p.

48

The Path To Get Tabbed

Go For It!

Inside the Guards heroics after the marathon bombings

p. 68

TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH

Guard teams push their. limits in the grueling Best. Ranger Competition.
Vol 10 | Issue 3
2013 Warner Bros. Ent. Inc. TM & DC Comics TM & 2013 Army National Guard

MAN OF STEEL

A WORKOU FIT FOR T T HE

FEATURES
VOL. 10 | ISSUE 3

F LY.
DECODE.
The Man of STeel iS counTing on you. DeSTRoy aS Many TaRgeTS aS you can WiTh youR eXPeRiMenTal WeaPon. STeaDy a choPPeR oVeR a lanDing Zone. DeciPheR The encRyPTeD MeSSageS. Play The cuTTing-eDge gaMe WiReleSSly WiTh youR MoBile DeVice. Be a SolDieR of STeel.

S H O OT.

36
> Cover Story

48
> Feature > Legacy

68

98
> On the Road

98 In the Company of Patriots

48 How Tough Are You?

S O L D I E R O F S T E E L . c o m
PLAY THE GAME WATCH INTERVIEWS DOWNLOAD THE WORKOUT SEE MOVIE CONTENT

On April 15, Boston fell victim to the nation's worst terror attack since 9/11. But it also witnessed extraordinary acts of heroism and humanity, especially from three Guard Soldiers. By James Sullivan > Feature

Airborne, Air Assault, Sapper, Pathfinder, Ranger. These specialty schools, among the most prestigious in the Army, will test your mettle and change your life. Heres why you should apply, and what youll do. By Ronnie Brooks

68 60 Hours of Hell

The Best Ranger Competition is a marathon of skills, strength and endurance that only a fraction of the nations elite Soldiers can even enter. What does it take to win? More than you can possibly imagine.
By Stephanie Inman

36 Scouts in the Sky

Unmanned Aircraft Systems spy on our enemies like never before, save Guard Soldiers lives and have transformed the way America fights. A closer look at three ultra-advanced vehicles being deployed today.
By Susan Katz Keating

62 The Pride of the Guard

> Strength

Why the Indiana Rangers, the only Guard infantry unit to see combat in the Vietnam War and the recipients of more than 500 decorations, are considered to be among the fiercest group of warriors the Guard has ever seen. By MAJ Darrin Haas

78 Forged in Steel

Fitness expert Mark Twight helped the cast and stunt crew of Man of Steel get into top shape. Now he's developed a training plan for Guard Soldiers so you can feel like Superman, too.
Program and workout by Mark Twight

JUNE 14

NATIONAL GUARD and all related elements are trademarks of and Army National Guard and its use does not constitute an indorsement of DC Comics or Warner Bros.

IN EVERY ISSUE

L  ETTER FROM

LEADERSHIP

FROM 7 LETTER THE EDITOR

8 MAILBAG

12 RECON

AAR: LTG (Ret.) 106 H Steven Blum

GXONLINE.com 3

INTENSE SEQUENCES OF SCI-FI VIOLENCE, ACTION AND DESTRUCTION, AND FOR SOME LANGUAGE

MAN OF STEEL and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and DC Comics.

DEPARTMENTS
10 Rapid Fire
A quick round of Guard and DoD briefings Guard Soldiers lend a hand to a commercial before the release of the new film Man of Steel; an alternative uniform to the ACU debuts; and more.

Letter

from leadership

CW5 Thomas G. Ensminger

Soldiers,
We can and should make a difference, especially within our own ranks. By excelling in our duties, we will improve the overall effectiveness of the ARNG.
Warrant officers are technical experts as well as leaders in our fields. We are expected to set the best standard for our colleaguessuperiors and subordinates alike. Warrant officers have a perspective that differs from those of commissioned and noncommissioned officers. But as leaders, we share common interests and responsibilities. We take care of Soldiers while mentoring them for advancement. We focus on our missions for the betterment of the Army National Guard (ARNG). We are all on the same team. The immediate future for our force will be different from what weve experienced over the past decade. There will be fewer deployments and different challenges. Smaller budgets impact all of us, especially those responsible for maintaining high levels of technical expertise. This will be difficult but will present opportunities for warrant officers to go above and beyond what is expected. We can and should make a difference, especially within our own ranks. By excelling in our duties, we will improve the overall effectiveness of the ARNG. This is especially true in the areas of strength and readiness, life cycle management, and professional development and education. Strength and Readiness. Currently, warrant officer strength is 80 percent in the ARNG. We are improving this by working with the ARNG staff, the state Command Chief Warrant Officers (CCWOs) and Warrant Officer Strength Managers. Were placing extra emphasis on warrant officers accessions and retention. Were working with the Army schools to find new ways to qualify candidates. Through these efforts, were building strong relationships with the active component and the Army Reserve. This will take time and constant effort, but the result is important to the overall readiness of the ARNG. Life Cycle Management. State CCWOs are studying the life cycle management of the Warrant Officer Corps. With our current strength numbers, we cant afford to increase the entry requirements, but we do want to encourage warrant officers to challenge themselves as they progress in rank. This includes improving their civilian education and seeking challenging duty assignments. Some states have implemented their own life

20 Intel
Guard News Around the World The Guard responds to a devastating tornado in Oklahoma; Colorado Soldiers join battle against wildfire; an Oregon Soldier saves the day; a Wisconsin sergeant receives the Silver Star; and more.

44 I Was There
Soldiers who witnessed History In 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted for the first time in nearly 130 years, destroying everything in its path. CW3 Harold Kolb of the Washington National Guard looks back on the race to save lives.

20

As told to CW2 Marc Acton

46 Need To Know
9 things you should know about sustainability.
By Heidi Lynn Russell

55 Family
Empowering the Most Important Unit

55 6 ways to commemorate your service 56 Land nav for kids 58 How an unmarried couple survived deployment 77 Strength
Improving Body, Mind and Spirit

44

58

82 Dash like a Warrior 84 Controlling anger 85 Survival skills: Starting a fire 87 Save a battle buddys life 89 The three pillars of health 91 Careers
Your Work, Your Future

91 Get a free resume 92 Think like a commander 93 My specialty: Explosives expert 95 My civilian life: Federal agent 96 Hot job areas for Veterans

cycle management programs for the warrant officer cohort. We dont want to impose new requirements, but we do want to challenge ourselves. The Ready Professional. As the CCWO for the ARNG, I strive to provide the state CCWOs with the information and education they need to succeed in their respective states. As a group, state CCWOs and I will initiate positive change in the Guards warrant officer cohort. We want to ensure the warrant officer is firmly positioned to be the ARNGs technical leader for years to come. The warrant officer historically has been called The Quiet Professional. Personally, I prefer the term The Ready Professional. This incorporates the history of the Warrant Officer Corps with our desire to take on any role assigned to ensure the readiness of the ARNG. That is the term I will use as long as I am honored to serve in this position. Finally, I encourage all leaders in the ARNG to remember this point: We are only as good as the people in our ranks. It is our job, as leaders, to give them the resources they need to succeed. Sincerely,

82
4 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

104

104 Gear + Tech

Tools for the Modern Soldier Raytheons Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV)

CW5 Thomas G. Ensminger Command Chief Warrant Officer Army National Guard

GXONLINE.com 5

Letter
www.GXONLINE.com
MISSION: To celebrate and support the Soldiers and families of the National Guard. To provide todays Army National Guard members with information for becoming a better Soldier and better citizen. To encourage and assist Guard Soldiers in maximizing the benefits of their military career as well as their personal and family goals. Publisher

from the EDITOR

Editor-in-Chief Keith Kawasaki Director Gene Bedell Managing Editor Mark Shimabukuro Senior Art Director Laurel Petty Senior Editor Christian Anderson Associate Editor Stephanie Inman Senior Editorial Designer Dustin McNeal Editorial Designer Jess Manner Proofreaders Tracy Marsh, Greg Ottarski Contributing Writers CW2 Marc Acton, Eliza Born, Camille Breland, Ronnie Brooks, 1LT Holly Di Giovine, Rachel Gladstone, MAJ Darrin Haas, Susan Katz Keating, Rachel Latham, Chaplain (MAJ) Mark Phillips, Heidi Lynn Russell, BG Paul Gregory Smith, James Sullivan, SFC Patrick Williams Mail GX: The Guard Experience c/o Iostudio, LLC 565 Marriott Dr., Suite 100 Nashville, TN 37214 Voice (866) 596-4558 Fax (615) 256-6860 Editor editor@GXonline.com Subscriptions subscriptions@GXonline.com General Info info@GXonline.com

Beacons of Boston

W
on the Cover
1SG Bernard Madore, 1LT Stephen Fiola and SSG Mark Welch of Massachusetts 1060th Transportation Company didnt hesitate to act.

GX welcomes article and photo submissions from Soldiers, family members, employers and supporting agencies. Content may be submitted to stories@ GXonline.com. Please be sure to include your full contact information and a description of how your submission meets the GX mission and target audience (all Army National Guard members and their families). All submitted work (photos, articles, video) becomes the property of GX upon submission. Please note, submitted content is not guaranteed to be published in GX magazine. There are several factors that determine what content is ultimately published. These include but are not limited to: > Time and space availability > Ability to change the existing editorial outline > Approval by the Army National Guard GX contract officer > Relevance to both the GX target audience and the GX mission Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot reply to every submission. However, we do receive, review and appreciate each submission. If your content meets the goals and requirements, well be in touch!

GX: The Guard Experience (ISSN #1559-9922) is published bimonthly and mailed in Jan./Feb., March/ April, May/June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct., and Nov./Dec. by iostudio, LLC, 565 Marriott Dr., Ste. 100, Nashville, TN 37214-5040. Periodicals postage paid at Nashville, TN, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: GX:The Guard Experience, 565 Marriott Dr., Ste. 100, Nashville, TN 37214-5040. Copyright 20042013, Iostudio, LLC. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher or of the Department of Defense, the Army, the Air Force or the National Guard Bureau. No endorsement of any advertised service or product is intended by the publisher, the Army National Guard or any government agency, and none should be inferred. GX is published bimonthly by Iostudio, LLC, Nashville, TN.

hen America is under attack and its citizens call for help, the National Guard doesnt hesitate. It acts, and acts immediately. We saw that once again in Boston on April 15, when the nations worst terror attack since 9/11 occurred. In GX 10.2, we touched on the many ways the Guard contributed in the aftermath of the bombings. In this issue, we take a closer look at that extraordinary response. In our Hero section, frequent contributor James Sullivan, who has lived in the Boston area for 10 years, profiles three of the Massachusetts Army National Guard Soldiers who tended to the wounded at the bombing site. Staff Sergeant Mark Welch, First Sergeant Bernard Madore and First Lieutenant Stephen Fiola, who along with other Soldiers did a ruck march of the entire 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon as a way to honor fallen comrades, werent at the finish line when the first bomb detonated. But when they heard the explosion, they raced toward the sound. Then they cleared obstacles to the victims, comforted the injured and helped get them medical help. For the Soldiers, discussing that day wasnt easy. They have little interest in rehashing the events again and againthe

injuries they saw inflicted on innocent civilians clearly hurts to recall, James says, but they were proud to tell the story for the benefit of their fellow Guard members. Their remarkable actions werent the only things that went right that day. The leadership of the Massachusetts National Guard marshaled its forces, coordinating with federal and local authorities to do whatever was needed. That instant responsethe result of meticulous planning and drillingand the way it was executed are the focus of a piece by Brigadier General Paul Gregory Smith, the land component commander of the Massachusetts National Guard who served as the Joint Task Force commander in the bombings response. Smith shares the lessons learned from that attack that can help Guard units anywhere in responding to a crisis. The Soldiers of Massachusetts stand out as shining examples of the Guard at its best and bravest. Thanks to all of them, and all of you, for always being ready when the nation needs you most.

Mark Shimabukuro, Managing Editor

GX magazine is an official publication of the Army National Guard. All military employees are traditional Guard members.
Citizen-Soldier is a registered trademark of the Army National Guard.

GXONLINE.com 7

M@ilbag
Your thoughts, photos and stories

DROP US A LINE

GX asked a few Soldiers around the world to share their experiences. Here are their dispatches.
A former Iraqi Soldier, using a pseudonym here for security reasons, describes his experiences as a translator during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and his journey to becoming a National Guard Soldier.

Have a comment about an article youve seen in GX? An experience from the field that youd like to share? Or a photograph thats calling out for a wider audience? GX would love to hear from you. Email all comments and photos to editor@ GXonline.com

INTERACT WITH US
Dont forget to join us on your favorite social media site:

GIVE US FEEDBACK!
We want to know your thoughts about GX. Whats your favorite section? How can we improve? Go online and complete our survey at GXonline.com/survey

I was born and raised in the western region of Al-Anbar province in Iraq. At the age of 13, [my family] moved to Baghdad. Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, I dropped out of high school and served as a combat linguist for the coalition forces in Iraq in support of OIF. Even after seven years of combat and being held hostage twice, I knew I was making a difference and truly enjoyed my job. I moved to the United States in 2010 and decided to join the U.S. military to give back to my new country. I joined the Texas Army National Guard and gradu a t e d f ro m B a s i c C ombat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as a motor transportation specialist. This experience was something big for me as I achieved a huge milestone in my life. Ive worn this uniform before, but now Im a U.S. Soldier! It changed me for the better, and I am looking forward to my career in the Army National Guard! Hooah!
PVT Jacob

National Guard Soldiers, along with other military branches, teamed up with first responders to turn a ruck march into a food drive.

I decided to join the National Guard and go to college and get a major in criminal justice. : ) @kimialvarado, via Twitter

In March, the Maryland National Guard and the Norwegian Military Attaches Office partnered to put on the Norwegian Challenge in La Plata, MD. Adding a slight spin, the Maryland Guard turned the 18.6-mile march into a food drive, open to Active Duty and Guard Soldiers along with civilians, with each person carrying 25 pounds of food. The commander of the 253rd Engineer Company, one of the units that participated, discussed the experience.

turn the event into a food drive. My readiness noncommissioned officer, Sergeant First Class Robert Hanlon, had the idea to have the participants carry food to meet the 25-pound ruck weight requirement. I think a lot of people were surprised how well it went, but I wasnt. I knew we could do big, ambitious, difficult things well. The event was a great opportunity to interact with our local first responders in a non- emergency setting. Hands down, the most rewarding moment wasnt finishing the march, it was off-loading the over 6,000 pounds of food we were able to collect for the local community.
CPT Alexi Franklin

Happy 2 year anniversary to me and the NY Army National Guard! @Mebby93, via Twitter

I wanted to be able to give my Soldiers the opportunity to get a foreign badge, and I wanted to make that opportunity open to Active Duty service members so they could see what the National Guard has to offer. My battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Reale, had the vision to

Im looking forward to this weekend. I have my first drill with the National Guard. : ) @saltwaterbri, via Twitter

8 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Photo by ltc charles kohler

Soldiers of Steel

When promoting a film about a superhero, it helps to include real-life heroes. In anticipation of the new Superman film, Man of Steel, Guard Soldiers assisted in the making of a commercial that was shown in theaters and provided a hand with Man of Steelrelated workout videos. They also were good sports when asked about possible similarities they had with the comic book icon. Heres a condensed version of what a few of them had to say.

A quick round of Guard and DoD briefings

On what the Guard and Superman have in common:

Happy Birthday, Camp Grayling

Camp Grayling, one of the premier military installations in the nation, is celebrating its 100th anniversary on July 20. Located in northern Michigan, its the largest National Guard joint training center, covering 147,000 acres across three counties and training not only active and Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, but also more than 100 law enforcement agencies and units from Canada, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Serbia. The camp was founded in 1913 on a land grant to the state from lumber baron Rasmus Hanson, and since then every major conflict the United States has fought in has featured troops trained on those grounds. In July, military dignitaries, along with 4,000 Michigan service members, will be on hand to celebrate the milestone. Heres to the next 100 years.

The National Guard is out there, and theyre just normal people. But when a mission comes up, normal people can do extraordinary things, and the Guard defines that.
CPT Skyler Mills, Arkansas

Whats your kryptonite?

Definitely chocolate.
SPC Jenna Gammon, Maryland

We are all coming back

Kentucky National Guard Captain Varinka Ensminger (profiled in GX 10.2) finished the Boston Marathon before the attacks occurred. We asked her for her perspective:
At first, Boston 2013 was amazing. I ran a good race, around 3:18. I got my bag and texted my husband and my parents to come find me, and we hurried off to get some food. At the restaurant, our waitress notified us that a bomb went off at the finish line. (Just an hour before, my parents had stood in front of where it went off. My husband had been in the VIP bleachers directly across.) I was too far away to help anyone, so our plan was to get out of the area.I frantically started calling, Facebooking and texting teammates. We communicated until everyone had gotten to safety. As I type this, Im trying to hold back tears. Boston Marathon is the marathon of all marathons. People wait their whole lives to do this.The last time my husband and family were in Boston for the 2010 marathon, we got engaged. The journey of sweat, tears and perseverance makes this race so amazingly special. That was stripped away from me.I felt at a loss that I couldnt help with victims. It was the most emotionally taxing event I have been through. But I have found and provided support to my team.We are all coming back next year, stronger and more resilient.We will all be back to honor Boston.

ON BEING ON THE SET SHOOTING A COMMERCIAL:

I havent had an MRE the entire time Ive been here, so Im more than OK with that.
SGT SCOTT RATHBURN, OREGON

Jack in the Box.

PFC REANNA ALVAREZ, Maryland

In April, members of Alabamas 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command stationed in Kuwait who are Auburn University fans couldnt be home to celebrate a time-honored tradition one last time: rolling toilet paper around the oaks at the citys famed Toomers Corner intersection. The dying trees were to be cut down.

A Little Bit of Home

What would be your superpower?

So the Soldiers did the next best thing at Camp Arifjan, rolling a T-55 tank, a relic of Saddam Husseins forces during the first Gulf War. Whered they get so much TP for the job in the middle of the desert? I would like to apologize to anyone who attempted to use the port-o-johns in the vicinity, says Lieutenant Colonel Steven Shepherd.

Id want the healing capabilities of Wolverine and the intelligence and techie knowledge of Iron Man. I love Supermans powers as a whole and [the skills] that Batman has. I would want all their powers, all together.

I would bring down gas prices. Theyre killing me.

SPC Joshua Zorola, California

Anything to do with bacon. You throw bacon in cereal, Ill go eat that cereal.
SPC Cindy Calcano, New JERSEY

PFC Kierre Brown, Kentucky

ACU Alternative
An alternative, more comfortable version of the ACU is now available for female Soldiers as well as smaller-statured male Soldiers. The Armys new ACU-A, currently in stores, features coats that, among other subtle changes, better accommodate shorter torsos and narrower shoulders, and pants that contain more flare at the hip and that now have an elastic band instead of a drawstring. Combinations between the ACU and ACU-A are allowed: For example, an ACU-A coat can be worn with ACU pants. The new uniforms, which have already been tested in theater, also already contain the insect repellant permethrin, so Soldiers dont have to shake and bake that uniform in the chemical.

104%
PHOTOS FROM LM&O; PHOTO BY SHANNON FONTAINE

That figure represents how the Army National Guard fared, through the first six months, in reaching its numerical goal of new recruits for fiscal year 2013. That percentage topped all other service branches, most of which were at 100 percent.

10 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

photo FROM CAMP GRAYLING; PHOTO BY SSG James Burroughs

GXONLINE.com 11

Recon

Colorado Springs, CO A Colorado National Guard member supports efforts fighting the Black Forest wildfire on June 12. Black Hawk helicopters from the Army Aviation Support Facility on Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, CO, performed water drops using Bambi Buckets. Early reports indicated the fire claimed two lives, destroyed more than 370 homes and forced the evacuation of 41,000 people.

Photo by cpt Darin Overstreet

Recon

Fort benning, GA 1LT Nicholas Plocar, Wisconsin National Guard, tackles the Water Confidence Test at the Best Ranger Competition (BRC), held April 1214. This years BRC featured 51 teams, two from the National Guard. The 60-hour competition left Soldiers sleepdeprived, bruised and battered. Go to page 68 to see how the Guard competitors fared.

Photo by Bradley Logan

Recon

El Monte, CA Soldiers perform a mock rescue during the National Guard Man of Steel commercial shoot directed by Zack Snyder. The commercial was shown in theaters nationwide in advance of the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, to highlight the parallels between citizenhero Clark Kent and Americas Citizen-Soldiers.

To view more behind-thescenes action from the Man of Steel filming, scan the QR code above.

Photo from LM&O

Recon

Columbia, SC Soldiers from the 264th, 265th, 266th, 267th and 268th Engineer Detachments (Firefighters) conduct aircraft rescue firefighting training at the South Carolina Fire Academy on March 29. The annual training was conducted at the academy to keep the Soldiers proficient in modern techniques and equipment.

Photo by SSg Jorge Intriago

Intel
News & Events in the Guard

Colorado Soldiers join battle against wildfire Guam Soldiers provide care in Philippines

Fighting the Flames Medical Mission Net Gains

22

24 26

Wisconsin specialist shines in beach volleyball Oregon Soldier nabs hit-and-run suspect

Brave Chase Silver Star

27 34

Wisconsin sergeant honored for valor in 2009

Tornado Rescue
Moore, OK Nearly 250 Oklahoma National Guard members assisted authorities with rescue and recovery efforts after a massive tornado devastated this Oklahoma City suburb on May 20. The twister, which the National Weather Service estimated to be more than a mile wide, killed 24 people, injured more than 220, and left neighborhoods, homes and businesses flattened, according to initial reports. The tornado hit at about 3 p.m., carrying winds up to 200 mph. Most of the destruction was concentrated in Moore, a town about 10 20 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

After Oklahoma twister, Guard among first responders

miles south of Oklahoma City. Power lines were down, debris littered the streets, and whole buildings and neighborhoods were destroyed. The National Weather Service said the tornado was on the ground for 40 minutes and was categorized as an EF5 on its scale of power. It also said the Oklahoma twister was the first EF5 tornado of the year. That same day, Gov. Mary Fallin activated troops in the National Guard. Among those were Soldiers from the 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who worked to secure a perimeter around the

Plaza Towers Elementary School, one of the schools hit, where first responders were busy searching for survivors. The tornado tore the roof off the school, pulverizing walls and destroying the playground as students and teachers crouched in hallways and bathrooms. Thanks in part to the Guards efforts, emergency workers rescued more than 100 people from the debris and wreckage, according to several news reports. Oklahomas 63rd Civil Support Team, which specializes in search and rescue operations, atmospheric monitoring for hazardous materials, and searching for physical hazards such as live downed electrical lines, was on the scene. Many of the unit members had previously deployed and responded to other natural disasters. But this mission had special meaning, as
photo from oklahoma national guard

many of the Soldiers knew people who were directly affected by this disaster. In some cases, the Soldiers themselves lived in the path of the tornado that struck here. We get to serve our community at home, says Sergeant Warren Williams, a member of the 63rd CST. There are a lot of other agencies coming from other locations, but this is personal for us. These are people we know. There are people in the unit who have been affected by this personally, so its satisfying to be out here helping our fellow neighbors. Specialist Josh Gragert, a member of the 45th IBCT, was one of the first Soldiers on the scene and described his shock. Its crazy. You dont ever really think about it as much when you are at home. But when you are out here and see all the devastation and the people affected by it, it really hits hard, Gragert said in a video interview. Airmen from the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron also assisted with search and rescue operations, carrying thermal imaging gear to help locate those buried in the rubble. Brigadier General Emery Fountain, an Army National Guard member from Oklahoma, normally makes his home a few miles from Moore. Currently, he works in Washington, DC, as support special assistant to Lieutenant General William E. Ingram Jr., the director of the Army National Guard. BG Fountain was in close contact with his counterparts at home. After the tornado hit, he says, Guard members established a perimeter around the location that was most affected and were managing traffic in and out of that area where the destruction was most significant. They were also providing clean, potable water to the first responders and the folks who were involved in the response, he adds. BG Fountain notes that hes responded to previous disasters and tornadoes, including the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. So when the May tornado hit, he knew Guard troops would kick into gear. In such circumstances, National Guard members work efficiently with first responders, BG Fountain says. He notes state emergency management offices have the lead in initial response, and that Guard forces are one of the resources they can call on. BG Fountain adds that he contacted Oklahoma Guard leaders after the tornado struck to send his thoughts and prayers and offer any resources needed. Thankfully, we have a balanced force across the Army and the Air National Guard, he says, and they have a great deal of capacity. American Forces Press Service and other news reports

Aviation Unit Trains on Survival

North Fort Hood, TX Soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation Battalion (Medevac), a Guard unit from California that was preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan, received training from the 166th Aviation Brigade in handling downed-aircraft scenarios. The exercises helped teach the Soldiers how to prepare their aircraft for destruction (to keep it out of enemy hands), employ the specialized Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio, break enemy contact, and use proper land navigation and other techniques and procedures needed for survival.
Story and photo by 1LT Kat Kaliski

Bringing Clean Water to Panama

Jefferson City, MO The Missouri National Guard teamed recently with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and Rotary Clubs of Panama and Missouri to install three donated water purification units in that country. The work was part of Missouris relationship with Panama through the State Partnership Program (SPP). Each of the three purification systems will provide water for 10,000 citizens. The SPP collaborated with Missouri Rotary District 6080, which offered the purification units and other goods to Panamas Rotary District 4240.
Story and photo by A1C Nathan Dampf

New York Veterans Honored

New York, NY More than 130 New York Soldiers from the 1st Battalion,
69th Infantry Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment, celebrated their return from deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain in April. The ceremony honored their families and supportive employers and friends. Soldiers received awards based on their number of deployments. Veterans of three or more received a brass plaque with a commemorative coin. Veterans of two got a ring, and Veterans with one received a U.S. Flag, a certificate, a medallion and commemorative coins.
Story and photo by SPC J.P. Lawrence

Families Go Distance for Troops

Rapid City, SD Members of a South Dakota Family Readiness Group
will run 13,894 miles to honor their unit, the 235th Military Police Company. The mileage is the distance between Rapid City, SD, and Bagram AFB in Afghanistan, where the unit is stationed. The idea originated with Corey Wieczorek, girlfriend of 235th member SPC Bronson Odle. Wieczorek also started a Facebook page, Run Them Home, for tracking the miles. More than 2,000 miles were logged in the first 19 days. The group hopes to finish before the unit returns, symbolizing their safe homecoming one step at a time.
Story and photo by SSG Michael Beck

Soldier Honored by First Lady

Camp Murray, WA MAJ Daniel Wojciechowski of the Washington
Army National Guard was honored by first lady Michelle Obama and the presidents Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force at the White House in April. The task force helps identify military specialties that readily transfer to high-demand jobs and provides service members with greater access to certification exams. Wojciechowski used the credentialing and licensing program to receive a Cisco Certified Network Associate certificate, which led to his acquiring a management position with Costco.
Story by Washington National Guard; photo from Washington National Guard

GXONLINE.com 21

Intel

Taking the Fight to the Flames

Teaming with local and federal agencies, Colorado Soldiers battle destructive wildfire
gencies in each county. The Guard worked with local, state and federal agencies that were responding to the Black Forest fire. One UH-72 Lakota helicopter and crew provided aerial firefighting coordination. Thirteen members of the 1157th Firefighting Company (Engineers), along with their firefighting trucks and tenders, also responded. Also, 80 more personnel and additional vehicles from Colorados National Guard Reaction Force (NGRF) were called to provide extra security at up to 17 checkpoints in the Black Forest area, bringing the total NGRF to 120 Guard members and 24 vehicles. Eight Airmen from the Colorado National Guards Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) Team 16 provided the incident command with communications support. And at any given time, about 20 additional personnel were providing various types of assistance in direct support of the operation. Overall, more than 140 personnel from the Colorado National Guard were assisting efforts during that week. The Colorado National Guard was operating in state Active Duty status to assist the El Paso County Sheriffs Office in fighting the Black Forest fire. I couldnt be more proud of Colorados Citizen-Soldiers supporting our communities, says Major General Mike Edwards, adjutant general of Colorado. It is usually unfortunate circumstances when the National Guard is called in, but for Guard members, supporting our neighbors is the most rewarding mission we do. Guard helicopters and crews launched from the Army Aviation Support Facility on Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, CO, and are members of 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation. An additional UH-60 outfitted with a hoist was on standby at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, CO, to provide medevac and search and rescue capabilities for civil authorities fighting the Big Meadow fire in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, CO. Two Wyoming National Guard Civil Support Team personnel provided an Internet and phone support bridge between military and civilian responders until they were relieved by the Colorado JISCC team. Colorado National Guard
Photo by Cpt Darin Overstreet

GI Bill Transfer Rules Are Changing

Arlington, VA Beginning Aug. 1, every Soldier who elects to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a family member or dependent will incur an additional four-year service obligation, without regard to their time in service. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is available to service members who serve on Active Duty for 90 days or more. The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers a great benefit to our service members who are looking to expand their education, says Captain Kurt Rauschenberg, education services officer for the Army National Guard. However, he says, The purpose of the transferability is for recruiting and retention. We want Soldiers to be informed of the impact of this change in policy, says Lieutenant Colonel Mark Viney, chief of the Enlisted Professional Development Branch, Army G-1. This is going to impact their decisions and their families, and whether or not they are going to have this money available to fund their dependents education. Veterans Affairs also has eligibility requirements for transferability. A Soldier must have six years of Active Duty to transfer their GI Bill benefits. If a Soldier has incurred additional time in service in order to transfer GI Bill benefits and

Giving benefits to family members will incur additional service obligation

is unable to serve that additional time, they may be required to pay back those benefits. Viney says that, as the Army draws down, some Soldiers will be involuntarily separated under force-shaping initiatives. Soldiers who are separated early under such circumstances and who had previously transferred their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to dependents may retain the transferred benefits, without needing to repay them. For more information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill and any changes, as well as other education benefits, check with your local education office. SFC Jon Soucy and C. Todd Lopez

Florida Experts Guide Guyana

Georgetown, Guyana Continuing the relationship between Florida and Guyana as part of the Guards State Partnership Program, three Florida National Guard members brought their ordnance and demolitions expertise to that South American nation in an information exchange in April. Soldiers from Floridas 221st Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and an Airman from the 125th Fighter Wing traveled nearly 2,000 miles southeast of Miami to Guyanas capital city of Georgetown, where they participated in the exchange with members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). During the brief visit, the Florida teamall EOD specialists with experience in combat zonestoured GDF facilities in and around the capital, provided assessments of ammunition storage and arms-room procedures, and offered best practices for handling ammo and explosives. When were doing these
photo by MSGT Thomas Kielbasa

Exchange of information on ordnance procedures benefits both sides

assessments, we are making recommendations on better ways to inventory arms and ammunition, says Second Lieutenant Thomas Ashlock of the 221st EOD. Perhaps we just recommend security locks or different accountability procedures. We will give them some suggestions, but we will also learn some tips [from them] that help us when we go back to the States. Warrant Officer Dwayne Layne, an EOD expert in the Guyana Defence Force, says the exchange is valuable for the GDF Soldiers. As EOD, we take some great risks, so we put all of our safety measures into place, he says. This is a very dangerous job. It builds relationships, Ashlock says of the visit, which continued a partnership that began in 2003. It is a great opportunity for the Soldiers to learn from each other and build camaraderie. Florida National Guard GXONLINE.com 23

CENTENNIAL, CO Aviators and firefighters from the Colorado Army National Guard assisted civil authorities in June in fighting the most destructive wildfire in the states history. By the fourth day of the Black Forest fire in El Paso County, which is north of Colorado Springs, a total of three UH-60 Black Hawks, each equipped with a fire-suppression bucket capable of carrying and delivering nearly 500 gallons of water at a time, had dropped approximately 64,000 gallons of water on the flames, which began on June 11. By late on June 13, 22 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

only 5 percent of the fire had been contained. By June 17, the figure was 65 percent. The early days of the fire claimed two lives, destroyed more than 370 homes, burned nearly 16,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 41,000 people. County spokesman Dave Rose says the Black Forest fire appeared to be Colorados most destructive in terms of property lost. In addition to that blaze, two other wildfires were burning in the state, in Fremont County and Huerfano County, leading Gov. John Hickenlooper to declare disaster emer-

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From Guam With Care

Laguna, Philippines A joint group of medical professionals with the Guam Army National Guard Medical Detachment spent several days in the Philippines in April supporting Armed Forces of the Philippines medical teams and local health officials in treating more than 12,800 residents. The mission was part of a medical subject matter expert exchange that has been taking place between the two forces over the past few years. Members of the Guam unit have been participating in these exchanges through the State Partnership Program, in which Guam and the Philippines are partners. However, this was the first time the Guam unit has conducted a subject matter expert exchange over a four-day period, according to Major Sheila ComptonRivo, the medical teams commander. The reception has been great, ComptonRivo says. Weve had a lot of good cooperation from the local organizations and mayors office. Local government organizations have been very welcoming to us and have brought [health] providers to help us. The joint team visited four locations in the cities of San Pedro and Bian, both located in the province of Laguna, about an hours drive north of the Philippine capital, Manila. The team from Guam was a joint group, with 26 medical professionals from the Guam Medical Detachment, including doctors, nurses and other medical staff, with support staff from the Guam Army National Guard Element and 105th Troop Command. The types of treatment provided to the residents at both towns included dental procedures, family medical consultations, minor surgeries, circumcisions and vision exams. Following the vision exams, patients received reading glasses, sunglasses and eyedrops. At all the medical mission sites, the combined medical team treated residents from about 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. It was the first medical mission for Hospital Corpsman Third Class Milquella Otero from the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. Its been an eye-opener to see how many people come out to these things and appreciate all the help that we give them, she says. And I cant wait to do it again. Its been four days of hard, hard work, and I love it. Volunteers from a variety of local healthcare-related organizations joined in the combined medical mission at both locations. 24 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

Medical professionals partner with Philippines to treat nearly 13,000 patients

Taking Aim at Sexual Assault

Washington, DC Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently announced a number of initiatives to eradicate sexual assault in the Armed Forces. While the department is putting in place important new programs to combat this crime, it is clear that we must do much more to eliminate this threat to the safety and welfare of our men and women in uniform, and the health, reputation and trust of this institution, he wrote. Major General Gary S. Patton, director of the Pentagons Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, says the initiatives will work to change the culture in the Armed Forces. The first initiatives deal with the command climate and enhancing commander accountability, requiring that the results of command climate surveys be provided to the next high-

Secretary Hagel announces steps to introduce programs and change culture

est echelon. Second, says Patton, the service chiefs have been directed to develop methods to assess the performance of military commanders in incorporating sexual assault prevention and victim-care principles into their commands. Hagel directed the services and defense agencies to conduct a comprehensive visual inspection of department workplaces by July 1. Another initiative looks at preventing sexual assault in the recruiting and early training process, Patton says. This includes DoD- wide recruiting organizations, the military entrance processing centers [and] ROTC, to assess them on their sexual assault prevention programs, he says. Hagel also asked for the acting DoD general counsel to incorporate the rights afforded to victims through the Crime Victims Rights Act into military justice practice. Finally, Hagel is asking a congressionally mandated panel to speed up its independent review of the systems used to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate sexual assault crimes. Jim Garamone

Giving Afghan Children a Chance

Kentucky ADT facilitates project that provides school supplies to kids

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan What happens when you have a team of educators who deploy to a country that has only a 17 percent literacy rate? Those educators set out to change those numbers. The Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team (ADT), a National Guard unit, deployed to Kandahar province, Afghanistan, and participated in Operation Love Thy Neighbor at Forward Operating Base Pasab in March. The unit worked with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, chaplain to provide clothes and school supplies to the Afghan National Army (ANA) through the Afghan Religious and Cultural Affairs (RCA), which in turn distributed the supplies to local villages. Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Ghani, the chief of RCA, 3rd Brigade, 205th Corps, ANA, appreciated the donations from the SolPhotos by Glenn Fawcett; SSG Kristen Duus

These included the Perpetual Help College, which brought its clinical instructors and nursing students, and local health professionals. In Bian, the citys emergency response unit was also key to preparing the sites by clearing the rooms, setting up chairs and tables from the mayors office, and cleaning up and transferring equipment to the second site. They were also on standby at all times to assist in operations. Bian Central Elementary School principal Jovito M. Barcenas says the joint medical mission has been a great help to the residents of the city. Most especially [for] those who are old and do not have enough money to visit the doctors for their checkup, its a great help, Barcenas says. He adds that his teachers and staff mem-

bers were more than willing to assist and give their time for the medical mission at his school, which was held on a national holiday. I know that some of them had a lot of reservations because it was a holiday. But for the sake of our community, we need to serve the people, he says. Barcenas notes that from his staffs point of view, the overall health of the residents also has an impact on the school. Missions like these help strengthen positive relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the U.S. The State Partnership Program is a Department of Defensesponsored program administered by the National Guard Bureau, partnering Guard units from different states with selected countries for nation building, among other projects. Army National Guard
photo from national guard

diers. One of the biggest things for Afghanistan is now, with the United States help, the ANA has accomplished a lot, Ghani says. They have also progressed a lot in the education aspect as far as teaching Soldiers and helping the villages and locals. The supplies, which have all been donated, are set to foster a more positive relationship with the Afghan people and the ANA. Sergeant Eric Schenck, 1/1st chaplains assistant and a native of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, works closely with the Afghan RCA teams. Schenck helps receive, inspect, store and deliver the donations to the ANA. Schenck also coordinated with the ADT, which immediately jumped on board. This is a win-win for all, he says. The fact that it is the ANA giving the items fosters positive feelings and will help build supportive sentiments. SSG Kristen Duus GXONLINE.com 25

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Missouri Fights Flood

Clarksville, MO After more than 5 inches of rain fell in parts of Missouri in April, Gov. Jay Nixon mobilized the National Guard to help protect lives and property from rising floodwaters in and around this town, especially along the Mississippi River. About 100 Missouri National Guard members joined dozens of volunteers for flood relief operations. Our Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen are true leaders, and thats why I called them up, says Nixon, who toured Clarksville with Major General Steve Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. We pick flood-fights where we can win them, and this is certainly a flood-fight we are going to win through a smart emergency management plan, and the work of the National Guard and some dedicated volunteers, Nixon says. We are always happy to come to the aid of our fellow Missourians, Danner says. Within one hour of being mobilized, Airmen from the St. Louisbased 121st Air Con-

Soldiers join volunteers to help build levee and protect lives

Hit-and-Run Hero
Salem, OR Sergeant Michael Fox, an infantryman with the Oregon National Guard, has aspirations to become a police officer. Based on his selfless actions last October after hearing about a nearby car accident, hes certainly cut out for the job. Fox, a Guard Soldier of eight years who works as a loss-prevention and security officer for a local pharmacy in Vancouver, WA, was reviewing surveillance video of a theft that had happened at one of the stores. When he learned about the accident, he went to see if he could provide medical assistance. Once he arrived on the scene, he noticed one thing clearly out of place: One of the drivers involved in the crash was missing. Thats when things got interesting. Bystanders told Fox that the man had taken off on foot, indicating the direction he went. Without hesitation, Fox went after him. I ran a couple blocks. As I was running down the road, I was asking people if they had seen a guy wearing a red sweater running in this direction. And people were pointing me which way they saw him run, he says. When I went behind one of the buildings, he was lying underneath a Land Rover. At which point I told him who I was and asked him to come out, and he had some very colorful words to give me. Fox was a little nervous, but he knew what needed to be done. He ended up pulling the man out from underneath the Land Rover, wrestling him to keep him from escaping, and handcuffing him. I like to do what is right morally and socially, Fox says. I think some people who get away with crimes have a misconception that no one will try to stop them. Fox learned later from the police that they had been pursuing the suspect, along with his wife, who was also in the vehicle, in a highspeed chase. Local news station KOIN 6 out of Portland, OR, called Fox the hit-and-run hero. Foxs actions have been submitted for an Oregon Exceptional Service Medal. Fox, a member of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, attributes his Guard training, along with two deployments to Iraq (with the 2/162nd) and Afghanistan (with the 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, which was attached to the Oklahomabased 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team), for preparing him to react quickly. The Guard has given him more than just excellent training, though. It helped him get his life on track. When Fox was in high school, he wasnt
photo by SGT Cory Grogan

Oregon Soldier nabs suspect after high-speed crash and foot chase

trol Squadron and the 131st Civil Engineer Squadron, and Soldiers from the 70th Troop Command were on their way to Clarksville. There, Guard members immediately began to assist with construction of a 1,500-foot sandbag levee protecting the historic city of 442 people. Soldiers from the Hannibal, MObased 2175th Military Police Company were also called up to help with the effort.

In addition to National Guard members, city officials, area residents, Boy Scouts and even prison inmates worked around the clock to build up the levee wall in anticipation of the Mississippis crest. The National Guard response to the flooding was coordinated through Task Force Bear, headquartered at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis County. Bill Phelan

Net Gains

Wisconsin aviator competes in Armed Forces Volleyball Championships

Hill Air Force Base, UT A member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard competed among the militarys best beach volleyball players at the 2013 Armed Forces Volleyball Championships in May at Hill Air Force Base, UT. One of four players representing the Army, Specialist Shandra Pulver, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief from Verona, WI, and her teammate, Captain Jen Rayburn of Chicago, advanced to the tournament quarterfinals before falling to a team from the Navy. Being selected for one of the Armys two two-person teams was no small accomplishment. Pulver (left, holding volleyball) endured a three-week trial camp and tryout that included 42 beach volleyball players from the active Army, the Guard and the Army Reserve. She was also overcoming a broken ankle. It was probably about eighty percent healed by the time I got [there], she says. 26 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3 A passion for volleyball runs through Pulvers veins. I train probably two and a half hours a day doing yoga, swimming, running, even CrossFit, she says. The majority of it is actually touching the ball and being around the volleyball world. Pulver is no stranger to the Armed Forces Volleyball Championships. She played for the Armys indoor volleyball team in 2004 and 2005 after learning about the Armys athletic program during her 2003 deployment to Kuwait. During a recent deployment to Kosovo, she learned that the military was adding a beach volleyball tournament in 2012. Unable to play while deployed, Pulver returned and made one of the two teams in 2013. Her Army teammates went on to win the 2013 tournament, as did an Army mens team in their respective competitions. 1LT Joe Trovato
photo by Michelle Queiser; photo from wisconsin national guard

sure if he would graduate. He was supposed to be a sophomore, but he was a year and a half behind. No one in his family had graduated from high school before. But Fox was determined to turn his life around. So he joined the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. The experience was a huge wake-up call. It helped me realize that I liked the structure and environment, he says. Its the type of lifestyle that I liked and wanted to pursue. Fox graduated from the program in 2000, returned to school and ended up graduating on time. Two years later, he joined the Guard. Second Lieutenant Kevin Johnson, a platoon leader with C Company, says Fox is the

epitome of a Guard Soldier. He is hardworking, he holds his Soldiers to a high standard, and continues to learn, Johnson says. What he did doesnt surprise me one bithe is going to be a great police officer. Specialist David Horstman, a former Marine and fellow infantryman who grew up with Fox and was recruited by him into C Company, also wasnt surprised about what Fox did. He has always been like a big brother to me, Horstman says. He is as honest as the day is long, even if it means being a little bit harsh, but he is always fair and always there to help someone in need. SGT Cory Grogan and Stephanie Inman GXONLINE.com 27

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New HAATS Facility Opens

Gypsum, CO Senior Colorado Guard officials, community leaders and WWII Veterans cut the ribbon at a new state-of-the-art aviation training facility at the Eagle County Airport in Gypsum, CO, in April. The $39 million facility is the new home of the HighAltitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS). HAATS is the only Department of Defense school that conducts power management and environmental training at high altitudes. HAATS trains military rotary-wing pilots from around the world, giving pilots the knowledge and confidence to safely operate their aircraft at maximum gross weights in any environment, especially at high altitudes. This critical mission provides lifesaving combat skills to American and allied pilots serving in mountainous Afghanistan and other challenging environments worldwide. Additionally, as part of their state mission, HAATS pilots and crews conduct numerous search and rescue missions and occasional

$39 million complex in Colorado trains rotary-wing pilots from around the world

Families First

Fourth Alabama Comes Home

Camp Shelby, MS Alabamas 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry Regiment, the Fourth Alabama, returned to the U.S. in May after a nine-month mission in Afghanistan. Operating as Task Force Centurion Prime, the unit provided personal security and maneuver support of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) that included senior leaders, top officials, trainers, advisors and inspectors. With nearly 600 members, the Fourth Alabama made up the single largest entity of NTM-A and enabled the training and transition of security to Afghan forces.
Story and photo by MAJ Michael Tomberlin

National summit focuses on ways to meet their needs

Ann Arbor, MI Nearly 300 DoD, healthcare and civilian academic professionals from 30 states attended the National Research Summit on Reserve Component Military Families at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The conference in April focused on ways to collaborate to meet the needs of Reserve and National Guard members and their families. A central theme was the set of challenges that Guard and Reserve families face before, during and after deployment that cant be addressed the same way as those of the active component because Reserve members usually dont live on bases, where the bulk of resources are located. With our [Reserve component] families living in 4,000 communities nationwide, we cant just have programs on installations, says Dr. Michelle Kees, conference chair. We have to be able to work with our local area to build the supports. Another issue discussed is that Veterans sometimes avoid seeking help from people who dont have firsthand experience in their situation. I can remember being told You havent been there, you dont get it, says Dr. John Greden of the University of Michigan, one of the summit leaders. We started to say, Lets use that instead of criticize it. The concept of using internal trust led the Michigan Guard and University of Michigan to start Buddy-to-Buddy, a division of M-SPAN (Military Support Programs and Networks). The program trains service members to become allies by bringing in people who need help. This enables service members to talk to someone they can trust. Other M-SPAN programs include support groups, parenting and relationship training, and guidance for those entering civilian education. Another key aspect that was discussed involved the need to reduce the stigma around service members asking for help with mental health issues. Summit participants say they will use the results of this event to encourage the development of similar programs in other states. SGT Rachel S. Krogstad

Bambi Bucket Drill in Indiana

Camp Atterbury, IN Soldiers from the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade
trained with Indiana first responder agencies in an exercise focused on interagency coordination with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. One goal was to test the interoperability of a new communications system between Indianas Task Force One ground crew and the Guards Black Hawks. Soldiers in Black Hawks picked up 660-gallon Bambi Buckets of water, then dropped them at targets. Agencies on the ground communicated with pilots, coordinating pickup locations and drop zones.
Story and photo by 1LT Tyler Mitchell

wildland firefighting operations in the mountainous regions of Colorado. The scope of the project comprised a 101,600-square-foot aviation training facility that includes administrative areas, classrooms, a flight operations section, maintenance hangars, allied maintenance shops and lodging rooms. HAATS trains aviators from all components of the U.S. military and international military students. With the addition of a full-

time Coast Guard instructor pilot in 2011, HAATS is also a joint training school. This school makes it possible to ensure the safety of our most precious resources: our nations sons and daughters, says Brigadier General Dana Capozzella, assistant adjutant general of the Colorado National Guard. The training performed here increases the safety of the aviation missions performed by our brave service members. 2LT Skye Robinson

Guard Protects Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, KY The Kentucky National Guard provided security for the Kentucky Derby, continuing a relationship that dates to 1936. Working with local agencies including the Louisville Metro Police, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office and the Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Guard helped ensure that the 139th Derby went off with no major incidents. At the two largest gates of Churchill Downs, Guard members took their usual stance in being the first line of security encountered by fans, and troops remained on security and traffic details after the event.
Story and photo by SSG Scott Raymond

Four Times the Pride

Fort Lee, VA Four high school juniors from one family in Newport News, VA, recently enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard. Quadruplets Kahlil, Karon, Kameron and Kar-

High school quadruplets enlist in Virginia Army National Guard

lyle Jones (below left to right), 17, took the oath in March at Fort Lee, VA. Theyll all attend Basic Training this summer, return in the fall for their senior year of high school and complete Advanced Individual Training next summer. Karlyle, Karon and Kameron will serve with the 229th Military Police Company in Virginia Beach, while Kahlil will be assigned to the Hampton-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, as a healthcare specialist. Their father, Darin Jones, helped them make their decision. I wanted them to have some involvement with the military without going full-time Active Duty. Something to help keep them grounded and that would help them out with college expenses, he says. All four plan to attend college and pursue careers in medicine. Sergeant Brian Merritt, who recruited the Warwick High School students, helped them prepare for the ASVAB and watched as they bantered back and forth over who would score the best on the test or be the best at their new job. Brotherly competition was clearly a motivating factor, Merritt says. I believe the motivation they provide each other will be an asset to their commanders and to the Virginia National Guard as they progress through their careers. The siblings say that the main reasons they joined included being able to help during emergencies, getting into the fields in which they were already interested and obtaining financial assistance with college. Army National Guard
photos by MSgt Cheresa D. Theiral; SFC John Lewis

Louisiana Aviation Unit Honored

New Orleans, LA Louisianas 1/244th Assault Helicopter Battalion received in April the Founders and Patriots of Americas 2012 Outstanding National Guard Unit Award. A key mission of the 1/244th has been the search and rescue operations during hurricanes. Since Hurricane Katrina, the unit has rescued more than 40,000 residents. Over the last 10 years, theyve also deployed twice in support of overseas operations and responded to the oil spill and floods of the Mississippi. They have definitely done their part, says BG Barry D. Keeling, director of the joint staff.
Story and photo by SSG Jerry Rushing

New Painting in Heritage Series

Arlington, VA Glorieta Pass Action at Apache Canyon is the newest piece in the Heritage painting program, which features works illustrating key moments of the National Guard. The battle, in which the Colorado National Guard played a significant part, occurred early in the Civil War but, historians say, played a major role in thwarting the Confederacys hopes of creating an accessible route to the West Coasta necessity for the Souths financing of the war. Glorieta Pass represented a victory for the Union Army at a time when the Confederacy was making inroads.
Story by SGT Darron Salzer; photo by SFC Jon Soucy

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Intel

Washington Guard Trains DEA

Specialized program prepares senior agents for counterdrug battle in Afghanistan

Help, Hope for Job Seekers

Nashville, TN Finding civilian work can be daunting for service members and their families, but a program sponsored by the Tennessee National Guard is giving them hopeand finding them work. Tennessees Job Connection Education Program (JCEP) is providing service members and their families with career counseling and training, and helping them find jobs. Along with his staff, Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Bill Marley, the manager of the program, whos become known as the hope coach, works with program members to help them translate their military skill sets into civilian terms and guide them in how to

Tennessee program gives unemployed service members career counseling, training

meet their goals. They also work with companies and educational institutions to promote the hiring of service members. Lieutenant Colonel Eric Goslowsky, director of the Tennessee Guard Family Program, says, JCEP is a hallmark initiative in the war to defeat unemployment for all personnel and their families. If there is a job available, JCEP will work fervently to fill it with members of our Guard family. Tennessee is one of only four states with this support program, along with Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin. Since the spring of 2012, JCEP has successfully placed 627 National Guard personnel and family members in jobs with numerous companies across Tennessee out of a total pool of 951 enrolled participants. The 66 percent employment placement ranks Tennessees as a top program in the nation. JCEP is a vital component of not only getting jobs, but building careers and lifestyles that breed a sense of stability in our military family, says Major General Terry Max Haston, adjutant general of the Tennessee National Guard. To get help finding work, go to the Guards Job Connection Education Program website: jcep.info. LTC (Ret.) Niki Gentry

Air Assault Comes to Oklahoma

Camp Gruber, OK Despite freezing temperatures, heavy rains and thunderstorms, Soldiers and Airmen underwent extensive training in April during Air Assault training at Camp Gruber, OK. The Oklahoma National Guard hosts aviators and trainers from around the country every few years to conduct the training program. Before the 203 students could be admitted into the program, they had to survive Zero Day, an intense physical test featuring an obstacle course and a 2-mile run. Approximately 25 percent of participants were disqualified during this test. Its the challenge; I wanted to see how far I could push myself, says Cadet Kelsea Schultz, an ROTC candidate and member of 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Schultz moved through nine obstacles, including rope climbs, belly crawls, high climbing obstacles and more physically intense wooden structures. Air Assault School is conducted in three phases: air assault, sling load
photo by sgt daniel nelson

Soldiers and Airmen endure the cold in rigorous training at Camp Gruber
and rappel. The air assault phase familiarizes students with aircraft safety and orientation, hand and arm signals, and combat assault operations with various attack helicopters. In phase two, students are expected to master sling load operations, in which items such as vehicles, supplies and fuel are suspended under a UH-60 Black Hawk or CH-47 Chinook helicopter for quick transpor tation. Phase three focuses on rappelling. Schultz says freezing temperatures made simple tasks such as getting snapped in more difficult, but the adrenaline rush helped her get through each challenge. After the rappelling phase, students must complete one more draining task before they can graduate and wear the honored Air Assault badge: a grueling 12-mile road march in three hours or less on the morning of graduation. Schultz made it through and earned her badge along with 143 of her fellow classmates. For more on Air Assault School, go to page 51. SGT Daniel Nelson GXONLINE.com 31

YAKIMA, WA Washington National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center trained their state partners to become more proficient on the battlefield with the Afghan Skills Course at Yakima Training Center in Washington. The three-phase, six-week program was completed in April. The Afghan Skills Course was made to provide world-class training to our brothers in the fight against drugs, says Senior Master Sergeant Steven Shulz, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center. We would like to give these guys the tools to not only survive in Afghanistan but to thrive and help each other out when needed. The goal of the training was to provide the agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration Headquarters/Office of Global Enforcement the skills and knowledge they need to successfully conduct joint civilian/military operations in Afghanistan as they relate to counterdrug operations. All of the attendees were chosen from the 30 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

most experienced senior special agents within the DEA, says Duncan B. Lingle, deputy section chief of the global enforcement office. The training was fully coordinated with the Washington National Guard, which has created a specialized training program for the DEA agents who were soon to be deployed to Afghanistan. The training our agents receive from the Washington National Guard is some of the best training DEA agents receive in their careers, and has been proven to give our agents the skills needed to operate as safely as they can while in an active battle space, Lingle says. The DEA is extremely grateful that the men and women of the Washington National Guard allow our agents to take part in this training. The skills, dedication, determination and experiences of the members of the Washington National Guard are second to none, and the bond between our two agencies is as strong as ever. Command Sergeant Major Robert Barr, land component command sergeant major, says the course shows that the Guard cares about

those who go to the battlefield regardless of whether or not theyre service members. We look at local law enforcement as an equal partner in this fight, because the drug money funnels into insurgency money to arm an outfit, Barr says. And at the same time, we show them that we care about them being in harms way and that we want them to come home safe just like any of our Soldiers. Shulz adds that the training gives the Guard the opportunity to assist at the federal level and leverage the Guards capabilities so they can give back in a big way. It also lets those at the national level look to us in Washington to say, Wowthese guys really are doing good stuff for us, truly exemplifying the Citizen-Soldier concept, he says. We need to trust each other, the agents need to trust that those in a military uniform will have their back in Afghanistan, and by trusting in each other they will be successful and they wont leave anyone behind, Barr says. SPC Samantha Ciaramitaro
photo from national guard

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Leaders of the Pack

LINCOLN, NE Gray skies, light winds and unseasonably cold temperatures greeted nearly 10,000 marathoners in early May as they descended upon this city for the 36th annual Lincoln National Guard Marathon. Among the thousands of athletes participating in this years race were more than 200 Army and Air National Guard members representing 44 states and two U.S. territories. The Guard runners were competing for positions on the All-Guard Marathon Team. This is Nebraska in the springtime, says Sergeant First Class Michael Hagen, the National Guard Bureau marathon coordinator from the Nebraska Army National Guard. Weather predictions are tough to do in Nebraska, and runners need to come prepared for all weather conditions. Leading the way for all National Guard runners was Staff Sergeant Troy Harrison of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, with an unofficial time of 2:31:50. Harrison outpaced second-place finisher Second Lieutenant Kenneth Rayner from the Virginia Army National Guard, who finished with a time of 2:35:11. It was a little windy, but Im not complaining because weve had other years where its been really bad, Harrison says. I think it might be the fastest [marathon] Ive run here in Lincoln. Im really pleased with my time because I didnt do any of the training that I normally do. Ive been coaching track and used that as an excuse for not training as hard as I normally do. Finishing first in the womens division for the Guard was Senior Airman Emily Shertzer from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, with an unofficial time of 3:01:06. Coming in a few minutes behind Shertzer was Captain Varinka Ensminger of the Kentucky Army National Guard at 3:09:44. The brisk weather didnt seem to bother Shertzer. I thought it was great, she says. The temperature was good, and the wind wasnt too bad. I enjoy coming to Lincoln to see all of the other Guard runners, she adds. Its a fun marathon route, but it is a little tough because the second half is out and back. Harrison and Shertzer have a few things in common. Harrison drills in Fort Indiantown Gap, PA, while Shertzer works there as a civilian. They also share a love for running and ice cream. 32 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

Pennsylvania, Virginia Soldiers outpace field in Lincoln National Guard Marathon

Troy and I are on the same wavelength, Shertzer says. We will be sharing some ice cream after we get some food and a massage. Despite less-than-favorable conditions, Harrison, Shertzer and all the other finishers braved the chilly May morning for a tough but rewarding 26.2 miles, showing the grit and determination that races like this often bring out in their participants. Hagen says Guard marathoners seemed to have a greater sense of pride and resilience today in light of the recent Boston Marathon bombings. He adds he was extremely happy with how the marathon turned out and is looking forward to an even larger event next year. Last year, the marathon sold out in two weeks. This year it sold out in eighteen hours, he says. Im biased, of course, but this truly is a great program. Its important to the Guard because it instills many different values in Guard members, including focus on training, leadership and teamwork. TSGT Jason Melton

Building a Legacy
Bismarck, ND North Dakotas 188th Engineer Company (Vertical) dominated the annual Army Engineer Regiment and Society of American Military Engineerssponsored awards in the National Guard division by claiming four of the five top military honors. The 188th was the winner of the 2012 Itschner Award, which recognizes the best engineer company each year in three categories: U.S. Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard. The company also captured the Sturgis Medal, awarded to Sergeant Jeremy F. Knudson; Best Engineer Platoon Leader (Grizzly), awarded to Captain Alan Roehrich; and Best Engineer Warrant Officer for 2012, awarded to Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Kendall.

North Dakota dominates Army engineer awards

Its truly an honor for this unit to be recognized by the Itschner Award as the best engineer company in the Army National Guard, says Captain Lucas Klettke, who commanded the 188th from June 2011 to December 2012. The great Soldiers directly responsible for this Itschner honorcoupled with the individual awards received by Roehrich, Kendall and Knudsonmake me extremely proud to have been a part of this great engineer unit. During the award year, the unit accomplished more than 160 missions during a deployment that directly supported the U.S. Forces drawdown in Kuwait. Never before has one of our units won so many awards simultaneously, Major General

From left: CPT Alan Roehrich; CPT Lance Meier, commander of the 188th; MG David Sprynczynatyk; CW2 David Kendall; and SGT Jeremy Knudson.

David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, says. The Soldiers of the 188th Engineer Company have earned these military distinctions through their outstanding efforts and

devotion to duty while deployed, as well as their operations within the state. Their dedication and commitment to excellence is an inspiration to all of us. Bill Prokopyk

Paving the Way

FOB Shoja, Afghanistan Soldiers of Combined Task Force 4-2 (4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division), the 229th Engineer Company of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and the Afghan National Security Forces finalized construction of a new road in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan in early April. The 3.8-kilometer road connects the villages of Haji Baba and Narose. The teams worked together on a previous project, but this time they worked in a less kinetic area, says First Lieutenant Tomm Hickey, a platoon leader with the 229th. The presence of the enemy was felt more last time. The only people nearby this time were farmerswhich provided a different challenge. It was something you couldnt just tactically maneuver your way through, says Hickey. You had to look at the political and cultural side of it.
photo by 2d LT Alex Salmon Photo by Sgt Kimberly Hackbarth

Wisconsin engineers help finish road in Afghanistan that increases security

Company C and the local Afghan National Army (ANA) provided security for the engineers. The importance of this road from a security perspective is that the town to the southwest is very hard to get to [for security forces], says Company C commander Captain Ralph Parlin, referring to the village of Narose. The absence of security forces creates the condition for a Taliban safe haven. This road allows us to project combat power to that area to make it less suitable for [the Taliban], he explained. Finishing the road was a common goal for the Afghan and American engineers, according to Hickey. As the missions start progressing toward retrograde, its really nice to see us actually handing things over and kind of working ourselves out of a job, he says. SGT Kimberly Hackbarth GXONLINE.com 33

Intel

Selfless Star Gets a Silver Star

For valor and ingenuity during a fierce 2009 firefight, First Sergeant Greg Fulton is the first Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldier to receive the honor since WWII

irst Sergeant Greg Fulton always thinks team first. As the senior NCO of Wisconsins 951st Engineer Company (Sapper), he takes pride in the courage of his troops and is motivated by the commitment and bravery he sees in his comrades. Just to walk among them, you really have to step up, he says. On Aug. 10, 2009, in Afghanistan, Fulton did much more than that. During an assault on an insurgent-occupied building that included several close-quarter engagements, his leadership and quick thinking surely saved lives on a team of Soldiers who found themselves in a highly vulnerable position in a stairwell. For his actions that day, he has received the Silver Star, the militarys third-highest medal for valor in combat. Fulton was presented with the medal on May 31 by Lieutenant General Joseph L. Lengyel, the vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, during a ceremony at Volk Field in Camp Douglas, WI. Fulton became the first Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldier since WWII to be given the honor. (Another Wisconsin Guard Soldier holds the medal but earned it while serving as a member of the active-component Army.) His actions were instinctive and bear out his character and dedication. And his actions were successful, which speaks to his ability, says Major General Donald P. Dunbar, the states adjutant general. In that firefight, First Sergeant Fulton was the embodiment of what we expect from an American Soldier.

Fulton and his unit, based in Tomahawk, WI, deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and returned home in November 2009. Their primary mission overseas was route clearance, making sure roads were clear of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). On that August day, Fulton and an element of his company were contacted by the commander of an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit that had come under fire in the city of Pul-e-Alam, part of Logar province. The EOD commander requested that Fulton and as many Soldiers as possible put together an assault on a building that was about four or five stories highit may have been one of the biggest buildings in the city, Fulton says. The structure was occupied by insurgents who were firing at U.S. and Afghan troops. There was an unknown number of Taliban inside the building, Fulton says. We basically cordoned off and secured the south side of the structure with our gun trucks and provided as many dismounts as we could, which was between eight to ten. Once they dismounted, Fulton and his Soldiers linked up with another dismounted team of about the same size and then separated, beginning the process of clearing the building, floor by floor. As they secured areas and closed in on enemy combatants, they encountered an increasing barrage of gunfire. There were some close-in engagements, ten to fifteen feet, he says. As they neared the fourth floor, the team became bogged down in a stairwell. There was only one way in and out, Fulton recalls. We could try to charge up the stairs and lose a bunch of people or come up with a different course of action. The alternative Fulton and his team came up with was constructing an explosive device taped to a stick that would breach a strongpoint the insurgents had on the fourth floor. It worked, neutralizing the remaining insurgents, and the unit went on to clear the entire structure. Although the situation was deadly serious at the time, Fulton can now reflect on the units resourcefulness in a lighthearted way. I look at duct tape with a whole different view now, he says.

At the award ceremony, 1SG Greg Fulton (right) drew praise from LTG Joseph L. Lengyel, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Fultons ingenuity likely saved several Soldiers lives. But he emphasizes that he wasnt the only one there, and that no mission is ever successful without the help of others. Im honored to have been with those guys at that time and on that day, he says of his teammates. Though Fulton deflects praise, others who served with him paid tribute to his character. The easiest way to sum it up is humility, commitment, courage and valor under fire under some extreme circumstances, says Major Brian Barth, Fultons company commander in Afghanistan. Where most individuals would probably turn and run, he didnt. He coalesced individuals involved in that, seized the initiative and did some intuitive thinking on how to mitigate the threat.

Lifetime of excellence
Fultons Silver Star adds to an already sterling career. Born on Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS, in 1973, Fulton grew up in northern California, where he graduated from Sutter High School before joining the Army in 1991. After graduating from Basic Training and Infantry School, he went on to graduate from the Armys Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder and Ranger schools. Now a resident of the northern Wisconsin town of Arbor Vitae and a father of three, hes a 13-year veteran of the Vilas County Sheriffs
photo BY Vaughn R. Larson

In that firefight, First Sergeant Fulton was the embodiment of what we expect from an American Soldier.
MG Donald P. Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin

Office, where hes a deputy and team leader for a multijurisdictional tactical team. Hes also a 22-year Veteran of service in the activecomponent Army and Army National Guard. His active-component time includes deployments to Haiti and Saudi Arabia and stints with the Second Ranger Battalion and the Second Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division. In 1998, he transferred to the Wisconsin Army National Guard and switched from infantry to combat engineer. He joined the 724th Engineer Battalion, based in Rhinelander, WI, and later deployed to Iraq as a platoon sergeant. When I was going into the National Guard, I wanted to do something different, Fulton says. I wanted to do something that would keep my interest. Working as a combat engineer, he says, has certainly done that. And just as he is proud and admiring of his team members, his comrades feel the same about him and his leadership. Sergeant First Class Richard Helm, a member of Fultons unit, says he wasnt surprised that Fulton reacted so valiantly under fire. Hes a quiet, confident leader, Helm says. He speaks when he has something important to say, generally. But hes well liked by the troops, and its important for him to make sure that the troops are taken care of. Not only that

theyre taken care of, but that they are getting good training. Hes an excellent leader. First Lieutenant Dylan Abler, who served with Fulton in Afghanistan, is another comrade who has seen the difference Fulton makes. It was obviously a surprising story, but looking back on him being there and the ideas and things he came up with, it doesnt surprise me one bit, Abler says. Fulton was someone you could often look to, to solve problems on the ground. That was obviously a problem to be solved, and he took care of it. Getting Fulton to take credit for anything, though, is a tall order. Just ask his wife, Sandra. He is a very humble man, she says. I know hed rather focus on the unit. He just doesnt like a lot of attention on himself. Looking ahead in his career, Fulton says hes on track to make sergeant major but that it depends on how much he can get done in schooling. True to his nature, though, he adds that ultimately its not about ranks or the specific things Soldiers have done or seen thats most meaningful, but simply the commitment itself that theyve made to nation. Its your service, he says. In the end twenty years from now, if youre in the Air Force, the Coast Guard, whatever. You served your country and thats the commendable part of it. Brian Jopek and 1LT Joe Trovato GXONLINE.com 35

34 GX Vol. 10 // Issue 3

photo from sfc richard helm

Unmanned Aircraft Systems spy on our enemies like never before, save Guard Soldiers lives and have transformed the way America fights. A closer look at three of these ultra-advanced vehicles being deployed today.

SCOUTS
B y SUSAN K AT Z K EAT I N G + I L L USTRAT I ONS b y W ES W ARE

IN the

SKY

ears ago on a mission in Iraq, thenStaff Sergeant Todd Patterson and his infantry platoon embarked on a patrol. An insurgent saw the squad coming and set an IED in a paper bag. When the Soldiers emerged on the expected route, the IED detonated, killing one of the men. I wish wed been able to surveil that route, says Patterson of the Pennsylvania National Guard. We could have used some eyes in the sky. Today, what Soldiers are able to see defies the imagination. An IEDladen route is just one of the dangers that have been reduced because of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), the remotely piloted aerial vehicles that have transformed modern warfare. Ranging in size from a traditional plane to something as small as a bug, they allow war fighters to gather intelligence from miles away, with some UASs equipped to fire on enemies. Because these systems allow the military to collect more intel more efficiently without risking the lives of pilots, their use has risen rapidly. UASs, a label that encompasses what are commonly known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) along with their ground control stations, now make up more than 40 percent of the DoDs aircraft, and their total number in 2010 was 40 times the total in 2002. The Air Force and Army operate most of the UAS inventory, with the Army having three UAS programs of record: the small RQ-11B Raven, the medium-sized RQ-7B Shadow and the extended-range MQ-1C Gray Eagle. The Army National Guard, which has operated UASs since 2004, uses both the Raven and the Shadow, fielding some 38 percent of the Armys total inventory. And that percentage is increasing rapidly as more units are fielding UASsthe Minnesota National Guard, for example, launched a $3.9 million UAS facility in May. The Guard uses the Shadow and Raven for the same missions as the active Army, says the National Guard Bureaus Aviation and UAS Analyst Harvey Browne. Those missions include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, he adds, supporting the Soldier and ground commanders with information on what they want, when they want it, in near or real time. That information is power, says Patterson, now a sergeant first class, who used an early version of the hover and stare RQ-16 T-Hawk while in Iraq. The better view of the battlefield you have, the better it is for guys on the ground. Has the enemy moved? Is a bus blocking an escape route? These questions and others can be answered with the UAS. Heres a breakdown of three of them: the RQ-7B Shadow, RQ-11B Raven and RQ-16 T-Hawk, the last of which is not officially in use by the Army but is still operated at times by the service and has a history with the Guard.

The UAS: a Brief History

Civil War WWI Vietnam Kosovo Desert Storm

Both Union and Confederate forces attacked the enemy via balloons filled with explosives. Although the devices did not always work as planned, they were dispatched to descend into enemy depots and trigger large explosions.

Unmanned vehicles used for attack resurfaced in WWI, when, the Army says, gyroscope inventor Elmer Sperry launched an unmanned aircraft and sank a captured German battleship.

Reconnaissance UASs were used extensively in Vietnam, flying thousands of missions to take pictures, drop leaflets or find enemy missiles.

During operations there in the 1990s, enemy troops at first used to wave at the seemingly innocuous NATO UASs. When those flights were followed by airstrikes, the enemy learned to fear the unmanned invaders. The enemy targeted UASs, bringing down most of the 24 vehicles lost there.

UASs truly entered the modern age when, during Desert Storm, Iraqi troops waved T-shirts and bed sheets and surrendered to a UAS.

GXONLINE.com 37

SHADOW
Equipped with infrared equipment and far-seeing high-tech cameras, the information-gathering Shadow UAS is an invaluable decision-making tool
If an infantry commander wants to see whats going on in a village or battlefield, the Shadow can provide that information, says Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Shemenski of the California National Guard. It sends imagery directly to the commander who is watching it on station. It provides full-motion video feeds. Its very precise, he adds. If the commander wants to see down a road, or over a ridgeline, the Shadow can do that. The Shadow also provides post-combat damage assessment and can identify ground-based vehicles from up to 8,000 feet. In use with the National Guard since 2003 there are 32 Shadow sets in the Army Guard, with four Shadows per setthis UAS has seen service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and in other places throughout the world. The system is used for surveillance only and is not fitted with weapons. Its not a strike platform, Shemenski says. It helps decision-makers control the assets. It provides specific and near real-time information. Its pretty quick. An entire Shadow systemincluding four unmanned systems, a launcher, a 27-member crew and assorted equipmentnormally deploys aboard three C-130 Hercules aircraft. For short operations, the kit requires only one plane. If a unit is on the move in the field, the system can be packed into cases and transported via Humvee. A product of the AAI Corporation of Hunt Valley, MD, the deployed Shadow remains in a tent hangar until called into action. When needed for a mission, the Shadow is loaded onto its launcher and catapulted into the air. Each vehicle is propelled via a gas-powered rotary engine that is linked to a two-bladed propeller and can remain aloft for five hours. The wings are equipped with fire- and explosion-resistant fuel cells. The Shadow lands on its wheels on a runway and is recovered via arresting gear. Its similar to what you see with jets on an aircraft carrier, says First Lieutenant Ryan OLeary of the Pennsylvania Guards 104th Cavalry, who in 2003 was the platoon leader for the first National Guard unit to use the Shadow. It has a hook-and-cable configuration. Toward the end of each flight cycle, operators launch an additional unit to provide overlap video coverage. Operators configure the feeds to provide identical imagery. We swap out the aircraft and switch out the feeds, Shemenski says. Watching the feed, you dont even notice. Its faster than the blink of an eye. In that way, Shemenski says, the Shadow can provide up to 24-hour coverage. For the end-user, we can be on station almost indefinitely. Meanwhile, at the surveilled site, the Shadows presence will remain unnoticed. Made of composite materials, the small craft is not easily spotted by eye and has very low radar and infrared signatures. Even when in a holding pattern on station, the Shadow has a long standoff capacity that makes it nearly undetectable. It can loiter a couple miles off target and no one will even know its there, OLeary says.
photo BY SPC Margaret Taylor

RQ-7B

Length: 11.8 ft. Wingspan: 20.4 ft. Payload capacity: 4580 lbs. Maximum Weight: 460 lbs. Endurance: 5 hours Maximum Speed: 126 mph Maximum Altitude: 15,000 ft.

Energy-efficient two-bladed propeller can sustain flight for up to five hours.

Wings are equipped with fire- and explosion-resistanT fuel cells.

Night vision and infrared cameras track targets day or night and through smoke.

38 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

GXONLINE.com 39

Raven
Resembling an overgrown version of a childs glider, the super-lightweight RQ-11B Raven clearly isnt a toy
At just over 4 pounds, the Raven is used by platoonand company-sized units to support immediate tactical needs. The Raven is issued to Soldiers as an additional piece of equipment and is used in a wide variety of units including infantry, cavalry and field artillery. As with the larger Shadow, the hand-held, hand-thrown Raven UAS is not armed. It has no bombs; just a camera, says Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Bogle of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The camera sends a near real-time feed back to its operators and provides commanders with the ability to see beyond the line of sight. If you need to see over a hill, or behind a set of buildings, those are examples of when you would use the Raven, says OLeary. Unlike the Shadow, which can loiter off target, the Raven does not have the ability to stand off. Its for when you want a shorter-term use, he says. The Guard has some 700 Ravens across 53 states and territories. By 2016, the Guard expects to have about 1,000 systems in use. A single Soldier can carry a disassembled Raven into the field in a backpack, says Browne. A second Soldier carries the control system, and a third packs the support equipment. When the Raven is called to action, it can be quickly assembled. One Soldier launches the Raven by throwing it into the air, while another controls the aircraft via a laptop-type device on a tray suspended around the operators neck. The system runs on battery and flies for up to 90 minutes per mission. It can be used in daylight or darkness. At the end of each mission, the operator uses the laptop device to bring the Raven home, Browne says. The aircraft then comes to a slow rate of flight and crashes to the ground. There, it is programmed to break apart. It disassembles itself into four pieces, Browne says. Its supposed to happen. The broken-up Raven can be packed away for the next use, or reassembled with a fresh battery. What happens if operators lose contact with the Raven while it is in flight? As with the Shadow, the Raven comes with a lost link procedure. You can pre-program a rally point, and it loiters until it runs out of power, says Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin Williams, the UAS standardization officer for the Army National Guard. The lost link Raven flies to the rally point, glides to a stall and crashes. The Soldiers also proceed to the rally site and recover the device.

RQ-11B

Length: 3 ft. Wingspan: 4.5 ft. Weight: 4.2 lbs. Range: 6.2 miles Endurance: 6090 mins. Maximum Speed: 50 mph

At just over 4 pounds, the Raven can be easily launched by hand.

Wings and body break apart on landing to prevent damage to the structure itself.

Rechargeable battery allows 6090 minutes of flight time.

40 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

photo BY Sgt John Young

GXONLINE.com 41

RQ-16

T-HAWK
In 2011, for example, T-Hawks fitted with radiation detectors inspected the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. It first saw combat four years ago with Guard Soldiers. The prototype version of the Honeywell T-Hawk micro air vehicle was tested in Iraq by members of the Pennsylvania Guards 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team in 2009. Now known as the T-Hawk, the backpack-sized vehicle runs off a gas-powered motor similar to what is used on a lawn mower, and takes off and lands vertically, somewhat like a helicopter.

At 20 pounds, the T-Hawk can fit into a military-issue backpack.

Weight: 17 lbs. (without fuel) Climb rate: 25 ft. per second Maximum speed: 46 mph Maximum Altitude: 10,000 ft. Endurance: 50 minS.

The T-Hawk is not an official program for the Army or Guard, but it still sees action at times and is used around the world for military and rescue needs
It can go high, low, fast and slow. It can stop on a dime, says Patterson. Its sort of mind-boggling to use. Equipped with daylight and thermal cameras, the T-Hawk is airworthy in most weather. It flies autonomously, along a programmed path, or according to direction from an operator. In its first flight outside the wire, the Gas Micro Air Vehicle (GMAV), as it then was known, was dispatched to reconnoiter a factory where Soldiers were headed. Outside the factory, the GMAV saw a man with an AK-47. The man was a security guard, and the ground operator was able to let the Soldiers know that an armed friendly was on-site. The T-Hawk also had much success spotting unfriendlies.We found a lot of IEDs with them in Iraq, Patterson says. When buried, both homemade and artillerybased IEDs cool off at a different rate from the surrounding sand. The T-Hawks infrared camera could pick up the IEDs heat signature. The deadly explosive device, though hidden from view on the street, showed up clearly on the T-Hawks video feed. When a unit would get a hit, personnel would take a picture, Patterson says. Then they would zoom in, get a 10-digit grid location and send the picture to the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit with the locale, a date and a time stamp. The T-Hawk also helped to excavate found IEDs. The vehicle flies via ducted airflow from its fan. Soldiers used the airflow as a leaf blower, to clear dirt and debris from around an implanted IED. The vehicle played a deterrent role, too. The enemy knew what the noisy T-Hawk could do. When the vehicle routinely was flown along certain routes, the number of IEDs diminished. This kind of technology freaked them out, Patterson says of the enemy. They didnt know exactly how it worked, but they knew someone was watching them. 1
photo FROM U.S. ARMY

Flying at speeds up to 50 mph, the T-Hawk can climb 25 feet per second.

Flexible payload allows user to adjust camera specifications.

WHATS NEXT?
Designers envision systems that can be launched from guns or helicopters; that can better detect IEDs or chemical/biological weapons; that can fit in the palm of

a hand; or that can fly at speeds of up to Mach 20. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencys Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) aims to overcome limitations on launching sites and flight times. Instead of launching off an aircraft

carrier or from a mile-plus land runway, the long-endurance TERN would embark from a smaller ship. Instead of being locked into returning to its home roost, the TERN could land on any ship equipped to receive it. Another UAS in development

resembles something from decades ago. Northrop Grummans prototype MQ-8C Fire Scout could pass for a familiar Huey-based helicopter. Its job will include ferrying medical personnel and equipment over longer distances due to its increased fuel capacity.

42 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

GXONLINE.com 43

I Was There

event
Mount St. Helens eruption

When
May 18, 1980

Where
Washington state

impact
The blast from the eruption equaled the power of 24 thermonuclear bombs. It reduced the height of the mountain from nearly 10,000 feet to 8,363 feet and produced a plume of ash that reached a height of 15 miles within 15 minutes; it would circle the earth in 15 days. The mineral content and the friction within the column created its own lightning.

Flying into the Fury

n Saturday, May 17, our unit showed up to the flight facility at Fort Lewis to fly to Yakima, WA, for aerial gunnery. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we flew a route that took us directly between Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. As we were flying by, you could see St. Helens steaming and bulging. We landed at the Yakima Firing Center, got the aircraft put away, and cleaned up, getting ready for the next day. Sunday morning we had our aerial gunnery brief. While we were in the brief, at about 8:45 in the morning, we found out that Mount St. Helens had erupted. We walked outside and could see this 80,000-foot wall of ash churning like an avalanche. Lightning was coming out of it. It was terrifying. The whole western sky was just a big, black ball. The ash was coming toward us pretty quickly, so they told us to get to the aircraft. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bobby Bryant was my co-pilot. Bobby, myself and our crew chief, Gary Robertson, went to the helicopter getting ready to go. About this time, the wall of ash was just about to come in on us. Just when we got our aircraft started, somebody came down from the facility telling everybody to shut down because of the ash cloud. Gary was looking out the back at the other aircraft and telling us, Theyre going, theyre going! Im looking at the wall of ash thinking, We need to take off! So we did. We were the last helicopter to get out of Yakima that day. As we were taking off, the ash hit.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted for the first time in nearly 130 years, destroying everything in its path. For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Harold Kolb and the pilots of the 66th Aviation Brigade, Washington National Guard, who were preparing for Annual Training, the race to save lives was on. as told to CW2 Marc Acton

Toll
The eruption killed 57 people and an estimated 7,000 large animals (deer, elk and bear) and destroyed nearly a half-billion tons of forest, enough lumber to create 300,000 twobedroom homes.

Above: CW3 Harold Kolb stands on volcanic ash after the eruption. He says flying around the crater was like a different world. Right: Kolb today, now retired.

We were wiping inches of ash off the windshield flying out of Yakima. Bobby and I traded off he flew, and I wiped my side of the windshield off with my hand, then he did his side. Our five aircraft finally got ahead of the ash cloud that was headed east, and then we turned north, eventually landing at an airport in Wenatchee, WA. We washed off the helicopters, refueled, then flew around Seattle to Fort Lewis. We dropped off our rocket pods, armament and gear from the helicopter, and were told to fly down to Kelso, WA, where they were setting up the initial rescue operation.
photos from United States Geological Survey; washington national guard

When we got to Kelso, the U.S. Forest Service, the Air Force, the Army and the National Guard were all trying to run things, but everything was pretty disorganized. We were the first five helicopters to show up, so they told us, Go out and find out what the destruction was. Flying toward the mountain, we were amazed at what we were seeing. The explosion blew off about 2,000 feet off the top of the mountain. For 910 miles around, everything was blasted down to bare rock. Not a tree, not a splinter of wood, nothing was left. Every house or lodge or campsite around was obliterated. Also at this time, all that water from Spirit Lake and all the mountain ice melting was creating a mudflow that was rushing down the Toutle River, taking out houses and bridges and roads. We flew down around the crater a little bit. That was like flying in a different world. Nothing but ash, with geysers popping out of the ground. The smell of the sulfur was something Ill never forget, and you couldnt see more than 3040 feet in front of you. We eventually figured it was better to just get out of there. If a geyser had gone off below us, it would have blown us out of the sky. Everyone had been evacuated from the area close to the volcano before the explosion, but people had snuck in to get pictures. And some folks had permission to be in thereNational Geographic was up there, and some geologists were studying the mountain. They were all killed. We flew over the Toutle River and noticed some car tracks on one of the logging roads. We followed those tracks and came to a small pickup truck that had stalled out from the ash. From that pickup truck, we followed footprints to five individuals that were hiking out of the wreckage, some of them injured. Up ahead was a logging road turnaround, near a bit of a cliff, with an embankment on one side. You couldnt see anything at all through the windows. Despite the risk, we decided to land. I had Bobby looking through the window on the bottom of the helicopter, and I was looking at the flight instruments. When we hit the ground, we started skidding in the ash. When we stopped and the dust cleared, we were 15 feet from the embankment. We had no medical personnel, but we loaded up the four individuals with serious burns and flew them to Kelso, where they were able to get treatment. They were also able to give a report of who was left at the camp. Those who had been left were picked up by another helicopter the next day. There were also four loggers in the area. Another helicopter had pulled out two of them that day. Those were the only rescues the first day.
photo by Steven Herppich

Things were starting to get organized on Monday. We were finding vehicles, we were finding bodies, and we were finding a lot of destroyed equipment. There was still ash everywhere. We were lucky with all the landings that we did that there were no accidents. Tuesday, we continued locating sites of interest and marking them. There was one guy who walked out of the blast area, and he was found and rescued. We also found several groups of people who had been killed, either by ash ingestion or from the blast. There was one man buried in his truck up to his neck in ash. Our first mission for [body] retrieval was the Seibold family, a family of four from Olympia. They were about 15 miles from St. Helens in their car when the mountain erupted. They had no idea what had happened. Their SUV was slammed into the side of the bank of the road. The husband had his hands still on the steering wheel. One of the physicians with us said most of the people

up there died within half a second. The plasma cloud and the heat just sucked the air out of your lungs. Id spent a year in Vietnam and seen a lot of gruesome things, but its always a shock, especially when its a family. We flew every day of that [Annual Training]. In that time, 27 bodies were found. Thirty were never recovered. I think this was one of the most momentous things the Guard has ever done in a peacetime situation. We were able to help, to make a difference in peoples lives, and thats what the Guards here for. Still, even now, certain things bring back memories. Ill smell sulfur, and it will take me back to flying around the crater that first day. Its been a long time. The mountains healing, and weve healed too. You can even visit up there. I do sometimes, and when I think back on what happened, Im left with pride. I think about what I did then, and how much of my life is in that mountain. 1 GXONLINE.com 45

44 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

need to know

9
1

Things to Know About

7
Helicopters play a role.
For greater safety, supplies are increasingly being routed by air. But its 10 times more expensive than ground delivery. The solution: Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) technology. In Afghanistan, some locations are at higher altitudes than certain types of helicopters can support due to current engine capabilities, amount of onboard payload and environmental conditions. The ITEP engine will raise the full payload ceiling for Black Hawk and Apache from four thousand to six thousand feet and also reduce average fuel consumption by twenty-five percent, Hill says. As a result, double-rotor Chinooks are used to deliver supplies to smaller outposts on top of mountains at high elevations. If we get Black Hawks to do the same, well reduce the amount of fuel, improve capability and could re-mission the Chinook to carry troops to another part of the battlefield, Hill says.

SUSTAINABILITY
Getting more eco-friendly makes the Guard more capable, reduces costs and saves lives
By Heidi Lynn Russell

The Guard is working with communities.

The Army National Guard has been highly successful at implementing buffer zones, using conservation easements, to protect training lands. Around many installations, communities had been developing right up to the fence line, limiting training capabilities and, in some cases, endangering wildlife by removing their habitats. By partnering with conservation agencies to purchase land or restrictive deeds, the Guard has been able to keep those nearby lands undeveloped. For example, the Florida Army National Guard partnered with the state through the Florida Forever conservation funding program to protect seven parcels at Camp Blanding totaling more than 17,000 acres.

Energy-informed operations reduce casualties.

Between 2003 and 2007, more than 3,000 Army personnel and contractors were wounded or killed in action from attacks on fuel and water resupply convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we can reduce those trips, we save lives, says Colonel Timothy E. Hill, director of the Operational Energy and Contingency Basing Task Force and a West Virginia Guard Soldier. Of all the convoys, fuel and water basically are 70 to 80 percent of the supply load by weight. So when youre talking about going from point A to B and there could be two or three exploding devices, and you spread trips out to two weeks, you are reducing the risk and vulnerability on the convoy. Youre also becoming more unpredictable. It gives you better force protection and the ability to maintain the supplies.

The Army has made net zero a goal for all installations by 2030.
A net zero energy footprint means that you are producing as much onsite power as you use and are not reliant on the grid. For instance, Speth says, with water, you are returning water to the watershed at the rate you use it. The Army has begun a pilot program in which selected units are tasked with getting to net zero sooner. Oregon is the only state in the Guard thats a part of this effort, working toward net zero energy for the entire state and also net zero water at Camp Rilea. Elsewhere, the Kentucky Army National Guard has a net zero maintenance shop. Technicians test, charge and serialize vehicle batteries during maintenance. Using the tracking system, they bring vehicles in for regular recharging, often catching other undetected maintenance or safety issues. The cost savings for fiscal year 2012 reached about $96,000.

Sustainability is a green cultural change within the Guard.

Fighting a war today requires roughly 16 times more energy than it did in WWII. Thats because of mechanization, remote locations, difficult terrain and increased technology. Sustainability is an eco-friendly principle designed to manage energy, water, land and people wisely. Were changing the way we do business in support of current and future requirements through efficiency and new technology, says Lieutenant Colonel Mike Speth, special assistant to the G-4 for sustainability and energy, Army National Guard Directorate. Creating a sustainable Guard culture will help accomplish the mission while fostering a healthy environment, a stable community and economic stability.

3
Every recharged battery counts.
There are 74 kinds of batteries carried by Soldiers, ranging from the size of an eraser to a brick. Soldiers once routinely threw away nonrechargeable batteries. Even if they had an eighty percent charge, theyd throw them away, because they wanted to make sure theyd have enough power for the day, Hill says. The Guard switched over to rechargeable, which are not only more energy-efficient but, in some cases, lighterthe Soldier Wearable Integrated Power Equipment System (SWIPES) reduces a three-day power weight by 30 percent. Soldiers also have solar panels that roll up like blankets. You throw them on the hood of the vehicle and let the sun charge the batteries, Hill says.

Gray water is key.

Gray water is undrinkable water water that has already been used for showers, for example. But the Army has been recycling more of it. Were trying a lot of different technologies to reduce fuel consumption and demand as well as water demand, Speth says. Some units are using their Force Provider equipmenta deployable basecamp support system that includes latrine, laundry, kitchen and power generator systemsto capture that water and purify it. Its going through a system of several filtrations to clean it up and put chlorine in it. That way, you can reuse it for showers or to brush your teeth, he says.

State units have already made progress.

The Washington National Guard has cut its installation energy use per square foot nearly in half in the last 15 years, and Arizona and Michigan have recycling programs that offset the costs of their own operations. Some individual Soldiers and civilians are taking personal initiative. For instance, one forward-deployed South Carolina Soldier created a convenience center where any Soldier at Camp Buehring in Kuwait can share unwanted items such as minifridges and chairs, avoiding illegal dumping.

The Guards ADTs have spread sustainability to Afghanistan.

The agribusiness development teams, unique to the Guard, share civilian farming skills with Afghans to increase crop yields and bring energy and water infrastructure to rural communities. Its a huge success story, Speth says. So far, there have been about 680 agriculture projects. Hill notes the program is not only environmentally friendly but is also engendering peace. Time will tell if this is effective, Speth says. No matter the case, its the terrorists or insurgents against the population, and we come in there and work within the communities to provide security. Along with that, were teaching them to help themselves.

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photos from wisconsin national guard; Thinkstock

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These five schools, among the most prestigious in the Army, will test your mettle and change your life
B Y R onnie B rooks

ranger

air assault

sapper

airborne

pathfinder

photos from u.s. Army; photo by adam livingston; Photo by Susanna Avery-Lynch

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why its awesome Theres a limit to what a Soldier can do. But not a Ranger.
Its 61 days of training to exhaustion, pushing the limits of your mind and body. Its also showing you have the ability to take instruction, deal with demanding situations and adversity, and continue to excel. Volunteering for Ranger School says you care about your career, and it increases your promotion chances.

location fort benning, ga

year founded 1951

average class size 56

air assault school timeline

what youll do
Youll take on some of the Armys toughest training in high-stress, boot-camp-from-hell situations: roughly 20 hours daily of grueling physical training and rucking, with food and sleep deprivation. Youll operate in rugged mountain conditions and conduct amphibious assault and survival training in swamp and jungle environments. The purpose is to develop combat and leadership skills under the kinds of physically and mentally challenging conditions Soldiers often experience in actual combat. Those who endure the training are true leaders, in and out of combat. DAY ZERO Youll start early and go from the obstacle course into the 2-mile formation run. Those who make it through move on. AIR ASSAULT PHASE Youll master Air Assault operations, Pathfinder operations, hand and arm signals, aircraft safety, and medevac operations. SLING LOAD PHASE Prepare big loads for big lifts, and learn the aircrafts capabilities and what the equipment can handle. RAPPEL PHASE Get instruction in basic rappelling, tying a Swiss seat, rappelling from a 12-foot ramp and 50-foot tower wall, then rappel 100 feet from a helicopter. GRADUATION DAY Following a 12-mile march with loadbearing equipment, your M16 and 30-pound ruck, youre in.

how to get there

You have to be E-4 or above, and you have to volunteer for the course. Pre-Ranger Training is mandatory for Guard Soldiers. Held at the National Guards Warrior Training Center, candidates are put through physical fitness tests, road marches, land navigation and assault coursesthe stages that eliminate most candidates. Airborne qualification is encouraged but not required. Youll also learn how to safely prepare and rig everything from howitzers and Humvees to 10,000-pound cargo nets for stable helicopter transport during sling load operations. Even with all this, there is still time for daily PT, a challenging obstacle course and two road marches (6- and 12-mile), along with written tests.

After learning the ropes here, your career is sure to climb

location fort campbell, KY year founded 1974 average class size 180

how to get there

Youll need to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), plus do at least six pull-ups and be capable of completing a 12-mile ruck march in three hours or less. On Day Zero, youll have to complete an obstacle course and a 2-mile run to continue on to the physically demanding course.

Sixty-one percent of all failures occur in the first three days of Ranger School. The overall graduation rate is 50 percent.

why its awesome

At Air Assault School, youll rappel out of a helicopter 100 feet above the groundand if that doesnt sound amazing, you probably need to recalibrate your awesome meter. Youll also improve your overall soldiering skills, grow even tougher and give yourself an edge for future promotions.

what youll do
Over the 10-day course, youll train in the field and classroom for Air Assault operations, which includes ascending and descending from a 35-foot tower and a CH-47 helicopter. Youll learn different rappelling techniques, complete five helicopter rappels (three day and two night), and learn basic Pathfinder operations.

ranger school timeline

Benning Phase The first segment (Ranger Assessment Phase) is extremely demanding on your body and your mind. Your stamina and physical and mental toughness will be tested. Phase two will stress patrol fundamentals and small-unit combat skills.

Mountain Phase Train 21 days and nights in rugged mountain terrain. Conduct small-unit combat operations, including ambushes and raids, under extremely adverse natural conditions and high emotional stress, with little food and sleep.

Florida Phase In this 16-day phase, youll continue patrolling and using survival skills in a jungle and swamp environment under high-stress mental and physical conditions, and conduct amphibious, small boat and swamp-crossing operations in an intense combat environment.

Ten to 15 percent of potential students dont make it past day zeros obstacle course. GXONLINE.com 51

50 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

These schools are selective, limited spots are available, and other restrictions may apply, so talk to your unit commander first about your interest.

Photo by John D. Helms

Photo by Susanna Avery-Lynch

why its awesome

Youll learn to jump out of airplanes. Enough said. But youll also overcome fear, develop confidence and hone leadership skills. And if you think Ranger School or a career in the Special Forces might be in your future, its smart to get Airborne-qualified now.

sapper school timeline

Take the leap, earn your wings and own the skies

PHASE I The first 14 days cover general subjects including medical, land navigation, demolitions, air and water operations, mountaineering, land mines, and weapons used by enemy forces. PHASE II The remaining 14 days cover basic patrolling techniques and battle drills that emphasize leadership. Subjects include urban operations, breaching, patrol organization and movement, and reconnaissance, raid and ambush tactics. The course concludes with a continuous eight-day training exercise. These missions are a mix of engineer and infantry missions. Each training event is graded and scored. To graduate and wear the Sapper Tab, a sapper must earn 700 out of 1,000 points. Sixty percent of candidates pass the course, but only 40 percent earn enough points to wear the Sapper Tab.

location fort benning, ga

year founded 1940

average class size 390

what youll do
Over three weeks, youll earn your wings by learning how to jump correctly, land with minimum impact and move on to the next part of your mission. Youll train on the ground, mastering your landing technique and learning to steer your chute; on the tower, youll learn to exit the aircraft, control the chuteeven recognize malfunctions and deploy your reserve parachute. Finally, youll complete five jumpssome without a load and some with a full load and weaponand at least one jump will be at night. Then youll walk away with one of the Armys most coveted badges.

how to get there

Youll need to volunteer, be under 36 years of age, and pass the APFT with a minimum 60 points per event, based on 17-to-21-year-old APFT standards. ROTC cadets in the Simultaneous Membership Program have to be under scholarship or contract. National Guard selection is based on the needs of your state and unit.

Be an expert at building thingsand blowing them up

location Fort Leonard Wood, MO year founded 1985 average class size 40

Youll learn and use several knots. (Hint: Learn them before you arrive.) Youll ruck a lot over hilly terrain. Youll work harder than youve ever worked and finish with an intense field training exercise that combines battle drills and specialized techniques learned during the course. And of course, youll hone leadership skills.

how to get there why its awesome

Boom! Yes, you will blow up stuff. But Sapper Leader Course (SLC) is not just about demoor about performing as a sapper, which is a combat engineer who supports frontline infantry. As the name of the school says, its about becoming a leader, and about learning and excelling under tough conditions. 52 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3 But even if you finish, the tab is not guaranteed. The course is open to Soldiers E-4 and above, cadets, and officers O-3 and below. Students can come from any combat or combat support branch, but priority is given to engineering, cavalry and infantry Soldiers.

Airborne instructors, known as Black Hats, are picked from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

what youll do
You wont sleep, and you wont eat. Youll study land nav, mountaineering, demolitions and enemy weaponry, and practice rappelling and jumping into water from helicopters.

airborne school timeline

Sapper comes from the French word Sapeur, a Soldier who digs saps (tunnels).
photo by Sgt Joe Padula Photo by Susanna Avery-Lynch

GROUND WEEK Youll get instruction on jumping and landing safely. Youll train on the mock door, the 34-foot tower and the lateral drift apparatus to perfect your technique.

TOWER WEEK To move forward, youll have to qualify on the swing landing trainer (SLT), which simulates the movement of an actual landing, master mass exit procedures from the 34-foot tower, train on the 250-foot tower, and pass all physical training requirements.

JUMP WEEK Soldiers must successfully complete five jumps at 1,250 feet from a C-130 or C-141 aircraft. Paratroopers who successfully meet requirements are granted an additional skill identifier and are authorized to wear the coveted Silver Wings on their uniform.

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why its awesome

Pathfinders motto is First In Last Out. Thats real leadership. Pathfinders put their Airborne qualification to use, jumping in ahead of everybody else to secure and mark landing zones (LZs). Their navigation and recon skills make the difference in successful Air Assault and Airborne operations. Less than 1 percent of Soldiers in the National Guard earn this distinctive badge.

what youll do
Over three weeks, youll learn to secure an LZ, set it up and mark it for the use of helicopter landings and pickups. Youll learn the calculations needed to advise military aircraft regarding surface and altitude conditions, and to give the information needed to safely conduct day or night troop insertions, medevac operations, and drop-zone operations for both personnel and equipment. Youll also become a certified expert in every phase and position of sling load operations, from rigging and inspecting to loading/unloading sling loads from a UH-60. And if youre lucky, you might get to refresh your Airborne skills.

how to get there

Youre competing for very few spots. Acceptable enlisted MOSs are: 11B, 11C, 11Z, 15Q, 88M and 92Y; for warrant officers: 131A, 180A and 921A. Youll need a minimum profile serial of 111121 on the PULHES Factor, and to have no speech impediment. Physicals for Airbornequalified personnel must indicate, cleared to participate in Airborne operations.

When a mission demands a perilous landing, these leaders blaze the trail
location fort benning, ga year founded 1943 average class size 4548

The Pathfinders distinctive winged torch symbol means To light the way.

pathfinder school timeline

WEEK 1 Learn air traffic control fundamentals, medevac procedures and use of close-air support. Earn your sling load certification, and learn helicopter LZ setup for daytime and nighttime operations.

WEEK 2 More LZ ops. Practice day/night insertion of personnel and equipment, and selecting the best drop zones. Learn the ground controllers role and, if needed, complete the Basic Airborne Refresher.

WEEK 3 Master the static load/unload procedures for a UH-60 and handle every position of the sling load hookup team. During the three-day field training exercise, use everything youve learned and be evaluated as a team leader/assistant team leader and ground-to-air/internal net recorder.

54 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

photo by SSG Andrew H. Owen

Empowering the most important unit

Ways to Commemorate Your Service

Display flags
The proper way to display a flag is to fold it into a triangle and then place it into a triangular frame. This will make sure the flag will stay properly shaped while on display. Attach a small engraved brass plate that explains the particular flags significance.

Make a Shadowbox
This is an excellent way to create a static display of memorabilia. Gather a mix of items, then arrange and layer them using discreetly placed pins to hold them in place. Include foreign money, unit coins, maps, trinkets from foreign countries, 550 cord bracelets, dog tags, etc. Medals, badges, flags and insignia can also be used to make a special display.

A special calling deserves special treatment

By Rachel Latham

Create a scrapbook
This can focus on a specific deployment or the entire career. Consider including pictures, small memorabilia, programs from unit events, quotes, letters or maps. Newspapers (both local and abroad) help frame the time period you are displaying. Be creative! If scrapbooking seems too much for you, put one together entirely online using a site such as Shutterfly.

Frame key documents

Use high-quality frames and mattes that are acid-free. You can have them match a consistent theme, or add subtle matte colors that complement the activity a bronze color for a Bronze Star, for instance, or a branch color for an MOS award. You can also frame ribbon awards.

Create a video
Use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie by collecting pictures and arranging them to a favorite song (choose a favorite deployment song or other inspirational track). This is a great way to share memories with family or other Soldiers. Remember to save the file to a separate thumb drive as a backup.

Use social media

Take advantage of the power of Pinterest, Facebook or a blog. On Pinterest, you could create separate boards for different duty locations or deployments and include explanations. On Facebook, creating a separate page would let you produce photo albums arranged by different categories. This would also create a place online for sharing memories with other Soldiers and having comments and likes recorded.

Icons by John Caserta, Icothlon and Michael Rowe, from The Noun Project; Shutterstock

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family

Land Nav for Kids

Bond with your family, get some fresh air and have fun with technology by trying geocaching, a modern-day treasure hunt
By Rachel Latham

What is geocaching?

Geocaching is an outdoor scavenger hunt using GPS devices. Geocaches are hiddenliterallyall over the world. There are different types and sizes. Some are easy to find, and others are challenging. A traditional geocache could be a Tupperware-like container, with a log sheet and a trinket inside (which could be traded with something that you bring). A microcache could be the size of a 35 mm film canister and contain just a rolled-up log sheet. There are probably some caches within just a few miles of your home. The locations are logged on Geocaching.com along with answers to any questions you may have about this activity.

caches. For your first hunt, choose the easiest level and a large-sized cache. Get everyone involved in this part, having family members pick their favorite. Save the caches that look interesting into the saved file. You can search for nearby caches anywhere you are, not just from home.

Planning ahead

How to get started

Go to Geocaching.com and download the app to your smartphone. All you have to do is register as a memberits free. If you dont have a smartphone, you can use a handheld GPS device. Caches are saved online, and the coordinates are specific in each listing, for example: N 035 55.760, W 087 18.580. Choose Find Nearby Geocaches to get an idea of what is nearby. Caches are categorized by difficulty level (one to five stars, with one star being the easiest), terrain difficulty (one to five stars) and size. For example, some advanced multicaches hold clues to finding further 56 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Once you have researched which caches you want to go after and have them saved into your smartphone, decide what other things you might need. This is a great part for children to help with, and it will get them thinking about what might be needed for hiking and navigating. You can divide the responsibilities, based on how many people are in your family. For example, one person can have a turn being the one to choose the cache, one person can plan the supplies and snacks, another can lead the navigation process, and another can open the cache. Part of the fun of geocaching is exploring unfamiliar areas. If you are going into the woods, plan as you would for hiking: comfortable shoes, water, snacks, etc. A real map and compass are recommended, too, just in case you end up with technical difficulties. Bring some small trinket toys to use for exchanging in the

When you find your first cache, remember a few simple rules:
caches that have gifts. Choose the Navigate to Geocache option on the app and start looking! Navigate using the map tools and compasssimilar to land navigation class, except much more fun. Dont forget to pay attention and stay aware of your surroundings. 1 2 Sign the log sheet. If you take something, leave something. Return it in exactly the same position for the next person. Log your experience online and keep track of the caches you find. Take the time to explore new areas. After finding a few caches, the next step may be setting up your own!

Finding your first geocache

As you navigate closer to the geocache, think about the hints that were given in the reviews and information about that cache, and remember the size of the cache you are looking fora nanocache can be the size of a pillbox. Remember, though, no matter what size it is, it will almost surely be camouflaged.

family

Making It Through

Together
How does an unmarried couple stay strong despite a deployment? With a lot of gritand tons of support.
By Eliza Born
make their relationship last. Through lots of high school relationships have a quick expihard work, communication and a vow not to ration date, their relationship has grown, argue, the teenagers overcame the odds and having withstood one of the most challengemerged more in love than ever. ing experiences a couple can facea deployment. Getting Ready Last year, Jacob, a specialist and combat engineer in the 818th Sapper Company, Before Jacob got orders for mobilization, he spent nine months in Afghanistan, preceded and Natalye spent all of their time together. by two months of mobilization Probably too much time, training in Texas. For about a Natalye says, laughing. They year, the couple faced loneliness, always went to Thursday midboredom and Natalyes worries night movies (Channing Tatum It would be a about Jacobs safety. At the time, movies are her favorites; he long time away Natalye was only a senior in likes Marvel flicks) and spent from each high school. time with each others families. other. we spent She couldve chosen to spend More than anything, they loved so much time her senior year differently. The going out to the lake, fishing young couple wasnt married. and lying in the sun. The together that They hadnt vowed to spend the Kobetsky family has a cabin on it would be a rest of their lives cherishing each Maple Lake, and hanging out big change of other, for better or for worse. But there was Natalye and Jacobs pace for her. they decided to stick together no chance to get away from everyShe was going matter what. thing and everyone else and just to have to cope Many Guard couplesincludbe together, he says. with being in ing more seasoned onesface When Jacob learned that hed similar circumstances during a be going to Afghanistan, the prosgrand forks deployment. They dont have pect of telling Natalye made him and doing things the foundation of marital comnervous. It would be a long time without me. mitment to keep them together away from each other. We spent so SPC Jacob Thompson during the rough times. Many much time together that it would relationships dont survive. be a big change of pace for her, he Natalye witnessed a few of her friends relasays. She was going to have to cope with being tionships crumble during a deployment in Grand Forks and doing things without me. because of lack of trust or indiscretion. Theyd already been separated during Basic But Jacob and Natalye were determined to Training and during Jacobs weeklong duty

After being apart for about a year, Natalye Kobetsky and SPC Jacob Thompson are stronger than ever.

ike that other famous love story, their relationship started with a missing shoe. On the night of the 2009 Snowball Dance at Grand Forks Central High School in North Dakota, freshman Natalye Kobetsky took a friend as her date. But it didnt take long before another guy caught her eye, a junior with blond hair and freckles named Jacob Thompson. Jacob in turn felt a connection. They left the dance together. It was a cold night in January, and Natalye had left her shoes in the car. In true leading-man fashion, Jacob offered to carry her the couple blocks to retrieve them. Later that night, they held hands for the first time. And, Jacob says, I made my cheesy little move to put my arm around her. For Natalye, it felt like a real-life fairy tale. They started texting and hanging out all the time. A couple weeks later, they were officially dating. They were drawn to each other because they could talk to each other so easily. I was completely in love, Natalye says. I had had a rough time with being confident in myself in middle school and in the first half of freshman year. But with Jacob, it just felt good to be together. Four years later, Natalye, 19, and Jacob, 20, are together and stronger than ever. Natalye studies at Northland Community & Technical College while working at a pizza place. Jacob, along with serving in the National Guard, works as a sanitation engineer for the city of Grand Forks. While many

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photo BY Jen Grandouiller

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HE SHARED, SHE SHARED

he left, it was hard for me to let him go out with his friends. Now its easy for me to let him do that. Ill say, You want to be with the guys go for it! I encourage him to go hang out and be a guy.
What was it like when you saw each other for the first time after the deployment? HE SAYS: When I first saw

physical connection.
SHE SAYS: We didnt know

SHE SAYS: It was a little

what to say to each other. We saw each other, then cried and hugged and didnt want to let each other go. We looked at each other and said that we didnt know what to say. It was so surreal. Like a dream.
Was it tough to adjust to being back together all the time? HE SAYS: For a week or so it was a little bit tough, because I was still adapting to being home and being around my friends and my family. And everybody was like, Hey, youre backwe need to hang out! And I thought, Id really just like to be alone with Natalye, just go out and spend some time together.

hard at first, because I was so used to getting up and going somewhere by myself without telling anyone. But mostly, it was really easy to adjust, to say the least. It was normal. It felt great.
How would you describe your significant other? HE SAYS: Shes a really, really kindhearted person. And shes hard-driven. When she gets invested in somethingwhen she sets a goalits hard to turn her away from it. SHE SAYS: He is very

Has deployment made your relationship stronger? HE SAYS: Of course. That

sayingthat time apart makes the heart grow fonder? I started to believe it was true. Deployment really helped build the communication aspect of our relationship. Sometimes I

couldnt specifically say what was going on or where I was at, but I always knew that if I had a bad day, I could say, I was wondering if we could talk, and shed always say, Of course.
SHE SAYS: Definitely. Our

trust is really strong. Were open about talking about things that bother us, and not just bottling it in. Before

her, we didnt say a word to each other for the first five minutes because it was really surreal. We had spent so much time talking on the phone and on the Internet that we didnt want to say a word together; I just wanted to hug her and hold her and kiss her. We had spent so much time talking that we just wanted to feel that

hardworking and determined. He makes a promise and keeps a promise. If you need something, hell be right there to help you out.

Weve always had each others back. Before the couple said goodbye, Jacob, Natalye and her family went to Mexico. The trip was the perfect opportunity for the couple to soak up every last ounce of each other before the yearlong separation. They walked hand in hand along the beach, enjoying every sunrise and sunset. They built wonderful memories that they could reflect on during the deployment, to keep their spirits high. But like all great things, the trip had to come to an end. After Jacob left, Natalye decided to plan her schedule meticulously to keep herself in a good place emotionally. Mentally, Im one of those people who likes to plan out their day, she says. So I planned out the rest of the year to keep myself busy and in shape. I bought a gym membership. I had a schedule and let all my frustration out on the treadmill. I took summer school. I signed up for as many classes as I could, since I knew I would be focused. That really helped me. I made sure I was around all my friends and all the people who love me. Natalye chose to be positiveand to turn her time alone in Grand Forks into a year of personal growth. I saved up my money while

Making Goals

when the Red River flooded. But at 11 months, this would be the longest time he and Natalye had ever been apart. Natalye had always been supportive of Jacobs decision to join the Guard, even if that meant he would have to be gone. So Jacob was confident that they would be able to make it no matter how rough things got. When it came to this deployment, it was like, Hey, weve made it through some hard times, and this is going to be another hard time, Jacob says. Well get through it.

he was gone, she says, setting a goal to save enough for another trip to Mexico when Jacob returned. I made sure to work a lot and have time for school and just do the things I wanted to do, like hang out with my girlfriends. Jacobs family made sure to spend time with Natalye while he was away. Our families have always been supportive of us, Jacob says. I know when I was gone, my family wanted to keep Natalye included. They didnt want her to feel like she wasnt meant to be involved. They invited her to everything and anything. Neither Jacob nor Natalye sugarcoats the challenges of day-to-day life during deployment. Jacob often got jealous that Natalye would go to their old hangouts without him. Natalye would get sad at work when she saw couples coming in to eat. Toward the middle of Jacobs time overseas, Natalye says, their conversations would get repetitive. Nothing was exciting, and it was like, Why am I even doing this to myself? she says. But I would go back and look at my pictures, and say, I can do this. You just have so many days or months to gokeep focused. This was my time to focus. Natalye had to remind herself to stay cheerful. I had to be very independent, she says. In the back of my mind, I knew when he got home the pieces would come together,

and I had to keep telling myself that. It was tough talking to him sometimes because hed be really down. Hed say, Tell me a good memory. Tell me a story. So wed talk about our past, and that left us on a good note. One of the hardest parts of the deployment was holidays. We were used to spending so many holidays together, and that year apart was awful for them, Natalye says. On the Fourth of July, I was bawling. I didnt know what to do with myself. My parents were like, I dont know what to tell you. Stick it out. Youll have next year. Look forward to the next year. Natalye found support during these hard times by joining a Facebook group with other wives and girlfriends of the men in Jacobs unit. We really relied on each other, she says, noting that the other women would post inspiring messages on the group board. When Natalye was having a bad day, she could text them and they would know how she felt. Fortunately, communication with Jacob was not a big issue during the deployment. We actually were pretty lucky that we were placed in an area where we had good access to Internet and phones, he says. Throughout the entire deployment, they kept in touch with the Facebook Messenger app. They also used

Thoughtful exchanges

Skype, and Natalye sent handwritten letters. Its more personal to actually take the time to write the letter and mail it, Jacob says. Shed spend time writing the letter during the day, then shed mail it at the end of the day. Natalye understood that Jacob wouldnt always be able to talk, and that hed be limited in how much he could share about his location or activities. It was something I didnt have to tell her, he says. She obviously was worried, but at the same time, she knew when I was back or when I was done with what I was doing [that], if she hadnt heard from me in a day or two, the first thing I would do is send her a message back. I didnt get to specifically say what I did, or what I had done, or what happened. But that simple How are you doing? message from me let her know I was OK. While Jacob was overseas, Natalye enjoyed putting together care packages for him. Shed shop at Walmart or the dollar store and buy little toys to cheer Jacobs spirits, or shed send him family pictures or a USB drive filled with music. She spent so much time at her local post office that she got to know the ladies there. Theyd see me and say, How many months do you have left? Natalye says. Theyd be really supportive. The packages helped Jacobs mood, too. If we were out on a mission, I knew that when I got

back that day or the next day thered always be a letter or thered always be a package, he says. It was constant. Id always look forward to that. Natalye kept motivated by not dwelling too much on the present, but focusing instead on the future she would have once Jacob returned. She went shopping for the clothes shed wear at Jacobs homecoming. Natalye moved into her own apartment, a place she planned to share with Jacob when he returned. She thoughtfully began preparing the apartment for his arrivalbuying everything he would need, such as a toothbrush and deodorant. Her commitment to saving money paid off. Once Jacob came home, they were going to leave for a second trip to Mexico, which would allow them to reconnect after the separation. Finally, on March 21, after 11 months away, Jacob came home to Grand Forks and to Natalye. He tried to express the euphoria of seeing her again for the first time. When you actually step off that plane and see your family for the first time in so long, and you see your girlfriend, its like . . . wow. I can actually see her and hug her and kiss her, and it makes all the trouble you went through to get the Internet to work, or staying up late to make that extra callit makes it all worth it. 1

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photoS BY Jen Grandouiller; Bill Prokopyk

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legacy

D C om p an y ( R A N G E R ) , 1 5 1 s t I nfan t r y ( A I R B O R N E )
D ec . 2 8 , 1 9 6 8 - S ept . 2 4 , 1 9 6 9 I I F ield F orce Vietnam , L ong B inh , Vietnam

19 Silver Stars 175 Bronze Stars 120 Air Medals 110 Purple Hearts 500+ decorations
For the Indiana Rangers of the Vietnam War, those numbers say it all

ho was the fiercest group of warriors in National Guard history? Some could argue it was the Harlem Hellfighters of WWI, the Overmountain Men of the American Revolution, Youngs Scouts who fought Philippine insurgents in 1898, the Bedford Boys of D-Day, Raven 42 in Iraq, and many others. But on any list, the Indiana Rangers deserve a place at the top. Unlike Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the National Guard did not deploy in large numbers during the Vietnam War. When the fighting peaked in 1968 with 530,000 service members in theater, the Pentagon decided to partially mobilize the Guard. More than 12,000 Guard Soldiers were mobilized in May 1968, with 7,000 eventually serving in Vietnam. The only Guard infantry unit to deploy was Indianas D Company, 151st Infantry (Long Range Patrol). These 204 men were not your ordinary infantry Soldiers. For starters, the entire unit was Airborne-qualified. And before this deployment, they had just finished the Armys Jungle Warfare Training School in the Panama Canal Zone, where 97 percent of the men earned the Jungle Expert Badge, the highest percentage of any Reserve-component unit. According to Specialist Larry Rhodes of D Company, We were the most trained unit in Vietnam. Several of us had two to three

MOSs, and we were one hundred percent Airborne-qualified. Before flying to Vietnam, the company was declared by the U.S. Infantry School as the best-trained unit in its history. The Indiana Rangers arrived in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, on Dec. 28, 1968. They were assigned to the U.S. Armys II Field Force, whose mission was patrolling and reconnaissance for Long Binh military base and security for Bien Hoa Air Base, near the capital city of Saigon. The Rangers nicknamed their base camp Camp Atterbury East, after the National Guard camp in Edinburgh, IN, where they often trained before mobilization. They soon began intense long-range patrolling and missionspecific training alongside F Company, 51st Infantry, the regular Army unit they were replacing. The training was intense. During the companys first patrol, an M60 machine gunner was injured, receiving the units first Purple Heart. By early February 1969, the Rangers were operating on their own, gathering intelligence and ambushing enemy units. They became the eyes and ears of the II Field Force, providing longrange reconnaissance and target acquisition against enemy forces. Sometimes, they would patrol to provide base defense, getting inserted to verify intelligence and then calling in artillery fire or tactical air support. During the first few months of patrolling, many D Company

B y MA J D a rrin H a a s
photo from Indiana Public AFFAIRS

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T h e Vie t nam W a r
N o v . 1 , 1 9 5 5 - A pril 3 0 , 1 9 7 5 ( M ain U . S . I n v ol v ement : A u g . 7 , 1 9 6 4 - J an . 2 7 , 1 9 7 3 )

C H I N A N O R T H V I E T N A M Dien Bien Phu U.S. Air Raids, 1966-1973 Mining of Haiphong Harbor, 1972

HANOI

Spanning 19 years, the Vietnam U.S. Air Raids on Supply Routes, 1965-1973 War is considered the longest conflict in American history. It was the subject of intense debate in the United States and claimed the lives of 58,220 U.S. service members and countless Vietnamese. DEMILITARIZED ZONE (DMZ) The war began when Vietnam, which had Khe Sanh, 1968 Quang-Tri Province, 1972 Hue defeated French colonial rule of the country, was Tet O ensive, 1968 separated along the 17th parallel during the Da Nang Geneva Conference in 1954. A guerrilla war broke out RA between communist forces in North Vietnam and the IL democratic South Vietnam. The U.S. backed South Chu Lai My Lai Vietnam as part of its global strategy to contain communism. The Soviet Union supported North Vietnam, Dak To, 1967 starting a proxy war at the height of the Cold War. Major U.S. combat operations lasted more than nine years, peaking in 1968 when U.S. forces had more than Pleiku, 1965 530,000 troops on the ground. More than 3 million Qui Nhon Americans served throughout the war, with 1.5 million Central Highlands, 1965-1971, 1975 seeing combat. In 1973, U.S. forces withdrew after training and equipping South Vietnams military. In April S O U T H 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured the southern V I E T N A M capital of Saigon, effectively ending the war.
HO
CH

The longest conflict

L A O S

G U

Vihn

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Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 1964

I N

Soldiers attended the elite Military Assistance Command Vietnam Recondo School in Nha Trang, which was run by the 5th Special Forces Group. At the time, it was the only school where you could make contact with the enemy and maybe get shot, says Specialist Jerome Crawford, a class attendee and a Ranger with D Company. Over the next 10 months, 12 to 18 Ranger teams would patrol constantly, making a total of 802 patrols conducted behind enemy lines. Each Soldier averaged about thirty missions, Rhodes says. According to Lieutenant General John H. Hay Jr., deputy commanding general of II Field Force, Long Range Patrols (later known as LRRPs) were generally considered to have the most uncomfortable and dangerous job in Vietnam. Throughout the deployment, D Company made contact with the enemy 126 times, resulting in 97 confirmed enemy combatants killed. They also called in two B-52 Stratofortress strikes, 53 airstrikes and 139 artillery missions, killing countless enemy combatants. One such mission occurred on Feb. 14. Believing there was an enemy buildup near Long Binh preparing to attack, two Ranger patrols were inserted into the area. The first team took fire immediately upon exiting the helicopter. Shortly after the second team landed, both teams were in heavy contact with a large enemy force. The Rangers, realizing they had inserted onto an enemy base camp and possible rocket-launching site,
Members of D Company routinely carried enough equipment so they could operate for several days without any outside support.

Nha Trang Cam Ranh Bay Phuoc Long Province, 1974-1975 An Loc, 1972 Phan Rang Bien Hoa Xuan Loc, 1975 Tan Son Nhut Saigon, 1975 Saigon Can Tho

C A M B O D I A

U
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Mekong Delta, 1957

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T H S O U

Major Action of the War Major U.S. Base 64 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Map by Dustin McNeal; photo from Thomas Blandford

called in artillery and airstrikes. More than 85 secondary explosions were reported, destroying many enemy ammunition caches. Around February 1969, all LRRP units were reorganized as Ranger companies. In May 1969, a Ranger patrol counted 380 enemy personnel advancing south. The team, set up within 5 feet of the enemy trail being used, called indirect fire on the force, killing many enemy combatants. Despite the danger, some Rangers enjoyed being on patrol. You could control what happens better than just being Above: SGT at camp, Rhodes says. Curtis Hester and As a result of these SGT Billy Faulks daring missions, the during a firefight. Right: A group Indiana Rangers would of Rangers in a become one of the most lighter moment decorated infantry comafter a patrol. panies in the Army, with more than 500 individual decorations. Nineteen Soldiers were awarded the Silver Star. The unit received 175 Bronze Stars, with 87 V devices for Valor, 120 Air Medals and 110 Purple Hearts. The Rangers also were given numerous Army Commendation medals, including 57 with the V device. One Soldier who earned the Silver Star was Sergeant First Class William Butler, a 39-year-old owner-operator of a small trucking business. On Aug. 14, Butler was the assistant patrol leader of a five-man reconnaissance team lying in an ambush site along an enemy trail. As they waited, two enemy combatants moved into the area about 60 meters away. As the Rangers prepared to open fire, five more enemy combatants came into view. Still, the Rangers had the element of surprise, so they initiated the ambush. Butler and his team instantly began taking heavy return fire, and the enemy force grew to roughly 35 combatants. The Vietnamese fired automatic weapons, small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at the small team of Rangers, wounding Butler. Disregarding his injuries, he maneuvered toward and fired on a two-man enemy RPG team, killing both. Air support was called in to destroy enemy positions while Butler and his team continued firing at the enemy combatants until both forces broke contact. The Silver Star that Butler was awarded for his
photos from U.S. Army

a unit full of tradition

When the Soldiers of D Company landed in Vietnam, they brought a rich warfighting heritage dating as far back as the War of 1812, when Indiana militiamen fought alongside General William Henry Harrison at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The Hoosiers also fought in every major U.S. conflict: the MexicanAmerican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI and WWII. In 1965, the unit became an Airborne company, which was part of the Selected Reserve Force, a force that would be the first mobilized in the event of a presidential call-up. In 1967, D Company became a Long Range Patrol unit, which would later be changed to Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP). The companys Annual Training in March 1968 was held at the Armys Jungle Warfare Training School in the Panama Canal Zone. The Soldiers convoyed to Fort Benning, GA, for 26 weeks of unit and individual training starting in May 1968. Several completed Ranger, Pathfinder, Jumpmaster and Radio Telephone Operator schools. They also received advanced patrolling and tracking training from British and Australian Special Air Service forces. On Dec. 28, 1968, three C-141A Starlifters flew the company to Long Binh, Vietnam, where the unit would begin its historic deployment. GXONLINE.com 65

IM

IN

actions was his secondhe received his first during the Korean War. After returning from Vietnam, a reporter asked Butler what he did to earn the award. His response: I just happened to be there. Unfortunately during the deployment, seven Soldiers of D Company were killed in action, including three Active Duty Soldiers augmented into the unit. When the company finally returned home on Nov. 26, 1969, they received a heros welcome. Indiana Gov. Edgar D. Whitcomb held a ceremony in the units honor called Unity Day, closing all state and county offices. The mayor of Indianapolis, Richard G. Lugar (who would later become a U.S. senator), awarded the company the key to the city. Because 98 percent of the Indiana Rangers had earned the Combat Infantrymans Badge, they became the first Guard unit to be awarded the Combat Infantry Streamer since the Korean War. More than decorations, however, the Rangers had earned the reverence of their comrades. Throughout their deployment, they were often under scrutiny to see if they could perform as well as their Active Duty counterparts. But it didnt last long. Sure, we heard the cracks about weekend warriors, one Ranger says. It didnt take long for us to prove that we not only could measure up, but in most cases we could surpass the performance of the Regular Army units.

T h e s t r a t eg y
a v g . S ize of L R R P T eam : 4 - 6 S oldiers T ypical mission length : 5 D ays

2
The command and control aircraft directs the patrol team through the contact area toward the landing zone.

D Companys Camo Patterns

Camouflage was not available to most Soldiers, and the standard-issue olive drab uniform from Korea was not ideal for jungle terrain. As a result, Soldiers were allowed to purchase and customize their uniforms, and Rangers of D Company were issued ERDL-pattern fatigues. Here are some patterns that were common with the Rangers:

the units firepower

Vietnams harsh jungle terrain and unique weather patterns forced the U.S. military to improve the weaponry used in country. Humid temperatures swelled and expanded wooden stocks, rendering weapons inaccurate. The thick brush made larger weapons unwieldy, ultimately requiring rifles to be lighter and shorter. As a result, new weapons were developed to give U.S. troops increased lethality.

1
A patrol team initiates contact with the enemy and radios a command and control helicopter and a light-fire team to assist if needed.

Tiger Stripe

3
The patrol team normally stays onsite but is sometimes extracted. A ready reaction platoon is inserted to sweep the area if needed.

It was originally worn by Vietnamese Rangers and Special Forces in the early 1960s for jungle warfare. The first U.S. advisors in theater would wear tiger-stripe patterns, and the fatigues soon became synonymous with Special Forces, Rangers, SEALs and LRRP units.

M16A1
5 . 5 6 x 4 5 mm N A T O 3 9 . 5 in 7 . 1 8 lb

M79
4 0 x 4 6 mm 2 8 . 7 8 in 5 . 9 5 lb

M60
7 . 6 2 x 5 1 mm N A T O 4 3 . 5 in 2 3 . 1 5 lb

AK-47
7 . 6 2 X 3 9 mm M 4 3 / M 6 7 3 5 in 7 . 7 lb

Behind the Lines: How They Fought

Specialists in stealth and survival, the elite Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) companies were the eyes and ears of the U.S. military in Vietnam and one of its most lethal combat units. Designed to fit the dense jungle terrain and fighting style of the North Vietnamese, the long-range patrol concept involved small groups of Soldiers sneaking into enemy territory to locate enemy forces, gather intelligence, ambush units and direct airstrikes on enemy targets. It was one of the most dangerous jobs in Vietnam. Typically, patrols consisting of four to six Soldiers were inserted by helicopter behind enemy lines. If those Soldiers were discovered, they 66 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3 could easily be surrounded by hundreds of enemy personnel. The missions usually lasted five days. The key was to get in undetected, set up an observation post and report, says Jerome Crawford, a Ranger with D Company. Wed set up along trails and rivers but would never use them ourselves. We were heavily armed and moved slowly to remain undetected, adds Larry Rhodes, also with D Company. Besides their weapons, each man carried at least two Claymore mines. The patrols could spend days in a location monitoring for enemy forces. And they rarely spoke, using hand signals and the occasional whisper. If they encountered a small enemy force,

they could ambush and destroy the force. Or the patrol could call in for some heavy-duty backup such as artillery and air support. One of the more popular tactics used by the Rangers involved purposely initiating an ambush. Within minutes after initiation, a command and control helicopter and light-fire team could be over the teams position. After gunship runs had been made by the light-fire team, the command and control aircraft could direct the movement of the patrol team to the landing zone. The patrol would stay in the area as a ready reaction platoon would be inserted to make a thorough sweep to re-establish contact with the enemy if necessary. If the reaction force failed to regain contact with the enemy, the patrol team would stay in the same area to monitor and/or ambush any other enemy forces, which might again use the same route of travel.

ERDL

Referred to as the leaf pattern, multiple styles exist to include a lowlands and highlands version used in different terrain. Issued in the late 1960s, it gradually replaced the tiger-stripe pattern and became the basis for the BDU pattern used by the U.S. in the 80s and 90s.

Mitchell

Developed during the Korean War, the wine leaf or oak leaf pattern was reversible and often used for helmet covers and shelter. As a helmet cover, it was commonly worn by Soldiers and Marines.
Illustration by Wes Ware

Nicknamed a Mattel toy because of its small caliber and lightweight design, the M16 became the standard service rifle for U.S. forces in Vietnam in 1967. The weapon was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced, ultimately allowing Soldiers to carry more ammunition. The air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle was made of steel, aluminum alloy and composite plastics, truly cuttingedge for the time. Designed with full and semi-automatic capabilities, the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions, sometimes even jamming in combat. After a few minor modifications, the weapon gained popularity among troops on the battlefield. Still in service today, the M16 is being phased out by the M4 carbine.

With nicknames like Thumper and Blooper because of the distinctive sound made when fired, the M79 was a popular weapon in this war. The singleshot, shoulder-fired grenade launcher was developed to give infantrymen firepower that was lighter than a mortar but with better range and accuracy than a rifle grenade. Firing a variety of 40 mm rounds to include high explosive, anti-personnel, illumination, smoke and buckshot, Soldiers often called the M79 the platoon leaders artillery. In combat, it was easy to operate and a fairly small and handy weapon to have. Its only downfall: The single-shot breech-loading weapon had a slow rate of fire. By the end of the war, it was replaced by the M203, which is still in service today.

Nicknamed the Pig due to its bulky size, the M60 was the infantry squads automatic weapon throughout the war. A generalpurpose machine gun developed in the late 1940s and adopted into service in 1957, the Pig was designed to replace the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A6 machine gun. Firing large-caliber ball, tracer and armorpiercing rounds, its a gas-operated, air-cooled and belt-fed crewserved weapon. Firing 500650 rounds per minute with an effective range of 1,100 meters and capable of suppressive fire at 1,500 meters, the M60 became representative of hardcore American firepower. It has served with every branch of the U.S. military and is still in service today, but has mostly been replaced by the M240 machine gun.

Officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova, the AK-47 is a gas-operated, selective-fire assault rifle first used by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1948. Designed during WWII for the muddy, wet and frozen conditions of the Soviet Union, the AK-47 has become the most popular and widely used assault rifle in the world due to its simple design, durability, reliability and low cost. It quickly became the primary assault rifle of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. U.S. LRRP teams occasionally used the AK-47 during missions to confuse their enemies during a firefight and limit their ability to zero in on a teams location. Although the AK-47 is an extremely rugged and reliable weapon, its less accurate and has a less effective range than the M16.

Photos From U.S. Army

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ON THE ROAD

The Guard Competitors

1LT Travis Cornwall

39, 510, 172 lbs. GAARNG 48th IN BDE

1LT Nicholas Plocar

hours ofhell
The Best Ranger Competition is a marathon of skills, strength and endurance that only a fraction of the nations elite Soldiers can even enter. What does it take to win? More than you can possibly imagine.
68 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3 Story by Stephanie Inman + Photos by Bradley Logan, SRSC

26, 511, 172 lbs. WIARNG 32nd IBCT

SGT Erich Friedlein

28, 58.5, 163 lbs. PAARNG 28th IN DIV

1LT Jose Moreno

26, 61, 190 lbs. RIARNG 42nd IN DIV

GXONLINE.com 69

quick to acknowledge that they made up time by their fast approach to the finish line. That ended the AAR. There was no time to dwell on whether this event was a success or failure. Burns looked ahead. Because the duo finished before many of the other 50 two-man teams, they had a couple of hours before the rest of Fridays It was the first afternoon of the Best events, which would last all night. Ranger Competition (BRC), one of the You know what you need to do, Burns most grueling, demanding tests of said. Get over there. Take your boots off. strength, skill and sheer will in the entire Get a fresh pair of socks. Put on foot powmilitary, and the National Guard duo of der. Refill your canteen, get something in First Lieutenant Travis Cornwall and First your stomach and then go to sleep. Lieutenant Nicholas Plocar needed to find That last command was a tall order. I a way to steal some rest. Theyd been up cant sleep right now! Plocar recalled since 2 in the morning and competing thinking later, laughing at nonstop since 6 a.m. The the memory. I just jumped two had just completed the out of a helicopter. Spot Jump event, in which After a while, he somehow Soldiers leaped from a helimanaged to get about 10 to 15 copter at 1,500 feet with a This minutes in. On concrete. ruck, weapon and parachute, competition Even in the extremely rare aiming to land in a small cirwas probably moments when it isnt requircle marked on the ground. the hardest ing its competitors to go at The pair didnt hit the single full speed, the annual BRC is mark, though there was no all about Soldiers doing the shame in thata cadre memworkout Ive unthinkable. It is, simply, a ber on the course at Fort ever done. military marathon from hell, Benning, GA, said the exerSGT Erich Friedlein 60 punishing hours of more cise is nearly impossible. than 30 events, featuring Once Cornwall and Plocar more than 100 of the best-of-the-best landed, they loaded their rucks and weapRanger-qualified Soldiers. Active Duty ons onto a litter totaling more than 100 Ranger and Special Operations Command pounds and sprinted to the end in front of teams dominate the roster list. a cheering crowd. Although of course theres a winner After crossing the finish line, Cornwall and this years 30th anniversary BRC in and Plocar seemed a little discouraged April crowned as champions Ranger with their performance. You definitely Training Brigade Sergeant First Class were two to three seconds early, said their Raymond M. Santiago and Sergeant First coach, Sergeant Major (Ret.) John Burns, Class Timothy S. Briggslet there be no referring to Team 49s exit. But he was

Team 49 couldnt fall asleep.

Fr
doubt: Simply making it into the competition is a remarkable achievement, and surviving the weekend is a feat of a lifetime. And contending? Well, it takes everything a human can possibly give. And thats just for starters.
05450600

Opening Ceremony
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The BRC course, hour by hour

Event times are approximate and varied slightly due to the competitors performance.

It takes teamwork. Many military competitions require you to compete as an individual. Best Ranger is a contest of twoman teams. Every struggle, disappointment or triumph is experienced with a comrade. So nothing less than the strongest camaraderie will do. Last September, the Warrior Training Center (WTC) held BRC tryouts for any National Guard Soldier whos Ranger- qualified. Four Soldiers were chosen. Plocar, of the Wisconsin National Guard, whos been part of the National Guards biathlon team, and Cornwall, an infantryman with the Georgia National Guard who played football in high school and at Michigans Albion College, became Team 49. Sergeant Erich Friedlein, Pennsylvania National Guard, who finished third in the A r m y Na t i o n a l Guards 2011 Best Warrior Competition, and First Lieutenant Jose Moreno of the Rhode Island National Guard, who ran track in high school, became Team 50.
air time before the Brc helped prep teams for the spot jump.

Foot Movement No. 1: 2-mile buddy run followed immediately by 18-mile ruck march
10001200

Darby Queen: roughly 1-mile obstacle course through the woods consisting of some 20 stages
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Su
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Night Orienteering
02000600

Demolitions Skills Test

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Night Assault Course: obstacle course, which takes the competitors into the water
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Spot Jump: competitors must parachute out of a helicopter and try to land in or close to a designated area
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Foot Movement No. 2: ruck march where Soldiers have to pick up additional weight at various checkpoints

Canoe/Swim: competitors must canoe across a river, then build a raft using their rucks and swim back across, pulling the raft
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Foot Movement No. 2

02300530

Water Confidence Test: aptitude test in the water that includes walking along a log 30 feet above water and ziplining into the water starting from a tower more than 60 feet tall
10001400

Night Stakes: knowledge and aptitude test, involving information such as Ranger history
07001700

FRIES (Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System) onto York Field: competitors exit a helicopter while it hovers
10001400

The train-up for 1LT Nicholas Plocar (far left), SGT Erich Friedlein and the other Soldiers was intense, but it paid off big-time for 1LT Travis Cornwall (opposite page), shown on the Darby Queen obstacle course.

Day Stakes: multiplestage challenge on field-related skills including a stress shoot, rope climb and weapons assembly
17301930

Sling Load Recovery: transport heavy loads from one side of a field to the other
14301530

Buddy Run: 2-mile run

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Buddy Run: 2-mile run

Night Orienteering: land navigation

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1LT Jose Moreno (far left), Cornwall (center) and Plocar during training. The Day Stakes event on Day 2 put Soldiers to the test in a wide range of soldiering skills, including a medical evacuation scenario.

For Plocar and Cornwall, this was their second Best Ranger. Friedlein and Moreno were rookies. At first glance, Team 50 seemed to be opposites. Moreno stands over 6 feet tall, with a gregarious personality; hes always telling a joke or willing to be the butt of one. Friedlein was one of the shorter competitors, with a quieter but easygoing demeanor. But both worked well together and were mentally in sync, which helped them navigate some challenges during the first day. Our personalities mixed well. We are both extremely competitive, Friedlein said. We were good at motivating each other and working together. Still, teamwork alone isnt enough. After the first 24 hours of competition, only 24 of the 51 original teams were permitted to advance to Saturday, and Friedlein and Moreno werent able to make the cut. Friedlein said the physical intensity of the competition was more than he anticipated, and hes using it as a learning experience. This competition, he said, even though we only did one day of it, it was probably the hardest single workout Ive ever done.

It takes special training and a relentless coach. Before the event, all four
Guard Soldiers trained five days a week for two months at Fort Benning, working on the physical demands of the BRC, such as runs, ruck marches and swims, along with the technical aspects of the competition such as weapons assembly.

We seemed to get stronger as the compeThe Soldiers had weekends offsort of. tition went on, Cornwall said. I owe it all That just meant that they didnt have to to the train-up. report to their coach, Burns. On those Other competitors took notice. I will days, Friedlein said they would still do a say it right off the bat, they brought it. gym workout and some easy runs on their Thats a team that wentfrom the gun own. On one of those weekends, Friedlein one hundred percent effort, no holding and Plocar did a half marathon. On back, Briggs said. They left it out on the another, the entire team participated in a course. I have a lot of respect for that. 10K run, taking the top four places. Santiago, the other half of the winning Burns, who coached the Guard teams at team, said of Plocar and Cornwall, I told BRC for the second year, helped instill that them that you guys are physically fit, no discipline. Under his guidance, last years doubt about it. Probably better than teams finished third and sixth, the first time anyone on this field, cardio-wise. both Guard teams had placed in the top 10 since the competition began. Burns retired as the Ranger Schools sergeant major in It takes a tolerance for deprivation. 2010, after serving 26 years on For much of the weekends Active Duty. After he joined schedule, eating and sleeping the WTC, coaching the Best were afterthoughts. Soldiers Ranger teams seemed like a were lucky to get in a total of I will say natural fit. three to four hours of sleep at Burns doesnt take his most. Friedlein and Moreno it right off duties as coach lightly. Its a didnt get any sleep before getthe bat, they labor of love, he said. ting eliminated, and Plocar brought it. Throughout the training, he and Cornwall grabbed preThats a team continually drilled into the cious little. that went Soldiers not to be one-day The first day included a athletes, emphasizing that 2-mile buddy run (in which from the gun they needed to be stronger to Team 49 finished first), an one hundred finish the competition. The 18.1-mile ruck march with a percent effort, message sunk in. Starting surprise land navigation no holding back (which Team 49 also won), a from Day 1 of the competi They left tion, the strength and con pass through the Darby Queen it out on the ditioning of Plocar and (a 1-mile-long obstacle course Cornwall became evident as consisting of 20 stages), the course. I have a they began to dominate spot jump, and another ruck lot of respect many of the physical events. march (in which they had to for that. carry not only their rucks but SFC Timothy S. Briggs, extra weight such as water 2013 BRC co-winner, and ammo cans along the a tomahawk throw on Team 49 was one of the way). That night, they went
surprise events.

Clockwise, from top: Cornwall is the first from his team to tackle the Prusik Climb; Plocars balance pays off in the Darby Queen; a glimpse of the toll the BRCs events take on Soldiers bodies.

GXONLINE.com 73

through Night Stakes, which included a written exam about Ranger history. By the beginning of Day 2, Cornwall and Plocar had really not slept. But they showed no signs of fatigue. Part of the added incentive for winning a single event is that, by finishing first, you can get extra rest time afterward. Even 10 or 15 minutes can make a difference. During the weekend, which included mystery events such as a tomahawk throw, many Soldiers slept for limited stretches wherever they could find a spotup against a tree, on the ground with their feet propped up on their ruck sack or with a canteen as a pillow. When they awoke, however, those Soldiers would often have to go, as Plocar says, from 0 to 100 in two seconds. A lack of sleep can cause Soldiers to hallucinate, a sensation they call droning. We didnt get the full effect of droning,

Moreno said, but we would see lights and think that was the finish line, but in reality it was just the skyline. Plocar finally was able to get some rest after Day 2. He fell asleep sometime between 1 and 2 a.m., knowing he had to be up at around 5:30. It wasnt really a lot of sleep. But it felt so good, he said. I honestly didnt take off any of my uniform that was soaking wet. I just threw a poncho liner over the top of me. Getting back up, however, was not pleasant. I woke up the next morning, all wet, and it was the worst feeling in the world, he said. It was disgusting. In terms of food, each competitor was given a ration of seven MREs for the full weekend. Some Soldiers will throw out some of it to lighten their load. That can result in faster times and ease the toll on the body during marches and land navs. In a competition like this, ounces equal

plocar hangs at 30 feet in the water confidence Test.

pounds. For other Soldiers, theres never enough food. Last year, Cornwall was out of rations by the last day. This year, Cornwall again was concerned he wouldnt have enough to get him through. On Saturday morning, after a weapons assembly, Cornwalls wife, Jennie, asked him how he was holding up with his food, knowing what happened last year. Food supply is about what it was last year, Cornwall said with a laugh. Oh no. I might start eating grass in a minute, Cornwall said, smiling. In the end, he was able to make it through.

Plocar and Cornwall (opposite page) got only a few hours of sleep the entire weekend. But their familiesincluding all seven of Cornwalls kids never got tired of cheering them on every step of the way.

It takes support. At the finish line of the second event on Friday, a ruck march, spectators stood by yellow ropes on a paved road. On a dirt path coming out of a forest, two Soldiers emerged, keeping a steady pace. As the team got closer, the crowd could make out the stout and muscular build of Cornwall and the more slender and lean frame of Plocar, and their families erupted in cheers. Cornwalls children rang cowbells and called out, Daddy! Daddy! One of his youngest girls tried to walk under the yellow rope. Hey, Daddy! she called to Cornwall, as Jennie held her back. Hey, Baby! he responded, beaming with pride. The Guard teams had some of the largest groups of supporters. Friedleins mom drove from Pennsylvania to be there. Plocars family traveled from Wisconsin to watch their son for the second time. Cornwalls family alone represented a small army: Jennie and their seven children, five nieces and nephews, Jennies sister, and both sets of parents. At 5 a.m. that first day, the whole family was there wearing black-and-gold homemade T-shirts, holding signs that featured Cornwalls face, along with a few cowbells. By Saturday, the family would transform their gray minivan into a walking billboard for the National Guard teams. They blew up photos of the team mem-

bers, along with Cornwall, and taped them to the windows along with slogans such as Go Guard! Jennie had given birth only five days before the competition. Yet she was still there every step of the way, carrying her newborn and encouraging her husband through every obstacle. (They named their son Bo Riste Cornwallnotice the initials?) Before Cornwall transitioned into the Darby Queen course, Jennie called out to him, Do you feel OK? I feel old, Cornwall responded, causing a few chuckles. After the competition, he talked about how crucial it was for his family to have the same attitude that he had: all in. My wife and kids were one hundred percent behind it, he said. And they knew it would take me away from some Boy Scouts or sporting events. I have to give credit to my wife, he added. Because if she hadnt been behind it, I wouldnt have done it.

mance. After missing the cut this year, Moreno was up for a return. This is unfinished business, he said. Team 49 led the entire field after Friday, fell to third place on Saturday, later dropped to ninth, and rebounded on Sunday to finish in seventha monumental achievement. And Plocar and Cornwall had the scars to prove it. Plocar had bruises around his waist from the weight and pressure of the ruck sacks. Cornwall was bloody, with scratches and cuts on his head, hands and feet. He received one cut to the forehead during the Darby Queen obstacle. During the grenade throwing on Saturday, he suffered a large gash on his hand. His cuticles were torn to shreds, and the pounding of his feet against his boots required him to have a toenail removed later.

After they crossed the finish line of the final event, their faces revealed a mix of emotions. Their eyes were barely open, and their bodies were drenched with sweat. But they both had smiles on their faces. Plocar lifted his arm and put it around Cornwalls shoulders to give him a hug. Then they walked into the banquet hall to greet family and friendsand to get a beer and an IV. 1
finishing the competition is a victory in itself.

It takes perfection. In Saturdays Day Stakes, a multistage event that featured a rope climb, weapons assembly, stress shoot, grenade throw and medical evacuation scenario, Plocar made one mistake assembling his weapon. It resulted in Team 49s disqualification for that particular phase. This is how ridiculously challenging BRC is, and how insanely skilled the competitors are: You can be the toughest team, the strongest team, the smartest team, the hardest-working team, and in the end, it may still not be enough. To win the competition, you have to live and breathe it, and come back again and again, inching closer each time to a flawless perfor-

To see video profiles of the Soldiers and more photos of the competition, go to BestRanger2013.nationalguard.com

74 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Strength
Improving body, mind and spirit

DOWNLOAD THE WORKOUT OF HEROES

THE SOLDIER OF STEEL CHALLENgE DESIgNED by THE TRAINER OF
TM

300
AND

One Super train-up

Mark Twight teaches climbing, nutrition and fitness to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) personnel, and he has trained the casts and stunt crews of movies including 300 and Man of Steel. Now he's developed a workout regimen for Guard Soldiers. Turn the page to get started.

MAN OF STEEL

Available at SOLDIEROFSTEEL.com. Or text TRANSFORM to 34763.

JUNE 14

S O L D I E R O F S T E E L . c o m

NATIONAL GUARD and all related elements are trademarks of and Army National Guard and its use does not constitute an indorsement of DC Comics or Warner Bros.

Photo FROM MARK TWIGHT, GYM JONES

MAN OF STEEL and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and DC Comics.

GXONLINE.com 77

STRENGTH

Mark Twight knows fitness.

He trained the entire cast, including Gerard Butler, in the blockbuster 300, morphing them into lean, strong bodies. With this summers Man of Steel, Twight has done it again, this time molding the body of a superhero by training actor Henry Cavill for his role as Superman. Twight didnt learn fitness from a book; he lived it. As one of Americas leading alpinists, he climbed some of the worlds toughest mountains, including a 60-hour ascent of Mount McKinleys Slovak Direct route. With his wife, Lisa, he founded Gym Jones, which became one of the worlds premier strength and conditioning facilities for professional fighters, football players and endurance athletes.

The following pages contain excerpts from Twights special 30-day Soldier of Steel training plan for the Guard. This training plan does not have physical mastery as its objective. Instead, this guidance and the full schedule that you can find at SoldierOfSteel.com will teach you fundamental and universal movements, and begin to instill the habit of daily exercise. The most important characteristic of being trained is a strong work ethic. Very few Soldiers need complex, specific training plans designed for highlevel sports performance. Soldiers need to develop work tolerance and a variety of movement skills, with emphasis on power-endurance (cardio-respiratory), strength-endurance (muscular) and general endurance (systemic). Excessive strength and speed development increases risk during training and is not as useful as the traits just mentioned in the context of soldiering. The complete plan is outlined on the premise of following each hard day with an easier recovery day. The plan allows one full rest day each week; otherwise, training is expected every day.

Equipment requirements
> >

Open space Pull-up bar Box or bench to jump on (2024 inches in height)

>

Forged in Steel
Follow this training program and youll feel like Superman
workout courtesy of Mark Twight, Gym Jones

>

Dumbbells of varying weights (15 pounds to 30 pounds and perhaps up to 60 pounds for stronger individuals)

>

To GET the 0 - day full 3of Steel m, Soldier progra to go E ROF SOLDI .com L STE E

 arbell B with plates of varying weights (total load required from 95 pounds to 135 pounds, and heavier as ability progresses)

>

Access to low-impact cardio machines (i.e., rowing machine, stationary bike, elliptical machine) or swimming pool

After completing this month of training, you may repeat the schedule exactly or increase the difficulty either by reducing the amount of rest between sets in the case of bodyweight exercises or by increasing the weight in the case of loaded exercises. However, increasing the resistance (weight) should not be the sole measure of progress: Strict form, full range of motion and, eventually, speed can also be used to increase difficulty as you adapt to the basic workload.

78 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Photo FROM MARK TWIGHT, GYM JONES; Illustrations by Jason Lee

GXONLINE.com 79

The workout Sample workout

1

workout, designed by Twight, is one justof one 30 included in his Soldier of Steel This This regimen, designed by Twight, is just 23of included in his Soldier of Steel training training plan designed just for you. If you can make it through this workout, try the plan designed just for you. If you can make it through this workout, try all the others. other 29. Youll be more than the ready to save the day. Youll be more than ready to save day.
1. WARM-UP WARM-UP Run 10 min Run 10 mins. at easy pace at easy pace 2. A  ir Squat Air Squat x 20 3 x3 20
3

3. Push-up Push-up x 10 3 x3 10 4. pull-up pull-up 3 x3 5x 5

5. mountain mountain climber climber x 60 4 x460 6. Burpee Burpee 10-9-8-7-6-510-9-8-7-6-54-3-2-1 4-3-2-1 Reps each Reps of of each

7. Cool down Cool-down 10 min run/walk Run/walk 10 mins. easy pace atat easy pace

4 2

Push-up
Hold a tight plank position on the ground. Drop down until your chest touches the ground. Come up and return to plank.

Air Squat
Find your athletic stance by jumping in place a few times. Have your toes out and knees tracked over the toes. Lower into a seated position (squat), bringing arms in front of you. Return to standing.

Mountain climber
Place your hands on two dumbbells on the floor in front of you and assume a forwardleaning rest (plank position). Alternate bringing one knee forward and then the opposite, as if you were running in place.

Guard Soldiers from around the country helped film videos of Mark Twight's training program.

Burpee
Squat so that your hands are on the ground. Kick out both feet behind you in a plank position. Perform a push-up. Come back up to the top of the push-up position. Return to the squat position in one quick motion. From the squat position, jump as high as you can. This is one rep.

Pull-up
Using a pull-up bar, grab the bar with an overhand grip and take a dead-hang position. Pull your body up to the bar until your elbows are behind the center line of your body and your head is over the bar. Return to starting position and repeat.

80 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Warning: Always seek the advice and guidance of a qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have before commencing a fitness program. This article should not be relied on or substituted for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. The exercises presented are for suggestion only. Participate at your own risk. Stop if you feel faint or short of breath.

GXONLINE.com 81

STRENGTH

Dash Like a
By 1LT Holly Di Giovine

Warrior

How to prepare for these popular obstacle courses

Since its inception two years ago, the Warrior Dash mud run obstacle course series has attracted many Guard Soldiers and become one of the most popular endurance events in the nation. As if completing a 5K run werent challenging enough, racers must negotiate obstacles including mud pits, climbing walls and hurdles before they can call themselves Warriors. The difference between simply completing the race versus feeling strong at the finish comes down to incorporating specific training techniques to improve your overall athleticism. Incorporate the following tips four to eight weeks before your event, and youll crush the competition.

Conduct Route Recon

Once you sign up for an event, print the course map and plan your training and racing strategy. Your Warrior Dash will likely last from 30 to 60 minutes, so build up to training sessions that are as long in duration with as many obstacle sets that are included in your race.

Wear the Right Gear

Ironically, you really dont want to take anything new with you to the Warrior Dash because everything you wear is going to get trashed! The race promoters even recommend, Dont wear anything you plan to wear again. Water is provided on the course, and the race is only 3 miles, so you dont need fuel (e.g., gel packs). That being said, here are our suggestions for your race day uniform: Wear running shoes with some kind of tread so you have grip in the mud. Use synthetic socks to avoid blisters. Avoid cotton at all costs. Look for polyester, acrylic and CoolMax materials. Wear fitted clothing so nothing will fall off or get caught on obstacles, or hold water.

Hop to It
Practice climbing onto a park bench, picnic table or wall that is at least 3 feet high. Start with both hands on the object and hop one leg up while swinging the opposite leg over. Over time, try hopping both legs over at the same time. If this becomes a breeze, try running to the obstacle and using your hands and feet to jump over.

Get Low

Build UpperBody Endurance

Loop a towel over a pull-up bar and grasp it with both hands. Walk under it so you are placing most of your body weight on your legs extended in front of you. Complete chest-to-bar incline pull-ups, building from one to three minutes to increase your hand and arm muscle endurance.

Run to Get Ahead

Put your Army Individual Movement Techniques to work! Alternate running for 15 seconds with 30 seconds of low crawling until you have covered 100 yards. Remember to keep your head, shoulders and hips low to duck under the barbed wire obstacles on the course. Build up to four rounds, and attempt to get across the field with as few rounds of low crawling as possible.

Most courses start out with a half-mile of open terrain. This is your best opportunity to get ahead of your competition before the first obstacle. To train for this, find an open stretch of grass, such as a park or soccer field, and sprint at a steady pace to an object that is about 200 yards away. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat for a total of five rounds. As your fitness improves, incorporate more challenging terrain, such as hills and trails. And try increasing the duration until you can run five rounds of four minutes with 30 to 60 seconds of recovery. And if that gets too easy, add in a set of push-ups after every round.

Brace for Impact

Prepare for jumping on and off obstacles throughout the course by trying these exercises:

Try jumping onto progressively higher surfaces from 6 to 18 inches. Start with your feet together, squat down, explode from your hips and land with your feet hip-width apart. Stand tall at the end of each repetition. Build from five to 15 reps.

Skip 20 times per leg. This prepares your ankles, knees, hips and abdominal muscles for the jolt youll feel when jumping on and off obstacles.

Do extended planks, i.e., the position at the top of a push-up. This exercise strengthens the trunk stabilizers from your hips to your arms. Build up to a three-minute hold. Try to touch your elbow with your knee, one side at a time. This will combine upper-body endurance with core strength.

To find a race near you, go to warriordash.com

82 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

photos from warrior dash; thinkstock

GXONLINE.com 83

STRENGTH

How to: Build a Fire With a Bow Drill

abusive. Anger management experts agree that anger should be expressed, but in an assertive waynot aggressive. Being assertive simply means that you let the other person or people know why you are angry and then seek a mutual understanding of what caused you to get angry. In this way, you show respect to others and this, in turn, can bring satisfying results. If you are the type of person who displays rage when angry, then try to suppress your anger. You can do this by focusing on something positive until you can calm down and come up with a healthy way to release your anger. Handling your emotions this way is much more beneficial to you and encouraging to others. Conversely, suppressed anger thats not addressed leads to resentment. This happens when people completely deny their hurts and frustrations. The destruction occurs essentially from the inside out. They tend to hold everything internally and never find positive ways to deal with the bottledup anger issues they carry.

what you'll need

Knife or sharp rock to cut and shape sticks and carve a hole Tinder: moss, cattail fluff, cedar bark or dry/dead grass 23 feet of string: 550 cord, rawhide cord or woven/braided milkweed Bow: a curved stick the length of your arm; A cow rib will work, too Spindle: Wooden rod 8 inches long and roughly 1 inch in diameter Board: 1 inch thick x 1 foot long x 4 inches across Socket: A rock, shell or piece of hard wood that will comfortably fit in the palm of your hand
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MCKENDRY

Taking control

Controlling Anger
By Chaplain (MAJ) Mark Phillips

Its a natural emotion, but dont let it overtake you

nger can be a normal reaction when something happens to us that we feel is unfair or undeserved. It can cause intense feelings of displeasure, hostility and vengeance. Not all anger is bad, but you may feel like youre not able to control your angry feelings and that they can overpower you. The littlest mishap sends you into a tailspin of rage. Dont let anger control your life! Understanding how anger begins, how it manifests itself and how to overcome its emotional death grip is the key to living a victorious life. Anger begins when something happens that threatens you physically, emotionally or relationally. Youre driving down the freeway and someone cuts you off. A peer gets promoted ahead of you. Your teenager comes home two hours late without letting you know. Someone you love has cheated on you. All of these situations can cause anger, but virtually all anger is driven by fear. This is why some anger is not necessarily bad.

Good anger can initiate aggressiveness, which can be a great benefit to our physical survival. However, its comical to think that we can just go through life lashing out at everyone who annoys us for the sake of self-preservation. Minister and best-selling author Dr. Charles Stanley stated, If you wonder if you are an angry person, simply ask yourself these five questions: Is my anger directed toward another person? Is it without a justifiable cause? Am I seeking vengeance? Am I cherishing anger? Do I have an unforgiving spirit? If you answer yes to three out of these five questions, then you are probably carrying unwarranted anger.

Turn anger to assertiveness

There are basically three categories of anger: rage, resentment and indignation. Rage is that explosive, uncontrolled expression of anger. People often demonstrate it through yelling, throwing objects or being physically

Simple steps can help you overcome anger. First, learn to communicate better. Dont jump to conclusions, and dont say the first thing that comes to your mind. Learn to be a good listener while trying to understand the other persons point of view. Second, plan ahead for potential problems that have a tendency to make you angry. If heavy traffic makes you mad, allow yourself extra time during the commute or take a different route to work. Third, change your environment. If you work in an office environment, its amazing what 15 minutes of sunshine and fresh air at lunch each day can do to brighten your attitude and relieve any anger-causing anxiety. Fourth, learn to relax by reading spiritual material, learning deep-breath- ing techniques or routinely engaging in physical exercise. Remember, not all anger is bad. Indignation or righteous anger can be classified as good anger. Things like social injustice or cruelty to others can cause us to become angry. This anger may then cause us to willfully react against the wrong to make it right. When handled with the right motive in a nonaggressive way, good anger can have a positive impact on everyone.

By SFC Patrick Williams

A mixture of dry or dead moss and grass works well. Weave the grass into a bird nest; make sure to leave a small indentation in the center. Place the nest in a dry location. Collect the components needed for the drill, plus dry kindling and dry firewood.

Build the tinder bundle.

line bowline is a great knot to secure the cord to the bow.

Chaplain (MAJ) Mark D. Phillips is the full-time support chaplain for the Tennessee Army National Guard and serves as the regimental chaplain for the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Knoxville, TN.

Carve a notch at both ends of the curved stick so your cord will not slip. Tie the cord around both ends of the curved stick, leaving enough slack so you can tightly wind the line around the spindle. An end-of-the-

Build the bow.

The spindle needs to be as straight as possible. Select wood thats soft enough for you to dig your thumbnail into and leave a mark, yet strong enough not to crumble under your body weight. Cedar works well. Round off both ends and shave off rough spots around the spindle. The ember board must be dry, dead and the same density as the spindle, if not the same species. Carve a notch on the side of the board, about 3 inches from one end. The

Build the spindle and ember board.

notch should be 1/2 inch wide by 1/2 inch deep. Now carve a conical hole for the spindle to rest in. The edge of the hole must open into the notch that has been carved since this is where your ember pile will collect. Excavate the spindle hole with your knife, scooping out just enough wood for your spindle to rest in the indentation.

Place a piece of bark under the ember board and step on the board about 1 inch away from the spindle hole. The bark will serve as a means to transport your ember ball to the tinder bundle. Wind

Make the ember ball.

the bowstring around the spindle; it should be wrapped tightly, and the spindle needs to be on the outside of the bowstring. Place the spindle into the conical hole in the board and place the socket on top of the spindle. This will provide the downward pressure and friction needed to shred the wood into hot dust. Brace the wrist that is holding the socket against your shin and slowly push and pull the bow until the spindle is mated with the conical hole. Once the two pieces begin to spin freely on each other, apply greater downward force on the spindle and work the bow back and forth at half speed.

When a collection of burnt sawdust begins to spill from the notch in the ember board, give the bow everything youve got until you see smoke for at least five seconds.

Slowly lift the ember board off the bark. You should see a small ball of smoking sawdust; this is the ember ball. Carefully transfer the ember ball into your tinder bundle. Cup your hands under the bundle and gently blow until flames visibly dance above the bundle. Place small sticks over the bundle and gradually move up to bigger sticks and logs. GXONLINE.com 85

Feed the fire.

84 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

Shutterstock; Photo illustration by Dustin McNeal

Survival Skills is not intended as a substitute for your emergency training. For complete instruction on proper procedures, see your unit commander.

STRENGTH

Save a Battle Buddys Life

Learn to recognize the signals that your comrade is suffering from depression
By Rachel Gladstone

Depression is a serious condition, but its symptoms can be elusive and hard to detect. Learning to recognize the signs of depression in your battle buddy can be as important as looking out for the physical dangers they might be facing on the battlefield. Its a different kind of enemy, but depression can still have life-or-death consequences, says Syd Davidson, director of psychological health for the Indiana National Guard. According to Davidson, who sees Soldiers with depression, research studies have concluded that when left untreated, depression can become a chronic problem and lead to suicide. Here are five of the most common warning signs of depression to look for in your battle buddy.
Five signs your teammate may be struggling with depression

ISOLATION
If your buddy seems withdrawn and uncommunicative, then they might be depressed. Perhaps this person doesnt want to be around others and keeps to themselves at drill. If they are isolating, you might find that theyre less talkative and more withdrawn than usual. And if this person usually likes to go out and do things with their friends but suddenly declines to do so, this is another strong indication that they are displaying isolating behavior.

SUDDEN CHANGES IN EATING AND SLEEPING HABITS

Theres usually a definitive change in these habits with those who are suffering from depression. Most people will stop eating altogether, eat considerably less or begin to overeat compulsively. For a Soldier who is deployed, sleep disturbance is pretty normal, but you would notice even greater sleep irregularities, such as not being able to sleep at all or sleeping way too much.

MOOD SWINGS
Is your battle buddy acting helpless or hopeless? If so, this could be another sign of depression. This person may be talking about how nothing works for them, how theyre a failure and that theyre certain theres no way their life will ever improve. You may also notice a difference in their mood, which might swing erratically from over-thetop cheerfulness to intense displays of anger, frustration and sadness.

ACTING OUT IN RISKY WAYS

Depression can lead to an increase in risky behaviors like driving recklessly or too fast. And if your battle buddy has started drinking alcohol more often than they did before or started using drugs, then you should be alarmed. If they suddenly decide to go out and randomly buy a motorcycle or purchase a gun, this could indicate that theyre taking chances with their life, which could definitely be a sign that theyre living in emotionally dangerous territory.

TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE

If struggling with depression, some Soldiers might actually talk about harming themselves in hopes that people will listen. Normal depression is something that continues to escalate and can eventually lead to suicide, Davidson explains. And many suicides are impulsive acts. So if you hear your battle buddy discussing a recent breakup that hurt them greatly and theyre saying something like I cant live without her. Im going to shoot myself, this is a statement you should take seriously.

If your battle buddy is displaying one or more of these symptoms and you are concerned that theyre suffering from depression, you should immediately bring this to the attention of your Command or Readiness NCO. You can also call Behavioral Health or a chaplain, both of whom have protocols set in place for dealing with this condition. One more option is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-TALK.

Thinkstock

GXONLINE.com 87

Three Pillars of Health

By COL Anne Naclerio, Army National Guard Chief Surgeon

Passing your APFT isnt enough. To be at your best for your unit, physically and mentally, make sure youre strong in these basic areas.
heres overwhelming evidence that Soldiers need regular physical activity, good nutrition and adequate sleep to perform their duties. Really, these are the building blocks of dayto-day living. Soldiers who skip out or slack on one of those three health drivers not only risk their own well-being and readiness, but also create risks to their units by increasing the likelihood of accidents caused by human error in combat or emergency response environments. Recent Army studies found that Soldiers who average five hours or less of sleep per night lose 20 percent of their ability to process and retain information. And in terms of fitness, 2,300 Soldiers were discharged last year due to being overweight, at a cost of $61 million to the Army. To address these issues, the Army has built a programthe Performance Triadon the three health pillars of physical activity, good nutrition and adequate sleep. Whether youre brand-new to the Army National Guard or nearing retirement, a balance of these three facets is critical to maintaining our unstoppable force. Once you begin to improve in just one of these health areas, the other two will improve as well. For example, when you move more, you maintain weight and sleep better. Start by taking on little changes: Walk up stairs instead of taking the elevator; cook with canola oil instead of vegetable oil; and take advantage of Guard resources. Under development is the website GuardYourHealth.com, where you will be able to access information, ask questions and hear from fellow Soldiers about what works for them.

The Army National Guard has a Facebook page on health and wellness at Facebook.com/ARNGHealth for Guard Soldiers and families.

1 Get moving Getting in physical training or other activity at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week, makes you feel good and improves your mood. It makes you look good, and it helps reduce risks of chronic diseases such as depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer. Readiness at all times requires strength and endurance. Your role may find you hauling hurricane debris or transporting the injured in combat operations. Its much harder to do these things if youre always winded. Soldiers can improve overall physical performance and prepare for the APFT by consistently doing some kind of physical activity each day that increases your heart rate and works your major muscle groups. 2 Eat well According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33.3 percent of American adults are overweight and another 35.9 percent are considered obese. While many Soldiers fall into a healthy weight range, we are not immune. Overweight Soldiers simply have a harder time completing physically demanding tasks, risk failing the APFT, and increase their risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep problems. Maintaining your weight starts with simple choices in your eating habits. Visualize your plate of food and aim for balanced portions of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk or dairy products. Its easy to rely on fast food or quick meals in between duties, but these foods often contain high levels of salt, grease and sugar, which zap your energy and lead to weight gain. 3 Catch more shut-eye Chronic poor sleep has serious short- and long-term consequencesfrom impaired readiness and concentration to increased risk for obesity, heart disease and depression. For Soldiers especially, fatigue and drowsiness cause accidents that can be fatal in an emergency response or theater environment. Aim to get 78 hours of high-quality sleep every 24-hour period to sustain operational readiness. Getting a good nights sleep will help you maintain energy levels and alertness throughout the day so youre rested and ready to take on tasks such as driving a Humvee or managing emergency communications without error.
Quick tip Most people sleep better in a cooler room aim for 60 to 65 Fahrenheit. Quick tip Eat seafood in place of meat or poultry twice a week. Quick tip Exercise for 30 minutes, at least five days every weeknot just the month before the APFT.

Icons by Evelyne Au-Navioz, Gilad Fried and Rmy Mdard, from The Noun Project

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Careers
Your work, your future

make your resume roar

To get the job you want, you need to make sure your resume is working for you. That means describing your military skills and experience in a way that civilian managers will understand. How can you do this? Let an expert do it for you. The Personal Branding Resume Engine will create a resume for you online, and its free. Part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundations Hiring Our Heroes initiative, its a sophisticated program that translates your service background into language that will truly reveal what you can bring to an employer. And that language will open more doors.

Create your free resume today by going to ResumeEngine.org

thinkstock

GXONLINE.com 91

careers

agers of relationships. Even if your career is just starting, eventually you will find yourself needing to work with somebody outside your inner circle. Make sure youre building bridges, not burning them. You never know which of those bridges will eventually get you where you want to go. Next, dont just sit around waiting for things to happen to you. I expect leaders to make decisions, Kuehl says. Those are the leaders Im looking forleaders that are willing to make decisions based on the commanders intent and are not waiting for guidance all the time. Be proactive, and be positive. Successful commanders dont sit around waiting to be told what to do. They fill open spots in the training calendar without being asked. They offer critiques without complaining and know how to walk the fine line between being constructively critical and being negative. Theyre proactive, not reactive. They make decisions and run with them. Make those decisions the right ones by looking at the long-range targets. You have to have a vision of where you want to go, and what you want to achieve, Kuehl says. It doesnt matter if youre going to attack a hill, or youre trying to put together a long-term training plan, you have to understand where you currently are. And then if you understand where you are, and where you want to go, then you can figure out the steps to take in between. Whether its preparing for your next leadership school, or turning in your NCOER Support Form early, keeping an eye on where youre going will help you avoid important details falling through cracks.

My specialty

Think ahead. Way ahead.

Specialist Nickole Reburn, who handles explosive ordnance with the 430th EOD, North Carolina National Guard, excels in the high-wire job of spotting and disarming threats, from a hotel room bomb to an IED.
Interview by Camille Breland

Explosives Expert
Wherever a dignitary is coming in, well search the entire environment to make sure there are no threats. If somebodys staying in a hotel, well scour every room, every possible place. We examine the beds, check all the floors, all the light switches, and make sure there is nothing hidden. We also do a lot of vehicle searches. Well open all the doors, and physically check the underkit, trunk, under the seats. We have been trained on what small [explosive] devices could look like. I deployed to Iraq in 09, and our primary mission was to take care of IEDs. Its a rush like no other. When you get called out onto a mission for something dangerous that was designed to kill another human being, and then you disarm it, you defeat it, you just saved somebodys life.

When I was looking for an MOS, I wanted a challenge. EOD seemed a little bit on the wild side, challenging, and only accepted the best of the best that intrigued me. Now I dont think theres another job in the military that Id be interested in. We do a lot of intel work, [cooperative operations] missions with the Secret Service, and partner missions all over the world. We are trained to understand each different type of explosive potential: what each explosive does and when we would use it. Every situation is different, so we have to utilize our best judgment. Were trained to think outside of the box. We have a lot of specific gear that the rest of the military will never use. Robots are our primary tools for working with explosives. Instead of one of us going out to an IED, well send a robot. It has video and audio feedback, so we can see everything thats going on at the site without having to risk our lives. Our robots, like the TALON and PackBot, have extreme potential. Its like having a person down there.

Think Like a Commander

By CW2 Marc Acton

No matter what your aspirations are, youll go further by heeding the advice of a leader who has trained troops by the thousands

It Starts With Values

ts a position not everyone is cut out for. But unless your career plan is just a one-and-done enlistment, either youre seeking out a leadership position or you will soon have one thrust upon you, ready or not. No matter where you are in your career, thinking like a commander will help you succeed now, and it will get you ready for where youre going. Start by focusing on something often overlooked: relationships. Relationships are so essential to what we as commanders do. As the former brigade commander of Camp Shelbys 177th Armored Brigade, Colonel Dale Kuehl knows what it takes to think big-picture. Last year, the 177th and

the 158th Infantry Brigade teamed to train more than 30,000 Soldiersmany of them Guard personnelwho were deploying or demobilizing. One leadership failure in his world would have affected countless lives. He says before specific planning even starts, successful commanders build relationships. If you cant work together, if you cant develop positive working relationships, youre not going to be an effective leader, says Kuehl, who was recently selected to be the First Army G-3/5/7 director. I dont think I can overemphasize that. Units downrange are working closer than ever with other services and even indigenous personnel. Because of that, commanders are not just managers of peopletheyre man-

Most important, be rooted in a solid set of values. In other words, dont just think like a commander, be like a commander. A leader sets the tone for his organization, Kuehl says. If his moral compass is off, the organization is going to have problems. I can train a leader in just about anything, but if they dont have the moral foundation to be what I think of as a good leader, thats hard to fix. Every day, you are faced with choices. Usually those choices come down to doing the easy thing, or doing the right thing. Successful Soldiers make a habit (and build successful careers) out of making the hard right decisions. Whether youre looking for leadership or not, its coming your way. Start thinking (and acting) like a commander now, and youll be ready when it does.
photos from U.S. Army

Big role

Reburn is well-suited to the hazards of the job.

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photo by Brett lemon

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THEIR COMMITMENT KNOWS NO BOUNDS

My civilian life
field days

NEITHER SHOULD OURS

We call on the National Guard and Reserve when disaster strikes. They depend on their families and employers for support while they help us recover. Whether serving our country or supporting those who do . . .

We cant reveal the last name of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rodney, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). What we can report is that in addition to being a Green Beret of more than 25 years, he hunts down drug cartels for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Interview by CW2 Marc Acton

federal agent

Surveying suspects, planning drug busts and confiscating marijuana are just part of the job.

We All Serve.

ESGR DEVELOPS AND PROMOTES A CULTURE IN

WHICH ALL AMERICAN EMPLOYERS

Im in charge of the DEAs marijuana eradication program for Utah. We do field operations all the timepatrols in the woods and reconnaissance. We take down major marijuana grows (primarily run by Mexican drug cartels) with multiple officers and agencies. We do more paramilitary-style operations than most police forces would do. Normal law enforcement doesnt have to land navigate through the woods10 guys patrolling through the woods with phase lines and movement teams. Theres a lot of carryover from SF Soldier to DEA agent. My selection as the marijuana eradication coordinator has been a result of my military experience. Ive been able to adapt militarystyle operations and law enforcement operations into our marijuana eradication program. The ability to plan operations, think ahead and operate under stress has been a great asset. I dont have a normal day. It could start with the execution of an early morning search warrant, surveillance of narcotic suspects, covering of a narcotics purchase, a buy/bust operation, going to the shooting range, tactical training or simply catching up on paperwork.

You never know what youre going to get when youre going into a house on a search warrantmy biggest threat is arrests. Its much safer here than it is in Iraq, but just like when youre making an entry into a compound overseas, you never know whats going to happen. Our biggest single marijuana confiscation was conservatively worth $37.5 million. The confiscation was off of one grow, where we got about 25,000 plants. The street value of a plant is between $1,500 and $2,000, depending on the quality. On the Guard side, my crowning achievement was leading an 11-man SF team in Afghanistan as a team commander for a yearlong deployment. We did a good job there, and everybody came back. Just like Special Forces, I got into the DEA for the variety the ability to work in small groups instead of being a part of the machine. When youre in that small group, the things you do matter more than when youre in that group of 2,000. Theres not always a preprogrammed answer what to do. So you have to innovatelook ahead and anticipate problems before they occur.

SUPPORT AND VALUE

THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.

EMPLOYER SUPPORT OF THE GUARD AND RESERVE

WWW.ESGR.MIL 1-800-336-4590

photo by brandon flint

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careers

Hot Job Fields for Soldiers

Healthcare, logistics, energy and other sectors are promising
By Heidi Lynn Russell

The information technology field features good-paying jobs in many different industries

Information Technology
The job computer network support specialist was the largest new occupation in the nation. And thats just one type of position. Although the number of jobs was down from a year ago, the overall figure remains a significant number, Ostrowski says. You can find, with a little bit of

re you thinking outside the box? When hunting for a civilian job to augment your Guard service, dont limit yourself when considering the hottest industries, say recruiters and economic analysts. Instead, look at them from all angles so you can do what you love in a profession thats stable and pays well. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identified healthcare as the top field in its report earlier this year highlighting sectors of greatest expected demand. Most Soldiers would shrug off that data if their MOS isnt medically related. However, look at all of the related jobs that can result in a field that is burgeoning with an aging baby boomer force. Healthcare companies will hire field technicians to maintain equipment, for example. We work with GE Healthcare. They will have teams of people that do the installations and repair of all medical equipment, says Mike Starich, president of Orion International in Cary, NC. Orion is the nations largest military recruiting firm and specializes in placing military leaders, engineers and technicians into Fortune 500 companies. Guard Soldiers also should think outside the box in another way and learn from a demographic that, surprisingly, they have a lot in common with in todays workforce: moms. Dr. Chris Bollinger, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and economics professor at the University of Kentucky, advises Soldiers to consider roles in these industries that will give you the same flexibility as moms who exit and re-enter the marketplace. Bollinger is also optimistic on the healthcare field. These are jobs that are always in high demand, always looking for hiring someone in, and healthcare is one of them, Bollinger says. Whether youre in nursing or Healthcare technology, there is always Healthcare was the largest some demand for that. When employment industry in May 2012, you leave it for military service according to the Bureau of Labor and come back, you take a hit, Statistics. Registered nurses and no matter what. But these are nursing assistants were the largest occupations where you take a detailed occupations in this sector, lower hit. with about 2.3 million and 1.3 million Here are some of the hottest jobs, respectively. But opportunities industries and military occupain this industry are vaster than tions that dovetail nicely into medical practice, Bollinger says. each one. 96 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

diligence, a good-paying IT job with a good career path almost anywhere, he says. Business and industry rely on technology to do business. The field is still strong in terms of immediate need. The top needs, he says, are in security-related jobs, ranging from handling firewalls and anti-virus programs to keeping networks safe for the financial services, govern-

ment or healthcare industries in particular. Thats good for the military, because they already have a security clearance. That clearance and experience carry over, and its golden for an employer, he says. Another security concern is what is dubbed Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which refers to bringing your own tablet, iPhone and laptop to work. This is a huge security risk,

because companies have now lost control of a device where youre accessing corporate information. So theres a huge market for mobile security experts, Ostrowski says. For more information about IT careers and obtaining training and certification for various civilian jobs, check out CompTIAs Troops to Tech Careers program by going to TroopsToTechCareers.org/about.aspx.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Retail trade was the secondlargest industry sector for employment. And heres another area where you should avoid thinking too narrowly, because this industry relies heavily on people with logistics and supply chain skills, Starich says. The military fits really well into that, he says. Retail companies supply food and beverage and products to stores. This also involves distribution networks for gasoline to retail stations. Projected growth in this field is estimated at a 20 percent increase during the next 10 years, Bollinger says. Chip Hawkins, co-founder of employment search firm Vets4Heroes, says his company has a huge need overseas. Vets4Heroes focuses on recruiting for contracting jobs overseas, primarily in Afghanistan. Logistics is by far a direct skill set the military has, and theres really an easy transition, not just overseas but here at home, Hawkins says. You can continue on with little on-the-job training and go right into it, he says.

The Energy Sector

Jobs abound in various areas of oil and gas, power generation, and alternative energy. These fields may not be as robust as the others, but opportunities still exist, experts say. Heres a breakdown:

Oil and Gas

We see good hiring activity primarily in the south-central U.S. and in the Dakotas, primarily North Dakota, Starich says. Types of positions include roustabouts, equipment operators, well site leaders, maintenance techs, refinery operations and offshore positions. Any type of equipment operator, someone who works on trucks or Humvees, anything in light mechanical, fits well, Starich adds. But then this also stretches to highly technical, electronics repair people, electricians. Also, your general infantryman with light mechanical skills has done very well with oil field services companies.

predictions for employment growth in health are in the 20-to-25-percent rangE

Power Generation Power demands decrease when the economy slows, so this industry is in stagnation mode. That said, keep an eye out for the following types of jobs: plant operators, instrument and controls technicians, electrical engineers, and Uninterrupted Power Systems technicians (who provide backup power for medical clinics and hospitals). And, says Starich, There are whispers of nuclear energy coming back. Alternative Energy
2014 is expected to be a big alternative energy year. Wind generation is primarily focused in the Southwest and Midwest and parts of the Northeast, particularly upstate New York. Apply if you have even light technical, electronic or electrical skills. There are wind schools throughout the United States, specifically training the technicians, Starich says. If youre a degreed person, you can get hired with no experience for project sites, site supervisors, engineering. In solar energy, look for jobs in the Southwest and West. Its also a little less technical. That technology is straightforward, whereas with wind, much more mechanical items are involved, he says. The wind towers go three hundred feet into the air, and the voltage is much higher, so you need heavier safety protocols, which is why the military fits in well. Plus, environments are harsh and in remote locations. Anyone with wartime experience fits in well in wind industries. GXONLINE.com 97

Overall predictions for employment growth in health are in the 20-to-25-percent range, he adds. Jobs will be in any medical technology arena: X-ray technicians, people in labs, any occupation like that is predicted to grow robustly during the next decade, he says. Of course, the obvious reason is that the baby boomers are older, and older people need more healthcare.

IT professionals in the military will find plenty of job opportunities within the healthcare arena, especially in IT security, says Steven Ostrowski, director of corporate communications for CompTIA, a nonprofit trade organization for IT professionals and companies. There is a push to shift to electronic records, so there is a huge security element tied to that, he says.
photos from the national guard; thinkstock

hero

1SG Bernard Madore, 1LT Stephen Fiola and SSG Mark Welch, near the site of the bombings, were among the troops who responded immediately.

compa n y patriots
of
On April 15, Boston fell victim to the worst terror attack on our nations soil since 9/11. But it also witnessed extraordinary acts of heroism and humanity, especially from three Guard Soldiers.
S tory P hotos B y by J ames B ryce S ullivan V ickmark

in the

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ne by one, the Soldiers began filtering into the medical tent. A group of them from the Massachusetts Army National Guard had just marched the entire 26.2-mile route of the Boston Marathon, carrying 40-pound packs in honor of their fallen brothers. Theyd started walking nearly an hour before sunrise, a little after 5 a.m., long before runners were toeing the starting line. It was now well after 2 p.m. on a glorious spring day. The elite runners had finished the race more than two hours before, and the majority of the amateur runners were now starting to cross the finish line. The Soldiers feet were bloody, their feet in agony. I made the mistake of taking my boots off, recalls Staff Sergeant Mark Welch, who was marching in memory of his squad leader from his first deployment who was killed in Afghanistan. My feet were swollen, and the blisters were popping. It was as bad as you can imagine. Despite their injuries, the Soldiers were laughing, proud and elated to have finished the grueling march. We were taking pictures at the finish line, like goofballs, says First Sergeant Bernard Madore. In a matter of seconds, however, their injuries and excitement were the furthest things from their minds. From just around the corner, on the front side of the imposing, block-long Boston Public Library, Welch and his comrades from the Massachusetts Army National Guard heard a low boom, as Madore describes it. I didnt know what to think, says Madore, sitting in a conference room at the Framingham Armory on a Saturday evening after drill. It was a little more than two weeks after the bombings that shook the city of Boston, where the annual Boston Marathon is a century-old institution held on the state holiday of Patriots Day. Was it a restaurant explosion? he recalls thinking. The last thing I thought was a terror attack. It didnt sound like a mortar.

The Soldiers started running toward the sound. My first instinct was to look for the person in charge, Welch says. It happened to be the lieutenantFirst Lieutenant Stephen Fiola, the Soldier who came up with the concept for the Tough Ruck march a few years agoand he said, Lets go. It was complete chaos. The Soldiers were under the media bridge, a temporary structure erected across Boylston Street for photographers to get pictures of the athletes crossing the finish line, when the second bomb went off. They knew for certain this was no accident, but an attack. It had been a mere 13 seconds between blasts, but the three Soldiers agreed: It felt like an eternity. A lot of people were screaming, Fiola recalls, sitting in uniform with his mates from the 1060th Transportation Company. We knew it was probably pretty bad. Near the finish line, the sidewalk and stands had been filled with special guests of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), the host committee of the venerable event. There were families from Newtown, CT, being honored for enduring the tragic school shooting there in December. There were family members of some of the marathoners. Madore hollered at one elderly woman, Get out! I know! she yelled back. As the Soldiers got closer to the scene amid the chaosterrified spectators were fleeing in every direction, dazed runners had stopped in their tracks, wide-eyed police officers were scanning the rooftops, and aides from the medical tent were rushing in to help the 100 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

HEADING INTO THE CHAOS

woundedthey could tell there were casualties on the ground. There was a lot of blood. With Madore and Fiola heading to the site of the first explosion, Welch ran to the second scene. On the ground he saw a bloodied boy, whom hed later identify as Martin Richard, the 8-year-old from nearby Dorchester who would be one of three fatal victims from the attack. News reports would memorialize Martin with a photo taken of him at school, in which he held a hand-lettered poster board calling for peace: No More Hurting People. A long row of scaffolding and snow fencing was obstructing access to the injured for the responders coming from across the street. Madore, a 44-year-old truck driver who has served two tours in Iraq, did the first thing that came to mind: Yelling for help, he began tugging at the tangled structure with all his might. From the other side, on the sidewalk where the first bomb went off, a man in a cowboy hat was helping Madore lift the scaffolding. When they were able to drag the scaffolding enough to get to the wounded, each Soldier instantly identified victims to help. The clothing and hair of some victims were 1LT Stephen fiola on fire or smoldering, so they worked fast to After the second blast, put out the flames. A woman and her hushe says, they knew this band sat dazed on the ground, holding hands. was no accident. As they Her ankle was blown out, Madore says. So rushed to the scene, we he grabbed a baby blanket lying nearby and knew it was probably covered her wound, then helped a doctor make pretty bad. a tourniquet out of her pocketbook strap. Can you hold this boy? someone asked Madore. His name is Noah. Noah was suffering from a compound fracture in his leg. His parents were the ones who were holding hands. When one of the aides said it didnt appear as if the fathers legs could be saved, Madore angrily shushed the speaker, then turned to the frightened boy. How you doing, Noah? he asked. At that moment, Fiola turned to see 1SG Bernard Madore Madoreknown to all in his company as the biggest wisecrackertenderly trying to The way he comforted a boy named Noah, who comfort the stricken little boy. had suffered a comThats one image Ill never forget, Fiola pound fracture in his leg, recalls.
lifted the spirits of more than just the victim.

In the days following the attacks, time stood still as the city of Boston united and mourned the lives lost and damaged.

SSG Mark welch

At the end of the day, he says, the drive back to the town where the race started was surreal. I couldnt even turn on the radio, he says.

Large shards of glass hung precariously from the storefronts in front of the first bombing site; smaller pieces were still showering down on the wounded and their caretakers. A woman stumbled aimlessly on the street, a big gash on her forehead. Fiola hurriedly helped a man distribute the contents of a box of gauze. On the sidewalk, the man in the cowboy hat was now tending to a victim who appeared to be in especially bad shape. His name was Carlos Arredondo and he was helping Jeff Bauman, the man who would later identify one of the bombing suspects to investigators from his hospital bed. Arredondo helped hoist Bauman over the debris and then held the tourniquet on

COMFORT AND SECURITY

Baumans right leg as a police officer and a volunteer wheeled Bauman to an ambulance. That scene became one of the most widely reprinted images of the bombing. Arredondoknown to the Soldiers because his son, Marine Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo, was killed in Iraqwas wearing a Tough Ruck T-shirt. In the coming days, authorities would determine that at least 14 of the 264 injured would require amputation, including Bauman. As the men from the 1060th handed off victims to medical personnel, many of their colleagues whod marched the route helped cordon off the area from across the street. The cell phones were already getting shut off, Fiola says. Thats part of the procedure. Within 10 minutes, most of the wounded had been accounted for and rushed to various hospitals. Madore looked down to see his hands covered in blood; someone helped him pour water on them. He looked up the street toward Copley Square and thought of all the times hed walked these streets after a night of downing beers at one of the many local bars. This is our land, he recalls saying to himself. It was just after 3 p.m.; the bombs had gone off at about 2:50 p.m. Fiola called his mother to tell her not to panic. He and his men were all right. They climbed into the back of a fellow Soldiers pickup truck and began the slow, arduous drive through traffic back to the suburban community of Hopkinton, where theyd converged in the dark of night to start their march almost 12 hours earlier. When they finally arrived to retrieve their own cars, the company sergeant major was there to greet them. That was one of the nicest thingsshe just showed up to ask, Are you OK? Madore says. There was no one else in the parking lot. We were the last ones there. The drive home was surreal. I couldnt even turn on the radio, Welch says. I smoked a half-pack of cigarettes. Fiola took a shower and went for the top shelf. It was eerily quiet. I didnt sleep a wink.

Madore, who lives over the border in New Hampshire, was back at work at 7:30 a.m. Two days later, the three Guard Soldiers regrouped as invited guests at President Obamas speech at an interfaith prayer service in Bostons majestic Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, whose recent health problems had forced his decision not to seek a sixth term, stood up to speakjust weeks after breaking his leg. Im telling you, said a visibly shaken Menino, nothing can defeat the heart of this city. It will push thousands and thousands and thousands of people across the finish line next year. He signed himself out of the hospital to do that, Fiola says. When he stood up, you could hear everyone in the church gasp. When the mayor got up and spoke, Madore adds, I almost broke up. In the weeks since, the three Soldiers of the 1060th have thought often about the anguished faces they encountered in the aftermath of the bombings. They have no intention of seeking out the victims, unless the victims come looking for them. Let them heal, Madore says. They have enough to deal with. I just want them to live and flourish, Fiola says quietly. As for the Tough Ruck, its taken on a life of its own, says the man who engineered it. Soldiers and their families from other states have been contacting Fiola to ask about staging their own marches, and hes in the process of developing a model that can be adapted by any interested organization. For the last several years, weve had a gentlemens agreement with the BAA, he says. Weve had a boatload of support from them. Fiola expects the 2014 Tough Ruck in Boston to be much larger than ever, and there are already plans for all participating Soldiers to wait at a predetermined spot near the finish so they can all cross the finish line together. It will be pretty epic, he says. 1 GXONLINE.com 101

A CITY RALLIES

Despite the shock of the bombings, the JTF-MA staff was able to execute effectively by focusing on what I refer to as S3A: Speed. Get to the crisis area as quickly as possible with the right resources. Safety. Were in the business of saving lives, not risking them. Perform risk assessments for all missions and employ countermeasures to reduce risk. Never accept unnecessary risk unless it involves lifesaving actions. Push the decision to accept risk to the highest command level. Synchronization. Always support the lead agency or incident commander and cooperate with civilian partners. Its not about us; its about saving our citizens. Anticipation. Dont wait to be told whats needed. Always think about what might develop in the next 24 to 48 hours and plan for the next phase of the operation now.

Disaster Experience Pays Off Over the past two years, the Massachusetts National Guard has responded to seven weatherrelated events ranging from a freak tornado that destroyed part of Springfield, MA, the second largest city in the state, to Superstorm Sandy and several crippling snowstorms. These events allowed our joint staff, operations centers and units to execute and develop their capabilities with actual missions in close coordination with civil authorities under strenuous conditions. This experience proved invaluable after the terrorist attack, as our experience kicked in with established battle rhythms, standard reporting systems, and tested tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs). Perhaps most important was a genuine sense of confidence that we could execute successfully because we had done this before, only this time the conditions were more lethal. Dont Depend on Cell phones When the blasts struck, cell phone capacity was almost immediately overwhelmed because of the tremendous amount of cell phone activity in the downtown Boston area. We had great difficulty maintaining communication between commanders and staff for almost one hour. Thankfully, commanders and staff outside the downtown area were able to relay information to military personnel near the blast site, but it impeded speed of execution. In the future, we will have backup communications systems available during all preplanned civil support operations in the event that disaster strikes. Keep Orders Simple In the first few hours after the explosions, it was extremely difficult to issue orders because of the general confusion, rapid movement of personnel and unreliability of the cell phone grid. Major General Rice, from the Unified Command Center, directed me to muster all available Guard members on the Boston Common. From this hasty assembly area, we deployed teams of Soldiers and Airmen to assist the Boston Police

and Transit Police. We quickly augmented the assembly area with command and control equipment, to include a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) system. Because we were reduced to issuing orders hastily by voice of the commander, it was critical that orders were clear, simple and unambiguous at the onset of the operation. Once communications were in place, we were able to issue a conventional operations order (OPORD) with periodic fragmentary orders (FRAGOs). Take Advantage of Civilian Skills Our former adjutant general, Major General Oliver Mason, often said, When you activate one National Guardsman, you get two professionalsone trained with military skills and one trained with civilian skills. Many Massachusetts Guard members are also public safety professionals. For instance, our joint chief of staff, Colonel Paul Landry, and our military police battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Allen Aldenberg, are professional police officers. We drew heavily on the expertise of our personnel with police backgrounds as we synchronized our missions with law enforcement partners and anticipated future developments in the ongoing investigation. Personnel with mental health or pastoral skills were also a critical asset, as we monitored Guard members for stress reactions later in the operation. Lieutenant Colonel John Rodolico, a respected mental health professional at the renowned McLean Hospital, was of great value. Treat the Public as Partners The bombings united the citizens of Boston like never before. We found that people were extremely cooperative if they understood what was being asked of them. Our Guard members also had a clear understanding of their overall mission to establish security, restore order and reassure citizens that they were safe. When the operation shifted to the manhunt in Watertown, MA, people were informed of the situation and stayed off the streets and away from the search areas. In the end, it was an observant citizen

who called in the information that led to the apprehension of the second suspect. Just as weve learned in OCONUS operations, the support, or lack thereof, of the local population can make or break the success of an operation. Trust the Professionalism of Your Force When the blasts ripped through the innocent runners and bystanders at the marathon finish line, at least six National Guardsmen rushed into the smoke to apply tourniquets, evacuate casualties to the treatment tent, and tear away barriers to assist medical personnel. They werent ordered to actthey acted on their own initiative, out of their sense of duty. When our forces hastily assembled on Boston Common within one hour of the explosions, Colonel George Harrington left his nearby office building and took temporary command, still wearing his civilian attire. No one directed him to leave his deskhe did it on his own initiative, out of his sense of duty. There were hundreds of actions that we probably will never know about, during which individual Soldiers and Airmen stepped up and did the right thing during this operation. Our overall success was the sum of these small, and not so small, personal actions. Over my 34-year career, which has involved many emergency response operations, Ive learned that Guard members are at their best when lives are on the line. Their heroic actions are no accidentthey are the byproducts of training, solid leadership, esprit de corps, and living Army and Air Force Values. In a crisis, commanders should give clear guidance and then trust their Soldiers and Airmen to do the right thing. Todays Guard members have never let the nation down, and they never will.
Brigadier General Paul Gregory Smith is the land component commander of the Massachusetts National Guard. He served as the joint task force commander during the Boston Marathon bombings response.

i n Bosto n
The Guards overall response offers valuable lessons for the next crisis
By BG Paul Gregory Smith

what we learned

We learned many valuable lessons during the week following the Boston Marathon bombings about how to better respond to no-notice violent actions in cooperation with civilian first responders. We share them in the hope that they benefit our fellow National Guard Soldiers and Airmen as they train and prepare to safeguard our citizens in the event of future no-notice incidents.
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Relationships Matter Major General L. Scott Rice, the adjutant general of Massachusetts, has placed an emphasis on cooperative working relationships with civilian public safety agencies, and that approach paid off during the critical hours following the explosions. The 1st Civil Support Team, which was already positioned near the explosions, instantly augmented medical and security personnel at the blast site. Guard members integrated seamlessly into security missions with the

Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police and Transit Police. Our Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment quickly augmented the FBI, State Police EOD and evidence collection teams. During the manhunt for the bombing suspects, UH-60 crews inserted state police SWAT teams into critical areas, while military police in armored Humvees escorted law enforcement search teams. The overall operation involved nearly 1,500 Airmen and Soldiers in support of civil partners. Major

General Rice personally set the example by deploying to the Unified Command Center at a downtown Boston hotel, where he collaborated with elected officials and civilian agency directors to determine the way ahead. Egos were checked. Stovepipes were dismantled. Trust was the order of the day. Focus on the Basics Joint Task ForceMassachusetts (JTF-MA) rapidly assembled for command and control of the operation under my command.
photo from ap

Combat Experience Counts From the moment I was informed about the explosions by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Merlino, who commanded the task force already on duty for the marathon security mission, all National Guard leaders, from brigade to squad level, were focused, task-oriented and unflustered. I can only attribute this poise to the experience gained by overseas deployments, which include combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and several peacekeeping missions. The Guard members at the blast scene, who assisted the wounded and saved lives, made good use of the combat lifesaver skills they learned prior to their deployments. These skills enabled them to focus on the mission despite the carnage and confusion. I never saw a single Guard member who was unable to carry out his or her mission because of emotions or anxiety. Thanks to the many combat Veterans in our force, we were able to effectively respond to a highly emotional, unpredictable situation with solid professionalism.

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Raytheons

Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV)

r
o he yt Ra m o

bout 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, AK, the Guard Soldiers of Fort Greely carry out a duty of monumental importance: defending our nation from intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attacks. Fort Greely is home to Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) missiles, which are built to neutralize enemy ICBMs. GBIs consist of three main components: an infrared seeker, which allows the missile to track and maintain its target; three fuel boosters, which propel the device; and an exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV), which actually destroys an incoming missile. There are three phases to an ICBMs flight path: boost, midcourse and terminal. The EKV destroys its target at the midcourse phase.

Ph o

to f

By Christian Anderson / Illustration by Dustin McNeal

Midcourse Phase The missile is free-falling toward its target. Can last up to 20 minutes, allowing the most time for an interception.

Terminal Phase The missile re-enters the earths atmosphere and falls toward its target. Lasts only a minute or less.

Boost Phase The missile is launched, gains speed and exits the earths atmosphere. Typically lasts one to five minutes.

Name: Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) Manufacturer: Raytheon Company Weight: 140 lbs. Length: 55 inches Diameter: 24 inches Maximum Speed: 22,000 mph other Items: The EKV seeks out the target using multicolor sensors, a cuttingedge onboard computer and a rocket motor used only for steering in space. It hones in on its target and, with pinpoint precision, destroys it using nothing more than the force of a massive collision.

Fort Greely

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nC om pa n

Seek and Destroy When the U.S. military detects an ICBM launch, Fort Greely launches a GBI to intercept the incoming missile outside the earths atmosphere, before the missiles terminal phase. Once the GBI reaches the missile, the 140-pound EKV is released, reaching a speed of up to 22,000 mph, and collides with the missile, destroying it.

AAR

The Ultimate Team Leader

2LT H Steven Blum with Company B, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in October 1972.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) and former Guard chief H Steven Blum on lessons from Special Forces and the one quality all officers need

ieutenant General (Ret.) H Steven Blum started his career as a private in the Special Forces and realized quickly he was destined to lead. After enrolling in Officer Candidate School (OCS), he rose to command a 12-member Special Forces Operational DetachmentAlpha (SFOD-A). Decades later, his career reached its pinnacle in 2004 when he was nominated as chief of the National Guard Bureau and led the force in fighting two wars as well as mounting the unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina.

By Christian Anderson

life-changing adventure and a genuine labor of love.

What was your biggest challenge in Officer Candidate School?

Probably the biggest challenge I faced, coming from a Special Forces background, where I was enlisted and later an NCO, was learning to operate as a member of a larger and complex unit. The awesome burden of leadership and being responsible for your Soldiers was instilled in me by the OCS experience. OCS clearly makes one appreciate the value of a sense of humor. A sense of humor is an essential quality to be an effective leader.

taught me to trust and value the input and candor provided by those incredible NCOs. In the National Guards special operations community, not only do the team members have superb military technical and tactical skills, but they also possess amazing civilian-acquired skills, education and experience that are clearly value-added.

Why did you join the National Guard on November 9, 1968?

Other than marrying my wife, volunteering to join the National Guard was the best life decision I ever made. I joined Company B, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), on the recommendation of a friend who was serving in that unit. I volunteered and joined as a private. It changed my life and afforded me education, training, travel, operational opportunities and experiences that would not have otherwise been possible. I am enormously proud of my 42-plus years of service to the Guard. I have never regretted a single minute of it. It was truly a 106 GX vol. 10 // Issue 3

The Guards role in Hurricane Katrina proved to be the largest, fastest and most effective military response to a natural disaster in U.S. history. Why was the Guard so crucial in response efforts? As a result of
establishing Joint Force Headquarters in every state and territory, and the continuous coordination, and the building of mutual confidence and trust between NGB and the states, the National Guard was able to mount a remarkably effective response when Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August of 2005. The Guard generated a volunteer response force from the Army and Air National Guard that generated over 50,000 CitizenSoldiers and -Airmen into the affected area in less than six days.

What was daily life like as an SFOD-A commander? Commanding a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha was perhaps the most interesting and challenging job anyone could envision for a company-grade officer. It was actually a great learning experience, as each of the 12-member team was a highly trained professional NCO with more technical expertise in their job skill than is possessed by the officers who led them. It

Not one single state or territory failed to respond. The National Guards response was the largest, fastest and most effective military operation in response to a natural disaster for humanitarian relief in world history. Today, it stands unmatched. It was all accomplished by asking, not tasking. Making it more noteworthy, this response occurred at a time when the National Guard had its greatest number of troops deployed overseas in the war fight. Yet the National Guard lived their motto: Always ready, always there. I honestly believe no other military organization could have accomplished this feat. I have often said, When you call out the Guard, you call out America. Its so true. This is why there must always be a strong, ready and well-resourced National Guard.

What are your impressions of the Guard today? Today we have the
best-trained, best-equipped, best-led and most operationally experienced force of highly motivated Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen that this nation has ever been blessed with. We must not allow this national treasure to be degraded in its capability to respond.
Photo from LTG (RET.) h Steven Blum

ONE AMERICAN ICON INSPIRES ANOTHER.

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