V31, No 4 - New Jersey · Sgt. 1st Class Krynn Westhoven Senior Airman Beth Pritchard Assistant...
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Transcript of V31, No 4 - New Jersey · Sgt. 1st Class Krynn Westhoven Senior Airman Beth Pritchard Assistant...
G U A R D L I F E2
GUARDLIFEVol. 31, NO. 4
Index
Family Assistance Centers (Army and Air)
GUARDLIFE STAFF
EditorsLt. Col. Roberta Niedt
Capt. Yvonne MaysSgt. 1st Class Krynn Westhoven
Senior Airman Beth Pritchard
Assistant Editor-ProductionTech. Sgt. Mark C. Olsen
Staff PhotographerStaff Sgt. Barbara Harbison
Staff WriterSgt. 1st Class Robert Stephenson
GUARDLIFE is published bi-monthly us-ing federal funds under provisions of AR360-1 and AFI 35-101 by the PublicAffairs Office of the New Jersey De-partment of Military and Veterans Af-fairs for all members of the New JerseyArmy and Air National Guard. The viewsand opinions expressed herein are notnecessarily those of the Department ofDefense, the Army, the Air Force or theNational Guard Bureau. Letters may besent to: GUARDLIFE, Public Affairs Of-fice, P.O. Box 340, NJDMAVA, Trenton,NJ, 08625-0340. E-mail at: [email protected]
CoverOut Of The Hot ZoneMembers of the 21st Civil SupportTeam examine a cargo containerduring their final evaluation by Armyinspectors June 30. Turn to page 10for the story. Photo by Tech. Sgt.Mark Olsen, NJDMAVA/PA.
Inside CoverMoving OutA member of the 42nd Division Sup-port Command stands on top of hisHumvee prior to moving out in atactical convey. Photo by Sgt. 1stClass Robert Stephenson,NJDMAVA/PA.
Jersey City Armory678 Montgomery Street
Jersey City, NJ 07306-2208POC: Sheilah Kelley
Lawrenceville Armory151 Eggert Crossing Road (Armory)
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-2897POC: Jane Hackbarth
Morristown Armory430 Jockey Hollow Road
Morristown, NJ 07960-0499POC: Sgt. Fred Giberson
Somerset Armory1060 Hamilton StreetSomerset, NJ 08873POC: John A. Hales
State Office – Fort Dix3650 Saylors Pond Rd.
Fort Dix, NJ 08640POC: CW4 Ralph Cwieka (609) 562-0668
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Teaneck NJ 07666-0687POC: Staff Sgt. Sarah Loureiro
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POC: Mike [email protected]
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POC: Heather [email protected]
108th Air Refueling Wing3327 Charles Blvd.
McGuire AFB, NJ 08641POC: Tiffany Colby (609) [email protected]
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For More Information Call Our Toll Free Number 1-888-859-0352
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TAG's MessageCSM Message108th Passes First Year Mark In NETTFBand Of Brothers - And Sisters177th CE Deploys To RAF MildenhallCavalry MOUTs Up At Fort Knox21st CST Go For Hot ZoneOperation WhirlwindChaplain Beats The Devil Out Of SoldiersNews Guard Families Can UseShort RoundsArmy And Air Enlisted PromotionsFarewell To Brig. Gen. Bell
G U A R D L I F E3
TAG's Message - RetentionBy Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General - New Jersey
Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth (center), The Adjutant General of NewJersey, poses with members of the 108th Air Refueling Wing
during the unit's deployment to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Photocourtesy Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth.
W hy do you stay in the New Jersey National Guard? Some of us stay for a sense of patrio-
tism and duty, others for the camaraderie, others for theimportant mission we perform and others for the benefitsprovided to New Jersey National Guard members. Remain-ing or leaving the National Guard is a very personaldecision. Families, employers and the National Guardculture shape the decision we make as individuals andshape the decision our fellow unit members make.
The State Family Readiness Council and ESGR per-sonnel are doing everything possible to improve the lives ofour Soldiers and their families. The National Guard cultureis an area I want all of you to focus your efforts.
You as an individual member or as a leader in theGuard community impact on the National Guard cultureand the retention of members of our units! You must be partof mission accomplishment in the retention fight.
Camaraderie is built one unit member at a time. Do themembers of your unit look out for each other? What haveyou done to make all members of the organization feel likepart of the team? This is the number one reason membersstay in the Guard. Make this better in your squadron,section, platoon, battalion or wing and you will be helpingthe retention fight.
Patriotism and a sense of duty compel members toremain in the Guard. Make sure you and your unitsrecognize members for their outstanding performance andlet the community come to your activities and feel thesense of Patriotism that lives in your units. What have you
done to recognize your members' patriotism and excep-tional duty performance? Every member of the Guard is aliving American Patriot and deserves the respect andgratitude that comes with that honor.
The importance of the National Guard’s mission can notbe overstated. Your families, friends and neighbors arecounting on us to protect them from harm and to save theirlives in times of crisis. Each of us needs to devote our timeand effort toward preparing ourselves for Homeland Securityand other missions devoted to safety and protection of thecitizens of New Jersey. Are your personnel getting thetraining and support they need? What are you doing tomake your personnel and unit ready?
Benefits are provided to Guard personnel because ofthe service we require from them. Are you aware of thebenefits of service? How have you helped your fellowsoldiers learn about or receive National Guard benefits? Areyour families aware of the benefits of service? Getting thisinformation to members and their families is critical to theretention decision. Making sure all of our members have theinformation to make informed decisions is everyone’s mis-sion.
The New Jersey National Guard needs our trained andexperienced members to remain in the Guard to protect thecitizens of New Jersey and America. Each of us is taskedwith taking care of family issues, employer issues andmaking sure that our National Guard culture fosters apositive retention environment.
G U A R D L I F E4
57th Troop Command CSM: MentorshipBy Command Sgt. Maj. James Marshall, 57th Troop Command
n the military, mentorship is an informal, personal and proactive commitment to foster growth in
soldiers based on mutual trust andrespect.
It is further defined as the “influ-ence, guidance, or direction exertedby a mentor”, and is a voluntary, devel-opmental relationship between an ex-perienced senior leader who is willingto provide career counseling and de-velopment to a younger, less experi-enced individual. This relationship issustained through active listening,caring and sharing of professionalknowledge and personal life experi-ences for the betterment of the indi-vidual.
We, as noncommissioned offic-ers, have a mandate to cultivate oursoldiers. Mentorship is the singleeasiest way to develop young leadersand should not be a hasty endeavor,due to the commitment necessary topromote learning and positively influ-ence the next generation. Experi-ence is the best teacher and we allhave experience to impart on thosewilling to learn. Mentoring is simply
giving of your knowledge to otherpeople. It is an enduring relationship,with frequency based on need, notpredetermined events or time.
Mentoring begins with setting theright example, by showing soldiers amature model of values, attributes andskills in action. It is a one-on-oneapproach to helping a subordinategrow into a superior leader. Mentorshipis more than fulfilling a responsibilityas a leader. It is providing our soldiersthe opportunity to better themselves.After all, today’s Corporals and Ser-geants will be the First Sergeants andSergeants Major of the future. Settingthe example encourages them to de-velop their own character and leader-ship attributes accordingly.
The term “mentoring” is often usedto describe a wide array of actionsthat are outside of a mentorship rela-tionship such as counseling, teach-ing, coaching, role modeling, advising
and guiding. Seeking advice or assis-tance from a mentor is not a sign ofweakness, but is evidence of a desireto become a better soldier and leader.It is a proven approach and a valuabletool. No specific action is exclusively“mentoring.”
A mentor is someone you feel canbe trusted with everything that is im-portant to you. I must admit that as ayoung soldier I was unaware of what amentor was. But I would soon learnthat my First Sergeant possessed allof the qualities of one. He had theexperience, the knowledge and hecared enough to teach me how to “getit done the right way”. He always tookthe time to share his experiences,successes and failures alike, and someof his stories were the most powerfullessons I learned. Upon becoming aSpecialist, he encouraged me to at-tend our unit’s varied social functions,instilling in me a sense of family andcommunity among my fellow guards-men. When I became an NCO, heshared his vision of how tasks couldbe accomplished and the means bywhich to reach those goals.
Over the years, we have devel-oped a lasting relationship and, to thisday, whenever I need advice I alwaysknow who to turn to - my mentor. I canhonestly say that I would not be whereI am today had it not been for hisdirection, counseling and leadership.Taking the time to reach out to others,share your life’s wisdom, and conveyyour respect for them is possibly oneof the most powerful ways to changethe world, one life at a time.
We should remember that to bean effective mentor, all you need isexperience, the wisdom of your years,and one other vital quality – you haveto care!
I"Taking the time toreach out to oth-ers, share yourlife’s wisdom, andconvey your re-spect for them ispossibly one of themost powerfulways to changethe world, one lifeat a time."
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he 108th Air Refueling Wing has just passed the one-year mark for its partici-
pation in the North East TankerTask Force.
With this anniversary, the108th has performed 150 alerttaskings, flown 120 missions,offloaded 6.5 million pounds of fuelto Operations Enduring Freedomand Iraqi Freedom airlifters, per-formed 390 safe flying hours andattained a 96 percent mission re-liability rate.
What these numbers don’tshow are the missions such asrefueling medivac missions for burnpatients and planes bringing backthe wounded from Iraq and Af-ghanistan, meeting C-130s overthe Atlantic Ocean, helping thecrews deploy and, even better,coming home.
108th Passes First Year Mark In NETTFBy Maj. Tim Burke, 141ARS; photo courtesy 108ARW/PA.
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"The 108th Air Refueling Wing is looking forward to a second year of showing the othershow to be “America’s Best Refueling Wing!”
108th Air Refueling Wing Airman received the 2005 Air National Guard Outstanding Base Honor
Guard Program Manager of the Year Award June 9 inWashington, D.C.
Master Sgt. Donald G. Newlin Sr., the honor guardprogram manager and a satellite NCO Academy instructor,received the award while on a weeklong trip to Washington,D.C., that was given to winners of various awards.
“They wined and dined us for a week,” he said.During the weeklong trip to Washington, D.C., Newlin
and other winners took a private tour of the White House,Arlington Cemetery, the Smithsonian museums and manyother places, he said. At an awards banquet June 9, Newlinwas awarded a medal, a statue, and three plaques alongwith many other prizes for winning the outstanding HonorGuard manager of the year award.
Over the last 16 years, the 108th Honor Guard hasparticipated in countless funerals, Commanders calls, andmilitary functions.
Col. Michael Cunniff (left) Commander, 108th Air RefuelingWing, presents Master Sgt. Donald G. Newlin, Sr. (right) with atrophy during the 108th's Family Day awards ceremony July17. Newlin has been with the Honor Guard Program since itsinception. Photo by Staff Sgt. Barb Harbison, 108 ARW/PA.
Best Of The BestBy Senior Airman Robbie Finley, 108 ARW/PA
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he Soldiers of the 42nd MP Company are a diverse group of people with a common bond – they are all military police.No matter what they do in civilian life, as MPs, they
share a special calling on the streets of Iraq.It doesn’t matter that the majority of the unit hails from
Massachusetts while a smaller detachment makes itshome in Lawrenceville. Or that the two separate units firstmet shortly before being sent to Iraq. They may be bitterrivals when the Yankees-Red Sox play, but here in the townof Tikrit, they all play on the same team as they performtheir force protection mission.
New Jersey resident Staff Sgt. Tim Hoke describeswhat it’s like working with Soldiers from Massachusetts.
Band Of Brothers – And SistersPhotos and story by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Stephenson, NJDMAVA/PA
“Outstanding. Other than the fact that they’re Red SoxFans, they’re all right.”
Hoke, the convoy commander on a recent missionoutside the gates of FOB Danger and into the streets ofTikrit, enjoys working with the Massachusetts contingent,and finds it not a problem at all.
“All being MP’s – 31 Bravos – it was as if we weretraining with them for years,” says Hoke.
That same sentiment is echoed by the company’s topNCO, 1st Sgt. Richard Bowe.
“It’s as if they were with us from day one at drill inChicopee, Mass,” says Bowe. “They came in and incorpo-rated without any issues. They’re our brothers – we don’teven call them Jersey Soldiers, and they don’t call usMass, we’re the 42nd. I don’t know who’s training themdown there but they’re doing a damn good job.”
“Just getting to know the people was the only real hardpart,” notes Hoke. “But as far as doing the job – takesomeone form Mass and someone from Jersey and putthem together and there’s no problem. It’s just like civilianlaw enforcement, they’re my brothers and sisters, and weall look out for each other.”
Getting The Job DoneAs MP’s stationed in Tikrit, their mission varies daily.
Mostly they spend their time on the road, either movingdetainees from the local detention center to Baghdad, orescorting military VIP’s from FOB Danger to locationsaround the city. Regardless, each unit member takes everymission seriously. When asked if there is any particularpart of a mission that gives him cause for concern, Hokehas a quick answer.
“The whole thing. There are certain areas that areworse than others, but you never know . . . it can beanywhere out there. It could be anything from garbage bagsto dead dogs on the side of the road, so you never know.They usually have IED (Improvised Explosive Device) sweepsthat go out every morning. So we usually wait for the sweepbut sometimes we have to hit our SP (Start Point) early inthe morning and so we pass the sweeps.”
On this mission, their five-vehicle convoy of up-armoredHumvees is escorting a 42nd Infantry Division communityrelations officer outside the wire and to the “Governator’sBuilding,” as it’s called, where the Tikrit provisional governorhas his offices. When moving outside the FOB, postedspeed limits and other traffic signs are ignored – thevehicles never want to stop out in the open. Although thebuilding was just a short stretch down the road from FOB
Spc. Charles Snook patrols the provisional governor's palacemain entrance while on security detail.
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G U A R D L I F E7
Danger, that office building and the one next to it – theheadquarters of the Iraqi Police (IP), are the two buildingsmost targeted by insurgents in the city, according toMassachusetts resident Cpl. James Lawler, a lanky soldiercradling a sniper rifle.
“See that yellow building right there?” Lawler says ashe points to the building next door. “That’s where theyalways [set up] VBIED’s (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explo-sive Devices) and kill the IP’s. This road sucks. Actuallyas close as we are [to FOB Danger], this is the worst placewe can go besides Samarra.”
Hurry Up And WaitWith the 42nd ID officer
meeting with the provisionalgovernor, the MP’s set up acordon with their vehiclesaround the front of the build-ing, and with the exceptionof the turret gunners, dis-mount, set up a perimeterand wait.
And wait.During the next 90 min-
utes, they are constantlyscanning the streets and al-leys facing the governor’sbuilding, looking for anythingthat might be a threat.
“You can’t be complacent. Complacency kills."Staff Sgt. Tim Hoke, 42nd MP Company
“Watch the guy with the wheelbarrow,” shouts Lawlerabove the Humvee’s engine. New Jersey resident Spc.Charles Snook keeps an eye on the Iraqi worker who ismoving a wheelbarrow full of dirt towards the front of thebuilding. There are a number of Iraqi civilians trying to makeimprovements to the building since major combat opera-tions ceased, but a wheelbarrow full of dirt could beconcealing something more.
“You can’t be complacent,” Hoke reminds me. “Com-placency kills. You have to be ready for anything.” In thiscase, the wheelbarrow full of dirt was just that – dirt.
Hoke’s team is a close-knit group of Soldiers who haveworked together on many missions, and includes one teammember who left her job at the Basketball Hall of Fame tovolunteer for the army so that she would have something totell friends and family about one day in the future.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience for me,” saysMassachusetts resident Spc. Dalila Navarro, as she scansthe street for any movement that might be considered athreat to her or her “brothers” on the team, a group of guysshe considers her buddies. “They’re funny – funny guys,”she says with a smile.
When the unit is on the road, Navarro stands in the gunturret of the lead vehicle – a position she always requests– and makes her presence known to the Iraqi civilians as theunit convoys down the street. Occasionally she has tothrow rocks at the cars that don’t move out of the way fastenough to get their attention and to show that she meansbusiness. So far, that’s all she has had to do.
Meeting finished, they escort the officer back into thewaiting Humvee and prepare to depart for FOB Danger. As
he stops to direct the place-ment of vehicles I noticesomething written on the sideof Hoke’s helmet band. Itreads “Psalm 91,” and I askhim about it.
“Basically it says that‘10,000 shall fall at my feetand nothing shall harm me,’”he says. “I read it once andit sounded pretty good andeverybody else had it on andI threw it on there too and itseems to be working becausewe’ve got someone lookingout for us, that’s for sure.”
Spc. Dalila Navarro stands watch in the turret in front of theprovisional governor's headquarters building.
On guard. MPs block the entrance and stand watch outside theprovisional governor's headquarters building while waiting fora meeting to end.
G U A R D L I F E8
ore than 40 members of the 177th Civil Engi- neering (CE) Squadron deployed to Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall, Suffolk, England for two
weeks of annual training July 22 to August 6.The deployed Airmen were a cross-section of the entire
CE career spectrum, including heavy equipment operators,firefighters, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition-ing), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), structures, powerproduction, readiness and electricians.
177th CE Deploys To RAF MildenhallStory and photos by Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen, 177FW/PA
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Geoff Harrison (left), RAF Mildenhall Heating, Ventilation andAir Conditioning and Tech. Sgt. Ernie Scott (right) remove anozzle on gas bottle.
Senior Airman Lynne Dettloff (left) 177th CES and Airman 1stClass Neal Clark (right), 100th Civil Engineering Readinessprepare a container for loading.
Left to right: Senior Airman Stephen Lee directs while MasterSergeants' Paul Nieczpiel and Raymond Gordon lower a fencepost at the new gazebo.
Except for Readiness, EOD, HVAC and the firefighters,the majority of the 177th team were assigned three projects:the dismantling and reassembling of a gazebo at a differentlocation; grading and leveling the 60-acre site and thefinishing of the Self Help kitchen.
The other CE Airmen were dispersed to various loca-tions across the base. The firefighters served as backfill forthe base firefighters who are serving in Iraq. The HVACAirmen performed emergency repairs and preventativemaintenance on systems throughout the base. While theReadiness Airmen assisted the 100th ARW CE Readinessshop studying potential threats that would affect deployedCE troops, the two-member 177th EOD team arrived atRAF Lakenheath just in time for the base’s operationalreadiness inspection.
After resting the weekend, the 177th Airmen finishedthe projects prior to returning to New Jersey.
G U A R D L I F E9
Cavalry MOUTs Up At Fort KnoxPhoto and story by Sgt. Shawn Morris, 444th MPAD
he 5th Squadron, 117th Cavalry, took advantage of a recent opportunity to become the first New JerseyGuard unit to train at the nation’s premier MOUT
(Military Operations on Urban Terrain) site, the ZussmanUrban Combat Training Center at Fort Knox, Ky.
The 5-117th spent July 7 through 10 living and trainingat the 26-acre site – which has been open to military, law-enforcement, and emergency-response personnel sinceOctober 1999 – as part of the Army’s continuing transfor-mation into a 21st-century fighting force.
The Army estimates that untrained troops fighting in anurban environment will sustain 25- to 30-percent casual-ties. Realistic training like that provided at the Zussman siteaims to reduce those figures as much as possible.
The four-day drill in Kentucky was the culmination oftraining that began in November 2004; when cadre fromZussman began traveling to New Jersey to give the 5-117thSoldiers preliminary training.
“There was a whole plethora of sub-tasks,” explainedLt. Col. Jim Rosenberg, squadron commander.
“The training programs helped the unit immensely,”said Staff Sgt. Tom Alderson, A Troop. “I cannot sayenough good things about the cadre.”
“The Zussman crew is amazing,” added 2nd Lt. VincentTirri, A Troop. “They are all about training, and they are veryexperienced individuals.”
At the MOUT site, their first mission was to occupy theembassy building and take out insurgents in a nearbyrestaurant. The second mission involved clearing fivetownhouses while searching for a rumored weapons cache.
The Cav Soldiers quickly became acquainted withthe volunteers who play the insurgents and CiviliansOn the Battlefield (COBs) at Zussman.
“The volunteers were great,” said Tirri. “They re-acted the way normal people would to Soldiers, andthey were able to pick up on my Soldiers’ bodylanguage and emotional reactions to situations, anduse this to make the exercise even more realistic.”
The paintball guns helped add to the realism.Mission three was a presence patrol. Several car
bombs exploded and the local inhabitants began toyell and throw trash at the Soldiers, but everyone kepttheir cool and the potential uprising eventually fizzledout.
On the fourth mission, information gathered frominsurgents led to a raid against a local boss’ strong-hold. Later that morning, the fifth and final mission
called for a Traffic Control Point (TCP) to be set up at thetown’s traffic circle.
One unique characteristic of the training was that juniorofficers and NCOs led all the missions.
“I think the junior leaders really stepped up,” saidRosenberg. “I was very, very proud of the way they executedtheir missions.”
Two of those junior leaders, Tirri and Alderson, wereequally impressed with the training received at Zussman.“Zussman is quite possibly one of the finest Training Areasthe Army has at its disposal today,” said Tirri. “From thetrainers, to the civilian volunteers, to the structures them-selves, everyone plays a part in creating the immersiveenvironment of Zussman. Without these guys, Zussmanwould just be a lot of concrete and dirt.”
“The Zussman site is an outstanding facility,” saidAlderson, vehicle commander during the mission. “Thetraining we got was by far some of the best and mostrealistic training that I have had in my almost 16 years ofservice.”
The Army’s current transformation process is replacingthe 5-117th’s tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs)with Humvees and the oldest form of APC – boots. Buthaving their armor taken away hasn’t lessened the Soldiers’warrior ethos.
“I think their performance was exemplary,” Rosenbergsaid. “There are lessons to be learned, and that’s thepurpose of training.”
“We’ve got to do this again,” he concluded.
Animated discussion. Cav Soldiers look on as volunteers react to theirpresence during one of the training scenarios.
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G U A R D L I F E10
21st CST Go For Hot ZonePhotos by Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen, NJDMAVA/PA
he 21st Civil Support Team (CST) passed its final evaluation by theFirst United States Army inspectors
on June 30.The evaluation came at the end of a
daylong exercise held at a Salem Countyshipping company. The location wassuited for simulating a WMD event be-cause it's various commercial and indus-trial sites, in addition to its proximity to theports of Wilmington and Philadelphia. Thesite was also important in that it wentagainst commonly held perceptions thata WMD event in New Jersey would likelyoccur in a major city or port closer to NewYork City.
The event was part of the validationprocess for the 21st CST, which was calledout on 90 minutes notice in order to re-spond to the simulated WMD incident.
The team, which consists of 22 full-time Army and Air National Guard mem-bers, was being evaluated on its initialresponse time to the incident, which couldhave been staged anywhere in the state
and also how it handled the possible con-tamination by the simulated WMD.
The Team supports civilian authoritiesat a chemical, biological, radiological,nuclear and explosives incident site byidentifying agents/substances, assessingcurrent and projected consequences, ad-vising on response measures, and assist-ing with appropriate requests for additionalstate support.
The CST, who, while directly under thecommand and control of the Governor, isfully resourced, trained and evaluated bythe federal government. The CST partici-pates in both military and civilian emer-gency responder specialized technicaltraining. Team members require approxi-mately 600-800 hours of initial trainingabove and beyond their primary militaryskill requirement.
Once the unit receives its final certifica-tion, the 21st CST will be on call to respondto nuclear, biological or chemical incidentsanywhere in the United States.
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G U A R D L I F E12
Operation WhirlwindPhotos courtesy of DISCOM
he leadership of the 42nd Division SupportCommand (DISCOM)
spent two days travelling 400miles visiting various For-ward Operation Bases(FOB's) throughout Iraq.
Soldiers from the 50thMain Support Battalion arelocated at FOB's Cobra(group photo), Bernstein(center photo), Olson (bot-tom photos), as well as FOB'sNormandy, McKenzie. Theunit provides medical and wa-ter purification (note: bottomright photo, shows stages ofwater purification) support tothe Soldiers and Iraqi citizensin their area of operation.
TOperation Whirlwind
G U A R D L I F E13
y day she counsels soldiers on every-thing from dealing with family separa-
tion to mild depression,but after hours,Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Joanne Martindale wields amean ping-pong paddle in the mini MWR facil-ity at 42nd Division Support Command head-quarters at Forward Operating Base Speicher.
You might say it’s a form of therapy, bothfor her and those she counsels.
“I used to play with my mother when I wasgrowing up and my mother just passed this lastAugust,” she says. “Something about it re-minds me of playing with her. When I first sawthe ping-pong table here I thought "I’ve got goodmemories associated with that."
Word has gotten around that she’s the oneto beat when it comes to ping-pong, a reputa-tion she doesn’t discourage.
“We’ll get up there to play and I’ll say,‘Who’s going to lose today,’” she laughs. “Sothey line up waiting to play, and we have fun,and I encourage them and they encourage me,and it really doesn’t matter who wins.”
What does matter is that it is one way for her to get toknow her soldiers, and a way for them to get to know her,and to trust her. “The more they trust you the more theyopen up. I’m much busier now then I was the first monthbecause people trust.”
Soldiers come to her with a number of different issues,but family issues top the list, and they can run the gamutfrom dealing with a long distance relationship to familyfinances and other problems.
“When they walk in the door, I say to them anything yousay here is in confidence. So they’ll just pour out their soul.I have so many soldiers say ‘I haven’t told anyone what I’mtelling you.'"
This forms a unique bond of familiarity betweenMartindale and her Soldiers.
“I can be in a room and know 25 people’s life historybecause they’ve come and told me about their family ortheir difficulties and I’m glad because they are able tounburden themselves so they are better able to do theirmission.” When she’s not counseling Soldiers or beating them atping-pong, the 14-year Army veteran is one of three brigadechaplains who oversee the 13 chaplains and 15 chaplainassistants from various units who reside on FOB Speicher.
Chaplain Beats The Devil Out Of SoldiersBy Sgt. 1st Class Robert Stephenson, NJDMAVA/PA
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Never one to stand still, Martindale also travels the base,seeking out soldiers who may not be able to come to her.This also gives her the chance to meet them on their ownturf, so she can see first-hand the job that they do while onduty, another way in which she gets to know her Soldiers.
Eventually, conversations will return to ping-pong anda challenge will ensue, which she gladly accepts, becausethe chaplain knows full well that while it is therapy for thesoldiers, it is also stress relief for her as well.
“I was a little nervous to come here myself - a husband,two kids. It’s tough. But I wouldn’t be anywhere else,because I’ve learned so much – not only about myself, butalso about Soldiers, about people. I’ve met some amazingpeople.”
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Joanne Martindale serves up some ping-pong therapy atthe DISCOM MWR Facility at FOB Speicher, Iraq.
Remember,Everyone Is A
Recruiter
G U A R D L I F E14
News Guard Families Can UseCompiled by the Guardlife Staff
ICE – “In Case OfEmergency”
Following the London terrorist at-tacks, the British ambulance servicelaunched a national “In Case of Emer-gency” (ICE) campaign.
The idea, which has been adoptedhere in the U.S., is that you store theword “ICE” in your mobile phone ad-dress book, and against it enter thenumber of the person you would wantto be contacted “In Case of Emer-gency.” For more than one contactname program ICE1, ICE2, etc.
In an emergency situation ambu-lance and hospital staff will then beable to quickly find out who your nextof kin are and be able to contact them.
Veteran Home LoansMany Guard members are eligible
for a VA home loan.
Guard members that have beencalled to active duty for a minimum of90-days may qualify. The VA homeloan program's purpose is to assistveterans in the purchase of homeswith favorable loan terms and at a rateof interest that’s competitive with therate charged elswhere.
VA loans offer important advan-tages. They ensure that all veteransare given an equal opportunity to buya home with VA assistance. Otheradvantages include, no down pay-ment (certain restrictions apply) and acompetitive fixed interest rate. Amongothers, you must have a good creditrecord, and enough income to meetthe loan’s mortgage payments on theloan. For a complete list of benefitsand requirements logon on to:www.homeloans.va.gov.
The first step to determine if youqualify for a VA loan is to obtain aCertificate of Eligibility through yourlender or from the VA. For moreinformation in obtaining a certificatelogon on to: www.home loans.va.gov/elig1.htm. Or contact the VA Eligibil-ity Center directly at 1-888-487-1970.
SCRA InfoServicemembers Civil Relief Act
(SCRA) protects active-duty militaryfamilies, including National Guardtroops called up to active duty, fromforeclosures, evictions and other fi-nancial matters.
Under the law, servicemembersare exempt from repossession or fore-closure without a court order. The actalso caps service-members’ interestrates at six percent, if military serviceaffects his or her ability to meet theobligations, and allows them to termi-nate any real estate lease when theirmilitary orders require them to do so.
The law also forbids judges fromholding military personnel in defaulton any legal matter unless the courthas first appointed a lawyer to protectthe individual.
State Park PassesAll Active New Jersey National
Guard members are entitled to Divi-sion of Parks and Forestry State Parkpasses. The pass entitles the NJNGmember (and passengers) free park-ing at all New Jersey State Parks,Forests, Recreation Areas and His-toric Sites. This pass does not includecampground fees. ID cards must beshown along with this pass for ac-cess.
National Guard members and theirfamilies can obtain state park passesthrough the State Family Programsoffice by calling 609-562-0739 or atany National Guard Family Assis-tance Centers. For more informationcontact Chief Warrant Officer 4 RalphCwieka, State Family Program Coor-dinator at 609-562-0668 or e-mail:[email protected]. mil. Orcall toll free: 1-888-859-0352.
Frequently used websitesMy Pay: www.dod.mil/dfasTRICARE: www.tricare.osd. milTRICARE Health E-Mail Ser-
vice (THEMS): www.samhouston.army. mil/thems/them.asp
TRICARE Dental Program(TDP): www.ucci.com/was/ucciweb/tdp/tdp.jsp
US Family Health Plan(USFHP): www.usfhp.net
National Guard Family Pro-grams: www.guardfamily.org
NJ Dept Military & VeteransAffairs: www.state.nj.us/military
NJ National Guard Family Pro-grams: www.state.nj.us/military/familysupport/home.html
NJ Employer Support of theGuard & Reserve: www.njesgr. org/index.html
FRC Offers GrantsThe State Family Readiness
Council has established a GrantProgram that will provide both Fam-ily and Business Grants to deserv-ing New Jersey National Guardfamilies impacted by deployment.
Business grants are up to$5,000 and family grants $2,500.Those interested should contactFamily Assistance through thehotline at 1-888-859-0352. Moreinformation is available at theCouncil’s website [email protected] or through FACs orFRGs.
G U A R D L I F E15
Short Rounds: Family Day, Recruiter,Dedication And Graduates
Recruiter Wins Chief’s ChallengeA 108th Air Refueling Wing Airman was selected as awinner of the National Guard Bureau’s Chief’s Challenge onJune 20. Master Sgt. Joseph Ramirez recruited 20 peopleto win the award, competing against recruiters from acrossthe country. He was joined by 63 recruiters that also wonthe challenge. Ramirez spent the Fourth of July weekendin Washington, D.C., where he participated in a jointawards breakfast followed by a trip to Fort McNair, whereLt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, the Chief of the National GuardBureau, addressed the attendees and their families at aspecial barbecue honoring the awardees. During thedinner, Lt. Gen. Blum chatted informally with the attendeesand their families. To qualify for the award, a recruiterneeded to recruit 18 people between Feb. 1 and June 15.
108th Holds Family DayAn Airman and future pilot examine the controls of KC-135Estratotanker during the 108th Air Refueling Wing's annualFamily Day July 17. Photo by Staff Sgt. Barbara Harbison,108ARW/PA.
Reflecting Pond DedicatedOn Aug 14, Col. James Grant (right), Commander, JointTraining and Training Development Center (JT2DC), FortDix; unveils a monument marker for a Reflecting Pond,along with Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth (second from right),Brig. Gen. Frank R. Carlini (second from left) and CommandSgt. Maj. Richard S. Adkins, Jr (left). The Reflecting Pondis a tribute to JT2DC deployed Soldiers and their families.Photo by Staff Sgt. David Moore, 444MPAD.
Congratulations To The GradsUnited States Army War College
Col. Frank DulferCol. Mike Shute
Sergeant Major AcademyCommand Sgt. Maj. Howard Wright
Sgt. Maj. Anthony CahillSgt. Maj. Timothy Marvian
Sgt. Maj. Frank Sippel
G U A R D L I F E16
Units Get New CommandersTop photo: Lt. Col. Walter Alvarado (right) receives the 50thPersonnel Services Battalion Guidon from Col. John DiNapoli(left), Commander, 57th Troop Command during a changeof command ceremony on May 1 in Lawrenceville. Photoby Sgt. 1st Class Robert Stephenson, NJDMAVA/PA. Topright photo: left to right, Maj. John E. Langston, Col. FrankCaruso, Commander, 50th Brigade, and incomingcommander Lt. Col. Nicholas Chimienti stand at attentionduring the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Change of Commandceremony at the National Guard Armory in Riverdale August7. Photo by Spc. Nick Young, 444 MPAD. Above photo:Lt. Col. Tommie Bellamy (left), outgoing commander, 1stBattalion, 114th Infantry, Col. Frank Caruso (center) and Lt.Col. Robert Jarvis (right), new battalion commander, reviewthe troops during the Change of Command Ceremony atMount Holly June 10. Photo courtesy 1-114 Infantry.
Short Rounds: New Commanders AndSuccessful Youth Camp
Youth Camp A SuccessJunior Volunteer Christine Palumbo instructs CamperZachary Traver during the 11th annual New Jersey Na-tional Guard Youth Camp at the National Guard TrainingCenter in Sea Girt July 17-23. 113 campers along with 100volunteers participated in this year's camp. The campserves the children and grandchildren of active and retiredNJNG members and NJDMAVA employees. Photo cour-tesy NJNG Youth Camp.
G U A R D L I F E17
Short Rounds: Vineland, Award, FreedomSalutes And Students
NJARNG Opens Vineland StorefrontOn July 18 the New Jersey Army National Guard opened anew “Storefront” Recruiting Office in Vineland. Maj. Gen.Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General of New Jersey, alongwith local officals cut the ribbon. Photo by Tech. Sgt. MarkOlsen, NJDMAVA/PA.
Students Raise Money For SoldiersMarie Durling (left), Fundraiser Chairperson for the GeneralSupport Aviation Battalion (GSAB) Auxiliary, receives adonation of more than $1,000 to purchase calling cards fordeployed New Jersey National Guardsmen from GloucesterCounty Institute of Technology (GCIT) students ChristinaKeenan (center) and Kathleen Beatty (right). The studentsrecently completed their service project “Only a Call Away,”which raised the money for the troops. The project wasstarted by students Caitlin Fazzio and Heather Duffield withhelp from Instructor Theresa Kerney. Photo courtesyGSAB Auxiliary.
Freedom Salutes Honor SoldiersSpc. Angelo Martinez, 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry, pre-sents his family with recognition items during one of fourFreedom Salutes honoring the Battalion at armories inJersey City, Newark, Riverdale and Woodbridge August 7.The Campaign is designed to recognize Army NationalGuard Soldiers, their families and employers who sup-ported them. Photo by Sgt. Shawn Morris, 444th MPAD.
TAG Presents AwardMaj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth (left) poses with Master Sgt.Miguel A. Perez (right) after presenting him with a Merito-rious Service Medal during the quarterly Recruiting andRetention Command meeting held in Atlantic City July 6.Photo courtesy Recruiting and Retention Command.
G U A R D L I F E18
Children Receive ToysRecently Maureen Turak, a NJDMAVA employee, mailed50th Main Support Battalion Soldiers a shipment of toys togive to Iraqi children during their visits to perform medicalassessments. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mickey McGuire(back, left), and Lt. Col. John Nunn (back, right), ExecutiveOfficer, Division Support Command, pose with some Iraqichildren and their new toys. Photo courtesy Chief WarrantOfficer 2 Mickey McGuire, 50MSB.
On June 26, 25 New Jersey Army National Guard OfficerCandidates were commissioned as second lieutenants.The ceremony was held at the New Jersey National GuardTraining Center Sea Girt. The candidates belonged to
OCS Commissions 25 Second LieutenantsOfficer Candidate School Class Number 48 assigned to the254th Combat Arms Regiment. The new officers will servein every New Jersey Army National Guard command. Photoby Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen, NJDMAVA/PA.
Short Rounds: New Second Lieutenants,National Colors And Toys
Flag Adds Color To DesertNo matter where you go, the Stars and Stripes alwaysseems to brighten up a place, as demonstrated by fourmembers of the 250th Signal Battalion. Left to right:Sgt.Dale McTighe, Spc. Michael Hale, Master Sgt. MarioGulla and Capt. Joe Pipas proudly display our nation'scolors. Photo courtesy Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany 250th Signal Battalion.
G U A R D L I F E19
Army And Air Enlisted PromotionsMaster Sgt. Daniel J. Calderale (Army) and Master Sgt. Paul B. Thompson, Jr. (Air)
New Jersey ArmyNational Guard
To Sergeant Major(E-9)
Thomas J. ClarkIsrael Garcia
To First Sergeant(E-8)
Scott C. Lewis
To MasterSergeant (E-8)
James J. FortunaBryan C. Garnham
Stephen G. NollJeffrey D. Pico
To Sergeant FirstClass (E-7)
Thomas B. AldersonPaul R. Baker, IIIDean M. Baratta
Shawn M. BlackfordRalph Chandler Jr.
Joseph FallonRicardo J. Garcia
Roger C. GoffLuis A. GonzalezDonald E. Kessler
Kevin P. KirkpatrickVictor A. ManzuetaStephen McGoonan
Jr.Raymond M.Pedrick, III
Andrzej Z. RopelBrian K. TownsendMauricio R. VegaFrederick J. Volpe
To Staff Sergeant(E-6)
Leyo M. AlavaLinda C. Chapin
Anthony ColemanDanielle E. Corbin
Michael S.Hutchinson
Trevor I. JenniKeron P. Johnson
Beth B. LapointJoseph M. Martin, Jr.
Peter F. Miller, Jr.Christopher J.
Mundras
Sean OgormanRocchina A. RuffinJoseph W. ToomeyBurton A. Turnbull
Richard T.Weichand
Paul A. Zuzzio
To Sergeant(E-5)
Jeffrey E. BolandJoseph W. Cahill, Jr.
Shawn C. CaseTimothy B. Davis
Michael A. DicksonLisa R. Easley
Chuka A. EbedeHaronit G. Gomez
Lisa M. LopezSgt Ronald T. MankaMichael S. Marone
Keith MartinJohn J. MelendezWallace E. Salley
George R. Smith, Jr.David A. Smithson
Joseph E. TomasettiJeffrey J. TurnerWillie C. Wadley
To Specialist(E-4)
Daphney L. AugustinStephen R.Blashfield
Alberto ClaudioJamie L. GaynerJaime A. Harvey
Heather R. JeffersonCarlos A. JohnsonJeremy D. Knowles
Katie E. LazaroKeiry Martinez
Roberto G. MartinezDaniel Medina
Harold J. MelanderJuan E. Mendez
Matthew D. MillerCarmen R. Morales
John C. Otto, Jr.Daisy I. PerezReno A. Reali
Daniel J. RiveraLinda RomanoBetsy Romero
Jennifer A. RosarioStanley H. Roser, III
Suzanna M.Smaldone
Andrew J. SotoRyan A. Sova
Brandon L. TaggartJose E. Velazquez
Amanda L. WestFico
Clifford M. WhiteAthleen B. WilsonAndrew F. WirthUssell D. Woolf
Mindy Yeon
To Private FirstClass (E-3)
Peter J. B. AshwellMonica Baez
Ryan P. BodkinLeopold M. BrownKevin L. BuckholtzKeith M. BurkhartJason F. Butler
Carlos M. Castro, Jr.Dale L. Critchlaw, Jr.
Lloyd M. DeansOscar R. Dumas, Jr.
Bryam ElieDaniel J. Farnkopf
Yviana GarciaMark T. GartnerLuis A. Gomez
Matthew J. GoodsierSara M. Gorsky
John J. GraingerRobert M. Griscom,
Jr.Edwin R. Gruszecki
Fanny M. GuerraAnthony S. Gulino
Herrera, Armando R.Jr.
Jason P. Houston-Hickson
Russell Huth, Jr.Carlos A. JaramilloAntonio Jones, Jr.Justin M. Jones
Lorenzo D. JonesKarla M. M. Katigbak
Ricky R.KirchgessnerBrent M. Kline
John J. Law, Jr.Timothy M. Lawrence
Branden A.Longsizer
Jarrett E. LongsworthKayleigh A. Maklary
Theresa M.Marchese
Jocelin MartinezAlonzo McCoy
Leydi L. MendozaJorge E. MoreRuby J. MoretaMartin L. Munoz
Pedro R. OlazabalLuis S. Ortiz
Eric J. Pastrana-Rivera
Nathanel L. PutnamJames T.
Raczkowski, IIIPeter A. Reed
William F. RichmondMaria V. Rodriguez
Luis A. SanchezTyler A. Sassaman
Stephanie L.Saunders
Ithan S. SchneiderJohn L. Schneider, II
Van L. ShiversEric J. Smith
Vincent G. Straub,Jr.
John R. StromTheodore J. SykesLorenzo A. Tirado
Quan M. TranRobert L.
Vanarsdale, IIISara B. Vasques
Roman VaysChristopher A.
VelasquezKevin D. WellsToure Williams
Andrew R. WoodsonRaymond R. Young
To Private (E-2)Sultan Abdulrauf
Sarwar AhmedJenna A. BettenOmar G. Castro
Christian J. CruzAreli A.
DelafuentechavezJoseph M. Ditlove
James A. DuckworthShiomara Garcia
Juana L. Gonzalez
Maria E. GuerraJohn D. Hardy
Jason R. HollowayMichael R. Lahn
Kirk T. LovellShawn R. Maaser
Matthew R. MendozaMarco Obando
Wisley E. RiveroJoseph M. Sams
Harry J. SchwartzAndrew J. SteffensCharnie L. StjeanAlyssa R. Stokes
Mary J. Watterson
New Jersey AirNational Guard
To Senior MasterSergeant (E-8)Mark H. BakerEric L. Smith
To MasterSergeant (E-7)
Michael J. ArroyoGlen H. Auer
John N. Charyk, Jr.John U. Holland
Edwin O. MontalvoSharon E. Roth
Curtis L. ThiviergeFrancis G.
UnterkoeflerFelix Zamot, Jr.
To TechnicalSergeant (E-6)
Todd W. ButcherEllison Cason, Jr.James M. Ferretti
Andrew B. Middleton,Sr.
Franky J. MirandaJeffrey K. Ragsdale
Allen J. RobertsRichard P. Thomas
To Staff Sergeant(E-5)
Jennifer S. BowenDamaris D. Eggles
Heather C. EricksonDiana M. Gomez
Jacqueline A.Hassall
Eric K. JohnsonAnthony J. Lemons
Brian S. ReillyShawn P. ReillyRex L. Rostrom
Tamika S. Wilson
To Senior Airman(E-4)
Stephen T. AtkinsonKristopher M. ChiolaMichelle L. HermanMelissa A. HermannJames W. HoldsteinRobert J. McCarty, II
Jennifer T. MullenUrsinio M. O’Neal
Ivan PerezHeyward D. Wiggins,
IV
To Airman 1stClass (E-3)
Vanessa R. BeaulieuBenjamin D. Tyler
Christopher D.Berget
Phillip P. BunkJonathan R.
CameronStephanie M.
CaraballoGinel D. Charneco
Michael J. CourtneyMaria L. Curcio
Nicole E. Del ValleStephen J. DinataleDean R. EspositoLucas G. GuntherKirsta L. Korabik
EmanuelMoralesfranqui
Mark J. NaughtonAishat N. Nauzo, Jr.
John D. ParilloFrankie A. Perez
Roger E. RachelskiDavid C. Ringer
Jeremy F. RomanJose A. Santiago, Jr.Sheila Y. Velezavila
To Airman Basic(E-2)
Chano F. Almeyda,Jr.
Congratulations
State of New JerseyDepartment of Military and Veterans AffairsPO Box 340Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0340
Farewell To Brig. Gen. Steve Bell
PRSRT STDU.S. Postage
PaidPermit No. 294
Tucker, GA
t is with deep regret that the announcement is made ofthe death of Brig. Gen. (Ret)
Steven L. Bell.Brig. Gen. Bell passed away
on August 2 as the result of can-cer. He last served the NewJersey Army National Guard asthe Assistant Adjutant General– Army. Brig. Gen. Bell wasemployed by the Department ofMilitary and Veterans Affairs asthe Deputy Executive Directorof Homeland Security followinga successful career with the In-ternal Revenue Service.
His noteworthy military ca-reer included assignment as theChief of Staff, State Area Com-mand; Chief Military SupportDivision; Commander, 42ndDISCOM and Commander,250th Forward Support Battal-ion. The General was recentlyawarded the Legion of Merit.
His wife Cindy, daughters’Steffanie Jane Bell and SuzanneErica Bell and a stepdaughterMichelle Clegg survive GeneralBell.
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