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When Spc. Cynetta Moore was assigned to the 21st Theater Sustainment Command last summer, the 24-year-old North Carolina-native found herself alone, upset and on the verge of depression.
An Army computer technician, whose first assignment at Fort Bragg kept her close to family, found friends easily when assigned to Grafenwöhr, Germany. Those friendships endured during a yearlong Iraq deployment.
But when she arrived in Kaiserslautern last August, making friends didn’t come as easy. Plus, after two years overseas, she missed home. She spent a lot of time alone, in the barracks, she said.
“I knew absolutely nobody. I was in a depressed state,” Moore said. “I was in a very bad place and I wasn’t focusing on my military career as I should have been.”
She’d heard the commercials on the American Forces Network ― about going to see a chaplain ― and took a step toward helping herself. The chaplain pointed Moore toward Better Opportunities For Single Soldiers, a program run by U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Soon, Moore was wearing Kaiserslautern’s red BOSS T-shirt, meeting new people and supporting community events. She traveled to local villages and made new friends. That interaction lifted her spirits, she said.
“People who I’ve met are so kind,” Moore said. “We come together and we have fun. I love it.”
During a recent BOSS meeting, Sgt. Noel Phelps, 24, a single Soldier from the 5th Quartermaster Detachment, agreed that it’s important to encourage fellow troops to “get out of their rooms and do stuff.”
“Germany is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you’re not enjoying yourself, you’re missing out,” Phelps said. “BOSS offers you a chance to get involved.”
This summer, garrison leadership offered Moore a new role ― leading the BOSS program as its president.
“I never thought I’d have an opportunity like this,” Moore said. “It makes me believe even harder about never giving up.”
Now, she’s sharing her story with others, hoping fellow Soldiers can learn from her experience and join in BOSS volunteer opportunities.
BOSS will take part in the Sept. 1 grand opening of the new Warrior Zone, a gaming center for Soldiers, at Sembach Kaserne. Each month, BOSS volunteers support Armed Forces Against Drunk Driving, a program at Ramstein Air Base that offers rides to fellow troops who’ve had too much to drink. Other times, they host cookouts for wounded warriors in Landstuhl. They also support community events, such as the upcoming Red Ribbon Run, Oct. 22, on Rhine Ordnance Barracks.
Soldiers who take part in BOSS can earn certificates and awards that count toward promotions, Moore said.
The program is guided by three pillars ― community service, Soldiers’ well-being and recreation, said Bob Bigelow, the garrison chief of community recreation and BOSS advisor. Single Soldiers learn about the Army as an organization and meet key community and unit leaders.
“Future leaders of our Army come from the BOSS program,” Bigelow said. “Spc. Moore is just what our BOSS program needs. She’s excited, organizes and outgoing.”
For more information on the BOSS program, call 493-4469 or visit
mwrgermany.com/kaiserslauternboss.html
