International Military Students Office Visits Fort Bliss Army Fisher House

On Tuesday, 9 June 2009, Lori Araiza and Art Salsido from the International Military Students Office, (IMSO), US Army Sergeants Major Academy, escorted 8 International students who were attending the First Sergeants Course on a visit to Fisher House at William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC), Fort Bliss, Texas.

Joyce Stophel, Manager, Field Studies Program, IMSO stated, ” The International Military Student Office provides our students an additional program along with their academic training. The Field Studies Program goal is to ensure that our students return to their homeland with an understanding of responsibilities of governments, militaries, and citizens to protect, preserve and respect the rights of every individual. By visiting the Fisher House and learning about the generosity of Zachary Fisher and family for our soldiers, they too will understand about “Diversity and American Life.”"

First Sergeants, Atkins, Jamaica; Conley, Jamaica; Hinds, Jamaica; Lashley, Trinidad-Tobago; Lemes, Brazil; McLean, Jamaica; Markovski, Macedonia and Plummer, Jamaica, all enjoyed the tour of Fisher House where they saw firsthand the warm comfortable living conditions a Fisher House provides, and a detailed history and briefing given by Fisher House Manager Mr. Harry E. Hicks, Jr., a former First Sergeant and retired Command Sergeant Major. Each student received several mementos from the manager to take back to their homeland. With all of this, the highlight of their visit was meeting and talking with Army CPL, Terry Williams, a wounded warrior who explained what Fisher House has meant to him and his wife. Williams verbally walked them through his encounter with members of the Iraqi forces, his injuries, his hospital treatments from Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, to William Beaumont Army Medical Center, and his recovery, rehab and follow-up treatment at WBAMC.

On behalf of the entire student group, First Sergeants, Plummer and Atkins, (fourth and eighth from the left) respectfully on photo number one, presented a donation to Fisher House upon their departure.