Summer

Summer
2010
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS
F o u n d e d 1959 • Vo l u m e 51 • N u m b e r 2
Busy summer of homecomings &
deployments in the texas guard
don’t miss the NGAUS Conference 21-23 Aug 2010,
Austin, Texas
36th ID command element Conducts Pre-
Mobilization Training, page 18
2010-11
Board of Directors
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michele Voorhees-Little
President-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin Perryman
contents
Vice-President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Chavers
Secretary-Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Cardenas
HQ, TXMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerold Gamble
ARNG Troops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnny Hairgrove
36th CAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tanya Cortez
4/ Letter from the President
5/ Members Spotlight
6/ Homecomings
7/ Departures
8/ Air National Guard Deployment
9/ CERFP
10/Capitol Spotlight
176th Engr Bde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlton Mosley
Lewis King Honored
71st BfSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug O’Connell
Texas Maritime Regiment
136th CSB (ME) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Dinkins
36 ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Dextraze
72nd IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Collett
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Parnell
56th IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy Stephens
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Quine
36th Sustainment Bde . . . . . . . . . Gene Cummins
149th FW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Cardenas
11/
12/
14/
147th RW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Henry Wiley
CrossFit Competition
HQ, TANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrea Marqueses
Attend the NGAUS Conference
620-Mile Bike Trip
Retired Rep – Region II . . . . . . . . . . Bennie Brooks
15/
16/
18/
19/
Retired Rep – Region III . . . . . . . . . Bill Abernathy
Airborne Reunion
136th AW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Chavers
TX State Guard Rep . . . . . . . . Dewayne Naumann
Retired Rep – Region I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vacant
National Guard Leadership Flight
Around Texas with the Guard
36th ID PMT
Hurricane Alex
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.medianation.net
20/
21/
Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theresa Billeck-Zuniga
Larry Williams
Family Readiness Rep . . . . . . . . . . Deborah Evans
22/
24/
Reid Douglass
Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Lindner
NGAT News
NGAT HOME PAGE
3706 Crawford Ave.
www.ngat.org
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 454-7300
1-800-252-NGAT (6428)
7/ Departures
Around the World with the Guard
15/ Wild Blue Yonder
Veterans Corner
Star Flight
TAPS/Sponsors
NGAT Planning Calendar
21/ Soldier saves $65 million
NGAT E-MAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
On the Cover: ON THE COVER: Homecomings & Deployments. Photo by: MAJ Adam Collette, SGT David Bryant and
Matthew Steinhauser.
NGAT NEWS (USPS 015-752) IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS, 3706
CRAWFORD AVENUE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731-6308
Periodicals Postage Paid at fort worth, TX 76161
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: NGAT NEWS, 3706 CRAWFORD AVENUE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731-6803
Members may email address change to: [email protected]
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P r e s i d e n t ’ s
R e p o r t
It’s RODEO TIME! As those of you who have registered for the 132nd Annual NGAUS
Conference know, it’s time to shine up your cowboy boots and join the fun at the Governor’s
on
Reception at the Travis County Expo Center, and again for the States’ Dinner (Texas Formal)
Monday night.
The staff at the NGAT office have been working tirelessly contracting the venues, hotels, etc. to
for
put together what promises to be the BEST NGAUS Conference yet. Sorry, Tennessee, I intend
TEXAS to steal the show.
the
A special “Thanks!” to Colonel Bill Hall and his folks at SJIATF for planning and resourcing
‘NGAT’
the
supporting
volunteers
of
host
whole
a
have
we
military support side of the conference. Also,
side of the conference. Many thanks up front to our volunteers!
Another ‘Thanks!’ to Major General Spurgin for
calling a pause to the Division HQ’s exercise in order
to support the attendance of all HQ officers at the
NGAUS opening ceremony.
On another note, lifetime memberships in our
Association continue to increase, with 124 new
memberships just this past quarter. The increase is
due in large part to the 147th Fighter Wing’s hugely
successful membership drive, the 72nd Infantry
Brigade Combat Team’s membership drive during their
deployment, and the 272nd Engineering Installation
Squadron. Remember, not only do deploying unit
members enjoy a special NGAT life membership rate
of only $100, but units may arrange for a discounted
life membership for a specified period of time to
conduct a drive.
NGAT thanks MAJ Miguel Torres and LTC Daniel Quick for their
assistance in increasing membership in NGAT in the 72nd IBCT during
their deployment to Iraq.
Michele R. Voorhees-Little
LTC, LG, TXARNG
NGAT volunteers and employees, along with members of the Texas Military Forces, take
notes during the NGAUS Pre Conference Rock Drill conducted at the Austin Convention
Center. (Photo by MSG (Ret) Theresa Billeck-Zuniga)
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m e mb e rs
S P O T L I G H T
Texas Soldiers Complete a Marathon in Iraq
Running a marathon is never easy, but
running a marathon in Iraq is especially difficult.
Eighteen runners from the Texas National Guard
braved the conditions and ran in the Sixth Annual Iraq
Boston Marathon at Contingency Operating Base
(COB) Adder, Iraq.
a time of 4:21:53, and CSM Beth Shockley
won the over 40 female age group with
a time of 4:36:30. SPC Tliza Garcia took
second place in the 20-24 year old
female group.
Despite the many challenges of running
a marathon on a military base in Iraq and
raising money while training, MAJ Rivera
well surpassed his goal of $2,500, raising
a total of $3,773.
According to the 36th Sustainment Brigade
Commander Colonel Sean Ryan (NGAT Member),
“The event went very well considering a sandstorm
pushed the event back by one day and the starting
time for the race was 4:30 a.m.. Temperatures started
in the 70s but quickly rose as the day progressed, and
by the seventh hour when the final runner finished, it
was very hot.”
Two other Texas Guard runners finished
third in their age group: CW3 Robin
Anderson (NGAT Life Member) in the
over 40 female and SSG Nikki Shearman
in the 20-24 year old female. The overall winner was
SGT Derek Miller from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division out of El Paso, Texas. SGT Miller
finished in 3:01:00 which was a full 15 minutes ahead
of the second place finisher Francis Yiga, a Ugandan
security guard on COB Adder and former Ugandan
marathon champion.
The COB Adder marathon is sanctioned by the
Boston Athletic Association, and anyone finishing the
COB Adder marathon is granted entry into the 2011
Boston Marathon.
CW2 Michael Long (NGAT Life Member) was the first
Texas Guardsman to cross the finish line in 4:01:32,
which was good enough for 31st place overall and
2nd place in the over 40 male category.
CW2 Michael Long gets his rhythm during the
Iraq Boston Marathon.
answer among Organization for Autism Research
runners. Many run for sons and daughters, for nieces
and nephews, godchildren, and friends’ children.
Even though the 2011 Boston Marathon is nine
months away several of the runners are always making
plans to attend the historic marathon in Boston,
Massachusetts. Next time though, the runners will
be looking forward to better running surfaces, cooler
temperatures and no threat of being fired upon
during the race.
All these Soldiers competed in the marathon for
different reasons. If you ask MAJ Jose Rivera (NGAT
Life Member) why he runs, he’ll likely give you a oneword answer, “Joseph.” Joseph, age 7, is he and his
wife Margaret’s youngest son. It’s not an uncommon
Two NGAT Life Members and Texas Guard female
runners won their respective age groups. MAJ Laura
Jane Stephens won the 35-39 female age group with
COL Sean
Ryan,
Commander,
36th
Sustainment
Brigade,
congratulates
some of
the Texas
Soldiers who
completed
the grueling
26 mile race.
MAJ Laura Jane Stevens and MAJ Jose Rivera pose for a
photo after completing the Iraq Boston Marathon together.
Race day at COB Adder, Iraq.
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Task Force Rawhide
Returns From Iraq
Original Story by SGT Jeremy Spires
The men and women of the 36th Sustainment Brigade
entered the Abrams Field House on Fort Hood longing to see
family and friends. As they marched down the trophy-lined
hallway, they could already begin to hear the thunderous
applause coming from ahead. As the doors swung open, the
Soldiers were greeted with smiles, hugs and a few happy tears
from their loved ones that they so dearly missed. After 12
months, Task Force Rawhide had returned home.
TF Rawhide, based out of Temple, spent the last year
supporting the Global War on Terrorism in southern Iraq by
performing a number of contingency operations. The Task
Force worked tirelessly day in and day out in support of United
States and Coalition Forces performing more than 4,000
convoy missions and managing the largest fuel farm in Iraq,
which is responsible for almost 77 % of the bulk fuel in theater.
The 36th Sustainment Brigade also supported operations in
Convoy Staging Center Scania and Contingency Operating Base
Adder, with a tenant population of over 15,000. In addition,
the brigade supported two divisions, whose various operations
covered an area roughly the size of Arizona.
(Photos by MSG (Ret) Theresa Billeck-Zuniga)
Units in the 72nd IBCT Start to Return Home
BG William Smith, 36th Infantry Division deputy commander of maneuvers,
addresses Soldiers with Alpha and Bravo Companies, 1-141st Inf Bn, 72nd IBCT
after their arrival at Biggs Airfield, Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, in mid July. The two
units are returning from Camp Victory, Baghdad, after deploying to Iraq with
the 72nd IBCT in December 2009. The Soldiers performed a variety of security
missions, including fixed site and convoy operations. (Photo by SGT Melissa Shaw)
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Soldiers of the 536th Brigade Support
Battalion reunite with their families in
Fredericksburg, Texas. The battalion’s
Echo Company returned from Iraq and was
recognized with a welcome home ceremony
at the Fredericksburg High School
Auditorium. Local artist Thomas Michael
Riley performed the National Anthem,
followed by an address from LTC Shawn
McGrath, Rear Commander for the 72nd
IBCT, and from the Fredericksburg Mayor
Tom Musselman. (Photos by MAJ Adam Collett)
Soldiers of the 1-141st INF reunite with their
families at Camp Bullis, Texas, Sunday, July 18,
2010. The battalion’s Alpha Company returned
from Iraq and was recognized with a welcome
home ceremony organized by the unit’s family
support group. (Photo by MAJ Adam Collett)
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162nd Slated to Deploy —
Say Goodbyes at Alamo
Story by SPC Maria Moy
against the backdrop of the Alamo, family, friends and dignitaries
were given the opportunity to say goodbye to members of the 162nd Area
Support Medical Company (ASMC) who deploy for a year-long mission
to Iraq.
Members of the 162nd Area Support Medical Company stand at parade rest during
a deployment ceremony conducted at the Alamo. The 162nd Area Support Medical
Company will provide critical care to military members on the battlefield.
“We have one purpose here today and that is to honor and bid farewell
and Vaya Con Dios (Go with God) to the162nd ASMC,” said BG Joyce
Stevens, Commander of the Texas Army National Guard. “The word
Soldier means ‘service’; it’s all about selfless service as they get ready for
their mission. Whenever I’m around Soldiers I’m simply amazed at their
dedication and their professionalism. I am amazed at the fact that they
juggle their military and civilian careers and their families and are so
deeply committed to their service to our country.”
She concluded her statement by addressing families and friends: “To
family and friends, I give you my heartfelt thanks; you are truly the
unsung heroes of today’s continuous War on Terror. You don’t get the
praise and the honor that you deserve. The spouse, sons or daughters do
not sign up for official military duty, but you are the ones who sacrifice
birthdays and anniversaries, and we want you to know that we really
appreciate you.”
“The unit motto is Lone Star Medics. We are proud of being Texans, and
we carry that same spirit of the Alamo with us,” said SFC Jose Ramon
Pena, the unit’s First Sergeant.
Members of the 162nd ASMC stand at parade rest during a deployment
ceremony conducted at the Alamo. The 162nd ASMC will provide critical care
to military members on the battlefield.
COL (P) Lester Simpson and CSM Richard Milford
cases the 176th Engineer Brigade colors.
(Photo by Matthew Steinhauser)
Task Force Hammer Deploys
In a very public goodbye,130 soldiers from the 176th Engineer
Brigade (Task Force Hammer) conducted a deployment ceremony
at Texas Christian University (TCU) in the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Congresswomen Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) and a host of special
guests filled TCU’s auditorium with cheers to bid farewell to the
176th Engineer Brigade as they marched in perfect formation. Those
in attendance said the ceremony was “very professional,” “uplifting”
and “very well organized.” While many Soldiers were ready to get the
mission started, family and friends were cherishing the time they had
left with their Soldier before they departed. COL (P) Lester Simpson,
176th Engineer Brigade Commander, thanked family, friends, employers
and community leaders for their continued support. “These Soldiers
are proud of what they do and they believe in our brigade motto
‘QUOD INCEPIMUS CONFICIEMUS’, which translates to ‘What
We Have Begun We Will Finish,’” said COL Simpson. The Brigade’s
primary mission is command and control for engineer route clearance
and construction mission. The brigade will be a joint command with
Air Force and Navy units as well as Active Army, Army Reserve and
National Guard units. They will be headquartered in eastern
Afghanistan based our of FOB Sharana.
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Soldiers from the 176th Engineer
Brigade depart the deployment
ceremony to thunderous cheers and
applause at Texas Christian University.
(Photo by MAJ Adam Collett)
Soldiers in the 176th Engineer Brigade
listen to remarks during their deployment
ceremony. (Photo by Matthew Steinhauser)
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Story and photo by MSgt Mike R. Smith
texas air guard prepares airmen for deployment
SSgt Ryan Deane talks with security forces Airmen during a convoy live
fire exercise on a range in New Mexico. Deane is assigned as an instructor
at the Desert Defender Regional Training Center, which is operated by the
Texas Air National Guard’s 204th Security Forces Squadron.
On the desert ranges of Fort Bliss, Texas,
there is a lot of open space to train and prepare
for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army
operations are well-known here, but active duty,
Guard and Reserve security forces Airmen are on
the range too.
“We also teach them counter-insurgency
operations, which are critical in this timeframe,”
said Lt Col Carl Alvarez, the squadron and training
center commander.
Just a few years ago, a cadre of Air Guard members
started the schoolhouse from a few run-down
buildings on Biggs Army Airfield and built it up
through “a lot of hard work,” said Alvarez. Today
it is a U.S. Air Force certified regional training
center with new buildings and classrooms as well
as the latest military equipment. “I think we have
come a long way since the two-and-a-half years
Desert Defender stood up,” said Alvarez, “and
certainly over the last 18 months when it was
certified as a regional training center.”
Texas Air National Guard members trained the
latest class of security forces Airmen here last
month on the equipment, tactics and techniques
that take force protection outside the wire.
The Air Guard’s 204th Security Forces Squadron
operates “Desert Defender,” the Air Force Regional
Training Center, which prepares active duty,
Guard and Reserve security forces for area security
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The nearly 50-day course includes much of the
same training Army Soldiers undertake before
deployment, such as mounted operations on
armored vehicles and dismounted operations in
foot patrols.
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Now the Air Guard training center is the sole
schoolhouse for training active duty, Guard and
Reserve security forces for these operations.
Nearly 40 instructors as well as additional support
personnel run “Desert Defender,” which is a
geographically separated unit of the 149th
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Fighter Wing, based at Lackland Air Force Base
in San Antonio.
The mission provides combat readiness training to
deploying security forces Airmen, which includes
sniper/counter-sniper training, area security
operations training and base security operations
training for Air Force security forces. The Airmen
are also trained on Military Operations in Urban
Terrain sites, where they learn the tactics for close
quarters battles inside and outside city buildings.
Dismounted operations ensure that, should they
go on a foot patrol, the Airmen move properly
and know the techniques and tactics needed under
fire. They also undergo rollover training and water
survival courses to increase their survivability in
those situations.
The Airmen also gain expertise in a 40-hour Army
Combat Lifesaver course. According to Alvarez the
classroom and field training follows a purposeful
sequence to a final, all-inclusive, multi-day field
training exercise at the end of the course.
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Photos and original story by CPL Maxiliano Garza
texas elite response team receives certification
The 6th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response
Force Package (CERFP) represents Texas’ support to civil authorities in mass decontamination, urban search
and extraction, and medical support. Following the immediate response efforts of the 6th Civil Support
Team, which arrives within an hour of an incident, the CERFP assumes expanded support roles during hours
six through 72 after the initial call.
For two weeks in July, they trained, exercised, and certified in Volk Field, Wis., to achieve the Army standard
of full certification and mission-readiness.
It is composed of the 836th Engineer Company, the 436th Chemical Company, and the Small Portable
Expeditionary Aeromedical Rapid Response (SPEARR), which includes three Air Force Medical Units: the
149th Fighter Wing, 136th Airlift Wing, and 147th Reconnaissance Wing.
The certification in Wisconsin tested the CERFP’s speed, skill sets and cooperation in a series of joint
exercises simulating a real-life contamination emergency. The separate elements of the CERFP worked
together to combat a single threat, coordinating their respective duties of extraction, decontamination,
medical, and command and control.
The 149th FW SPEARR processes a casualty during the
6th CERFP EXEVAL.
The 836th, responsible for search and extraction, trained for 12 hours a day in Wisconsin to become
mission ready for certification. The 436th focused on their setup time each day to ensure they came under
the 90-minute standard for establishing the decontamination line to begin receiving and treating casualties.
The SPEARR excelled at performing their medical duties in concert with the extraction and decontamination
efforts of their sister units.
The SPEARR team has responded to disasters in the past, such as hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike,
aiding the casualties of the affected sites.
The certification process takes three full days of progressive simulations. The official certification event tests
the CERFP in response to a full-scale, mass casualty simulation.
All three components of the CERFP must achieve their respective objectives in order for the full asset to
gain certification. On July 20, 2010, Texas’ 6th CERFP became one of only 17 elements of its kind in the
U.S. to successfully complete the Army standards for emergency response force packages.
Soldiers of the 836th Engineer Company measure spacing
before building supports during the 6th CERFP EXEVAL.
C olumbia S outhern univerSity
The 436th Chemical Company begins to decontaminate harmful materials off
casualties during training for the 6th CERFP EXAVAL.
College Credit for Military Training
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Superior Service. Flexible Programs. Exceptional Value.
www.columbiasouthern.edu/mil | 888.394.5732
Orange Beach, AL 36561
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Capitol Spotlight
Mrs. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, the Second Lady of the
United States, wrapped up her trip to Iraq with a roundtable discussion
with service men and women from the Texas National Guard, 72nd Infantry
Brigade Combat team. She commented that having a son who served in
the National Guard felt a little bit like she was reunited with family.
Congresswomen Kay Granger (R-TX) addresses
the family, friends and Soldiers of the 176th
Engineer Brigade during their deployment
ceremony held on 11 July at Texas Christian
University. (Photo by Matthew Steinhauser)
Congresswomen Eddie Bernice Johnson
(D-TX) and NGAT Executive Director Ray
Lindner discuss Guard issues at the NGAT
Congressional Appreciation Reception held
in Washington, D.C. in July.
CW4 (Ret) lewis king honored
at camp mabry
texas maritime regiment
receives training
Under a grey sky, members of the Texas
Military Forces, NGAT staff, family and friends
gathered outside the Camp Mabry chapel near
the memorial fountain to unveil a granite and
bronze marker placed there in honor of CW4
(Ret) Lewis O. King. CW4 King retired from
the Guard in December 1987 and served as the
NGAT Executive Director. Throughout his career
and his life he remained an active supporter of the
Guard’s legislative initiatives all the way up to the
end. Friends remembered him at the ceremony
as the rock and the foundation that kept things
together and always moving in the right direction. His wife Pat King attended the
ceremony and placed flowers on his granite stone in his honor. “This would be a
proud day for Lewis if he was here today because he loved everything about the
Guard, but I know he is with us in spirit,” said Pat King.
In June, the Second Battalion, Texas Maritime Regiment, and Texas
State Guard participated in interdepartmental training with the Marine Safety
Enforcement Officers (MSEOs) of the Texas Game Wardens, Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department (TPWD). Classroom awareness-level training was done
at the New Braunfels armory by Major Alfonso Vielma and Captain Danny
Villalobos, then everyone convoyed to the Randolph AFB Recreation Center
marina on Canyon Lake. TMAR is creating a relationship with TPWD in order
to provide “force multiplication” assistance when more trained personnel are
required for search and rescue, recovery, traffic and crowd control, etc. The
MSEO Texas Game Wardens provided training to the 2nd Bn in boat handling
and showed them what it is they do on a daily basis and how the TMAR can
help them get the job done.
PO2 Mark Wilson, PO3 Joy Evans, and CPL Ron Andrejko are ready to take
on the lake. (Photos by ENS George Monnat, Jr.)
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12044-NGAT News Magazine Ad.pdf
6/16/10
9:49:00 AM
show your true texas spirit
and join us for the upcoming
ngaus conference
132nd NGAUS
General Conference
Austin, Texas
20-23 August 2010
Don’t Miss the Governor’s
Reception featuring a Texas
Rodeo and entertainment by
Rick Trevino!
There is still time to
get registered!
LaPosadaNGATad_10509horzPRINT.pdf
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10/6/09
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Call the NGAT office at 512-454-7300
for more information.
For schedule of events please visit www.ngaus.org.
1:09 PM
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11
AROUND THE
The Camp Prosperity Mayor, MAJ Robert Briscoe, points out the
location of a safety hazard needing remediation to SGT Milton
Hall. (Photo by SGT Melissa Shaw)
W O R L D with th
Members of Co A 1-133 FA - 1SG John Fontenot, CPT Erik
Fuentes and SFC Charles Just proudly display the Texas
flag at Camp Cropper, Iraq.
SFC Tim Johnston (right) of Co D, 3-141 Inf,
poses for a photo with his brother, SGT Charles
Johnston of HHB, 1-133rd FA, at the Al Fawa
Palace, Baghdad, Iraq.
Texas National Guard’s CERFP Medical Triage Team sets up for their
certification in Volk Field, Wisconsin. (Photo by SSG Malcolm McClendon)
MSG Mindy Slagle (NGAT Life Member) of the
36th Sustainment Brigade shares a moment
with her son PVT Joseph Perez of Co A 36th
Sustainment Brigade in Kuwait.
SPC Shawn Porter earned a gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle
standing/non-supported event during the inaugural Warrior
Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Porter serves in the
136th Military Police Battalion. (Photo by SSG Malcolm McClendon)
SSgt John Shaw and SSgt Pat
Watson works to repair the
engine of a C-130 at Naval Air
Station Joint Reserve Base,
Carswell Field, Fort Worth,
TX. SSgt Shaw and Watson.
As members of the 136th
Maintenace Squadron, strive
to maintain the outstanding
safety record and mission
capability of the 136th Airlift
Wing. (Photo by TSgt Craig Lifton)
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SSG Marc Seal plans a joint patrol with the Afghan National Police (ANP).
The goal was to assist the ANP in an area where they could not go without
coalition support. (Photo by SFC Ross Dobelbower)
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W W W . N G A T . O R G
he
TEXAS NATIONAL
GUARD
Command Sergeant Major Jose Morales (NGAT Life
Member), Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Texas Adjutant
General, poses under the famous Crossed Swords of
Baghdad. (Photo by SGT Melissa Shaw)
During a visit to Baghdad, Iraq, the Adjutant General of Texas, MG
Jose Mayorga (NGAT Life Member), had the opportunity to promote
several enlisted soldiers into the non-commissioned officer ranks.
SPC Caroline Ford of the 72nd IBCT was first in line.
LTC Darrell Debish (NGAT Life
Member), 36th Sustainment
Brigade, shows us what it
looks like when there
is a burnt orange
invasion
in Iraq.
SSG Belinda Rosario, with the 36th Sustainment Brigade,
meets with Rick Trevino, a country music artist and also Austin,
Texas, native, after a concert at Contingency Operating Base
Adder, Iraq. (Photo by SFC Tad Browning/NGAT Member)
COL Mark Campsey (NGAT Life Member), commander of the
72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, promotes Staff Sergeant
Antonio Arredondo of San Antonio to Sergeant First Class at
a ceremony behind As Salaam on Forward Operating Base
Prosperity in Baghdad. (Photo by SGT Melissa Shaw)
CPT Zeno McCoy serves lunch in
Afghanistan to SFC Ross Dobelbower,
while CSM Jeff Mayo (NGAT Life Member)
conducts “quality control” in the
background. (Photo MAJ Stephanie Normand)
W W W . N G A T . O R G
CPT Christopher Combest of the 36th ID stands with “D.T.”,
a Kazakhstan soldier, before training in Kazakhstan.
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Captain cycles 620 miles
for disabilities
maruquin competes to be the
best in the crossfit world
When the cyclists riding in the annual
Journey of Hope trekked through Texas, they
were joined by CPT Randall Stillinger (NGAT Life
Member) of HHC (-) 2-149 AV. The Journey of
Hope is an annual bicycle ride from San Francisco
to Washington, D.C., to raise money and awareness
for people with disabilities. All are members or
recent alumni of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. They ride
about 75 miles a day, depending on temperature
and terrain. The group left June 13 and plans to
reach its destination on Aug.14.
1LT Deric Maruquin (NGAT Life Member) from CrossFit Cedar
Park, and founder of Warrior CrossFit at Camp Mabry, qualified
through CrossFit’s Sectional and Regional Competitions to compete with
approximately 100 of the top men and women at this year’s 2010 CrossFit
Games World Championship, which was held at the Home Depot Center
in Carson, California. CrossFit is a fitness program focused on maximizing
a persons potential in strength, cardiovascular endurance, respiratory
endurance, power, speed, stamina, flexibility, coordination, agility, balance,
and accuracy. It combines exercises like running, rowing, power and olympic
weightlifting, gymnastics, kettlebells, jump ropes and even tire flipping into
short, intense workouts.
CPT Stillinger left Keller, Texas, and rode 246 miles in 3 days to Snyder, Texas,
where he met up with the team, and then bicycled for three days with the team into
Arlington. All in all he rode some 620 miles over the course of 6 days.
Deric discovered CrossFit in 2006 while in the Army. He completed the US
Army Ranger School and multiple US Army courses that are all considered
physically demanding and earned his Level 1 CrossFit Certification in 2007.
Deric was deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008 and upon his return he was called
by the Texas National Guard Headquarters to help set up a military affiliate
at Camp Mabry in Austin, TX. The Camp Mabry CrossFit affiliate is a
robust program that is now being utilized as a model to start up additional
satellite military affiliates across the
state of Texas.
Twice he has ridden with Journey of Hope teams as they crossed the United States.
In 1996 he started in San Francisco, bicycled across the southern U.S., and then
made his way up to Washington DC, down Pennsylvania Avenue, and to the Capital
Building where friends and family were waiting for their arrival. He rode just under
4,000 miles across the deserts of Nevada and Arizona, the plains of Texas, and then
the rolling hills of Tennessee and North Carolina. In 1998, he joined on the coast
of Oregon and spent the first 30 days in the Rocky Mountains as they retraced the
route that was paved by Bruce Rogers, who inspired Push America to begin the
Journey of Hope.
Deric has steadily put in the hard,
demanding work and dedication
it takes to become one of the 100
elite men and women from around
the world who attended this year’s
games. At this years games he
finished 27th, ranking him the 27th
Crossfitter in the World.
The cycling is only part of the trip, as they spend a lot of their evenings and days
off working with the very people that they are raising money and awareness for.
The minimum amount CPT Stillinger had to raise for Push America was $500 for a
3-day ride-along, but he raised his personal goal of $1,000. All of that money will
go to benefit those with disabilities through the projects and programs of
Push America.
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1LT Deric Maruquin of Trp C 3-124 CAV
competes on the rings as part of the CrossFit
competition. (Photo by Robin Tillman)
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W W W . N G A T . O R G
Ta k i n g f l i g h t:
Army Green in the
Wild Blue Yonder
BG Joyce Stevens, Assistant Adjutant General – Army, gives the
thumbs up sign that she is ready for take off for her ride in an
F-16 piloted by MAJ Kristian Thiele of the 149th Fighter Wing.
senior leaders in the Texas Military
Forces have all flown many times before,
but last month’s flight is probably one they
will not soon forget. MG Jose Mayorga,
The Adjutant General, BG Joyce Stevens,
Commander Texas Army National Guard,
and COL William Hall, Vice Chief Joint
Staff, flew in the back seat of an F-16
as part of a leadership visit to the 136th
Airlift Wing in Fort Worth, the 147th
Reconnaissance Wing in Houston, and
finally the 149th Fighter Wing in San
Antonio, Texas.
acceleration, thus depriving the brain
of blood.
A ‘“G” Suit’ is a special garment and
generally takes the form of tightly-fitting
trousers, which fit either under or over
(depending on the design) the flying suit
worn by the aviator. The trousers are
fitted with inflatable bladders which, when
pressurized through a “G”-sensitive valve
in the aircraft, press firmly on the abdomen
and legs, thus restricting the draining of
blood away from the brain during periods
of high acceleration. In addition, in some
modern very high-“G” aircraft, the Anti“G” suit effect is augmented by a small
amount of pressure applied to the lungs
(partial pressure breathing), which also
enhances resistance to high “G.” The effects
of Anti-“G” suits and partial pressure
breathing are straightforward to replicate in
a simulator, although the continuous “G”
They each wore a G-suit, or the more
accurately named anti-G suit. This suit
is worn by aviators and astronauts who
are subject to high levels of acceleration
force (‘Gs’). It is designed to prevent a
black-out and G-LOC (G-induced Loss Of
Consciousness) caused by the blood pooling
in the lower part of the body when under
Maj Matt Jensen of the 149th Fighter
Wing stops for a photo with COL Bill
Hall, SJIATF Commander, prior to his
ride in an F-16.
W W W . N G A T . O R G
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forces themselves can only be produced
artificially in devices such as centrifuges.
Various designs of “G”-suit have been
developed. They first used water-filled
bladders around the lower body and legs.
Later designs used air under pressure to
inflate the bladders.
To most, the idea of taking off vertically,
rolling over while being strapped in and
being forcefully squeezed from the bottom
up, would have been enough to politely
decline the pleasure of the flight, but these
three are not like most.
Each experienced the flight differently,
but all three were ready to do it again
and agreed that it was the experience of a
lifetime. General Mayorga joked: “I may
have joined the wrong branch of service.”
Pictured are Army and Air National Guard leadership during a Senior Leaders visit with
members of the 149th Fighter Wing, in San Antonio, Texas.
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MG Jose Mayorga, Adjutant General of
Texas, exits the aircraft unshaken after
his first flight in an F-16 piloted by Lt Col
Gordon Niebergall of the 149th Fighter
Wing in San Antonio, Texas.
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AROUND TEXAS with the
Soldiers Support Center Prepares for
the ArrivaL of the 72nd IBCT
CERFP Training Completed
Chemical Monitor Check
SGT John M. Howard, survey team member
for the 6th CST, performs a functions check
of his chemical monitor as he prepares to
engage the vehicle born improvised explosive
device during Operation Phantom Vigilance.
Co B 1-141 Inf Bn Company Commander CPT Jeremy Smart (left) and
MAJ August Murray (middle), Human Resources officer for the 72nd
IBCT, talk with Jacinda Johnson, an advisor for the Texas National
Guard Transition Assistance program, inside the Soldier Support
Center tents set up in the Deployment Readiness Center parking-lot
on Fort Bliss, El Paso. (Photo by SGT Melissa Shaw)
Congratulations to SGM Richard McDonald (NGAT Life
Member) for graduating from RIG CERFP Extraction
Program. SGM McDonald is a member of the SJIATF.
(Photo by SSG Daniel Griego)
Texas State Guard Support Hurricane Alex
STATE FARM DONATES COMPUTERS
A member of the Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment receives a media card prior
to deploying to support Hurricane Alex.
Darren Boone of State Farm Insurance presents a donated computer to LTC Shawn McGrath
of the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Sugar Land, Texas. Boone organized an effort to
raise $30,000 from one of the company’s Houston-area offices to purchase over 100 laptops that
were donated to the brigade to support communication between deployed Soldiers and their
families, as well as to address other Soldier/family needs. (Photo MAJ Adam Collett)
Close Assault 1944
NGAT Life Member SFC Arnie Rodriguez of the Texas
National Guard Counterdrug Program takes a break
with students from the Communities in Schools Migrant
Workers Summer School Program at Stillman Middle
School in Brownsville, Texas. During the
program students are presented with drug
awareness presentations, life skills, and
team building exercises.
Thirty living history volunteers took part in the Close Assault 1944 Living History
Program and reenactment over the Memorial Day Weekend. Performances drew
enthusiastic crowds and provided an opportunity for the public to celebrate
Memorial Day and share with military members what that day means to many of
those who have lost loved ones in past and present wars.
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helping kids in the community
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TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD
Air Assault Training
The 36th Combat Aviation Brigade (TXARNG) conducted a major air assault training exercise on 22 May 2010, in which AH-64,
UH-60, and CH-47 were utilized to insert Special Forces, Infantry, and LRS teams into the LZ.
Antennas Up, Communications Restored
Don’t Forget To Drink
The Water
SMSgt Larry
Carroll and A1C
Doris Barfield
of the 447th Air
Support Group
adjust antennas
on a Tactical
Interoperable
Communications
Plan as part
of the Texas
Interoperability
Communications
Exercise (TICE)
2010 held at
Camp Mabry.
Soldiers Run in Stride4Stroke 5k Run
Soldiers in the Standing Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Texas (SJIATF) stop
to drink water in the Texas heat during Annual Training conducted at the
East Kelley Rail Port in San Antonio, TX. (Photo by CPT JoAnna Wollenberg)
436th Chemical Company Honors
Supervisors
Texas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) pose with
Halliburton supervisors receiving awards at the Texas Army National
Guard Armory in Laredo, Texas. (L-R) Sitting: Halliburton District
Coordinator, Ryan Philip; Human Resource Manager, Nora Henry;
Service Coordinator, Roger Reuweler. Back row standing: 436th
Chemical Company Commander, 1LT Jose A. Perez; Texas ESGR
Area 13 Chairperson, MSG (Ret) Adolfo “Popo” Gonzalez; wife of
SPC Rodriguez, Jackie Rodriguez; and nominating Halliburton for the
awards, SPC Leonardo Rodriguez.
W W W . N G A T . O R G
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Members of the 698th MP Detachment (CID) recently participated in the “Stride4Stroke” 5k run in
Houston, benefiting the Methodist Hospital System’s stroke unit. From left: Agent Candidate SGT Jason
Clifton, Agent Candidate SGT Sam Brown, Agent Candidate SPC Candice Jalomos, Special Agent Scott
Kelly, SPC Rodsun Rodrigo (unit mechanic), Special Agent Mark Gerald and Special Agent William
Strong. The 698th was created as a new start-up unit in 2005 and went into carrier status to fill its ranks.
The unit is based with the Texas Army National Guard and is located in Houston, TX.
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36
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t h
D
n f a n t r y
i v i s i o n
CSM Wilson Early and
SFC Kenneth Saffell assist
a Soldier in need during
pre mobilization training.
After sprinting away from
an “enemy” attack, the
two were forced to don
gas masks and react to a
simulated chemical attack.
Division Leaders’
Premobilization
Training
Members of the command element of the 36th Infantry
Division, Texas Army National Guard, attended Pre
Mobilization Training June 18-30 in preparation for their
deployment to Iraq in September. (Photos by SGT David Bryant)
MAJ Oliver Mintz and CW2
Jeff Lightsey assist LTC
Marvin Harris during training.
Harris was categorized as a
casualty and needed to be
carried out of the “kill zone”
by his fellow Soldiers.
NGAT Life
Members COL
Gina Seiler, LTC
Darrell Dement
and LTC Cathy
Stephens are all
smiles as they
travel to the next
training site in
the back of a
5-ton truck.
A Soldier with
the 36th Infantry
Division sets up
a claymore mine
during training.
BG Len Smith pulls 2LT George
Strable out of the dirt upon
completion of a pre mobilization
training exercise. The two were
training on how to search a local
national for possible explosive devices.
36th Infantry Division command element personnel listen
as they receive instructions prior to starting training at
Camp Swift, Texas.
CW3 Pablo Escalante
and CW2 Jeff Lightsey
scan their sectors while
conducting a patrol
mission as part of
their pre mobilization
training. Both Soldiers
will be mobilizing
with the 36th Infantry
Division Headquarters
in September.
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Texas Guard Responds to Hurricane Alex
Hurricane Alex, the first hurricane of the 2010 season, brought excessive rain and flooding to the Rio Grande Valley in early July. The state ordered 2,500
guardsmen, eight UH-60 helicopters and three C-130 airplanes to prepare for rapid deployment. Two Texas task force teams were positioned in Weslaco and Kingsville
to provide search-and-rescue services. Some 15 neighborhoods in the Laredo area were inundated when the Rio Grande breached its banks following days of rain caused
by the remnants of Hurricane Alex. The relentless precipitation brought the river, which marks the international border between Texas and Mexico, to its highest levels
since Hurricane Beulah in 1967. Two downtown hotels that stand near the banks of the Rio Grande, including the landmark La Posada, were evacuated as the water
rose. At one point, there was 10 feet of water in the La Posada’s basement, but no guest area rooms were affected.
Members of 147th
Reconnaissance Wing, arrive
at Valley International Airport
at Harlingen, Texas. The
guardsman have forward
deployed to the area to
preposition search and rescue
and command and control
elements as Hurricane Alex
pushes towards the south
Texas coast. From left to right: Col Connie McNabb,
chief of the Texas Joint Staff; Brig Gen
John Nichols, commander of the Texas Air
National Guard; MG Jose Mayorga, the
Adjutant General of the Texas National
Guard; and BG Joyce Stevens, commander
of the Texas Army National Guard, listen
intently to the National Weather Bureau
predictions for Tropical Storm Alex in the
Joint Emergency Operations Center at
Camp Mabry. (Photo by SPC Maria Moy)
CPT Larry Geraci from 3-144 Inf gives
his Soldiers a safety briefing before
the convoy down to South Texas.
(Photo by CPL Maxiliano Garza)
TSgt Jessica Flores, 181st Airlift Squadron Loadmaster, removes chains securing a
HMMWV, in Harlingen TX. Two HMMWVs traveled with 13 Airmen from the 147th
Reconniassance Squadron from Ellington Field on a 136th Airlift Wing C-130H
from NAS JRB Fort Worth as part of the Texas National and Air National Guards’
preparation for Hurricane Alex making landfall. (Photo by SrA Andrew Dumboski) L
SPECIA
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FREE
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ENT
PRES
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REC OFF
15%
Following the devastation of Hurricane Alex in the city of Laredo, signs of
water levels subsiding in the Rio Grande can be seen here at the Juarez-Lincoln
International Bridge. (Photo by Officer Candidate Miah Barnes)
airborne reunion
A reunion for the 71st and 36th Airborne Brigades and Company G,
143rd Ranger Company will be held 8-10 October 2010, at the Holiday Inn,
6000 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, TX 78752. To make a reservation call
512-451-5757 and let them know you are with the “Airborne Reunion.” The
special room rate for the reunion is $85.00 for single or double and is good until
September 17, so call now to reserve your room. There will be a hospitality room
Friday afternoon and a meal Saturday evening. The registration fee is $60.00 per
person and covers cost of meals and drinks. All Airborne soldiers are welcome to
come join us and tell their stories. Send registration fee no later than September
30, 2010 to Richard Brito at 2025 Verbena Dr, Austin, TX 78750. For more
information contact CSM (Ret) Lewis Boehm [email protected] or
512-264-0123. Please spread the word to our fellow paratroopers.
Check out T.G.I. Friday’s on Town Lake
and enjoy good food, fun
& free wireless
Internet!
Free
self-parking
is available
anytime.
*One coupon per table. Not valid for
alcoholic beverages or in conjunction
with any other offer or discount.
Offer expires 12/31/2010.
W W W . N G A T . O R G
Located in the
Radisson Hotel & Suites Austin
111 Cesar Chavez @ Congress
512-478-2991 • www.tgifridays.com
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Get Your Texas Veterans Scratch Off
Lottery Ticket Today
New Veterans’ Grave Medallion Available For Order
The Texas Veterans
Scratch Off Lottery Ticket
program was passed by the
legislature in 2009 and signed
at once by Governor Rick
Perry. The first tickets hit
the sales locations on 11
November 2009 (Veterans
Day). They continue to be
sold at stores and service
stations. The Texas
Veterans Commission
is responsible for the
stewardship of the funds
that are generated by Lottery
ticket sales. The money is used to assist needy veterans of all wars,
active service members, and their families. For example, money has gone
to help homeless veterans, veterans who need help with food for their
families and transportation to VA or Military hospitals for treatment, to
name just a few.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced June 29 that the
Department of Veterans Affairs is offering bronze medallions to attach to existing,
privately purchased headstones or markers, signifying a
deceased’s status as a veteran.
“For veterans not buried in a national or state veterans
cemetery, or those without a government grave marker,
VA is pleased to offer this option that highlights
their service and sacrifices for our country,” said
Secretary Shinseki.
The new item can be furnished instead of a traditional
government headstone or marker for veterans whose
death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose
grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately
purchased headstone or marker.
Under federal law, eligible veterans buried in a
private cemetery are entitled to either a governmentfurnished grave marker or the new medallion,
but not both. Veterans buried in a national or
state veterans cemetery will receive a government
headstone or marker of the standard design
authorized at that cemetery.
Texas has 1.7 million veterans. Thankfully many of them do not need
assistance. However, there are, all too frequently, situations that require
immediate assistance. For example, a WWII veteran passed away, and his
widow did not have the funds to pay for a decent burial. Also, a young
woman veteran of Iraq returned from deployment to discover that her
husband had left their two children with neighbors and disappeared. She
and the two children were living in a pickup truck with no money for
food. These are but two of many situations that confront some veterans
on a daily basis. They need help and they need it at once!
The medallion is available in three sizes: 5 inches,
3 inches and 1½ inches in width. Each bronze medallion features
the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with the word
“Veteran” at the top and the branch of service at the bottom.
Next of kin will receive the medallion, along with a kit that will allow the family or
the staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker,
mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.
As of this date the Texas Veterans Commission has provided over Five
Million Dollars of Texas Veterans Lottery generated funds to help those
with dire needs. You can help highlight the Texas Veterans Lottery
program by speaking with your family members, friends, and neighbors
about the program and by making sure that all Texans are aware of
it and its noteworthy purpose. Also, we ask that you visit your local
service station, grocery store, or wherever you purchase lottery tickets
and check to see if they sell the Texas Veterans scratch off lottery tickets.
In case they do not, request them to consider doing so in the immediate
future. Your actions will enlighten many Texans who are probably not
aware of the program or its aims but will gladly support it once informed.
More information about VA-furnished headstones, markers and medallions can
be found at www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmtype.asp. VA is currently developing an
application form for ordering the medallion. Until it is available, applicants may use
the form for ordering government headstones and markers, VA Form 40-1330.
Instructions on how to apply for a medallion are found on the VA website at
www.cem.va.gov/hm_hm.asp.
VA operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico, and 33 soldiers’
lots and monument sites. More than 3 million Americans, including veterans of every
war and conflict — from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.
Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from
the VA website on the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices tollfree at 800-827-1000. (Courtesy of VA News)
The President signed
important legislation for
our Gray Area retirees into
law on 28 Oct 2009 as part of
the Fiscal Year 2010 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This new law authorizes
TRICARE eligibility for our Gray Area retirees at full
premium cost to the Department of Defense (DoD), which
means the benefit comes at no cost to the government.
sending the proposed rules for implementation to OMB
until July 2, 2010. This late start to a 90 day period for open
comment of the proposed rules puts the promised start date
of October 1, 2010 in serious jeopardy. TRICARE eligibility
for “gray area” retirees probably will not be available by Oct. 1, as we expected. H
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intervention, implementation of TRICARE for our Gray .
Area retires will remain stalled. Our retired members
deserve much better!
Please contact your Representative and Senators to
urge them to take immediate action to demand that the
Department of Defense and the President implement the
TRICARE for Gray Retirees program as soon as possible. By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS
Web site at www.ngaus.org/writetocongress, you can
immediately email your elected officials. The expansion of eligibility was part of the National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal 2010 and was pushed hard by
NGAUS. It would allow the targeted audience to pay full
price for either individual or family coverage. Premiums
have not been announced.
Shortly after passage of the law, the TRICARE Management
Activity (TMA) assured military support organizations and
Congress that the program would be on-line by October
1, 2010. However, DoD Health Affairs and TMA delayed
20
— Support the Veterans Lottery — Visit www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ and select email updates .
to receive the latest changes.
Barring immediate congressional and Presidential
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W W W . N G A T . O R G
Soldier uses 39 years of experience to save
over $65 Million in Equipment
68W Students Gets First Class Hands on Training
SPC Mohamed Benabdallahs (left)
and STARFight Paramedic Patrick
Phillips poses for a photo before
taking a flight in Austin, Texas.
The 68W MOS (Healthcare Specialist) is
primarily responsible for providing emergency
medical treatment, limited primary care and
health protection and evacuation from a point
of injury or illness. Health Care Specialists are
often called “combat medics” in the Army,
because some Soldiers in this MOS are assigned
to deploy with Army combat units and provide
emergency medical treatment directly on the
battlefield. Other Heath Care Specialists are
assigned to military hospitals and clinics to
assist doctors and nurses with the health care
needs of patients.
(Original story and photo by PFC Lisa Cope)
CW4 Larry Williams, the property book officer for the
36th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary), used four decades of Army experience
to assist in the responsible drawdown of forces in Iraq.
Williams, a Port O’Connor, Texas, native, has served in the
Army since Sept. 21, 1969 (during the Vietnam War) as an
enlisted Soldier, officer, and now as a warrant officer with
only a two-year break in service over the past 40 years.
“[The Army] has basically been my life,” he said. “It has given
me a job, paid me well, fed me . . . and I feel like I have given something back to my
country.” Williams said he has seen the overall quality and morale of the Army improve
since becoming an all volunteer force. “Right now the public opinion of the Army is a
little better than it was back in that era,” he said. “Things are really different, as far as the
people that you have.” Williams had to have an age waiver just to mobilize with his unit,
and said after helping to prepare them for mobilization, he did not feel that his mission
was complete unless he went with them.
Camp Mabry offers a 68W course that is 74
days in length and works with other civilian
agencies to provide top notch realistic training
for their students. Starting in FY11 students will be working with the Austin/
Travis County EMS and will be observing their level 1 Trauma Center at University
Medical Center at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin,TX. SFC James Balandran, the
68W Coordinator, stated that incorporating these agencies with the military training
reinforces what they try to get across to the student. The best way to do this is to get
other agencies involved and in the end it is a win- win situation for everyone.
MAJ Charles R. Lanfear, the supply officer for the 36th Sust Bde and a Bridgeport, Texas,
native, said of Williams, “There is not anyone better suited, or better trained for this
position. He takes his knowledge and makes sure that the subordinates that work for him
and around him understand, helps guide them through their problems, points them in the
right direction, and gives them enough information to solve the problems themselves and
makes sure that they do it correctly.”
SPC Mohamed Benabdallahs, a 68W student and member of the 211th
Maintenance Co (Support) in Newark, OH, was selected to ride with Travis County
STARFlight, a Civilian Air Ambulance Company that provides Rescue and Water
Rescue, supports Fire Departments with fire control (Water Bucket Support), and
assists with law enforcement. STARFlight supports 19 surrounding counties. During
his ride, SPC Benabdallahs had the opportunity to go on four rescue calls with
STARFlight Paramedic Patrick Phillips, who is an OIF Veteran and a former member
of the Texas Army National Guard, 143d LRSD.
W W W . N G A T . O R G
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“Since Chief Williams has been here, he has identified approximately $60 million worth
of equipment that was not being tracked properly,” he said. “He brought it to record
and made sure it was on the property book. He took responsibility of one hand receipt
on his own and it was over $5 million. He turned all that equipment in, and got it off the
books where it could then be used by other units who might need the equipment or repair
it.” Williams has also saved his command several million dollars by starting multiple
financial-liability investigations of property loss, said Lanfear. Williams said he plans to
start looking at retirement once the unit re-deploys.
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TA P S
(as of 07/16/10)
SPC Rene Alvarado, B Co, 3rd BN, 141st INF, Laredo
CMSgt Milton C. Anthon, Life Member #11587, Retired, Alvarado
MSG Robert C. Barnhart, Life Member #20670, Retired, Red Rock
WO Ralph Crawford, Retired, Fort Worth
SSG Celestino Cruz Jr., Retired, New Braunfels
CSM Vernon D. Day, Life Member #1681, Retired, Wellington
SPC Douglas Figueroa, B Co (-) 949th BSB, Bedford
Mr. Edward L. Foster, Life Member #412, Retired, Georgetown
Mr. Raoul P. Garcia, Life Member #4381, Retired, San Antonio
Mr. Harry E. Gilchrest, Retired, Waco
Mr. John W. Grisham, Life Member #1978, Retired, Bonham
*Mr. Ronnie N. Hartman, Life Member #13120, Retired, Wellington
SFC Dewey M. Hearne, Life Member #2858, Retired, Henderson
SGT Arthur B. Hood, Life Member #5898, Retired, Amarillo
MSG Carl W. Houser, Life Member #2021, Retired, Fort Worth
*Mr. Guy R. Hunter, Life Member #17606, Retired, Marlin
SGT Robert A. Jackson, Life Member #21706, Retired, Beaumont
CW4 Garland F. Kirkham, Life Member #9442, Retired, Newark
MSgt Delmer C. LeMarr, Life Member # 98, Retired, Clinton, AR
Mr. Danny Loera, Life Member #16989, Retired, Newark
*SPC Thomas E. Lutz Jr., 236th MP Co, San Antonio
Mr. Joseph A. Salvitti, Associate Life Member #859, Retired, San Antonio
MSG Charles L. Sells, Life Member #3513, Retired, Moody
Mr. Ignacio Sena, Life Member #14734, Retired, San Antonio
Mr. Jerry E. Settle, Life Member #5558, Retired, Wellington
COL Rebecca A. Sisson, Life Member #13594, Retired, Apollo Beach FL
Mr. Carl K. Talley, Life Member #70, Retired, Silsbee
Mrs. Connie Thomas, Life Member #17724, Retired, Georgetown
CSM Jerry E. Tolbert, Life Member #4183, Retired, El Paso
*SSG Roland Vela Jr, Retired, Austin
SGT Marvin A. Wallace, Life Member #25091, Retired, Pollok
Mr. Samuel A. Wellhausen, Life Member #2727, Retired, Abilene
CW4 Louis Witta, Retired, Garland
*Had NGAT Life Insurance
If you are aware of the passing of a current or former National Guard member please
notify us by phone, a letter to our office or by email at [email protected].
MSgt James R. Mouchette, Life Member #69, Retired, Groves
Col Boyce B. Phillips, Life Member #1027, Retired, Amarillo
Mr. Valentine G. Ramirez, Life Member #9774, Retired, San Antonio
*SSG James G. Russell, Co A, 2D BN, 142nd INF, Amarillo
SPC Michael Ryan, Delta Co, 1-149 ARB, Houston
N G AT C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R S A N D S P O N S O R S
Amber Waves Marketing, Inc
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W W W . N G A T . O R G
Sometimes the best National Guard
recruiter is another Guard Soldier.
Get good people to serve in the Guard, and get good money at the same time.
For more details, talk to your recruiter.
National Guard Association of Texas
3706 Crawford Avenue
Austin, Texas 78731-6803
National Guard Association of Texas
NGAT Planning Calendar
(As of 27 July 2010)
2010
8-11
Aug
EANGUS Conference, St. Louis, MO
20-23
Aug
NGAUS Conference, Austin
6
Sep
Labor Day (NGAT Office Closed)
11
Oct
Columbus Day (NGAT Office Closed)
8
Nov
NGAT Board Meeting, Austin
11
Nov
Veterans Day (NGAT Office Closed)
25-26
Nov
Thanksgiving (NGAT Office Closed)
24-30
Dec
Christmas Holidays Observed (NGAT Office Closed)
31
Dec
New Year’s Eve (NGAT Office Closed)
2011
17
Jan
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (NGAT Office Closed)
21
Feb
President’s Day (NGAT Office Closed)
28
Feb
NGAT Board Meeting, Austin
25-27
Mar
52nd ANNUAL NGAT CONFERENCE, Corpus Christi