New BOSS president upholds success

Spc. Joshua Crawford had lots of ideas rolling in his head even before he took over as president of Kaiserslautern’s award-wining Better Opportunities for Single Servicemembers program.

“I want to do more things for single Soldiers – things that will get them out of the barracks,” said Specialist Crawford, who was reassigned in December from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command to the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern 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 for the past two years by the Installation Management Command-Europe.
“The role of the BOSS president is to be the voice of single Soldiers, and to make sure that voice is out there talking for single Soldiers and doing things for single Soldiers as well as for everybody else involved in the community,” said the garrison’s Command Sgt. Maj. Pamela Carmouche, who oversees the program, including selecting the president.

Upon arriving in the KMC less than a year ago, Specialist Crawford immediately became his unit’s BOSS representative and in two short months became the vice president.

“As soon as he came on board, he hit the ground running,” said Spc. Vinnette Giscombe, the former BOSS president, who was on the board that chose Specialist Crawford to succeed her.

Ideas that Specialist Crawford has for the program range from establishing libraries in the barracks to making it easier for Soldiers to spend their BOSS bucks – earned by doing community service – for outdoor recreation trips.

“He has really good ideas on how to get more people involved and to volunteer,” said Sergeant Major Carmouche. “He’s a real go- getter – ready to go out there – shooting from the hip and doing what he has to do.”

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. 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 around 1997 to encourage Airmen, Marines and Sailors here to take advantage of the same opportunities afforded to Soldiers.

Meetings are held 1 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month in the Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment training room, Bldg. 2929 on Pulaski Barracks. The BOSS office is located in Room 105, in Bldg. 2917 on Pulaski Barracks.
 
For more information on the BOSS program, call Specialist Crawford at 489-7239.