The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 18, 1996 Page: 4 of 34
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A4
Jan. 18 1996 Fort Hood Sentinel
DoD emphasizes policy
on supremacist groups
By Stephen Barrett
American Forces Information Service
By Amy Koehler
III Corps Public Affairs
WASHINGTON D.C. In the wake of two recent murders
in Fayetteville N.C. defense officials are again emphasizing
DoD’s policy concerning military personnel participation in su-
premacist organizations.
There is no place for racial hatred or extremism in the U.S.
military Defense Secretary William Perry said in a press re-
lease. He said every servicemember takes an oath to support and
defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and
domestic.
“The men and women in the military understand the gravity
of this oath” said Perry. “Department of Defense policies state
that military personnel may not actively participate in organiza-
tions that espouse supremacist causes.”
Perry’s statement came after Fayetteville police found Nazi
flags and supremacist material in the mobile home where they
arrested two murder suspects Army Pfcs. James A. Burmeister
20 and Malcolm Wright 22. Both were charged with two counts
of first degree murder in the Dec. 7 deaths of Michael James
36 and Jack Burden 27 both of Fayetteville.
A third soldier Spc. Randy Meadows 21 is charged with
two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Meadows allegedly
drove the vehicle that transported Burmeister and Wright.
All three serve with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Brag
N.C. Both Fayetteville police and the Army Criminal Investiga-
tion Division at Fort Brag continue their investigations.
The incident prompted Army Secretary Togo West to form a
review board to investigate extremist and supremacist activities
within the Army. West appointed Maj. Gen. Larry Jordan the
Army’s deputy inspector general to head the board. Jordan is to
report findings to West by March 1 1996.
After passing condolences to the victims’ families during a Pen
There was once a strong speaker who
believed that all people should judge each
other by their character not the color of
their skin.
This man was Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. and on Thursday hundreds of people
on Fort Hood gathered at Palmer Theater
to honor him and his ideas.
The keynote speaker for the day was
the president of Prarie View A&M Uni-
versity Dr. Charles Alfonso Hines.
The theme for King’s celebration was
“On the King Holiday Help Somebody
Every American Can Make A Difference.”
Say Again...
by Michael Rodriguez
By Edward Kyler
89th MP Bde EO Office
Communication is a process I
would venture to say we undertake
almost every day in some form.
However are we just marking
time? How often have we attended
training meetings staff meetings or
formations and left the area con-
fused? Not only are we confused
but the implied task is to take the
information decipher it and dis-
seminate it to the personnel that
will make these actions happen.
Usually these personnel are
subordinates. I fail to understand
how they are going to accomplish
the task when it was never under-
stood. Additionally if it isn’t ac-
complished subordinates are often
Extremist organizations
not tolerated by military
Speaker urges community to unite
Hines reflected on this theme and ex-
plained to the listeners how they could have
abetter community if they would just help
somebody.
“As a people we (Americans) inflict
more pain and hatred on ourselves than
any other people” Hines said. “We need
to save our children and make a differ-
ence in their lives. If we help them we
help our future as a people.”
Hines said he believed that if King the
drum major for peace were still alive and
could see the rate our young children were
dying from guns and drugs he would call
for a civil war.
“Dr. King would call for a domestic war
to stop the hatred and debauchery that we
Communication key to understanding
blamed for the failure. This often
leads to some type of punishment.
Oh by the way the subordinate is
not going to accept this punishment
for its face value.
He/she may perceive the pun-
ishment as being unfair and file
some sort of complaint for in-
stance Equal Opportunity or In-
spector General.
Now we have a situation where
a leader at some level is the sub-
ject of an investigation because he/
she failed to seek clarity referenc-
ing the information received. Com-
munication is the key and the “pro-
cess by which information is ex-
changed between individuals
through a common system of sym-
bols signs or behavior”
(Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dic
tagon press conference Dec. 12 West echoed Perry’s remarks.
“Involvement in extremist organizations whether active or
passive will not be tolerated” said West who added it is incon-
sistent with military service.
“First it is at war with the basic principals of fairness and
dignity that we require to perform as effective units” West said.
“Secondly a unit that is in any way polarized by extremist views
or activities is a unit that is not ready. And thirdly as a slice of
America every unit... is expected to conform and in many ways
reflect the values of American citizens.”
West added while mere membership in an organization is not
prohibited membership would have an adverse impact on an
individual’s promotion potential and career advancement. He
also alerted Army leaders to their responsibility toward this is-
sue saying all officers and NCOs are responsible for counseling
soldiers and ensuring they are aware of the policy.
Although service regulations differ in wording most guide-
lines on participation in extremist organizations are the same.
Servicemembers must reject participation in organizations that:
Espouse supremacist causes
Attempt to create illegal discrimination based on race creed
color gender religion or national origin
Advocate the use of force violence or other otherwise en-
gage in efforts to deprive individuals of their civil rights
Additionally defense regulations prohibit service members
from:
Knowingly attending meetings or activities while on active
duty when in uniform when in a foreign country or in violation
of off-limits restrictions or orders
Conducting fund-raising activities
Recruiting or training members
Organizing or leading a supremacist or extremist group
Distributing extremist or supremacist literature
Perry said the policies of the Department of Defense clearly
prohibit racial intolerance and discrimination in any form. “Equal
treatment respect and trust are values that men and women in
the military take very seriously” Perry said. “These values are
fundamental to a just society and they are fundamental to mili-
tary effectiveness. Military training expresses these principles
military conduct requires their observance.
tionary.) In other words the com-
munication process is not only the
responsibility of the person relay-
ing the information it is also the
responsibility entails active listen-
ing seeking and providing feed-
back and effectively dealing with
some of the barriers that hamper
the communication process.
In the business of the military
EO or our everyday interactions
with people we must put forth the
effort to communicate effectively
and understand one another in or-
der to cross differences. If we were
to go the extra mile and effectively
listen to what is said and what we
are saying maybe some of the
equal opportunity leadership and
personnel issues dealt with daily
would be eliminated.
inflict on ourselves” he said. “King and
other great leaders cry out from their
graves begging us to help each other and
make a difference in solving the problems
that pulverize and demean the human
spirit.”
Hines also said he believes Americans
would call for the same if it were outsid-
ers harming our children. Hines offered
some advice to the crowd to help protect
America from its own hatred.
“Help somebody” he said. “It only
takes one to make a difference.
“... Ideals and the deeds they spin can
infect instruct or even initiate greater and
more noble ideals. Every American can
make a difference.”
UJY1
ort ood
S
en tin
Post Commander:
Lt. Gen.ThomasA. Schwartz
Public Affairs Officer:
Lt. Col. Randy Schoel
Managing Editor: Kay Pennington
Editor: Cpi. Julia Bobick
Homefront Editor: Spc. Sharon Mulligan
Leisure Editor: Spc. Wililiam P. Bradner
Sports Editor: Pfc. Michael Brock
Staff Writer: Spc. Amy Koehler
Editorial Office: III Corps Public Affairs
Office: Fort Hood Texas 76544.
Telephone (817) 287-2436/0107 or DSN
737-2436/0107. Fax (817) 288-2750.
Advertising Office: P.O. Box 6114
Temple Texas 76540.
Telephone (817) 778-4444 or 634-6666.
Printer: Frank W. Maybom Enterprises.
Advertising Manager: Robert Smith
Representatives: John Alvey Linda
Sanchez Laurel Hess Donna Elrod.
Trading Post: 287-0101.
Printed circulation: 22500
On-post distribution is free.
Off-post subscriptions: $22 a year.
Learning the ropes
By Heather Masten
Fort Hood Tax Center
After the New Year tax filers antici-
pating a refund become anxious to file their
returns. Often the same tax filers are bom-
barded with advertisements offering meth-
ods of getting their income tax refunds
quickly.
Unfortunately these advertisements
often fail to inform taxpayers that these
methods are actually high interest loans
from the company or the bank that pre-
pares the taxpayer’s return.
These loans known as Refund Antici-
pation Loans or RALs charge interest
rates or “fees” as high as 20-180 percent
for a short term loan. As a result a large
part of the taxpayer’s return is used to
cover the RAL fees or interest.
One local tax preparation service
charges $85 for a rapid refund loan based
on a $200-$500 loan amount. Addition-
ally the amount loaned to a tax filer from
rapid refund loans is often less than the
amount anticipated refund.
Anticipating a refund from the IRS
should not be the reason for a soldier ac-
quiring a loan from a tax preparer.
Normally when taxpayers file their re-
turns electronically the entire refund can
be directly deposited into their checking
or savings account in 10-14 days. If a sol-
dier genuinely needs a loan he/she should
seek one from a lending institution.
The Fort Hood Tax Center can prepare
federal income tax returns and electroni-
cally file them with the IRS for free. If the
tax filer brings in a bank statement or a
Capt. Willis M. Madden Jr. Co 1158th Avn Regt XO explains the
controls of a UH-1H Huey helicopter to his sister ROTC Cadet
Camille Blackmon.
Blackmon who attends Virginia State University spent her
vacation learning more about the military from her brother. Both
are following in the footsteps of their father Reserve Lt. Col. Willis
Madden Sr. and their grandfather retired Lt. Col. Lee Vessels who
were also ROTC members and Virginia State graduates.
Installation tax center
offering
free
The Fort Hood Sentinel is an authorized
publication for members of the U.S. Army.
Contents of the Fort Hood Sentinel are not
necessarily official views of or endorsed by
the U.S. Government Department of Defense
Department of the Army or III Corps and Fort
Hood. It is published every Thursday by the
III Corps Public Affairs Office.
Everything advertised in this publication
shall be made available for purchase use or
patronage without regard to race color
religion sex national origin age marital
status physical handicap political affiliation
or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser
user or patron. If a violation or rejection of
this opportunity policy by an advertiser is
confirmed the printer shall refuse to print
advertising from that source until the
wetter
La Donna Herschel/13th COSCOM
services
Visit the Fort Hood
Tax Assistance Center
for free tax preparation
10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
and
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday-Saturday
at the Outdoor Equipment
Rental Center
across from the PX
check the refund can be directly depos-
ited in to the tax filer’s account within 10-
14 days.
The center can also prepare state tax
returns and provide copies of all the state
and federal tax forms.
All the services provided by the Fort
Hood Tax Center are free! All active-duty
servicemembers retirees DoD/DA civil-
ian employees and family members are
eligible to receive free tax services.
The FHTC is located at the Outdoor
Equipment Center Building 4930 across
the street from the Main Post Exchange
on Clear Creek Road.
Customers must park in the tax center
lot located off of Santa Fe and are encour-
aged to use the free child care (for E-4s
and below) from Child Development Ser-
vices as there is usually awaiting period
to complete the tax return.
For more information about tax services
on post contact the FHTC information line
at 288-7995.
violation is corrected.
All editorial content of the Fort Hood
Sentinel is prepared edited provided and
approved by the HI Corps and Fort Hood
Public Affairs Office.
To
The Fort Hood Senf/ne/welcomes letters from readers. Letters can be
El mailed to: Editor Fort Hood Sentinel III Corps Public Affairs Office Fort
Hood Texas 76544.
El faxed to: Fort Hood Sentinel (817) 288-2750 or DSN 738-2750.
El or e-mailed to: sentinelfh hood-03.army.mil.
We reserve the right to edit for content and style condense or reject any
letters we deem inappropriate. The Fort Hood Sentinel can withhold the
reader’s name upon request.
The Fort Hood Sentinel is printed by Frank
W. Maybom Enteiprises Inc. a private firm in
no way connected with the Department of the
Army under exclusive written contract with
III Corps and Fort Hood.
The civilian printer is responsible for
commercial advertising.
The appearance of advertising in this
publication including inserts or supplements
does not constitute endorsement by the
department of the Army or Frank Maybom
Enterprises Inc. of the products or services
advertised.
he
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Bobick, Cpl. Julia. The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 18, 1996, newspaper, January 18, 1996; Fort Hood, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth310099/m1/4/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.