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Post unveils new family housing units
web Marne ribbon cutting 008
Capt. Jonathan Manley, wife Stephanie and 19-month-old daughter Bristol stand in front of Marne View family housing on Fort Stewart. The Manleys, along with daughters Savannah and Cloe, not pictured, moved into Marne View in August. - photo by Photo provided.
Denise Etheridge
Correspondent
Updated: Sep 26, 2011, 3:36 PM
Published: Sep 26, 2011, 4:02 PM

Fort Stewart soldier Capt. Jonathan Manley, wife Stephanie and daughters Savannah, 9, Cloe, 4, and Bristol, 19 months, are among the first military families to move into Marne View, a 94-unit family housing development for officers. The Manleys, Fort Stewart officials and Balfour Beatty Communities executives cut the ribbon on Marne View on Friday. Balfour Beatty built the three- and four-bedroom, two and a half bath duplex homes.
“It’s definitely an upgrade,” Manley said.
“We really enjoy having the playground in the backyard,” Stephanie Manley said. “We want our kids to be happy and active.”
“We didn’t live in anything like this when we were coming up as captains,” Fort Stewart Garrison Commander Col. Kevin Milton said. He said the strength of the Army relies on its families, adding that soldiers are happy when their families are happy. The colonel said the “Norman Rockwell-like” development is centrally located to installation facilities, such as the commissary and PX, Club Stewart and Stewart Lanes.
“Our first (Marne View) units opened in August,” Milton said. “We expect completion in December.”
Since the Army transferred an aging inventory of 2,926 homes at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield to Balfour Beatty Communities in November 2003, 1,491 new homes have been built, 1,490 existing homes have been renovated and 811 old homes have been demolished, according to Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson. 
The new community is part of a multi-phased development project for soldiers and their families at Fort Stewart, Larson said. These new units have walk-in closets, ceiling fans, covered porches, energy-efficient appliances and two car garages, he said. In addition, three new playgrounds were built for the new on-post community, according to Larson.
Milton said existing units in Marne Homes, an older post housing area adjacent to Marne View, are undergoing renovations now. Fifty-five of these will be family housing for officers and 109 will be designated for enlisted, he said.

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011
Bryan County News
Published: Apr 10, 2018, 1:53 PM

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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