Commentary
Command Sgt. Maj.
David S. davenport
Fort Bliss Command Sergeant Major
One of the few perks about being the post command sergeant major for Fort Bliss is being able to talk to Soldiers. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to have lunch downstairs in Bldg. 2 with five young Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. I say young because they were all younger than the amount of years that I have been in the Army. Anyway, during our conversation, we talked about where they were from and their current goals. The main theme during this little chat was education. All five had different objectives about their educational goals. One wants to go to the Warrior Leaders Course while another wants to complete his enlistment and go back to college. None of them knew the Army offers tuition assistance while they are serving. The Soldiers did not know they could be earning promotion points by attending class. Below is a quick snapshot of what the Fort Bliss Education Center offers: tuition assistance: $4,500 annually; promotion points: 100 promotion points available (1.5 for each semester hour); on-post campus: Fort Bliss offers three post-secondary institutions: El Paso Commu-nity College; Park College; and Webster University. Also, visit the Army online campus at www.goarmyedu.com.
Whether you are looking to earn your bachelor’s degree or earn a certificate, the installation’s education center can assist.
For more information, call 568-5635 or visit Bldg. 639 on Taylor Road.
Feel free to contact me at blisscsm@ conus.army.mil with any ideas, suggestions, or questions that you may have to help Team Bliss remain a great place to live and work. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ pages/El-Paso-TX/US-Army-Fort-Bliss/105947890587 and on Twitter at http:// twitter.com/fortbliss.
Q: The two swim centers on Fort Bliss are both located in or near officer housing. Is there a plan to have seasonal swimming facilities in the housing areas during the summer? Is there a plan to have a larger swim center more centrally located to the units?
A: From MWR: We have our indoor pool (Replica) and the community outdoor pool (adjacent to the Family Resource Center, previously the Officers’ Club), and a wading pool at Biggs Park. We are awaiting final approval for an indoor aquatics center that will be located at the Town Center on East Fort Bliss. We have a request in for a new indoor pool on Fort Bliss, but this is probably years away. There are no other plans for swimming pools at this time.