UPCOMING EVENTS FrIday:

Karaoke Night - The Lanes

TUESday, 11 a.M.:Tax Center Ribbon Cutting -

4217 Roberts Ave.

JaN. 23, 11:30 a.M.-1:30 P.M.:Martin Luther King Jr. Observance

- McGill Training Center

JaN. 27, 9 a.M.-1 P.M.:National Blood Donor Month

Blood Drive - McGill Training Center

wEEkdayS, 11:30 a.M.-1 P.M.:Lunch Buffet - Club Meade

CrEaTIVITy781st MI Soldiers judge MacArthur Middle School

science fair projectspage 4

HaNdS ONArts & Crafts Center offers wide variety of programs

for youth and adultspage 3

Soundoff!́vol. 66 no. 2 Published in the interest of the Fort Meade community January 16, 2014

going up

strong

Photo by nate Pesce

Surrounded by defenders, Public Health’s Jason Dickerson shoots from the paint during Monday’s intramural basketball game at Murphy Field House. Public Health, led by Tyler Francis’ 27 points, defeated the 22nd Intelligence Squadron 68-37 in the season opener. For the story, see Page 10.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

Commander’s Column

Cont ent sNews............................. 3 Sports..................................10

CrimeWatch................. 8 Movies.................................15

Community................. 14 Classified.............................16

Editorial StaffGarrison Commander Col. Brian P. foleyGarrison Command Sgt. Maj. thomas J. latterPublic affairs officerChad t. Jones Chad.T.Jones.civ@mail.milChief, Command informationPhilip H. Jones Philip.H.Jones.civ@mail.milassistant Editor & Senior Writer rona S. Hirsch Staff Writer lisa r. rhodesStaff Writer Brandon Bieltzdesign Coordinator timothy davis Supplemental photography provided by the Baltimore Sun Media Group

advErtiSinGGeneral inquiries 410-332-6300or email advertise@baltsun.com

If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are experiencing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail TP@baltsun.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year in conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must reach the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. Mailing address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort Meade, MD 20755-5025. Telephone: 301-677-5602; DSN: 622-5602.

Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap or sex of purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source.

Printed by The Baltimore Sun Co., LLC, a private firm, in no way connected with the Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are their own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the Army. The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised.

www.ftmeade.army.milYou can also keep track of Fort Meade on Twitter at twitter.com/ftmeademd

and view the Fort Meade Live Blog at ftmeade.armylive.dodlive.mil.

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Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. Welcome back for an exciting and challenging new year.

As we return to our routines, let’s do so with a positive and resilient mindset.

Many of us are focused on the physical aspect of resiliency in either dropping the few pounds we put on eating great food with family and friends, or just trying to improve our overall health during the new year.

Hopefully, you are taking advantage of the Army Wellness Center resources, challenging yourself in the Dump Your Plump competi-tion and participating in upcoming Healthy Base Initiatives to achieve your goals.

However, if you want to be truly resilient and be prepared to deal with the challenges that come with service, you also have to focus on the other pillars of resiliency: family, social, emotional and spiritual.

The family pillar is there because no ser-vice member does it by himself. A supportive family, whether you are married or single, can understand your challenges as a service mem-ber. Conversely, you can be supportive of their needs as well such as frequent deploy-ment, changing schools and the uncertainties that come with serving in the military.

Army Community Service offers Mili-tary Family Team Building and Resiliency Training to help you improve your ability to communicate your goals. Take a look at its website at www.ftmeademwr.com/acs.php to see what classes are coming up.

Similar to family, the social pillar depends on effective communication and strong rela-tionships. Being clear and consistent with the people you work with, the people you live with, and with your family and friends can lay the foundation for better resiliency when adversity comes.

This pillar includes your friends, neigh-bors, and other people in your life with whom you have built relationships.

Keep up those contacts with your friends from your last duty station or with the neighbor who moved. These are people who may have helped you in the past deal with adversity, people you trust, people you have helped in return.

With today’s communication capabilities, don’t let a few miles impact the strength of this pillar. Look out to the future and plan

an event with some of them. Take advan-tage of upcom-ing community events, make a play date for the kids, or even just Skype with your best friend while watching the Super Bowl or Academy Awards.

Put some effort into maintaining good communication with your extended family, and this resiliency pillar will remain strong for when you need to lean on it.

The emotional pillar is how we deal with stress and increase the confidence we have in ourselves to overcome adversity.

Identify stressful situations early and seek out new ways to build your coping resources. For instance, tax season can be stressful. But the Fort Meade Tax Center, which opens Jan. 27, can help by offering free tax assistance to service members and their families.

The spiritual pillar is often one of the most underfocused pillars because many people think only of the religious aspect associated with it. Spiritual fitness is about having a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.

For those of you who do garner your spiritual strength from your religious activi-ties, the Fort Meade Religious Services Office provides widely diverse opportunities, which I encourage you all to take advantage of. Visit its website at www.ftmeade.army.mil/pages/chapel for more information.

Ask yourself: What makes you happy? What makes your spirit sing and bring a smile to your heart?

If it is sitting with your dog curled up at your feet, then you need to plan to spend more time with your dog.

Spend more time this year being happy.All five pillars combined make the most

resilient individuals. Please continue to use all of the resources available on Fort Meade and in our surrounding communities to maintain a strong mind and strong body this year.

Live well.

Building resiliency in the new year

Garrison command sGt. maj. thomas j. latter

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 16, 2014 SOUNDOFF! �

News

Story and photo by Brandon BieltzStaff Writer

From computer classes to crafts high-lighting the marvels of duct tape, the Fort Meade Arts and Crafts Center is more than just a place to have a flag framed.

“Framing and engraving is our bread and butter,” said Angie Wanner, business manager of the Arts and Crafts Center. “But it’s more than just ‘Here, frame this.’ They can do it themselves and learn a new art.”

The center, located near Club Meade at 6530 York Ave., offers a wide variety of crafting classes for both children and adults including do-it-yourself framing, “Mommy and Me Crafts,” ceramics and cricut classes.

Framing and engraving professionals are also available to perform customized work.

“We try to provide an area for the com-munity to fill their crafting needs,” Wanner said.

One of the center’s more popular pro-grams helps crafters learn to construct their own frames and mats. During the three-hour, do-it-yourself framing course, which includes supplies, individuals learn every aspect of the skill from a framing profes-sional as they construct a 5-by-7 frame.

“He will take you everywhere from start to finish,” Wanner said “You have a stick of molding, you’d have to chop the mold-ing. You’d have to learn how to measure correctly, put it together — glue and nail it together. Then you have to cut the glass and cut the mats.

“It’s a great way to get it started without costing too much.”

Individuals certified for framing at another installation can prove their abili-

Arts and Crafts Center expands programsties instead of having to take the complete class at Fort Meade. Once they complete the course and are certified, participants can use the Arts and Craft Center’s equipment on their own for $8 an hour.

“We give helpful input if they request it,” Wanner said. “But if they got it, they got it.”

Framers can order material through the Arts and Crafts Center or bring in their own.

Other adult options at the center include courses such as scrapbooking, cardmak-ing, party decor, cricut, embellishment, silhouette cameos and computer classes for Powerpoint, Word and Excel.

The Arts and Crafts Center also provides several courses for youngsters including rainbow looms, school project assistance, “Jewelry for Kids” and “Fun with Duck Tape.”

One of the newest programs is the monthly “Kid’s Craft Club” that teaches toddlers and preschoolers to create such works of art as snowmen out of Styrofoam cups and turkeys out of pine cones.

“It’s just about fun,” Wanner said. “It just is a good time for them.”

In addition to the classes and framing equipment, the center also provides cus-tomizable framing and engraving services performed by professionals.

“We’re cheaper than you’re going to find anywhere else,” Wanner said.

While the majority of the projects include framing guidons, flags or statues, Wanner said the center can engrave most anything.

“It’s not just plaques and clocks, and it’s not just eagles and globes,” she said. “We also [engrave] poker sets, coasters, barbecue sets for Father’s Day. There’s a world of fun things that you can engrave.”

Angie Wanner, business manager of the Arts and Crafts Center, helps 4-year-old Teresa Milligan design a snowman out of a Styrofoam cup Tuesday morning during the monthly “Kids Crafts Club.” The center, located at 6530 York Ave., offers a wide variety of crafting classes for both children and adults.

CYSS Summer Day Camp registration begins in February

Registration for currently enrolled Before and After Care children/youth will be held Feb. 17-28.

To avoid long waiting times for patrons, the process for the community registration will be different this year. Each patron will complete a Summer Day Camp Waiting List Application that will be available Feb. 17 at all Child, Youth and School Services facilities.

Patrons are to submit their applications to Parent Central Services via walk-in, fax or email. Each appli-cation will be date- and time-stamped. Patrons will be added to the summer camp waiting list based on their

priority level.Parent Central Services will begin calling patrons

from the waiting list on March 3 to register and enroll their child.

If any child has a special need such as asthma, ADHD, ADD, food allergies, or developmental/behav-ioral concerns, additional medical paperwork will be required.

Patrons will have until May 1 to submit all special needs medical documentation. If registering after May 1, all medical paperwork will be required at time of enrollment. This will provide CYSS ample time to ensure that the child’s paperwork has been cleared for participation.

In some cases, a Special Needs Accommodation Process meeting may be required. Children with medi-cal conditions listed above must be cleared prior to participating in any CYSS program.

Eligibility applies to: active-duty military, DoD civil-ian employees, Fort Meade DoD contractors, Reserv-ists and National Guard members on active duty.

Eligible patrons must produce a DoD ID Card for verification purposes. Contractors must produce a CAC Card/Civilian Welfare Card with a memorandum from the employer stating that the sponsor works on Fort Meade.

For more information, call Parent Central Services at 301-677-1149, 301-677-1156 or 301-677-1104.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

News

Story and photo by Tina MilesPublic Affairs Office780th MI Brigade

Students have come a long way from experimenting with plant growth and incubating chicken eggs. This was evident in MacArthur Middle School’s Science Fair held Jan. 7.

Soldiers from the 781st Military Intel-ligence Battalion, a subordinate unit of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade — also known as the Army’s cyber bri-gade — served as judges for the event.

As MacArthur Middle School’s “Part-ner in Education,” the battalion proved to be the perfect match for the annual event, which consisted of students from the sixth to eighth grades, and includ-ed projects featuring video games and advanced technology.

Every student from each of the school’s 43 science sections was required to conduct and record an experiment that would be eligible for entry into this year’s Anne Arundel County Schools Science Fair.

“Up to 10 projects per science sec-tion was selected by MacArthur Middle School’s 12 science teachers to move onto the next [school] level,” said Melissa Wal-lace, chair of the school’s science depart-ment and an eighth grade teacher. “As a result, 95 projects were submitted and 10 of those will move to the county-level sci-ence fair, which is held in March.”

More than 60 judges participated, including teachers, staff members, Sol-diers and other volunteers from local engineering companies and the Anne Arundel County Public School STEM Programs Office.

Command Sgt. Maj. William Rinehart of the 781st MI Battalion, a judge for the second year, noted that each year the sci-ence projects get better.

“Either the kids are getting smarter, the parents are becoming more involved with their children’s homework, or the faculty has sincerely put the effort into helping guide these children into tomorrow’s industries,” Rinehart said. “I believe I am seeing the fruit of all three.”

Rinehart was especially thrilled to see a project by a young sixth-grader who developed his own video game and built its controller.

“This sixth-grade student used Python computing language and hardware knowledge to construct his project,” Rhinehart said. “This is truly a step

781st MI Soldiers judge science fair

Command Sgt. Maj. William Rinehart, 781st Military Intelligence Battalion, marks his scores for one of the science entries at the MacArthur Middle School’s 2014 Science Fair, as Sgt. Natasha Orslene also reviews the project. Both Rinehart and Orslene judged the school’s annual event for their second consecutive year as part of the 781st MI’s Partners in Education with the school.

in the right direction of progress for tomorrow’s leaders in technology devel-opment. ...

“MacArthur Middle School has made great strides in education since we first stepped into that school more than a year ago. Soldiers’ families benefit from a fac-ulty that takes the time to truly educate our children.”

Also judging the science fair for her second year was Lt. Col. Deitra Trotter, commander of the 781st MI.

“This event is my favorite activity that we do with the school,” she said. “The projects are creative, and a lot of the students go all out. I was genuinely

impressed by the research and presenta-tion methods.”

Trotter jokingly added that she noticed several future hires for the cyber unit.

“I saw sixth-grade projects that modi-fied computer programming language, redesigned video games and challenged how we use some technology,” she said. “Their parents and teachers should be proud.”

The judging was divided into eight cat-egories: behavioral and social sciences, chemistry, engineering, energy and trans-portation, environmental science, physics and astronomy, plant sciences, and other (encompassing projects that did not fall

within the other seven categories).Each project, or experiment, was

judged based on creativity, scientific thought and processes, clarity and appearance. Each project was afforded 51 possible points given by a judge and was evaluated three times.

Average scores from the three judges were tallied. The 10 top projects with the highest scores were selected to participate in the Anne Arundel County Schools Science Fair.

In addition to these 10 projects, three more projects from each grade level, having earned high scores, were awarded honorary mentions from the school.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 16, 2014 SOUNDOFF! �

News

By Lisa R. RhodesStaff Writer

Garrison Commander Col. Brian P. Foley presented Fort Meade’s Residential Communi-ties Initiative and Corvias Military Housing with the Army’s RCI Asset Management 2012 Top RCI Project Award on Jan. 8 at the Post Theater.

The award was signed by Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, assistant chief of staff for Installation Management Command.

Foley presented the award to Debbie Faux, Fort Meade housing chief; Scott Kotwas, program manager for Corvias; Maureen Van Besien, deputy community manager for Cor-vias; and Angela Marcum, communications manager for Corvias.

“We feel good about it,” said Aimee Stafford, lead community development and operations specialist at Fort Meade’s RCI. “We believe that we have a good program, and we get great feedback from our residents. It’s great for the staff who works in and out, every day, to see their work recognized, especially staff who work with residents every day.”

RCI is the Army’s program for privatizing housing. In 2002, Fort Meade’s RCI formed a partnership with Picerne Military Housing, now Corvias Military Housing, in regard to post housing. Corvias is responsible for the day-to-day operations of housing on the installation including construction, property management and maintenance.

In the award application, which was written by Stafford and Marcum, the two entities high-lighted several accomplishments.

The application noted that Corvias provides 24-hour maintenance for its residents, including emergency service requests: For more than five years, “We have consistently met a 98 percent response time each month for completed ser-vices.”

When a family requires extensive repairs in their home, the residents are offered a hospital-ity suite — a two- to three-bedroom, fully-fur-nished townhome that provides the family with the convenience of staying on post in a larger space than a hotel room.

Corvias also provides a “honey-do” service for families with deployed service members. The service does everything — from hanging curtains to assembling a bicycle at Christmas.

Quality customer service in leasing also was highlighted.

“A relocation specialist works with each fam-ily as their main point of contact from the time they apply through their move,” wrote Stafford and Marcum.

“One example is our use of corporate suites for incoming families. When a family arrives, if a home not being readily available will cause hardship, the relocation team will assist the fam-ily to provide a furnished corporate suite until their home is ready.”

The Fort Meade team, they said, responds to resident feedback as well.

“We have a commitment to respond to residents who have inquiries within a 24-hour time frame, to include those submitted through ICE, the Fort Meade Facebook page, the Picerne website, the commander’s open door, installation town halls and community council meetings.”

Resident feedback is actively sought through RCI’s quarterly surveys and its annual third party-conducted telephone survey called Sat-isFacts.

Corvias also supports military families through community service, and sponsors vari-ous garrison activities and groups — from the Month of the Military Child to the Enlisted Spouses Club Scholarship Fund.

Corvias also partners with the Directorate of Emergency Services to host Fort Meade’s annual National Night Out, which has been recognized by the National Association of Town Watch for the past four years.

Darla Humbles, the family services manager at Corvias, works directly with military families who have unique circumstances, such as excep-tional family members, “to be sure that they are housed appropriately and coordinates with the garrison support staff to ensure that their needs are met.”

Gary Kolinfski, the Corvias vice president of Military Affairs and a retired sergeant major, trains the staff on the inner workings of the military and military culture. Although Corvias hires military family members, training is impor-tant for employees coming from the private sector “to understand the stresses, lifecycles and overall traditions of our military members and families.”

Corvias staff members also have received training in suicide prevention due to the Army’s ongoing suicide prevention campaign.

In 2001, Fort Meade ranked last in customer satisfaction with housing as measured by the Department of the Army Annual Housing Survey. Since that time, the property manage-ment team has continued to improve customer satisfaction, which has risen to the top 15 out of more than 40 privatized installations.

In addition, RCI’s quarterly survey scores have increased from 67 percent satisfaction in 2003 to 83 percent satisfaction in 2012.

RCI, Corvias Military Housing win top award

AT YOUR SERVICE SINCE 1947

Attend the Veterans Appreciation Open HouseWednesday, January 22, 2014, 4–7 p.m. UMUC Academic Center at Largo Auditorium 1616 McCormick Drive, Largo, MD 20774• Meet with members of our dedicated veterans advising team for

assistance with applying for VA benefits and answers to questions about financial aid, admissions, accessibility and career services.

• Sit down with academic advisors to plan your degree path in more than 95 online undergraduate and graduate programs.

• Find out how your military experience can translate into college credits—and a civilian career path.

Prospective students who attend the January 22, 2014, event will be eligible to have the $50 application fee waived.*

*The $100 application fee for the Doctor of Management program cannot be waived.

Veterans who are current students are also welcome. Plan to attend now.

RSVP to military.umuc.edu/vetsopenhouse or call 800-939-UMUC (8682) for more information

about programs and enrollment.

FIND OUT WHY UMUC IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOLS FOR VETERANS BY MILITARY TIMES EDGE

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

News

By Jennifer L. Evans Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center

The start of a new year is the perfect time to resolve to quit tobacco.

Studies show that as many as 70 percent of American smokers want to quit, and that reduction in tobacco use has favorable effects on health and cancer risk.

The Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Tobacco Cessation Program offers support for TRICARE beneficia-ries who want to quit tobacco.

To schedule an appointment with a clinical pharmacist, who can prescribe medications to ease and assist with the quitting process, call the Public Health Nursing Department at 301-677-8435 or visit the Public Health Nursing trailer, located on 5th Street behind Kimbrough.

Another resource for all TRICARE beneficiaries is ucanquit2.com, an online tobacco cessation support pro-gram. After registering, participants must complete four support phases. There also are 24-hour online chat lines and phone hotlines at 1-800-694-4747.

Another resource is 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), a national tobacco cessation hotline.

Many smartphones offer applications to download, for free or a small fee, which provide support during tobacco cessation. Some offer methods to track tobacco use as well as motivational phrases and commentary or techniques, while others offer incentive reminders.

Electronic cigarettes, often referred to as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, have become increasingly popular. These devices vaporize liquid nicotine for inhalation, mimicking the act of smoking. E-ciga-rettes come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. Some are very similar to cigarettes or cigars in size, weight and taste.

A lot of controversy surrounds the use of e-cigarettes. There are questions about their safety and their health risks. Although some may believe that e-cigarettes are safer and contain fewer carcinogens, studies are not available to validate this opinion.

Tobacco manufacturers promote the use of e-cigarettes in place of cigarettes — not as a tobacco cessation tool but

as a nicotine device that avoids taxa-tion.

The amount of nicotine that e-ciga-rettes deliver varies between products, and manufacturing processes do not have oversight by the federal govern-ment.

The Food and Drug Administration has published several statements advis-ing against the use of e-cigarettes, while decisions about the agency’s involve-ment in the oversight of the production are still pending.

There is no consensus as to whether e-cigarettes are an effective tool for quitting tobacco or even a safer alterna-tive to smoking cigarettes. They should be recognized as a risk for normalizing or increasing nicotine use.

Below are a few tips for quitting tobacco:

• Delay.Inhaling nicotine within the first 30

minutes after waking up in the morning indicates a stronger addiction.

Modify your morning routine to delay the initial use of tobacco.

Waiting beyond 30 minutes is best

and can help make the adjustment to quitting the habit.

• Decrease.Modifying and reducing the use

of tobacco is best, even if quitting is a challenge. Smokers can decrease their use with daily rationing, delaying tobacco use, or increasing nicotine-free zones.

• Plan.To quit tobacco use, smokers must

change their habits. Anticipating weak-nesses and planning for alternative actions, thoughts, coping strategies or distractions can help with dealing with the cravings for tobacco.

Reducing stress and seeking sup-port from family and friends can help. Developing new hobbies can distract from the need to use tobacco.

It is also important for smokers to think about why they want to quit and what prevents them from breaking the habit.

Seeking support from any of the tobacco cessation programs offered by Kimbrough and other sources have helped people to be successful.

KACC offers help to quit smoking

During World War I, Fort Meade was established in 1917 as Camp Meade, a can-tonment for troops drafted for the war.

As the installation nears its 100th anniversary, Soundoff! is featuring a series of historical snapshots of the people and events at Fort Meade through the years.

Cooks and Bakers SchoolLong before the Directorate of Human Resources occupied the large brick building at the

corner of Huber Road and Ernie Pyle Street, aromas of fresh bread filled the halls.The facility served as the Fort Meade Cooks and Bakers School to train Soldiers in the

proper handling of rations, baking and cooking. Established in 1919, it had been in continu-ous operation longer than any other Army Food Service School when it closed in 1955.

Capt. Paul F. Huber served as the school’s first assistant commandant. The enlisted lead-ers — one master sergeant, two technical sergeants, four staff sergeants, two sergeants and three privates — were transferred to the new facility due to the reduction of staff at other established schools.

During the 1930s, approximately 20 bakers and 75 cooks graduated from the school every year. At the time, the course was four months long for enlisted personnel. By World War II, however, the course had been shortened to eight weeks.

The school moved in 1939 to the current Max J. Beilke Human Resources Center at 2234 Huber Road. The facility also contained barracks for the students.

Cooks used “The Army Cook” textbook in their courses, while bakers used “The Army Baker.” Baking students received instructions in making yeast, blending flour and baking bread. Cooks worked in the kitchen, learning to procure, prepare and serve rations.

Students were trained in the kitchens for their entire course and spent their spare time in theory classes. Special courses for preparations of dehydrated foods, coffee roasting and meat cutting also were offered.

While in operation, the bakery provided bread for the entire post of roughly 20,000 people. A large electric oven cooked 700 one-pound loaves every hour. All the food provided

in the mess hall also was prepared at the school.In later years, the school also trained Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Organized

Reserve units, the National Guard, Civil Defense personnel, Boy Scouts, and Citizens’ Military Training Camp participants to be cooks, bakers, meat cutters, mess stewards and mess officers.

Throughout its 36 years, more than 214,000 Soldiers graduated from the school.Today, the Cooks and Bakers School’s cast-iron Army No. 5 Range oven, which was

built in 1941, sits in the foyer of the Human Resources Center.

photo courtesy fort meade museum

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil� SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

News

The Fort Meade Tax Center will open Jan. 27 through April 15 for tax assistance and electronic filing at 4217 Roberts Ave., in the rear of the first floor of the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.The Tax Center is a free service available to all active-duty personnel, retirees and dependents in the Fort Meade area.The office is staffed by volunteer service members and operates under the IRS Volunteer Information Tax Assistance (VITA) program.All clients will be required to show military, retiree or dependent identification.Below is a short list of documents to bring at the time of your appointment:• Social Security cards for yourself, spouse and all dependents, if available• All income documents such W-2 for wages,

1099 for interest and miscellaneous income• If direct deposit to your bank institution is desired, bring a check or other document showing account number and routing symbol.In addition, bring documents or other information substantiating tax credits of deductions for:• Dependent child care (including taxpayer ID or Social Security numbers for child care provider)• Interest on education loans• Rental income and expenses• Itemized expenses• Education credits• Power of Attorney, if signing for your spouse• Any other document applicable to your tax situationTo schedule an appointment, call the Tax Center at 301-677-9366.

Fort Meade Tax Center to open

month.You may have set up an arrangement

for a monthly automated online payment and typically ignore your phone bill. Yet, if you take the time to review your statement, you will detect any fraudulent charges and avoid erroneously paying for these scams.

• Consider placing a block on third-party charges.

Many phone carriers offer this third-party blocking service free of charge.

• Be very careful when a website asks for your mobile phone number.

Some websites advertise free prizes like concert tickets or gift cards in exchange for your mobile phone number or other personal information.

You may be getting set up for a scam.• Review your phone carrier’s policy on

refunds for fraudulent charges.Some phone companies have a 60-day

period for refund requests. If you didn’t check your bill for a while, and paid for fraudulent charges for several months, your carrier may only refund the fraudu-lent charges paid for the past 60 days.

If you think you have been the victim of a mobile cramming scam, immediately report it to your phone carrier. You also should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.

To schedule an appointment with an attorney at the Fort Meade Legal Assis-tance Office, call 301-677-9504 or 301-677-9536.

By Jane M. WinandChief, Legal Assistance Division

You bought the expensive phone with the fancy data plan and figured your hefty monthly phone bill will cover all of your usage needs.

Unfortunately, you may be the victim of the latest scam.

You should check your mobile phone bill every month because it may contain charges for random text messages and other fraudulent data subscriptions.

The Federal Trade Commission recent-ly settled a case against Tatto Inc., a company that generates and sends out text messages with horoscopes, trivia and celebrity gossip tidbits.

Tatto crammed a subscription for “Pre-

mium Text Messaging Services,” at a charge of $9.99 per month, onto many consumers’ phone bills without their knowledge or consent. Many consum-ers ignored the text messages as spam and were shocked to later discover the monthly charge on their bill.

Worse yet, when consumers detected the fraudulent charge and complained to their phone carrier or directly to Tatto, many people didn’t get adequate refunds for the months of fraudulent charges that appeared on their phone bills.

If you are careful, you can avoid this kind of scam. To detect and avoid cram-ming charges on your mobile phone bill, do the following:

• Check your phone bill carefully every

Mobile phone cramming scams on the rise

Jan. 4, Larceny of government commissary funds: The Direc-torate of Emergency Services was notified by the commissary of a larceny of government commissary funds. An investi-gation revealed that an unde-termined amount of money was placed within a blue cash bag underneath a cash drawer. The funds were removed by person(s) unknown by unknown means.

CommunityCommunityCrime Watch

Compiled by the Fort Meade Directorate of Emergency Services

For week of Jan. 6-12:• Moving violations: 22• Nonmoving violations: 3• Verbal warnings for traffic stops: 27• Traffic accidents: 7• Driving on suspended license: 3• Driving on suspended registration: 2• Driving without a license: 1

Connect with Fort Meade at Facebook.com/ftmeade

Flexible SchedulingOnline � Hybrid � Accelerated

Convenient LocationsColumbia � Gateway � Laurel � Mount Airy

Support ServicesCredit for Prior Learning � Military Assistance

Counseling and Career ServicesFinancial Aid

Career ProgrammingWorkforce Training

Certi cations � Degrees

Learning at home.Learning in the classroom.

Learning for success.

If you want to maintain, stay competitive,or advance in your career,

choose Howard Community Collegefor learning that works for you!

Visit hcclearningworks.comto take the next step.

Spring semester begins January 25

Noncredit classes are ongoing

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil10 SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

SportS

By Brandon BieltzStaff Writer

For the past two years, Derek Bailey had been a member of the Surface Force Logistics Center intramural basketball team that tore through the competi-tion with two undefeated championship seasons.

This year, as Bailey suits up for Public Health, he sees a lot of the simi-larities between his previous and current teams.

“I see a bunch of good guys that like to play with each other, that enjoy the game of basketball,” he said.

Monday’s season opener against the 22nd Intelligence Squadron didn’t give Bailey any reason to withdraw his com-parisons as Public Health ran away with a 68-37 victory.

Tyler Francis led Public Health with a game-high 27 points, while Chris Stokes was the 22nd’s leading scorer with 18 points.

“It was a great defensive game,” Bai-ley said. “The guys played real well tonight.”

Although the team is new, several of the Public Health players have played together in the past. Bailey said that the prime focus early on in the season is team chemistry.

In addition to finding enough play-ers to field a team, Stokes is looking for a competitive attitude out of the 22nd IS.

“I just want us to come out and com-pete,” he said.

The start of Monday’s game was delayed as the 22nd IS was a player short. Eight minutes into the 10-minute delay, the team acquired its fifth player.

With a short bench, the 22nd IS came out strong on a 6-point run. Public Health battled back as it found success in the paint, grabbing rebounds.

Bailey helped his team to a 14-12 lead midway through the half.

Public Health’s substitutions and man-on-man defense began to wear down the five 22nd IS players, as Public Health created fast breaks up-court on the way to a 25-6 run to end the first half.

Francis led Public Health to the 36-18 halftime lead with 12 points, while Stokes tried to keep the 22nd IS in the game with 11 points.

Despite transitioning its defense to zone at the start of the second half, Public Health continued to overpower

Public Health opens intramural season with win

the 22nd IS at both ends of the court on its way to the 68-37 victory.

Francis scored 15 points in the half for Public Health. Carmelo Rodrui-guez’s eight points and Stokes’ seven weren’t enough for the 22nd IS to over-come the deficit.

After the game, Stokes was dissatis-fied with the team’s level of competi-tion.

“It didn’t seem like everybody wanted to play at the end when we went down,” he said.

Bailey said he liked how the team worked together during the game and hoped the early-season win could help Public Health develop faster.

“It’s good because we have a bunch of new guys here getting to know each other,” Bailey said. “A win makes that transition so much easier.”

photos by nate pesce

Jeffrey Serrano grabs a rebound during the intramural basketball season opener on Monday at Murphy Field House. Serrano scored 10 points in the win over the 22nd Intelligence Squadron.

LEFT: Public Health’s Darius Evans tries to steal the ball from Carmelo Rodriguez during Monday night’s intramural basketball game at Murphy Field House. Public Health won 68-37.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 16, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 11

SportS

Story and photos by Lt. Col. Sonise LumbacaAsymmetric Warfare Group Public Affairs

Vigorous riding, a good physical train-ing regimen, healthy eating, and a great support network is what 8-year-old Alex-ander “Xander” Brion attributes to his Saturday night win at a Baltimore Aren-across.

The son of Sgt. Maj. Anthony Brion, an operational advisor for the Asymmetric Warfare Group, Xander beat out 15 other competitors in his age group.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Brion said. “He rode his heart out and he won. His hard work paid off and now he’s standing on top of the podium as a winner. It’s a good feeling.”

Motocross is a physically demanding form of motorcycle racing held indoors or outdoors on paved or dirt tracks. The sport originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1900s and has since evolved.

Xander began his racing career three years ago at the age of five. He said there isn’t any part of racing that scares him and that the most exciting part is winning.

“We went to a race in Southern Mary-land in 2011 and he loved it so much that after the race he said, ‘Hey, Daddy, I want to get a motorcycle.’ So I told him okay and bought him a motorcycle,” Brion said. “After that, it just took off. He just loved it and has ridden ever since.”

Brion said there is a lot that goes into racing besides being agile, adaptive, and mentally and physically fit.

“Racing is tough on these little guys,” he said. “So what I’ve done for Xander is take a lot of the things that I learned in my 20 years in the Army — not just with special ops but with my current unit, the AWG, and all of the different functional fitness and principles — and adapted them to a motocross training regimen that an 8-year-old can handle.

“Obviously, he can’t do some of the things that [Soldiers] do, but it worked out perfectly.”

Participating in motocross is a fun-filled family event that involves lots of teamwork

“My dad helps me to exercise, train and ride,” Xander said. “My mom makes me eat well. She gets my breakfast ready in the morning and she gives me healthy snacks. My sister helps me by getting all of my stuff ready for the races.”

But for a military family, participation can be a challenge as well.

“It can be pretty tough,” said Debra

Brion, Xander’s mother. “There have been times when I had to travel with Xander to these competitions without my husband because he was deployed.

“Between transporting his bike, main-taining his training, and everything else, there is a lot of energy involved. But we are a resilient family and want to support Xander.”

In some cases when his father is deployed, Xander is unable to participate when it comes to competing in the bigger competitions because of the travel and other factors.

“Actually, last year I was deployed, and there was a national race that we wanted him to go to that he could’ve easily qualified for,” Anthony Brion said. “But without the support network there, I was gone and he wasn’t able to go. So it can be difficult.”

He counts his command as a piece to the support network.

“My command has been fantastic, allowing me to take leave whenever I needed to for some of the larger races,” Anthony Brion said. “It just works out really well.”

While Xander is undecided about whether he wants to be a Soldier like his dad or race professionally when he grows up, his short term goal is to do well on an international team he recently was invited

AWG NCO’s son takes first place in motocross event

Alexander “Xander” Brion, who has been racing motocross for three years, competed against 15 other children at Saturday’s Baltimore Arenacross and took first place for his age category. He plans to compete at the U.S. National Championship this year.

Alexander “Xander” Brion, the 8-year-old son of Sgt. Maj. Anthony Brion, an operational advisor for the Asymmetric Warfare Group, poses with his first-place plaque that he won during a motocross race on Saturday at the Baltimore Arenacross event.

to join.“Xander is now a member of MX

ANTIX USA,” Anthony Brion said. “Hopefully, this year he will get to com-pete at the U.S. National Championship. And then later this year in the October time frame, we plan to go to New Zealand to compete in their national champion-

ship.”For now, Xander will take on more

training, an indoor race in Pennsylvania, and qualifiers for the national champion-ship in the summer.

“I am excited about my next races and will practice so that I can win more,” he said.

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil12 SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

SportS

Peyton Manning was better than Tom Brady on “Saturday Night Live.” bit.ly/1m5j5Jf, bit.ly/1dtbghe Not to mention Manning’s com-mercials are things Tom Terrific could never pull off. #Cutthatmeat, #FYOP, bit.ly/Kh7tXf, bit.ly/1b0a4Mv

I wanted to share that first because when it comes to football, there is little doubt in my mind that Brady is a better quarterback.

However, there is a debate to be had — similar to the one that used to be waged regarding Dan Marino and Joe Montana. But unlike Montana and Marino, who only squared off in a handful of meaningful games, Brady and Manning are preparing for their 15th meeting on Sunday.

Another difference is that Marino versus Montana was truly a stats-versus-rings debate — Marino had all the stats and Montana had all the rings.

Brady and Manning, on the other hand, have more balanced resumes featuring gaudy statistics and success, which means if either of the two greatest quarterbacks of our generation pulls out two more wins this postseason, he will be the greatest quarterback of any generation.

Before I explain why Brady or Manning would be the greatest ever, here are the four quarterbacks on my Mount Rushmore as of Wednesday, Jan. 14 (Happy birthday, YJ3):

• Joe Montana: Four rings, “The Catch” and most clutch performer not named Jordan

• Tom Brady: He’s like Montana except with Troy Brown and Deion Branch, instead of Jerry Rice and John Taylor.

• Brett Favre: He had flaws and lost a lot of big games because of his aggressiveness, but he could win games pretty much on his own.

• John Elway: I was more impressed with Elway’s three Super Bowl losses than his two victories. Those teams in the ’80s were basi-cally him, Sammy Winder and an arena league squad.

• The case for Manning: When all is said and done, Manning will be the most prolific passer in NFL history. The dude is a maestro who has been his own offensive coordinator and revolu-tionized the position with his changes at the line of scrimmage and use of the “Omaha.” on.nfl.com/1alW96D

He also won nearly 70 percent of his regular-season games. But since his days at Tennessee, the knock on Manning has been that he shies away from the brightest lights. (He is 4-10 in games versus Brady and is 9-11 in the playoffs). Also, there is no way he can be considered the greatest as long as he still has less rings than his little brother.

However, all those negatives go away if

Peyton gets to his third Super Bowl and earns his sec-ond ring. And even though he would still have fewer rings than Montana and Brady, his statistics paired with a sec-ond championship would be too much for any quarterback to compare with.

• The Case for Brady: If Brady makes it to his NFL-record sixth Super Bowl and ties Montana and Terry Bradshaw with four rings, then forget about it.

His position is more solidified when you look at the people he has played with.

The only time Brady was paired with a Hall-of-Fame-caliber receiver — like Montana had with Jerry Rice and Manning has had with Reg-gie Wayne and Marvin Harrison — was in 2007 when Randy Moss came to New England. And in that season, all Brady did was set every single-season passing record there was. bit.ly/1doAls8

And even though current Broncos receiver Wes Welker set a career high in touchdowns (10) this season with Peyton Manning, Welker became the best slot receiver in the game by averaging nearly 100 catches and more than 1,000 yards per season during a seven-year stretch with Brady.

A lot of people are saying that Manning has the most legacy pressure going into Sunday’s game, but I disagree. If Brady comes up short, he could very easily go from being on football’s Mount Rushmore to a footnote in NFL history — albeit a handsome one. That’s because the knocks on Brady are legit.

1. He is a product of head coach Bill Belich-ick’s greatness — similar to how Montana was a product of Bill Walsh’s genius.

2. Brady hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Spygate.

3. Eli Manning beat him twice.For those reasons, if Manning hoists the

Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 2, he would replace Brady on my Mount Rushmore.

Of course, since I picked Seattle to win the whole thing back in September, I’m betting both quarterbacks will come up short. But not before Brady gives us one more reminder that he, and not Archie, is Peyton’s real daddy, and the best QB of our generation — but not quite all-time.

If you have questions on this or anything to do with sports, email me at chad.t.jones.civ@mail.mil or hit me up on Twitter @CTJibber.

Two wins from the top

Chad T. Jones, Public Affairs

Officer

Jibber Jabber - OpiniOnSports Shorts Running Clinic

Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Physical Therapy, the Community Health Promotion Council, and the Army Wellness Center will host a running clinic on Jan. 31 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the Fort Meade Army Wellness Center, 4418 Llewellyn Ave.

The free program is open active-duty service members, retirees, family members and DoD civilians of all running ability levels.

The clinic will include a health care screening, skills and drills to improve running techniques as well as demonstrations.

Space is limited. Registration is required.For more information or to register, call 301-677-2006.

Spring Sports

Registration for spring sports is underway at Parent Central Services, 1900 Reece Road.

Spring sports include soccer, swimming, baseball, softball, track, flag football and basketball.

Participants can register at the CYSS Central Registration Office at 1900 Reece Road or online at https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/webtrac/meadecyms.html.

For more information, call 301-677-1149 or 1156.

Dollar Days

Dollar Days at the Lanes is every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Bowlers receive a game of bowling, shoe rental, a hot dog, hamburger,

small fries, pizza slice or small soda for $1 each.For more information, call 301-677-5541.

Texas Hold ‘em

Texas Hold ‘em no buy-in games are played Mondays and Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Lanes.

Games are free and open to the public. For more information, call 301-677-5541.

For more Fort Meade sports, visit quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.

www.quickscores.com/ftmeadesports.

• Basketball• Football

• Softball• Soccer

Find schedules, scores, standings and upcoming seasons for

All-Army athletics, new sports and special events at

And more, plus

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil14 SOUNDOFF! January 16, 2014

Community news & notes

The deadline for Soundoff! community “News and Notes” is Friday at noon. All submissions are posted at the editor’s discretion and may be edited for space and grammar. Look for additional community events on the Fort Meade website at www.ftmeade.army.mil and the Fort Meade Facebook page at facebook.com/ftmeade.

For more information or to submit an announcement, email Philip Jones at philip.h.jones.civ@mail.mil or call 301-677-5602.

ID Card Section updatesThe Fort Meade Personnel ID Card

Section at 2234 Huber Road will no longer accept state-issued identity documents that display the phrase: “Not For Federal Identification Use.”

RAPIDS has been upgraded.For lost or stolen ID cards, the following

documents are now required: two forms of ID, a military police report, counseling statement or civilian official memorandum.

For more information, call 301-677-3342.

Dental program changesThe Tricare Retiree Dental Program

instituted the following changes on Jan. 1:• The annual maximum has increased

from $1,200 to $1,300 per person per year.• The dental accident benefit has

increased from $1,000 to $1,200 per person per year.

• The orthodontic benefit has increased from $1,500 to $1,750 per person per lifetime. (No age limit on this benefit.)

• Enrollees with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are now covered for three cleanings per year.

The new contract year is Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

In addition, the monthly premiums have decreased. To find rates or other program information, visit the new TRDP website at http://trdp.org.

Club Meade lunch service begins

Club Meade is offering an all-you-can-eat daily lunch buffet or order from the menu on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Buffet themes are: Monday - seafood; Tuesday - Asian; Wednesday - Southern; Thursday - barbecue; Friday - soup and salad.

The buffet is open to all.Lunch service is no longer available at the

Conference Center.For more information, call 301-677-6969.

file photo

MLK DAY OBSERVANCEThe Fort Meade commemoration of the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr.

Day observance will be held Jan. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at McGill Training Center, 8542 Zimborski Ave.

The free event is open to the public.The keynote speaker is Pastor Johnny Green, a retired member of the Air

Force.All Fort Meade service members and civilian employees are encouraged

to attend with supervisory approval and without charge to annual leave. Administrative leave is authorized.

For more information, call the Fort Meade Equal Opportunity Office at 301-677-6687 or the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at 301-677-6298.

Blood driveIn observance of National Blood

Donor Month, the Armed Services Blood Program will sponsor a blood drive on Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McGill Training Center.

To learn more about the Armed Services Blood Program, or to schedule an appointment, visit militaryblood.dod.mil.

To interact directly with an ASBP staff member or for the latest news, visit facebook.com/militaryblood.

Jummah prayers Individuals interested in participating

in Jummah prayers on Fort Meade should call 301-677-1301.

Fort Meade has a room available at Argonne Hills Chapel Center, 7100 Rockenbach Road.

The community also is seeking individuals who would like to join in a morning prayer on Fridays.

Mobile Training TeamThe Office of the Secretary of the

Army has approved revisions to the Officer Evaluation Reporting System.

These enhancements are scheduled for implementation in April.

The U.S Army Human Resources Command Mobile Training Team will provide hands-on training on the revised Officer Evaluation Reporting System from March 3-7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Smallwood Hall, Building 4650.

All Army commands supported by Fort Meade are required to send a representative to complete this Train the Trainer course and train other human resource professionals and officers within their units.

Units must select a primary and alternate officer/HR professional to attend this weeklong training.

To reserve a seat, call Jannette Bolling at 301-677-2903 or email jannette.o.bolling.civ@mail.mil, or call Jolynda Thompson at 301-677-7036 or email jolynda.e.thompson.civ@mail.mil.

For more information, call Richard Lee, chief of the Military Personnel Division, at 301-677-4209 or email richard.lee6.civ@mail.mil.

Free classesThe Navy Fleet and Family Support

Center offers a variety of classes at its new facility at 2212 Chisholm Ave.

The free classes are open to DoD identification cardholders, including active-duty service members, retirees and their family members, DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Registration is required for each class.• Small Business Association: Tuesday,

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.• Stress Management: Wednesday, 9

a.m. to noon• Transition, Goals, Plans, Success

(TGPS) Workshop: Jan. 27-31• Career Exploration: Jan. 28, 9 a.m. to

noon• Time Management: Jan. 29, 9-11 a.m.• Medical Record Review: Have your

medical records reviewed by Ms. Johnson of AMVETS. Appointment required.

To register or for more information, call 301-677-9017 or 301-677-9018.

ACS classesArmy Community Service offers a

variety of classes at 830 Chisholm Ave.The free classes are open to DoD ID

cardholders including active-duty service members, retirees and their family members, DoD civilian employees and contractors.

Registration is required for each class.• Debt Management: Tuesday, 9-11

a.m.• 1st Term Financial Readiness: Jan.

28, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.To register or for more information,

call 301-677-5590.

Story TimeThe Children’s Library at Kuhn Hall

offers pre-kindergarten Story Time on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

The free event features stories, songs or a finger-puppet theme.

• Today: “Warm, Wooly and Wonderful” — stories, songs and

NEWS & EVENTS

EDUCATION

YOUTH

http://www.ftmeade.army.mil January 16, 2014 SOUNDOFF! 15

Community news & notes movies

The movie schedule is subject to change. For a recorded announcement of showings, call 301-677-5324. Further listings are available on the Army and Air Force Exchange Service website at www.aafes.com.

Movies start Wednesdays to Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

PRICES: Tickets are $5.50 for adults (12 and older) and $3 for children. 3D Movies: $7.50 adults, $5 children.

Today through Feb. 1

Today & Friday: “Homefront” (R). A former DEA agent encounters trouble in a small town. With Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder.

Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday : “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas” (PG-13). Madea dispenses her unique form of holiday spirit on a rural town when she’s coaxed into helping a friend pay her daughter a surprise visit in the country for Christ-mas. With Tyler Perry, Chad Michael Murray, Tika Sumpter.

Jan. 23, 24: “Out of the Furnace” (R). When Rod-ney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforce-ment doesn’t follow through fast enough, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice. With Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana.

Jan. 25, 26: “Saving Mr. Banks” (PG-13). Author P.L. Travers reflects on her difficult childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt Disney during production for the adaptation of her novel, Mary Poppins. With Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley.

Jan. 29 & Feb. 1: “Anchorman 2: The Legend Con-tinues” (R). With the 1970s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to take New York’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. With Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell.

Jan. 30, 31: “American Hustle” (R). A con man, along with his seductive British partner, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia. With Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence.

fingerplays about sheep• Jan. 23: “Silly Stories and Giggles”• Jan. 30: “Ice is Nice” — focusing on

penguins and polar bearsFor more information, call 301-677-

5522.

Teen Center eventsThe Fort Meade Teen Center is featuring

the following events for grades nine to 12:• Pizza & Movie Night: Friday from 6-10

p.m.Teens play for the cost of their own

meal.• Checkers Tournament: Jan. 31, from

3-5 p.m.Teens play a freestyle/unrestricted

tournament.For more information, call 301-677-6054.

Kids Craft ClubThe Kids Craft Club for toddlers and

preschoolers will meet Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the Arts and Crafts Center.

Remaining sessions are: March 11, April 15 and May 6.

Fee is $5 per session. Cost includes a craft, snack and juice.

Space is limited. Registration is required.

To register or for more information, call 301-677-7809.

Out & About• The 18th Annual MSP Polar Bear

Plunge will be held Jan. 25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Mass Plunges will take place at both 1 and 3 p.m.

Participants take a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay for $75 in pledges, to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland.

There is a PeeWee Plunge for children ages 10 and younger.

The Carnival FunFest heated tent hosts vendors, crafters and roving entertainment including stilt walkers, caricaturists, hop dancers and balloon sculptors.

For more information, email plunge@somd.org or call 410-242-1515.

• The U.S. Naval Academy Band’s Brass Ensemble will perform Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5200 N. Charles St., Baltimore.

The Naval Academy Band has provided music for the Brigade of Midshipmen and surrounding community since 1852.

The Brass Ensemble performs original works for brass, orchestral transcriptions,

and arrangements by ensemble members.Concerts are free and open to the public

with no tickets required.For more information, visit the band’s

website or Facebook page, or call 410-293-1262.

• Shen Yun will perform today, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore.

The production features classical Chinese dance, a live orchestra, dazzling costumes and animated backdrops.

Tickets start at $50. For tickets, call 1-888-974-3698 or 410-547-7328, or email ticketing@falundafa-dc.org.

• The Horse World Expo 2014 will be held Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

The event will feature mounted demonstrations, seminars, a daily roping contest, a musical equine variety show, a 4H art contest, pony rides and vendors. All activities are indoors.

Daily admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. Pets are not permitted. For more information, visit horseworldexpo.com or call 301-916-0852.

• Prostate Cancer Support Group meets at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda on the third Thursday of every month. The next meeting is today from 1 to 2 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the America Building, River Conference Room (next to the Prostate Center), third floor.

Spouses/partners are invited. Military ID is required for base access. Men without a military ID should call the Prostate Center 48 hours prior to the event at 301-319-2900 for base access.

For more information, call retired Col. Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or email jane.l.hudak.ctr@health.mil.

• Meade Area Garden Club will meet Friday at 10 a.m. at the Jessup Community Hall at the corner of Route 175 and Wigley Avenue.

Jim Heins will present the program, “The Netherlands When the Tulips Are Not in Bloom.” Reservations are not required. Refreshments will be served.

Those interested in the club may attend one program before being asked to join for the annual fee of $20.

If Anne Arundel County Schools are closed or opening late due to inclement weather, the meeting will be canceled.

For more information, call Membership Chairman Jennifer Garcia at 443-949-8348

or Club President Sharon Durney at 410-761-5019.

• Families Dealing with Deployment, Unac-companied Permanent Change of Station, Tem-porary Duty meets the first and third Monday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Meuse Forest Neighborhood Center. The next meeting is Monday. For more information, email Kimberly.d.mckay6.ctr@mail.mil.

• Retired Enlisted Association meets the third Tuesday of the month from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Perry’s Restaurant, 1210 Annapolis Road, Odenton. The next meeting is Tuesday. For more information, visit trea.org or call Elliott Phillips, the local president, at 443-790-3805 or Arthur R. Cooper, past national president, at 443-336-1230.

• Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 254 meets the fourth Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room of Building 9801 at the National Security Agency. The next meeting is Wednesday. For more information, call 443-534-5170 or visit afsa254.org.

• Fort Meade Homeschool Co-op will meet Jan. 24 and Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Potomac Place Neighborhood Center. For more infor-mation, go to its Facebook page at Fort Meade Homeschool Group and Co-op.

• Society of Military Widows meets for brunch the fourth Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Lanes. The next meeting is Jan. 26. For more information, call Betty Jones at 410-730-0127.

• Single Parent Support Group meets the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at School Age Services, 1900 Reece Road. The next meeting is Jan. 27. Free child care will be provided on site.

For more information, email Kimberly.d.mckay6.ctr@mail.mil.

• Bully Proofing Support Group meets the second and fourth Monday of the month from 4 to 5 p.m. at Potomac Place Neighborhood Center. The next meeting is Jan. 27. The group is geared for school-age children and par-ents. For more information, email Kimberly.d.mckay6.ctr@mail.mil.

• Marriage Enrichment Group, sponsored by Army Community Service, meets the sec-ond and fourth Monday of every month from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Community Readiness Cen-ter, 830 Chisholm Ave. The next meeting is Jan. 27. For more information, call Celena Flowers or Jessica Hobgood at 301-677-5590.

• Women’s Empowerment Group meets Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to provide a safe, confidential arena for the support, education and empowerment of women who have experienced past or present family violence.

Location is only disclosed to participants. To register, call Tina Gauth, victim advocate, at 301-677-4117 or Samantha Herring, victim advocate, at 301-677-4124.

RECREATION

MEETINGS