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Tuesday, 06 October 2026
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Written by Mahalia Cooks
Military veterans deserve a dignified and well-kept resting place. Residents across Cumberland County are hard at work to make that possible at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, which has traveled a long way to get to where it is now — and has further to go still.
The Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake is one of four state veterans’ cemeteries across North Carolina. It has long been the focus of military families, state representatives, and many other residents who have advocated for better maintenance of the grounds and buildings to provide a proper resting site for those who have served.
Triangle newspaper The News & Observer previously reported on the state of disrepair that these cemeteries have been in for many years, claiming that Sandhills suffered the most from lack of upkeep. Ongoing concerns include a lack of adequate funding and a lack of enough staff members to tend to the grounds.
Archie Barringer, a retired Army chaplain who’s served at thousands of funerals over 25 years, most of them at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery, states that although the cemetery has been looking better in recent years, there’s still room for overall improvement, especially concerning allocation of funds and the services that the cemetery could offer.
“I do know that the funds go through the Cumberland Community Foundation, and I would assume that accountability is through the director down there as well as the director at the state veterans’ cemetery,” Barringer said. “I would certainly hope that the division of state veterans’ cemeteries in Raleigh would play a part in that and would also be involved in the accountability.”
Barringer suggests that patriotic services and programs, centered around holidays like Veterans Day and Memorial Day, would go a long way toward making the general public aware of what needs to be done to care for the cemetery and getting people involved through volunteering.
“Here we are right next to, across the road from, the premier military installation in the world, and of all places, our state veteran cemetery there in Spring Lake — as well as others, for that matter — should be paramount whenever it comes to the upkeep, just like Arlington would be,” Barringer said. “With my interest in veterans and their families, I see a need. Somebody’s got to step up, so I see a need to do that.”
Barringer has been the visionary for the chapel at Sandhills. Back in 2011, the area was just a concrete slab with a Sunday school podium. He worked with others to raise money to build a chapel with AC, heating and seating; the chapel is used for graveside services.
Diane Wheatley, representative of District 43 and member of the House of Representatives’ Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, has also advocated for ways for the general public to take part and volunteer at the cemetery, but this idea was shot down by previous management at Sandhills due to potential liability issues. Ensuring that they have the relevant insurance to cover these liabilities, along with partnering with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Raleigh, would assist with establishing a program that would allow outside groups — like Scouting America and ROTC — to contribute to upkeep, according to Wheatley.
While volunteering is not yet an option, one primary concern is employing enough staff members to do this work.
“The biggest thing is making sure that they have the funding to hire the manpower that’s needed to maintain cemeteries,” said Wheatley.
There are currently no official fundraising efforts specifically for cemetery maintenance, but Barringer says that residents can contribute gifts to the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery Project Fund at the Cumberland Community Foundation.
“Any further contributions that they can make will go into that fund, which is still open at the Cumberland Community Foundation, for the general upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery,” Barringer said.
Mary M. Holmes, president and CEO of the Cumberland Community Foundation, also said that people can send donations that will benefit Sandhills as long as they’re clearly marked for the purpose of the maintenance and preservation of the cemetery. Donate by visiting their dedicated webpage at https://cumberlandcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1790.
Wheatley previously sponsored two bills, H178 and H36, for maintaining state veterans’ cemeteries, which called for actions such as fixing damaged headstones and graves, addressing flooding and drainage issues, and filling bare patches in the grass. Her efforts have helped secure $300,000 for upkeep of the grounds and put in motion improvements to the grasses, the sprinkler system and the overall cleanliness.
“Just making sure that we keep this cemetery as pristine and beautiful as possible, so I see a lot of that happening,” Wheatley said. “It’ll be a continuous effort, and I think we’re just going to have to keep working on all of these issues.”
Residents across Cumberland County can get involved by contacting their representatives to voice their thoughts about management of the cemetery and supporting bills in state legislature that help secure state cemetery funding.
Another way to keep the Sandhills cemetery at the front of minds and hearts is by supporting Wreaths Across America, which Barringer and Wheatley have both participated in. Each holiday season, the nonprofit organization aims to raise enough funds to place a wreath on every veteran’s grave at numerous locations across the U.S., including Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery.
The wreaths are placed during a ceremony traditionally held on the second or third Saturday in December. This year’s ceremony for Sandhills will be on Saturday, Dec. 19 at noon at 8220 Bragg Blvd. More than just adding beauty, the wreaths’ 10 balsam bouquets symbolize various characteristics that veterans exhibit daily, including optimism, ambition, love and strength.
Sponsorship for one wreath is $17; view the official Wreaths Across America chapter page for Sandhills and sponsor a wreath at https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/16700/Overview/.
Over 3,000 wreaths have been sponsored so far. The goal is to reach 9,000 so that every veteran’s grave will be covered. Last year, they fell significantly short of this amount.
To help encourage more donations, Legends Pub, a bar on 4624 Bragg Blvd., is hosting an Oktoberfest get-together enabling people to buy wreaths and donate funds. The event has been arranged by Paige Willard Slider from Wreaths Across America Sandhills, a committee of eight members that works under the larger organization. The location coordinators procuring wreaths for the Sandhills cemetery are Ann Provencher and Barbara Younker.
For Willard Slider, her motivation to serve veterans comes from a personal connection to the military.
“For myself personally, both of my parents are buried in the cemetery,” she said.
After her mother passed away in 2010, her father worked with the cemetery to facilitate improvements such as creating a more comfortable sanctuary and putting up a memorial honoring each branch of the military.
“Once he passed away, I felt it was very important to myself to continue the mission with Sandhills.”
The Oktoberfest event will take place at Legends Pub on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. An auction will be held to collect donations, so bring an item you’re willing to part with if you want to participate. Wreaths will also be sold on-site.
“We also will have the directory, an online directory. If someone has a loved one buried at the cemetery, we can look up their grave site, go ahead and fill out a form so we know that that veteran or family member has their wreath on their grave site for the holidays specifically," Willard Slider said.
Additionally, if Sandhills exceeds the goal amount this year, extra wreaths will be taken to the Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery.
Other things to look forward to at Legends Pub are a live DJ, German food and drink, and a 50/50 raffle. Attendees can participate in a no-bike poker run by visiting stations set up at Legends Pub; the person with the best hand wins. Collaborating with the local bar and offering people a good time is the committee’s hopeful aim for getting the word out to as many people as possible.
“Our fundraising efforts didn’t prove as lucrative as they have in the past,” Willard Slider said of last year’s wreath shortage. “That’s what kind of lit a fire for us to start looking at different means to raise funds.”
Wreaths Across America adopts a theme each year, and “Remember Me” has set the tone for 2026. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the U.S., the phrase calls for us to remember not only the efforts of the collective U.S. military, but each individual life and their sacrifices.
If you want to get involved beyond monetary contributions, register to volunteer for the wreath-laying ceremony on Dec. 19 on the Wreaths Across America website at https://wreathsacrossamerica.us/GetInvolved/PlaceWreaths.
Stay updated on Wreaths Across America Sandhills and their progress by following the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WAASandhills.
(Photo: State Representative Diane Wheatley, left, and Archie Barringer, a retired Army chaplain, post at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. The two have been working to get funding for the cemetery's upkeep. Photo courtesy of Bill Bowman)
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Tuesday, 06 October 2026
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Written by Tiffany Haywood
Fort Bragg’s first campus-style dining venue uses fresh food, flexible access, and personal choice to meet individual needs—recognizing that collective readiness is built Soldier by Soldier.
As a former military spouse, this was not my first visit to a dining facility, or DFAC. I have lived on military installations and walked into enough of them to recognize the general feel: functional, often stark and rarely designed to make anyone want to linger.
Until now.
Fort Bragg officially opened Rally Point Bistro on Sept. 29, becoming the fourth Army installation to embrace a different approach to the day-to-day dining experience. The Army launched its initial five-installation Campus-Style Dining Venue pilot at Fort Hood in February, followed by Fort Carson in April and Fort Drum in July. Fort Stewart is also included in the pilot.
Developed in response to Soldiers asking for more variety, greater flexibility and an environment that feels less like a traditional dining facility, the model combines extended access, multiple food stations, digital ordering and performance-focused nutrition. At Fort Bragg, it creates a space built around what Soldiers need nutritionally, when their schedules allow them to eat, what they prefer, what they cannot eat and what will help them perform at their best.
It also considers their well-being.
Before I stepped inside Rally Point Bistro, a story shared during the grand opening ceremony changed how I would see everything waiting beyond its doors.
Compass Group CEO Peter Fetherston held up a printed copy of a receipt left at 42 Bistro at Fort Hood. He said a photograph of the receipt had been sent to him, and although he does not typically use prepared notes, he wanted to read the handwritten message.
“Thank you for working and serving us,” the Soldier wrote. “I admire the effort the staff puts into keeping us fed. The people working here make our lives easier to manage, and the tall screens showing us how to utilize the menu is a big bonus. Thanks again.”
The Soldier did not leave a name. Instead, the note was signed, “One of many.”
“In this simple message, I can’t think of a better way to capture and articulate what this is all about,” Fetherston said.
It is the same reason I am certain those words stayed with more people than me. The Soldier understood their role as one of many. Yet something created to serve thousands had made a personal difference in that Soldier’s life as an individual.
By the time the ribbon was cut, and we entered Rally Point Bistro, we walked in with a different understanding of what each station, menu choice and added convenience could mean to one Soldier in an Army of many.
“Rally Point Bistro represents a fundamental change in how we think about the Army food service ecosystem,” said Lt. Gen. Gavin A. Lawrence, deputy commanding general and acting commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Sgt. 1st Class Jermone Fisher saw that change take shape while helping facilitate the contracting process through the facility’s renovation and grand opening.
“The difference that this facility is going to make is really giving them more flexibility with the times that they open and close, and also providing more and better options,” Fisher said.
Inside, those options are easy to see. Instead of one cafeteria line, Soldiers can choose among different dining stations and rotating cuisines, order a prepared meal, pick up a smoothie or select fresh fruit, vegetables and other food to take with them. Digital kiosks provide another way to order without relying solely on a traditional serving line.
Before the grand opening, a soft-opening period allowed diners to experience the venue while staff tested food-preparation workflows, refined operations and collected feedback. By the grand opening, Spc. Lloyd Dubose had eaten nine meals at Rally Point as part of that early experience.
“I think the food is fantastic, and it’s got a lot of options, and it really caters to any physical fitness needs,” Dubose said.
He pointed to the protein and carbohydrate choices, fresh fruit and vegetables available throughout the venue. The variety supports the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness approach, which considers nutrition part of total Soldier readiness.
“We look at nutritional standards for our Soldiers because we view them as warrior athletes,” Lawrence said. “We’re ensuring that for each and every meal, there are balanced menu choices to meet their nutritional needs and fuel them through the duty day.”
The food may draw Soldiers through the doors, but the flexibility may be what keeps many of them coming back. Traditional dining facilities operate around designated meal periods that do not always align with physical training, work assignments and other duties.
Pvt. 2nd Class Marisela Bowie said Rally Point gives her another option.
“It has great hours, so I can come here when I’m free to grab a quick lunch, breakfast or dinner, just because it can be hard to grab it during certain hours of the DFAC,” Bowie said.
She also uses the grab-and-go selections. “It’s a great opportunity to grab quick meals when you’re in a rush,” Bowie said.
Capt. Thomas McCarty explained that Soldiers who previously missed a dining window could arrive after the facility had closed and have to wait for the next meal period. Rally Point Bistro remains open throughout its operating day, allowing Soldiers to come in when their schedules permit.
That flexibility extends to the Freedom Dollar system. Soldiers living in the barracks and enrolled in Essential Station Messing receive $39 in daily purchasing value: $9.57 for breakfast, $15.86 for lunch and $13.57 for dinner. Unused breakfast value can move forward into lunch and dinner before resetting at midnight.
“If they don’t use it all at breakfast, it rolls into lunch. If they don’t use it all at lunch, it rolls into dinner. At midnight, it resets,” McCarty said.
That is where the grab-and-go cases and frozen meals become more than added conveniences. A Soldier who knows the day will run long can use the remaining value to take food back to the barracks for later instead of allowing that portion of the entitlement to go unused.
The bistro also recognizes that more choices only matter if they account for individual needs. Pvt. 2nd Class Jasine Jarrett said a dietary restriction has limited what she could select in other settings. Rally Point’s smoothie bar and wider range of food have changed that experience.
“Going to the smoothie bar has helped me a lot, and I really appreciate that I don’t have to limit myself to what I want to eat,” Jarrett said. “I have multiple options, so I’m grateful for that.”
Jarrett is also a 92G culinary specialist. With Compass Group employees operating Rally Point Bistro, she and other 92Gs can spend more time developing the tactical skills the Army will need from them in the field.
“What that means to me is that I get the opportunity to focus on more of my Soldier-like duties and tasks instead of focusing mainly on the DFAC,” Jarrett said. “This gives us a chance to focus more on our field-feeding duties as a 92G.”
The shift allows Army culinary specialists to spend less time preparing food inside garrison dining facilities and focus more heavily on feeding Soldiers during field exercises and combat operations.
“When we get food service right, ladies and gentlemen, the benefits extend well beyond the dining table,” Lawrence said. “Better food, better access helps Soldiers perform at their best. It gives them the fuel they need to train, to recover, to ultimately stay ready.”
The Soldier who left the receipt at 42 Bistro identified as “one of many,” but the signature did not take away the individual behind it. It revealed why that individual matters.
Rally Point Bistro is designed to support each Soldier’s schedule, nutritional needs and daily life because the readiness of the many depends on how well the Army fuels each one.
“This is more than just being about food,” Lawrence said. “It’s about quality of life, it’s about community, it’s about readiness.”
(Photo: The Rally Point Bistro will provide soldiers more flexibility in their dining options on Fort Bragg. Photo by Tiffany Haywood)
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