Dozens of veterans, family members, supporters and Fort Belvoir leaders gathered Thursday to express gratitude for the sacrifices made by veterans. Hosted at the Cold War Memorial on the base's Long Parade Field, the invocation was performed by Chaplain Maj. Marlon Brown, and Col. Joseph Messina, the garrison’s commander, presented the opening remarks.

With a resident population of close to 23,000, it is important that Service members and their Families here have a direct line of communication to the garrison command team to report housing related problems. Meet Sandra Davis, Fort Belvoir Garrison’s housing Ombudsman. As Ombudsman, Davis advocates on behalf of the installation’s tenants with both the garrison directorates and the privatized housing partner who run the Villages at Belvoir. She reports daily to the garrison command team, briefing issues ranging from delayed routine maintenance requests, displaced Families, and major housing incidents. She is also adept at conflict resolution and mediation, an important requirement for an ombudsman.

Lt. Amani Simpson-Stokes wears several hats for the Fort Belvoir Police Department. One of her favorites is that of Community Relations Liaison where she serves as a direct point of contact between the police department and the larger community on post. Whether Simpson-Stokes is meeting with Belvoir’s residents, village mayors, or the numerous local businesses concerned about emergency services, interacting with people is the key to her success.

Several EOD technicians from Fort Belvoir’s 55th EOD Company with the 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) are participating in the counter explosive threat exercise with EOD troops from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The Office of the Chief, Army Reserve (OCAR) hosted a National Public Lands Day (NPLD) community event at Fort Belvoir’s Truman Hall on September 29.