Local News

Passing the torch: A new chapter at Fort Liberty

Details

Tuesday, 02 July 2024

Written by Jason Ragucci, Ft. Liberty Garrison Public Affairs Office

On a vibrant morning at the Main Post flagpole on June 27, officials held a significant change of command ceremony as Col. John Wilcox stepped down as Garrison Commander after his successful two-year tenure.
In his stead, Col. K. “Chad” Mixon assumed the helm, shouldering the responsibilities of leading the Fort Liberty Garrison.
A Legacy of Leadership
During his time as Garrison Commander, Wilcox navigated challenges with unwavering dedication, ensuring the smooth operation of the garrison. His leadership style, marked by precision and empathy, has left an indelible mark on all who served under him.
Wilcox oversaw the historic redesignation of the base from Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty. His leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the garrison's future.
“The redesignation from Fort Bragg to Liberty was certainly met with concern, but this community came together to find a name befitting heroes, history, and culture,” said the outgoing garrison commander, Wilcox. “Sunset Liberty March was put in place simultaneously to ensure that we always honor history and culture and commit never to forget the sacrifices made to our great nation.”
As Wilcox prepares to step down from his role, he will embark on his next assignment with the U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida.
Stepping into New Shoes
As Mixon assumes command, the garrison braces for a transition that promises continuity alongside fresh perspectives. The ceremony symbolizes the change in leadership and embodies the garrison's enduring legacy of excellence.
“I pledge to ensure this installation has the resources and support needed for our military families to thrive,” said incoming Garrison Commander Mixon. “Their sacrifices are the backbone of our community and face unique challenges with strength and grace.”
Mixon is no stranger to Fort Liberty, as he is returning to the installation after attending the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. As a former enlisted infantryman, Mixon brings a wealth of experience to his new position.
His previous assignments at Fort Liberty include serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and Forces Command. His leadership skills and strategic vision make him well-suited to take on the responsibilities of garrison commander.
The Change of Command Ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the military. It signifies the transfer of authority from one commander to another. It is a formal event that highlights the continuity of leadership within the organization. During the ceremony, the outgoing commander passes the unit's colors to the incoming commander, symbolizing the transfer of responsibility. This moment is steeped in tradition and serves as a reminder of the dedication and sacrifice of military leaders.
“As we look to the future, I’m committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement,” said Mixon. “We will work together to address the challenges we face and seize all opportunities in my capability.”
As Col. John Wilcox passes the baton to Col. K. “Chad” Mixon, the Army Garrison stands poised at the threshold of a new chapter.
The ceremony is a tribute to the dedication, leadership, and camaraderie that define the essence of military service.
It is a moment that encapsulates the spirit of unity and resilience that binds the garrison together, ensuring its mission endures through the flow of change.
“What often goes unnoticed is that while our warfighters are preparing for the nation's needs, you [Garrison DOD Civilians] show up every single day and make certain that the lights are kept on at this installation,” said Wilcox. “Our children are enriched and protected; our roads are safe, and you continue to keep our community safe.”

(Top Photo: Patrick Appelman (right), the Director of U.S. Army Installation Management Command-Readiness, hands the Fort Liberty guidon to Incoming Garrison Commander Col. K. Chad Mixon in a change of command ceremony on Fort Liberty June 27. U.S. Army photo by Steven Frith. Bottom Photo: Col. K. Chad Mixon speaks to a crowd gathered for the Fort Liberty Garrison Change of Command ceremony on June 27. U.S. Army photo by Cheryle Rivas)

Residency Licensure Certificate promotes pathway to teach elementary education

Details

Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Christopher Thrasher

NC Governor Roy Cooper once stated, “North Carolina is committed to living up to our responsibility to deliver a quality education to every student in every county.” (NC Gov, 2020).
To help fulfill Governor Cooper’s vision, Fayetteville Technical Community College has joined other community colleges around the state to recruit and prepare highly qualified teachers in every county in North Carolina.
FTCC is thrilled to offer a Residency Licensure Certificate Program. The Residency Licensure Certificate program is designed for college graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-education field and desire to become an elementary education teacher.
The RLCP takes about three years to complete. The program includes 6 courses and 18 hours of study. Learners complete one course per semester while teaching full-time in the classroom. FTCC is currently serving teachers in Cumberland and Wake Counties.
Coursework includes classes in learning theory, instructional/educational technology, diverse learners, school policies and procedures, expectations and responsibilities of educators, teaching strategies/methods for specific content/specialty areas, formative/summative assessment, data-informed practice, and classroom organization/management to enhance learning. These classes, in combination with hands-on experience in the classroom, will provide students with the foundation they need to become successful professional educators.
Through the support of TeachNC, FTCC recently awarded over $17,000 in scholarships to 8 teachers currently teaching in elementary schools.
For admission into the program, the candidate must:
• be a U.S. citizen, or eligible for employment,
• have completed a bachelor’s degree with a 2.7 GPA or higher,
• have completed 24 hours of coursework in the requested licensure area or passed the North Carolina State Board of Education required content area examination(s) for the requested licensure area,
• provide a letter of employment or promised placement.
“I am thankful for the support of the (Residency Licensure) teacher program at FTCC because it has allowed me to have a virtual but hands-on experience with our advisor who has weekly check-ins and meetings to review information and encourages us toward our licensure goal,” said Kendall Carter, current student and teacher for Cumberland County Schools.
The key to the future economic and overall success of North Carolina lies in recruiting and retaining quality teachers to cultivate the next generation of North Carolinians. As a teacher, you will make more than a living. You will make a difference.
Are you ready to learn more? Please contact program director Heather Craven in the Education Department at cravenh@faytechcc.edu or call 910-678-9790 for more information.
The Education Department’s office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office is located at Cumberland Hall 302, 2125 Hull Rd.

Hope, help and four-legged friends: Hope Thru Horses

Details

Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Crissy Neville

For individuals suffering from trauma, a mental or behavioral health disorder or stress-related conditions, Heather Wilkerson of Parkton brings help on four legs.
The licensed clinical social worker and passionate horsewoman is the founder and president of Hope-thru-Horses, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit with the mission to "Share the Healing Power of Horses and Transformative Coaching with the World."
Wilkerson opened Hope-thru-Horses in 2006 to help military members cope with service-related issues but soon expanded her reach to assist children, adolescents and civilian adults.
The therapy teams at Hope-thru-Horses, Inc. use equine-assisted psychotherapy and play therapy to treat sexual trauma, depression, anger management, PTSD, grief, ADHD, anxiety, behavior disorders and other mental or relationship issues.
"We help people solve problems and relationship difficulties using horses," Wilkerson said.
She is a former military spouse who moved to the Cape Fear region with her husband, Chris. Now retired from the Army after 22 years of service, Wilkerson's spouse was the "Texas cowboy" who bought her first horse. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Wilkerson was a Johnny-come-lately to the horse world when she launched Hope-thru-Horses in Lumber Bridge.
When the once city girl, a credentialed public welfare professional with a Master of Social Work and advanced Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association certification, took hold of the reins, she never looked back. Wilkerson moved Hope-thru-Horses to its current 29-acre location, 1860 Armory Road in Parkton, in 2018.
"We really enjoy having clients come to our farm as a way for them to get away, leave the city, leave their problems behind and focus on their relationship with a horse. Then they can practice the skills they learned at home," she said.
Takeaways are improved self-esteem, respect, confidence, social skills, communication skills and a "toolbox" of ways to build healthy relationships, personal awareness and reasonable boundaries.
The Robeson County woman and her staff integrate animals — a menagerie of horses, llamas, donkeys, a miniature mule, dogs, potbellied pigs and parrots— art, sand and various play methods in therapy sessions to assist clients. While Hope-thru-Horses does not offer riding lessons or therapeutic riding, the staff lead clients through experiential activities with their farm animals to help individuals learn the importance of trust, communication, problem-solving and assertiveness.
According to the facility's website, www.hope-thru-horses.com/, equine-assisted therapy is "a team approach that consists of a mental health professional, a horse professional and a horse or horses. The team helps an individual or group learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses.
"The team processes each individual's experience by relating it to their everyday life and service goals. The methodology encompasses the mind, body, and spirit, linking behavior to the mind."
With a deep understanding of military culture and life, Hope-thru-Horses employs the Eagala program to work with military-affiliated clients. Representing a global network of professionals who collaborate and support each other, Eagala is a pioneer of professional standards in the horses for mental health therapy and treatment model. Providing service to active-duty members or veterans, Hope-thru-Horses, Inc. offers eight free sessions for individuals or couples.
Wilkerson also strives to help children and youth who have experienced sexual trauma and other very difficult circumstances. Her work led her to create an interactive workbook entitled "My Very BRAVE Story," a great resource available through Hope-thru-Horses.
Of this success of such programming, Crystal Bennett of the Cumberland County Guardian ad Litem program wrote, "This specialized approach has been effective for many children when traditional outpatient therapy and other interventions have failed to engage them in the therapeutic process."
Hope-thru-Horses other services include Women's Leadership Retreats, designed for small groups of women in caregiving fields, and Organizational Team Building for businesses and organizations to showcase and develop leadership talents and abilities.
Why horses, you may ask? According to https://hthi.us/our-therapies/counseling-psychotherapy/equine-assisted-psychotherapy, "When you learn to trust a large, powerful animal, you experience emotional security and physical safety. Because you experience it, instead of talking about what it might feel like, you can identify that safety and security in your everyday life outside the arena." Learn more at https://hthi.us/.

(Photo: The horses on Heather Wilkerson's farm in Parkton are part of an equine therapy program to help those with PTSD, ADHD, grief, anxiety, depression and other issues. Photo courtesy of Hope Thru Horses Facebook page)

FTCC's state of the art Swift Water Rescue Training Center

Details

Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Crissy Neville

Fayetteville’s new Swift Water Rescue Training Facility puts Cumberland County and the Cape Fear region at the forefront of emergency services training and response.
Fayetteville Technical Community College constructed the uniquely equipped indoor facility, the first of its kind on the East Coast and the nation’s second, to provide much-needed swift water rescue training for first responders locally and beyond.
The state-of-the-art complex opened its doors with a ribbon cutting in November 2023 and a grand opening this past January.
The facility contains a 140,000-gallon indoor tank and is the nation’s largest swift water complex. Fathom Tanks of Georgetown, TX, manufactured the tank here and for the training center in Texas, the only other state with an indoor facility.
Equipped with 10 pumps that can flow at up to 7 knots, the tank allows first responders and others to train year-round for rescues in floods, swift water situations and other scenarios. Before the SWRTF’s completion, local emergency personnel had no option but to train outdoors. As FTCC Fire, Technical Rescue & Water Instructor Steve White attests, the SWRTF’s launch has been a real game-changer.
“I, along with instructor Michael Barcia, have been teaching water rescue for 15-plus years … on the Cape Fear River. Now, we have an indoor facility where we can control all the variables. We control the speed of the water, the height of the water, the temperature of the water, we can make it night, we can make it day, I can make it rain, thunderstorm lightning, everything inside this building. I'm not at the mercy of the water level of the Cape Fear River. This facility has revolutionized our training methods and has inspired us to push the boundaries of our teaching.”
The river can be dangerous for the trainers — White, Barcia and a part-time cadre of four additional water rescue instructors — and trainees, but the blue way can also be less than desirable in other ways, as White highlighted with a recent example.
“I just took 14 wildlife officers from the mountains to the coast from North Carolina and did a boat operator class, a kind of a refresher class on boat operations on the Cape Fear River. The only place to get moving water on Cape Fear River is at Lock and Dam number two, just below Elizabethtown. When we went last week, the water was so low that the boat dock was sitting on the ground, and the water was just a foot and a half past that. It was that low. Plus, a seven-foot alligator was sitting down there.”
While the indoor tank may be considered the facility’s greatest attribute, other standout features include:
• Year-round training in clean, filtered water
• Controllable water level, current, flow, direction and temperature
• Ability to train with real submerged vehicles
• Realistic lightning, thunder, rain, police sirens and lights
• Obstacles and rescue challenges, including night rescue simulations.
• Central location along 1-95
Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe weighed in on the SWRTF’s many pluses.
“As a county commissioner, one of the greatest responsibilities is keeping the public safe. Hurricanes Matthew and Florence taught us that being highly trained and prepared is a choice. I said during the storms, ‘The citizens do not blame us for the hurricane; they appreciate the rescue, but we will be judged based on our response and recovery.’ During Hurricane Matthew, there were over 130 water rescues of citizens by first responders. This facility will train first responders from our area and throughout the southeast on the best practices of rescue in swift water and standing water situations.”
Keefe credited Fire Chief Freddy Johnson, Sr., President of the Cumberland County Fire Chiefs Association, as a catalyst for the center.
Johnson emphasized that the new controlled-and-conditioned facility offers a level of safety that was once unobtainable, providing first responders with the best possible training environment. He worked with officials to build the facility after visiting a similar indoor training facility in Texas a few years ago.
Plans initially called for an 88,000-gallon simulation tank here, but the vision grew following the visit.
“Having a local indoor swift water training complex here in Cumberland County that is one of a kind on the East Coast means that first responders in the area have access to specialized training and certification opportunities,” Johnson said. “This facility plays a crucial role in preparing them to handle swift water emergencies and, ultimately, helps ensure the safety and well-being of the community they serve.”
The facility offers numerous classes during the week and on weekends and has received over 350 students this year. Emergency personnel have come from as far away as the Newport Fire Department in New Jersey to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on the East Coast, plus a group from Kentucky is scheduled for later this year. White said they had trained students from the wildlife division, law enforcement, fire and rescue and all military branches.
The first full week of each month, the SWRTF offers a North Carolina technical rescuer certification class, the most in-demand course it provides. Other classes include basic submerged vehicle rescue, night submerged vehicle rescue, and advanced day and night courses.
The state-of-the-art Swift Water Rescue Training facility is on FTCC’s 30-acre Dr. J. Larry Keen Fire & Rescue Training complex at 775 Tom Starling Road in Fayetteville. It is one of the most recent additions to the circa-2022 campus, which includes a technical rescue facility with a four-story training tower, simulation labs, locker rooms, apparatus bays and offices; an area for trench collapse training and other confined space training; a rappelling tower with zip-line capacity; and a memorial plaza. Two additional burn buildings are currently under construction.
FTCC, the city, state and county are major supporters and funders of the project. The project received its acreage and $10 million from the county, $10 million in state bond money and $20 million from the General Assembly. Once complete, the entire complex is estimated to cost around $47 million.
Johnson expressed gratitude for the Swift Water facility. “I want to thank FTCC, especially Dr. Larry Keen, former FTCC president and visionary leader, who championed the creation of our cutting-edge Swift Water Center and state-of-the-art Regional Fire and Rescue Training Center.
"Today, under the guidance of current President Dr. Mark Sorrells, this one-of-a-kind facility stands as a testament to our commitment to excellence in first responder training. Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Keen and Dr. Sorrells for their invaluable contributions in ensuring our first responders receive the highest training and certifications.”

(Photo: Fayetteville Technical Community College's Swift Water Training Center is one of two such facilities in the entire country. The facility can provide real-life scenarios with a multitude of different factors to help train fire and rescue teams as well as military personnel. Photos courtesy of FTCC)