With a Proxy MFR I ended up Out Processing for a Soldier. Here is my experience…read more.. During the the Summer due to COVID19 and all pandemic measures my soldier was unable to out process and final out. He was told he would have to assign someone to out process for him. I spoke to the civilians over the phone who reassured me that was definitely the case and not to worry. The soldier left the state without his DD214 because the civilian explained now days it is emailed to the soldier. I thought that was odd but due to Pandemic measures I thought..okay. A month later I started "Out Processing for him" It was a pain but it went smooth. I did not encounter any issues other than all the offices have different schedules and procedures due to COVID19 but got most of it completed in less than 2 days. All civilians and uniformed were courteous. Then, we ran into a hiccup.. I was to officially "final out" for him.. when it came to my attention some miscommunication due to ignorance in regards to the "lingo." Out process - can be done for the soldier with a proxy. Final Out - Only the soldier can get that done. According to what I was told the soldier can final out in person or over the phone. The Soldier will not get their DD214 unless he/she Final Out on their own. If Soldier fails to Final Out on time. (Date in their orders) He or she is will not be able to get their DD214 and it may take up to 5 years to get it from HRC. Yup.. we learned.. Thankfully it all worked out for us and also thanks to the staff who was very supportive by willing to work with us. Apparently The confusing part was.. He claims he was told he couldn't final out unless he had fully "Out Process both post and his unit" Because of COVID19 at the time most offices were closed to Out Process Post. Then, He was going to out-process his unit but he was told he couldn't without out-processing Post. ... Do you see the cycle.. Miscommunication, Perception, Ignorance and Perhaps Unwillingness.

If you are a transitioning Soldier, whether you're retiring, ETSing or being chaptered out, you…read morewill spend some time in this building. Transition assistance in the Army has come a long way. Even only 10 years ago or so, it was almost nothing when you got out of the Army service. Now, every Soldier is required to go through at least 5-day transition training to prepare oneself for the life after the Army. Other programs are also available such as internship and skilled job apprentice training. People who work here, counselors in particular and NGO and other government agency reps are fantastic IMHO. They care about what happens to Soldiers who transition to be veterans since most of them are veterans themselves. Now, having said that I encountered some people who are less than pleasant in their dealing with you. They probably don't enjoy working in their capacity and act like you are bothering them by you being there. That's very unfortunate because aforementioned counselors do really care and so their best to help you out anyway they can. Opportunities given through this program are phenomenal and they are all FREE. If you are transitioning out, and eventually every Soldier will sooner or later, you really should take your transition seriously and take an advantage of this great service offered! Certain services rendered here are for life for transitioning Soldiers as "Soldiers for Life" suggests. That's a great service!

The Family Resiliency Center is an outstanding facility in Fort Bliss Main Post that offers…read moreInformation, classes, and its facilities for the better well-being of Soldiers and Families. Their staff is knowledgeable and attentive. They offer several courses for families On Military Knowledge, Soldier Family Readiness Groups "SFRG" and the VMIS program, among others. The location is kinda tricky to get to, but you will not get lost with your GPS. The Building is Beautiful and great for hosting trainings. Also, the center has a big parking lot. If you are a unit CFRR, SFRG leader, or brand new base/military life, I highly encourage you to visit this facility because they have so much to offer.

VES is a service that conducts C&P Exams for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Service Members…read morethat are seeking VA Compensation for disability and injury that occurred while serving in the military. When a service member is wounded, injured or has other, non physical wounds after separating from service, the VA will often give you care, financial compensation, or both (or neither - let's be honest). But prior to that happening, the VA schedules several exams to compare what they actually see (find), vs your medical records, vs what you're actually claiming is wrong. To do this, they have vetted and approved doctors all over the world that conduct these screenings for them, and the findings and recommendations are sent to the VA for review and decisions. Here in El Paso, we have a VA Hospital, a company called LHI, and for me, I was assigned to the VES - Veterans Evaluation Services. Due to having served 22 years, and being in combat 11 times (deployments), there's a lot that broke on me. My hearing, my back, my arm, my knees, my brain... I had about 20 different claims. Not all of them are ones I'm seeking financial compensation for - some of them I just simply want fixed (like my 3x operated on broken back lol). However, in order to verify what's wrong, if it's wrong, how wrong it is, the VA does contract service providers like VES to conduct comprehensive assessments. This particular one is very nice. The office is nice. When you arrive, they check you in. They politely thank you for your service, and offer you snacks and sodas and waters while you watch movies and wait on a very clean and comfortable waiting area. The doctors (real doctors at that), also great you respectfully and thank you for what you've done. They listen to you as well - it's not just a base level exam where the docs don't care what you're saying. I appreciate that too. For 22 years I sucked up every broken bone, explosion, cut and scrape and bruise ... and now, it's time for the Gov to give back (financially) or fix (physically), the pieces of me that I gave to the country. And I want to note that THIS place and THIS staff is incredible. I say that because I was at another location for another type of VA Exam in El Paso - yea, let's just say I had to initiate a formal complaint. I was disgusted in the behavior and lack of professionalism towards veterans, wounded veterans, or even just as "medical providers" period. To be fair, it wasn't the doctors - but their scrub-wearing-but-never-even-went-to-college-let-alone-medical-school staff that was doing the admin stuff. anyways... this place is not that place. I actually like coming here. They do an incredible job and they truly do a service and credit to our nations warriors... after their war is over.

It's been years since the last time we visited the public library, and today was a great day to…read morestart the habit back up! My daughter wanted to visit the closest library to our new home and away we went. The Belvedere location is cool, clean, and welcoming. The Dewey Decimal system is still in use, lol, so I was able to locate exactly what I was looking for, as well as what my daughter was looking for. I was impressed by how many people were using the facility as well. They had some newspapers, but surprisingly, not too many magazines. I know now-a-days most periodicals can be found on Apple News, but I'm old fashioned in that I like to look and read magazines, page by page. We most definitely will be back, and very soon.

Pros: - lots of parking available…read more- spacious - good lighting - quiet - seemed like there was plenty of computers for public use (about 8 or 10??). when i went only about 4-5 were being used - restrooms are clean Cons: - would be nice to have more outlets for laptops - Better selection of books (you can always request to hold books from other EP libraries, though) - Longer hours would be nice, for those of us who want to study on Sundays or after 6pm. UTEP's & EPPL's libraries have horrible hours in comparison to libraries in other cities I've lived in :( I'm especially disappointed by UTEP's library hours on Saturdays...they're so short compared to other universities' hours! (Is that a statement about EP culture? idk...)

Me and my youngest kiddos really enjoy this library, especially the storytimes which includes book…read morereading, storytelling, singing, dancing and crafts! Bernadette is amazing and I really appreciate her efforts. I'm not sure how much planning goes into their sessions, but she is an educated natural! After storytime they have crafts and she's always giving pointers to parents regarding child development and fine motor skills. Moreover, she's considerate. After craft time she gives out stickers to children when they show her their completed work. Well one time, she learned that we didn't celebrate Halloween and went and requested alternative stickers for us. My mama heart was moved, as that wasn't necessary and we're used to respectfully not partaking in the like. We still enjoyed the Fall pumpkin craft. This library is a great location at a park that has a splash pad (that works during the summer). There are a couple of picnic tables under an awning. Plenty of grass (bring a blanket if you don't have allergies!) There are 2 playgrounds structures in the same vicinity (big kid and toddler). Easy to make a fun, inexpensive day out of it and then be back home for a nap hehe. I've picked up Little Caesar's, headed here and let my kids play and eat. I noticed folks come watch the fireworks at this park during 4th of July also. So there's another option. The library has calendars that you can request or snap a picture of to enjoy all they do. So many forget about these free resources for all ages we have around the corner. Online too! Check it out.

So I went to the free Sip and Paint event at the Esperanza Moreno library in the Far East. I…read morebrought hubby along since he loves painting and he said it was surprisingly fun, since he's a bit of an art snob. I came mostly for the butterbeer and also signed up my sister in law and her teenager. They just moved to El Paso and live so close to this library that has all these cool free programs, especially for teens, I wanted them to check it out. The instructors were so patient and had all the supplies and timing mapped out. We really enjoyed the pacing and I was so stressed outs since I'm a rule follower and art is subjective, but they made me feel so comfortable and I was even complimented on my "splatters" which is harder than it sounds. I understand why most private paints and sips involve w(h)ine. If it wasn't so far and fighting Far East traffic sucks, I would attend more, it's a fantastic program for teens and those who live close by should really take advantage. It's free clean and supervised fun for your teens. You have to RSVP though and they fill up fast. They mentioned the next paint and sip is about Stranger Things. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library (915) 212-0442 12480 Pebble Hills Blvd, El Paso, TX 79938 https://maps.app.goo.gl/mFyPcWnfAsacr5j17

I've been to the library a handful of times now and so far I've been really pleased! I set up my…read moreaccount and request for a library card online. Once it was approved, I picked it up at the library. So far I've browsed books at the library and checked them out, rented ebooks through Libby, and placed books from other branches on hold at this library. It's all been super easy! And staff has always been very friendly and helpful when I've gone it. It's a great part of the community!

The first library I ever went to in El Paso was Richard Burges Library and I pretty much thought it…read morewas the best thing ever because all I really cared about was if they had the books I wanted (which they always did and I didn't even know about the system they had in place where you can request basically any book). I never used the computers or anything like that, I was always in and then back out. Falling in love with this library can be likened to falling in love with Chili's. It's okay and certain aspects of it are more than okay, but better exists. Most of the libraries in EP have something unique about them whether it's the design of the entire building or hidden reading spots throughout. I do find the RBL a bit dull in that aspect, but by the same token it kind of reminds me of the school library from The Breakfast Club. The isles of books are pretty straightforward. Kiddie section to the far left. Information desk as soon as you walk in. Tables in the open areas. It's just simply a library. Nothing more, nothing less. This library is one of the older ones so I really do hope that they take some interest in it and make some changes that could definitely liven the place up. It's also conveniently in the same building as the police station in the NE. I don't know why that would be convenient, but in case you need to report a crime and pick up a book or two, this is your one stop shop. This library is good for the person who just wants some peace while reading or working because I have noticed the RBL is ten times quieter than any of it's sister libraries. I know all the other ones don't care if you're having a full fledged convo or if you're talking business on the phone, but I never see that at this one. Also it's all an open room so that may be why since the sound would travel through the entire place if you were yapping away on your cellphone.