By Wendy BrownFort Bliss Bugle Editor

It might be difficult for members of the Fort Bliss community to imagine a post without Army Community Service, but for 190 years, the Army had no such formal organization.

Instead, informal networks of volunteer spouses banded together to operate lending clos-ets, raise money and assist in emergencies – to name only a few of their contributions.

Then, on July 25, 1965, Gen. Harold K. John-son dispatched a letter to commanders establish-ing ACS, and next week, the organization cele-brates 50 years of service. Fort Bliss events will include a historical exhibit, a donation drive, an open house and a birthday celebration.

“It says a lot that we’ve been around for 50 years,” said Nancy Thomas-Mainor, Fort Bliss ACS director. “We are still going strong. I think it’s very, very exciting.”

The list of programs the organization offers is long – 15. As a whole, the programs help with Soldier and family readiness, specifically with mobilization and deployment, relocation, em-ployment and financial situations. The organiza-tion also runs volunteer programs, the Soldier and Family Assistance Centers and Survivor Outreach Services.

“I think ACS is important to the Army be-cause of what it brings to the table, not just for our family members, but for our Soldiers, our partners, our community as well,” Thomas-

Mainor said. “We’re the link that links every-thing together.”

The 50th birthday celebration for ACS, which is at Army installations throughout the world, is particularly important at Fort Bliss because Lt. Col. Emma M. Baird, founder of the organiza-tion, was stationed here and lived here for many years. She volunteered extensively with the or-ganization here after she retired in 1968.

A glass box containing her military medals, photos and a folded flag stands in the organi-zation’s entryway at 2494 Ricker Road. A hall-way inside the building also includes a portrait of her, plaques honoring her and a painting she painted.

Baird wrote a history of the organization in 1979, and in it she praised the volunteer spirit of spouses who helped their communities before ACS, but said it was time to create consistent services throughout the Army with a formal or-ganization.

Baird made it clear she did not develop the entire ACS program by herself.

Another Soldier, Lt. Col. William Rooney, presented the preliminary proposal for ACS with Baird, according to a 1985 article in the Fort Bliss Monitor.

Rooney, an Air Force pilot during World War II, studied a precursor to ACS, Army Emer-gency Relief, according to Baird’s history. AER began in 1942, and continues to this day. The office is within ACS.

Over time, ACS services have become more robust and professional.

Thomas-Mainor said the organization has 62 paid staff members, and the organization’s post-wide volunteer program boasts more than 5,000 volunteers.

Thomas-Mainor said she has worked with ACS for 15 years, and over that time period has learned how important it is to help train family members.

“Soldiers train all the time. They know ex-actly what they need to do. They can move out at a moment’s notice and perform their mis-sions because they’re trained,” Thomas-Mainor said. “As family members, we’re not required to train, but it’s so very important for us to be trained because then that only enhances our Sol-diers and helps our Soldiers as well.”

Soldiers who are confident all is well on the home front are able to move forward with their missions with confidence, Thomas-Mainor said.

“I think that’s probably the biggest impor-tance of ACS,” Thomas-Mainor said.

The ACS 50th Birthday Historical Exhibit opens at 1 p.m. Monday; the ACS 50th Birthday Donation Drive in honor of Baird takes place all day Monday; the open house takes place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday; and the birthday cel-ebration takes place at 6 p.m. July 24.

For more information and locations, call 569-4227.

FORT BLISS BUGLE • July 16, 2015 • 1B

COMMUNITY>>

COMMUNITY>>

Fort Bliss is El Paso andEl Paso is Fort Bliss.

Things to do ...Summer dinner and movie: The Vegetarian Society of El Paso, is holding a summer dinner and movie event beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, at the Country Inn and Suites, 900 Sunland Park Dr., El Paso. The public is invited for din-ner and a showing of “Cowspi-racy: The Sustainability Secret.” Reservations 877-3030, 342-7630 or vsep.reserve@gmail.com

Texas Showdown Festival: The 6th annual tattoo and music fes-tival is noon-11 p.m. Friday-Sun-day, at El Paso County Coliseum. The event will have 300 tattoo artists from around the globe, tat-too competitions, food and beer garden, and live music. Age 12 and younger free with adult ad-mission. 626-4799 or texastat-tooshowdownfestival.com

Guam liberation potluck: A Guam liberation potluck will take place from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, at Nations Tobin Park, 8831 Railroad Dr. Bring dish and drinks. Pop-up tent and only four chairs. No glass bottles, alcohol, beer or liquor. 594-7669

Outdoor Expo: Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park, 1700 McKinley, hosts the expo to help the community connect with out-doors and nature noon-4 p.m. Saturday with exhibitors, hands-on activities and demonstrations. 562-9899

Dancing With The Stars Live: In celebration of its 10th anniver-sary, the hit ABC show presents its “Perfect Ten Tour” at 8 p.m. Satur-day, at Abraham Chavez Theater. The dancers are unleashed in the 90-minute action packed live show. The show presents chore-ography never before seen on the show as well as some of the most memorable numbers from all 10 years of Dancing with the Stars. Ticketmaster

‘Steel Magnolias’: El Paso Play-house, 2501 Montana, presents the Robert Harling classic, Friday, July 17-Aug. 8. Directed by Ve-ronica Frescas. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinqua-pin, Louisiana, where all the la-dies “who are anybody” come to have their hair done. 532-1317 or elpasoplayhouse.com

Bluegrass Festival: The 20th annual all-day festival begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, at the Weed Community Center in Weed, New Mexico. The event offers continuous live music, food, arts and crafts, plus entertainment for children. Open mic is 8-8:45 a.m. with guest bands beginning at 9 a.m. Featured bands include Simple Gifts, Texas Country, Vin-tage, Bost Family Traditions, From the Heartland Bluegrass, Blue Sky Country and Pecos Valley Blue-grass. Master of Ceremonies is Kim Chesser. 575-687-3316 or weednm.org

ACS celebrates 50 years

Frampton vs Gonzalezfight honors military at Don Haskins n 14B

CIPPoffers Soldiers a break n 8B

Soundoff:Are military discounts fair? n 10B

A portrait of Lt. Col. Emma M. Baird, founder of Army Community Service, hangs in the hallway at the Fort Bliss ACS building at 2494 Ricker Road.

The military medals Lt. Col. Emma M. Baird, founder of Army Community Service, are on display in the entryway of the Fort Bliss ACS building at 2494 Ricker Road.

Photos by Wendy Brown /Fort Bliss Bugle Editor

Nancy Thomas-Mainor, right, Fort Bliss Army Community Service director, honors ACS volunteer Krishan Valenzuela, left, during a going away party for Valenzuela at 2494 Ricker Road Friday. Although the organization has 62 paid employees, it still relies on volunteers to provide the best services possible, and Thomas-Mainor said she appreciates their help immeasurably.

By Jessica BattsFort Bliss Bugle staff

Southwest University dedicated the new-est building on campus in honor of Gen. Omar N. Bradley during a ceremony Friday.

Bradley led 1.5 million Soldiers during World War II, served as the Army chief of staff, was the head of the Veteran’s Adminis-tration, the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and he was the last to be promoted to five-star general in the Army.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commanding gen-eral, was the distinguished guest speaker for the ceremony. He spoke not only about Bradley’s military accomplishments, but also about the legacy he left in El Paso.

Twitty reminisced on the stories he heard of Gen. Bradley during his time on Fort Bliss. “He would see Soldiers walking around and stop them to mentor them and took the time to get several of the youth here into West Point .… In his final years he was a very sick man, but did not stop mentoring Soldiers and officers,” said Twitty.

Twitty explained the fact that sticks out in his mind every time he reads about Brad-ley is that he was a Soldier’s Soldier. “Even though he was a five-star general, he never forgot the Soldier, and that’s what it’s all about, never getting too big for your pants,” Twitty said.

Ben Arriola, founder of Southwest Uni-versity and an Army veteran, said the vet-erans and active-duty members enrolled in the university were the motivation behind dedicating this building in honor of Bradley. The university wanted to give them a special welcome and display their gratitude toward them.

“It is an indirect way of honoring all the people who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces .… These are the

heroes of today, the people who wear a uni-form. He (Bradley) is a representative of all those heroes,” said Arriola.

Arriola hopes to bring awareness of the great things Bradley accomplished to all the students who walk the halls of this building. His goal is for Bradley’s legacy to inspire them to do great things in the next chapters of their lives.

At the ceremony, Karen Twitty, wife of Maj. Gen. Twitty, sang the national anthem, the 1st AD Color Guard presented installa-tion colors and the 1st AD Band played pa-triotic tunes followed by the unveiling of the General Omar N. Bradley Placard, a tour of the building and a small reception.

Other military highlights were the Hum-vee with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st AD mascot Chester the bulldog, a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and a Stryker on display.

Southwest University dedicates building in honor of Gen. Omar N. Bradley

From left, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Thomas Helms, 1st Armord Division chaplain,

Brooke Twitty, daughter, Karen Twitty, wife, and Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, 1st Armored

Division and Fort Bliss commanding general, and Yolanda Arriola, Southwest University, look on as the Gen. Omar N.

Bradley Hall dedication ceremony begins Friday at Southwest University.

(Right) Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, 1st AD and Fort Bliss commanding general, pro-

vides keynote speech at the General Omar N. Bradley Hall unveiling ceremony held

at Southwest University Friday.

2B • July 16, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE

“It is an indirect way of honoring all the people who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces.... These are the heroes of today, the people who wear a uniform. He is a rep-resentative of all those heroes.” >> Ben Arriola

Photos by Rachel Rio / Fort Bliss Bugle Staff

6B • July 16, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE

PLACES OF WORSHIP