Photo By Janecze Wright | Right, retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey, vice president for the Association...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — The installation is putting the brakes on costly oil changes with a hands-on approach that places participants in the driver’s seat when it comes to vehicle maintenance.
The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program partnered with the Association of the United States Army for the “Life Skills Training: How to Change Your Oil” event Aug. 20 at Sprocket Auto Crafts here.
The two-day class was designed to empower participants with the knowledge and confidence to perform one of the most essential car maintenance tasks: the oil change.
“We are teaching life skills,” said retired Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel Dailey, vice president for AUSA Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier Programs. “They actually change their own oil, and we teach them how to do it, walk them through it in order to build a life skill and save some money.
“Financial barriers are one of the biggest problems for Soldiers and families,” he added. “If we can help cure that by lifting Soldiers up, learning how to help themselves, they can build their own confidence, gain some knowledge and skill, but also save precious resources so they can spend it elsewhere in the family household.”
Participants were given an introductory orientation before going out into the bay to roll up their sleeves and get started.
With step-by-step guidance from Dailey, Sprocket professionals and BOSS Soldiers with automotive expertise, participants were given a tour of the bay and a description of the equipment needed for the task, then versed on how to operate the vehicle lift and properly drain and change the oil before receiving hands-on guidance with process.
“I am very confused but excited to learn,” expressed military spouse Calla Blalock. “This is typically like a male-dominated thing, so it’s cool to break into this. I’m already learning things, so it’s pretty cool.”
Dailey helped Calla and her spouse Cpl. Jeremiah Blalock, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, use the jack to properly lift their vehicle, position the oil pan and drain the oil from their vehicle. The retired sergeant major of the Army also visited each bay to offer assistance and advice.
“We’re trying to enhance Soldiers’ lives by making them better equipped to take care of themselves and save them some money and support our local DFMWR,” Dailey said. “When you can provide services like this to our service members and their families, it just makes Army life a little bit better.”
Pfc. Achilles Howard, Bravo Company, 115th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div., and BOSS representative, said making Army life better for Soldiers is what drives him.
When he got the call for 91 Bravos, or wheeled vehicle mechanics, to steer the class, Howard and five other volunteers stepped up.
“A lot of people don’t know how to change their oil. I know how to do it, so why not help,” Howard said. “I’ve seen people pay $175 for something that takes 10 minutes if you know how to do it. (The class) helps save money that we don’t have a lot of.”
Fueling Soldiers to accelerate toward financial security and a better quality of life is just part of the mission, Dailey explained.
“Our job is to educate, inform and connect the American people with America’s Army. We advocate on behalf of issues for Soldiers, families and military resources,” Dailey said. “We might only (teach) 30 Soldiers over the next two days. That’s 30 more Soldiers that we helped and 30 more Soldiers that can talk to a lot more Soldiers about the facilities that are here on the installation for them to do these kinds of things.”
The goal is to have a variety of self-help classes at every major installation every month to provide full-service solutions and steer Soldiers in the right direction with confidence and self-sufficiency, Dailey conveyed.
“When you have a family that can self-sustain themselves, secure their resources by not spending a lot of money getting things done and doing for themselves, it helps build readiness,” he concluded.
For information about Life Skills Training classes, visit hood.armymwr.com or check out the Fort Hood MWR Facebook page to see upcoming events.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2025 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 546856 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 4 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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