Page 7 - Fort Irwin High Desert Warrior, June 2021
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6  High Desert Warrior  www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin  www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin                                  High Desert Warrior         7
 June 2021
                                                                                                                                          June 2021
 News                                                                                                                                       News



 The Villages’ community pool reopens  Colonel Simmering earns Place in the Desert





                                        By Annette Pritt
 Courtesy of the Villages at Fort Irwin Housing  • Appointments can only be booked 24 hours or less in advance.
 Please book your time slot ahead of time guarantee entry. Walk-ins   Operations Group Public A airs
 FORT IRWIN, Calif. —  e community pool at the Villages  can scan the QR code at the entrance.   THE NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, Calif. — Col. Michael Simmering, the Com-
 closed for the season in September 2019 and reopened on May 7,   Pool Hours:  mander of the Operations Group, earned his Place in the Desert (PID) on May 5.
 following a year of COVID-19 restrictions.  e pool’s normal season   • Mondays: Noon – 8 p.m.  PID’s are placed throughout the training area (known as “The Box”) in honor of the soldiers
 from May to September 2020 was canceled, due to the pandemic, but   • Tuesdays- Sundays: 10a.m. – 8p.m.  and leaders who have signi cantly contributed to the mission at the National Training Center.
 residents are excited about being able to take a dip in the water again.  Sandy Basin Pool COVID-19 Restrictions:  “Simmering’s Summit” was unveiled near Hill 780E in honor of the 27th Commander of Op-
 “I’m also very thankful that the pool is available,” Katie Smith   • Masks will be required by Visitors and Pool Monitors when not in   erations Group.
 posted to the Villages Facebook page.” Another resident, Jenn Calhoun   the pool  Simmering served as what’s called “Outlaw 01” my soldiers, from July 2019 through June
 posted, “I am also beyond grateful to be able to use the pool.”  • Temperatures will be taken at time of arrival  2021.  “Simmering’s Summit” will continuously serve as a beacon to all units who train at the
 Leaders at the Villages said they were thrilled to announce the   NTC.  It is a representation of the many dedicated hours spent observing, coaching and train-
 reopening of the pool, saying reservations were required.  • Pool water chemical levels will be checked every two hours  ing rotational units, and the impact he has made on the Operations Group and  e National
 • There will be one entrance into the pool facility and one exit out
 “Given we are restricted to only 120 in the pool area at a time,   Training Center as a whole.
 please be thoughtful of other families and give them a chance to enjoy   • You must be 18 years of age and older unless accompanied by an adult
 the facility as well,” the Villages’ commented on their Facebook page.   • Due to restrictions, pool parties will not be authorized  Foundation’s Point   Cookies for Military Spouses
 “ is won’t last forever.  anks so much for being patient with all   • A limit of 8 persons allowed per group. 15 families (120 max oc-
 the limitations.”  cupancy) will be allowed to swim on the hour for 50 minutes. Pool
 Here are some of the rules and modifications (for a complete list,   will be closed for the remaining 10 minutes for cleaning.
 visit: https://mailchi.mp/1f7262a43f54/may-newsletter-pool-reopens-  • Restrooms will be available  dedication honors
 post-yard-sale-infant-massage?fbclid=IwAR3eWBAZMPSmq51DQT  • Showers and changing stalls will not be available
 aG1u6gWa549OB523F5JmT7DDKxVUoz5ilJx4r8mF0)  • Each family will be assigned a 12 feet by 12 feet space around the
 • Attendance is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (https://villagesat-  pool deck and encouraged to stay within their 12 feet of space  Army civilians
 fortirwin.as.me/pool)  • Chairs will now be provided
 Freedom Fitness gym reopens  Jobs, re-openings focus of May

 Community Service Council meeting



 By Janell J. Lewis Ford
 NTC/Fort Irwin Garrison Public A airs
 FORT IRWIN, Calif. —  e com-
 munity service council meeting, formerly
 known as the community town hall,                                                                                  Abe Dawoud
 Photos by Abe Dawoud, Fort Irwin Public A airs
 focused on jobs, re-openings, and school                                                                        Fort Irwin Public A airs
 and health care information for soldiers                                               FORT IRWIN, Calif. — The Fort Irwin Family and MWR, the Fort Irwin Army Com-
 and residents who are apart of the perma-                                           munity Services and the USO handed out cookies and other giveaways on May 5, to celebrate
 nent change of station (PCS) moves this                                             and say thank you for Military Spouse Appreciation Day to those at Fort Irwin.
 summer.                                                                                The cookies were from the Cookie Plug and were handed out at the Post Exchange main store.
  e event was held on May 25 at the
 Sandy Basin Community Center and   Photo by Abe Dawoud, Fort Irwin Public A airs
 streamed live on Facebook.com/FtIrwin.   Child and Youth Services announced that
 It is led by the Garrison Command team and  summer camps will begin again, the Middle
 Garrison directorates present updates for each  School and Teen Center is reopening on June 4
 of their departments.  and youth sports and  tness clinics are restart-
  e event began with information about the  ing in June.
 By Janell J. Lewis Ford  In an e ort to prevent confusion and long   May 27 large-scale job fair put on by Transition    e Villages at Fort Irwin announced up-
 NTC/fort Irwin Garrison public A airs  waits to enter, fully-vaccinated patrons were   Assistance Program.  dates to the community pool that reopened on
 able to present their vaccination cards at  e
 FORT IRWIN, Calif. —  e Freedom    e options of spouses starting home-based  May 7, including pool chairs that will now be
 Fitness Center reopened to the community on   Box  Fitness  Center  and  Memorial  Fitness   businesses for employment were explained by  provided.
 May 24 to fully-vaccinated service members   Center to update their household information   the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation    ey also announced that they are conduct-
 and bene ciaries.  beginning May 11.  (FMWR) office, as well as the need for paid  ing free HVAC filter changes. They still offer
 The gym shut down last April 2020 to begin   Sta  members swipe the customer’s identi-  contracted instructors like Family Child Care  free air  lters at our Self Help Center and each
 renovations that include:   cation cards and annotate that the customer   Providers and Child and Youth Services teach-  home will receive a full maintenance service on   By Annette Pritt
 • Installation of phase change material (PCM)   is fully vaccinated. Customers can still update   ers. Both the MWR and the AAFES Exchange  the HVAC system in 2021.  Operations Group Public A airs
 to increase efficiency, add insulation, and   their household information.  have several positions they’re aiming to  ll.  Lastly, a TRICARE representative provided a   FORT IRWIN, Calif. —  e Operations Group recognized past, present and future Depart-
 reduce cost  After being entered into the system, there   “If you have soldiers coming in and they  comprehensive overview on health care options   ment of the Army Civilian employees with a plaque on May 10.
 • Installation of fans to move more air and   will be no requirement to show the vaccina-  have a spouse or kids that want to work, get  for soldiers and bene ciaries, including eligibil-   e “Foundation’s Point” piece is just outside of the Operations Group Headquarters building
 prevent hot spots, particularly in the aerobics   tion card; however, the requirement for the  with us now,” Steven Ryan, Deputy Garrison  ity, pharmacies, dental, visions, COVID-19   and honors civilian employees who dedicate their careers to the betterment of soldiers, leaders
 room and the basketball court area  customer to swipe their identi cation card  Commander said. “We can help ease them into  changes and resources.  and the mission.
 • Installation of a transfer switch to make it  upon entry remains in e ect.   positions and depending on what they’ve done   All slides can be found on the NTC website   It stands as a representation of the many contributions and e orts made to ensure that Opera-   e National Training Center and Fort Irwin community would like to thank the service
 easier to power during outages, without requir-   e hours for Freedom Fitness are Mondays  before, they might already be pre-quali ed for  at https://home.army.mil/irwin/application/  tions Group successfully completes their mission. Leaders say Army civilians are the foundation  members who retired from the military in May 2021.  e monthly retirement ceremony was
 ing support from Southern California Energy  – Fridays from 5a.m. – 10p.m. and Saturdays  positions. A lot of our operations are closing  files/4016/2195/4966/Community_Service_  of the Operations Group that continuously bring leadership, stability and continuity to the  held at the Sandy Basin Community Center on May 25 and live streamed on Facebook.com/
 • LED lighting upgrades installed  – Sundays from 9a.m. – 4p.m.  down because we can’t hire people.”  Council_25_May_2021.pdf.  organization.  NTCfortirwin.

 For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin                                                                          For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin
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