Utah Minuteman

UTAH
MINUTEMAN
Utah Air and Army National Guard
Volume XII No. 1 Spring 2012
222nd FA Returns Six Months Early
SGT Guy Mellor Wins U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
1-211th ARB Deploys to Afghanistan
Photo by Greg Cullis
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Photo by Greg Cullis
The Adjutant
General’s Corner
The Adjutant General
Major General
Brian L. Tarbet
I
DRAPER, Utah — t has been an extraordinary few weeks
in the history of the National Guard. The Congress recently
approved, and the President signed, the National Guard
Empowerment Act. Among many other important items, it
placed the Chief of the National Guard Bureau as a member
in full of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This will give the states an
important voice, which has been long missing, in the conduct
of our most important mission—protecting the homeland of the
United States. Although this has been for many years the primary
mission of our national defense strategy, it has been given short
shrift by the Department of Defense in terms of manpower and
equipment. Now the voice of those with that as their primary
mission will be heard.
During the month of December, we took a few moments
to commemorate the 375th Anniversary of the first muster
of the National Guard at Salem, Mass., on Dec. 13, 1636. It
has been a long and proud tradition of service to the Nation,
rendered by millions of men and women who have affiliated
with the National Guard over the decades. From protecting the
infant Colonies, through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to
the major conflicts of the last century, the Guard has been there
for our people, forging a proud tradition of service and sacrifice
as Citizen-Soldiers. Now more than ever, our contribution as
Guardmembers will be needed. In times of fiscal difficulty, the
Guard can play a larger role in the defense of our Nation as we
represent the most efficient and trained fighting force among all
the Services and components.
We will confront many challenges over the coming years
as budgets tighten and resources become scarce. We will meet
the challenges by anticipating and preparing for change, being
nimble and innovative, and by concentrating on the basics—our
primary mission being to find, train and equip the best of the
best. With our dual mission of defending the Nation at home
and abroad, we will continue to evolve as the face of the military
in America: the Troops our citizens see, touch and support in
their own neighborhoods. That we will meet that challenge with
distinction is my earnest hope for our future.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert, left, speaks with MG Brian
Tarbet, the adjutant general, at a temporary dump site in
Kaysville, Utah, Dec. 4. The site was set up to assist residents
of Davis County remove debris after hurricane force winds
caused considerable damage to the area.
LTC Gregory Hartvigsen, commander of 1st Battalion,
211th Aviation Regiment, speaks to his Soldiers while
Utah National Guard senior leaders and Rep. Jim
Matheson, D-Utah, listen to his words of encouragement
during their deployment ceremony at the Army Aviation
Support Facility in West Jordan, Utah, Jan. 16.
Utah Minuteman
3
Editor
State Public Affairs Officer
MAJ Bruce Roberts
Producer / Designer
Ileen Kennedy
Editing Staff
Patti Griffith
Writers
MG Brian Tarbet
CSM Bruce Summers
CW5 Heber Hyde
SSG Whitney Houston
CPT Andi Hahn
SSG DaleAnn Maxwell
SGT Rebecca Hansen
SGT Quentin Hendricksen
SPC Ariel Solomon
SFC April Rylander
1LT Ryan Sutherland
SSG Jim Greenhill
MAJ Bruce Roberts
SrA Lillian Harnden
LTC Tyler Smith
CPT Choli Ence
A1C Emily Hulse
Ileen Kennedy
SGT Nicolas Cloward
CPT Penny Matthews
SSG Shana Hutchins
Commander 128th MPAD
MAJ Wencke Tate
Publisher
Bob Ulin
Advertising Sales
Chris Kersbergen
8537 Corbin Dr., Anchorage, AK 99507
(907) 562-9300 . (866) 562-9300
Utah Minuteman is a commercial-enterprise
publication, produced in partnership, thrice yearly,
by the Utah National Guard and AQP Publishing,
Inc. Views and opinions expressed herein are
not necessarily the official views of, nor are they
endorsed by, the Departments of the Army and Air
Force, nor the State of Utah. All photos are Utah
National Guard photos unless otherwise credited.
Distribution: The Utah Minuteman is an
unofficial publication of the Utah National Guard.
It is published by the Utah National Guard Public
Affairs Office, Draper, Utah. It is distributed, free of
charge, via mail for all current Utah National Guard
Soldiers and Airmen and their families. It is also
available on our Web site: www.ut.ngb.army.mil.
4
Spring 2012
MINUTEMAN
UTAH
The Adjutant General
MG Brian L. Tarbet
Thrice-yearly magazine for members of the Utah National Guard
Contents:
The Adjutant General’s Corner ................................................................................................. 3
Joint Forces and Army Enlisted Comments .............................................................................. 5
Command Chief Warrant Officer Comments............................................................................ 5
222nd Field Artillery Returns Safe and Sound ......................................................................... 6
Uncle Extends Nephew in Guard While Deployed .................................................................. 7
Utah Air Guard Gets New Commander .................................................................................... 8
Blanding Armory Rededication Honors SFC James E. Thode ................................................. 9
Injured Soldiers Honored ........................................................................................................ 10
Purple Heart Recipients Recognized at BYU Football Game ................................................ 11
Guard Celebrates 375 Years of Service................................................................................... 12
211th Aviation Deploys to Afghanistan .................................................................................. 14
85th CST Supports Two-Alarm Fire in Sandy ........................................................................ 16
Utah National Guard Soldier is U.S. Army’s NCO of the Year .............................................. 18
640th RTI Grants Military Occupational Specialty with a BOOM! ....................................... 20
Utah National Guard is Activated for Operation Windstorm.................................................. 22
Units Team Up to Maintain Proficiency ................................................................................. 24
151st MDG Train for Deployment in EMEDS Mass-Casualty Exercise ............................... 26
Family Assistance Centers ...................................................................................................... 27
Governor’s Day Returns to Camp Williams ........................................................................... 28
Soldiers Learn Vital Skills for Deployment ............................................................................ 30
General Retires after 38 Years of Service ............................................................................... 31
Charitable Trust Awards Ceremony ........................................................................................ 32
School Donates $10,700 to the Utah National Guard Charitable Trust .................................. 33
Recruiting and Retention Battalion Maintains High Rank Among Other States .................... 34
ESGR Contractor and Former Air Guardsmen Rescue Children from Icy River ................... 35
Veterans Day Concert Honors a Decade of Service................................................................ 36
Army Medic’s Training Saves Professor’s Life ...................................................................... 38
Former Wing Commander Retires After 32 Years .................................................................. 39
Education Benefits: GoArmyEd ............................................................................................. 41
A Day of Remembrance .......................................................................................................... 42
Colonel Receives Legion of Merit Award Posthumously ....................................................... 44
Air Promotions ........................................................................................................................ 44
Army Promotions .................................................................................................................... 44
Read additional stories at www.ut.ngb.army.mil
View additional photos at www.flickr.com/photos/utahnationalguard/sets
Submissions: The Utah Minuteman welcomes
contributions from Utah Guard members, their families
and Veterans but reserves the right to edit as necessary.
Please send letters, articles and photos with name,
phone number, E-mail and complete mailing address to:
Utah Minuteman
Utah National Guard Public Affairs Office
12953 S. Minuteman Drive
Draper, Utah 84020-9286
or E-mail to [email protected]
For coverage of major events of statewide significance,
contact LTC Hank McIntire at (801) 432-4407 or Ileen
Kennedy at (801) 432-4229.
Cover Photo: SPC Oscar Cuevas, 197th Special Troops
Company (Airborne), performs a proper parachute landing at
Photo by SrA Devin Doskey
Fairfield, Utah, Nov. 9, 2011.
Command Chief Warrant
Officer Comments
Photo by Greg Cullis
Photo by SFC Stacey Berg
Joint Forces and Army
Enlisted Comments
Bruce D. Summers
Command Sergeant Major
Utah Army National Guard
A
DRAPER, Utah —
nother year is now upon us, and as we
look back and realize the accomplishments of this organization
over the last 10 years, we can be extremely grateful for the
Soldiers and Airmen that fill our ranks.
The president called for the removal of all U.S. forces
from Iraq by the end of 2011. One of the final units to leave
Iraq was 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery, headquartered in
Cedar City. As we welcome them home, we are reminded of
our other unit currently serving in Afghanistan: 2nd Battalion,
211th Aviation Regiment. Later this spring, 1st Battalion,
211th Aviation Regiment, will also be in Afghanistan. Other
Army and Air units will also be called upon to provide their
skills as we roll into this new year.
Our success over the last 10 years can only be attributed to
quality leadership, both from the officer and non-commissioned
officer (NCO) corps. I have watched as this new generation
of leaders has stepped up to a challenge that has never been
faced before. Multiple deployments for many units and
Servicemembers and their families have caused strain on them
but for the most part they have endured these trials, making
us a stronger and more professional Guard than I can ever
remember.
We are looking at a time in our history where we will be
asked to do more with fewer resources than we ever have.
NCOs at all levels must step up to the challenge and train our
Soldiers and Airmen to continue to accomplish the missions
required of us. I am very proud of the heritage you have made
for the Utah National Guard and know you will continue to
lead the way.
God Bless.
Heber Hyde
Command Chief Warrant Officer
Utah Army National Guard
A
DRAPER, Utah —
s the fourth command chief warrant
officer for the Utah Army National Guard, I’d like to give you
the definition of the warrant officer and ask for your assistance
in filling our warrant officer vacancies with qualified Soldiers
and NCOs.
“The Army warrant officer (WO) is a self–aware and
adaptive technical expert, combat leader, trainer and advisor.
Through progressive levels of expertise in assignments, training
and education, the WO administers, manages, maintains,
operates and integrates Army systems and equipment across
the full spectrum of Army operations. Warrant officers are
competent and confident warriors, innovative integrators of
emerging technologies, dynamic teachers and developers
of specialized teams of Soldiers. They support a wide range
of Army missions throughout their career. Warrant officers
in the Army are assessed with specific levels of technical
ability. They refine their technical expertise and develop their
leadership and management skills through tiered, progressive
assignments and education.” (DA Pamphlet 600-3, p. 3-9)
Currently, 87 percent of our authorized slots are filled.
We are looking for the best NCOs and Soldiers to fill these
positions. We have open positions in Special Forces, Field
Artillery, Military Intelligence, Chemical Corps, Adjutant
General Corps, Quartermaster, Ordnance, Signal Corps and
Transportation Corps. If you are interested in becoming a
warrant officer contact:
CW3 Thayne Turgeon
Office: 801-432-4900
Cell: 801-558-2494
Email: [email protected]
Utah Minuteman
5
2-222nd FA Soldiers return from Iraq after their yearlong deployment
was cut to six months, bringing them home in time for Christmas.
222nd Field Artillery Returns Safe and Sound
Story and photos by SSG Whitney Houston
E
CEDAR CITY, Utah —
ager family, loved ones and friends
gathered early at Cedar City Regional Airport Dec. 8, to meet
their beloved Soldiers serving with 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field
Artillery Regiment, on a deployment to Iraq.
The 222nd, or “Triple Deuce,” served a six-month
deployment, which is their third since 2003. Their missions
have been varied and have served them in becoming an adaptive
and versatile unit.
“Working on different missions and with different units
has made them a more well-rounded unit,” said COL Richard
Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff, G1 Personnel Officer, Utah
National Guard. “They develop skill sets, which make them
better leaders in all different kinds of environments.”
This deployment, the field artillery unit went as a support
element to assist in the handover of operations to Iraqi
authorities. This was a complex process, and the 222nd was
tasked with a lot of different responsibilities.
“Our batteries got split up to do different missions such as
the mayor’s cell, base operations, as well as force protection
with the Special Forces,” said Operations Sgt. Major, Tyler
Cowan.
“We were the Baghdad Transit Authority. That entailed
moving 3,500 personnel over three months to and from the
International Zone to Sather Air Base, and the Victory Base
Compound,” said 1SG Lance Jensen.
Through these deployments, the 222nd has been able to see
Operation Iraqi Freedom come full circle: from destroying a
tyrannical government to handing over a viable and sovereign
government.
“We did what we went there to do,” Jensen said. “We got
rid of a horrible dictator, set up a baseline for a government, an
army, a police force and other forms of infrastructure that would
allow them to operate as a cohesive country.”
6
Spring 2012
“It makes me feel good. It feels like we’ve been able to
accomplish a lot of good things. The people of Iraq were
certainly ready for us to leave, but I feel like all in all it was a
success.”
The 222nd left Iraq without losing any personnel, which
made for a more enjoyable homecoming.
“It’s a good day,” said Miller. “Any time you take a unit and
deploy them for a period of time, whether it’s six months or 18
months, and you bring them home safely, it’s a win.”
The 222nd is composed of Soldiers from many small
communities throughout southern Utah, and have centers of
operations in St. George, Cedar City, Beaver, Richfield and
Fillmore. These communities, as well as many others, showed a
laudable presence of support at the homecoming.
“As you can see today, the outpouring of support from the
surrounding communities is remarkable,” Miller said. “You
can see the happiness that the Soldiers feel from being so
well respected, and we’re so lucky to be able to be a part of a
community like this.”
The 222nd’s continued versatility throughout the Iraq War
is a demonstration of the heart and patriotism that small town
America has to offer.
“It’s amazing how outstanding and versatile the Soldiers
of the Triple Deuce are,” Jensen said. “They’ve taken infantry
missions, they’ve taken MP (Military Police) missions, they’ve
taken engineer missions, and they’ve done it just as well if not
better than the people who do it every day. They are just an
outstanding bunch of guys, and they have insurmountable selfrespect and honor.”
May all troops have such sustainment from their community,
and an inclination to perform their duty as the 222nd have
throughout the nation’s conflicts.
Uncle Extends Nephew in
Guard While Deployed
Story and photos by CPT Andi Hahn
I
BAGHDAD, Iraq — t’s not every day family members deploy together to Iraq. It’s
not every day family members get to see each other while deployed together in Iraq. And
it’s not every day an uncle gets to administer the oath of reenlistment to his nephew
while deployed together in Iraq.
COL James Brown of Morgan, Utah, swore in his nephew, SGT Shea Esplin, of
Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 25 while they were stationed in Baghdad, Iraq.
Brown and Esplin mobilized together with the Utah National Guard’s 2nd Battalion,
222nd Field Artillery, back in June at Camp Atterbury, Ind., in preparation for their
upcoming deployment to Iraq but lost touch once they hit boots on the ground.
“We were supposed to be on the same mission in country, but things changed when
we got on the ground, and elements of the battalion got scattered all over the country,”
said Brown, the garrison deputy commander for Victory Base Complex in Iraq. “I wasn’t
sure where he had been remissioned to.”
COL James Brown, (right) swears his nephew SGT Shea Esplin into the Utah
National Guard while both were deployed and stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 25.
When Esplin was given the opportunity to reenlist during his deployment, he
immediately contacted his uncle and asked him to do the honors.
“I received an email from him asking if I’d extend him in the Guard, and I said ‘Yes!
I will fly anywhere you are to do this for you,’ and it turned out we were at the same
location,” Brown said.
Esplin and his uncle met at the Joint Visitors Bureau at Camp Victory, where he
raised his right hand and recited the oath to extend his Guard tour another six years.
“It was really cool to have my uncle do this for me while we were both here,” said
Esplin. “He was able to take me on a quick tour of the area and I saw some pretty neat
places. Most people don’t get to have a palace in Iraq behind them when they reenlist.”
Esplin said it is nice to know when he goes home he will have family that was
deployed the same time and the same place as he was who can better understand what
happened here.
“It’s an awesome thing to think that someday when my kid is in history and they talk
about the war in Iraq, I can say I was there,” Esplin said. “I will get to share stories with
him that the textbooks won’t be able to, and I look forward to that.”
Utah Minuteman
7
Utah Air Guard Gets New Commander
Story by SrA Lillian Harnden
T
Photo by TSgt Kelly Collett
SALT LAKE CITY —
he
highest-ranking position in the
of using any and all resources
Utah Air National Guard changed
available, and I look to the previous
hands during a ceremony on base
leadership as a significant asset as
Dec. 3.
we prepare for the future.”
During
the
change-ofIn addition to the Global War
command ceremony, Brig Gen
on Terrorism, Fountain explained
Wayne Lee officially relinquished
some of the challenges the Utah
command as Assistant Adjutant
ANG faces.
General for Air, commander of the
“As we are all aware, the fiscal
Utah National Guard Adjutant General, MG
Utah Air National Guard, to Brig
constraints that our nation is facing
Brian Tarbet, (left) passes the colors to the
Gen David Fountain.
incoming Assistant Adjutant General for the
will have significant impacts on
Utah
Air
National
Guard,
Brig
Gen
David
As a show of gratitude for
every aspect of our federal, state
Fountain. During the change-of-command
Lee’s service, and to welcome
and local governments. I have
ceremony, Brig Gen Wayne Lee officially
Fountain as Utah ANG’s new
made a commitment to the TAG,
relinquished command as Assistant Adjutant
general, Gov. Gary Herbert and
and I am now making the same
General for Air to Brig Gen David Fountain.
more than 1,000 Guardmembers
commitment to all of you, that
attended the ceremony.
we will work diligently to ensure
The Adjutant General of Utah, MG Brian Tarbet, said he
all levels of government fully understand what the Utah ANG
was thrilled to have Fountain’s experience on the leadership
brings to bear. We need to be engaged at all levels. You will see
team.
more opportunities published for both officers and enlisted to
“He comes wonderfully prepared to do exactly what we
support short- and long-term tours.”
need to do now,” said Tarbet. “He started out enlisted, he got a
Fountain also described a recent meeting with Utah senators
commission, he has Wing experience, flown thousands of hours
and congressmen.
and he’s worked at the national level. He has a wonderful feel
“I feel the meetings were successful in that folks in
for the kind of environment and the importance that the states
Washington, D.C., can now put a name with the face. They
participate in nationally. I feel very, very blessed to have him.”
understand that we are ready and willing to engage. We left
Fountain was promoted from colonel to brigadier general
them with updates on each organization, to include a snapshot
in August 2011 and now assumes command of more than 1,400
of all your accomplishments supporting both federal and state
Airmen in the Utah ANG. Prior to his current position, Fountain
missions.”
served as the ANG advisor to the commander at Air Mobility
Fountain explained there are attributes that leadership
Command Headquarters, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Fountain
considers “key to future positions” for Air Guardmembers.
began his career as an aircraft maintenance journeyman prior
“We are looking for people that have a willingness to take
to his commissioning and awarding of his pilot wings. He has
intelligent calculated risks, who have self-confidence, loyalty
served as command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in a
to the institution, who are innovative and creative and able to
variety of aircraft, flying both the C-130 Hercules and the C-17
effect change, to name a few,” said Fountain. “Folks, we are
Globemaster. His most recent operational experiences were in
building a bench with breadth and depth of experience.”
support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Fountain thanked Tarbet for his trust and the opportunity to
During the ceremony, Fountain directed attention to the
be a part of the leadership team in Utah. Fountain also expressed
Utah ANG’s rich history and quoted a plaque he found while
appreciation for the team that he will be working with and the
walking down Patriot Way near the state headquarters building.
clean slate that Lee left him to start with.
“A few years from now, ‘A time of conflict and change
Fountain is a second-generation Air Guardsman, and he
1950-1959,’ could easily read, ‘A time of conflict and change
also has a son enlisted in the Guard. He currently resides in
2001-2012,’” said Fountain. “We have some very interesting
Illinois with his wife, Terry, but said they are trying to sell their
and challenging times in front of us. I have every intention
home so they can move to Utah.
8
Spring 2012
Blanding Armory
Rededication Honors
SFC James E. Thode
Story and photos by SSG DaleAnne Maxwell
Members of the color guard uncover a
rendering of a monument that will be placed
in front of the Armory in honor of SFC Thode.
Blanding City Mayor Toni Turk gives an award
to Carla Thode, wife of SFC James Thode, during
the renaming and rededication ceremony, Carla
Thode views the plaque placed in the armory
entrance honoring her husband Dec. 9.
T
BLANDING, Utah —
he Blanding Armory was renamed and
rededicated as the Sergeant First Class James E. Thode Armory,
Blanding Readiness Center, during a ceremony Dec. 9. The renaming
ceremony was held in honor of Sergeant First Class James E. Thode,
who was killed in action in December 2011 in Khost, Afghanistan,
when insurgents attacked his unit, the 118th Sapper Company, 1457th
Engineer Battalion, with an improvised explosive device.
Throughout the ceremony, several speakers praised Thode as a
husband, father, Soldier and friend, and how he is missed every day.
The renaming of the armory is one way for his legacy to continue.
“His (Thode’s) legacy will always be in our hearts,” said 1SG
Charles Barkey, first sergeant for the 118th Sapper Company during
the deployment. “His name outside will be there, for those who will
walk through these halls, who will join the Guard, and when you
youngsters grow up and hear his name, his legacy will be kept alive
by our telling his story.”
Thode’s wife, Carla, and their children, Ashley and Thomas,
were among those in attendance.
Blanding City Mayor Toni Turk expressed his gratitude to
Thode’s family.
“Although he was not a resident of Blanding, he was a member
of the community. He took our sons to war so that they would not
have to go without an experienced warrior to lead them,” said Turk.
“The city of Blanding has commissioned a special medallion
that is to be given to the loved ones of our heroes making the ultimate
sacrifice to our country,” said Turk. “This is a special token of our
appreciation for the service rendered and the sacrifice made. I would
like to present the city’s special medallion for his ultimate sacrifice to
his widow, and to extend our heartfelt appreciation for his devotion
to duty, country and community. God bless you.”
As part of the renaming ceremony, a plaque was placed inside
the armory entrance, and in the spring, a monument will be built and
placed outside honoring SFC Thode.
The plaque reads, “This building is dedicated to the memory and
legacy of our comrade, SFC James (Doc) Thode, KIA 2 December
2010 in Khost, Afghanistan. It’s undoubtedly appropriate and proper
for a memorial of this stature and purpose to pay tribute to one of
the finest noncommissioned officers to have ever served our great
state and nation.”
The monument will read: SFC
James E. Thode (Sept. 27, 1965 – Dec.
2, 2010) 118th Engineer Company,
1457th Engineer Battalion, 204th
Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Utah
Army National Guard. Died Dec. 2,
2010, in Sabari District, Khost Province,
Afghanistan, from wounds suffered
when insurgents attacked his unit with an
improvised explosive device. Thank you for your bravery, patriotism
and commitment to our nation. You will not be forgotten, for the
memory of your tenacious spirit will live on in each patriot.
Utah Minuteman
9
Injured Soldiers Honored
Story and photos by SGT Rebecca Hansen
A
Purple Hearts were awarded to 14 members
of the 118th Sappers Company at a special
awards ceremony at the Salt Lake Airport
Hilton Hotel Sept. 17. Six of the recipients
were awarded two Purple Hearts.
10
Spring 2012
SALT LAKE CITY —
s the audience of Soldiers and their
families filled the room, the mood was one of joy. The Soldiers
and their families were happy they were home and alive, but it
wasn’t without sacrifice.
“Pound for pound, this unit has been through more than any
unit we have deployed from Utah in 10 years,” said MG Brian
Tarbet, adjutant general of the Utah National Guard.
A ceremony was held for 18 Soldiers from the 118th Engineer
Sapper Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion. Each was awarded a
Purple Heart during the ceremony Sept. 17 at the Salt Lake Airport
Hilton Hotel. Awards were presented for injuries sustained during
the Soldiers’ deployment to Afghanistan.
The 118th Engineer Sapper Company was formerly Bravo
Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion, but was organized into
an engineer “Sapper” company in October 2008 during the
transformation of the total Army force structure. A few months
after this transformation, they received the official alert order to
begin deployment preparations for a mission in Afghanistan as
a route-clearance company. They arrived in Afghanistan in July
2010 and went right to work.
“Route clearance is a lot of planning, figuring out the enemy’s
tactics, trying to understand the areas that they’re operating in and
going into that area with the ability to counter what they would
try to do to us. We were very successful at that,” said Purple Heart
recipient SFC Michael Seifert, a combat engineer with the 118th,
who before his deployment worked as an instructor for the 640th
Regional Training Institute.
During its deployment, the unit cleared about 18,000 miles of
road and completed 672 combat missions.
“Our missions were done very slowly and methodically. We
would drive about 15 mph, and usually we would find one or two
IEDs every mission,” said Purple Heart recipient SPC Sterling
Juarez, also a combat engineer with the 118th, who before his
deployment was a college student and worked as a loan officer.
The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world
still in use today and was the first American award made available
to the common Soldier. Its first name was the Badge of Military
Merit and was created early in America’s history by General
George Washington. The award order includes the phrase:
“Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the
Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland
and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen.”
The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed
Forces who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands
of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of
those who die from the wounds received in action.
“It happened the day we were out conducting route clearance,”
said Seifert as he recalled the day of his injury. “We drove into an
area, clearing roads. As my vehicle was stopped, we were engaged
in a complex attack, and immediately my vehicle was struck
by an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade), and we were disabled.
From there, my lieutenant in a vehicle behind me tried to push
my vehicle with his, out of the kill zone, and his vehicle was
then struck as well and was disabled. The other vehicles pushed
us out of the kill zone for roughly a mile before we stopped
when we were no longer engaged by the enemy.”
Tarbet reminded everyone at the ceremony that not all the
people in their unit who received a Purple Heart were so lucky
as to be alive. He reminded everyone of the great sacrifice of
SFC James E. Thode, a combat engineer with the 118th, who
gave the ultimate sacrifice Dec. 2, 2010, and lost his life to
an IED. His wife and children received his Purple Heart in
December 2010. Tarbet expressed gratitude that no one else in
the unit had to make that sacrifice.
“The fact that they are here and that they are home is a
blessing,” said Tarbet. “We heard about it every day, that
they were getting knocked around, and I am grateful for the
technology that kept them alive, but it also took great leadership
and all you Soldiers who cared for one another.”
The ceremony was held to honor those 18 who received
the Purple Heart. They were all called onto the stage one by
one, while the dates of their injuries were announced in front
of their fellow Soldiers, family and friends. Tarbet and CSM
Bruce Summers presented each of the 18 Soldiers with the
award while thanking them for their service.
Despite the severity of the sacrifices they made on
their deployment, the recipients expressed gratitude for the
recognition they received with the awards.
“It definitely shows the respect and reverence to us for the
job we have done,” said Seifert. “I definitely appreciate this
ceremony.”
Those who received a Purple Heart during the ceremony
are as follows:
SGT Colton Shakespear, for wounds received Dec. 2,
2010, and another award for wounds received April 11, 2011.
SSG Travis Pharmer, for wounds received Dec. 9, 2010,
and another award for wounds received May 31, 2011.
SSG Kyle Bowler, for wounds received Dec. 24, 2010.
SPC Jose Munoz, for wounds received March 19, 2011.
SPC Abraham Butler, for wounds received April 11, 2011.
SGT Kevin Dimond, SPC Jeremiah Barnett, SPC Sterling
Juarez and SPC Somsak Kendricks, for wounds received
May 9, 2011. They were also awarded another award for
wounds received May 17, 2011.
SPC Hyrum Chamberlain, for wounds received May 31,
2011.
SFC Michael Seifert, SPC Mathew Ellenberger, SPC
Anthony Gonzales, SPC Zachary Rinck, for wounds received
June 11, 2011.
Purple Heart
Recipients Recognized
at BYU Football Game
Story and photos by SGT Quentin Hendricksen
E
PROVO, Utah —
leven Purple Heart recipients from the
118th Engineer Sapper Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion,
received a round of applause and a standing ovation from
thousands of fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium Nov. 12. The
Soldiers were introduced to the crowd from the center of the
field shortly before an evening football game between Brigham
Young University and the University of Idaho.
Soldiers were then escorted to a corner of the stadium
where they met Cosmo, the BYU mascot, and lined the path
of the players’ entrance. As the BYU football players charged
onto the field, the Soldiers exchanged high fives with them.
The Soldiers were invited to stay for the duration of the
game.
Top down: Purple Heart recipients from the 118th Sapper
Company meet BYU mascot Cosmo prior to the BYU vs. Idaho
football game. Soldiers line the football field entrance as the
BYU players run onto the field Nov. 12.
Utah Minuteman
11
Guard Celebrates
375 Years of Service
Story and photos by SPC Ariel Solomon
O
WEST JORDAN, Utah —
n Dec. 13, 1636, the
Massachusetts Bay Colony set in motion 375 years of CitizenSoldiers protecting their communities from disaster and attack.
On Dec. 13, 2011, in drill halls all over the state, Utah National
Guard Soldiers gathered to celebrate the 375th commemoration
of the First Muster of the National Guard.
At the West Jordan armory, speakers addressed Soldiers
attending about the heritage of service as Citizen-Soldiers and
cut a cake commemorating the National Guard’s service to the
state and nation.
“The title of Citizen-Soldier is not something to be taken
lightly,” said retired Army COL Stephen Jackson. “The average
citizen, when they see a person in uniform, they see someone
who is honorable, who can be trusted.”
The colonists of early America adopted the English militia
system that obligated all males between the ages of 16 to 60 to
possess arms and defend their community. The colonial militia
drilled once a week and provided guards to sound the alarm in
case of attack.
The year 1636 was a dangerous time for the colony. The
threat of the Pequot Indians led to the need for the militia to be
ready at a moment’s notice to defend the Massachusetts Bay
Colony. Exactly when the first muster was called is unknown,
but the East Regiment gathered first in Salem, Mass.
“I didn’t realize [the Guard’s] been around that long,” said
Courtney Gonzalez, who joined the National Guard weeks
before the Guard’s 375th birthday.
According to nationalguard.com, the Guard’s mission is
to answer the call at home and abroad. The Guard responds
to domestic emergencies, combat missions, counterdrug and
reconstruction missions. After 375 years, the Guard stands
ready to answer the call to defend and serve.
12
Spring 2012
Retired Army Col. Stephen Jackson and Courtney Gonzalez, a
new recruit to the Utah National Guard, cut a cake celebrating
the National Guard’s 375th birthday, Dec. 13, 2011.
Utah National Guard Soldiers gather in the West Jordan
armory to celebrate the National Guard’s 375th birthday
Dec. 13. Soldiers watched presentations about the National
Guard and about avionics in the Utah Guard.
1-211th Aviation Deploys to Afghanistan
Story by SFC April Rylander
T
WEST JORDAN, Utah —
he snowy
weather matched the somber feeling at the
Army Aviation Support Facility in West Jordan,
Utah, where nearly 360 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 211th
Aviation, prepared to leave for deployment.
“It’s mixed feelings of course,” said CPT Robert
Hyatt, an intelligence officer deploying with the unit. “We
have an important mission. We’re going to be doing a lot
of good things for the Afghan people, but we have to say
goodbye to our families for a year. That’s not always fun.”
Soldiers were joined by more than a thousand family
members and friends at the Aviation Support Facility,
where the majority of Soldiers boarded buses and were
then flown to Fort Hood, Texas, aboard chartered aircraft
Jan. 16. After a brief training period at Fort Hood, the
Battalion will move forward into
Afghanistan to complete a
yearlong deployment.
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah,
delivered words of encouragement
to the Soldiers and their families, as did
MG Brian Tarbet, adjutant general of the Utah
National Guard. Matheson said that he was among
true heroes.
With the snow coming down, flakes burning any
exposed skin, the realization came that the AH-64 Apaches
would not leave the ground that morning.
“I predicted the weather for Jan. 16, 2012, last
November,” said LTC Greg Hartvigsen, commander of
the 1-211th. “The aircraft will follow us to Fort Hood as
weather allows.”
14
Spring 2012
Photos by SFC Stacey Berg and Ileen Kennedy
Pilots took off in their assigned AH-64 Apaches
the following morning under blue skies to join the
rest of the unit in Texas. There they will receive several
weeks of training and be validated as an AH-64D Attack
Battalion. This validation is required due to the battalion’s
transforming from an AH-64A battalion to an AH-64D
battalion.
The 211th will be providing attack and reconnaissance
support to units stationed with Central Command in
Afghanistan.
“First Battalion of the 211th is uniquely qualified
to take this mission because Afghanistan has a similar
geography to Utah,” said MAJ Dante Fontenot, executive
officer of the battalion. “We are used to flying in a
mountainous environment.”
“Our force is so diverse, our pilots come
from civilian airlines, law enforcement and
various other occupations that enhance
our structure. Active duty doesn’t
have that to draw from,” continued
Fontenot. “We can think outside the box
more effectively to accomplish the mission.”
This is the third deployment for the 1-211th in the
past decade. They served in Kuwait in 2001-2002 and
Afghanistan in 2004-2005. For nearly half of the Soldiers
in the unit, this will be their first deployment. Several
Soldiers have already served as many as four tours
since 9/11.
“We will miss our families terribly,” said CW2 Deena
Koon. “But I’m glad we finally get to do the jobs that
we’ve been trained for.”
Utah National Guard 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation, Soldiers say their goodbyes at the West Jordan Army Aviation
Facility on their way to Fort Hood, Texas, for a few months of training before they move forward into Afghanistan
for a yearlong deployment. The majority of Soldiers loaded buses to awaiting chartered aircraft on Jan. 16. Due to
the snowy conditions, the pilots and AH-64D Apaches left the following day, flying out under blue skies.
Utah Minuteman
15
85th CST Supports Two-Alarm Fire in Sandy
Story by Ileen Kennedy
T
SANDY, Utah —
he 85th Civil Support Team
of the Utah National Guard was called to assist
at the scene of a two-alarm fire in Sandy, Utah,
Dec. 19.
The fire started at the Fur Breeders
Agricultural Cooperative, 8550 S. 700 W. Fire
departments from Sandy, Murray, West Jordan
and South Jordan responded to the scene, as well
as Unified Fire Authority and the 85th CST.
The 85th CST was called in because of
concerns about anhydrous ammonia tanks on
the west side of the structure. Ammonia is a
component of the refrigeration system used by
Fur Breeders, where initial information indicated
that the fire started in the attic when an employee
attempted to use a blowtorch to thaw frozen pipes.
Some surrounding businesses were evacuated
as a precautionary measure as the fire burned out
Photos by 1SG Ryan Sutherland
of control, and concerns rose over the
possibility that the fire could spread and
compromise the ammonia storage tanks.
According to SFC Brett Campbell, 85th
CST, the volume of ammonia in on-site
storage tanks had the potential to cause
a dangerous inhalation risk to people in
the surrounding area if the tanks had
caught fire.
The 85th CST assisted local
authorities in monitoring air quality
due to the fire and smoke. According
to LTC Ken Verboncoeur, the incident
commander asked the 85th CST to
assist on-scene HAZMAT teams to
monitor the levels of ammonia and
hydrochloric acid being produced as
the fire burned.
Soldiers with the 85th Civil Support Team assist
local authorities in monitoring air quality due to a
fire at the Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative.
16
Spring 2012
“The objective of the incident commander was to ensure
that the ammonia and other toxic industrial chemicals being
released in the fire did not reach levels that would require a
broader evacuation of local businesses and homeowners,” said
Verboncoeur.
The 85th CST, comprising both Army and Air Force
personnel, monitored the area for unsafe levels of ammonia
and other chemicals as firefighters worked to put out the blaze.
“It was a great opportunity to work with several fire
departments that we routinely train with,” said Verboncoeur.
In the five weeks preceding the fire, the 85th CST
conducted training events
with both the Sandy and
Murray Fire Departments.
Verboncoeur also noted that
this was a good opportunity to
further develop relationships
between the Utah National
Guard and our first-responder
community.
“These
relationships
are an important component
to improving the National
Guard’s ability to support
local communities and the
state of Utah.”
Utah Minuteman
17
Utah National Guard
Soldier is
U.S. Army’s
NCO of the Year
Story by SSG Jim Greenhill
F
ARLINGTON, Va. —
or the second time in three years—
and for only the second time in history—a National Guard
member has been named the U.S. Army’s Non-commissioned
Officer of the Year.
The Utah Army National Guard’s SGT Guy Mellor,
24, chose to take a semester off school to focus solely on
preparing for the 2011 Best Warrior Competition—and his
dedication paid off at the Association of the U.S. Army’s
annual meeting and exposition in Washington.
Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III,
announced that Mellor is the U.S. Army’s NCO of the Year.
“It takes a lot to train for this,” Mellor told the U.S. Army
Public Affairs Midwest office during the 2011 Best Warrior
Competition at Fort Lee, Va.
“It takes a lot of commitment, a lot of dedication, a lot of
hours studying, a lot of hours working out and preparing to
come and compete at this level,” he said.
First nominated by his unit, 1st Battalion, 145th Field
Artillery, in Manti, Utah, Mellor competed at a series of local,
state and regional levels before making it to the Department
of the Army level.
The Fayette, Utah, native said a period working at the
Utah National Guard’s Regional Training Institute helped
him prepare.
He is a traditional Guardmember who took a semester off
from his college civil engineering studies to focus solely on
preparing for the Department of the Army-level competition
after he was named the Army National Guard’s NCO of the
Year in August.
“I’ve enjoyed the process of training and pushing myself
and learning more and acquiring more traits…more military
knowledge, and it’s just helped me become a better, more
rounded, outstanding Soldier,” he said during the Best
Warrior Competition.
The Best Warrior Competition, where Mellor was
competing with active-duty and Reserve Soldiers, included
a physical fitness test, written test, board interview in front
of seven of the Army’s top leaders, land navigation and
shooting and battle drills, Mellor said in an interview with a
local radio station.
18
Spring 2012
SGT Guy Mellor completes some of the required
tasks during the Soldier of the Year competition.
SGT Guy Mellor, 1st Battalion, 145th
Field Artillery, competes and wins the
title of U.S. Army’s Noncommissioned
Officer Soldier of the Year.
Shooting, the obstacle course and
urban operations were among Mellor’s
favorite parts of the competition, he
said. The toughest part? A night landnavigation event with a rucksack and
gear. “I tried to run the entire time,”
he said.
As a specialist in 2009, Mellor
was named the Army National Guard’s
Soldier of the Year and competed in that
year’s Best Warrior Competition.
Mellor challenged other Soldiers to
seek nomination to the NCO and Soldier
of the Year events.
“Put in the effort,” he said, “because
[you’re] going to improve [yourself] so
much and…be a good asset to [your] unit
and to the entire Army.”
The first Guardmember to receive
the Department of the Army honor was
the Montana Army National Guard’s
SSG Michael Noyce Merino in 2008.
Utah Minuteman
19
Photos by A1C Allen Stokes and SrA Devin Doskey
640th RTI Grants
Military Occupational
Specialty with a BOOM!
Story by MAJ Bruce Roberts
I
CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah — n what has become a tradition, the 640th
Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI) conducted its annual live-fire
exercise from Nov. 4-6, 2011, lighting up Camp Williams. For two-and-ahalf days, 155 mm rounds from Paladin self-propelled howitzers barked
fire and pounded the impact area as students from the RTI finished their
artillery-transition course by sending more than 300 rounds downrange.
20
Spring 2012
Photos top down and opposite page:
SSG James Narramore, 640th Regional Training
Institute, walks away from a Paladin during a
live-fire training exercise held at Camp Williams,
Utah, Nov. 4-6. Soldiers participate in the 640th
RTI’s yearly live-fire exercise to qualify for their
job in heavy artillery. An M-109A6 Paladin
can fire two to four rounds per minute for two
minutes before being reduced to one to two rounds
per minute due to internal barrel temperature.
Soldiers transport M-107 155 mm projectiles to
the Paladin. Supply vehicles for the Paladin store
projectile rounds at Camp Williams. A Paladin
prepares to fire during a live-fire training exercise.
Course manager SFC Robert Brunson elaborated on the
course, “The 13B10 course is an entry-level course focused on
familiarization. The major focuses are teaching proper fuse and
shell combinations, ensuring that all data is correct and safe.
The course also entails maintenance on the M-109A6 Paladin.
The course emphasizes the steps ‘Load, Fire, Clear.’”
Civilians from the surrounding communities, media and
local officials were invited to observe the event and were
briefed on the specifics of the Paladin and its capabilities, all
while the big howitzers continued to fire in the background.
“Field artillery is the only Military Occupational Specialty
(MOS) which requires training with live ammunition. The
reason for this is that the use of live ammunition requires that
Soldiers fully understand their training, and it also helps track
their accuracy. When the rounds are live, the results are live,”
said Brunson.
The three-day exercise was run by the 640th RTI’s 3rd
Battalion, responsible for training the majority of all MOS
training and noncommissioned officer (NCO) technical tracks in
field artillery. The courses includes 13B Cannon Crewmember,
13D Advanced Field Artillery Specialist, 13F Field Support
Specialist and 13S Field Artillery Surveyor.
“We teach 13B10 two times a year, 13B30 two to four
times a year and 13B40 one to two times per year,” explained
Brunson. “The 13B30 skill set is a crew chief. The class sizes
are much smaller and more detailed. They keep busy processing
all the howitzer missions on the computer. Ultimately, they are
responsible for everything that happens in that gun. A skill level
10 is not allowed to do anything without the prior approval of
the skill level 30. They are like a squad leader with much more
responsibility.”
The M-109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer is an
impressive piece of modern weaponry, weighing in at just over
28 tons. With a reach of 24 kilometers, it’s the heavyweight of
the battlefield. It is capable of firing multiple rounds per minute
in any direction and is not limited in its projectile selection.
There are more than a half-dozen different 155 mm rounds for
the howitzer to include laser-guided “smart” rounds and rocketassisted projectiles that extend its range.
The Utah National Guard’s long history of artillery units
contributes to the fact that Camp Williams continues to be one
of the premier training centers for artillery fire, among other
things. This means Camp Williams’ ranges can support the
many capabilities of the Paladin.
“Camp Williams has a vast training range that is full of
terrain and obstacles that you would see in a combat-zone
situation,” said Bunson. “Also with two artillery battalions in
the state, there are lots of resources for training here.”
Utah Minuteman
21
Utah National Guard is
Activated for Operation
Windstorm
Story and photos by 1LT Ryan Sutherland
A Utah Army National Guard Soldier helps with cleanup efforts
from a windstorm in Davis County, Utah, on Dec. 4.
22
Spring 2012
G
DAVIS COUNTY, Utah —
overnor Gary R. Herbert
activated the Utah National Guard to assist Davis County
residents and local emergency-response officials with debris
removal in anticipation of a major windstorm, Dec. 4.
With local residents already reeling from a hurricaneforce windstorm that caused considerable damage several
days prior, the governor was concerned that the existing
debris from the previous storm could further threaten
public safety and exacerbate property damage. He also
called on the public to prepare to assist one another in the
coming days.
“Please immediately secure loose material on your
property, home or business,” said Herbert. “Then once the
storm arrives, please remain indoors and off the roads, if
possible. Anticipate further power outages and prepare
accordingly. Lastly, please look out for your neighbors. This
is going to take a team effort.”
After careful planning and assessments of conditions
with state, county, and local officials, Herbert activated the
Utah National Guard, the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
and the Department of Transportation to assist Davis County
residents with debris removal shortly after 8 a.m.
“The governor began his assessments on Saturday,
and we got a call late Saturday evening,” said MAJ
Christopher Caldwell, Director of Military Support for the
Utah National Guard.
“What was determined was that there was a lot of
debris around the cities that had been gathered, and we
had the threat of another potential wind-weather event
coming in on Sunday night, so there was some immediacy
to the needs there,” said Caldwell. “That was really the
primary objective for us as a state agency supporting the
local agencies—to come in and get the debris removed as
quickly as we could.”
During operations, approximately 200 personnel with
70 pieces of heavy equipment from the 1457th Engineer
Battalion, 489th Brigade Support Battalion, 204th Maneuver
Enhancement Brigade, 115th Maintenance Company, 116th
Horizontal Construction Company, 151st Air Refueling
Wing and their tenant units have supported cleanup efforts.
Soldiers and assets came from as far away as the Manti
and Mount Pleasant armories to support the Davis County
operation. Utah National Guard Soldiers and Airmen worked
at the city staging areas to consolidate green and non-green
waste, load it onto the Guard’s dump trucks and then transport
it to the nearest landfills.
SSG Devere Byergo, a member of the 116th Horizontal
Construction Company, helped facilitate the distribution
of Guard assets with local authorities at the Bountiful
staging area.
“The mission we have is to load these trucks and to get
the debris out as fast as possible,” said Byergo. “Our directive
Governor Gary Herbert activated approximately 200 members of the Utah Guard to assist local authorities with debris cleanup and to
prepare for an upcoming storm. More than 25 heavy-equipment vehicles were also dispatched to assist with the efforts.
from the Guard side is to coordinate with the municipality for
the final direction as to where we’re going. It’s humbling to see
what people are actually going through.”
Each municipality faced unique challenges, and the
challenge for the Guard was allocating Guard resources to
locations where they were best needed.
“Our game plan today [Dec. 5] was to reallocate
resources,” said Caldwell. “The priority today was to
determine where those resources were needed the most and
allocate those accordingly. We established those priorities,
allocated the resources to each of those cities, and we’re really
in a steady-state operation right now.”
He added, “the Davis landfill reported 3,100 tons as of
1 p.m. today [Dec. 5]. We have two different dump sites: the
Davis county landfill, and the Bountiful landfill. We are taking
debris to both of those sites. It’s a joint effort, so what they
are counting at the landfill is a combination of local assets and
Guard assets that are coming in and dumping.”
“As Citizen-Soldiers, we really have a vested interest in
the protection of the citizens here in the state,” said Caldwell.
“The coordinated effort between citizens and Soldiers, and
really all of the state and local resources that were there, was
outstanding.”
After five successful days of supporting cleanup efforts
in Davis County, Herbert ordered the Utah National Guard to
stand down operations, allowing time for heavy equipment to
return for service and storage at Utah National Guard facilities.
“This was the best of Utah—an all hands on deck
effort,” said Herbert. “The collaboration and cooperation
of various entities has been excellent, and I thank our local
leaders, National Guard, law enforcement officers and local
volunteers.”
Utah Minuteman
23
Units Team Up To Maintain Proficiency
Story by MAJ Bruce Roberts
Photos by SSgt Scott Aldridge, SSgt Julianne
Showalter and SrA Devin Doskey
O
FAIRFIELD, Utah —
n a frigid, November morning at Global One Training Facility outside
Fairfield, Utah, members of the 197th Special Troops Company (Airborne), and the 19th Special
Forces Group (Airborne) sit quietly in idling vehicles trying to stay warm.
Eventually the time to begin Static Airborne Training arrives, and the bundled-up Soldiers pile
out of vehicles, breathing frosty clouds into the chilly morning air. They exchange greetings, jibes and
handshakes as they gather around the primary jumpmaster to get details about the day’s operation.
The members of these two units know each other well.
“Like a big brother,” analogizes Senior Airdrop Technician SFC Jose Caoili, of the 197th.
The units work together often as they share a common mission and a requirement unique to them
in the Utah National Guard: airborne proficiency. Guard airborne units must maintain the same jump
proficiency as their active-duty counterparts, which means they must conduct an airborne operation to
make at least one parachute jump per quarter, or four times a year.
In order to maintain this proficiency, all airborne units are constantly looking for aircraft of all
types to fulfill this training requirement. Aircraft come from the active Air Force and Army Aviation,
as well as their National Guard counterparts.
Army Aviation units and Air Force crews are required to meet different training requirements
over the course of the year in an effort to maintain proficiency and be exposed to a variety of
mission profiles. Dropping personnel and equipment is typically one of these many requirements.
Collaboration of units supports the Army’s Total Force doctrine, maximizing the use of assets and
exercising the many functions of the Reserve component.
“Working together gives us an opportunity to exercise our full-time mission: supporting Special
Operations forces,” explained Caoili. “When we need help getting aircraft or specific airborne-oriented
training like MC-6 transition or the Jump Master Course, it’s nice to have the 19th here to help us out.
We all pitch in, and everyone gets the training they need.”
The Soldiers have finished their pre-jump training, and some check their watches and scan the
skies to the north on this clear, cold morning.
They hear it before they see it; the whomp-whomp sound of the rotor blades precedes the sight of
the incoming UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. Soon enough, fingers are pointing toward the mountains
identifying the low-flying chopper.
The Drop Zone Safety Officer is the on the radio establishing communications with the incoming
bird and relaying landing-zone information. Duties are shared and everyone plays a role.
The Blackhawk belongs to Charlie Company, Detachment 2, 1-171st Aviation Regiment,
another Utah National Guard unit.
“It’s always good training—paradrop missions are precise timing, airspeed, altitude and wind
speeds,” says the pilot, CPT Penny Matthews. “We would like to do more collective training with
other units. It’s always valuable to train with the people you’re going to support.”
Soldiers from the 197th Special Troops Company (Airborne), Utah Army National Guard, jump
from a 211th Aviation UH-60 Blackhawk at Fairfield, Utah, Nov. 9, 2011. A total
of 75 personnel jumped successfully throughout the day. (Bottom right) SFC Thomas Lawrence,
19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Utah Army National Guard, packs up his chute after doing
a high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) jump Nov. 9.
(Page 25, top down) Soldiers from the 197th Special Troops Company (Airborne) walk to a 211th
Aviation UH-60 Blackhawk for a static-line jump. A Soldier from the 197th gathers his SF-10
parachute after a successful static-line jump.
24
Spring 2012
Utah Minuteman
25
151st MDG Train for
Deployment in
EMEDS MassCasualty Exercise
Story by SrA Lillian Harnden
D
SALT LAKE CITY —
uring a mock chlorine-tanker
explosion, 67 personnel from the 151st Medical Group
evacuated and treated 73 patients during an Expeditionary
Medical Support (EMEDS) exercise at the Utah Air National
Guard Base Nov. 5 - 6.
EMEDS is a certification review field exercise and
mobility requirement, which prepares medical personnel for
deployment.
In three field tents, using deployment gear, the 151st
MDG triaged, stabilized and evacuated 39 burn and trauma
patients to hospitals for treatment on Nov. 5. On Nov. 6,
they provided physical-health exams and extended health
care to 34 additional trauma patients.
“The competency of our medical professionals was
evident during the exercise,” said Capt Christine Bringard,
the 151st MDG exercise planner. “This exercise was a
necessary refresher for our personnel, for processing patients
appropriately in an EMEDS facility and in working together
with other base and civilian agencies. This recurring training
is so vital, we don’t want to lose that knowledge—we want
to build on it.”
EMEDS sustainment certification is completed once
every four years. To complete the exercise, the entire
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Lt. Andie Cook, physician’s assistant, 151st Medical Group,
stabilizes an injured patient during the Expeditionary Medical
Support exercise at the Utah Air National Guard Base Nov. 5.
Photo by TSgt Jeremy Giacoletto-Stegall
26
Spring 2012
G
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medical team usually travels to either
the Alpena Combat Readiness Training
Center, Mich., or the Volk Field Combat
Readiness Training Center, Wis.
However, due to a new streamlining
program, the 151st MDG was instead
able to bring an Alpena evaluation cadre
here. What otherwise would have been
a weeklong evaluation, now lasts only
two days. Bringard estimates this new
method saved the Utah National Guard
$32,000.
The Alpena cadre, TSgt Robert
Wagster, praised the 151st MDG during
the evaluation.
“For their first time, with a lot of
new people on the team, they were able
to process 20 people within a 15- to
20-minute window. They’re working
together, problem solving, adapting to
what needs to be done and they’re doing
a great job.”
The exercise coincided with the first
major snowstorm of the season, but the
weather wasn’t a factor in getting the
mission accomplished.
“It was cold, dark and snowing for
six hours while we were out there setting
up the tents and equipment, but that didn’t
hinder our capabilities,” said SSgt Laura
Lainez, the 151st MDG administrative
assistant. “You would think it was 100
degrees out there with how smoothly the
staff was working together and focusing
on the patients.”
The 151st MDG utilized the student
flight as patients, applying rubber
wounds, makeup and theatrical blood
according to their assigned injuries.
“They were very efficient when
treating my burns and crushed chest,”
said Cameron Plouzek, a student-flight
patient.
Bringard acknowledged other
units who assisted in accomplishing the
mission.
“I want to thank SSgt Christopher
Gerdes for letting us borrow his student
flight, and the 109th Air Control
Squadron for letting us use their tents,
generators and heaters for the exercise,”
said Bringard. “We couldn’t have done
this without them.”
Family Assistance Centers
By Katrina Rhinehart
W
DRAPER, Utah —
hat is a Family Assistance Center?
Family Assistance Centers (FAC) are designed to assist the families of
military Servicemembers during peacetime and during training or mobilization.
Centers are open to all branches of the military (Army Guard, Air Guard,
active-duty Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and all Reserve
Components).
Family Assistance Centers provide one-stop shopping and resources to help
family members cope with any issue they encounter as a military dependent.
Locate your local FAC and contact them today.
For more information, visit us at www.ut.ngb.army.mil/family/index.htm.
What services are provided by a FAC?
Basic services provided by FACs include the following, regardless of location:
• TRICARE/TRICARE dental assistance • Financial assistance/counseling
• Point of contact (POC) for legal and pay issues • ID cards referral
• POC for community support • Emergency-assistance coordination
• Counseling support/referral • Family/household emergencies
• Family care plan information • Site for family communication
• POC for casualty assistance information, referral, follow-up and outreach
• DEERS information (Defense Enrollment and Eligibility System)
• Support FRG programs
Please do not hesitate to contact our FACs for any questions or issues you may
have. We are here to serve you!
Utah FAC Locations
Armory and Family Assistance Center Locations Armory Locations
Region 1 • Logan
(435) 753-3155
CACHE
Region 2 • Ogden
RICH
(801) 476-3811
BOX ELDER
WEBER
Region 3 • Riverton
DAVIS MORGAN
(801) 878-5037
DAGGETT
SUMMIT
Region 4 • Salt Lake
SALT LAKE
City (801) 560-0864
WASATCH
TOOELE
DUCHESNE UINTAH
Region 5 • Orem
UTAH
(801) 722-6913
JUAB
Region 6 • Vernal
CARBON
(435) 789-3691
SANPETE
Region 7 • Spanish
MILLARD
EMERY
Fork (801) 794-6011
GRAND
SEVIER
Region 8 • Cedar City
(435) 867-6513
WAYNE
BEAVER
PIUTE
Region 9 • Manti
(435) 896-4326
IRON
GARFIELD
SAN JUAN
Region 10 • Blanding
(435) 678-2008
Region 11 • St. George WASHINGTON
KANE
(435) 986-6705
UTAH
Utah Minuteman
27
Governor’s Day
Returns to
Camp Williams
Story by LTC Tyler Smith
G
CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah —
overnor’s Day returned
to Camp Williams this year with an estimated 7,000 people
attending the annual event Sept. 17. After being held at
the University of Utah for the past three years, attendees
commented on how great it was to be home. For many families
and new military members, this year’s event was their first visit
to the installation. For others, it has been a while since they
have been on post, and they quickly noticed that it is not the
same place.
“Camp Williams has never looked better,” said BG
Jefferson Burton.
A lot of work and upgrades have put a new face on many
building and streets. The Construction Facility Management
Office and Utah Training Center-Camp Williams staff have
been tirelessly working in planning and executing projects that
improve the infrastructure of Camp Williams.
With new construction dollars being very scarce, buildings
that were structurally sound received a much-needed facelift
of stucco and stone. The appearance of these newly remodeled
buildings really stood out and is a huge step toward sustaining
Camp Williams as the “Premier Training Center of Choice.”
The Governor’s Day committee collaborated for months
prior to the event to address some unique challenges faced with
bringing Governor’s Day back to Camp Williams. The biggest
obstacle was parking. Without the airstrip, finding enough space
for visitor parking was a problem that took careful planning and
unified effort. Thanks to the Utah Department of Public Safety,
the Emergency Vehicle Operation Training Range, situated
south of Camp Williams, was used for parking. Shuttles were
organized using buses, vans and drivers from the 151st Air
Refueling Wing and 640th Regional Training Institute.
The event epitomizes many long-standing traditions of
military discipline and honor. It provided the governor with a
stage where he could witness the tremendous strength of the
Utah National Guard. Family members beamed with pride
as their Soldier or Airman marched by in perfect step with
their fellow Guardmembers as part of an organization that
brings great credit to themselves, their country and their loved
ones. Flyovers by a KC-135 Stratotanker, AH-64 Apache and
UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were visual manifestations of
the incredible assets the Utah National Guard brings to bear in
our nation’s defense. The earth trembled and observers felt a
heightened sense of patriotism as these impressive aircraft and
crews flew over so seemingly low that you could almost see
pilots’ expressions.
28
Spring 2012
Governor Gary Herbert, Utah National Guard senior leaders,
Guardmembers and their families participate in Governor’s
Day held at Camp Williams in September.
During the ceremony, Utah’s governor, Gary R. Herbert,
personally shook hands with the Soldiers/Airmen and NCOs
of the year. In his address to the formation, he praised troops
and their families and commended the many sacrifices Guard
families and their employers make for their country.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, activities such as the
Trolley Trooper, climbing walls, BB-gun shooting range,
and various static displays of Army equipment were open
for public viewing and participation. Family Readiness
volunteers provided a host of food options and souvenirs.
Although construction will continue in the years to come, there
is definitely a different feel, and there is no other preferred
location to host Governor’s Day than at the Utah Training
Center-Camp Williams.
Utah Minuteman
29
Soldiers Learn Vital Skills for Deployment
A Soldier tackles an obstacle in a Humvee during the off-road driving course at INTAC in Fairfield, Utah.
Below: A Soldier maneuvers his Humvee through soft dirt during the off-road driving course at INTAC.
Story and photos by CPT Choli Ence
I
DRAPER, Utah — t’s rare to hear the words “training” and
“fun” spoken by Soldiers in the same sentence. However, for
Soldiers attending the Individual Antiterrorism Awareness
Course (INTAC) this summer at Global One Resource Group in
Fairfield, Utah, this was the case.
Designed specifically for Soldiers deploying to a high-threat
environment, INTAC includes hands-on training in offensive/
defensive driving, evasive driving, individual protective
measures, surveillance detection, survival shooting and survival
self-defense.
During training, instructors first demonstrate each skill to
the Soldiers. Then each Soldier gets the chance to practice the
skill until they become proficient.
According to SGT Alessandra Jacobson, a human-resource
specialist with HHC, 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade,
“Every Soldier should be doing this training.” Additionally,
“We all should be doing more of this type of real-life, hands-on
training.”
Keith Livingston, the training and operations director of
Global One, said Global One began after he retired from law
enforcement and teamed up with individuals who recently
retired from the military.
“For the first three years, we were strictly a mobile-training
team,” eventually obtaining the necessary resources to have
30
Spring 2012
a “contracted, provided facility with equipment,” explained
Livingston.
SGT Allen Crouder, a satellite communications specialist
with 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, said the training
was excellent and overall the best course he has ever attended.
INTAC generally runs between six and 10 days in length
and can be custom tailored to provide the necessary skill sets
determined by the unit or command, said Livingston.
“We at Global One truly care about the Soldiers we are
training,” said Livingston. “Every instructor believes in what
they are doing—giving Soldiers a higher skill set so ultimately
they can make themselves a hard target for the enemy.”
SGT Allen Crouder, a satellite communications specialist with
1st Battalion,19th Special Forces Group, fires his M-16A4 rifle
at a target during the weapons-stress course.
Soldiers perform a pursuit immobilization technique maneuver
during the evasive-driving course. The PIT is a method by which
one car pursuing another forces the pursued vehicle to abruptly
turn sideways, causing the driver to lose control and stop.
General Retires after
38 Years of Service
Story by A1C Emily Hulse
B
SALT LAKE CITY —
rig Gen Wayne Lee, assistant
adjutant general for Air, retired Dec. 3 following a change-ofcommand ceremony for the Utah Air National Guard.
Lee has been a member of the United States Air Force
since 1968. Upon completing basic training, Lee spent part
of his initial enlistment at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South
Vietnam. He earned his commission through the Air National
Guard’s Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson Air
National Guard Base, Tenn., in 1984. Lee served as the
commander of the 106th Air Control Squadron from 1992 to
1995, and commander of the 299th Range Control Squadron
from 1997 to 2004.
Lee said his service has been rewarding, and he said the
last 18 months he served as assistant adjutant general was the
best part of his entire service.
“If someone had told me what was coming and what I
would accomplish in an 18-month period, I would have said
they were crazy,” Lee said during the change of command
ceremony.
The retirement ceremony was attended by Lee’s family,
including his wife, Tweet, and his father, Cecil, and close
friends.
MG Brian Tarbet, the adjutant general for the Utah
National Guard, said Lee’s contributions to the UTANG have
been invaluable to both the Air Force and to himself.
Brig Gen Wayne Lee, (left) Assistant Adjutant General for Air,
retired Dec. 3 following a change-of-command ceremony for
the Utah Air National Guard. His wife, Tweet, concluded the
ceremony by giving him a new mission “Code Name: Honey-Do.”
Photo by TSgt Kelly Collett
“I needed to get smarter about the Air Force,” said
Tarbet. “One of the guys that helped me learn about the
Air Force was Wayne Lee. I appreciated that then, and I
appreciate it now.”
Lee said he will never forget the memories he has made
over the course of his military career.
“Thank you for many years of service to your country
and your state,” said Lee. “I can now close this phase of my
life with confidence and gratitude.”
Lee was given a new mission by his wife, Tweet, during
the ceremony, “Code Name: Honey-Do,” which he will begin
immediately.
Utah Minuteman
31
Corporate and individual donors honored at the ceremony:
Five Star
Charitable Trust
Awards Ceremony
Story by Ileen Kennedy
T
he Utah National Guard held a special
DRAPER, Utah —
awards ceremony honoring Utah National Guard Charitable
Trust donors at their Draper headquarters auditorium Nov. 1.
At the event, MG Brian Tarbet, adjutant general of the Utah
National Guard, personally recognized and thanked individuals
and organizations who have contributed funds to benefit the
trust. The Charitable Trust disburses funds to help offset
financial hardships, injuries sustained by Servicemembers or
emergencies incurred by families during deployment.
“One of the great tools we have to help our families
when the bureaucracy can’t is this trust,” said Tarbet. “Kip
[Wadsworth], I want you to know you and those who have
shared of their funds and their time over the years have literally
blessed the lives of hundreds of Guardsmen, and I appreciate
that so much.”
In 2005, Kip Wadsworth, president and CEO of Ralph L.
Wadsworth Corporation, LLC, was the driving force to organize
the Charitable Trust and create an avenue where donations
could be received for the benefit of our Servicemembers.
32
Spring 2012
Four Star
Three Star
Two Star
One Star
EFT Architecture, Inc.
Del Taco
Goldman Sachs
L-3 Communication Systems-West
Ralph L. Wadsworth Corporation
Rio Tinto Stadium
Tri West Health Care Alliance
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Inc.
Universal Industries Sales, Inc.
Utah Pacific Bridge and Steel
Zions Bank
Friends of Gary Herbert Political Action
Committee
Honorary Colonels Corps of Utah
Suncrest Mountain Race
A-Core Concrete Cutting Specialists
Dale Barton Agency
Hidden Peak Electric Company
Kirton and McConkie
Maurice L. Watts Investment Company
Michael Baker Corp.
Fresh Market
Career Step
Colonel Rickey and Sheri West
Glade and Melody Rupp
Gus Paulos Chevrolet
Johnson Investment Advisory Services
Mitchell & June Morris Foundation
State of Utah DAS employees fundraiser
AMTRAK Safety Committee
Associated Foods
Diversions Customs
FOR-SHOR Company
Gordon Spiker Huber Geotechnical Consultants
In Memory of Charles Lee Dunyon
Industrial Supply
Levy Restaurants
Lowe’s Commercial Sales
M&M Tool
Merit Medical
Miller Motor Sports Park
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
Mike Morris, Ralph L. Wadsworth Company
Morgan, Stanley, Smith, Barney
Orrin T. Colby
Proindustrial, Inc.
Rasmussen Equipment Company
Rhinehart Oil
Rocky Mountain Mechanical
SMOTJ
Sugar House Awning and Canvas Products
Traffic Safety Rentals
Utah Commercial Contractors, Inc.
Utah National Guard Recruiters Association, LLC
“I wanted to thank the Servicemen,” said Wadsworth.
“That’s what it’s all about—you gentlemen and ladies in
the service that provide the defense and the freedom that we
all enjoy every day as we get up and go to work. You have
obligations that put your life at risk and oftentimes leave your
families at home—your wives, children, husbands and your
work behind—and the sacrifices you make. This little bit that
we do, pales in comparison.”
Donated funds disbursed from the Charitable Trust assists
our men and women in uniform during times of financial need,
unexpected expenses, difficult economic times and injuries.
“I want to thank the donors—all you guys who have year
after year stepped up to the plate, donating your time and
money for this great cause,” said Wadsworth. “I appreciate
that, and I’m honored to be part of it and hope you feel that
same honor.”
The Utah National Guard Charitable Trust was established
in 2005 as a 501(c)3 entity to assist Utah military families
with medical, home, or property emergencies, lost wages,
travel expenses of wounded Soldiers’ families or other
unexpected financial needs.
In 2008, the Trust was chosen as the top entity in
the community development category from among 16
medalists at the 2008 Best of State awards ceremony.
School Donates
$10,700 to the
Utah National Guard
Charitable Trust
Story by MAJ Bruce Roberts
F
RIVERTON, Utah —
or Christmas, students of
South Hills Middle School raised funds for a Sub for
Santa for the families of deployed Soldiers, as well as
care-package stockings for the Soldiers themselves.
The school sent more than 500 stockings to Utah
National Guardmembers overseas, while the fund raiser
for the Utah National Guard Charitable Trust brought in
more than $10,700. Students spent hundreds of hours
soliciting donations from their parents, local businesses
and members of the community.
At an assembly at the school, student body officers
and school administrators presented a check to MG
Brian Tarbet on behalf of the Charitable Trust.
“The student body at South Hills is so proud of the
men and women who selflessly put everything on the
line to serve our country,” said Janette Milano, South
Hills Middle School principal. “This is a cause we all
believe in, as several of our students have parents and
loved ones serving in the military. It is just one small
way we could show our appreciation to them and to
their families for making this sacrifice for all of us back
here at home.”
South Hills Middle School serves nearly 1,200
students who live in the communities of Bluffdale,
Riverton and Herriman, Utah.
Above right to left: MG Brian Tarbet, Utah National
Guard adjutant general, and Kip Wadsworth, president
and CEO Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company,
present a Five-Star Charitable Trust award to Rob
Brough, executive vice president, Zions Bank, and Brian
Garrett, vice president and director of military relations,
Zions Bank, at the Charitable Trust awards ceremony.
Opposite page top down: Kip Wadsworth, center,
presents a check from his company’s fundraising
efforts for $127,000 to the Charitable Trust. Corporate
and individual donors, along with Utah National
Guardmembers, attended the awards ceremony Nov. 1.
Students at South Hills Middle School present a check to
MG Brian Tarbet, right, and CSM Bruce Summers for
the Utah National Guard Charitable Trust.
Photo by SFC Stacey Berg
Utah Minuteman
33
Recruiting and
Retention Battalion
Maintains High Rank
Among Other States
Story and photo by SGT Nicolas Cloward
T
DRAPER, Utah —
he Utah Army National Guard’s
Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB) has maintained a
high rank among other states’ recruiting battalions and was
presented with awards for preparing and shipping recruits to
initial-entry training on Dec. 2.
“Our Recruiting Battalion is professional and does not
recruit those individuals who do not meet the strict standards
of the Utah Army National Guard and the U.S. Army as a
whole,” said LTC Michael Turley, commanding officer of
the RRB.
The ranking from state to state is in constant flux.
However, Utah currently ranks in the top five.
“We are consistently in the top 10 throughout the 54 states
and territories,” said Turley.
34
Spring 2012
In 2011, Utah’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion won two
national awards for the Top Recruit Sustainment Program in
Medium States and Top Inactive Duty for Training Ship rate
among Medium States awards.
Turley attended the Director’s Strength Maintenance
awards conference hosted annually for the National Guard
Recruiting and Retention Force. On behalf of the RRB, Turley
was presented with “Top Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP)
in Medium States” award, and “Top IADT Ship-rate among
Medium States” award.
“The awards are based on several
different aspects of recruiting such as
Soldiers who are signed up and have
completed training, the number of Soldiers
who sign up and ship to Basic Training on
time, the number of administrative errors
our Utah Soldiers have in their packets
when they arrive at Basic; and the number
of Soldiers who graduate with honors
during Basic and Advanced Individual
Training,” said Turley.
“I think it speaks to the quality of
the youth and citizenry in Utah as well
as the professionalism and quality of our
recruiters and RSP personnel,” continued
Turley. “Our RSP Soldiers take the time
to train our recruits and prepare them well
for boot camp, and civilian contractors
make sure they have full and complete
packets for shipping before they leave.”
The RRB looks forward to a
successful year.
“We see our force continuing to
pursue our recruiting base aggressively
and ethically,” said Turley. “We continue
to see great recruits coming from our great
state.”
ESGR Contractor and Former Air Guardsmen
Rescue Children from Icy River
Roger Andersen’s car was partially
submerged in the icy Logan River.
Chris Willden, right, and his father,
Bruce Willden, rescued three children
trapped in their submerged car.
Story by 1LT Ryan Sutherland
C
LOGAN, Utah —
hris Willden
was driving with his father and son
along the winding Highway 89 canyon
road between Garden City and Logan when he spotted a car
submerged in the Logan River.
The driver, Roger Andersen, had lost control of his car
and plunged into the icy river, trapping his nine-year-old
daughter, Mia, and four-year-old son, Baylor, along with their
friend, nine-year-old Kenya Wildman. The car flipped upside
down and quickly became submerged.
“In a second, I was completely off the road and sliding
down the embankment,” Andersen later said at a news
conference. “Within a second, the entire cabin of the vehicle
was full of water.”
“I jumped out of the truck, ran to the bank, and that’s when
I saw Mr. Andersen in the river screaming, ‘My kids, my kids,
my kids!’” said Chris, an administrative support technician
with the ESGR program and a former member of the Utah Air
National Guard’s 151st Security Forces Squadron.
“[The driver] was panicked, doing everything he could to
get in through the doors, but they wouldn’t budge.”
Chris and his father, retired Utah Air National Guard Col
Bruce Willden, rushed into the frigid river to help. The men
tried to open the windows and doors with no success—that’s
when Chris’s training kicked in.
“I reached under the water and felt for the windows, the
windows were all up,” said Chris. “I remember seeing Mr.
Andersen trying to kick out the front passenger side window,
that’s when I pulled out my handgun, shoved it under the
water, and shot out the passenger rear window.”
“I had actually fired handguns underwater. I had a pretty
good idea on the trajectory, what the bullet would do from
that caliber,” he said.
At that time, about seven other rescuers entered the water
and joined in the rescue. Together, they were able to lift
the car up on its side where they could better aid the
trapped children.
Kenya Wildman had found an air pocket, but
was trapped in her seat belt. Chris cut it with a
pocket knife and pulled her out of the vehicle. The
other two children were found unconscious and
underwater.
“I saw Mr. Andersen’s daughter; at first I
thought it was a doll floating in the water, her face
was grayish blue—I didn’t think she was going to
make it,” said Chris. “My dad grabbed onto her,
pulled her out and gave her to someone else.”
Chris then found the four-year-old boy still
strapped in his car seat, also unconscious.
“At first I thought that he was OK because his
eyes were open, and then I realized that they were rolled into
the back of his head,” said Chris. “I pulled out my knife again
and cut the straps away from the little boy, pulled him out, and
put him up on shore.”
While rescuers performed CPR on two of the children,
Chris stripped out of his wet clothes and joined his son in his
truck to warm up.
“I sat there for a second, and I turned to him and said,
‘I think we have two dead little kids out there!’” Chris said
to his son. “Shortly thereafter I looked out to the side where
everyone was standing, and they just started clapping. I knew
that’s where the boy was, so I knew at least the boy was
brought back.”
He would later learn that both the boy and his sister, who
were flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City, had survived. The
family friend also was treated and released.
“This could very easily have been a funeral for four of
us. Without hesitation they just did what they had to do...and
that...for our family, made all the difference,” Andersen said
later at a news conference.
Kenya’s father, Dennis Wildman, called it “a great story
about the human spirit and our desire to help others.”
He said the rescuers who decisively acted that day
“literally brought our children home to us.”
Utah Minuteman
35
T
Veterans Day Concert
Honors a
Decade of Service
Story by SPC Ariel Solomon
SFC David Krueger honors fallen Soldiers by playing
Taps. Opposite page: Conductor CW2 Denny Saunders
leads the Utah National Guard’s 23rd Army Band during
the Veterans Day concert. Utah National Guard color
guard posts the colors to open the 56th annual Veterans
Day concert. Granite School District high school
combined choirs perform with the 23rd Army Band at the
University of Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Photos by SFC Stacey Berg
36
Spring 2012
SALT LAKE CITY —
he Utah National
Guard held its 56th annual Veterans Day concert
at the University of Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman
Center Nov. 11, 2011.
This year’s concert was titled “Honoring a
Decade of Sacrifice.” As a tribute to Veterans,
selected individuals were spotlighted for their
exemplary service in the post-9/11 era.
Spotlights included Best Warrior
competition and Army NCO of the Year winner,
SGT Guy Mellor, 1st Battalion, 145th Field
Artillery; Air Force MSgt Eric Eberhard, 419th
Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base; Maj Michael
Schoenfeld, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd
Marines, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; Mr.
and Mrs. Sam Day (representing Naval Petty
Officer 1st Class Jared Day); and artist Kaziah
Hancock.
“The concert brings back all the memories
of what it means to be a U.S. citizen,” said
Mellor, “what it means to be a Soldier.”
The concert featured the 23rd Army Band
and the combined Granite School District high
school choirs.
“After serving combat tours, losing a
close friend and having some of my Marines
wounded,” said Schoenfeld, “I don’t know if
there are words to explain what it means to me
now. It’s (Veterans Day) just one of those times
every year that all I can think about are those
families that have given so much.”
As part of the ceremony, Zions Bank made
its annual Veterans Service Award honoring
retired COL Bart Davis, the state benefits
advisor for the State of Utah, for his support
in assisting Veterans and Servicemembers
to cope with the challenges of their chosen
profession. The award is given to a member of
the community who has dedicated himself or
herself to improving the quality of life of our
Veterans and Servicemembers.
There is much to be said about the shared
experience of so many Veterans celebrating
together in such a setting. This is a day where
one can truly feel what it is like to be an
American.
SGT Lorrinda Christensen, 23rd Army
Band, said the concert wasn’t about her, but
about what all Servicemembers have done.
“When the kids are singing, and they
start playing the songs of the Armed Forces
and everyone stands for their Service, you
remember why you did this in the first place,”
said Christensen.
Maj Gen Andrew Busch, commander
of the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air
Force Base, addressed those in attendance.
“When Americans are at their best, it is
when they’re responding to the opportunity of
selfless service and our all-volunteer force is
exactly that,” said Busch.
When the music finished and the audience
filtered out of the arena, those in attendance
were left with the memories of the concert, and
a feeling of honor for a decade of sacrifice from
those who have served.
Utah Minuteman
37
Army Medic’s Training Saves Professor’s Life
Story by SSG Whitney Houston
W
SALT LAKE CITY —
hen it comes to learning and
preparation, an old Apache saying comes to mind: “Repetition
is the mother of learning.”
SGT Natasha Cope, a former combat medic currently
serving as an interrogator with the 141st Military Intelligence
Battalion, Utah Army National Guard, epitomizes this wise
statement.
In November 2011, Cope was on her way to class at the
University of Utah on a shuttle bus.
“I went to school every morning at 7 a.m.,” Cope said, “I
got on the shuttle to go to class, and as we were coming around
President’s Circle, another bus driver got on the dispatch and
was saying, ‘Hey, some guy just got hit by a car; we need to call
an ambulance. There are cars everywhere.’”
Alert to the dispatch, Natasha’s bus rounded the corner
onto President’s Circle, a horseshoe-shaped road on campus,
to display the horrible scene that had just been described over
dispatch.
“We obviously must have been right behind that bus,
because as soon as we turned the corner, I saw him laying in the
road,” Cope said.
As she saw the man in need, her training as a combat medic
took over, and she reacted to the situation.
“I saw him lying there, and there was nobody out there with
him. And there were cars trying to get around him,” Cope said.
“So I asked the bus driver to let me off the bus, and I ran across
the road. By the time I got to him, another guy had gotten to him
and was starting to treat him at his feet, so I started at the head.”
As the duo assessed the man, they found significant injuries
and did their best to keep him awake while waiting for the
ambulance to arrive.
“He had a big head wound, so we put him in the recovery
position, which is like the fetal position,” Cope said. “And we
just tried to keep him conscious by talking to him and asking
him questions. The other guy working on him was trying to
keep his leg in place because he pretty much shattered it.”
Natasha went on to explain that the injured man expressed
that he was cold, so she treated him for shock by donning him in
her coat and mittens.
“If a person is cold, it makes them more susceptible to
shock, and if they go into shock they can die within minutes,”
Cope said.
The Army Combat Medic training teaches students to react
accordingly to medical emergencies as a paramedic would.
38
Spring 2012
SGT Natasha Cope (right) and her husband, SGT
Jeremy Cope, prior to her deployment to Afghanistan.
Natasha used her military training as a combat
medic to save the life of a University of Utah physics
professor after he was struck by a vehicle.
Photo courtesy SGT Natasha Cope
“The course is 16 weeks long,” Cope said. “The first half
of the training you get your civilian EMT license, and in the
second half you learn everything a paramedic learns.”
Cope returned home in 2011 from a yearlong deployment
to Iraq and Afghanistan as an interrogator. She has not served
as a medic for over a year, which clearly demonstrates that she
thoroughly learned her former trade.
“I don’t remember a whole lot; I just remember that he
didn’t have anybody out there with him, and I knew how to help
so I couldn’t just drive on by,” she said. “I didn’t really think too
much about it; my actions were really just second nature.”
Cope went a step further and found out that the man was
a well-liked physics professor at the University of Utah. She
found his department and informed them of what had happened
so his loved ones could be contacted as quickly as possible.
It is of note that Cope did all of this while six months
pregnant. She and her husband, SGT Jeremy Cope, who also
serves as an interrogator in the 141st MI Battalion, are expecting
a baby girl in March 2012.
Through mutual friends, Cope found out that the injured
professor was in critical care for a time, but he is now out and
recovering.
F
e
Former Wing Commander
Retires After 32 Years
Story by A1C Emily Hulse
Photo by TSgt Jeremy Giacoletto-Stegall
Col Kelvin Findlay displays a shadow box given to him at his retirement
ceremony at the Utah Air National Guard Base Jan. 7. Findlay served for 32
years in the Utah Air National Guard before retiring from military service.
C
SALT LAKE CITY —
ol Kelvin G.
Findlay, former 151st Air Refueling Wing
commander and chief of staff for the Air
National Guard, retired Jan. 7 after 32 years
of service in the Air National Guard.
Findlay joined the ANG in 1979,
completing the Air National Guard’s Academy
of Military Science program, then going on to
become a pilot through Undergraduate Pilot
Training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, and
Combat Crew Training School, Castle Air
Force Base, Calif., as a KC-135A pilot.
Findlay’s service has always been in the
Utah ANG, beginning as a pilot and instructor
with the 191st Air Refueling Squadron.
“The greatest joy and satisfaction of
Colonel Findlay has been to simply be a team
member of the 151st ARW, and a member of
the Utah Air National Guard,” said Chaplain
(Lt Col) Greg Clark, as he introduced Findlay
at his retirement ceremony.
Findlay influenced many of the ANG’s
current leaders throughout his service,
many of whom made remarks regarding that
influence at the ceremony.
“If there’s one word that describes Kel
Findlay,” said Col Darwin Craig, “the first
thing that came to my mind was legacy.”
The ceremony was also attended by
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor
in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, who mentioned
specifically the support Findlay had from his
family.
“The legacy of family is also the legacy
of the National Guard,” said Uchtdorf. “You
represent your own family, but in many ways
you also represent this Air National Guard
family, which I can feel has depth, a feeling of
unity and of love and commitment to country
and God, which is exemplary for so many.”
Findlay concluded the ceremony, saying
that his heart has always been with the Air
National Guard, and he hopes that operations
continue as they have been.
“I want to thank all of the Airmen of
the Air National Guard,” said Findlay. “I
encourage you to keep up the good things
about the Guard. Keep up the family feeling,
to keep the love and the camaraderie that we
have that is so special.”
Utah Minuteman
39
S
Education Benefits: GoArmyEd
Story by CPT Penny Matthews
B
DRAPER, Utah —
eginning Oct. 1, 2011, all National
Guard Soldiers transitioned to utilizing GoArmyEd to request
Federal Tuition Assistance. GoArmyEd is an active-duty
program that the Army started using nearly 10 years ago. The
Army Reserve transitioned to GAE, as it is commonly known,
two years ago. AGR and mobilized National Guard Soldiers
have been using GAE for several years.
Here is some important information Soldiers need to know
about GoArmyEd:
1. Soldiers need to set up an account first—this is not an
application for Tuition Assistance (TA).
2. AFTER setting up their account, Soldiers can then APPLY
for TA.
3. Soldiers must have the documents described in paragraphs
4, 5 and 6 uploaded into their eFile, which can be found at the
“My Education Record” tab in GAE, before their TA requests
will be approved.
4. Soldiers will need to upload a completed TA Statement
of Understanding (SOU). The TA SOU must be signed by the
Soldier and their commander (E-6 and below; E7 and above
can sign for the commander). The annual TA SOU is located in
GAE under “Help” and “View Reference Documents.” It is the
third document from the bottom of the list. We also have a form
available that can be digitally signed. If they have difficulty,
they can email the TA Manager, SGT Brenda Thompson, at
[email protected] or call (801) 432-4345.
5. The “Student Agreement/Degree Plan” in GoArmyEd is
a personalized document that Soldiers can obtain from their
online student account with their school. For ROTC Soldiers, a
104R can be used as a degree plan. Soldiers can use a “program
evaluation” from WebAdvisor as a degree plan. If their school
does not use WebAdvisor, a Student Agreement should display
the following:
a. Degree program in which the Soldier is enrolled
b. Classes completed and required classes awaiting
completion
c. The school’s name
d. The Soldier’s name
e. The advisor’s name
6. Soldiers must also upload a tuition-cost verification into
their eFile in GoArmyEd. This can simply be a screenshot
of the Soldier’s tuition and fees for the semester. We will not
accept a tuition schedule from the school, as the document is
required to confirm the amount of TA the Soldier is requesting.
7. Soldiers are automatically “capped” at 12 credit hours
when requesting TA. If the Soldier is taking more than 12
credit hours, they can create a help desk case in GAE for a
semester-hour override. Once the Soldier submits their request,
the Education Office will approve the Soldier for an indefinite
semester-hour override, which means the Soldier will not have
to repeat this request every semester or block.
8. The Soldier will not receive a DA Form 2171 via email
as they did in the past under Minuteman. The Soldier must go
to their “TA Request” tab in GAE and pull up their current
coursework. Once their requests have been approved, they can
print their TA approval forms from the TA Request screen. The
forms will not be sent to the school from the Education Office.
9. If a Soldier’s TA request is rejected, they will receive an
email from the Education Office with instructions on what
they need to do to correct the problem. Once the Soldier has
corrected the problem, they can go back into their TA requests
and change the class status from “rejected” back to “pending,”
which will place the requests back into our queue. The Soldier
need not recreate their request. Again, the Soldier will do this
under their TA Request tab in GAE.
10. The school will upload the Soldier’s grades at the end of
the semester in GAE. However, any grades from the past using
the Minuteman program need to be emailed in the form of an
unofficial transcript to [email protected]. Per AR
621-5, grades are required to be submitted to the Education
Office within 45 days of course completion.
11. Soldiers will be required to repay any failing or withdrawn
grades (or incomplete grades after 120 days) in GoArmyEd.
The Soldier’s account will be placed on hold until the Soldier
actions the recoupment. They will not be eligible to receive
further FTA funding until the debt is repaid.
12. Who should a Soldier contact if they have a problem with
GoArmyEd? Soldiers should contact their school, their unit,
and our Utah National Guard Education Office at:
[email protected]
or email TA Manager, SGT Brenda Thompson at:
[email protected]
or call (801) 432-4345
Soldiers may also want to visit our Facebook page: Utah
National Guard Education Office, for the latest information on
TA topics to check for answers to their questions. If Soldiers
have an issue that needs to be resolved immediately, they can
call the GoArmyEd helpdesk at 1-800-817-9990 or create a
help desk case at www.goarmyed.com.
Utah Minuteman
41
A Day of Remembrance
Servicemembers of different ages, genders, Services and wars salute the flag
during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl
Harbor, held at the Utah State Capitol rotunda Dec. 7.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, Utah Army National Guard,
fire a 21-gun salute from three artillery cannons during the 70th anniversary
commemoration ceremony of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
42
Spring 2012
Story and photos by SSG Shana Hutchins
D
SALT LAKE CITY —
ec. 7, 1941, is a
day that will live in the memories of many
Americans. On that day, our nation was
plunged into war because of a surprise attack
on the Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Utahns who were not even involved in the
attack at Pearl Harbor would eventually find
themselves on far-flung battlefields in North
Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the sandy
beaches of the Pacific islands. Not only were
lives lost on Dec. 7, 1941, but the battleship
USS Utah, the only ship of the U.S. Navy to
be named for the state of Utah, was lost with
54 sailors still trapped inside its hull.
Seventy years later, members of the
community and Veterans of World War II and
other wars came together at the Utah State
Capitol rotunda with the lieutenant governor
of Utah, Greg Bell, on the anniversary of the
attack to honor survivors and to remember the
lives lost that day and those lost on the fields
of battle in the days and years following. The
event was hosted by the Utah Department of
Veterans Affairs.
The Utah National Guard participated in
the ceremony with the assistance of Soldiers
from 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery,
who fired a 21-gun salute from three artillery
cannons in front of the capitol. Cannons
were manned by two to three Soldiers and
were directed by master gunner, SFC Shaun
Harris.
The Utah National Guard Military Honors
Team did a ceremonial flag presentation
and presented the flag to the guest speaker,
Jeremy “Bear” Taylor, a retired U.S. Navy
rear admiral, who reminded the audience
that on that terrible day, “We were all called
to war.” The entire nation answered the call
to defend freedom and support the men and
women who left their homes and loved ones
to fight the forces of tyranny and injustice,
he said.
Many veterans from various conflicts
and different ages were in attendance. ROTC
cadets, Vietnam, Korea and World War II
Veterans mingled with each other, sharing
stories and passing advice to willing ears and
open hearts.
A Vietnam Veteran watches the ceremony
commemorating the 70th anniversary of
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The four survivors of Pearl Harbor from
Utah who were honored were escorted to the
stage before ceremonies began. The honorees
were Ernal Underwood, who was a 20-yearold petty officer on the USS Helena; Kenneth
Potts, who was a 20-year-old coxswain
on the USS Arizona; Marion Kesler, 21 at
the time of attack, was a mess cook on the
USS Hulbert; and Max Burggraaf, who was
23 years of age on the USS Nevada as an
electrician’s mate.
“I am so proud and happy that these
Veterans get a moment in the sunshine. It is
a comfort they are being recognized for their
great service, and this helps the community
and families remember,” said Terry Schow,
executive director, Utah Department of
Veterans Affairs.
This day of remembrance was a day
to “recognize the greatest generation of
Americans,” said Bell.
Utah Minuteman
43
Colonel Receives
Legion of
Merit Award
Posthumously
B
SALT LAKE CITY —
rig Gen Wayne Lee presented the
Legion of Merit award in honor of the late Col Bruce C. Evans
to his wife, Connie Evans, and his son, 1st Lt Benjamin Evans.
Col Evans was awarded the Legion of Merit posthumously
for exceptionally meritorious conduct as the state staff judge
advocate with the Utah Air National Guard Headquarters.
Connie Evans, center, with her son, 1st Lt Benjamin
Evans, right, accepts the Legion of Merit award
presented by Brig Gen Wayne Lee in honor of her
husband, the late Col Bruce C. Evans.
Photo by TSgt Jeremy Giacoletto-Stegall
Air Promotions
LIEUTENANT COLONEL
Brown Jason C
Tobias Kevin S
MAJOR
Drake Aaron M
CAPTAIN
Holbrook Jason Ryan
Ridgeway Jamie D
FIRST LIEUTENANT
Nitchman Lee A
COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR
Curtis James E
SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT
Loveless Scott M
MASTER SERGEANT
Boyer Patrick D
Love Eric W
Lozano Leonardo Nmn
Northrop Teddy L
Richards Joseph J
Shaffer James Ned
Ward Joshua B
TECHNICAL SERGEANT
Anderson Garren D
Anjewierden Rebecca A
Dix Fredric Bahey
Hodgkinson Matthew Scott
Howey Chad S
Hurst Luke T
Littlefield Gregory M
Myerhoff Jason Bryant
Olsen Tyler K
Sage William E
Uberti Jeffrey John
Webb Jared Yazzie
White Andrew Jason
STAFF SERGEANT
Cannon Christopher R
Deppe Anthony Austin
Gale James C
Harrell Ryan C
MacDonald Brianne C
Sambroak Kora Lee
Sutter Dale R
Wilson Kent J
Larson Joseph Tait
Lu Andrew Jau Juong
McCarthy Rory Joseph
Patterson Mark Austin
Tarbet Christopher Richard
Thomas Elizabeth Ann
Tukuafu Don Robert Waiono
Wells Jeremy Ray
Chukwurah Chukwuemeka Weldo
Davis Kellie Anne
Felt Ryan Colby
Nessen Michael Lynn
Rawlinson Kyle Charles
Sampson Kenneth Wesley
Santellan Eugene
Thompson Micah Soren
Torgerson Ken C
Whitaker Jordan Bryan
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 3
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2
SENIOR AIRMAN
Barry David M
Bodily Dustin E
Johnson Tucker B
Mackay Nathaniel J
Miller Casey J
Moser Tyler D
Palmer Jason L
Ramsay Nathan J
Repp Travis A
Thorson Andrew C
Ward Berkeley A
Willmore Justin D
Yates Kevin T
Army Promotions
COLONEL
Taggart Bryce Jay
LIEUTENANT COLONEL
Furuta David Lee
Liberman Adam Ross
Stephens Paul Andrew
Turley Michael James
Warner Christopher Rollin
White Gerald Richard
Chalmers Scott Alan
Cooper Marc Lessor
Gibb David Jaron
Gumucio Darin Roger
Jungheim David Matthias
Nelson Shaun Robert
Owens Andrew James
Ringger Nathan Paul
Smith Kimberly Kay
Wilde Jason Todd
CAPTAIN
MAJOR
Adamson Toby Paul
Black Lyle Burton
Blackburn Marcus Kim
Blackhurst Ryan Fraser
44
Spring 2012
Decoite Daniel James
Hodgson Robert Darryn
Jenkins Kevin Ryan
Kattelman Robert Mark
Kroeber Christopher Hall
FIRST LIEUTENANT
Cox Garrett Michael
Grimley Lex Kiyoshi
Johnson Jeremy Jennings
Neville Daniel Aaron
SECOND LIEUTENANT
Anderson Brian James
Carter Scott Richard
Harris Travis Laverl
Noble Larry Dean
Scovil Lewis Bryant
Searcy Brian Thomas
Fisher Curtis Harrison
Goldsberry Robert Kent
Hawkes Boyd Burt
Healey Gary Lynn
Hutchings Blair Whimpey
Kreitzer Eric Josef
Lowry Kayce Clark
Middleton John Douglas
Scott Nathan Shinichi
Gardner Christopher
Hammel David Laverne III
Hoepfner Elizabeth Anne
Stanley Jared Wayne
Taylor Martin Buck
COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR
Gonzalez Victor Hugo
Josie Ryan Karsten
Rothwell Shane Henry
SERGEANT MAJOR
Josie Troy Raystan
Nielsen Spencer Douglas
Rapich Christopher Scott
Rhinehart Matthew Shane
Turville Jason Kent
West Peter Lynn
MASTER SERGEANT
Bollinger Corey Lee
Butler Jennifer Lea
Carter Richard James
Criswell Rene Henry
Davis Wyatt Darrel
Franklin Michael Edward
Hall Daryl Robert
Harley Richard Robert
Jackson Daryell Elbert
Jensen Robert
Johnson Shane Peter
Lopez Lawrence Fermin
Mietzner Brent Wade
Neal Gary Alan
Porritt Budge Thomas III
Schmidt Charles Brian
Schmolke Joseph Scott T
Trone Robert Allan
Turville Samuel James
Willard Carl Jason
FIRST SERGEANT
Bishop Craig Alan
Coverstone Bart L
Fox Calvin Lloyd
Hicks Byron John
Ibarra William Stanley
Ingledew John Thomas
Leduc Christian Dale
Stene Stephen Edwin
Stephens Robert Eldon
Sudweeks Jose Antonio
Whatcott Garrett H
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS
Bailey Thomas Vincent
Bell Christopher Duvall
Betancourt Delilah
Binns Melissa Lee
Brown Patrick Mark
Buckner Sean Marc
Carlson Jonathon Joseph
Casebolt Tad Lawrence
Cave Steven John
Colqui David Raul
Frandsen Bernard Howard
Fraughton Jason Max
Fries Jason Paul
Harding Michael Brett
Hilton Aaron Ty
Holgreen Sheldon Wayne
Judkins Jeffrey Scott
Lemke Andrew Scott
Long Gregory Michael
Lowery Joshua David
Mathews Michael Dee
McDonald Brady Demille
Mitchell Isaiah John
Nunnelly Shawn Thomas
Parra Gustavo
Roberts Mark Anthony
Schafer Stephanie Renee
Smith Steven Leroy
Stillman Timothy Keith
Tallerico Stephen Michael
Thompson Troy Dean
Vanduren Lorin James
White Heather Noel
Yates Isaac
STAFF SERGEANT
Allen Todd Lawrence
Archibeque Chase Larsen
Ashton Jeffry James
Aubrey Michael Croft
Belliston Michael Christian
Blake Brady Douglas
Blankenstein Cory John
Bradford Christopher Craig
Buffington Michael Paul
Burns Thomas Emmett
Butler Travis Jon
Cahoon Shawn Erwin
Campos Nelson Saul
Cardon Richard Louis
Chamberlain Joel David
Defoer Sean Edward
Dimond Kevin Dwayne
Eastabrook Adam Cody
Edwards Stephen Russell II
Fish Tracy Scott
Good Thomas Brent
Graff Nathan Kit
Green James Montel III
Hawkes Shawn Nickolaus
Hickman Elliot James
Hohosh Robert Charles
Hunt Stephen Lee
Hutchins Shana Renee
Jenkins Hugh Rdell
Jones Bevin Willis
Kennedy Michael Aaron
Kerr Robert Marriner
King Adam Ray
Kinsman Kasey J
Kirkman KC
Kitchen Ryan Stanley
Larsen Kip Henrie
Larsen Shane Justin
Lee Jennifer Ann
Lee Skyler Dane
Lewis Scott Everett
Lloyd Brandon Thomas
Lorenz Ronald Thomas
MacBride Lucin Allen
MacFarlane Brandon Leroy
Madsen Timothy Lewis
Malichanh Chandler Douglas
Mansfield Christopher James
Marshall Tiffany Joann
Massey Lewis Nathan
McArthur Robert Jared
McKenzie Daniel George
Medina Tracy Christopher
Merrill Benjamin Neal
Miller Elijah Mccann
Moser Ryan Arthur
Mullan Kenneth Paul
Nielsen Michael Li
Oliva Tyler Wayne
Quinn Adam Christopher
Reel Micah Paul
Reynolds Brian Charles
Rice Kevin Ira
Sansom Lena Mae
Shepherd Justin Don
Singleton John Eric
Snider William Travis
Spencer Lance England
Spencer Marya Rose
Stewart Dacia Dann
Streeter Mark Alan
Taylor Brady Snow
Thompson Carlisle Allen
Tilton David Wayne
Warren Andrew Glen
Weiler Justin Shayne
Wilkinson William Shane
Williams Mark Todd
Wood Joshua David
Wood Nathan Austin
SERGEANT
Abernathy Adam Chaim
Allred Heather
Arnold Richard Norman
Asberry Joshua J
Baker Sloan Lewis
Barnes Chloe Amanda
Batty Justin Michael
Baza Anthony John Cruz
Belliston Nina Michelle
Berg Joshua James
Black Galen Calder
Blake Robert Joseph Jr
Bond Andrew Lawrence
Bowens Lance Xaver
Bracken Amanda Lynn
Brennan Patrick Simon
Brockbank Jarom Paul
Butler Ronald Mark
Cagle Nycole Ann Brown
Carlson Cody Wayne
Chambers Preston Scott
Clark Joseph Nelson
Cleaveland Richard Howard
Cloward Nicolas Adam
Cross Brittany Chere
Dahl Justin Clint
Deans Joshua Lawrence
Decker Alexander Jonathan
Deis Brett Thomas
Delgado Matthew
Donahue Jacob Seth
Dwelle Eric Joseph
Ecevedo Adam John Samson
Edwards Tyson Merrill
Enkey Dietrich Lon
Erickson Jonathan Odell
Fakhrolmobasheri Abbas
Falcon Marcos Jose
Franco Luis Angel
Freeman Allan Ray
Fugal Eric P
Giese Christopher Robert
Gonzales Lino Anthony
Green Adrian Mackay
Gregory Paul Michael
Gunnerson Christian Harold
Hall Clayton John
Harmon Jesse John
Hatch Stewart Quentin
Hawkley Bleu Marcus
Hendriksen Quentin James
Holden Robert Todd
Hughes Sarah Kathleen
Hunt Shannee June
Irons Lance Earl
Jacobsen Kenneth Reid
Jarvis Jeremy Wilson
Jiles Tyler J
Johansson Charles Erik
Johnson David Ryan
Jones Jakob Michael
Kaaihue Masami Alofipo Kuih
Kennedy Shaun Alexander
Kish Robert Michael
Lamarca Alexander Jameson
Latu Christian Saulala
Liessmann Robert Joseph
Linford Daniel Stephen
Lopez Carlos Adrian Jr
Lunnen Brady Mckay
Malone Aaron Scott
Martin Christian Wade
McKenna Brian Albert
McKinlay Tyler James
McLaughlin Nathan Shawn
Mecham David Justin
Merlette Jeremy Brett
Miller Eric Wayne
Millward Mercedes
Morris Jedediah Scott
Moyers Spencer William
Navarre Michael Patrick
Newkirk Evan Lane
Newton Brian
Nielson Terrance Trevor
Ocana Joe Xavier
Olsen Justin Dean
Owen Sam Daniel
Parker Chason Jonathan
Pittman Thomas Jeffrey
Ralphs Joseph Edward
Richards Eric Sholund
Rivera Jose Alberto
Rogers Frank Anthony
Rondas Robert Jeffery
Rowley Russell Gordon
Salazar Daniel
Sandberg James Darren
Saulnier Charles John
Schrock Colin Thomas
Shaw David William
Smith Bert Deloy
Smith Chelsea
Snarr Trinity Donald
Sneddon Russell Thomas
Snell Jaren Hansen
Spencer Toby Jay
Starks Robert Ikey
Stephenson Robert Benjamin
Stowe Brian Mack
Tapiafernandez Julio Cesar
Taylor Rodger Alan Jr
Taylor Travis Lee
Thompson Ryan Keith
Tuckett Paul Landon
Weissman Michael Edward
Wenzl Christopher Michael
Wilde Daniel Spencer
Winkler Udell Duane
Young Kashea Lynn
Zaccardi Julius James
Zimmerman Zachary Mark
CORPORAL
Acheson Lawrence Wain III
Andersen Clinton Lynn
Atkinson Ian Kristopher
Geary Timothy Paul
Murray Neil James
Staton Eddie Dale Jr
Wallace Tearsha Bralynn
SPECIALIST
Allen Kristen Marie
Atkin Kody John
Bartholomew Daniel Jesse
Bartholomew Tyler James
Baxley Justin Benjamin
Beagley Gavin Scott
Beckstrand Chandler Martin
Bevan Danielle Lee
Black Gregory Adam
Bleazard Paul Thornton
Bonner Thomas Clifford
Booth Charles William
Bowman Tycen Edward
Brown Travis Leany
Buck Clayton Greg
Bumstead Jonathan Roger
Bunjes David Michael
Button Nathan Taylor
Carly Nikolas Brent
Cebrowski John Michael
Cheney Aaron Lewis
Clark Justin Isaac
Clark Sarah Ann
Clements Brock Carlton
Colvin Chase Alexander
Coombs Tyler Colby
Cope Joseph James
Cowley Trevor J
Dambrosio Joseph Thomas
Darley Jonathan David
Decaria Alena Jesse
Diaz Linda Patricia
Dougherty Michael Reid
Dover Elizabeth Jenor
Duncan Brandon Michael
Emfield Jeffrey Steven
Findley Samuel Paul
Fryar Bracken David
Fuchs Andrew Peter
Fullmer Thomas Arthur
Gannon Adam Scott
Gonzalez Luis Brandon
Guzman Santiago Jr
Hagemann Shane Joshua
Hale Gregory Christian
Hansen Benjamin Franklin
Hansen Dustin Gary
Hansen Matthew David
Hardy Benjamin Brian
Haycock Taylor Vance
Hill Diana Marie
Honeycutt Grady Eugene II
Utah Minuteman
45
Houchins James Earl
Hunt Joshua Jackson
Hussein Alan Salah
Hyde Darrin Duane
Ichikawa Makoto
Ingram Jeb Earl
Iverson Corbin Clark
Jacobs Adam Richard
Jones Tarik Nickolai
Josephson Cody Michael
Kawamura Robert Shigeo
Kevern Myles Carl
King Tristin Bret
Koehler Adam Wesley
Krummi Cody Tyler
Larsen Kendall Freeborn
Lawrence Peter
Little Andrew David
Lopez Edward Belen
Luman Seth Charles
Medina Tyson Ross
Meeks Matthew Todd
Miller Stephen Phillip
Mittleider Jason Thomas
Morrell Brandon Lee
Morrison Ty Arling
Moses Bobbi Lynn
Mower Joshua Damon
Muir Kyle Puckett
Mullen James David
Murray Wren Evan
Nacey Joshua Shaun
Nance Curtis Russell
Nandell Douglas Harold
Neeley Robert Scott
Nelson Chase Steven
Nerdin Paul Douglas
Niewiadomski Joshua Ryan
Nordahl Bo James
Olschewski Christopher Beag
Omer Sterling Joseph
Oswald Kyle Bradley
Palmer Alicia Lee
Parga Joshua
Parker Donavan Troy
Perks Jonathan Baikie
Person Timothy Dean
Peterson James Albert
Piccolottimoye Alexander J
Pierce Jeremy I
Ramirez Juan Manuel
Rice Christopher Michael
Riggs Andrew Miles
Roseborough Coleton J
Rosenlund Todd Kevin
Rowley Brian Keith
Salazarrey Noemi Margarita
Schroemges John Quinten
Shamov Maxim
Shelley Joseph Erick
Smart Quinton Milo
Smith Andrew Martin
Smith Austin Nikolas
Smith Colin Clark
Smith Trevor C
Snow Benjamin Charles
Sokolik Benjamin R
Solomon Ariel Jonathan
Starley Andrew Jeffrey
Stein Paul Anthony
Stewart Michael Lawrence
Sullivan Sean Douglas
46
Spring 2012
Turner Gregory Seth
Walker Kyle Dean
Ward Ian David
Webster Britt Austin
Weeks Kelly Charles
Whitaker Nathaniel Paul
White Kalam Cosand
White Shawn Darrell
White Steven Craig
White Zachary Benjamin
Widerburg Jeffrey Brian
Willden Jeramy Dean
Willis Kyle Andrew
Winston Aaron Rey
Yadon Sean Kent
Yazzie Danlee
Young Corina Dawn
Zurligen Larry Albert
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
Adams Colton James
Adams Jillyan Nicole
Adams Tyson Garn
Albretsen Keith Wade
Anderson Jason Derek
Anderson Shawn Evans
Andrus Joel Ryan
Archbold Lance Michael
Balling Tyson Jack
Batchelor Jacob Matthew
Bautista Jose G
Bissell Matthew Roy
Bitton Vance Jay
Booth Joseph Mark
Bowen Brett Carter
Brasfield Trevor C
Brun Michael Steven
Butler Brian David
Carver Larry Eric
Chatland Spencer Allen
Connor Robert Michael
Crockett Joshua Alan
Davidson Camille Lynne
Degrazio Nicholas John
Deleon Harley Lynn
Dunn Nathan Phillip
Egbert Cameron Lee
Ferguson Braxton Wayne
Garfield Amber
Goodrich Rylee Bruce
Graham Jordan Kenzie
Gregory Brody Mark
Gwilliam Kevin Allen
Halford Sara Raquel
Hall Christopher Larkin
Heap Steven Elliott
Holley Michael Wayne
Hornsby Mason Thomas
Jackson Tyrone Anthony
Jellum Kaelee Ann
Jessop David Ryan
Johnson Adam Craig
Johnson Max Malonerivers
Levet Jordan Michael
Limburg Kees Josef
Lucero Skyeler Eugene
Maher Brandon
Martin Joel Quinn
Maynes Gregory Kurt
McCowin Stuart Ron
McDonald Jason Michael
Messegee Nathan Alan
Miller Jordan Beau
Moos Tyler Austin
Moseley James Lonnie
Nelson Kenneth Eldon
Nelson Kyle Franklin
Orton Kyler Mont
Osborne Aaron Wayne
Palmer Cody Michael
Park Benjamin James
Partain Vincent Robert
Pereyra Steven Jafet
Perry Joseph Scott
Peterson Quinton Michael
Powell Rylan Rex
Prather Glen Jacob
Prince Clinton Scott
Puro Stefanie Tylene
Reese Charles Brent Jr
Richens Jerett Henry
Robertson Sonny Earl
Ruizcortes Martin Jesus
Schnebly Shane Andrew
Slade Benjamin Edward
Smith Jeremiah Lucah
Sorensen Dale Ryan
Steffen Aaron Jeffrey
Steinmiller Dallas Quinn
Stephens Anthony Wade
Stewart Dylan Rex
Stilson Chase Harkness
Stilwell Joshua Christopher
Taylor Kyle Ray
Teto Timothy Matthew
Thurman Jacob Robert
Tolley Kraig Dylan
Topham Jerney Sheldon
Torres Miguel Angel
Veals Mark Casey
Velasquez Nicolas Ray
Vest Peter Steven
Voigt Colten Edward
Whitehead Mitchell Quinn
Williams Kenneth Allen
Williamson David Allen
Wood Dustin Lee
Wygant Nicholas Lee
Young Scott Casey
PRIVATE (PV2)
Aadams Christophertodd
Aiello Austin Scott
Arvig Joseph Anthony
Bird Colton Dewey
Bishop Trevor Don
Brooks Ashlie Danielle
Carter Morgan Landes
Christensen Nathan Victor
Christensen Zane K
Coombs Clint Thomas
Copfer Jesse Wade
Coronado Armando
Dahl Tyler Jay
Day David Douglas
Deangelo Matthew Steven
Elison Ammon Aaron
Ellis Kaleb John
Estrada Christopher Lee
Farmer David Grant II
Gallegos Marcus Amelio
Gatoloai William Tiaina
Harrington Jacob Tyler
Harrison Taylor David
Haws Heber Chester
Heaps Anthony Joseph
Horlacher Devan Phillip
Jensen Joseph Michael
Johnson Adam Kevin
Johnston Kyler Jay
Josie Austin Ryan
Juarez David
Julander Ian Cade
King Preston Palmer
Lindhart Bryce Grant
Lupcho Joshua Bryson
Martin Zachary Terry
McClellan Collin Thomas
McClellan Jennifer Anne
Menlove Tanner James
Nelson Dallin Jase
Norris Dylan Thomas
Odriscoll Dillon Ray
Parrish Bryce Dakota
Parry Hyrum Nathan
Porray Kazeley Skye
Potter Richard Lewis
Quichocho Gerome Paul Debib
Rockhill Konor Sagelafon
Sandoval Thomas Eleazar
Santos Jose Maria
Sargent Timothy Reed
Shipton Shea Alexander
Sok Bobby Serey
Stephens Tyson J
Thomas Wayne Richard
Thompson Jon Theron
Trujillo Alex Joseph
Valdez Anthony Mario
Vasquez Frank Joe
Warr Alexander James
Wasden Kole T
Webb Brayden
Wegener Brandon Jay
Wheiler Justin Scott
Wright Connor Scott
Yefimov Jaimee Cristal Ann
Zavala Jorge Alberto
PRIVATE (PV1)
Alder Ben Holden
Allred David Keith
Anderson Braylee Shaye
Archibald Jordan Keith
Barnhart Adrienne Lawana
Baumgartner Emerson Tarris
Beach Jose Victor
Benson Lewis Randall
Beveridge Jacob Scott
Bishop Tyrell Jeff
Brady Taryn Shay
Brown David Hugh
Brown Vincent Walker
Bytendorp Andrew Seal
Capel Benjamin Jacob
Capel Conrad Jeffrey
Carter Jeremiah Abraham
Catmull Hayden Arthur
Chadwick Shayne Mickel
Christiansen Danny Lee
Collier Quinton Bryce
Cooper Dalton Allen
Cordero Nico Dario
Cracroft Zachary Jordan
Dkhissi Rabab
Downs Jackson John
Durrant Derek Kenneth
England Sarah Marlene
Fairbanks Tyler Grant
Fellows Cory Jake
Fisk Christian Brady
Gannaway Noel Alexander
Gillis Michael Vincent
Gonzalez Courtney Janel
Gordon Justus Martel
Guzman Jonathan Francisco
Hassell Ethan Joel
Hirshfeld Spencer Philip
Hood Christopher John
Irwin Schuyler Lindsay
Ishihara Andrew Christian
Jimenez Jose Antonio
John Marcus
Kaye Christian Dene
Kellum Chelsey Shari N
Kessel Amanda Grace
Leany Kurtis Theron
Liston Brad Paul
Lloyd Robert James
Loving Jerry Nicholas
Lunan Joseph Aaron
Martin Kelsey Laree
McKinlay Bracken Del
Miller Chase Bradley
Morgan Luke Young
Mower Samuel Clark
Nelson Boston Brian
Nielsen Cody Dean
Normand Asialynn Aleena
Opdahl Breanna Jo
Orr Adam Patrick
Parker Sean Anton
Paxton Devin J
Pease Dominic David
Peer Joshua Brian
Penrod Weston Darius
Quezada Drago Javier Rojas
Rakowski Christopher Roger
Rapich Jeremy Steven
Rhinehart Ryan Taylor
Rodriguez Alina Ramos
Ross Todd Lloyd Glen
Ruiz Felix Juan
Scanlon Mataniufeagaimaleat
Sears Carson Ross
Shinkle Russell Albert
Simpson Tanner Wade
Soza Isaiah Andrew
Stassi Taylor Craig
Steedman Tre Anthony
Taylor Kody Don
Thornton Adrian Jonathan
Tingey Nathan Wesley
Tipton Casey Dale
Tisdale Tory Jay
Trujillo Manuel Jr
Verquer Kyle John
Violette Tyler James
Wally Adam Thornton
Warner Shane Keith
Whitaker Kaleb Chad
Williams Matthew Ryan
Wood Baylee Michelle
48 Spring 2012