Army

Fort Jackson leaders walked through on-post housing to speak directly with residents, Nov. 26.

Walking though the housing areas and talking to residents where they live gives leaders first- hand experiences into what residents are feelings and how they are dealing with their daily issues.

Maj. Gen. Daryl Hood, Army Training Center and Fort Jackson commander, and Col. Timothy Hickman, garrison commander, led an entourage of post leaders and housing officials through the housing areas.

In recent years, Fort Jackson has embraced the walking town hall as an alternative to tried-and-true town hall meetings where residents had to travel to a location to voice their concerns. This way those who couldn’t get away from issues at home or couldn’t drive to the location for whatever reason could make it.

“We don’t want to leave anyone out,” said Tom Byrd, garrison public affairs officer. “This way those who can’t make it don’t have to leave their homes. We come to you.”

The post leaders were also accompanied by members of the Fort Jackson Family Homes who were ready to immediately assist residents with issues such as broken lights.

Any residents who have any issues or concerns regarding on-post housing are asked to visit the Garrison Housing Office located at 4514 8th Division Rd. or call at (803) 751-9339/9343.

Complaint resolution procedures can be found at https://home.army.mil/jackson/housing-services-office.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, Civilian Employees, and Families assigned to the Republic of Korea,

Thank you for your selfless service and dedication. It is an honor to serve with you and your family on Freedom’s Frontier.

The events of last night are not over as the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) is working through their democratic processes to address the concerns of its citizens and resolve their disagreements in accordance with the rule of law. We are guests in the Republic of Korea, and I ask all individuals affiliated with the Department of Defense mission to give time and space to our host country and its citizens, as they work to resolve their differences. To that end, I ask everyone to exercise individual vigilance about where, how, when, and with whom you will travel throughout Korea. Please be aware of your surroundings, particularly when visiting in and around the U.S. Army Garrison in Yongsan, as it is adjacent to prominent ROK Government institutions. Avoid areas or situations where protests or demonstrations may occur, and plan your travels with additional care, awareness, and contingencies.

You are our most important and precious resource and U.S. Forces Korea cannot accomplish our mission without you and the support of your families. Many of you have travel plans over the coming holiday season, and I encourage you to take advantage of this great assignment opportunity to Korea. However, please do so safely and with good judgment. When travelling, please make sure your supervisor or leader is aware of your travel plans and knows how to contact you should something unexpected occur.

My #3 line of operation is “combat readiness.” Train hard, remain focused and maintain your readiness. Now is the time to over-communicate and be thoughtful and deliberate about your actions. My #1 line of effort is “taking care of people”.

Happy holidays to you and your family. Look out for one another, make good choices and enjoy your much deserved opportunity to rest and recuperate during this holiday season.

Respectfully,

Paul J. LaCamera
General, US Army
Commander

FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Bernard J. Calvi, a Soldier who died a prisoner of war during World War II, will be interred Dec. 10 at Southview Cemetery, North Adams, Massachusetts. Paciorek Funeral Home, Adams, Massachusetts, will perform graveside services preceding the interment.

A native of North Adams, Calvi, was a member of the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. He was among thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members who were captured, subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and interned at POW camps. According to historical records, Calvi died a prisoner of war July 16, 1942, at age 23.

He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Sept. 16, 2024, after his remains were exhumed in April 2019 from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines, for laboratory analysis and identification.

The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.

Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process, including burial with full military honors.

For additional information about Pfc. Calvi go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/3961138/airman-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-calvi-b/

Media interested in covering and/or obtaining more information about the funeral and interment should contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490 and/or Paciorek Funeral Home, 413-743-0815.

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