From left, Lt. Col. Anthony Rhea, deputy commander of nursing of SHAPE Healthcare Facility; Col. James Yastrzemsky, U.S. Army Garrison Benelux commander; and Paul Hossenlopp, deputy garrison manager of USAG Benelux - Brussels, welcome viewers to Coffee with the Commander, a garrison town hall event April 1 at Chievres Air Base, Belgium. (U.S. Army video still)
Notes from Coffee with the Commander, April 1, 2021
CHIÈVRES, Belgium – Col. James Yastrzemsky, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, hosted Coffee with the Commander, a garrison town hall event, April 1 at the garrison headquarters at Chièvres Air Base.
In the studio with Yastrzemsky was Paul Hossenlopp, the new deputy garrison manager at USAG Benelux – Brussels; Lt. Col. Anthony Rhea, deputy commander of nursing of SHAPE Healthcare Facility; Frenz Slayton, housing manager; Brook Campbell, Family Advocacy Program manager; Ashley Dean, chief of the Administrative Services Division, and Kyle Dean, operations specialist for S3/5/7, who were joint recipients of the lunch pail award; and Mario Mauceri, a gate guard at Chièvres Air Base.
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Yastrzemsky opened the event by talking about a recent visit of Dutch dignitaries to Army Prepositioned Stocks Site Eygelshoven, the Netherlands. To learn more about that, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/my-fort/news/dutch-government-pledges-38-million-euros-upgrade-us-army-aps-2-site-netherlands.
He also talked about the recent grand opening of the Bene Brew, a new coffee shop at Chièvres Air Base, about which you can read more here: https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/my-fort/news/bene-brew-opens-doors-chievres-air-base.
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Next up was the lunch pail award. Mario Mauceri returned the lunch pail. Mauceri left behind as a token money his father gave him when he lived in Australia as a child. He kept it in his pocket to invest in his future, but they left Australia before he could spend it, and he never returned.
“It seems very little but it’s very huge from my heart,” said Mauceri.
“I just wanted to give you something real; it’s not superficial,” Mauceri continued while talking to Yastrzemsky. “Little things are very important on this planet: every little bird has his importance.”
Ashley Dean, chief of the Administrative Services Division, and Kyle Dean, operations specialist for S3/5/7, were the new recipients of the lunch pail. Yastrzemsky described them as a power couple.
“I want to acknowledge both of you for your outstanding service to the garrison,” said Yastrzemsky. “I’ve just been particularly impressed by your positive energy, individually and as a team – your sense of going above and beyond your normal duties.”
In addition to their normal responsibilities and duties, the Deans helped Soldiers and newcomers feel at home and cared for in the community.
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Paul Hossenlopp, recently took the position as the deputy garrison manager for USAG Benelux – Brussels. Hossenlopp had a long, active-duty career with the U.S. Army, including serving as a garrison commander for Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He’s also served as a chief of staff as well.
Before his new role in this garrison, Hossenlopp worked in the private sector.
“After 30 years in the Army, the culture and the camaraderie becomes ingrained in you,” said Hossenlopp. “You don’t stay in for 30 years and love it for 30 years without that becoming you – the pride in Soldiers and our Families and taking care of each other and things like this. And I just really wanted to – I missed it. I just wanted to get back with the Army and get back into that culture, that camaraderie.”
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Lt. Col. Anthony Rhea, deputy commander of nursing of SHAPE Healthcare Facility, talked about COVID-19 vaccinations.
SHAPE Healthcare Facility is expecting 400 doses, and the Brussels Army Health Clinic is expecting 300 doses, which the facility staff will administer next week, given they receive those doses in a timely manner. More doses are expected after that.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience,” said Rhea. “It is coming, it is arriving. And we have a plan in place to administer it as safely and as efficiently as possible.”
Rhea also talked about the self-appointment system. Registration for the vaccine at SHAPE is accomplished through the NSTEP system. To learn more, visit https://www.shape2day.com/default or https://nstep.azurewebsites.net/Account/Login.
For those in the Brussels area, the Brussels Army Health Clinic will be making announcements through their Facebook page for details on registration and appointments. To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/BrusselsHealthClinic.
Rhea and Yastrzemsky also talked about the potential for side effects, which were medically low risk.
Rhea further emphasized that the pandemic is still ongoing, and public health safety measures are still important until herd immunity is reached through widespread vaccination.
“Continue to do the right thing,” said Yastrzemsky. “We have to be conscious. Don’t get fatigued, don’t get complacent.”
Rhea also talked about how several other NATO countries have been taking care of their members, so the community vaccination rate is getting higher and the entire community is getting closer to herd immunity.
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For two minutes, Rhea and Hossenlopp got on their phones to download the Digital Garrison app, the app that Yastrzemsky described as a one-stop shop for all types of garrison information, including Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation events, store hours for Army and Air Force Exchange Services, and much more.
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After Rhea, Frenz Slayton joined the group to deliver a housing update.
Slayton talked about a recent housing survey on satisfaction of living in Family housing.
The Directorate of Public Works Housing Division has negotiated or is in negotiation with the landlords of the Army Family Housing.
DPW personnel have installed film on the windows of the barracks, which will help keep the barracks cooler in the summer. Curtains have been replaced by vertical blinds as well.
Single Soldiers at Chièvres are getting a barbecue area, which will include a refrigerator, hot and cold water and much more.
Slayton also talked about the Army Maintenance Application (ArMA), which is available at http://www.armymaintenance.com. The system is not only a way to submit work orders, it is a way to track the progress of those work orders.
The link for ArMA is also available on the Digital Garrison app.
Pat Wilkinson will be the incoming housing chief for the garrison.
Hossenlopp also took a moment to thank the housing team at USAG Benelux – Brussels for their work on making their transition so smooth.
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Brook Campbell, the Family Advocacy Program Manager talked about April being Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Campbell and her team are trying to help keep members of the community aware of how best to prevent child abuse.
“We need your help in the community to prevent child abuse,” said Campbell. “You guys are who are with the children, you guys are the ones taking care of the children.”
FAP has several programs to help be better parents.
Yastrzemsky read aloud the child abuse prevention proclamation, which he then signed.
To learn more about FAP, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/army-community-service/family-advocacy-program.
These aren’t the only programs happening through the Directorate of Human Resources. Campbell also highlighted the Make-a-Connection campaign, wherein community members painted rocks, which they then can share with the community.
To learn more about the Directorate of Human Resources, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/army-community-service/family-advocacy-program.
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Keri Cressotti, New Parent Support Program, also joined the group in the Resiliency Room, to encourage new parents to reach out to the program to gain help or learn something new.
The program offers more than information, it offers parents a network of other parents through which they can reach out for help.
To learn more about other Army Community Service programs, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/army-community-service.
Clint Strutt, the chief of Army Community Services, talked about taking “Operation Better Together,” which ACS will conduct on location at APS-2 Dülmen in Germany. The rest of the community will be able to join the program online.
Strutt also talked about Army Emergency Relief, the Army’s emergency financial assistance organization and as part of the Army team is dedicated to “Helping the Army Take Care of its Own.” To learn more, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/army-community-service/army-emergency-relief.
Strutt also mentioned the programs to help shop for newcomers on restriction of movement, and community members who are providing home cooked meals for newcomers.
To learn more about this and many other ACS programs, visit https://home.army.mil/benelux/index.php/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/army-community-service.
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Kent Worford, the superintendent for the West District of the Department of Defense Education Activity – Europe joined the group by telephone.
Kleine Brogel Community School and the Brussels American School are on spring break and return to classes April 5. AFNorth in the Netherlands returns to school April 12.
SHAPE schools finish their spring break April 19.
Worford appreciates the effort the community has made to keep the schools open through keeping to COVID-19 prevention measures.
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Stacy Perez, the director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation joined the group by telephone to highlight a few events.
Perez encouraged community members to access information on the Child, Youth and School Services through the Digital Garrison app. She also mentioned that the Bene Brew is trying out different new recipes that she encouraged feedback on. The Hub at USAG Benelux – Brunssum, the Netherlands, also has food to order.
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Yastrzemsky closed out “Coffee with the Commander” by asking community members what holiday the Netherlands was going to celebrate in April, specifically April 27.