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page 28
No place for drugs
in the Montana National Guard
page 12
1-189th troops prepare
for fire season
High tech satellite training
Spice is no exception
FALL 2013
The Quarterly Magazine for the
Montana National Guard
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Governor’s Message
The Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard
The Backbone
The Adjutant General
Maj. Gen.
Matthew T. Quinn
Steve Bullock
Maj. Gen. Matthew T. Quinn
Executive Editor/
State Public Affairs Officer
Maj. Tim Crowe
Managing Editor
Staff Sgt. Stacey Scotson
State Public Affairs Staff
Maj. Lori Hampa-Chamberlin
1st Lt. Dan Bushnell
Sgt. Britney Hiatt
State Public Affairs Office
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 4789
Fort Harrison, MT
59636-4789
Making Montana more resilient
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Governor
190th CRD does UBRR
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High Tech Satellite Training prepares Airmen for NCO ranks
1-189th troops prepare for fire season
‘Earthquake’ in Kyrgyzstan
NET training
Veterans Benefits Administration
120th Fighter Wing prepares for aircraft conversion
The divine history of the Fort Harrison chapel
Inspectors general support
both the Soldier and the chain of command
“No ordinary day”
Combat to campus
MTARNG Recruiting and Retention
teams up with the NFL
No place for drugs in the
Montana National Guard
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Governor
Steve Bullock
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ON THE COVER: 120th Fighter Wing Master Sgt. Scott Benedict
waited for the right moment to create this spectacular image with his
digital single lens reflex camera. A view of the aurora borealis (the
northern lights), the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and the
star Polaris (the North Star) can be seen above a Montana Air National
Guard F-15 parked on the ramp of the 120th Fighter Wing in Great
Falls, Mont., June 28, 2013. Photo: Master Sgt. Scott Benedict
www.montanaguard.com
Published by MARCOA Publishing, Inc., a private
firm in no way connected with the Montana Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, or the Montana
National Guard, under written contract with the Montana
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. This Montana
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs magazine is
an authorized publication for employees, families and
military members of the Montana Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. Contents of this publication are
not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the
state of Montana, the U.S. Government, Department of
Defense or the Montana National Guard.
The appearance of advertising in this publication,
including inserts or supplements, does not constitute
endorsement by the state of Montana, DOD, the Montana
National Guard or MARCOA Publishing, Inc. of the products or services advertised.
Everything advertised in this publication shall be made
available for purchase, use or patronage without regard
to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital
status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other
nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
All content is either edited, prepared or provided by
the Office of Public Affairs, Joint Force Headquarters –
Montana and/or the Montana Department of Military &
Veterans Affairs. All photographs and graphic devices are
owned and copyrighted by the Montana Department of
Military & Veterans Affairs unless otherwise indicated.
Fall 2013 / BIG SKY GUARDIAN / 1
Governor’s Message
I recently returned from Afghanistan and
Kuwait, where I was able to visit Soldiers from
the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-189th
General Support Aviation Brigade and the
495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
For many of these men and women, it was
their third or fourth deployment. I was
reminded of the unseen selflessness that the
men and women of the Montana Army
National Guard execute on behalf of us here
in Montana and across our country.
I’ve had the opportunity to welcome
home troops and send them off in the past,
but to be able to personally thank them and
discuss the opportunities and challenges they
face was beyond meaningful for me. I was a
long way from home, but it was clear that
Montanans are making a huge difference
overseas. As governor, I am humbled by our
troops, and as a Montanan, I am proud.
On behalf of all Montanans, I want to
thank the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and
Airmen who volunteer to serve in harm’s way.
Their commitment does not – and will not –
go unnoticed. Deep gratitude is also owed to
their loyal families, supporting them back
home in Big Sky Country. The difficulties of
having a loved one deployed overseas is an
unimaginable sacrifice.
2 / BIG SKY GUARDIAN / Fall 2013
Master Sgt. Marissa Stewart, support operations noncommissioned officer in charge of the 495th Combat
Sustainment Support Battalion, Montana National Guard, meets Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, July 25,
at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Tanya Green, 3rd Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs
When we celebrate the safe return of the
189th and the 495th, we also must recognize
those who returned home safe from deployments and re-deployments from the Montana
National Guard. The 260th Engineering
Company out of Miles City and the 484th
Military Police Company out of Malta
recently returned from overseas, and as the
drawdown in Afghanistan continues, we will
make sure that those who deploy today
return home safely and are greeted with a
hero’s welcome.
I want to make clear that when our citizen
Soldiers return home, the state of Montana
will fulfill its promises to the service members
and their families.
The Yellow Ribbon program, established
to provide support in reintegrating Soldiers
and Airmen returning to Montana after war,
continues to help veterans and their families
every day. Our Soldiers receive mental and
physical health screenings within days of
returning home – thanks to this program. I
am proud to say it has helped thousands of
Montanans in the transition back to civilian life.
In order to live a quality life after returning from deploying overseas, it is critical to
have the opportunity to get a quality job.
Along with health services, the state of
Montana will make sure that upon returning
home from deployment, job opportunities
will be available to our Soldiers and Airmen.
Whether it is returning to a previous job, or
using the job training and education benefits
the state of Montana offers to service members,
I can assure Montanans that we’ll work to be
sure quality jobs are available.
As employers across the state look to fill
positions within their organizations, it is essential we continue to promote the discipline
and job training the National Guard provides.
As natural resource development industries
hire in the eastern part of the state, computer
high-tech startups recruit in the south, and
construction picks up in the west, I want to
remind all employers: Our armed forces
receive world-class training and are beyond
qualified candidates for job openings.
As Lt. Gov. John Walsh and I travel around
the state, we are reminded of how many
veterans call Montana home. Regardless of
whether you call Eureka or Ekalaka home, if
you served in World War II or Iraqi Freedom,
you can be certain you have allies in state
government. Montana’s veterans have a seat
at the table in every decision we make.
Again, I thank every Soldier – and their
families – for their service to Montana and
our country.
MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD
Suicide remains a significant threat to our force. The continued number of suicidal ideations and attempts
is alarming. To help raise awareness and highlight available resources, I’ve asked Col. Ireland to write the
TAG article for this edition of the Big Sky Guardian. – Maj. Gen. Matthew T. Quinn
Suicide – Celebrate Life!
By Col. Jeff Ireland, Chief of Staff
Since March 2007, the Montana National Guard has lost seven
Soldiers and three Airmen to suicide. In the last six months, 10
Soldiers and one Airman have either attempted suicide or expressed
suicidal ideas. These are only those we are aware of. How many others
are hurting or have considered suicide as a possibility?
What causes a person to consider taking their life? Can any problem
really be that big? Of the completed and attempted suicides in the
Montana National Guard, there appear to be some common themes.
Relationship issues are almost always a factor. Many involve disputes
between loved ones, a family member/friend or a breakup between a
boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, etc. Alcohol also seems to be a common
factor. For many people, alcohol is used as a relief, a way to help make
the problems go away. While this may work temporarily, in reality for
most situations, alcohol actually makes problems worse as alcohol is
a depressant and risks significantly increase. A person’s ability to
rationalize and make logical decisions when under the influence of
alcohol is hampered and the chance of committing suicide increases.
Depending on the source, Montana ranks in the top three states
with Alaska and Wyoming ranking one and two for number of
suicides per capita. Three of the most beautifully rural and sparsely
populated states in the nation have the highest rates of suicide. No
one knows why more Montanans commit suicide, but we do know
that identifying the risk and getting a person connected to the right
resources as early as possible is the best course of prevention. The
Montana National Guard is committed in doing everything possible
to assist our service members in need.
Two standing Crisis Response Teams, or CRTs, are in Helena and
Great Falls to provide statewide support in partnership with local
representatives from the chains of command to work through crisis
issues. CRTs convene as needed and partner with subject matter
experts to include the chaplain, directors of psychological health,
medical services, transition assistance advisor, etc., to develop appropriate care plans for the affected individual. The CRT works! In almost
every instance, when the CRT has met to assist an affected Soldier or
Airman, the individual wanted help. They wanted to get better but
didn’t know how to start or where to turn to access resources.
Montana National Guard behavioral health providers are now an
integral part of our support team working side by side within our
force to provide assistance to service members and families. Directors
of physiological health, military family life consultants and our
embedded behavioral health providers used during annual periodic
health assessments are all significant resources for the National Guard.
They have made a profound and positive impact by increasing access,
raising awareness and making referrals for behavioral health care
services. Family Program resources such as financial counselors,

MilitaryOne Source services and support from six Family Assistance
Centers located throughout the state are also available. Two additional
full-time chaplains were brought on to increase access and expand
outreach to the eastern portion of
the state. Additionally, resiliency Maj. Gen. Matthew T. Quinn
training is a new benefit that is also
generating a lot of positive feedback.
Stress is a part of life we all must deal with at some point. Regardless of our coping skills, many will need a little help to fully recover
and get back to a state of normalcy. No one should feel they have to
deal with stress alone. Without help, problems generally build until
they reach a point of crisis. These are the times that are most
dangerous. If you need help, please reach out. Contact a Family
Assistance Center specialist, a chaplain or someone you trust to
provide assistance. Getting help early is always better than waiting
until things becomes critical.
Suicide is not an occasion to celebrate but raising awareness,
educating about the signs and symptoms and the resources available
to help those in need is. Together, we can help to reduce our M
ontana
suicide rates and give all Montanans a reason to celebrate.
Montana National Guard Resources
Chaplain Ken DuVall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chaplain Brian Daum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chaplain Cody Roach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chaplain John Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
459-4007
437-1577
461-2396
791-0300
Directors of Psychological Health
Carol Josephson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422-6131
Jerry Palmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788-5334
Military One Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-342-9647
Suicide Hotlines
VA Suicide Hotline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-784-2433
Montana Suicide Hotline. . . . . . . . . . . 1-800-273-8255
Family Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-877-706-7598
Military Family Life Consultant and
Financial Counselors
Family Assistance Centers
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
1st Lt. Angela Richards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465-9928
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
Capt. Cody Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750-6492
The Backbone
Chief Master Sgt. Tim Zumbrun
I
t’s great to be here! For those of you who don’t know me,
allow me a few lines to introduce myself. I am Chief Master
Sgt. Tim Zumbrun, and I’m honored to be serving as your
Montana Air National Guard State Command chief master
sergeant. Prior to assuming my present duties, I spent nearly
17 years with the 219th RED HORSE Squadron, where I most
recently served as the chief enlisted manager. My military background also includes a few years with the 120th Civil
Engineering Squadron and four years in the active duty Air
Force as a security policeman. Since joining the Montana Air
National Guard, I’ve always been a “drill status” member, but
I’ve also had the opportunity to serve on three separate deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi
Freedom. I’ve found a career in the Montana Air National
Guard to be a challenging and rewarding experience, and I
look forward to my new duties.
My wife, Johna, and I both grew up in Montana and come
from ranching backgrounds. We currently live and work in
Absarokee, where we have chosen to raise our two sons, Trevor
and Tucker, and where we can be near the rest of our family.
Chief Master Sgt. Timothy Zumbrun thanks Airmen for their service
as they return from a deployment to Afghanistan on April 6, 2011.
National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
Both of us are currently employed by the Absarokee Public
School District, where I am the agriculture education instructor
and FFA advisor.
In the last issue of “The Backbone,” Command Sgt. Maj.
William Cooper discussed the Army National Guard’s promotion
process and suggested that I might discuss what the “Air side”
looks for when promoting our Airmen. While our promotion
processes in the ANG might differ a bit from those of the Army,
we are still looking for those qualities that indicate you are the
“right face, in the right place, with the right skill set.” With that
said, let’s be very clear: “Promotion eligible” does not mean you
will automatically get promoted. Air National Guard Instruction (ANGI) 36-2502 “Promotion of Airmen” very clearly
spells out the minimum requirements that must be met before
a member is considered “promotion eligible.” Furthermore, the
instruction states, “The fact that a member meets each of the
eligibility criteria outlined in [the] instruction does not automatically guarantee promotion to the next higher grade.” Other
promotion considerations include: a recommendation from the
member’s immediate commander; a current passing fitness
assessment within the past 12 months that is current through
the projected date of promotion; possession of an appropriate
skill level, though a few exceptions exist; adequate TIS/TIG;
assignment in a unit vacancy position, unless being promoted
under the Deserving Airman or Exceptional Promotion Program;
and the ability to meet the ANG Service Commitment for
promotions to the grade of E-7 through E-9. Validation of an
Airman having met these requirements is annotated on the
appropriate MTANG Form 21 (Recommendation for Promotion)
and submitted through the member’s chain of command.
Members being recommended for promotion to the grades of
E-5 through E-9 must meet a formal promotion board prior to
promotion approval.
So, what can you do to be successful? As you rise in rank,
the availability of unit vacancy promotions becomes fewer. (It
stands to reason that we would have fewer master sergeants
than senior Airmen.) I believe your competitive edge falls back
to your job performance, education (both civilian and military),
leadership qualities and an ability to meet and exemplify the
Air Force Core Values. “Integrity First”: Be the kind of person
who does the right thing all the time, on and off duty. Furthermore, know yourself. Identify your weaknesses, admit to them
and work on turning them into strengths. “Service Before Self”:
Take the initiative. Be willing to work harder than most, yet be
a team player. This sometimes means having to make some
personal sacrifices, but we must do what it takes to accomplish
the mission while taking care of people. “Excellence in All We
Do”: I’ve never liked the saying “It’s good enough for
government work.” Ask yourself, “Is my
work good enough for my family?” When
you take on a task, put your best effort into
it. None of us will ever be perfect, but we can
strive to excel.
After having all of the “check boxes” filled
and meeting the minimum requirements for
promotion eligibility, think about what sets
you apart from your peers. Have you demonstrated high levels of initiative, self-development, community involvement and a
commitment to the profession of arms? Have
you demonstrated competence in your career
field, supervision and/or management skills
and a willingness to take on more responsibility? DON’T WAIT until the opportunity
for promotion presents itself before getting
ready. Plan, prepare and p
osition yourself to
take advantage of the opportunity when it
becomes available. Lastly, don’t be afraid to
ask for some help and guidance along the
way. Communicate with your immediate
supervisor often, and especially during your
retention interviews. During your conversations, express your ambitions and ask them
to help you get the experiences necessary to
grow as an Airman and NCO. That is part of
their job!
It is my desire that each of you reading
this will spend some time reflecting on your
personal goals, the steps you have already
taken to achieve your aspirations and those
steps that remain to be accomplished. I am
honored to serve with you in the Air National
Guard as your State Command chief master
sergeant. I realize I did not get here without
help. I’ve had the good fortune to have great
mentors, peers, supervisors, family and faith.
Together, they make up a lifelong support
structure to which I will always be grateful. I
hope you enjoy the same benefit.
I thank you and your families for your
service, and I look forward to getting out and
visiting with you in the near future. Be safe,
and God bless!
190th CRD does UBRR
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Russell R. Reed, 1889th RSG PA-NCOIC
Members of the Montana Army National Guard’s 190th Chemical
Recon Detachment conducted their Upper Body Round Robin on July
13 at Fort Harrison as part of their physical fitness readiness testing.
The UBRR, a rigorous and challenging event, tests a Soldier’s a bility
to do physical activities such as pushups, situps, pullups, dips, bench
press, a rope climb, a four-by-25-meter shuttle run, a five-mile run
and a ruck-swim-ruck, and more.
“We need something throughout the year for the guys here to see
how they have developed mentally and physically,” said Staff Sgt. Kale
M. Wetherell, 190th CRD team leader.
Staff Sgt. Emiliano C. Zell, 190th Chemical Recon Detachment readiness noncommissioned officer and assistant team leader, maneuvers a vertical log
obstacle at the Fort Harrison obstacle course on July 13.
Left, Staff Sgt. Emiliano Zell, left, and Sgt. Billy J. Garcia, 190th CRD team members, put their boots
and socks on after the swim portion of their ruck-swim-ruck at Spring Meadow Lake in Helena, July
13. Garcia and Zell led the way throughout the ruck-swim-ruck event during the Upper Body Round
Robin conducted on and around Fort Harrison.
“It (the UBRR) gives you the benchmark
to know how your personal training is going
within the team,” Wetherell said.
The events were conducted on and around
Fort Harrison. The day started with a focus
on the upper body. From there, members of
the 190th CRD ran five miles, starting on the
Prairie Trail near Mount Helena, and ending
at their team room on Fort Harrison.
The 190th CRD also conducted a grueling
ruck march, which for the most part was
more of a run. It went from their team room
on Fort Harrison to Spring Meadow Lake,
where they swam along the shore, and then
they rucked back to their team room.
For Sgt. Billy J. Garcia, one of the newest
members of the 190th CRD, this was his first
drill, and he led the way throughout the ruck
and swim event. Previously a member of
Alpha Company, 1-163rd Infantry Battalion,
in Billings, he is already proving to be a
valuable Soldier for the 190th CRD.
When Garcia was asked how he maintained his high physical readiness, he said,
“You gotta do it all the time, not just on
Guard time.”
Members of the 190th CRD also completed
a section of the Fort Harrison obstacle course
that same afternoon. The physical demands
on these Soldiers throughout the day were
incredibly high.
While these physical requirements were
high, the mental requirements were equally
demanding.
Soldiers need to maintain a high level of
proficiency, as their job requirements vary
from being able to take fingerprints of key
individuals to assisting other agencies with
their forensics skills and equipment.
The 190th CRD’s forensics teams consist
of three, four-person groups.
Col. Steven R. Watt, 19th Special Forces
Group (Airborne) in Utah, explained the
190th CRD’s mission.
“They utilize forensics, to include bio
metrics, and gather information to package
and send to the data analysis folks,” said Watt.
“The intel groups are then able to identify
enemy activities and persons to target activities
that may be underway.”
The 190th CRD is also recognized for
what they do in the forensics field.
“They (the 190th CRD) are among the
elite forces in the Special Operations Forces
that I command,” Watt said. “A National
Guard unit, the 190th CRD, has set the
standard for all Special Forces Groups, active
and Guard.”
Their training has placed them in high
regard. Constant and continual training has
led to this success. Physically and mentally
ready, the 190th CRD stands as a well-
organized and equipped group of Soldiers,
prepared to deploy at home and abroad.
Staff Sgt. Miles B. Baughman, 190th CRD team leader, finishes a low crawl under wire on the
Fort Harrison obstacle course July 13. The 190th CRD conducted the Upper Body Round Robin, a
strenuous test of a special operations Soldiers’ physical readiness.
Making Montana
more
resilient
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Bryant, MTARNG Resilience Coordinator
On May 23 the Montana Army National
Guard passed a resilience milestone. On that
date, we became the 12th state to achieve
100 percent qualification for master resilience
trainers. Additionally, during that same time,
the resilience training assistant program has
trained nearly 300 individuals. The success
of these programs within the Montana Army
National Guard is a direct reflection upon
the Soldiers and leaders of this organization
who have taken an active role in supporting
and promoting it for the well-being of our
Soldiers.
The Department of the Army’s Resilience
Training Program was developed at the Army’s
request in 2008 by the Master of Applied
Positive Psychology program at the University
of Pennsylvania. This was done in response
to the rise in cases of post-traumatic stress
disorder and other mental health issues
affecting veterans returning from deployment.
Resilience is based in positive psychology
and the idea that by making the Soldier
better able to deal with adversity through the
methods taught in the class, we will make
better Soldiers and leaders.
As the state resilience coordinator, Sgt. 1st
Class Kyle Bryant said, “Ultimately, resilience
is about making choices and being aware of
how our choices help or harm us in any
situation we face.”
This is all done through skills the Soldier
learns throughout the course that help each
person to go through life at a higher level of
happiness and satisfaction so that when the
rough times do come, they don’t bring that
person down so low they can’t cope. The
learned skills speed up the recovery process and
the return to normal for an affected Soldier.
Resilience training in Montana started in
September 2010 when Maj. Tracy Anderson
became the first Soldier from our state to
attend master resilience training and was
appointed as the state resilience coordinator
as an additional duty. During this time,
Anderson successfully grew the program to
the point where a full-time administrator was
needed. In March 2012, Bryant was selected
and appointed to that position. As a recent
graduate of the MRT course, Bryant was
energized and took the ball and ran with it.
He began RTA classes immediately, with
excellent results.
Since Bryant took over, RTA classes have
been conducted in Helena, Billings and
Kalispell. Nearly 300 personnel have received
training in these valuable skills through the
RTA courses, and MRT numbers have
exploded from five to 45. The class has been
given not only to Soldiers, but has also
been opened up to their families, civilian
technicians, state of Montana workers, Veterans
Administration employees and employees of
veteran service organizations. The course
and its ideas have really caught on.
Aside from the mandatory quarterly
resilience refresher training, resilience classes
were also used in support of the suicide
stand-down training conducted by the
Montana Army National Guard in 2012.

Through this, some of the most valuable parts
of the program were made available to the
entire Montana Army National Guard.
The support of the command has been
instrumental in the success of the program,
which falls under the purview of Col. Tim
Thurston, the G1 director of Army personnel
for the state of Montana.
According to Thurston, “Properly executed,
resilience training results in higher retention
in the short term, and better individual and
unit performance in the long term.”
The aggressive nature in which this
program has been marketed and prioritized
within the Montana Army National Guard
has directly resulted in its successful growth.
Another huge factor in the excellent
numbers that Montana is able to post regarding the resilience training is the efforts of
graduates of the MRT and RTA courses.
Recent RTA graduate Sgt. Carle Rae R
attler
had this to say about the program and its
effect on her: “With resilience training, I
understand and have more patience with my
family, work and life in general. I do believe
that resilience training has helped me to cope
with my life and stress. I learned how to
bounce back from a down day, how to be
more positive.”
It is testimonials such as this one that will
serve as the backdrop for continued recruiting efforts for this class.
So what is the future of resilience training
in Montana?
Bryant says he wants to take the show on
the road.
Near-term plans call for classes in Billings,
Miles City, Kalispell and Missoula in the
coming year in addition to the staple classes
conducted in Helena. In the long term, the
sky is the limit. At the state and national
level, expect the focus to shift slightly away
from the MRT classes to the overall Comprehensive Soldier & Family F
itness, or CSF2,
program that includes not only mental
resilience as taught in MRT and RTA classes,
but financial and physical
resilience,
resilience for teens and many other areas that
can be extremely helpful to Soldiers and their
families.
Those interested in CSF2 can access it
through the Global Assessment Tool found on
Army Knowledge Online or directly through
the following link: www.csf2.army.mil.
Leaders are also able to use these links to
check which of these tools their Soldiers
have been accessing.
As Soldiers, we realize that much of our
lives are what we make of them. Through
resilience, Soldiers and their families have
learned to deal better with adversity and to
appreciate what they have. For those who
have not yet been, please contact your unit
leadership and express your desire to attend.
For those of us who already understand,
keep hunting the good stuff!
prepares Airmen for NCO ranks
By Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson,
120th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
Eleven Airmen assigned to the 120th
Fighter Wing and the 219th RED HORSE
Squadron are receiving their professional

military education at home station in Montana
through the use of satellite technology.
The Airmen are enrolled in the Satellite
Airman Leadership School taught from a
television studio located nearly 2,000 miles
away at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard
Base near Knoxville, Tenn.
Ten sites nationwide are participating
in the training, which uses one-way video
and two-way audio to connect the students
with their instructors with a near real-time
capability.
Airman Leadership School is designed for
Airmen to develop valuable leadership and
communication skills and to prepare them
for advancement in their careers.
Two on-camera certified instructors lead
the class through p
ractical exercises and
assign homework. The students demonstrate
their new knowledge in team assignments
and through class discussions. Four Montana
Tech. Sgt. Caleb Rose and Tech. Sgt. Jenny Sanchez, both enlisted professional education instructors
at the Paul H. Lankford Enlisted Professional Military Education Center, McGhee Tyson Air National
Guard Base, prepare for an upcoming television broadcast April 17.
U.S. Air National Guard photo: Master Sgt. Kurt Skoglund
The first class made up of Montana Air National Guard Airmen to attend the Satellite Airman Leadership School pose for a class photo on their second day
of instruction at the 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls on May 5. U.S. Air National Guard photo: Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
Senior Airman Julie LaRocque completes a class assignment during the second day of instruction
of the Satellite Airman Leadership School taught at the 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls on May 5.
U.S. Air National Guard photo: Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
Air National Guard noncommissioned officers
have attended class at McGhee Tyson and are
certified to assist with the instruction at
home station.
The satellite instruction is one of three
methods Airmen can use to satisfy the course
required for promotion. Students can also
opt to take a five-week in-residence course
taught at McGhee Tyson or they can take the
entire course in a correspondence version.
Airmen enrolled in the satellite version
will spend five weekends in a 120th Fighter
Wing classroom and then attend a two-anda-half week in-residence session taught at
McGhee Tyson.
Master Sgt. Dennis Dadej is the 219th
RED HORSE Squadron Unit Training Manager
and serves as a local ALS facilitator. He says
the satellite version provides the students
with the advantages of a classroom environment and lets them avoid having to take the
difficult ALS correspondence course.
“It’s a very rewarding experience. You just
miss so much by the Career Development
Course. The CDC is packed with a lot of
information, which is good, but you don’t get
the social skills, the interaction with your
peers, the negotiating skills. Those experiences
you just can’t get by CDCs,” said Dadej.
This is the first time that ALS has been
offered in a satellite version to members of
the MTANG and students have enjoyed being
able to participate in the initial program.
“I think it’s cool to be one of the first ones to
go through it. I guess it’s a learning experience
for everyone, but it’s been fun so far,” said
Senior Airman Mike Beaver.
“I think I’ll have a better understanding of
the material, actually. That’s one of the reasons
I’m glad I did this course, aside from just
doing the CDC booklets. I’ll be able to
understand the material a little better – that’s
my hope, and I’ll bring a lot out of it,” said
Senior Airman Michael Bates.
120th Fighter Wing force development
superintendent and local ALS facilitator,
Senior Master Sgt. Tiffany Franklin, predicts
that the satellite program will become a more
important method of delivering education to
Airmen in the future. The program is not
only cost-effective for the Air Force, but it is
also convenient for the students to attend at
their local base.
“I think it’s always most important and
best for the Airman to attend in-residence.
And this is a great way to do it without
having to be gone from your family for six
weeks,” Franklin said.
Students who successfully complete the
entire satellite ALS course will receive inresidence credit from the United States Air
Force.
By Spc. Kristin C. Schaeffer, 103rd PAD
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jake Wiegand, Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Kevin Millard, Sgt. 1st Class Robert
Evans, Sgt. Curtis Emerich and Pfc. Drew Closson
complete water bucket training July 9. Their mission:
to practice procedures necessary to support possible
wildland firefighting efforts for the state of Montana.
The crew took off in a Boeing CH-47 C
hinook helicopter
and lifted up to 2,000 gallons of water in a Bambi
Bucket on a 140-foot line each trip to drop on targets.
Despite being down in numbers due to deployment,
the members of 1-189th are prepared for the 2013 fire
season.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center (www.nifc.gov),
36,279 fires burned 4,045,792 acres in Montana in 2012.
IN KYRGYZSTAN
Montana National Guard’s 95th Troop
Command Military Engagement Team
conducts biggest bilateral exercise in
Kyrgyzstan since 2002
By Maj. Christ Lende, 1889th Public Affairs Officer
At 7 a.m. May 20, while the 95th Troop Command’s Military
Engagement Team was in Kyrgyzstan, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake
struck the Kyrgyz Republic, with the epicenter 25 kilometers southeast of the village of Akbashat in the Moscow region of Chui province.
Fortunately for all those involved, this was a “notional” – invented for
an exercise scenario – earthquake, and the start of the search and
rescue exercise between National Guard, FEMA, and Kyrgyz rescuers.
The scenario was designed to allow first responders to train for
several possibilities: trapped casualties in collapsed buildings and on
upper floors of partially collapsed structures, fires and electrical
outage, leaks from a chemical tank, and disruption of other utilities.
“The training we received with our FEMA counterparts in Salt Lake
City really helped prepare us for this mission,” said Master Sgt. Mike
Anderson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Montana
National Guard Search and Rescue Team.
The “earthquake” was a year in the planning, and was just part of
an international exercise on a scale not seen by the Montana National
Guard since an international workshop on emergency response nearly
11 years before. “This exercise took a lot of coordination from multiple
agencies. I am really proud that it all came together,” said Maj. Shawn
Kaufman, officer in charge of planning the earthquake mission.
U.S. participants included the Montana National Guard 95th Troop
Command Military Engagement Team and State Partnership Program,
the Mississippi National Guard 66th Troop Command MET, teams from
U.S. Army Central Command, Army Global Civil-Military Emergency
Preparedness, volunteers from FEMA’s Utah Task Force 1 Urban
Search and Rescue team, and the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at
the Transit Center at Manas International Airport. All told, 49 U.S.
personnel went to Kyrgyzstan to participate in the exercise, and
another dozen or so personnel already in the country helped support it.
More than 17 Kyrgyz ministries, including the Ministry of Defense,
Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Interior, Border Service,
and other services and organizations took part, with personnel totaling
more than 300. The exercise took place at the National Center for
Preparation of Rescuers of the MES, with three days of train-up
A rescuer of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations reaches for tools
during confined space rescue. Photos: Courtesy Montana MET Team
followed by three days of the actual exercise and after action review.
“It was really amazing seeing this event come together. This was the
largest exercise I have been a part of in the Kyrgyz Republic since
2002,” said Maj. Galen McAllister, Montana National Guard State
Partnership Program manager.
The MET is a National Guard pilot program, and a solution to a
Geographic Combatant Command problem of not enough forces to
conduct necessary security cooperation missions worldwide. In 2010,
the Quadrennial Defense Review directed the services to build the
capacity of partner states through “strengthening and institutionalizing
general-purpose force capabilities.”
Army MTOE/TDA capabilities lacked the ability to provide subject-
matter expertise in disaster preparedness/consequence m
anagement,
critical infrastructure protection, counter-narcotics trafficking, professional military development, and international port and border
security. In response, National Guard Bureau’s Operations developed the
MET as a pilot initiative that can answer these needs while simultaneously
providing training for National Guard forces. For the tryout years, the MET
is aligned with the State Partnership Program to leverage SPP’s e xperience,
but in the longer term, the MET is intended to deploy worldwide.
Both Montana and Mississippi METs specialize in disaster preparedness/
consequence management. Although the State Partnership Program also
provides this capability through ad hoc teams, it is limited to partner
nations instead of worldwide. “The GCC also wanted to duplicate the
success of the National Guard’s Agricultural Development Teams in

Afghanistan. Each MET will be regionally aligned with language and
cultural awareness capabilities,” McAllister said.
Each MET is based upon a 15-Soldier team, with the ability to advise
and assist in building military partner capacity. Each team is composed of
subject-matter expert sections and a three-Soldier section for mission
control. The Montana MET spent the past year training a six-man SME
team in urban search and rescue, the skill of safely pulling victims from
collapsed structures. During this current exercise, the U.S. participants
practiced their training while learning to work with their foreign counterparts, exchanging experiences and offering opinions on improvements,
all while training to conduct mission command and search and rescue
operations in a multistory structure.
The exercise provided a unique opportunity to accomplish other
missions. In all, during the deployment of the MET advance party and
the retrograde of the main body, several missions were executed. The
Montana MET was responsible for overall exercise coordination and
urban search and rescue. With so many participants, the Montana MET
definitely got a chance to practice coordinating logistics, interpreters,
overseas contracting, schedules and all the other details that come with
such a deployment.
Army Global Civil-Military Emergency Preparedness used planning
for the event to conduct an assessment of the Kyrgyz National Response
Plan. The Mississippi MET conducted an assessment of the plan’s implementation during execution. “My team had a truly unique experience in
conducting this exercise. It isn’t every day that a National Guard unit has
the opportunity to be briefed on a country’s National Response Plan, see
the plan in action and then give an assessment,” said Lt. Col. Ronald
Beckham, Mississippi National Guard MET officer in charge.
Finally, U.S. Army Central Command, in coordination with the
CENTCOM Global Peace Operations Initiative manager, Montana MET,
and the U.S. Peacekeeping Training Center, conducted an assessment of
the Ministry of Defense’s Level II field hospital, in preparation for an
upcoming deployment to a UN peacekeeping operation. Lt. Col. Paul
Becker, who led the assessment for the MOD’s field hospital, thanked the
Montana National Guard “for the tremendous job you did with the
exercise and assessment. Based on the information gained from that
event, we have multiple critical efforts moving forward.”
For this pilot year, the MTNG MET event was simultaneously an
SPP event, supported by the MSNG’s MET. Montana’s long history of
partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic has won praise from the GCC.
Commodore Gilles Couturier, USCENTCOM deputy director J5, said,
“The Montana National Guard has been instrumental in institutionalizing
the U.S. Military and CENTCOM presence in Kyrgyzstan and building ...
capacity ... You and your command are at the very heart of all the
important work we do in the region.”
The MET mission could not have been a success without all the critical
support received from, among others, the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
stationed at Manas Transit Center, the Office of Military Cooperation at
the U.S. Embassy, and the Utah TF-1 FEMA team. It should also be noted
that TF-1 members took vacation time from their jobs working with the
Salt Lake County Unified Fire Authority in order to be in Kyrgyzstan and
train the MTNG and the Kyrgyz.
The Montana team presents a Search and Rescue T-shirt to
Col. Akhmatov of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Members of Salt Lake City’s Utah Task Force One-Urban Search and
Rescue work with the Kyrgyz MES on rope rescue.
Urban Search and Rescue specialists from the MTNG MET, Kyrgyz
MES, and UT TF-1 USaR teams pose on the ‘rubble pile’ used to
simulate a collapsed structure.
NET Training
Story and photos by Sgt. Britney Hiatt
After months of preparation, Bravo Company, 1-163rd Combined
Arms Battalion, Montana Army National Guard, occupied Limestone
Hills near Townsend on July 13 for their three-week annual training.
During this time, 14 three-man crews completed the new equipment
training and qualified on Montana’s new M-2A3 Bradley Fighting
Vehicles.
At the end of those three weeks, B Company had not only fired and
qualified on the new vehicles, but also validated that they are in working
order, said Staff Sgt. J.R. Middlemas, the full time training noncommissioned officer for B Company and the company master gunner.
This included training on their gunnery skills, assembly and
disassembly of their 25 millimeter gun, basic crew tasks and how to
react in the event of a rollover, Middlemas said.
He said that the training also aimed at teaching the crew how to
work as a team.
“For the NET we have 42 crewmen, three per vehicle, and we have
14 vehicles. Then we have three or four vehicles from Headquarters
Headquarters Company of the 1-163rd with us. So 54 crewmen in all
had to get trained up on the new equipment,” Middlemas said.
“The last time we shot gunnery was in 2009,” Middlemas said.
“So we have a lot of new faces and a lot of new guys that don’t have
experience on the Bradley, which is good because we are a mechanized
infantry unit, and we need to get back to our roots in that regard.”
“It’s definitely an adrenaline rush,” said Spc. Aaron Crouch, a new
gunner with B Company. “It’s pretty exciting. That was the first time I
ever shot one, and it was definitely shocking.”
The culminating event was qualifying on Table 6, said 1st Lt. Peter
Akey, executive officer of B Company.
“Table 6 is basically a live fire, a combination of defensive and
offensive engagements,” he said. “There’s manual engagement, commander’s engagement; there’s also short-halt engagements, auxiliaries
site engagements and more that test the crew and ensure that they’re
qualified on the weapons system.”
There are two different guns they had to fire, Middlemas said.
There is the 25 millimeter and the coax.
“Usually you have to shoot at a truck target,” he continued. “If it’s
over 900 meters, you shoot it with the 25 millimeter; but if it’s under
900 meters than you have to shoot at it with COAX.”
“It’s all these different details that can help them master their
weapons platform,” he said. “It’s all these different skills that our
crews need to know in order to be proficient.”
“The end state would be that we would both have 100 percent,
fully mission capable Bradleys, which the state can sign off on, and at
the conclusion of the NET have 100 percent of our crews qualified on
gunnery Table 6,” Middlemas said.
Limestone Hills also offers a unique experience for Soldiers
qualifying on the Bradleys.
“It’s an interesting range,” Akey said. “A lot of ranges you find
around the country are flat, barren land, where this range has a lot of
elevation change in the targetry. It adds a different depth to gunnery
that you don’t see at lot of places. You might have one target, then
another 400 feet higher.”
“We have targets that are low, that are close; we have targets placed
throughout the whole range,” Middlemas said. “That forces our crews
to really have to scan low and high and from side to side in order to
Before going out to the training range, Lt. Col. Todd Verrill, the executive
officer for the Fort Harrison training center, indicates different points on the
map of the Limestone Hills training range near Townsend, July 29, before
Soldiers head out to the live fire range for training on the M-2A3 Bradleys.
engage targets. That’s something fairly unique compared to any range
that I have shot on.”
The other thing the Limestone offers B Company is that it is located
in Montana, Akey said. That saves the unit a lot of time and money
during AT because they don’t have to travel to another state for
required training.
Akey said the unit hopes to go to AT next year and complete Table
12, which would include B Company Bradley crewmembers and
dismount teams, or Soldiers on foot, doing maneuvers together

during a live-fire exercise.
A Soldier checks over the M-2A3 Bradley his crew is assigned to at the
Limestone Hills range outside of Townsend, on July 29. When the crews
aren’t training on their equipment, they are doing maintenance checks to
make sure everything works properly.
Veterans Benefits Administration
By Mike Haegle, VBAFHAR
The Veterans Benefits Administration at Fort Harrison processes
claims for compensation and pension benefits for retired, pending
retirement, traditional and full-time National Guard. If you have been
injured while on active duty or while on annual training (Line of Duty
specific) you may qualify for compensation benefits.
There are several ways you can file a claim: You can file online
through VONAPP (www.vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp), or eBenefits
(https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal); file in person at the
Fort Harrison Regional Office, just inside the Fort Harrison VA Center,
or file utilizing a veterans’ service organization/officer. VSOs are
trained representative for their respective organizations who can assist
you (at no expense) with your claims. VSOs located at the Fort
Harrison Regional Office represent Disabled American Veterans;

Veterans of F

oreign Wars; Military Order of the Purple Heart;
American Legion; and the Montana Veterans Affairs Division. MVAD
offices are also located around Montana in Belgrade, Billings, Butte,
Great Falls, Havre, Kalispell, Lewistown, Miles City and Missoula. See
the contact information below.
Fully Developed Claims Program. Fully developed claims, or
FDC, are claims filed by veterans that are just that – fully developed.
Veterans may file an FDC for compensation for an injury, disability or
condition believed to have occurred or been aggravated by military
service, OR a condition caused by or aggravated by an existing
service-related condition. To apply using the FDC program you need
to ensure that you include with your claim form the following documents: proof of service (DD214 or NGB 22), copy of service treatment
records from the National Guard or location they are kept if you are a
retired veteran; copies of all pertinent private medical records; and
“buddy statements” or statements from persons who have firsthand
knowledge of the incident that may have caused your injury if a Line
of Duty or m
ilitary medical evidence is not available.
If filing an original claim (veteran has never filed before) or new
claim (veteran has never filed for this medical condition before), you
need to submit medical evidence of a current physical or mental disability, AND evidence of an event, injury or disease in service, AND
evidence of a nexus or link between the event in service and your
current medical condition. For a reopened claim (veteran has filed for
this condition but was denied, and the denial is more than one year
old), you need to submit new and material evidence (evidence that
has never been provided and that is pertinent to the condition
claimed). If filing for an increased evaluation (veteran has already
been found service-connected for the condition), you need to submit
medical e vidence that the condition has increased in severity. For a
secondary disability claim (veteran has a new condition that has
developed due to a service-connected disability), you would need to
provide medical evidence that shows that the new condition was
caused by OR was aggravated by an already existing service-connected
disability.
To participate in the FDC program you would submit claims on the following VA EZ forms.
COMPENSATION CLAIMS – Submitted on VA Form 21-526EZ
• Service connection (original, new, secondary, reopened claims)
• Increase compensation
• Individual unemployability
• Increased benefits based on special monthly compensation (aid and attendance and housebound)
• 1151 claims – claims due to injuries/illnesses while being treated at a VA hospital or clinic
• Service connection based on period of inactive or active duty for training
• Special adapted housing or special home adaptation
• Automobile allowance or adaptive equipment
• Temporary 100 percent for hospitalization or convalescence (Par. 29 and Par. 30)
• Benefits based on veteran’s helpless/seriously disabled child
PENSION CLAIMS – Submitted on VA Form 21-527EZ
• Special monthly pension (aid & attendance or housebound)
• Improved pension
• Improved pension based on helpless/seriously disabled child
ACCRUED BENEFITS OR SURVIVOR’S DIC
Submitted on VA Form 21-534EZ
• Accrued benefits
• Death/indemnity claim (DIC) based on service-connected cause of death
• DIC based on 38 U.S.C. §1318 or 38 U.S.C §1151 DIC
• DIC based on active duty for training or inactive-duty training death
• DIC pension and parents’ DIC
• Increased survivor benefits (aid and attendance or housebound)
• Benefits for a veteran’s helpless/seriously disabled child
Your claim can be excluded from the FDC program if:
• Veteran indicates a desire NOT to have the claim processed in FDC
• Veteran has a claim pending at the time of receipt of the EZ Form
• Veteran has an appeal pending at the time of receipt of the EZ form
and the claims folder is no longer at the New Orleans Regional
Office (folders sent for VBMS scanning do not exclude FDC)
• The claim requires a character of discharge determination
• The claim requires development for records in the custody of the
veteran’s Guard/Reserve unit(s) or further evidence from a
private medical provider
• The claim requires ANY development beyond
– requesting records from the Federal government (other than
Guard/Reserve units)
– Federal treatment records such as VAMC treatment records
– VA examination/DBQ
• Veteran fails to report for an examination, unless it is solely the
fault of VA (for example VA did not have the correct address of
record)
• A supplemental claim, additional evidence, or a NOD on any
claim is received from the Veteran after receipt of the FDC
If you have questions or concerns about the FDC program and whether you are submitting all the necessary documentation, please
contact a Veterans Service Representative at the Fort Harrison Regional Office, a VSO or the FDC website at www.benefits.va.gov/fdc/.
Points of Contact:
Veterans Benefits Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-827-1000
American Legion/Montana Veterans Affairs Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406-495-2081
Disabled American Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406-495-2089
Military Order of the Purple Heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406-495-2085
Veterans of Foreign Wars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406-495-2086
120th Fighter Wing prepares for aircraft conversion
By Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson, 120th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
The commander of the 120th Fighter Wing of the Montana Air
National Guard says his unit is ready to begin the conversion process
from the F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft to the C-130 Hercules transport
aircraft.
Col. J. Peter Hronek held a press conference on Great Falls Air
National Guard Base with members of the local media June 18 to
outline the steps needed to begin a successful transition to the new
aircraft mission for the Great Falls unit.
Earlier that day, the first F-15 fighter aircraft left Great Falls bound
for Fresno, Calif., marking the beginning of the transfer of F-15
aircraft to the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National
Guard. Maj. Jon Burd flew the first of 21 aircraft slated to transfer
from Montana to California.
Hronek briefed the local news reporters on the transfer of the
aircraft and the positive future of the 120th Fighter Wing as it transitions to the new mission.
“Of course it’s going to be sad to see the F-15s leave,” Hronek said.
“It’s probably a little more significant just because of seeing us transition from a fighter unit of 66 years of history into an airlift mission.
Both are great missions for the United States Air Force and the state.
So we’re moving on. There will be a little sense of loss, but also great
excitement of what we now have in the future C-130 mission.”
During July and August, the unit will send four F-15s to Fresno.
Seven will leave in September and the final eight aircraft will transfer
to Fresno or future depot maintenance during October, Hronek said.
Support equipment for the F-15 is also being transitioned to the
California Air National Guard.
Hronek said that the 120th Fighter Wing will become nonmissioncapable in the F-15 in July and is scheduled to begin their capabilities
in the C-130 starting Oct. 1. The conversion status is scheduled to last
three years.
Hronek said that there were three important elements needing to
be in place prior to the C-130 aircraft acceptance: An environmental
assessment is scheduled to be completed in the fall; aircraft maintainers
must be able to work on the new aircraft; and military construction
needs to begin during December-January.
Hronek credited the effort of Montana’s governor and congressional
delegation along with Montana National Guard leadership and the
support of the local community for securing a long-term future m
ission
for the unit.
“The Airmen are the ones who get the job done. So as much as
there’s been uncertainty for the last four years, I think they’re excited
to move ahead, even though it’ll be a little sad to see the F-15s move.
But it’s a great challenge for a long-term future, and I do feel we’ll
always stay engaged for keeping this mission and be viable for the
long term with it,” Hronek said.
Fort Harrison Chapel
The divine history of the
By Maj. Lori Hampa-Chamberlin
On Aug. 15, Montana National Guard’s
state chaplain, Col. Kenneth Duvall, rededicated the Fort Harrison nondenominational
chapel, commemorating its 70th anniversary
with a service, open house and picnic with
live music.
Fort William Henry Harrison was established in 1892 and went through several
building phases before it was authorized a
chapel for religious worship and sanctuary in
1943. At the onset of World War II, there
were only 17 chapels in the U.S. Army inventory. Clearly there was a need, so President
Franklin Roosevelt signed a bill in 1941
authorizing the building of 604 chapels across
the country. Within four years 1,532 mobilization chapels had been built, including the
chapel at Fort Harrison.
Early in the war, Fort Harrison was only a
small National Guard center, but it was also
the training ground for the famous First
S pecial Service Force, that WWII precursor
to today’s Special Forces. Several thousand
Canadian and U.S. infantrymen were here
conducting specialized training for extreme
warfare. In addition, the top secret Camp
Rimini Dog Sled Training Station was nearby.
To support these organizations, active duty
Soldiers assigned to the Station Complement,
Ninth Corps Area Support, the 474th
Quartermaster Truck Regiment and a medical
detachment were also assigned here. Serving
at Fort Harrison from 1942-1945, these
units were diversely mixed groups, including
African-Americans and followers of the

Jewish faith. During that time the military
didn’t quite know what to do with these men,
so they were sent to Fort Harrison, where
they built a chapel.
Just as the FSSF troops were shipping
off to the European Theater, the men of
the 9th Corps and 474th regiment began
Although the Army’s initial intent was
to take down the temporary chapels,
Fort H
arrison’s remains standing and is one of a few
across the nation still in use.
construction. Breaking ground sometime in
April 1943, they spent their summer piecing
together the Fort’s first sanctuary, completing
it in August.
Seventy years ago, on Aug. 15, 1943,
the chaplain of the 474th QM Truck Rgt.,
Benjamin Krasnow, dedicated the new building and officiated over its first service. He
was a rabbi sent to minister to the Jewish
men assigned here.
Fort Harrison’s chapel was a combination
of mobilization chapel and a simpler version
called a theater-of-operations facility. It was
built from a standard U.S. Army “temporary
building” kit and was smaller and simpler in
design. The plain wood-frame, rectangular
construction was set on a concrete foundation
and covered with tar paper on the exterior.
These WWII structures were built to
accommodate multiple faiths: Catholicism,
Protestantism and Judaism. Specally designed
pews had slat backs with folding kneeling
benches, and a mobile, wooden altar
included a walled cupboard alcove to accommodate the Jewish Torah and menorah.
These wartime buildings were built to be
temporary structures that were supposed to
come down after the war. On Fort Harrison,
however, there was interest in saving the
chapel versus tearing it down as the Army
intended.
There have been a few modifications over
the years. Beginning in the late 1940s, shortly
after the war, the first upgrades were intended
to make the structure more sound. The
exterior tar paper cover was replaced with
asbestos tiling, and two officers’ wood
sleeping quarters or “hutments” were moved
from their war training locations and attached
to the sides of the building, changing the
building’s shape into the form of the cross.
Over the following years, general maintenance was conducted to keep the facility
operational. However, in 2009 a major
restoration project was undertaken, which
utilized historically correct replica materials
to replace failing parts of the building. A
vestibule and functioning bell tower and

handmade stained glass windows were
added to the front entrance. The still-in-use
1943 single-pane, wooden windows were
replaced with double-
paned replicas that
look exactly like the originals. The interior
ceiling lights were upgraded with near-exact
replicas. The 1943 inefficient and very loud
heating system was replaced with heating
ventilation tucked up into the open ceiling
joists. Winters on Fort Harrison can be
brutal, but parishioners can now enjoy
warmth from front to back.
Other renovations include a restroom
with potable water, staff offices, a “changing
chamber” for brides, bridesmaids and family
awaiting special events, and sound and
video capabilities. All the upgrades were
meticulously done to maintain the historic
character and appearance of the building,
and while the exterior has changed, the
interior mirrors the original 1943 construction.
Although the Army’s initial intent was
to take down the temporary chapels, Fort
Harrison’s remains standing and is one of a
few across the nation still in use. Utilized
by the National Guard and reserve units
assigned here, it is also available for general
public use. Like congregations in the Helena
community, the Fort Harrison chapel staff
offers all forms of services, including
weddings, baptisms, funerals and other

spiritual observances.
For more information, please contact
324-3307 or 324-3484.
INSPECTORS GENERAL
support both the Soldier and the
CHAIN OF COMMAND
By Lt. Col. Kelly Peterson, IG
Inspectors general do not undermine commands. When a Soldier or Airman presents a
situation to an IG, one of the first questions asked is if the problem has been presented to the
command. Without a doubt, the command teams at every level across the Montana National
Guard solve most of the problems that Soldiers and Airmen experience. Occasionally there
are systemic problems that get into that “too hard to do” block. That is when the inspector
general should get involved.
In today’s military, more rank equals more experience. When a Soldier or Airman presents
a problem to his or her sergeant, it should start a process toward resolution.
If the direct supervisor cannot resolve the problem, then the sergeant should raise it to
the next echelon within the chain of command or chain of concern.
As more experienced individuals get involved, the path to fixing the Soldier’s or Airman’s
problem should become apparent. If a p
roblem gets to a company commander/first s ergeant
level and cannot be resolved, it should go to the battalion/squadron level. This process
should continue until the problem is resolved.
Some problems are time-sensitive and waiting for progression through chains of
command and chains of concern are detrimental for the Soldier/Airman or a family member.
This is a good time for the inspector general to be brought into the process. Leaders at
every level are encouraged to contact the IG in the search for problem resolution. The
inspector general is a resource for both leaders and Soldiers/Airmen to use.
Soldiers and Airmen often query the
inspector general about actions taken by
their command. As fair and impartial fact
finders, IGs examine the situation and
compare actions taken against standards,
regulations and policies. Often the
response back to the Soldier/Airman,
now a complainant, is that the command
did not violate a regulation or policy.
This becomes a “teach and train” session.
The complainant learns, and often the
inspector general working the situation
will contact the command leadership and
discuss possible actions.
The inspector general is a resource for
you, the Soldier, the Airman, the leader
and the family member. They are problem
solvers and advisers. IGs are the eyes,
ears and conscience of the commander.
The goal of the inspector general is to
improve the readiness of the individual
members and units across the Montana
National Guard. Leaders can call the IG
for advice before a situation becomes a
problem. Soldiers and Airmen can call
the inspector general for an experienced
opinion. Family members can call the
inspector general in an effort to better
understand the workings of the military.
And always, the inspector general is here
to help.
TF Vigilante: Sustainment Operations throughout
Regional Command South–Afghanistan
“No ordinary day”
By 1st Lt. Dan Bushnell – Current Operations Officer, 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, TF Vigilante – Afghanistan
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan –
The 495th Combat Sustainment Support
Battalion, Montana Army National Guard,
began its deployment in Afghanistan in late
2012. Conducting the bulk of the sustainment and retrograde lift capability throughout
the Regional Command-South of Afghanistan,
the Operations Section had a daunting task:
Conduct those operations safely, on time,
and with little to no damage to personnel and
commodity trucks while providing your
vehicles security elements.
The battalion in its entirety manages more
than 1,200 personnel, conducting, in addition
to Tactical Convoy Operations, the Supply
Support Activity (the largest in the U.S.
Army), the Central Issue Facility, the Container Receiving and Shipping Point, the
Kandahar Transfer Yard as well as all the
personnel and administrative action for all
personnel under the operational control and
administrative control of the battalion.
In addition, the battalion manages,
through the BN S4 section (logistics) more
than $40 million in contracts, the nontactical
vehicle fleet for the BN and all the classes of
supply needed by the entire BN. The BN S1
section (personnel) manages all administrative and personnel actions for all the Soldiers
assigned to the BN. The S6 (IT/Telcom/
SASSMO) manages the entire BN’s information
management needs, from telephones and
computers to secure video teleconferencing
to the use of the Blue Force Tracker and FM
communications on all Tactical Convoy
Operations conducted by the BN.
The battalion staff members must all take
on additional duties and responsibilities
throughout the deployment. Those include
BN safety officer, BN chemical, biological,
radioactive and nuclear officer, BN public
affairs officer, and aviation travel request
manager duties. These duties and responsibilities have been cross-leveled to all
members of the BN staff, making our success
an overall battalion responsibility.
The heart of the BN operation, however,
is the S3 Operation section. The S3 section
has eight people:
• S3 operations officer – Capt. Kyle
Halseth (Helena)
• S3 NCOIC – Master Sgt. Todd Gerving
(Billings)
• S3 future ops officer – Capt. John Bowe
(Stevensville)
• S3 current ops officer – 1st Lt. Dan
Bushnell (Helena)
• S3 BN TNG NCO – Master Sgt. Ferrin
Spivey (Kalispell)
• S3 BN TOC NCOIC – Sgt. 1st Class
Mike Hardesty (Havre)
•
S3 BN TOC NCO – Sgt. 1st Class
Michelle Burkhart (Bozeman)
• S3 BN night battle NCO – Staff Sgt. Dan
Reese (Kalispell)
All operations of the battalion, from conducting TCOs, additional duties, development
and publishing standard operating procedures,
guard duties, all reporting and even guest
visits are coordinated through the Tactical
Operations Center and these eight folks.
Daunting Task:
“We were fortunate, as a staff to have
some time to work together before this
deployment,” said Halseth. “It provided us a
chance to gel together as a team and identify
our strengths and weaknesses.”
A full-time technician in the J8, MTNG
JFHQ, Halseth is the center for the staff.
“As a staff, our job is to advise and recommend courses of action for the S3 and
battalion commander,” said Gerving. “During
our time thus far, we have really come
together and been able to put the right
people in the right positions to ensure that
the mission is accomplished.”
It’s a daunting task for any operational staff.
However, this was exceptional in that the
Task Force Vigilante, 495th CSSB, has the
largest sustainment operation in Regional
Command-South, supporting brigade sustainment battalions in theater as well as the Supply
Support Activity and Central Issue Facility.
Early on, Halseth delegated all the tasks
out to the staff, as necessary. “We all quickly
learned that we could not do it all and that
we had to work together to meet all the
suspenses and requirements. I was fortunate
to have a staff that was willing and able to
meet all the demands I put upon them. We
really are a team,” he said.
How successful is Halseth’s team? The
battalion as a whole has travelled nearly
425,000 miles thus far and moved about 15
million tons of commodities. This doesn’t
include the hundreds of trucks, trailers, and
other rolling stock items. Operational readiness levels have been above 92 percent
throughout the deployment, and the accident
rate has dropped to only about two per
month. “That has been one of the biggest
indicators of our success thus far – our operational readiness has gone up, and our
accident rate has gone down since we arrived.
More importantly, we’ve been able to sustain
that while we continue to take on additional
mission sets,” said Halseth.
No Ordinary Day
“No day has been the same since we’ve
been here,” said Gerving. “Each day we face
new challenges and problems that we have
not yet encountered, having been here for
over seven months. Each problem we generally have to solve quickly and get a solution,
or simply be overwhelmed.”
One unique problem the BN operations
section was faced with in early March was the
recovery of a downed helicopter. “We were
tasked to assist in the recovery because we
have medium and heavy lift capability within
the BN. Myself and Lt. Bushnell were tasked
and had assets rolling out the door in about
five hours,” said Halseth. We were able to get
the aircraft back to Kandahar Airfield in a
safe and efficient manner. But this is not
something we had ever trained or were
prepared for – we had to use our skill and
experience.” Bushnell also attributes their
success to a lot of fast learning. “We had to
become aircraft-savvy pretty quickly. But it
was a learning experience,” he said.
Since that time, the battalion S3 section
has been called on two additional times to
recover aircraft. “We have become somewhat
of subject-matter experts and gained some
unique skill sets regarding our planning and
execution. It was not a skill I ever want to get
good at because it means that someone is
having a bad day,” explained Bushnell.
Additionally, the 495th has been successful in developing a comprehensive Gun Truck
Academy to prepare and train its subordinate
transportation units in the execution of security escort for its sustainment convoys.
In the early stages of the battalion’s
deployment, the Operations Section, S3,
determined that training was needed to
ensure that every company was instructed in
the standard from the BN Tactical Convoy
Operation SOP and brigade TCO SOP as
well as current theater TTPs. The training
needed to be carried out by officers and
enlisted Soldier with both fire and maneuver
experience and operations experience. What
was the most efficient means to do this while
continuing the on-going sustainment and
retrograde missions? A training event, carried over enough days to ensure that the
standards, processes and
procedures were
taught and understood – from convoy commanders to gunners and drivers. Thus, the
495th CSSB Gun Truck Academy was born.
The first GTA was conducted in early
March 2013 with resounding success. The
second was conducted in June 2013 with the
arrival of a new transportation company. In
total, there are 14 courses taught in the GTA,
some classroom and others hands-on instruction. “Not all topics relate directly to the
classroom. Some can only be taught through
hands-on instruction,” said Halseth. “The
preventive maintenance checks and services
portion, for example, can be discussed in the
classroom, but the hands-on is where the
students really gain an understanding.”
The GTA covers all areas necessary for a
transportation company to conduct sustainment and retrograde operations while
providing its own security elements. “The
academy ensures that the battalion is
establishing the standards, showing units

what is expected every time they conduct a
TCO,” said Halseth. “Although we have an
established SOP, the academy was an opportunity to put that SOP into action, providing
convoy commanders, assistant convoy commanders and truck commanders the opportunity to touch, see and feel the documents,
procedures and processes we expect of them.
And it spawned a great deal of interaction
and critical thinking for the companies and
the S3 staff. This process is ever-critical to
our success.”
The S3 is also constantly challenged with
working with the Afghan national trucking
companies to execute the sustainment and
retrograde missions.
The future
As the battalion prepares to redeploy, the
focus in the coming weeks will be preparing
its inbound unit to take over the mission set.
“The mission we are executing today is
nowhere near the mission set that we were
handed,” explained Halseth. “We have
improved many processes, developed our
own systems and procedures. As we deal
with new challenges, we’ve had to create new
and innovative solutions.”
The 495th CSSB will be handing the reins
over to its sister battalion, the 152nd CSSB
from South Dakota. “We’ve been working
with the command from the 152nd for
several months now. We will be sending folks
to assist them in Fort Hood during their
train-up,” said Halseth. “We want them to
have the best possible handoff, setting them
up to pick up where we left off.”
The 495th CSSB S3 Operation Cell takes a break from planning and execution for a photo. From left, back, Sgt. 1st Class Mike Hardesty (Havre),
Capt. Kyle Halseth (Helena), Master Sgt. Todd Gerving (Billings). Front, Capt. John Bowe (Stevensville), Sgt. 1st Class Michelle Burkhart (Bozeman),
Master Sgt. Ferrin Spivey (Kalispell).
Combat 2
Campus
MSU veterans share their stories
By Molly Reed
Originally published in the MSU Exponent
While many students attending MSU are
looking for new life experiences and a place
to belong, the 539 veterans on campus face
their own unique challenges while navigating their roles as students.
Regarded by Brenda York, director of
Disability, Re-entry, and Veterans Services, as
“completely and irreplaceably valuable to
MSU,” the skills and service of veterans were
also acknowledged by President Waded
Cruzado and Condoleezza Rice through a
special veterans’ reception before Rice’s convocation address last fall.
“[Veterans] offer a different perspective of
world views and history than traditional-age
students,” said York of veterans’ contributions
to the MSU community.
Veterans on campus
Daniel Wussow was commissioned into
the U.S. Air Force in 2006 and separated in
2011 as a captain. After graduating from the
University of North Dakota prior to joining
the military, Wussow is now studying
mechanical engineering at MSU and welding
at Gallatin College.
“Any experience is beneficial,” he said.
“Whether it’s serving in the Air Force or s itting
in a classroom, it’s all a learning experience
that influences you.”
At 41 years old, John Olson has served in
the Navy as an engineering laboratory technician, worked in real estate as well as at a
veterans’ medical center, and currently has a
part-time position at the Museum of the
Rockies. Noting that his age and experience
put him at a more elevated maturity level
than many MSU students, sometimes Olson
feels different from other students in the
classroom. As a Navy veteran, he explained,
“I’ve seen a little bit more than most.”
Odd woman out
Chaparral Berry, 31, is an Army veteran
studying chemical engineering. Having
served in both South Korea and Iraq, Berry
enlisted just after 9/11 to get involved in the
“War on Terror.”
Being a woman in two fields dominated
by men, Berry said, “I am confident in my
role as a female veteran. I like the challenge;
it brings out the best in me when I push
myself.”
“The most common response is surprise
when people find out I am a combat veteran
because I do not fit many people’s ideas
about what that means,” she continued.
“That’s mainly because I do look younger and
even today, people often picture veterans as
older men.”
After starting at MSU as an elementary
education major, she decided after two years
that the major was not a good fit. However,
during her second year on campus, she took
an energy and sustainability class and loved
it. Now, she is being funded by the Undergraduate Scholars Program for research over
the summer.
Berry is conducting her research at a hightemperature corrosion lab. “All my work thus
far has been calculations and reading from a
textbook,” she explained. “Now, I get to do
this work hands-on and see if it’s something I
want to keep doing.”
Transitions
The transition for a veteran from military
to student life is certainly not without its
own set of unique challenges. Some veterans
seamlessly make the transition from structured military life to structured school life.
Yet many veterans like Berry need time to
“decompress” after being in combat arms.
“I couldn’t go right from the Army to school.
I needed to adjust my thinking coming back
to school after two years,” Berry said.
After Iraq, Berry explained that Big Sky
was the perfect place to recuperate and be
alone for a while. Stating anger issues as a big
reason to take this time off, she noted, “If you
have a bad attitude, it’s hard to accomplish
anything. I needed extra time, and I was in a
place that I could take that time.”
For Olson, new learning methods were
challenging for him while getting back into
college. “This generation now has different
methods of learning,” he said, “and sometimes I feel kind of behind because I don’t
know if I know how to study as well as other
people.”
Good experiences,
bad experiences
As the president of the student veterans
club at MSU, Saul Martinez is a full-time
husband, father of two and sociology student.
Enlisted in the U.S. Army for four years, Martinez ended his active duty as an infantry
sergeant in 2010. Since 2011, Martinez has
made Montana his home.
In one of Martinez’s freshman year classes,
he had an argument with another student. It
became messy, involving the misunderstanding of facts concerning current conflicts in
the Middle East. He noted this instance as
something that had a brief, negative impact
on his college life.
“There’s a stigma with combat veterans,”
Martinez said. “People think if someone has
PTSD, you’re a grenade waiting to go off.
That’s not the case.” Martinez described the
treatment for PTSD and why it is important
for veterans with this disorder to not “walk
on eggshells” around people.
“If you talk to a veteran, most of the time,
they’re just normal guys,” he said. “The more
you tell them they have something wrong
with them, the more they’ll act like they do.”
Berry had to retrain her mind in order to
be successful in the classroom. Berry explained
that military men and women are taught
“situational awareness,” to be aware of their
surroundings in all circumstances, especially
when deployed. Because of this, many
veterans do not like people being behind
them, so they sit in the back of the classroom.
“Sitting in the back was a disadvantage for
me,” Berry said. “I would get distracted by
people on their laptops or talking. Sometimes
it made me angry that people were so dis
respectful to the professor by not paying
attention.” In order to fix this problem, Berry
began sitting in the front of her classes,
against what her military-trained mind told
her. “It took awhile to get used to, but now
that I have, I do better in classes.”
Differences within classrooms
Spanning a vast variety of majors, veterans
join all other MSU students in the classroom.
Ranging from 24 to 60 years old, some are
easier to recognize than others, while some
blend into the crowd. “I never had any
negative experiences in school or in the Army
that were based on the fact that I am a woman,
veteran or not,” Berry said. “I have received
nothing but encouragement from the faculty
in the engineering department. They know
that being a veteran gives me an advantage
over some of my peers because of the overseas
and military experience in general.”
With a different point of view, Martinez
noted, “The instances where I have been
singled out are when I speak up about a
certain topic that I have unique knowledge
about.” Martinez explained from his own
experience that over the years, there have
been some unfortunate circumstances where
veterans quit school because of an uncomfortable feeling in classrooms.
Words of wisdom
“The civilian population, especially the
younger population, needs to try to understand what veterans have been through,”
Martinez said. “On the other hand, veterans
need to understand that the younger population hasn’t experienced as much yet.” For
Martinez, this is where the “disconnect” lies
between veterans and traditional college
students in the campus setting.
Elaborating on this disconnect, Berry
noted that there are many non-traditional
students at MSU, not just veterans. “It’s an
eclectic blend,” she explained. “Any diversity
is good, and it makes for a richer environment. I think the veteran population just
adds to that.”
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – Soldiers of the 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, do an Independence Day shout-out
to their friends and family back home. The 1-189th is from the Montana Army National Guard and is headquartered in Helena, but is currently deployed to
the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Jamie Wilkins of Ennis, includes National Guard Soldiers
from Alaska, Kentucky and Indiana, and an active duty unit from Germany.
Butte High School receiver Connor Lane runs a pass route at a local school in Renton, Wash., on
June 22. Lane was one of 12 players from Butte High School selected to represent Montana at
the High School Player Development seven-on-seven football tournament, sponsored by the Seattle
Seahawks. U.S. Army photo: Staff Sgt. Russell R. Reed
MTARNG Recruiting and
Retention teams up with the NFL
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Russell R. Reed, 1889th RSG PA NCOIC
RENTON, Wash. – Seven Soldiers from
Recruiting and Retention and the Mobile Event
Team traveled to Renton, Wash., on June 22
for a seven-on-seven high school football
tournament.
Held at the Seahawks’ training facility,
the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, the
event featured eight teams from three states,
Montana, Idaho and Washington. The M
ontana
Army National Guard sponsored the 12-man
team of student athletes from Butte High
School.
The High School Player Development
program, a partnership between the NFL and
the Army National Guard, is focused on
developing leadership and character skills to
enable student athletes to succeed in the
future. The program also conducts camps
and seminars to teach high school kids football fundamentals on the field. Furthermore,
it allows Soldiers time to connect and
develop a rapport with these young kids.
Events such as this one serve two purposes.
“One, it gets us in front of these kids,”
said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Skates, Recruiting
and Retention marketing noncommissioned
officer.
“Two, it is a positive event for both the
players and the community. It shows the
Montana Army National Guard involved in
hometown athletics and the community,”
Skates said.
This partnership has also introduced the
Guard to these young kids and “is generating
interest as we speak,” added Skates. “No one
just signs up with the Guard after hearing
about it.” This program acts like an “entry
vehicle.”
While this tournament got recruiters into
the high school and community, events such
as this would not occur without the dedication and hard work of the enthusiastic
recruiters and the Mobile Event Team. While
recruiters meet with these kids, there is a lot
more going on behind the scenes.
Soldiers on the MET team work to help
set up the recruiters for success. The team
helps coordinate the events, putting in a lot
of time and travel to make them occur.
The recruiters and the MET started paving
the way for this trip to Renton early on.
Before arriving at the VMAC, Montana
high school football players attended a
seven-on-seven football camp held by the
recruiters and the MET in Butte on June 1-2.
“We set up the events for the recruiters to
create a more fun atmosphere for the kids
there,” said Spc. Chance McDowell, marketing assistant for the MET.
The camp in Butte led to the selection of
the 12 players who competed at the VMAC.
Coached by Arie Grey, Butte High School
head coach, and Mike Schmidt, Butte High
School offensive coordinator, the team did
well at the regional tournament in Renton.
The team posted four wins and one loss,
which occurred in the semifinal game against
Henry Foss High School, Tacoma.
Grey was impressed with the involvement
of the Guard at this event. “Having the Guard
there gave these kids a certain amount of
pride having that support. The kids are going
to remember this opportunity for a long
time,” he said.
The Soldiers interacted directly with the
kids. During the trip they practiced with the
team, throwing pass routes, and offering the
players coaching points. They assisted the
coaches throughout the event as well.
The recruiters and members of the MET
provided everything from transportation to
and from practices and the event itself, to
going out of their way to ensure they had
healthy foods and drinks during the event.
They also provided encouragement from the
sidelines, cheering them on with words of
inspiration and support.
“Most of the other teams (at the tournament) had no direct support from actual
National Guard Soldiers, while Butte High
had seven Soldiers present to support them,”
said Sgt. 1st Class Charles Poland, automations
noncommissioned officer with Recruiting
and Retention.
While the team did not make it to the
From left, Butte High School student athletes Mason Wood and Chase Plum, along with Spc. Chance
McDowell, Mobile Event Team marketing assistant, and Staff Sgt. Justin Clement, Recruiting and
Retention noncommissioned officer in Butte, Mont., watch as play continues at the High School Player
Development football tournament in Renton, Wash., June 23. U.S. Army photo: Staff Sgt. Russell R. Reed
national tournament to represent the Seattle
Seahawks in Cleveland, Ohio, the recruiters
agreed it was a great opportunity to interact
with the kids.
The greatest part of these events is “getting
to be involved with high school kids and
being a positive influence for these kids,”
said Skates.
“Truly, the best part was being with all
these kids,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Clement,
Recruiting and Retention noncommissioned
officer in Butte.
State Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Morgan, Montana Army National Guard, center, watches as Butte High School receiver Dalton Daum, with ball, makes a
catch at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wash., on June 23. Members of the Montana Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention and
the Mobile Event Team traveled to Renton to support the Butte High School team. U.S. Army photo: Staff Sgt. Russell R. Reed
No Place for Drugs in the Montana National Guard
Spice is no exception
By Spc. Kristen Schaeffer, 103rd PAD
While many people may feel that a drug
like Spice – a synthetic marijuana or cannabinoid – is an acceptable alternative recreational
drug, the Montana National Guard stands by
its policy that Spice use is not in line with the
institution’s core values.
“Mind-altering drugs are incompatible with
military service and the Montana National
Guard’s values and ethos,” said Maj. Gen.
Matthew T. Quinn, Adjutant General of the
MTNG. “The recent increase in use of Spice
and other mind-altering drugs threatens to
degrade our readiness and negatively affects
our ability to accomplish the missions at
hand.”
In addition to affecting the MTNG mission,
there can also be no confusion that Spice
is illegal. Army Regulation 600-85 4-2 p &
600-85 4-2p 1 states that:
This regulation prohibits … using the
following substances for the purpose of
inducing excitement, intoxication, or
stupefaction of the central nervous system.
1) Controlled substance analogues such
as synthetic cannabis and other THC
sub

stitutes (“Spice”), derivatives of
2-aminopropanal (“Bath Salts”), synthetic
cocaine (“RTI-126”), or any other substance
similarly designed to mimic the effects of
a controlled substance on the human
body without an approved medical use in
the United States.
Any assumption that using Spice can be
under the radar is false. Testing can and will
detect the presence of Spice, but being
caught using the drug is the least of a service
member’s worries.
The designer drug, made up of herbs
laced with synthetic chemicals varying in
strength and composition depending upon
the manufacturer, has been linked to severe,
sometimes deadly side effects. The varying
chemical makeup of the drug makes it difficult to predict what the side effects will be.
“You don’t know what it’s going to do to
you,” said Professor John W. Huffman,
creator of a series of synthetic cannabinoids
for medical use.
Synthetic THC, one form of which Pfizer
Pharmaceutical Company developed in the
1970s as a pain reliever, can be up to 100 times
more potent than natural forms of THC. In
extreme cases, chemicals used in combination to make Spice have been known to
result in death and kidney failure and more
commonly to cause psychosis, tachycardia
(increased heart rate), paranoia, agitation,
irritability, nausea, vomiting, confusion,
drowsiness and unconsciousness. Addiction
is possible and likely with chronic use.
There is hope.
The Montana National Guard values
each Soldier and Airman. A service member
who finds himself or herself addicted to
Spice or any other illicit drug can get help.
Contact the Montana National Guard Joint
Substance Abuse Program Coordinator, your
chain of command or your Unit Prevention
Leader.
Joint Substance Abuse
Program Coordinator
Staff Sgt. Robert Clark
Building 230
1956 Mt. Majo Street
Fort Harrison, MT 59636
Phone: 406-324-3182
Fax: 406-324-4813
Email: [email protected]