Photo By John Goulette | Members of the Presidio of Monterey BOSS program pose for a photo during the Memorial...... read more read more
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2024) – The U.S. Army Garrison Presidio of Monterey’s Better Opportunity for Single Service Members program aims to improve the experience of service members stationed at PoM while providing community service in the local Monterey area.
BOSS supports the overall quality of life for single service members, including single parents, and helps maintain and improve readiness. BOSS is an Army program, and each program throughout the Army includes a leadership triad of a civilian advisor, the garrison command sergeant major and a BOSS president, who is a service member. It also helps identify issues and concerns by recommending improvements through the chain of command.
For Seaman Jalen Delgado, PoM’s current BOSS president, the program has been an integral part of his experience since he arrived as a Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center student in November 2023. Delgado is a fourth-generation service member, and says he was inspired to become a linguist when he was stationed with his family at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, and wanted to learn the language.
“I found out about BOSS as soon as I arrived,” Delgado said. “The Navy gives installation tours to all its incoming sailors, and BOSS was one of the presentations given to us. I asked my mom, who served in the Army, if she had any experience with BOSS and it turns out she was president of BOSS when she served.”
Delgado, a current Spanish student at DLIFLC, has spent his time as BOSS president by planning activities, meeting with garrison leaders and consulting with other service members to ensure their needs are met.
“As BOSS president I have to ensure that BOSS has a cohesive plan that fits into the three pillars of BOSS,” Delgado said. “The three pillars of BOSS are quality of life, community service and leisure and recreation. Each event we do should focus on at least one of those pillars. Here at BOSS we try to foster an environment that's conducive to success in a place that is so stressful, and we can do that by working with those three pillars.”
PoM BOSS events include local beach cleanups for the community service pillar, Labor Day and Memorial Day breakfasts for the quality of life pillar, and trips to downtown Capitola or hikes in Big Sur for the leisure and recreation pillar.
Additionally, BOSS often teams up with other garrison organizations to host events such as a healthy boundaries bingo night with PoM’s Family Advocacy Program. BOSS members also assist with other garrison events as part of their community service pillar, which is why you will often find them serving up food for events like the annual retiree appreciation day.
“Every BOSS president brings something new to the table,” said Hugo Ambriz Tena, former PoM BOSS program manager and current recreation manager. “Seaman Delgado has exemplified what a good president should be. Even though he is a student and is constantly busy with schoolwork, he always made time for BOSS. I never had to worry about an event if I knew Delgado was the lead. He consistently kept the BOSS program on track and is a true leader.”
Many BOSS events take place at the Staff Sgt. Kenneth R. Hobson Recreation Center, which serves as BOSS headquarters. At most Army installations, BOSS stands for Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, but at PoM it stands for Better Opportunities for Single Service to include all military branches that attend DLIFLC. DLIFLC students learn a language in a relatively short amount of time, and BOSS offers them a reprieve from academic stress.
“DLIFLC provides a challenging academic environment, but BOSS provides an opportunity to make connections, build relationships and form a community with each other,” said PoM Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Bossart. “Our BOSS here at PoM is heavily community oriented, and those service members who are particularly interested in that thrive in this environment and increase PoM’s relationship with community members.”
Bossart plays a key role in the PoM BOSS program. As the program’s senior enlisted leader, he oversees and guides the effort of the BOSS advisor and president, bringing both experience and influence to the table. Bossart is also uniquely positioned to address service member feedback immediately due to his leadership role. A graduate of DLIFLC and a former BOSS participant during his time as a junior enlisted soldier, he has a personal understanding of the challenges and experiences current service members face.
For more information on PoM’s BOSS program, visit presidio.armymwr.com/programs/boss. You can also visit the BOSS headquarters, located inside the Hobson Recreation Center.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2024 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 481979 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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