MC2 Dana M. Clark
U.S. Europeam Command