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Input is what Spc. Kimberly Perry wants to increase during her presidency of U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Better Opportunities for Single Servicemembers program.
“I need a lot of input, ideas and participation to get single Soldiers out of the barracks,” said Specialist Perry, who was reassigned in April from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to the garrison to serve as the BOSS president for a year in the KMC.
Kaiserslautern’s BOSS program has garnered the best large installation and event honors in the past three years by the Installation Management Command-Europe.
“What the BOSS program needs is a single Soldier recruiter getting single Soldiers and leadership involved,” said the garrison’s Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Jessup, who oversees the program, including selecting the president.
Specialist Perry arrived a little more than a year ago, and three months later, she became the BOSS vice president.
“I was really involved in the program so I knew a lot about it, and I believe I have good ideas and energy to add to the program,” she said.
Founded in 1989, BOSS is a three-pillared organization that helps single and unaccompanied Soldiers with recreation and leisure, community service and well-being issues.
“We have implemented a new rule that members must volunteer in order to take advantage of our specially priced trips,” Specialist Perry said.
Members can volunteer in programs such as Adopt a Road, where volunteers pick up trash, and Ramstein’s Armed Forces Against Drunk Driving, which is a program that provides a free safe ride home for KMC members.
A new volunteer program, Walk the Dog, allows volunteers to walk abandoned dogs housed at a local German dog pound.
“Single Soldiers (living in the barracks) can’t have pets and most are not around their families, so this volunteer program gives them a little bit of home. And these dogs stay in their cages unless people volunteer to walk them, so it offers a great community service,” Specialist Perry said.
The BOSS program in most Army communities stands for Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, but because of the unique KMC demographics, the name was changed locally to “servicemembers” in 1997 to encourage Airmen, Marines and Sailors here to take advantage of the same opportunities afforded to Soldiers.
Before leaving his post as president, former BOSS President Spc. Joshua Crawford said it’s important for single military members to get involved.
“There are so many opportunities with BOSS; it just makes sense to be a part of it,” he said.
Meetings are held at 1 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month in the garrison headquarters’ conference room, Bldg. 2933 on Pulaski Barracks.
The BOSS office is located in Bldg. 2929 on Pulaski Barracks. For more information on the BOSS program, call Specialist Perry at 493-4344 or 0631-3406-4072.
