Fort Bliss Monitor

Troop Talk

I received the following questions from the Saber Run with D, 3-2, E, 3-43 and C, 230th Finance Co. Jan. 17.

What is the time line to renovate housing on post (specifically Lower Logan)?

Interior renovations for Logan Heights units begin in July 2007 and will continue through May 2011. GMH has moved ahead of schedule in the installation of refrigerated air, exterior painting and landscaping, completing all but 158 of the 448 units, as a convenience to residents. Installation of refrigerated air for the remaining 158 units will be complete prior to the beginning of the cooling season this year.

Why do the speed limits in certain areas on Cassidy Road drop from 35 mph to 25 mph, and why are they different for east and west bound traffic?

The reasons for changing the speed limits was traffic near housing areas, pedestrian vehicle traffic accidents with injuries, post exchange construction and the opening of the new shoppette, and for safety reasons the speed limit was lowered in the shopping zone area. Changes initiated were a reduction from 35 to 25 along Marshall Road from Cassidy Road to the Access Control Point; Cassidy Road from Slater Road to Marshall Road; and, along Haan Road from the Access Control Point to the intersection east of the post exchange. The west/east bound traffic patterns were marked with warning signs during the change of the speed limits.

The opening of the new shoppette/service station on Cassidy Road has drastically reduced the wait time at the pumps, however the wait lines to pay at the checkout lanes in the shoppette are still very long (especially over lunch time) because there are usually no more than two check-out lanes open. Will AAFES considerer hiring more clerks and opening more check-out lanes?

We realize that there were some problems with staffing the new Cassidy Shoppette/gas station when we first opened and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We have added additional cashiers and have more registers open now. This should have corrected the problem as we are better staffed to cover the peak usage hours at the pumps. There is no plan to add any outside registers to this facility. With the ever rising cost of doing business and the popularity of “Pay at the Pump” the cost of adding outside registers is prohibitive. We strive to offer the best service we can to our customers, so we will continue to monitor the customer usage patterns and if needed we will change our staffing were necessary.

With more units on post at a PTDO status, how are the Korean rotations going to be affected?

There are sufficient units to meet the PTDO mission and sustain the Korean rotation. Utilizing the ARFORGEN model, units will know what mission they are resourced for and when they can expect to execute the mission. By utilizing this disciplined approach to assigning missions all units will have better predictability and access to the resources they need to prepare for current and future missions?

With the upcoming increase of Patriot units being formed, which units will they fall under?

Presently, HQDA is developing various courses of action with respect to the expansion of PAC-3 PATRIOT battalions to meet current and projected mission requirements. Anticipating this growth to begin in 2008, and continuing through 2010, locations for new battalions and the command structure has yet to be determined. The movement of the ADA School to Fort Sill as part of BRAC increases the likelihood these new formations may be stationed at other CONUS duty stations.

Will deploying to Southwest Asia become a rotation like Korea?

All long term forward presence missions will be executed IAW with the ARFORGEN model which is designed to provide two years of CONUS based training and preparation followed by up to one year in a deployment status.

Brig. Gen. Robert P. Lennox
Fort Bliss Commanding General



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	Jan. 25, 2007

	Troop Talk I received the following questions from the Saber Run with D, 3-2, E, 3-43 and C, 230th Finance Co. Jan. 17. What is the time line to renovate housing on post (specifically Lower Logan)? Interior renovations for Logan Heights units begin in July 2007 and will continue through May 2011. GMH has moved ahead of schedule in the installation of refrigerated air, exterior painting and landscaping, completing all but 158 of the 448 units, as a convenience to residents. Installation of refrigerated air for the remaining 158 units will be complete prior to the beginning of the cooling season this year. Why do the speed limits in certain areas on Cassidy Road drop from 35 mph to 25 mph, and why are they different for east and west bound traffic? The reasons for changing the speed limits was traffic near housing areas, pedestrian vehicle traffic accidents with injuries, post exchange construction and the opening of the new shoppette, and for safety reasons the speed limit was lowered in the shopping zone area. Changes initiated were a reduction from 35 to 25 along Marshall Road from Cassidy Road to the Access Control Point; Cassidy Road from Slater Road to Marshall Road; and, along Haan Road from the Access Control Point to the intersection east of the post exchange. The west/east bound traffic patterns were marked with warning signs during the change of the speed limits. The opening of the new shoppette/service station on Cassidy Road has drastically reduced the wait time at the pumps, however the wait lines to pay at the checkout lanes in the shoppette are still very long (especially over lunch time) because there are usually no more than two check-out lanes open. Will AAFES considerer hiring more clerks and opening more check-out lanes? We realize that there were some problems with staffing the new Cassidy Shoppette/gas station when we first opened and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We have added additional cashiers and have more registers open now. This should have corrected the problem as we are better staffed to cover the peak usage hours at the pumps. There is no plan to add any outside registers to this facility. With the ever rising cost of doing business and the popularity of “Pay at the Pump” the cost of adding outside registers is prohibitive. We strive to offer the best service we can to our customers, so we will continue to monitor the customer usage patterns and if needed we will change our staffing were necessary. With more units on post at a PTDO status, how are the Korean rotations going to be affected? There are sufficient units to meet the PTDO mission and sustain the Korean rotation. Utilizing the ARFORGEN model, units will know what mission they are resourced for and when they can expect to execute the mission. By utilizing this disciplined approach to assigning missions all units will have better predictability and access to the resources they need to prepare for current and future missions? With the upcoming increase of Patriot units being formed, which units will they fall under? Presently, HQDA is developing various courses of action with respect to the expansion of PAC-3 PATRIOT battalions to meet current and projected mission requirements. Anticipating this growth to begin in 2008, and continuing through 2010, locations for new battalions and the command structure has yet to be determined. The movement of the ADA School to Fort Sill as part of BRAC increases the likelihood these new formations may be stationed at other CONUS duty stations. Will deploying to Southwest Asia become a rotation like Korea? All long term forward presence missions will be executed IAW with the ARFORGEN model which is designed to provide two years of CONUS based training and preparation followed by up to one year in a deployment status. Brig. Gen. Robert P. Lennox Fort Bliss Commanding General