Page 16 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior, October 2019

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High Desert Warrior October 4, 2019
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Silver Valley School Board honored Courtesy of Silver Valley School District
Karen Gray, President of the Board of Trustees of Silver Valley Unified School District, has been recognized by the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) with the Friend of NAFIS Award. The award, which celebrates recipients for outstanding contributions to the Impact Aid program, was presented at the 2019 NAFIS Fall Conference in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26.
Impact Aid reimburses school districts for the loss of revenue caused by the pres- ence of nontaxable Federal property, including military installations; Indian Trust, Treaty and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act lands; Federal low-rent housing facilities; and national parks, national laboratories and other Federal buildings and property. It helps ensure students who attend schools on or near Federal property have access to a quality education.
Gray has been active in the Impact Aid community and NAFIS for nearly 20 years, since joining the Silver Valley Unified School District (where nearly 70% of students are military-connected) Board of Education in 2001. During this time, she has worked to serve all parts of the Impact Aid program and bridge gaps between its different constituencies. She is involved in the Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA) through the school district and is personally an associate member of the National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA). She also supports the state- level work of the California Association of Federally Impacted Schools (CAFIS).
“Karen has played a key role in ensuring the unity of the NAFIS Family,” Execu- tive Director Hilary Goldmann said. “In addition, she works continuously within California to educate on Impact Aid and build strong connections between the state’s federally impacted school districts and the national Impact Aid community, strengthening our advocacy efforts. I am pleased NAFIS is recognizing her with this award, and I look forward to continuing to work with her to ensure that students in federally impacted school districts have access to the educational opportunities they deserve.”
In addition to her service on the school board and work on Impact Aid, Gray is currently a member of the California School Boards Association Board of Direc- tors, Co-Chair of the San Bernardino County District Advocates for Better Schools and part of the Newberry Springs Community Services District Strategic Planning Team, among other community service activities.
October brings next step in implementing
News
Army Combat Fitness Test
By Garrison Public Affairs
PENTAGON — The Army began implementing training and practical testing of the Army Combat Fitness Test for all Soldiers in Initial Military Training on Oct. 1. Soldiers in Ba- sic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, OSUT, WOBC and the Basic Officer Leaders Course will train for the ACFT to forge their physical readiness at the earliest moments in their careers.
The Army will continue implementing the Army Combat Fitness Test for all Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, while maintaining the Army Physical Fitness Test for as the Test of Record. The practice phase will prepare Soldiers to meet the standards of the ACFT based on their Military Oc- cupational Specialties, while continuing to change the culture of fitness across our force.
Soldiers will undergo training and practical testing for the ACFT to build their individual readiness as they prepare to join cohesive teams at their units who have already built upon their readiness.
The Army is on a glide path to Total Army implementation no later than Oct. 1, 2020, but will maintain the Army Physi-
cal Fitness Test (APFT) as the test of record until then. This year-long period will allow the Army to continue assessing and validating the test, disseminating equipment, assessing Army policy and making adjustments as necessary. It is important to add value to this period by providing your feedback to Army senior leaders whether through the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training’s Army Physical Training and Readiness Survey or direct leadership feedback.
As soldiers prepare to meet the standards for the ACFT, remember you can train for it anywhere, in any environment, with or without equipment. Simply refer to USACIMT’s ACFT training guide, or the training videos and online resources at https://www.army.mil/acft/. Use this practice phase to prepare for meeting the standards related to your MOS.
For alternate assessments, a modification of the ACFT has been approved, which includes three aerobic test events for selected soldiers with permanent profiles that prevent full par- ticipation in the six-event test. This will not apply to soldiers with temporary profiles, as those individuals should recondition themselves, retrain and take the full six-event ACFT.
“It is imperative we transform our fitness culture to better avoid and recover from preventable injuries, and build cohesive
teams,” Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Grinston (sergeant major of the Army) said. “Leaders — take action. A key part of ‘This is My Squad’ is ensuring every member of the team is aligned with the Chief of Staff’s readiness priorities — highly trained, disciplined and physically fit Soldiers capable of winning on any battlefield at any time. The ACFT will improve our individual readiness, deployability and lethality.”
For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin