FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo.—The past year was full of changes, successes and improvements for Fort Leonard Wood. From welcoming a new garrison command team, to improvement projects and multiple individual and unit Army level awards, there was seemingly never a dull moment.
Below are 22 of the top stories of 2022, listed in the order they happened.
Gary Woodruff, Fort Leonard Wood Equal Employment Opportunity program manager, and Channa Ringo, the EEO program’s Special Emphasis Programs manager, discuss the re-establishment of Special Emphasis Programs and the diversity council here to assist in attracting, developing and retaining diverse civilian workforce talent to Fort Leonard Wood.
Fort Leonard Wood EEO re-energizes Special Emphasis Programs, diversity council
Fort Leonard Wood Equal Employment Opportunity program leaders re-energized Special Emphasis Programs and the diversity council here at the beginning of 2022, to assist in attracting, developing and retaining diverse civilian workforce talent to the Missouri Ozarks.
According to EEO Manager Gary Woodruff, the diversity council is ideally made up of many EEO groups — also commonly referred to as federally-protected minority groups — who brainstorm ideas and act as a sounding board to identify barriers that keep minorities from seeking federal employment — specifically here.
Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general (left), and MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena (right) announced the winners of the 2022 Best Warrior Competition during a ceremony April 4 at Lincoln Hall Auditorium. The winners, from left, are 1st Lt. Daniel Nyachwaya, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Officer of the Year; Staff Sgt. Krista Osborne, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Drill Sergeant of the Year; Staff Sgt. Shom*one Hemphill, Company D, 31st Engineer Battalion, NCO of the Year; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chance Sheek, 368th Training Squadron, Joint Service NCO of the Year; Spc. Eric Dowler, 399th Army Band, Soldier of the Year; and Cpl. Marcus Destine, CESD, 35th Engineer Battalion, Joint Service Junior Enlisted of the Year.
MSCoE announces winners of 2022 Best Warrior Competition
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence senior leaders announced the winners of the 2022 Best Warrior Competition during a ceremony April 4 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
This year’s winners included 1st Lt. Daniel Nyachwaya, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Officer of the Year; Staff Sgt. Krista Osborne, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Drill Sergeant of the Year; Staff Sgt. Shom*one Hemphill, Company D, 31st Engineer Battalion, NCO of the Year; Spc. Eric Dowler, 399th Army Band, Soldier of the Year; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chance Sheek, 368th Training Squadron, Joint Service NCO of the Year; and Cpl. Marcus Destine, Combat Engineer Skills Division, 35th Engineer Battalion, Joint Service Junior Enlisted of the Year.
Keith Lurie, Abrams Theater supervisor, points to the new snack bar, installed as part of a floor-to-ceiling renovation of the theater. Among many other upgrades are new seats with cup holders, an improved sound system and a digital projector.
Abrams Theater makeover one of many quality-of-life improvements on Fort Leonard Wood this year
Abrams Theater reopened in April for movies, graduations and other events, after a closure for renovations delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The improvements to the theater are part of an ongoing effort by Fort Leonard Wood senior leaders and officials from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to provide amenities service members, their families and civilians here have said they want.
New Army maintenance system goes live at Fort Leonard Wood
The Army Maintenance Activity, or ArMA, expanded to Fort Leonard Wood in April, providing a digitized maintenance request process for all Army-owned facilities with a centralized method of submission and tracking.
Fort Leonard Wood was one of 73 installations managed by U.S. Army Installation Management Command to receive the new service in 2022.
Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general (third from the right); MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena; and Col. Daniel Hibner, U.S. Army Engineer School commandant, salute the procession for Sgt. Donald Dale Henson, Airmen Third Class Daniel Franklin Killinger, Seamen Recruit Joseph T. Donaho and Fireman Recruit Ricky L. Gwin May 25 at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Fort Leonard Wood.
Fort Leonard Wood community attends funeral for four Vietnam-era veterans
A light, gentle rain fell on the Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Fort Leonard Wood May 25 as four Vietnam-era veterans were laid to rest in the presence of their fellow service members.
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen from Fort Leonard Wood joined family and community members to pay their final respects to Sgt. Donald Dale Henson, of Lebanon, Missouri; and three unclaimed veterans — Airmen Third Class Daniel Franklin Killinger, of Mountain Grove, Missouri; Seamen Recruit Joseph T. Donaho, of Willow Springs, Missouri; and Fireman Recruit Ricky L. Gwin, of Licking, Missouri.
Deputy Chief Migdalia Bulnes, from the Chicago Police Department’s recruitment and retention unit, speaks with transitioning service members and their dependents June 4 in Bldg. 470, during a CPD hiring fair hosted by the Fort Leonard Wood Transition Assistance Program.
Fort Leonard Wood TAP hosts Chicago PD hiring fair
Senior recruiting officials from the Chicago Police Department visited Fort Leonard Wood June 4 and 5 to conduct a special hiring fair, in conjunction with the Fort Leonard Wood Transition Assistance Program.
Besides getting information, interested applicants were also able to complete some of the initial hiring paperwork on the spot, including some of the testing, finger printing, and the required employment questionnaire.
2nd Lt. Adam Cain, a platoon leader with Company A, 31st Engineer Battalion, performs a functions check on the M2 .50 Caliber machine gun, while Sgt. 1st Class David Riojas, a platoon leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, Fort Riley, Kansas, grades him during the weapons portion of Expert Soldier Badge testing June 7 at Fort Leonard Wood. More than 200 Soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood and installations as far away as Hawaii and Florida tested for their Expert Infantryman and Expert Soldier skill badges from June 6 to 10 here.
EIB, ESB testing comes to Fort Leonard Wood
More than 200 Soldiers tested for either the Expert Infantryman or Expert Soldier skill badges June 6 through 10 at Fort Leonard Wood.
Throughout the week, about 160 Fort Leonard Wood candidates, along with Soldiers from Camp James E. Rudder, Florida; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, completed more than 30 tasks, demonstrating their individual knowledge and proficiency in a variety of critical Soldiering skills, including personal fitness, land navigation, weapons, first aid and patrolling in a tactical environment.
Army awards Fort Leonard Wood’s safety excellence
Fort Leonard Wood’s Maneuver Support Center of Excellence demonstrated their commitment to safety excellence during fiscal year 2021, earning three Army-level safety awards for their efforts.
The awards were announced on June 9, in a letter from Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.
Fort Leonard Wood winners included:
- Maj. Jason Overstreet, 795th Military Police Battalion, in the Field Grade Commissioned Officer category;
- 169th Engineer Battalion, in the Army Exceptional Organization (battalion level) category; and
- Fort Leonard Wood Explosive Safety Program in the Army Excellence in Explosives Safety category. This was the second year in a row the ESP was named best in the Army.
Col. Anthony Pollio, incoming U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander (left), accepts the U.S. Army Installation Management Command guidon from Vince Grewatz, director of U.S. Army Installation Management Command – Training at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, as Col. Jeff Paine, outgoing garrison commander (right) looks on during a change-of-command ceremony June 28 on the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Plaza.
Fort Leonard Wood bids farewell to Paine, welcomes Pollio during garrison change-of-command ceremony
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood held a change-of-command ceremony June 28 at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Plaza, where Col. Jeff Paine relinquished command to Col. Anthony Pollio.
Pollio came here from Fort Gordon, Georgia, where he was the director of G3X – Sensitive Activities for U.S. Army Cyber Command.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville speaks to captains July 13 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium during a professional development event.
Army Chief of Staff stresses importance of recruiting mission during visit to Fort Leonard Wood
“We’re in a war for talent.”
That was the key message from Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville, when he visited Fort Leonard Wood on July 13 to speak with Soldiers and civilians, stressing the message that every member of the Army team plays a role in recruiting and retaining the best men and women.
During his visit, McConville toured facilities here — including the Chemical Defense Training Facility and the Homeland Defense Civil Support Office — and said he was impressed by the “unique capabilities to train our Soldiers.”
Michael Bagby, a driver with the Logistics Readiness Center, plugs the power cable into one of Fort Leonard Wood’s new electric vehicles July 27 at the Transportation Motor Pool. The new EVs here are part of the Army’s latest directive of electrifying its non-tactical vehicle fleet. Executive Order 14057 – Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability – requires the Department of Defense to transition its non-tactical vehicles to a 100 percent zero-emission vehicle fleet, including 100 percent of light-duty acquisitions by 2027, and 100 percent of medium- and heavy-duty acquisitions by 2035. Fort Leonard Wood maintains approximately 540 vehicles that meet the definition of non-tactical.
Fort Leonard Wood prepares for arrival of electric vehicles
Anyone driving around Fort Leonard Wood these days can spot one pretty quickly and easily, and it seems like there are more and more every day. Electric vehicles, or EVs, are not the future — they are here — and not just the privately-owned ones.
Government-owned vehicles are going electric as well — Fort Leonard Wood received two EVs in July, and more are on the way.
The electric vans in the Logistic Readiness Center inventory are part of the Army’s latest directive of electrifying its non-tactical vehicle fleet. Executive Order 14057 — Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability — requires the Department of Defense to transition its non-tactical vehicles to a 100% zero-emission vehicle fleet, including 100% of light-duty acquisitions by 2027, and 100% of medium- and heavy-duty acquisitions by 2035. Fort Leonard Wood maintains approximately 540 vehicles that meet the definition of non-tactical.
Army Emergency Relief Officer Chuck Matthews and volunteer coordinators 2nd Lt. Jordan Anderson, Company C, 554th Engineer Battalion, and Staff Sgt. Shawn McLain, Company E, 701st Military Police Battalion, present a ceremonial check to Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena Aug. 8 at the MSCoE headquarters building.
Fort Leonard Wood’s 2022 AER campaign is No. 1 across TRADOC, among the highest in Army
Fort Leonard Wood’s 2022 Army Emergency Relief fundraising campaign took the No. 1 spot in the U.S. Army for the number of Soldiers who donated and for the dollar amount raised.
The team also took the top spot across U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command for number of Soldiers who donated, percent of Soldiers donating and dollar amount raised.
On Aug. 8, members of the AER team, including AER Officer Chuck Matthews and volunteer coordinators 2nd Lt. Jordan Anderson, Company C, 554th Engineer Battalion, and Staff Sgt. Shawn McLain, Company E, 701st Military Police Battalion, presented a ceremonial check to Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, and MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena at the MSCoE headquarters building.
Command Sgt. Maj. Danny Castleberry, incoming U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood command sergeant major (left), accepts the U.S. Army Installation Management Command guidon from Walter Mattil, deputy garrison commander, as Command Sgt. Maj. Sean McGlensey, outgoing garrison command sergeant major (right), looks on during a change-of-responsibility ceremony Aug. 11 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood bids farewell to McGlensey, welcomes Castleberry at ceremony
The U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood held a change-of-responsibility ceremony Aug. 11 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium, where Command Sgt. Maj. Sean McGlensey relinquished responsibility of the garrison to Command Sgt. Maj. Danny Castleberry.
Castleberry served as director of Training and Leader Development at the U.S. Army Engineer School here before taking on the role of garrison command sergeant major.
One of the highlights of the Meet Your Army event Aug. 13 on Gammon Field was when 14 future Soldiers from across Missouri and Illinois took the Oath of Enlistment from Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general.
Community members meet their Army at Fort Leonard Wood special event
Hundreds of people from as far away as Illinois and Iowa, visited Fort Leonard Wood Aug. 13 for the Meet Your Army event, an opportunity for the public to speak with Soldiers, watch demonstrations, get hands-on experiences with equipment and learn more about what the Army does at the installation.
Soldiers from just about every unit on post volunteered time to showcase their knowledge and skills, along with some of the technology they use, including many of their weapons systems, robotics and vehicles. There were also opportunities to tour a modern Army training barracks and have lunch in an Army dining facility.
Installation Energy Manager Allen Simpson with the Directorate of Public Works (right) explains the energy efficiency and resiliency strengths of Fort Leonard Wood’s two combined heat and power plants to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Rachel Jacobson (left) Aug. 17 during a windshield tour of the post.
Forward thinking, innovative solutions at Fort Leonard Wood impress Army Assistant Secretary Jacobson
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Rachel Jacobson visited Fort Leonard Wood Aug. 17 and 18 to learn more about energy initiatives on post and tour facilities.
As the 17th Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, Jacobson is the primary adviser to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army on all matters related to Army installation policy, oversight and coordination of energy security and management. In addition, she also oversees policy and sustainability, and environmental initiatives.
Sapper Leader Course instructor Staff Sgt. Ariana Sanchez instructs students during the boat rigging event Aug. 23 at Training Area 250. Sanchez became an SLC instructor in 2021, making her the first female Soldier to hold the position.
First female Sapper Leader Course instructor paves the way for others
Sapper Leader Course instructor Staff Sgt. Ariana Sanchez never set out to make history or be the example she is today.
Originally from Ecuador, she moved to New Jersey when she was 17. As high school ended, Sanchez was interested in the Army but was unsure of her future. After speaking with Army recruiters, she joined the New Jersey National Guard, setting her off on an unexpected path.
Fort Leonard Wood Army and Air Force Exchange Service General Manager Donald Cantwell and Main Exchange Store Manager Stacy Firemoon accept the 2022 Global Connections Worldwide Award from U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood Commander Col. Anthony Pollio Sept. 7 at the Main Exchange.
Fort Leonard Wood Exchange team wins AAFES’ diversity and inclusion award
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service named the Fort Leonard Wood Exchange team the worldwide winner of its 2022 Global Connections Worldwide Award.
It was the first time Fort Leonard Wood won the award, which recognizes Exchanges throughout the world that demonstrate the importance of diverse skills, perspectives and values through community events and engagements.
The award was presented Sept. 7 at the Main Exchange.
Active-duty Drill Sergeant of the Year Krista Osborne, with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, is presented the Meritorious Service Medal after receiving the Drill Sergeant Belt Sept. 15 at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Fort Leonard Wood NCO is active-duty 2022 Army Drill Sergeant of the Year
Staff Sgt. Krista Osborne, a drill sergeant with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, was named the active-duty 2022 U.S. Army Drill Sergeant of the Year at a ceremony Sept. 15 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Osborne is the fifth woman to win the active-duty award — she called it “the greatest honor.”
“I’ve worked so hard to represent not just female drill sergeants but females across the Army,” Osborne said. “With this win, it’s not just for me, but for all women looking to compete.”
First Lt. Davontae Hair is responsible for the counseling of Soldiers on all personnel matters as part of his role as the S1 officer in charge for the 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment. Hair was named the Adjutant General’s Officer of the Year by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
3-10 Soldier is 2022 TRADOC Adjutant General’s Officer of the Year
In October, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command named Fort Leonard Wood’s 1st Lt. Davontae Hair, its Adjutant General’s Officer of the Year.
The annual award recognizes Army officers assigned to TRADOC who excel in the human resources profession.
As the S1 officer in charge for the 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Hair is responsible for all personnel matters across the battalion.
Sgt. Bridget Olenik, a percussionist with Fort Leonard Wood’s 399th Army Band, is the U.S. Army Bands Active Component Soldier of the Year for 2022. Issued by the U.S. Army School of Music, the award recognizes top Soldiers from the National Guard, Reserve and active-duty Army bands, who stand out among their peers based on several factors, such as physical fitness, weapons qualifications and musical proficiency.
399th Army bandsman is Army Bands Active Component Soldier of the Year
In October, the U.S. Army School of Music named Sgt. Bridget Olenik, a percussionist with Fort Leonard Wood’s 399th Army Band, the U.S. Army Bands Active Component Soldier of the Year for 2022.
Olenik, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was selected for the top spot out of nominees from across 20 active Army bands.
From left: U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School Regimental Chief Warrant Officer 3 Humphrey Hills II, USACBRNS Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Quitugua Jr., USACBRNS Commandant Col. Sean Crockett, Dr. John Thiel, project contributor, and retired Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, former USACBRNS commandant, cut the ribbon unveiling the newly updated Chemical Memorial Grove during a dedication ceremony held Nov. 7 at Fort Leonard Wood’s Chemical Memorial Grove. Features of the upgrade include a walkway formed from 1,800 bricks bearing the names of all recorded Chemical Corps Soldiers who have given their lives in combat during conflicts dating back to World War I, and a new sculpture featuring a set of crossed retorts – the Chemical Corps insignia – that sit atop two columns placed near the entrance of the memorial.
USACBRNS unveils ‘significant’ updates to Chemical Memorial Grove
The U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School unveiled a new brick walkway and sculpture during a dedication ceremony held Nov. 7 at Fort Leonard Wood’s Chemical Memorial Grove.
“This is the most significant improvement that we have ever had to our memorial grove, and has been a long time coming,” said guest speaker retired Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, who served as the 24th Chief of Chemical and Commandant of the USACBRNS from 2006 to 2008.
From right: Maj. Gen. James Bonner, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general; Keith Pritchard, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, representing western Missouri; Robert Hagedorn, chief of staff for former Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton; Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe; and MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena stand in front of a new wall dedication on the second floor of Hoge Hall following a ceremony denoting the MSCoE complex’s name change today to “The Honorable Ike Skelton Campus.” Skelton, originally from Lexington, Missouri, represented his state’s Fourth Congressional District – which includes Fort Leonard Wood – in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 2011. He was instrumental in the consolidation of the Army Engineer School from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, along with the Military Police and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear schools from Fort McClellan, Alabama, to establish the Maneuver Support Center here on Oct. 1, 1999, it was noted during the ceremony.
Fort Leonard Wood leaders dedicate MSCoE complex to former Missouri Congressman and his ‘lasting impression’ here
The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence complex was renamed “The Honorable Ike Skelton Campus” during a ceremony Nov. 10 on the second floor of Hoge Hall to honor an individual who senior leaders here said was instrumental in shaping much of Fort Leonard Wood’s present-day training missions.
Former Congressman Ike Skelton, originally from Lexington, Missouri, represented his state’s Fourth Congressional District — which includes Fort Leonard Wood — in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 2011.
Skelton was instrumental in the consolidation of the Army Engineer School from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, along with the Military Police and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear schools from Fort McClellan, Alabama, to establish the Maneuver Support Center here on Oct. 1, 1999.
