MWR IN
THE NEWS
Marks of excellence for Battle Creek's MWR
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The Morale, Welfare, Recreation (MWR) program at the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center received two awards from the Defense Logistics Agency for facility excellence and customer service in May.
Beverly Williams, MWR recreation program manager and Ron Sullivan, DLA MWR staff director at DLA presented the awards in Battle Creek at a ceremony to Jeff Gailhouse, Bryan Iler and Lori Corbin for facility excellence and to Mary Asmonga-Knapp for customer service.
Jammie Hawkins is the MWR chief at the Federal Center, and Frank Walker is the DES-Battle Creek Site Director.
The excellence awards recognizes the exceptional professionalism of MWR employees and presented in five categories.
The winners for the 2007 Excellence Awards are:
Operations Excellence award
For achievement of targets in strategic business plan and measured contribution to the workforce
Tracy Charles, DES-Columbus
Facility Excellence award
For improved or upgraded equipment and services for the community
Fitness Center, DES-Battle Creek
Employee of the Year award
For anticipating and exceeding customer expectations in areas of operations and community
Dana Morgan, DES-Columbus
Mary Asmonga-Knapp, DES-Battle Creek
Innovation award
For creative programming and imaginative solutions to operational problems
Joni Geels, DES-Columbus
Customer Service award
For exceptional program planning and acts above and beyond mission accomplishment
Sharon Ewell, DES-Susquehanna
The Operations Excellence award is also recognized at the headquarters level during the annual Defense Logistics Agency Awards presentation held every December.
By Kathy Hausknecht, DRMS
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MWR members display their awards. From left to right are: Mary Asmonga-Knapp, Michelle Moore, Ron Sullivan, Bryan Iler, Jeff Gailhouse, Debbie Key, Jammie Hawkins, Frank Walker and Lori Corbin.
Mary Asmonga-Knapp accepts the Excellence award for customer service. From left to right are Beverly Williams, Ron Sullivan, Asmonga-Knapp and Frank Walker.
Jeff Gailhouse accepts the DLA Excellence Award for their facility on behalf of the fitness center. From left to right are Ron Sullivan, Bryan Iler, Gailhouse, Jammie Hawkins, Frank Walker and Lori Corbin. |
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Program offers help for deployment challenges
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| When members of local military units deploy there is usually some type of support network that takes care of their families, but Mary Asmonga-Knapp, Defense Logistics Agency Enterprise Support (DES) - Battle Creek’s Family Advocacy Program manager, felt someone needed to do the same for the families of civilian employees who are serving away from home in support of the agency’s mission.
“When you have a loved one deployed you feel a constant stress,” Asmonga-Knapp said. “Having someone to talk to helps because it’s important to know that you are not alone.”
That is why Asmonga-Knapp has organized a monthly family readiness group meeting for the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center employees. The first session conducted April 15 included Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) employee Tamhara Thompson who is preparing for her second deployment. The former soldier says it felt good last time to be serving the needs of Army units again, “helping to keep people alive,” but this time she hopes to avoid some of the family concerns she experienced and help her daughter manage her stress. Talking about her plans for this deployment, hearing ideas from others and learning more about the resources available gave Thompson lots of ideas.
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 Defense Logistics Information Service employee Tamhara
Thompson (left) and Mary Asmonga-Knapp, Defense Logistics
Agency Enterprise Support - Battle Creek’s Family Advocacy
Program manager, discuss some of the helpful items such as
planning guides, phone cards and disposable cameras available
through the Defense Logistics Agency Family Support Program
as Thompson prepares for her second deployment.
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| “It is stressful in itself to be away from my daughter and my family knowing that I am in a dangerous place, but to have a program here that will assist them in dealing with some of those fears really puts me at ease,” Thompson said.
Other attendees included Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center employees who have children, stepchildren and extended family members who have deployed or who have just arrived in a forward operating area. Gina Whiston, also a DLIS employee, discussed challenges she had passing along information when she was not part of the service member’s immediate family. From the other attendees she learned additional methods such as posting messages on unit websites or passing messages through the unit staff that has remained behind. The group also discussed the importance of practicing operational security, or “family OPSEC,” while making calls, posting on blogs or talking on the phone.
“It’s sad, but there are some bad people out there who are looking on websites and other places for information,” Asmonga-Knapp said.
Along with ideas on safeguarding information, Asmonga-Knapp provided group members a wide variety of resources, activity guides and helpful tips for managing their stress until their loved one returns home. The second meeting included a panel of three Army reservists who shared their deployment experiences. The discussion not only shared their thoughts on the continuing importance of letters from home and support to family members but also shared ideas from the federal employees that the reservists could take back to their unit.
The next meeting is scheduled for June 12. Until then, anyone who would like to get more information can visit the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Program website at http://hdifederalcentermwr.com/index.html and select the Family Advocacy Program link. Questions can also be sent to Asmonga-Knapp at mary.asmonga-knapp@dla.mil or by calling her at ext. 4051. |
Employees
hit the
streets
for
national
fitness
program
By
Tim
Hoyle
Approximately
250
walkers
and
runners
stepped
off from
the
Hart-Dole-Inouye
Federal
Center
May 28
to
participate
in the
annual
observance
of
National
Physical
Fitness
and
Sports
Month.
May is
the time
when the
Defense
Department
and the
Defense
Logistics
Agency
make an
extra
effort
to
encourage
employees
to
develop
healthy
lifestyles
by
participating
in
activities
that
develop
and
promote
wellness
among
military
personnel,
federal
civilians
and
government
contractors.
This
year’s
activities
once
again
included
a 1-mile
walk, a
5k walk,
and a 5k
run.
“Our
goal is
to
encourage
the
Federal
Center
workforce
to view
their
personal
wellness
as an
important
part of
their
daily
lives,”
said
Jeff
Gailhouse,
Sports/Fitness
program
manager.
“We
attempt
to
accomplish
this by
implementing
events
such as
these.”
The
event
began at
noon as
participants
headed
out from
the
Champion
Street
entrance.
The 1
mile
walkers
followed
the
streets
around
the
Federal
Center
while
the 5k
courses
took
participants
onto the
Linear
Trail
through
nearby
parks
and
around
the
small
lake
adjacent
to
Kellogg
Community
College
before
returning
them to
the
Federal
Center.
Along
with the
satisfaction
of
taking
part,
the
participants
each
received
a water
bottle
to
remind
them
that
good
health
includes
drinking
plenty
of
water.
For
more
information
about
fitness
programs,
please
contact
Gailhouse
at
x7105.
The feet of Frank Walker, Defense Logistics
Agency
Enterprise
Support’s
Battle
Creek
site
director
and
Marine
Col.
Laura J.
Sampsel,
Defense
Logistics
Information
Service
commander
hit the
pavement
during
National
Physical
Fitness
and
Sports
Month.
Defense
Logistics
Agency
(DLA)
Defense
Logistics
Enterprise
Services
(DES)
Morale,
Welfare,
and
Recreation
(MWR)
One Fund
Meeting
&
Excellence
Awards
Quarterly
within
the DLA/MWR
program,
the 5
MWR
Chiefs
nationwide
(DES-Columbus,
DES-San
Joaquin,
DES-Susquehanna,
DES-Richmond
and
DES-Battle
Creek)
and the
HQ MWR
team
meet to
review,
discuss,
vote on
MWR
business,
and
train on
the
latest
updates
within
recreation,
business
and
family
support
initiatives.
This
quarter
(12-15
May
2008),
Battle
Creek
hosted
the
gathering
at the
Hart-Dole-Inouye
Federal
Center (HDIFC).
It was
particularly
significant
since
Battle
Creek
MWR was
informed
a week
before
the
quarterly
meeting
that
they
were the
recipients
of two
of the
five
available
Excellence
Awards
within
MWR.
These
excellence
awards
were
created
to
provide
a higher
level of
recognition
for
exceptional
professionalism
among
all MWR
employees
throughout
DLA.
These
awards
are
presented
in five
categories;
they are
Operations
Excellence
(achievement
of
targets
in
strategic
business
plan and
measured
contribution
to the
workforce),
Facility
Excellence
(improved
or
upgraded
equipment
and
services
for the
community),
Customer
Service,
(anticipate
and
exceed
customer
expectations
in areas
of
operations
and
community),
Innovation
(creative
programming
and
imaginative
solutions
to
operational
problems),
and
Outstanding
(exceptional
program
planner
and acts
above
and
beyond
mission
accomplishment).
The
nominations
are
submitted
at the
end of
each
calendar
year.
This
year the
HDIFC
Sports &
Fitness
Center
was
awarded
the
Facility
Excellence
Award
(Jeff
Gailhouse,
Lori
Corbin &
Bryan
Iler)
and
Outstanding
Employee
of the
year
went to
Mary
Asmonga-Knapp.
The
Awards/Luncheon
Ceremony
was held
at the
Hunt
Club
Restaurant
in
Battle
Creek,
where
Mr.
Ronald
Sullivan
(HQ DLA
MWR
Staff
Director)
and Mr.
Frank
Walker
(DES
HDIFC
Site
Director)
presented
the
awards
to our
MWR Team
Members.
We
congratulate
Battle
Creek
MWR for
their
outstanding
contributions
to the
well
being of
the
HDIFC
community
and
commend
each of
these
employees
for
their
accomplishments
and
recognition.
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