Category: Security

Source: United States Army

World Water Day is an annual reminder that water is one of our most critical resources—vital for readiness, community well‑being, and the health of our nation. For those living and working across the USAG Benelux footprint, understanding the water landscape is essential not just for sustainability, but also for keeping household costs in check.

Belgium’s Water Use: A Closer Look

Belgium maintains relatively sustainable national water use levels, with a Water Exploitation Index Plus (WEI+) of 5.8% in 2019, far below the EU’s 20% sustainability threshold. Continued improvements have kept this figure on a favorable long‑term trend, indicating that Belgium manages its freshwater resources more efficiently than many European counterparts.

Rising Water Prices Across Belgium

Water conservation is not only environmentally responsible, it is also becoming financially important. Belgian households in every region have been experiencing water price increases in 2025 and 2026:

In Flanders, drinking water costs increased due to tariff indexation beginning January 2025, with the price of tap water reaching €2.7516 per 1,000 liters.

In Wallonia, regulated tariffs increased in February 2025, raising the distribution cost (CVD) by 5.3% and the sanitation cost (CVA) from €2.365 to €2.615 per cubic meter.

In the Brussels region, a 12.5% rate increase took effect January 1, 2026, adding an average €41.50 per household per year.

For households, these increased prizes entail that every liter saved directly reduces your utility bill – particularly important for off‑post housing where water charges appear on monthly statements.

Water Stewardship at USAG Benelux

USAG Benelux is committed to providing safe, reliable drinking water and ensuring compliance with host nation & US environmental standards. The installation’s DPW Environmental Division assists soldiers, families, and civilian personnel with water‑related questions and it supports best practices that align with Belgian and U.S. requirements.

Additionally, U.S. and host nation authorities maintain strict oversight of water quality. This robust monitoring ensures that the water provided on base is of high quality, however using less of it still matters.

How Conserving Water Saves You Money

With water tariffs rising, reducing daily consumption is one of the simplest ways families can control household spending. Consider the below examples based on current Belgian prices:

1. Cutting shower length from 10 minutes to 5 minutes can save 40–60 liters per shower, reducing both water and energy bills.
2. Fixing a dripping tap can prevent the loss of up to 5,000 liters per year – equivalent to several euros annually (between 25 and 35 euros) depending on your region’s tariff rate.
3. Households that stay below 30 m³ of water use per year in Wallonia benefit from reduced‑rate CVD charges, directly lowering the total bill.

Practical Tips for Households and Barracks

Here are some simple, effective steps the USAG Benelux community can take:

1. Reduce indoor water use
2. Install low‑flow showerheads and aerated faucets.
3. Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full.
4. Turn off water while brushing teeth or shaving.

Maintain plumbing

1. Report leaks immediately in barracks or government housing.
2. For off‑post residents, notify landlords or repair minor leaks promptly.
3. Use efficient outdoor practices
4. Water gardens during early morning or evening to reduce evaporation.
5. Choose native plants that require less water.

A Shared Responsibility

As members of the USAG Benelux community, conserving water supports our mission, reduces environmental impact in our nation, and helps keep living costs manageable. Belgium’s water is clean, well‑managed, and closely monitored, but it is also becoming more expensive. Small steps taken by each household can collectively reduce demand, ease pressure on local systems, and lower monthly bills.

This World Water Day, let’s commit to being good stewards of the resource that sustains us all.

Source: United States Army

NEW YORK – For 175 years, Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Fighting 69th,” have led the world’s largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, celebrating Irish heritage.

On March 17, 2026, six hundred Soldiers from the battalion continued the tradition as they marched down Manhattan’s 5th Avenue.

The battalion’s morning began early as the Soldiers visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, joining city and state leadership for the renowned St. Patrick’s Day Mass.

This year, the event was featured on the Fox and Friends national morning news show prior to the Mass. Host Steven Doocy interviewed Lt. Col. Andrew Prior, the battalion commander, and Sgt. Conner Battiste, and Spec. Daniel Pan, the battalion’s two best Soldiers..

Following Mass, the Soldiers marched to 44th Street, where they assembled with the 42nd Infantry Division band and others at the parade’s starting point. Joined by senior military leaders from the NYNG and the 42nd Inf. Div. band, the Fighting 69th then led 150,000 other parade participants up 5th Avenue, passing more than 2 million spectators along the nearly 2-mile route.

This year, officers from the Swedish military joined the New York National Guard leadership in the march. The New York National Guard has a partnership with the Swedish Military has part of the National Guard State. Partnership Program.

Reflecting on the significance of the day, Prior shared memories of growing up in the city and watching the parade as a child.

“I remember one year was different because we had tickets to watch from the steps of St. Patrick’s,” he said. “It was my first memory of this unit. I remember sitting on my father’s shoulders, staring at the Soldiers marching by, and my dad looked up and said, ‘That’s the Fighting 69th.’”

Because of the regiment’s roots in Irish American history, St. Patrick’s Day also serves as the battalion’s “Unit Day,” during which Soldiers are recognized for their accomplishments.

However, this year’s recognition ceremony saw a change of venue as the battalion’s Lexington Avenue Armory home undergoes extensive modernization. In a temporary shift of traditions, the Fighting 69th gathered instead at the historic Park Avenue Armory to honor the day’s achievements.

“Now, this isn’t Lexington Avenue; it’s not the 69th Armory, but it is still an honor to be gathered here at the Park Avenue Armory,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 William Solmo, NYNG’s state command chief warrant officer. “We would all rather be down the block in our own historic armory, but if we’re going to be temporarily displaced, we could do worse than landing here.”

This year’s celebration focused on the citizen-Soldier legacy, as leaders recognized the accomplishments of the battalion’s Soldiers with awards, promotions, and scholarships, followed by recognizing Solmo’s retirement after 40 years of service in the ARNG.

The 69th began leading the parade in 1851 because of threats of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish attacks on the procession by nativist groups.

In 2021, when the parade was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of 50 Soldiers from the 69th staged an informal parade up the route to keep the tradition alive.

The 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, supposedly earned the nickname “Fighting 69th” from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. He is said to have referred to the Irish American unit as “that fighting 69th regiment” following the battle of Fredericksburg in 1863.

Speaking during the recognition ceremony, Maj. Gen. Raymond Shields, the New York Adjutant General, commended the battalion on hosting Swedish officers in this year’s parade.

“In 2024, we signed an agreement with Sweden under the State Partnership Program,” he said. “Sweden is a fantastic partner, and we are thrilled they got to see something very few people experience – marching in the parade today.”

For more photos of the event, go to the NYNG’s Flickr page here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCNudq.

Source: United States Army

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The Army Emergency Relief (AER) program is conducting their 2026 annual campaign. Which began on March 1, 2026 and concludes June 14, 2026, on the Army’s birthday.

The purpose of AER’s campaign is to raise funds for AER. AER provides support to Soldiers and their families during times of financial hardship for critical needs such as rent, utilities, and medical.

This year’s campaign is broken into two goals for the Rhienland-Pfalz region. The campaign’s primary goal is to raise 100 percent awareness of the campaign and the assistance the AER program offers to Soldiers in the region. The secondary goal is to achieve 20 percent of active-duty Soldiers donating to the campaign.

The 21st Theater Sustainment Command has set the lofty goal of raising $210,000 for this year’s campaign, which equals roughly 10 percent of the entire Army’s donations last year.

A main function of AER is the issuance of zero-interest loans. According to Jessee Dean, the AER U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz program director, the loans may be used for utilities, rent, car payments, insurance, and similar needs. Assistance with personal loans, credit cards, legal fees, or taxes are not authorized in the program.

A secondary function of AER is the issuance of grants. The grant program may be used by Soldiers and immediate family for grants of up to $4,000. Additionally, AER can assist with certain expenses that go beyond the $4000 cap like rental cars, hotels, food, and fuel during events like PCS, emergency travel or funeral expenses. In instances like this it can be a combination of a grant and no-interest loan.

According to Dean, running the program is not just another job, he has an emotional tie to its success. “I’ve personally used AER twice. One time I owed €3,000 in gas and €1,500 in electricity due to billing issues,” said Dean. “I had to pay it quickly, and AER helped cover that.”

AER is completely donation driven and not government funded. Rheinland-Pfalz was heavily supported by AER throughout last year.

According to Dean, during the 2025 campaign, $2.1 million was donated, Army wide. Approximately 16 percent of Soldiers in Rheinland-Pfalz donated last year, for a total of $31,600. Due to the high costs associated with PCS moves to this region, $1.9M was distributed to Soldiers in Rhheinland-Pfalz via grants and loans.

“Seek out your unit representatives to learn about AER. You can donate online or through your unit representative,” said Dean, for personnel who are interested in donating “There are also manual methods like cash, check, or allotment forms. QR codes have been developed to allow quick digital donations using cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.”

If you would like to contribute to AER online, please visit https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/donate/ and if you would like to see any additional info go to https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/ or talk to your unit representative for AER.

Source: United States Army

RUKLA, Lithuania — U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard competed alongside NATO allies in the Lithuanian Land Forces Best Infantry Squad Competition, placing second among foreign teams and marking the first time Army National Guard Soldiers have participated in the multinational event.

The competition, held March 4 and 5, saw the Pennsylvania Army Guard squad compete against two active-component U.S. Army squads, 10 Lithuanian squads, and squads from Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and the Netherlands.

Hosted at the Land Forces’ Maj. Juozas Lukša Training Center and the Gaižiūnai Military Training Area, in Rukla, Lithuania, the competition included physically and mentally demanding tasks designed to evaluate small-unit readiness and tactical proficiency.

“The squad is the basic building block of any military formation, and strong squads create strong formations,” said Brig. Gen. Nerijus Stankevičius, commander of the Lithuanian army.

Though this was the first year an Army National Guard squad competed, the Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuanian military share a more than 30-year relationship through the Department of War National Guard State Partnership Program, which pairs Guard elements with partner nations worldwide for training and subject matter exchanges.

In 2025, Lithuanian soldiers competed in the Pennsylvania Army Guard’s Best Warrior Competition, leading to an invitation for Pennsylvania Army Guard Soldiers to compete in this year’s Best Infantry Squad competition.

“It is a historical moment,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Eugenijus Žukauskas, command sergeant major of the Lithuanian army. “It’s the first time when Pennsylvania National Guard is participating here.”

Žukauskas emphasized the “great relationship and friendship” that has been built through the SPP pairing, which dates to 1993, one of the first in the program, adding it was a key reason why the Pennsylvania Army Guard was invited to participate in the competition.

The eight-person squad was selected in October following a 14-hour, five-event competition. Those who made the final cut came from multiple Pennsylvania Army Guard units.

Following the selection, the squad began weekly workouts to improve their physical readiness ahead of the competition.

“We’ve held workouts and conditionings twice a week since then, where we’ve worked on mostly endurance,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Devereux, a squad member and forward observer with 2nd Battalion, 166th Regiment (Regional Training Institute). “We’ve also done some track work, some speed work, and gone over some tactical skills that we think may be relevant to some of the tasks we’re going to be asked to perform while we’re here.”

Squad members said they may not have known the specific tasks, but they knew to expect evaluation lanes requiring endurance, teamwork, and tactical decision-making while carrying full combat equipment.

“This competition is essentially going to be two days of straight activity, meaning moving significant distances and encountering different obstacles and different tasks that we’re going to have to complete as a squad as best we can, as fast as we can based on doctrine, based on what we’ve been trained to do,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Rudershausen, a squad member and Pennsylvania Army Guard Soldier assigned to Range Operations at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

The competition tested them on marksmanship and small-arms skills, their ability to operate as a squad in a variety of tactical scenarios, medical triage and evacuation tasks, and reconnaissance tasks, including the use of small drones. All was done under physically challenging conditions that tested communication and teamwork, emphasizing the importance of strong small-unit leadership.

“Strong squad equals strong forces,” Žukauskas said. “If you have a weak squad leader or squad, you cannot expect that high echelon task will be accomplished in the right way.”

In addition to testing squad-level combat skills, the event provided an opportunity for Soldiers from different NATO nations to train together and share tactics and experiences.

“Seeing soldiers from multiple NATO nations training and competing together on Lithuanian soil clearly reflects the strength of our alliance,” Stankevičius said.

The competition also helps strengthen that alliance.

“Any time that we can train with partner nations, especially NATO nations, and be a part of an event or a training exercise that strengthens those relationships, it makes us all the better,” Devereux said. “It increases readiness in the event that we ever have to see each other or work with each other in times of conflict or in a real-world situation.”

And it helps build readiness at home.

“A lot of the knowledge that we’re getting over the next couple of days in the train up is going to be basically how Lithuania tackles a lot of military obstacles, objectives,” said Rudershausen. “We’re going to learn from them and then hopefully come on the other side with more things that we can take back to our Soldiers in Pennsylvania.”

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard

Source: United States Army

NAPLES, Italy – For Staff Sgt. Steven Melendez, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Naples Branch, the uniform is only part of his story. He is a father, a husband, a mentor and now, a magna cum laude graduate from Northbridge University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. His journey is a great example of what it means to be a provider in every sense of the word.

Balancing the demands of a military career with education is a challenge for anyone, but Melendez pursued his degree while handling permanent change of duty locations, rotations and new missions, a testament to his commitment.

He started his academic journey in 2018 and through “long days and even longer nights”, while supporting food safety missions in Poland, Kosovo and locally.

He successfully earned his degree in 2026. He credits the Army’s Tuition Assistance program for making his academic goals financially achievable.

“Everyone can earn a degree, time isn’t an impairment,” he says, hoping to inspire others. “You can do it if you want to and do it regardless of ops tempo, there’s never the perfect time.”

For Melendez, this accomplishment was deeply personal. With a wife and two children, he is driven by a profound sense of responsibility.

“I know I’m in the military but my wife deserves both, share the workload,” he states, emphasizing the partnership he shares with his wife. His desire to provide a good life for his family is the ‘why’ behind his relentless pursuit of self-improvement.

The degree not only opens up more opportunities at work but also serves as a powerful lesson for his children. He wanted to show them that “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”

His journey wasn’t a solo mission. Melendez is quick to express his gratitude for the support he received from his family, his leadership and the university.

“I appreciate my leadership so much,” he says, acknowledging how they helped him balance mission requirements with school assignments. This collaborative spirit, where the mission always came first but his personal goals were supported, was crucial to his success.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Melendez’s path to the Army wasn’t a direct one. He initially worked in restaurants as a cook, a passion that has stayed with him. He joined the U.S. Army without a designated Military Occupational Specialty and had to attend the English school in Lackland.

From there, he was slotted to become a food inspector, a role he has come to embrace and excel in.

“Cooking was a passion from the past, so this was a good fit,” he reflects. “Now, I can’t see myself doing anything else.” His career has taken him from North Carolina to Germany, Colorado and now Italy, where he enjoys the new bonds forged during missions and audits.

With his bachelor’s degree now complete, Staff Sgt. Melendez is already looking toward the future. He has his sights set on becoming a warrant officer and earning a master’s degree, following in the footsteps of his brother, who holds a master’s and served as an inspiration.

His story is a powerful reminder to always “move with purpose,” demonstrating that with dedication and a strong support system, any goal is achievable. Melendez’s journey is a blueprint for success, not just as a soldier, but as a provider, a leader and a lifelong learner.