Driven 2 Honor

Driven 2 Honor

Image by familymwr
Jennifer Jo Cobb's No. 10 truck will be Driven 2 Honor women of the U.S. military during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 race on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs

Jennifer Jo Cobb to unveil ‘Driven 2 Honor’ program at Daytona 110215

By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

LOS ANGELES – Even as a race-car driver, Jennifer Jo Cobb finds it hard to fathom how fast her “Driven 2 Honor” program is coming to fruition.

Cobb teamed with the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers to create a NASCAR VIP Weekend for female troops as a salute to women in the military.

Beginning this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Cobb will play host to two female Soldiers and their guests at each of the first five events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series circuits, followed by stops at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol and California.

FMWRC and BOSS officials are expecting candidates to be nominated from nearby installations such as Fort Stewart, Ga., Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Fort Irwin, Calif., Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Campbell, Ky., but female Soldiers worldwide are eligible. FMWRC will provide a 0 gift card for each winner and their guest to help cover travel and lodging expenses.

Family and MWR eligible patrons can visit www.mwrpromotions.com to self-nominate or nominate a female Soldier for this NASCAR VIP experience with Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing.

Winners will have access to the garage and pit road areas with Cobb’s race team for practice, qualifying and on race day. Some also might be able to serve as an honorary pit-crew member. They will have photo and autograph opportunities with Cobb and other NASCAR drivers, and will even be allowed to attend the NASCAR driver’s meeting with Cobb. During the races, winners will have an opportunity to sit atop the pit box with Cobb’s crew chief.

“It’s really a unique opportunity to be behind the scenes,” Cobb said. “It’s going to be so fun and special to be able to share that with women who have served our country and be able to say thank you.”

“I get a lot of positive media attention for being a female in a male-dominated environment,” she said. “In NASCAR, there is a lot that happens to honor men and women of the military, but I don’t see many women walking around in uniform and participating, and I thought, ‘You know, I get all of this attention, but imagine what these women go through ... What if I could reach out and show them a special honor to reflect some of that media attention to these women who I feel are more deserving?’”

Cobb bounced her idea around with friends and colleagues who helped her develop the “Driven 2 Honor” concept.

Knowing that launching a not-for-profit organization would be time consuming, Cobb divided her approach into three phases. First, she would honor women serving in the military by inviting them to be a part of the behind-the-scenes experience at a NASCAR race.

“The second step, my mom had encouraged me to join the military myself,” Cobb said. “She wanted me to be in the Army or perhaps a Marine because my grandpa was a Marine. But I wanted to race, and I knew I couldn’t do both, so I really focused on racing.

“I thought, why not encourage other young women without maybe a college education fund or a viable career path that the Army or any branch of our United States Military would be a fantastic way to go? So that, in a nutshell, is how we get the first two phases, to honor and then to hopefully inspire young girls.”

The third phase, which Cobb said requires all the legal paperwork that all not-for-profits encounter, will be to raise funds to help homeless female veterans.

Cobb competed in all 25 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2010 and finished 17th in the final point standings, which guaranteed her a spot in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are there for the truck race to win,” said Cobb, who named her truck “Bruce,” after her hauler driver who died from pancreatic cancer last December.

Cobb was running among the top 10 in “Bruce” at Talladega last October when it ran out of gas.

“We know that this is a truck capable of running in the top 10 and capable of possibly winning the race,” she said. “So we’re looking for our strongest finish ever.”

Last year, Cobb was collected in a second-lap crash and knocked from the truck race at Daytona.

“I actually had the wreck cleared and I was way out in the grass by myself when somebody else tried to take that spot,” she said.

Cobb has one start apiece in the ARCA, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series divisions at Daytona. She hopes to start two races this weekend by making the field for the Nationwide Series’ Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

“Being unsponsored by a big national corporation really hurts across the board because we don’t have the personnel or the technology or the latest, greatest, most expensive stuff,” Cobb said. “But for this effort we’ve really pulled out all the stops and worked as best we can with everything that we have, and so I feel like the chances we have of being very competitive in the race are very high.”

“I’ve never been on this track with this car before, so I can’t wait to get out there for that first practice.”

Both vehicles will display the Army MWR and Army BOSS logos for the first time at Daytona, said FMWRC marketing specialist Carrie Poore.

Practice for both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events begin Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway.

Cobb still is amazed the Driven 2 Honor program came together so quickly. The thought first crossed her mind last August while sitting in a hotel room in Nashville.

“I wanted to be able to do something good with my racing career,” she said. “I run my race team and sort of manage everything on my own. Just to have such wonderful people, like my colleague Jeff Sprague, and everyone from the FMWRC that has worked so very hard and the BOSS organization that helped make this happen, I think we have made an amazing record turnaround time in developing the program and pushing it to that next level.

“It’s already grown so much stronger than I originally imagined. To actually have female Soldiers in our pit area with us for the weekend is really going to be a special experience.”

Connect with us:
www.Facebook.com/FamilyMWR
www.Twitter.com/FamilyMWR
www.YouTube.com/FamilyMWR

ks 110215

Jennifer Jo Cobb

Image by familymwr
Jennifer Jo Cobb will unveil her Driven 2 Honor promotion to salute women of the U.S. military during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 race on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs

Jennifer Jo Cobb to unveil ‘Driven 2 Honor’ program at Daytona 110215

By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

LOS ANGELES – Even as a race-car driver, Jennifer Jo Cobb finds it hard to fathom how fast her “Driven 2 Honor” program is coming to fruition.

Cobb teamed with the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers to create a NASCAR VIP Weekend for female troops as a salute to women in the military.

Beginning this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Cobb will play host to two female Soldiers and their guests at each of the first five events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series circuits, followed by stops at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol and California.

FMWRC and BOSS officials are expecting candidates to be nominated from nearby installations such as Fort Stewart, Ga., Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Fort Irwin, Calif., Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Campbell, Ky., but female Soldiers worldwide are eligible. FMWRC will provide a 0 gift card for each winner and their guest to help cover travel and lodging expenses.

Family and MWR eligible patrons can visit www.mwrpromotions.com to self-nominate or nominate a female Soldier for this NASCAR VIP experience with Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing.

Winners will have access to the garage and pit road areas with Cobb’s race team for practice, qualifying and on race day. Some also might be able to serve as an honorary pit-crew member. They will have photo and autograph opportunities with Cobb and other NASCAR drivers, and will even be allowed to attend the NASCAR driver’s meeting with Cobb. During the races, winners will have an opportunity to sit atop the pit box with Cobb’s crew chief.

“It’s really a unique opportunity to be behind the scenes,” Cobb said. “It’s going to be so fun and special to be able to share that with women who have served our country and be able to say thank you.”

“I get a lot of positive media attention for being a female in a male-dominated environment,” she said. “In NASCAR, there is a lot that happens to honor men and women of the military, but I don’t see many women walking around in uniform and participating, and I thought, ‘You know, I get all of this attention, but imagine what these women go through ... What if I could reach out and show them a special honor to reflect some of that media attention to these women who I feel are more deserving?’”

Cobb bounced her idea around with friends and colleagues who helped her develop the “Driven 2 Honor” concept.

Knowing that launching a not-for-profit organization would be time consuming, Cobb divided her approach into three phases. First, she would honor women serving in the military by inviting them to be a part of the behind-the-scenes experience at a NASCAR race.

“The second step, my mom had encouraged me to join the military myself,” Cobb said. “She wanted me to be in the Army or perhaps a Marine because my grandpa was a Marine. But I wanted to race, and I knew I couldn’t do both, so I really focused on racing.

“I thought, why not encourage other young women without maybe a college education fund or a viable career path that the Army or any branch of our United States Military would be a fantastic way to go? So that, in a nutshell, is how we get the first two phases, to honor and then to hopefully inspire young girls.”

The third phase, which Cobb said requires all the legal paperwork that all not-for-profits encounter, will be to raise funds to help homeless female veterans.

Cobb competed in all 25 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2010 and finished 17th in the final point standings, which guaranteed her a spot in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are there for the truck race to win,” said Cobb, who named her truck “Bruce,” after her hauler driver who died from pancreatic cancer last December.

Cobb was running among the top 10 in “Bruce” at Talladega last October when it ran out of gas.

“We know that this is a truck capable of running in the top 10 and capable of possibly winning the race,” she said. “So we’re looking for our strongest finish ever.”

Last year, Cobb was collected in a second-lap crash and knocked from the truck race at Daytona.

“I actually had the wreck cleared and I was way out in the grass by myself when somebody else tried to take that spot,” she said.

Cobb has one start apiece in the ARCA, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series divisions at Daytona. She hopes to start two races this weekend by making the field for the Nationwide Series’ Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

“Being unsponsored by a big national corporation really hurts across the board because we don’t have the personnel or the technology or the latest, greatest, most expensive stuff,” Cobb said. “But for this effort we’ve really pulled out all the stops and worked as best we can with everything that we have, and so I feel like the chances we have of being very competitive in the race are very high.”

“I’ve never been on this track with this car before, so I can’t wait to get out there for that first practice.”

Both vehicles will display the Army MWR and Army BOSS logos for the first time at Daytona, said FMWRC marketing specialist Carrie Poore.

Practice for both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events begin Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway.

Cobb still is amazed the Driven 2 Honor program came together so quickly. The thought first crossed her mind last August while sitting in a hotel room in Nashville.

“I wanted to be able to do something good with my racing career,” she said. “I run my race team and sort of manage everything on my own. Just to have such wonderful people, like my colleague Jeff Sprague, and everyone from the FMWRC that has worked so very hard and the BOSS organization that helped make this happen, I think we have made an amazing record turnaround time in developing the program and pushing it to that next level.

“It’s already grown so much stronger than I originally imagined. To actually have female Soldiers in our pit area with us for the weekend is really going to be a special experience.”

Connect with us:
www.Facebook.com/FamilyMWR
www.Twitter.com/FamilyMWR
www.YouTube.com/FamilyMWR

ks 110215

Fukitol -- When Life Just Blows ... Arrests Made in Wakulla and Leon Burglaries (December 13, 2011) ...

Image by marsmet552
McCollough and Heller were charged with eight counts each of grand theft of a firearm and one count each of grand theft, burglary of a structure while armed and criminal mischief. Smith was charged with possession of stolen property.
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......item 1).... www.wakulla.com ... Wakulla County News and Information

Arrests Made in Wakulla and Leon Burglaries

Written by Keith Blackmar, Public Information Officer, WCSO Tuesday, 13 December 2011 10:22

www.wakulla.com/Wakulla_News/Local_News/Arrests_Made_in_W...

Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office detectives teamed up with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in executing a search warrant that resulted in the arrest of three Tallahassee residents in connection with burglaries and grand thefts reported in both counties, according to Sheriff Donnie Crum.

Jason Miguel McCollough, 20, Gwendolyn Smith, 19, and Skylar Dylan Heller, 20, all of Tallahassee, were arrested Friday, Dec. 9 following the execution of the search warrant and additional investigation at other undisclosed Tallahassee locations.

McCollough and Heller were charged with eight counts each of grand theft of a firearm and one count each of grand theft, burglary of a structure while armed and criminal mischief. Smith was charged with possession of stolen property.

“Wakulla Sheriff’s Office detectives were working in conjunction with Leon County Sheriff’s Office investigators to solve crimes in both counties,” said Undersheriff Maurice Langston. “The arrests solve one case in Wakulla County and two Leon County cases and five firearms were recovered along with jewelry, a television, computer, personal identification and BB guns.”

Law enforcement officials arrived at a Shumard Drive home in Tallahassee and arrested McCollough and Smith at that location. Heller was arrested later the same day at another Tallahassee location.

In late November, a Crawfordville resident reported a residential burglary where the suspects created a forced entry into the home and a shed. The stolen property was valued at ,150.

During the investigation, Wakulla detectives received information that McCollough was a possible suspect and was in possession of the stolen property. Additional intelligence determined that Heller was connected to the burglaries being investigated in both counties. The Crawfordville victim’s home is near the Leon County line.

McCollough and Heller are being held in the Wakulla County Jail with no bond. Smith was released from jail after posting a ,000 bond.

Much of the stolen property from the Crawfordville location was recovered in Tallahassee. Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.
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.....item 2).... Wakulla County Sheriff Office ... www.wcso.org .... Sheriff's Log--Dec. 2 to Dec. 8

>>>>>> On Dec. 4, Deputy Jeremy Johnston stopped Skylar Dylan Heller, 20, of Tallahassee for speeding at Bob Miller Road and Old Woodville Highway. The driver was traveling 47 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. The driver could not produce his license because it was suspended for failure to pay court fines. He was charged with driving while license suspended or revoked with knowledge and was given a warning for excessive speed. Lt. Brad Taylor also investigated <<<<<<

www.wcso.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&a...

On Dec. 2, Sara Wilkinson of Crawfordville reported the theft of a bicycle from her home. The mountain bike is valued at . Deputy Sean Wheeler investigated.

On Dec. 1, Deputy Nick Gray and Deputy Mike Zimba responded to a two vehicle crash at Brown Blvd. and Cajer Posey Road in Crawfordville. Myrtle Martin McKenzie, 73, of Crawfordville was driving a 2002 Toyota Corolla and made a left hand turn off Brown Blvd. onto Cajer Posey Road. Robin Leslie Ruby, 23, of Crawfordville was driving a 2006 Chevrolet truck on Cajer Posey Road. McKenzie did not see Ruby coming and Ruby crashed into the side of the McKenzie’s vehicle. No one was injured. McKenzie was found at fault but was not cited. The Toyota was towed away from the scene while the truck was drivable.

On Dec. 1, Carol Allen of Ochlockonee Bay reported a residential burglary. The victim reported the theft of ,040 worth of jewelry and coins. Lt. C.L. Morrison investigated.

On Dec. 1, Joey Melton of Panacea reported a grand theft. The victim planned a yard sale in Crawfordville and covered items overnight with plans to hold the sale the next day. When he arrived at the Crawfordville property in the morning, people were already “shopping” and leaving with items. Witnesses said a white truck loaded up with goods and returned several times for additional loads of goods. The victim stated that ,000 worth of items was removed from the property including tools, games, clothing, household goods, bicycles and more. Deputy Vicki Mitchell investigated.

On Dec. 1, David Moss of Sopchoppy reported an animal incident where his dog was attacked by two other dogs. A neighbor used a shovel to scare off one of the dogs and separate the second. The Animal Control Unit was called to the scene and contacted the victim and witness. Deputy Ian Dohme investigated.

On Dec. 1, Lt. C.L. Morrison and Deputy Ian Dohme received information from a concerned citizen regarding a potential missing person from Grady County, Ga. WCSO staff contacted Grady County law enforcement and developed a BOLO for area law enforcement staff regarding the potential missing person and the vehicle the person was driving. The investigation continues.

On Dec. 3, a Crawfordville woman reported an animal incident involving her seven-year-old son. The child was jumped by a neighbor’s dog and suffered abrasions. EMS treated the victim at the scene. Animal Control Officer Ivanhoe Carroll responded to investigate and quarantine the dog. Her investigation continues. PSO Deputy Wes Coleman investigated.

On Dec. 3, Deborah Revell of Sopchoppy reported a grand theft at a Crawfordville rental property. A water well tank and pump was stolen. The stolen property is valued at ,500 and a suspect has been identified. Deputy Sean Wheeler investigated.

On Dec. 3, Deputy Ward Kromer investigated a suspicious person at County Line Road. Deputy Kromer identified the male subject as someone reported missing from Leon County. The man was considered missing and endangered due to lack of medications and was turned over to a relative.

On Dec. 2, a Crawfordville man reported a residential burglary and battery as a suspect forced himself into the residence. Two victims sustained minor injuries when they subdued the suspect inside the home. Tyson Lynn Scott, 22, of Crawfordville was charged with burglary with assault and battery. He was transported to the Wakulla County Jail without incident. Scott thought he was locked out of his own home. Deputy Rachel Oliver, Lt. Jimmy Sessor, Detective Matt Helms, Deputy Jeremy Johnston, Lt. Brad Taylor and Deputy Rachel Oliver investigated.

On Dec. 2, Dishawn Scott of Sopchoppy reported a structure fire on Dinosaur Lane. Scott and two other individuals, including a juvenile, escaped the fire. The fire appeared to start in a bedroom electrical outlet. Damage to the mobile home and furnishings are estimated at ,000. The home is owned by Kevin James of Sopchoppy. There were no injuries and the fire was not suspicious. The victims were offered Red Cross assistance but declined. Wakulla Firefighters and Deputy Randy Phillips investigated.

On Dec. 4, Andrew Edmonds of Crawfordville reported a vehicle burglary. The victim’s vehicle was left unlocked overnight and a CD player, valued at 9, was stolen. Three other vehicle burglaries were reported within a mile of each other during the same timeframe. Deputy Sean Wheeler and Detective Matt Helms investigated.

On Dec. 4, Christopher Deason of Crawfordville reported a vehicle burglary. Someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and removed ,320 worth of property including a shotgun, GPS and gun case. Deputy Sean Wheeler and Detective Matt Helms investigated.

On Dec. 4, Tracy Jamison of Crawfordville reported a vehicle burglary. Someone entered the victim’s vehicle and removed headlight casings valued at . Deputy Ward Kromer investigated.

On Dec. 4, Cori Revell of Crawfordville reported a vehicle burglary. Someone entered her unlocked vehicle and removed 8 worth of items including a GPS, satellite radio and electronic chargers. Deputy Sean Wheeler and Detective Matt Helms investigated.

On Dec. 3, Valencia Statam of Crawfordville reported a grand theft of livestock. Two baby pigs were reported stolen. The pigs were taken from a pen and are valued at . Deputy Sean Wheeler investigated.

On Dec. 4, a female Sopchoppy victim reported a battery and criminal mischief. A juvenile became angry with the victim and struck her vehicle with an axe. The suspect also struck the victim. The juvenile was arrested for battery and felony criminal mischief and transported to the Wakulla County Jail. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at ,500. The juvenile was released to the custody of her mother. Deputy Scott Powell investigated.

On Dec. 4, Deputy Jeremy Johnston stopped Skylar Dylan Heller, 20, of Tallahassee for speeding at Bob Miller Road and Old Woodville Highway. The driver was traveling 47 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. The driver could not produce his license because it was suspended for failure to pay court fines. He was charged with driving while license suspended or revoked with knowledge and was given a warning for excessive speed. Lt. Brad Taylor also investigated.

On Dec. 4, Evester Britt of Panama City reported a grand theft at Burney’s Temple First Born Church in Crawfordville. Part of an air conditioning unit and copper were reported missing. The copper tubing was removed from a propane tank and was approximately 30 feet long. The missing property was valued at ,100. Lt. Danny Harrell investigated.

On Dec. 5, Shara Harvey of Sopchoppy reported the theft of a cellular telephone. The victim was paying for gas at Murphy Oil when she put her telephone down on a counter. She returned a short time later and the phone was missing. The phone is valued at 0. Lt. Mike Kemp investigated.

On Dec. 5, Judith Miller of Crawfordville reported a credit card offense. An unauthorized charge of 8 was discovered by the victim from a location in Brooklyn, NY. Information was obtained regarding a suspect that was passed along to the Criminal Investigations Division. Deputy Ben Steinle investigated.

On Dec. 5, Melissa Hudson of Crawfordville reported a structure fire to a neighboring property owned by Louis Andrew Sutton of Crawfordville. Sutton and Wakulla Firefighters were fighting the fire when Deputy Vicki Mitchell arrived on the scene. The victim was burning off fuel from a boat motor when he left the burning fuel unattended. He returned to find the northeast side of the mobile home on fire. The home was used for storage. The origin of the fire was not suspicious. Sgt. Ronald Mitchell also investigated.

On Dec. 5, an 11-year-old female juvenile was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after she threatened family members with kitchen knives. A family relative subdued the juvenile. With knives in both hands, the juvenile threatened two relatives. The juvenile was transported to the Wakulla County Jail before being transported to the juvenile detention facility. Deputy Vicki Mitchell investigated.

On Dec. 1, Cobb H. Adams of Crawfordville reported a vehicle crash at Highway 61 and Rosa Shingles Road. There were no injuries to the driver after a deer ran into his path. Deputy Ben Steinle investigated.

On Dec. 6, Teman Gandy of Tallahassee reported a theft of a gas can from a Smith Creek fish camp. A forced entry was attempted at a structure but it was not entered. The stolen property is valued at . Deputy Taff Stokley investigated.

On Dec. 6, Janna Lawhon of Crawfordville reported the loss of her purse at Wal-Mart. The victim reporting leaving the purse in the parking lot while answering a telephone call. The purse and contents are valued at 0. Lt. C.L. Morrison investigated.

On Dec. 6, WCSO inmate Paul Mitchell Porretto, 54, of Tallahassee was arrested for battery for getting into an altercation in the Wakulla County Jail bathroom area. Porretto and a 61-year-old victim got into an altercation in front of a restroom sink and Porretto struck the victim several times with a closed hand. Deputy Mike Zimba and Lt. Scott Barwick investigated.

On Dec. 7, Ashley Rogers of Crawfordville contacted the WCSO about a traffic crash at Wal-Mart. The victim reported damage to her vehicle which was parked in the parking lot at the time it was struck. Damage to the victim’s truck was estimated at 0. Deputy Rachel Oliver investigated.

On Dec. 7, Dustin Raker of Crawfordville reported a vehicle theft. The vehicle was recovered in Altha and a suspect has been identified. Deputy Scott Powell investigated.

The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office received 770 calls for service during the past week including: 14 residential and business alarms; 10 assists to other agencies; 81 citizen contacts; 10 disturbances; 38 investigations; 10 loud music/noise complaints; 33 medical emergencies; 53 security checks; 22 special details; 12 suspicious people; 14 suspicious vehicles; 10 thefts; 75 traffic stops; 16 reckless vehicles; 21 wanted people; and 120 watch orders.


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.....item 3).... Wakulla County Jail Info .... wakulla.fljails.info .... Skylar Heller
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img code photo... Skylar Heller

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MWR BOSS Logos

Image by familymwr
Logos of the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers adorn Jennifer Jo Cobb's No. 10 Driven2Honor/Lilly's Cosmetics Ford for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs

Jennifer Jo Cobb to unveil ‘Driven 2 Honor’ program at Daytona 110215

By Tim Hipps
FMWRC Public Affairs

LOS ANGELES – Even as a race-car driver, Jennifer Jo Cobb finds it hard to fathom how fast her “Driven 2 Honor” program is coming to fruition.

Cobb teamed with the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers to create a NASCAR VIP Weekend for female troops as a salute to women in the military.

Beginning this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Cobb will play host to two female Soldiers and their guests at each of the first five events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series circuits, followed by stops at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol and California.

FMWRC and BOSS officials are expecting candidates to be nominated from nearby installations such as Fort Stewart, Ga., Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Fort Irwin, Calif., Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Campbell, Ky., but female Soldiers worldwide are eligible. FMWRC will provide a 0 gift card for each winner and their guest to help cover travel and lodging expenses.

Family and MWR eligible patrons can visit www.mwrpromotions.com to self-nominate or nominate a female Soldier for this NASCAR VIP experience with Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing.

Winners will have access to the garage and pit road areas with Cobb’s race team for practice, qualifying and on race day. Some also might be able to serve as an honorary pit-crew member. They will have photo and autograph opportunities with Cobb and other NASCAR drivers, and will even be allowed to attend the NASCAR driver’s meeting with Cobb. During the races, winners will have an opportunity to sit atop the pit box with Cobb’s crew chief.

“It’s really a unique opportunity to be behind the scenes,” Cobb said. “It’s going to be so fun and special to be able to share that with women who have served our country and be able to say thank you.”

“I get a lot of positive media attention for being a female in a male-dominated environment,” she said. “In NASCAR, there is a lot that happens to honor men and women of the military, but I don’t see many women walking around in uniform and participating, and I thought, ‘You know, I get all of this attention, but imagine what these women go through ... What if I could reach out and show them a special honor to reflect some of that media attention to these women who I feel are more deserving?’”

Cobb bounced her idea around with friends and colleagues who helped her develop the “Driven 2 Honor” concept.

Knowing that launching a not-for-profit organization would be time consuming, Cobb divided her approach into three phases. First, she would honor women serving in the military by inviting them to be a part of the behind-the-scenes experience at a NASCAR race.

“The second step, my mom had encouraged me to join the military myself,” Cobb said. “She wanted me to be in the Army or perhaps a Marine because my grandpa was a Marine. But I wanted to race, and I knew I couldn’t do both, so I really focused on racing.

“I thought, why not encourage other young women without maybe a college education fund or a viable career path that the Army or any branch of our United States Military would be a fantastic way to go? So that, in a nutshell, is how we get the first two phases, to honor and then to hopefully inspire young girls.”

The third phase, which Cobb said requires all the legal paperwork that all not-for-profits encounter, will be to raise funds to help homeless female veterans.

Cobb competed in all 25 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2010 and finished 17th in the final point standings, which guaranteed her a spot in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are there for the truck race to win,” said Cobb, who named her truck “Bruce,” after her hauler driver who died from pancreatic cancer last December.

Cobb was running among the top 10 in “Bruce” at Talladega last October when it ran out of gas.

“We know that this is a truck capable of running in the top 10 and capable of possibly winning the race,” she said. “So we’re looking for our strongest finish ever.”

Last year, Cobb was collected in a second-lap crash and knocked from the truck race at Daytona.

“I actually had the wreck cleared and I was way out in the grass by myself when somebody else tried to take that spot,” she said.

Cobb has one start apiece in the ARCA, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series divisions at Daytona. She hopes to start two races this weekend by making the field for the Nationwide Series’ Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

“Being unsponsored by a big national corporation really hurts across the board because we don’t have the personnel or the technology or the latest, greatest, most expensive stuff,” Cobb said. “But for this effort we’ve really pulled out all the stops and worked as best we can with everything that we have, and so I feel like the chances we have of being very competitive in the race are very high.”

“I’ve never been on this track with this car before, so I can’t wait to get out there for that first practice.”

Both vehicles will display the Army MWR and Army BOSS logos for the first time at Daytona, said FMWRC marketing specialist Carrie Poore.

Practice for both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events begin Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway.

Cobb still is amazed the Driven 2 Honor program came together so quickly. The thought first crossed her mind last August while sitting in a hotel room in Nashville.

“I wanted to be able to do something good with my racing career,” she said. “I run my race team and sort of manage everything on my own. Just to have such wonderful people, like my colleague Jeff Sprague, and everyone from the FMWRC that has worked so very hard and the BOSS organization that helped make this happen, I think we have made an amazing record turnaround time in developing the program and pushing it to that next level.

“It’s already grown so much stronger than I originally imagined. To actually have female Soldiers in our pit area with us for the weekend is really going to be a special experience.”

Connect with us:
www.Facebook.com/FamilyMWR
www.Twitter.com/FamilyMWR
www.YouTube.com/FamilyMWR

ks 110215

Canon-600D

Image by hopeless128
London, UK, 7th February 2011 – Canon today announces the launch of the EOS 600D – a compact, lightweight Digital SLR (DSLR) that makes capturing exciting, fun and creative images easier than ever. The perfect choice for aspiring photographers looking for a combination of outstanding image quality and ease-of-use, the EOS 600D sits at the top of Canon’s entry-level EOS line-up, above the existing EOS 550D and the new EOS 1100D.

Capturing stunning images and Full HD video has never been easier, thanks to a range of automatic shooting modes that beginners can use to instantly express their creativity. A Feature Guide has been added to the user interface to help you learn about the camera as you use it, helping to develop your photography skills. With an unrivalled range of EF lenses, Speedlites and other accessories to enhance your shooting, the EOS system holds the key to the perfect shot – wherever your journey takes you, and whatever the scene before you.

First-class image quality

The EOS 600D provides all the tools to capture beautiful stills and HD movies. Amazing picture detail is provided by a high-resolution 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, which combines with 14-bit DIGIC 4 processing so you can capture the wonder of a beautiful blue sky and enjoy exceptionally smooth gradients between colours. The camera’s low light shooting capability enables you to achieve clear, natural images in darker conditions, with an ISO range of 100-6400 that can be further expanded to 12800.

Great for shooting pets, children or wildlife, the EOS 600D allows high-speed shooting at 3.7 frames per second (fps), enabling you to capture fast-moving action. Each shot will be captured in sharp detail thanks to the 9-point Auto Focus system, which can track subjects using the auto focus points across the frame. Even more accurate focusing is providing by an extra-sensitive central AF Sensor, while the iFCL Metering system from the semi-professional EOS 7D features a 63-zone Dual-layer metering sensor, helping you to ensure your shot is correctly exposed, even in difficult lighting conditions.
Easy shooting, amazing results

New fully-automatic Scene Intelligent Auto mode makes it easy for you to capture outstanding quality shots with almost no effort. Allowing you to focus exclusively on framing your picture, Scene Intelligent Auto analyses the scene for you and automatically picks the best settings to capture it. Your images will look better than ever thanks to a new ‘Auto’ Picture Style, which automatically makes fine adjustments to colours while you focus on capturing the scene you want.

The EOS 600D also makes it easy for you to instantly add creativity to your pictures. Change the atmosphere of a scene with Basic+, which allows you to pick the mood you want to achieve from one of eight options, including ‘Warm’, ‘Cool’ or ‘Intense’. Whether you’re shooting landscapes, portraits, or close-up macro shots, Basic+ makes it easy to capture the perfect image.

rebel t3i with flip out screen

Simple, flexible, artistic

Ideal for beginners, a Feature Guide has been added to the EOS 600D’s menu system, offering a brief description of each key setting and its effect, helping you learn more about the camera as you use it.

You can also shoot overhead, at ground level or around corners with the EOS 600D’s
Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio ClearView LCD. Rich on-screen detail is provided in 1.04 million-dot resolution, and the side-mounted hinge allows users to comfortably and creatively shoot from a range of unusual angles, or when using a tripod. A smudge-resistant fluorine coating and three anti-reflection coatings also ensure you can see the LCD in clear detail, wherever you are.

Allowing you to apply your own stamp to your shots, the EOS 600D is perfect for experimenting with different Creative Filters. Fish-eye-Effect creates a barrel-shaped distortion similar to a fish-eye lens, and you can instantly turn a scene into a small-scale model with Miniature Effect. Toy Camera Effect, Grainy B/W and Soft Focus offer additional options, allowing you to experiment with your images in a number of different ways.

Capture stunning detail with EOS movie

Capture your memories in superb clarity with Full HD (1080p) movie mode, while a dedicated movie shooting mode means you can switch between stills and HD video instantly. You can also reach distant subjects using new Movie Digital Zoom function, which crops the centre of the sensor from 3x to 10x while still maintaining Full HD quality – great for capturing wildlife on a safari holiday.

Enabling you to capture more engaging videos, Video Snapshot mode shoots video in two, four, or eight second segments, creating clips that are short, easy to edit and of similar lengths to clips used in most TV programmes. As they are recorded, the clips are saved to a Video Snapshot Album and combined into one movie. A soundtrack can be added by choosing from tracks uploaded to the camera and the result viewed on the camera’s LCD, or on an HDTV via the built-in mini HDMI connection.

The EOS system – unrestricted creativity

As your skills develop, the EOS 600D grows with you. As part of Canon’s EOS range, the camera is compatible with the unrivalled selection of EF lenses and a range of accessories, so you can add to your kitbag as your ability and style develops. Over 60 lenses provide you with unlimited creative possibilities: wide-angle lenses capture sweeping landscapes, macro lenses capture the most intricate beauty of the tiniest creatures, and telephoto lenses make distant scenes appear as if they are right in front of you.

Using Canon’s range of Speedlite flashes and the EOS 600D’s Integrated
Speedlite Transmitter, you can also experiment with different lighting techniques, or use your flash off-camera, to give your subject or scene a completely different look and feel. With the Easy Wireless function, the camera will also take care of the complicated settings whilst you focus on framing and lighting your scene as you wish.

Introducing the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II

new 18-55 IS II lensLaunching with the EOS 600D is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II – a new kit lens that provides excellent performance for beginners. A lightweight construction makes it easy to carry, and Canon’s acclaimed optical Image Stabilization also minimises the risk of blur, allowing photographers to use shutter speeds 4 stops slower while still maintaining a blur-free shot. The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II will succeed the existing EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS in Canon’s lens line-up.

EOS 600D – key features:

18-megapixel CMOS sensor
Scene Intelligent Auto mode
Full-HD EOS Movie
On-screen Feature Guide
3.7fps continuous shooting
Wide-area 9-point AF
1,040k-dot vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) screen
Basic+ and Creative Filters
Built-in wireless flash control
Technologies explained

Canon CMOS sensor

Exclusively designed and manufactured by Canon to work in combination with its own DIGIC processors, Canon’s CMOS technology integrates advanced noise reduction circuitry at each pixel site, delivering virtually noise-free images. In comparison with CCD technology, the lower power consumption characteristics of Canon’s CMOS sensors also contribute to longer battery life.

Signal conversion in Canon’s CMOS sensors is handled by individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting the signal to the image processor. Noise is reduced, power consumption is limited and faster frame rate potential is increased.

DIGIC 4

Image data captured by the CMOS sensor is processed by Canon’s purpose-built DIGIC 4 image processors before being written to memory card. DIGIC technology uses advanced image processing algorithms to ensure precise, natural colours, tonal gradation, accurate white balance, and advanced noise reduction. Ultra-fast processing speeds result in highly responsive camera operation and near-instant start-up times.

DIGIC chips work with a high speed image buffer, reading, processing, compressing and writing image data fast enough to keep the buffer clear during long continuous shooting bursts. In addition, because DIGIC 4 integrates all key processing functions, power consumption is kept to a minimum.

iFCL metering system with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering sensor
The iFCL system uses focus, colour and luminance information to determine consistently exposed shots. All focus points provide distance information to the metering system to determine the location of the subject and allow the algorithm to weight the exposure accordingly.

Both the EOS 600D and EOS 1100D models feature a metering sensor with 63 zones, compatible with all nine AF points. Typically, metering sensors are more sensitive to red subjects which can lead to overexposure. The EOS 600D and EOS 1100D counter this with the dual layer sensor, which has one layer sensitive to red and green light and one that is sensitive to blue and green light. The metering algorithm then compares the level of the two layers and adjusts the meter reading accordingly.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
The new EOS 600D features the EOS Integrated Cleaning System, used to combat sensor dust in three important ways: Reduce, Repel and Remove.

Reduce - Internal camera mechanisms are designed to minimise dust generation. The redesigned body cap prevents dust generation through wear on the cap itself
Repel - Anti-static technologies, including a magnesium fluoride coating, are applied to the low-pass filter covering the front of the sensor so as not to attract dust
Remove - A Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses hi-frequency vibrations to shake dust from the infrared filter for a period of approximately one second after each start up. For instant shooting after power up, this feature is disabled immediately as the shutter release is depressed
The front surface of the EOS 1100D’s low-pass filter features a fluorine coating to minimize dust adhesion to the sensor. Both the EOS 600D and the EOS 1100D feature an internal Dust Delete Data system, which can map the position of visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the latest Digital Photo Professional software.

Vari-Angle Clear View LCD (EOS 600D only)

The EOS 600D features a 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Vari-Angle Clear View LCD screen offering approximately 1.04 million dot resolution – allowing high-quality viewing of images, and focus checks, in playback. With a wide 160º angle of view, images on the Clear View LCD can be easily reviewed in a vast range of environments with reduced ghosting and reflections, thanks to three anti-reflection coatings and a smudge-resistant fluorine coating. Marks on the screen are prevented and colours on the monitor appear natural and close to the sRGB colour space. The vari-angle screen has been designed to open sideways, enabling photographers to shoot from unusual angles, even while the EOS 600D is attached to a tripod or battery grip. The screen flips out 175° and can then rotate 90° forwards or 180° backwards, allowing the photographer to view the screen from low or high angles, and even from in front of the camera