Page A5
April 4, 2001
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Grant High Grad Integral to New Technologies
Bv.Kf.nH T hompson
A rmy and A irforce H ome town
N ews S ervice
In the early 20th Century, soldiers
faced a transformation. Gone were
the hordes o f cavalry on horseback
charging with drawn sabers. In their
place came rumbling tanks rolling with
metal tracks, steel armor and immense
firepower.
A century later, a local high school
graduate is going through changes
even more dramatic.
Army Spec. Roger C. LaMarche,
son o f Clara LaMarche, 3963 N.E.
14th Ave. isamemberofacompletely
new type o f unit designed to meet the
challenges of the post Cold War world.
In response to conflicts such as
Kosovo, Bosnia and Haiti, the new
unit, called the Initial Brigade Combat
Team is being assembled as a lighter,
more mobile and fast deploying force.
The first unit to undergo the change
is the 3"1 Brigade, 2nd Infantry Divi
sion here where LaMarche is an in
fantryman with the 5th Battalion, 20th
Infantry Regiment.
“W e’re in transition from a light
infantry unit to a motorized unit,”
explained LaMarche, a 1994 graduate
o f U.S. Grant High School. “That
means we will be changing our tactics
and equipment pretty drastically to
meet a new deployment mission.”
The ultimate goal o f the transfor
mation is to have a medium force able
to deploy with the speed o f current
light infantry forces, but arrive on the
scene with more o f the combat power
o f tank forces.
To do this, the brigade has ex
changed its 70-ton Abrams tanks for
smaller, wheeled LAV III lightarmored
vehicles that can drive-down narrow
city streets and over small bridges.
Army Spec. Arthur Wolff and 2nd Lt. Brain Hurley use a computer system that allows Jor enhanced communication
capabilities, even the use o f e-mail on the battlefield.
(P hoto by K eith B rown )
The brigade, deployable by plane to
anywhere in the world in 96 hours,
has also been beefed up with in
creased intelligence gathering capa
bilities including unmanned aerial
vehicles.
The army isn’t getting rid o f its
heavy armor or light infantry, but
creating a completely new style o f
unit with the latest in modem tech
nology and w eapons system s to
handle the missions not suited to
more traditional fighting forces, such
as peacekeeping and humanitarian
relief.
LaMarche is helping to develop
the tactic, techniques and procedures
for his brigade that will become the
model for future brigades.
“Our goal is to use vehicles and
improved communications equip
ment to be rapidly deployable and to
coordinate movement and operations
over larger areas,” LaMarche said.
“When w e’re done with this transi
tion we’ll havea widerrangeofmove-
ment, greater mission capability and
a greater degree o f coordination and
control unprecedented on the battle
field.” Since the transformation be
gan last year, LaMarche has become
an integral player, helping the bri
gade deactivate units, create new
ones and prepare for a scheduled
initial operating capability by the end
o f the year. The retooling o f a more
than 3,000soldier strong fighting force
has been a learning experience for
LaMarche and his colleagues in the
3rd Brigade.
“This is a drastic change in think
ing for me,” LaMarche said. “For
merly I was only in light infantry units
and never depended on vehicles to
move or fight. Now I’m learning to
think about different situations and
tactics that include these new ve
hicles and utilize their capabilities.”
Although LaMarche is a pioneer
in the Army ’ s trek into the 21 st Cen-
tury, he’s following in the footsteps
of soldiers past w ho’ve embraced
change to keep A m erica’s Army on
top.
Volunteers Needed
Senior Adults
Needed Immediately
The Foster G randparent
Program is looking for senior
adults, at least 60 years of age
and on a limited income to
help at-risk children in Wash
ing to n , M ultnom ah, and
Clackamas counties.
Children need positive role
models to’ assist them with
reading, developing social
sk ills, and m ore. F o ster •
Grandparents receive $200 a
month tax-free plus other in
centives including meal and
travel com pensation, paid
time-off, and sick leave.
No experience needed, just
a desire to help. Call 503-232-
0007 extension 202 for de
tails.
New Director Guides
Native American Youth
G eoff Roth o f Portland has been
named executive director o f the Na
tive American Youth Association, a
youth and family social services
agency with offices at 4000 N. M is
sissippi.
Under the leadership o f Roth, the
association pledges to continue pro
viding exceptional community and
social services to Native American
youth and their families.
Roth is Lakotaa Sioux from the
Standing Rock Reservation in North
Dakota. From 1998 to 2000, he was the
T he Portland Police B ureaus
E lder C rim es R esponse T eam is
looking for volunteers to sta ff its
T elephone R eassurance Service.
T his program pairs volunteer
callers w ith isolated, lonely or o th
erw ise vulnerable seniors. M any
o f the people w ho subscribe to the
service have been recent victim s
o f crim e or are high risk o f being a
crim e victim .
V olunteers are responsible for
m aking one 10-m inute call to each
individual assigned to them at a
p re a rra n g ed tim e. F ive days a
w eek.
W hen subscribers fail to an
sw er their phones, a designated
neighbor is notified and asked to
check out the situation. If the neigh
bor cannot resolve the problem s, a
police officer is dispatched to in
vestigate. I f you are interested in
volunteering your tim e to help make
som eone feel safer, o r know o f
som eone w ho m ight benefit from
getting a daily call, contact Jim
N elson at 503-823-0291.
Relax in our riverfront Restaurant
and sample our Northwestern
fare, or dance the night away to
live entertainment in the Edge-
water Lounge . Either way you’re
sure to have a relaxing and
memorable
time at the Red
Lion Hotel.
Featuring
•9 Televisions
•Event Specials
•Live Entertainment
Friday through Sunday
•Convenient Parking
Red Lion
Hotel
Coliseum
Restaurant
Lounge
Dancing (Fri-Sun)
6:00 AM- 10:00 PM
Opens at 4:00 PM
9:30PM1:30AM
Situated on the Willamette River,
across the street from the Memo
rial Coliseum and Rose Garden
Arena. “Blazer Headquarters"
For all home games.
1225 NThunderbird Way
Tel (50 3 )2 3 5 -8 3 1 1
Showers save energy.
project facilitator o f The Northwest
Regional Education Service District
Title IX Indian Education Project.
NAYA is available to all self-iden
tified Native American youth. The
goals o f NAYA are to ensure the
health o f our future generations by
developing more options for our
youth, families and community. The
association’s programs include a tu
toring center, student retention
project, student attendance/crime
prevention initiative, culture program,
and domestic violence healing circle.
ary whites," she says. “We want to
know how Asian Adoptees maneuver
in this culture and in what ways their
sense o f ethnicity differs from Asian
Americans who were not adopted.”
says researcher Jiannbin Lee Shiao.
who is also a UO assistant professor of
sociology. The study, which is funded
through a $145,000 grant from the
Russell Sage Foundation, is being
conducted in cooperation with Holt
International Children’s Services The
Eugene agency was a pioneer in the
adoption o f Asian children by Ameri
can families.
E d g e w a te r
R e sta u ra n t a n d
L ounge
Avoid baths.
T he a v e ra g e b a th u ses tw ice a s m u c h h o t w a te r a s a 5 -m inute show er.
Since a w a te r he a te r can be th e second-largest electricity u se r in y o u r
hom e, c u ttin g d o w n on the a m o u n t of w a te r it n eed s to heat can save a
lot of energy.
By w o rk in g together, w e 'v e been able to red u ce o u r e n erg y use an d
keep th e p o w e r flow ing. But th e en ergy c ru n ch is n o t o v er yet. We still
need to be th o u g h tfu l a b o u t h o w a n d w h e n w e use electricity.
H ere a re so m e o th e r tips th a t can save yo u en ergy a n d m o n ey on
w a te r heating:
■ Install energy-efficient
show erheads a n d faucet aerators.
T hey re d u c e the a m o u n t of
w a te r re le a se d from a ta p by u p
to 50 p ercen t, b u t still d e liv e r
excellent w a te r pressu re.
New UO Study Tracks
Asian American Adoptees
EUGENE - A new study at the
UniversityofOregon will examine how
the adoption o f Asian Children by
whites affects the development o f ra
cial identity. “There is a perception
that Asian Americans belong to a
‘model minority group’ that is easily
absorbed into American society. Pre
vious studies indicate that isn’t so,”
says researcher Mia Tuan, a UO assis
tant professor o f sociology. Asian
Americans are racially stereotyped in
two ways, according to Tuan.
“Some people see them as * forever'
foreigners. Others see them as honor
Former Grant student is a member o f a new type o f combat unit that's
lighter, more mobile and fast deploying
(P hoto by K eith B rown )
Set y o u r w a te r h e a te r
te m p e ra tu re at 120°F. Be su re to
tu rn th e p o w e r off a t th e circuit
b re a k e r before ch a n g in g
th e settin g .
■ D o n 't leave th e w a te r ru n n in g
w h ile sh a v in g . T u rn in g th e
faucet on o n ly w h e n y o u need
to can save th o u s a n d s of
gallons of w a te r a year, n o t to
m e n tio n th e e n e rg y to h e a t it.
If y o u 're lo o k in g for a new
electric w a te r heater, b u y a
m o d el w ith a n e n e rg y factor
eq u a l to o r b e tte r th a n .93EF for
a 50-gallon tank.
■ In su la te ex p o se d w a te r pipes.
T his w ill h e lp keep h o t w a te r
p ip e s th a t ru n b en eath y o u r
hom e, for exam ple, from
losing heat.
Let's all do our part.
W ait 'til late to use electricity.
Call us at I -800-222-4335, and ask for
a copy of our Bright Ideas booklet
for more energy-saving tips.
> PACIFIC POWER
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