They are separated by many years and multiple wars, but when 26-year-old Michael Contee presented 96-year-old Imel Willis with a pin and a plaque to commemorate his years of service, the young Marine reservist and the World War II vet were a united front. One nation under the call of duty.

Marine Honoring Others 2 Marine Honoring Others 2

“Whether it is World War II or Korea or Vietnam, there is this automatic sense of understanding,” Contee said. “When they see the uniform, their eyes perk up. If they can speak, they speak. But if they don’t speak, it doesn’t matter. It’s all been said.”

As a volunteer with LightBridge Hospice and Palliative Care, 2nd Lt. Michael Contee performs honor ceremonies for veterans who are on the last march of their lives. In his full dress uniform, Contee kneels at the patients’ feet for a few words of thanks, followed by a sharp salute.

In hospitals, convalescent homes and bedsides all over San Diego, Contee presents military men and women with tokens of a country’s appreciation. In return, he gets a world of thanks.

“I don’t know that my father has ever been singled out by the military, and I am so honored that they have done this,” Willis’ son, Floyd, said after last week’s ceremony, which took place in the family’s Chula Vista living room. “Michael was so respectful, and he was very adept at intuiting what my father needed. He was saying just enough that Daddy could grasp.”

A native of Oahu, Hawaii, Contee was on track to be deployed to Afghanistan last summer. But his deployment was delayed due to the drawdown, so he decided to find another way to serve. Remembering how his grandmother benefited from hospice care, he started researching local hospice organizations and ended up contacting LightBridge. Within a few days, LightBridge drafted him for veterans’ duty. Which, as it turned out, was more of a privilege.

“I love old people. I just love ’em,” said the gregarious Contee, who majored in history at Quincy University in Illinois and is currently a manager at Chuze Fitness in Mission Valley. “They’re wise, and they tell you what they want to tell you, and they don’t care if you accept it or not. It’s an amazing feeling when you make that connection. I have to smile. You can’t not smile.”

Before they embark on hospice work, LightBridge volunteers are trained in the delicate art of aid and comfort. They learn how to deal with dying patients and grieving families and how to keep the process from taking its toll on their own emotional health. In Contee’s case, he also learned that helping patients through these final chapters doesn’t have to be a sad story.

“Most of the time, it’s not tragic. One guy got seasick (during his service), and that’s all he wanted to talk about. Another guy’s plane crashed in the Pacific during World War II, and he was rescued by his own brother. That was an amazing story.

“When someone passes, it’s never easy. It’s how you deal with it,” he continued. “You think your life is crazy, and then you hear about this man being shot down and rescued by the person he loved the most. When you hear that, you realize that anything is possible.”

Like many LightBridge honorees, Imel Willis is frail and battling dementia. But when Contee appeared, the fog seemed to clear.

Maybe it was the uniform, which inspired Willis to open his eyes and comment on Contee’s sharp appearance. (“The first thing he said to me was, ‘You look good,’ ” Contee said with a grin.) Maybe it was the ceremony, a short, heartfelt affair that ended with a salute and a blessing, followed by cake and coffee in the dining room.

And maybe it was the man in the uniform, who always makes sure his shoes are shined, his face is clean-shaven (bye-bye, goatee) and his heart is in the perfect place.

“He is always willing to make the sacrifice,” said Tauna Austin, LightBridge’s volunteer coordinator. “I’ll call Michael and say, ‘We’ve got this guy who is dying, can you do this right away?’ and he will do it. He’s got a great sense of humor and a great smile. Not everyone is generous with their smile.”

Contee isn’t sure what his military future holds. Maybe he will be deployed, and maybe he won’t. But his future with the men and women who served before is not up for debate.

“You reach that age when the light clicks and you realize that life is about something more than you. I’ll keep doing this as long as they’ll have me.”

 

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jun/19/tp-saluting-a-soldiers-last-march/

Mt. Adams Institute Announces Funding for VetsWork in Washington and Oregon

Natural resource management and public lands agencies/organizations are encouraged to submit an application to receive a VetsWork intern at their site beginning January, 2014.

VetsWork is an 11-month long career development AmeriCorps internship program for military veterans interested in natural resources management/public lands employment. Participants engage in on-the-job training at their local sponsor site while supporting real management projects such as biological studies, public education and outreach, trail maintenance and volunteer management. Mt. Adams Institute provides additional training to participants for academic credit, human resources and payroll services and sponsor site support services. To learn more, read the VetsWork brochure.

In addition to supporting the transition of veterans back into the civilian world and our communities, VetsWork is important to agency/organization sponsors as it allows them to train and build relationships with specific veterans that can fill employment openings at their local sites. Federal partners will realize additional hiring flexibility as participants will qualify for non competitive status as both Pathways candidates and per the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps.

The deadline to submit a VetsWork Sponsor Site Application is August 7, 2013 at 5 PM. Don’t delay — 1/3 of the 25 available positions have already been awarded during a limited release that occurred in the fall, 2012. To discuss the program with a VetsWork staff member, contact us via email. We are available to make presentations at local sites throughout Oregon and Washington depending on our schedule.

Funding for VetsWork comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps), agency contributions and public donations. To learn more about Mt. Adams Institute, check out our website or follow us on Facebook

We look forward to hearing from you,

Brendan Norman
Executive Director
Mt. Adams Institute

On July 30th, VRS in partnership with the White House Joining Forces Initiative is hosting a nationwide virtual career fair for the military community. With more than 50 leading employers, and over 64,000 available jobs, it is sure to be one of the best virtual career fairs we have held to date. Since September 2011, more than 24,000 veterans have been hired by the employers who have participated in our virtual career fairs.

Virtual Career Fair Flyer

Student Veterans of America and Raytheon want to support the innovators of tomorrow by funding their academic ambitions today with three $10,000 scholarships for student veterans. There is still a month left to apply! Submit your application by Wednesday, July 12.

Eligible students must be pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math field. 

 

The application will close July 12, 2013, at 11:59 PM EST. Student veterans must complete an online application, answer two essay questions, attach the required documents, and have one letter of reference be submitted prior to the deadline to be considered.

SVA

Apply Now

 

The Malheur National Forest is at the center of a nationally recognized effort that is doubling the scale of restoration in Eastern Oregon. If you are looking for an opportunity to do ground breaking nationally recognized work please investigate the attached vacancy announcement. I am certain you will find a refreshing approach to leadership in natural resource management.

Open Monday June 10th to Wednesday, June 19th!!

Merit VA Gov’t Wide ~ Wildlife Biologist GS-0486-9/11 #13-06040001-8068G-TH:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/345238800

Demo VA ~ Wildlife Biologist GS-0486-9/11 #13-06040001-8068DP-TH:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/345239500

The Malheur National Forest, Emigrant Creek Ranger District, will soon be advertising for
(1) PFT – GS-1001-05 Information Assistant position with a duty station of Hines, OR.

If interested, please fill out the outreach form at the bottom of this document and respond by June 24th to Terri Hellbusch, tlhellbusch@fs.fed.us  Info Assistant Outreach 2013

THE POSITION:

Major Duties
Responsible as the forest/district collection officer for the sale of forest maps, passes and product permits. Maintains accurate records of sales to account for monies collected; prepares bill for collections, and transfers funds in a timely and accurate manner to lockbox. May work with the public affairs staff to develop informational publications, including information regarding the various forest permits (firewood, Christmas trees, etc), special events, recreational opportunities, travel management information. May develop, revise and update recreation opportunity guides using the latest technology to make information user friendly and timely.

Knowledge Required by the Position
Knowledge of use and development of public relations tools such as brochures, audio-visual materials, and equipment in order to present information regarding Forest Service programs. Knowledge of a large variety of reference sources to locate answers to visitors’ questions, and ability to use good judgment to recognize when to
refer questions to a qualified professional. Knowledge of the Forest Service mission and general Forest Service policies and specific forest/district programs to properly present information to the general public. Must be able to field a variety of questions from special interest groups on Forest Service policy. Ability to operate various
types of audio-visual equipment for the presentation of films, slides, and tape recordings. Skills in written and verbal communications are needed to give information/education walks, to successfully communicate with visitors, and to assist in the development of written interpretive materials. Practical skill in designing
and preparing informational exhibits which are clear and visually appealing.

LOCATION: This position is located at the Emigrant Creek Ranger District in Hines, OR.

The approximate population of Burns/Hines is 5500. As the service center for Harney County, an area roughly the size of the State of Massachusetts, Burns/Hines is a full-service community. There are two large grocery stores, hardware and ranch supply stores, clothing stores, several restaurants and large motels, two drug stores, several fitness centers, bed and breakfasts, two lumber yards, a number of service stations, as well as many other services and stores. The closest urban centers include Bend, Oregon (2 hours west), Ontario, Oregon (2 hours east), and Boise, Idaho (3.5 hours east).

There is a full set of schools, from kindergarten through high school. Extension campuses for both Treasure Valley Community College and Eastern Oregon University are located in the community.

A state of the art hospital and medical, dental, and optical clinics are located in Burns. There are three nursing homes and/or assisted care living facilities. Health programs include home health, hospice, public health, mental health, as well as specialized services such as orthopedic and fracture clinics, orthodontic services, and physical therapy.

Harney County has about 7600 residents, with Burns as the county seat. There are a number of other federal and state agencies in the community including Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Police, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Dept of Transportation, Employment, Family Services, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Station. The base economy is about evenly split between ranching, light manufacturing, and government.

Located at an elevation of 4142 feet, Burns/Hines is located at the transition between the shrub-steppe ecosystem of the High Desert and the ponderosa pine forest. Summers are warm (80-90’s), with low humidity, and cool summer nights. Winter days are cool (temps in 10-20’s), with little snowfall. Average snow depth in the valley is 1 foot or less; 3 feet or more in the mountains. Days are typically sunny in both winter and summer.

The area offers unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities including hunting (elk, deer, antelope, upland birds, waterfowl), fishing, horse riding, birding (especially during Spring migration), hiking, mountain biking/cycling, rock hounding, camping, dramatic scenery, history, winter sports such as cross country and back country skiing or snowmobiling. It offers wide open spaces for those seeking peace and solitude. Deer and quail are common residents in most neighborhoods within the community. Managed wild horse herds are still found throughout the Harney Basin.

GOVERNMENT HOUSING IS NOT AVAILABLE.

For more information on the area, you may contact the Harney County Chamber of Commerce at:
(541) 573-2636 or website – http://www.harneycounty.com/
Local Newspaper website – http://burnstimesherald.info/

Vacancy Announcement

The Government wide Vacancy Announcement number and link is below:
MERIT: 13-06040001-08379G-CO (opens 5/31 – closes 6/10)
https://www.usajobs.gov/Getjob/ViewDetails/344663200

The Demo Vacancy Announcement number and link is below:
DEMO: 13-06040001-8379DP-CAO (open 5/31 closes 6/5)
https://www.usajobs.gov/Getjob/ViewDetails/344697800

PFT-GS-1315 7/9
North Zone Hydrologist
Region 6, Malheur National Forest, Prairie City Ranger District

The Malheur National Forest, Prairie City Ranger District, is filling (1) PFT – GS-1315 7/9 North Zone Hydrologist position with a duty station in Prairie City, OR.

MERIT: 13-06040001-08379G-CO (opens 5/31 – closes 6/10)
DEMO: 13-06040001-8379DP-CAO (open 5/31 closes 6/5)

For those interested who are not, or never have been, a career or career-conditional federal employee including military applicants, you will need to apply to the announcement number ending with “DP”).

Applicants need to indicate Prairie City, Oregon as one of their geographic locations to be considered for these positions. To ensure consideration, you need to apply for this position by the close dates.

The vacancy announcement for this position is posted at the USA Jobs website, the U.S. Government’s official site for jobs and employment information: http://www.usajobs.opm.gov

The Position:
 Serves as a Zoned Hydrologist for two Ranger Districts on the Malheur National Forest, with the work performed on the Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts. Most work will be based in Prairie City Ranger District.
 Provides assistance in collecting and/or analyzing hydrological data such as water quality, streamflow, and sediment
 Locates, quantifies, and maps the channel network, riparian and aquatic habitats, Rosgen or Montgomery-Buffington channel types, erosional processes, vertical and horizontal controls on fluvial geomorphic processes, wetland obligate plant communities, etc.
 Participates as a member of a high performance Interdisciplinary (IDT) team and works constructively with IDT members.
 Writes complex specialist reports (NEPA) for forest and range management projects with limited oversight.
 Participates in Watershed resource data storage and retrieval needs, including maintenance of the Watershed databases and GIS.
 Participates in interdisciplinary team for Riparian/Range Inventory and Monitoring. Riparian inventory to include Proper Functioning Condition. Riparian monitoring includes Multiple Indicator Monitoring, surveyed cross section, longitudinal profiles and substrate sampling.
 May serve as a work leader to temporary employees.
 Completes road condition surveys or GRAIP studies to identify maintenance, stormproofing and decommissioning opportunities.
 Assists with developing Watershed Restoration Action Plans, identifies, designs and implements Essential Projects

FOREST OVERVIEW: The Malheur National Forest encompasses nearly a million and a half acres of wilderness, rangeland, and general forest in the majestic Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. It sustains a diversity of vegetation ranging from juniper-sagebrush woodlands and bunchgrass grasslands to high elevation alpine forests of subalpine fir and whitebark pine. Extensive tracts of ponderosa pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, grand fir and lodgepole forests occur between the juniper/grassland foothills and alpine peaks. Elevations range from 4000 feet to 9038 feet atop beautiful Strawberry Mountain. The majority of the Forest lies in Grant and Harney counties, with portions in Baker and Malheur counties. State Highway 395 bisects the Forest north-to-south, and State Highway 26 from east-to-west. The Forest has 3 ranger districts at this time; Blue Mountain Ranger District and Prairie City Ranger District in the north, and the Emigrant Creek Ranger District to the south.

The Forest is located at the interface between the Great Basin and the Columbia Plateau cultural areas and contains significant cultural resources related to both cultures. It has one of the highest site densities in the Pacific Northwest with over 5,000 archaeological and historic sites documented to date. The dominant prehistoric sites are obsidian lithic scatters associated with the thirteen distinct obsidian sources located on the Forest. Historic sites associated with gold mining, ranching, railroad logging and Forest Service administration are also present. The Forest has an active and well supported Passport In Time volunteer program with a dedicated pool of regular volunteers.

ABOUT THE AREA: John Day and Prairie City: At the base of the beautiful Strawberry Mountain Range, lies the town of Prairie City (est. Pop. 1000). It has one elementary, junior high and high school, a dental office, several restaurants and coffee shops, Historic Hotel Prairie, an antique store, a drug and merchantile, Bed and Breakfasts, and the historical Sumpter Valley Railroad Museum. The surrounding countryside is a combination of forested mountains, high desert plateaus, and rolling prairie. Both communities, Prairie City and John Day, lie at the head of the John Day River Valley, the last major undammed tributary of the Columbia River. The area offers unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities including hunting (elk, deer, upland birds), fishing, hiking, mountain biking/cycling, camping, beautiful scenery, winter sports such as cross country and back country skiing, snow shoeing or snowmobiling. It offers wide open, uncrowded spaces for those seeking peace and solitude.
The upper John Day River Valley is home to the majority of the 8000 residents of Grant County. John Day/Canyon City constitutes the primary population “center” (est. Pop. 2500) and county seat. It is a full service community with a hospital, medical and dental offices, elementary, junior high and high school, restaurants, motels, grocery and drug store, Bed and Breakfasts, city swimming pool and historical museums. There is a County airport with a local flying club, fairgrounds, 4-H opportunities, soccer, baseball, and softball leagues.
The closest urban centers include Baker City, Oregon (1 ¼ hours northeast), La Grande, Oregon (2 hours northeast), Bend, Oregon (3 hours west), Boise, Idaho (3 hours east) and Pendleton, Oregon (3 hours north).