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TalkingWithHeroes.Com
Talk Show Broadcast LIVE
December 3, 2009
On Fort Carson (Colorado Springs) at the
Soldier and Family Assistance Center
Provides tailored integrated support services while serving as an information broker/clearing house in a location proximate to Warriors in Transition (WT) and their Families. The purpose of the services is to equip and aid Warriors in making life changing decisions as they transition either back to duty or to civilian life.
TO LISTEN GO TO: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19487 Episode 127
Thank you to the following for making this program possible: (RET) SFC Bill Wischnewsky with www.5jump.com
Host: Bob Calvert
Guests:
Tiffany J. Smith, LCSW
Director, Soldier and Family Assistance Center
Ft Carson, CO.
Bob interviewing Tiffany Smith - Photo by Sean Ryan
Originally from Texas, Tiffany Smith came to Colorado Springs in 1997 as an Air Force officer at Peterson AFB. She joined the Air Force in 1995 after receiving her Master’s in Social Work. She provided counseling and support to Air Force Families from 1995-2007, concluding her military career as a Major, at Buckley Air Force Base.
Tiffany will tell you it was at Buckley where she gained a deep respect and appreciation for Army Soldiers and Families as Buckley is a “Joint” base, and many of her clients were Army Soldiers seeking assistance from deployment experience and fatigue. She learned first hand of the impact long deployments have on both Soldiers and their Families back home.
She was hired by the Army to stand up Fort Carson’s Soldier and Family Assistance Center in December, 2007, and has the good fortune to work with wounded Soldiers and Families, true American heroes, every day.
Tiffany holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Colorado.
Ribbon Cutting of the Soldiers Family Assistance Center, Fort Carson
Colorado July 26, 2008, pictured here former Fort Carson Garrison
Commander Col. Eugene Smith, Ms. Tiffany Smith and former Fort Carson
and Division West Commander Maj. Gen. Mark A. Graham
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Sgt.1st Class Justin Widhalm and his wife and son
Photo by Sean Ryan
MILITARY/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT DATA
I. MILITARY SCHOOLS/COURSE:
BASIC COMBAT TRAINING FORT SILL, OK 1996.
ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING 13B CANNON CREWMEMBER FORT SILL, OK 1996.
ARMOR 19K RECLASSIFICATION SCHOOL CAMP SHELBY, MS 1997.
MOTOR TRANSPORTATION OPERATOR 88M RECLASSIFICATION SCHOOL FORT RILEY, KS 1998.
PRIMARY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTAL COURSE (PLDC) FORT SILL, OK 2004.
U.S. ARMY SNIPER SCHOOL B4 FORT BENNING, GA 2004.
UNIT MOVEMENT OFFICER SCHOOL FORT CARSON, CO 2005.
U.S. ARMY RECRUITING SCHOOL FORT JACKSON, SC 2007.
BASIC NONCOMISSIONED OFFICERS COURSE FORT SILL, OK 2007.
II. MILITARY AWARDS/DECORATIONS:
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
PURPLE HEART MEDAL
MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL
ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL FOR VALOR
ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL 5TH AWARD
ARMY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL 6TH AWARD
ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL 2ND AWARD
ARMY RESERVECOMPONENT ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL
ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL
IRAQI CAMPAIGN MEDAL
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR SERVICE MEDAL
ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL
NCO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RIBBON 2ND AWARD
ARMY SERVICE RIBBON
OVERSEAS SERVICE RIBBON
NATO MEDAL
COMBAT ACTION BADGE
EXPERT MARKSMANSHIP BADGE
SARGEANT AUDIE MURPHY CLUB MEDALION
SILVER ARMY RECRUITERS BADGE WITH 2 GOLD STARS
VALOROUS UNIT AWARD
MERITORIOUS UNIT AWARD
III. ACADEMIC/EDUCATIONAL HONORS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA BRIDGEPORT H.S. BRIDGEPORT, NE 1996.
NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY BHS 1995.
ASSCOCIATES DEGREE GENERAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN.
MILITARY/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT DATA(cont.)
IV. MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
A. 3/29FA Fort Carson, CO Battalion Soldier of the Year, Battalion NCO of the Year. First Field Artillery Soldier to attend and graduate U.S. Army Sniper School. Distinguished Honor Graduate of Primary Leadership Developmental Course. Inducted into Sergeant Audie Murphy Club which is reserved for the upper 1% of the NCO Corps. WATERLOO RECRUITING STATION, Battalion Top New Recruiter, and Top New GSA (scoring above 50 on ASVAB) Recruiter.
B. ALPHA COMPANY WARRIOR TRANSITION BATTALION. Elected President of the Mountain Post chapter of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.
V. COMMUNITY/BASE AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION INVOLVEMENT :
A. Volunteer Wrestling Coach Nebraska USA Wrestling Team, is a Points of Life Foundation/YMCA ran organization to take kids off the street and teach them not only about the sport of wrestling but the game of life. Share Colorado, an organization that helps disadvantaged families in the immediate area; we pack bulk items into individual packages for families. Boot drive is a charity that was started to help the homeless to gain employment we set up drop off points all over post and delivered them to Marion House. These opportunities help me to say to my soldiers and instill in them a sense of pride in what they do but also to let them know that that is what being a soldier is all about HELPING others.
B. Since being elected President of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club I have had so many opportunities to help the community and the Mountain Post. The SAMC is the cream of the crop, the members are true professionals, our organization does work with local schools such as “I am the Sergeant”, a presentation to raise awareness of the NCO, to working to develop our local JROTC programs. Canned foods drives are another task we spend countless hours doing to help our local military soldiers in need, as well as regular visits with the Cub Scouts to the veterans home in Florence, CO.
Other community services that I have been involved with are the Toy Drive, Bake Sales, and Commissary Bagger. This last year has really given me a new chance to help, I have been volunteering with Disabled Sports USA, the US Paralympic Committee, and the Vail Adaptive Center. These last three organizations that I volunteer with help veterans through the use of sports as the medium to normalness. They have a motto, “If I Can Do This I Can Do Anything.” All of the organizations that we help because, one team one fight, helps to support have taught me not only about life and death but even more about myself. I suffer from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and if I am not helping people than I am not being me, and the way I see it that means the bad guys won.
312W4Sergeant First Class Justin Widhalm is currently a warrior in transition assigned to Alpha Company Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson.
SFC Widhalm was born on August, 21 1977 at Fort Carson Community Hospital. He moved across the world following his fathers military career, attending high school in Bridgeport, Nebraska.
PVT Widhalm Joined the National Guard in 1996 while still in high school, after graduation he attended basic training at Fort Sill, OK, and graduated Distinguished Honor Graduate. He attended Chadron State College on a wrestling scholarship until 1998 when he transferred to active duty.
PFC Widhalm was assigned to HWB 3/3 ACR and competed on the All Army Wrestling Team earning All-American honors in 1999. SPC Widhalm Deployed to Bosnia in early 2000 in support of NATO forces. He returned and went back to college in early 2001. He was married to his lovely wife, the former Jennifer Preister in May of 2003.
SPC Widhalm rejoined the army in 2003 being assigned to 3/29FA at Fort Carson, CO. He deployed immediately in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving as an artilleryman. SPC Widhalm redeployed in 2004 back stateside. He was named both NCO and Soldier of the year for 2004, promoted to SGT then SSG, attended PLDC awarded Distinguished Honor Graduate, U.S. Army Sniper School being named Top Gun (best shooter in class), and was selected over 35 other Staff Sergeants in the Battalion to be the Task Force Sniper Noncommissioned Officer in Charge. Also he was inducted into the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. He redeployed to Iraq in November 2005.
SSG Widhalm Was MEDICALLY EVACUATED back to Fort Carson in mid October 2006. He attended Recruiting School and was named the Waterloo Battalion’s Top New Recruiter, and Top New GSA (scoring over 50 on the ASVAB) Recruiter.
SSG Widhalm’ wife gave birth to their only son Conner Alexander on August, 1 2007.
SSG Widhalm entered the WTU at Fort Sill, OK and was transferred to Fort Carson on Valentines Day 2008. He was elected the President of the Mountain Post Chapter of The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club in October 2008, promoted to Sergeant First Class on January,1 2009 and now is working as a volunteer with many organizations including; Vail Adaptive Sports, Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled Sports USA, and the U.S. Paralympic Committee while he finishes his Bachelors Degree in Education.
SFC Widhalm’s Awards include; The Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal for Valor, Army Commendation Medal with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with 2 Knots, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Forces Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War On Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, Expert Marksmanship Badge, Silver Recruiter’s Badge with 2 Gold Stars, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation, Sergeant Audie Murphy Medallion, and Order Of Saint Barbara Medallion.
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