Texas Guard Begins Evacuating Patients Before Hurricane Ike Hits

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Hackley
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 10, 2008 - The Texas National Guard began evacuating special-needs patients from the Corpus Christi area this morning in preparation for Hurricane Ike, expected to make landfall in Texas on Sept. 13. Nine Air National Guard C-130 transport aircraft from three states are configured for medical air evacuation and performing the operation, evacuating people in at-risk areas from coastal winds and storm surges associated with hurricanes, state officials said.

"We're evacuating ... special-needs patients from Corpus Christi area hospitals and transporting them to Bryan-College Station," said Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Perry, deputy commander of the 136th Airlift Wing based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Special-needs patients include those requiring others for routine care, people with physical or developmental disabilities such as blindness or hearing impairment, and those require assistance with mental health disorders, officials said.

Six National Guard medical crews are supporting the mission, including three from the 109th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron in Fort Worth, two from the 142nd AES in New Castle, Del., and one from the 137th AES in Oklahoma City. The aircraft, if configured for litters, can hold up to 72 patients and six air evacuation crew members.

One aircraft each from the 166th Airlift Wing from Delaware, 145th AW in Charlotte, N.C., and one from the 109th AW in Scotia, N.Y., are in Texas for the evacuation efforts in addition to the six from the 136th Airlift Wing, Perry said.

Crews are expected to fly these missions for the next 36 hours, and the flight one way is about an hour and 25 minutes long.

President Bush announced an emergency declaration today and ordered federal aid for 25 counties in south Texas to supplement state and local response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Ike as of Sept. 7.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry authorized the call-up of up to 7,500 Texas National Guard soldiers and airmen to support local, state and federal emergency management officials earlier this week.

At 5 p.m. EDT today, Ike's center was about 720 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, moving northwest at 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds near the center were 100 mph.

"Strengthening is forecasted, and Ike may become a major hurricane in the central Gulf of Mexico," said Al Mongeon, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After Ike makes landfall, the National Guard is ready to provide life-sustaining assistance to the affected areas, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada, a spokeswoman for the Texas National Guard. This may include establishing points of distribution, search and rescue operations and debris mitigation, she explained.

The National Guard search-and-rescue response package on alert consists of 60 high-profile vehicles, 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and five OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.

Less than two weeks ago, the Army and Air National Guard evacuated nearly 17,000 Gulf Coast residents by land and air, including 325 special-needs patients, before Hurricane Gustav made landfall.

The 142nd AES was part of that support effort and had only a short break at home before heading back to Texas to help set up the mobile aeromedical staging facility at the Corpus International Airport.

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Hackley serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

Military Child Education Agreement Now in Effect

Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed into law Wednesday legislation to ease the transition for military children as their service member parents move from assignment to assignment during their careers.

Delaware, nicknamed "The First State" because it was the first state to ratify the Constitution, is the tenth and critical state to adopt the "Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children." With this signing, the compact is 'activated' in the 10 states that have adopted it, and for other states that subsequently join. Kansas adopted the compact exactly three months ago on April 9th. Since then Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma have adopted the compact.

The compact, developed by the Council of State Governments, education and military family experts, and the Department of Defense, addresses common problems that affect military students as a result of frequent moves and deployments. States that sign on to the compact agree to work collectively with other compact states to create uniform standards of practice regarding the transfer of records, course placement, graduation requirements, redundant or missed testing, entrance-age variations and other transition issues.

"This is wonderful news for our military families," said David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "The education of our military children is a critical quality of life measure for our military families. It is so important that it directly impacts military recruitment, satisfaction with assignments, retention, and ultimately, readiness. We appreciate all the support and effort to implement the compact."

With the compact's activation, several administrative actions will take place in the next few months that will make it operational from a practical standpoint. This includes a series of meetings of the appointed commissioners from each of the 10 states to organize the Compact Commission, put a small staff in place, and to begin the rulemaking process.

"We are so pleased that the compact, once a vision, will now be a reality for our military families. We are grateful to the ten states that led the nation in seeking uniform standards for school transition for military children," said Leslye A. Arsht, deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy.

Approximately 1.5 million children of military families attend schools other than those sponsored by the Department of Defense. Military families move about three times as often as their civilian counterparts, Arsht said.

Face of Defense: Air Force Photographer Becomes Marine Infantryman

By Marine Corps Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 28, 2008 - A hard-fought transition brought one Marine from shooting photos to shooting rifles. Cpl. Andrew M. Oquendo, a scout with Company D, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, went from photographer with the U.S. Air Force to infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The 22-year-old infantryman from Paterson, N.J., joined the Air Force after struggling to make payments on his tuition at Delaware State University. He said he was determined to experience what it takes to be successful, so after talking with a high school friend and a recruiter, he reported to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in February 2005.

"The Air Force was the only branch I could think of that I wanted to join," Oquendo said. "I didn't see any other options, so I signed the dotted line to start my future."

Upon graduation, he was provided the sense of pride by becoming a member of the U.S. military.

"I felt like most Marines feel when they graduate boot camp and earn the eagle, globe and anchor," he said. "I felt like I was on top of the world."

The new airman checked into the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Md., for training as a photographer. In July 2006, while stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Oquendo deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"While in Qatar temporarily, Oquendo was assigned to photograph a visit by Maj. Gen. Anthony Przybyslawski, then commander of the Air Force Personnel Center. "He liked the photos so much he asked if I could accompany him through the rest of his tour," Oquendo recalled.

During the tour, Oquendo said, he saw Marine infantrymen conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and had a feeling that something was missing in his life. He felt he wasn't contributing enough to the global war on terrorism.

"I knew what I really wanted to do, so I had to do whatever it took to achieve it," he said.

After building the courage, he talked to Przybyslawski about his ambitions and got the help he needed to make the transition from the Air Force to the Marine Corps.

"I went to the administrative center to apply for separation forms, and the lady at the front desk thought I was crazy for filling it out after how long I'd been in," Oquendo said. "Little did she know how committed I was to becoming a Marine."

Within two weeks, his separation request was approved and he left the Air Force on Nov. 1, 2006. Three weeks later, he stepped on the "Yellow Footprints" at Parris Island, S.C., with the ambition of becoming an infantry Marine.

"Since I had been in the military for two years, it was kind of like cheating, because a lot of times were easier for me than the other recruits," Oquendo said.

He's now deployed to Iraq for his second combat tour, this time with the Marine infantry, and he is as happy as ever.

"I wanted to be an infantryman, because it's the backbone of the Marine Corps," he said. "It's the stuff you read about in the history book making a difference in the world."

"When it comes to motivation, Oquendo bring it to a different level," said Marine Corps Sgt. James D. Leach, a scout squad leader with Company D, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. "It's good having him around."

(Marine Corps Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson serves with Regimental Combat Team 5.)

National Guard Troops Vigilant in Kosovo's Transition to Nationhood

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 17, 2008 - Thronged sidewalks and cafes, jammed roads and packed store shelves suggest progress in this former war zone where National Guard troops play a key role in an international effort to keep the world's newest country on the path of peace. The governors of Iowa and Minnesota, whose National Guard troops are deployed here, toured this Delaware-sized new nation April 11-13, joined by Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and other senior military officials.

"You see notable improvement," Blum said after a foot patrol through the eastern city of Gnjilane. "It is slow, but it's steady progress. We saw economic vitality I had not seen on previous visits. We see people walking around, feeling safe. We see multiethnic mingling, children playing, business going on, traffic jams.

"Nobody likes a traffic jam, but it's a sign of development. People have more money," Blum. "They can afford to operate motor vehicles. They're feeling pretty good about themselves and their future."

Through the 1990s, Kosovo was wracked by Serbian repression of the Albanian majority and by an insurgency bent on independence. NATO intervention in 1999 ended the violence. U.S. troops, including the National Guard, have been part of a NATO and United Nations Police force on the ground ever since. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17.

"The National Guard's contribution has been a critical part of NATO's Kosovo Force, maintaining the peace between the Albanians and the Serbians, and it's pretty clear that peace would not exist but for the presence of American troops," said Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, chairman of the National Governors Association. "If Kosovo's destabilized, it destabilizes an entire region, and that really begins to impact what our future obligations and dangers are going to be for the United States in this volatile part of Europe and our interests abroad elsewhere."

Pawlenty and Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, federal liaison for the 28-member Democratic Governors Association, thanked the Kansas National Guard's 35th Infantry Division deployed in Kosovo, which includes sizable numbers of troops from their states.

Blum called the United States' military role as leader of KFOR's Task Force East in Kosovo, "a very sophisticated, nuanced mission at a time that's probably as critical in Kosovo as any time in their history. It's exciting to see the National Guard responsible for the American contribution to guarantee a safe and secure environment for a nation that has just literally been born."

Led by Army Brig. Gen. John Davoren, the 35th Infantry Division's missions include extensive presence patrols, military liaison with civilian authorities, and contingency support for the KFOR commander, French Lt. Gen. Xavier Bout de Marnhac. Guardmembers also distribute clothing and educational supplies and help rebuild schools. De Marnhac credited the National Guard troops from TF East for their timely and crucial reinforcement of TF North troops confronting a serious outbreak of violence in northern Mitrovica following independence.

"We're uniquely suited for this," Blum said. "We come in with civilian-acquired expertise that is highly useful and effective in a stabilizing mission like this and, at times, actually is more important than the military skills themselves. Of course, you have to underpin civilian-acquired capabilities with solid military skills and the ability to apply force if necessary."

The governors met with military commanders and toured TF East's area of responsibility for eastern Kosovo, which shares borders with Serbia and Macedonia. At town hall meetings with Guardmembers, they heard about issues they said they would address with state legislators.

"My main sentiment as I talk to the troops is gratitude and respect," Pawlenty said. "I realize what they go through to do what they're doing, in terms of the burden that it imposes on their families and them. I am overcome with a sense of gratitude that we have men and women like that who continue to raise their hand and lay it all on the line for our country. I have a deep, deep sense of respect and awe for them."

"I couldn't be more impressed," Culver said. "They are doing a magnificent job. They've got a very impressive record of accomplishment ... whether it's the border security missions, the humanitarian efforts, the diplomacy, and communication with local officials and civilians."

Pawlenty previously visited National Guard troops in Kosovo in 2004. "The situation on the ground has improved somewhat," he said. "It's important that there be a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo because, if there isn't, you'll have large numbers of people killing each other. KFOR, bolstered by our Minnesota troops and other American National Guard forces, is playing a pivotal and key role."

For Culver, elected in 2006, it was his first visit with his state's troops deployed overseas. "I came away even more committed than ever before to make sure we address their needs not only here on the ground in Kosovo but ... when they return to the states," he said.

Culver has called out the Guard in the aftermath of severe storms. "I saw them step up to the plate back in Iowa when we really needed them in terms of public safety and homeland security, and now to see them here in Kosovo makes me very appreciative of the great work that they're doing at home and abroad," he said.

"These dual roles at home and abroad are a huge benefit to Iowans," Culver said. The skills they learn over here, the additional courses that they're taking, the promotions that take place because of the opportunities that a mission like this presents -- as a result of that, we're going to have a better prepared force back at home."

Pawlenty said the 13,000-strong Minnesota National Guard is deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and 11 other countries.

"We're very proud of these men and women," Pawlenty said. "They're serving in important roles to advance America's strategic interests across the globe. They do it at great cost and expense to them and their families. They're courageous people. They're people of great patriotism and strength with impressive dedication. They deserve our thanks."

Among officials visiting National Guard troops in Kosovo were the adjutants general of Iowa and Minnesota, Air Force Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis and Army Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, and Army Maj. Gen. Frank Grass, U.S. European Command director of mobilization and reserve-component affairs.

Noncommissioned officers were among those briefing the senior leaders, a contrast with briefings by officers from foreign armed forces.

"That's unique to the United States Army and particularly a strong suit of the National Guard," Blum observed. "Our NCOs are extremely gifted and talented professionals with deep and wide civilian experience, and you will see noncommissioned officers performing roles and functions ... that you would not see in any other army in the world."

The Missouri National Guard's 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is scheduled to assume command from 35th Infantry Division later this year.

(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)

America Supports You: States Honor Wounded With Silver Star Banner

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 20, 2008 - More than 60 years after the custom was last observed, five states have endorsed the Silver Star banner as their official symbol for honoring war-wounded veterans. The practice began in 1918, and the Silver Star banner was granted semi-official status by the Army adjutant general, said Steve Newton, founder of Silver Star Families of America. Sometime between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, he said, the practice was lost.

Silver Star Families of America has been working to get the banner granted official status since 2005, Newton said. "When Congress approved the Blue Star and the Gold Star (as official service banners), it did not designate a Silver Star banner," Newton said.

Blue Star banners designate families with a member serving in the military, while a Gold Star banner honors a family member who was killed in action.

The efforts of Newton's group to work with Congress to get the Silver Star banner designated nationally as an official service banner led to some stalling points, however. Congress wanted the Silver Star Families of America to narrow its definition of wounded, Newton said.

"We decided to ... go state by state, because we didn't want to leave out post-traumatic stress (disorder) or Agent Orange or Gulf War Syndrome or accidents that occur in the war zone that will affect somebody for the rest of their lives," Newton said. "We thought that they needed to be honored also."

In 2007, the group presented each state with a proclamation to endorse the Silver Star banner as its official service banner to honor war wounded. To date, five states -- Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana and Missouri -- have done so.

"To me it's a sign of honor," Newton said. "When a state takes an action like this, it means that they want to remember the sacrifices of the wounded."

Janie Orman, the group's president, said that while the five states agreed quickly and others are on the brink of declaring the Silver Star banner their official service banner for the wounded, some declined.

"A couple of them said, 'No, thank you,'" she said. "A couple of them felt like they had their own programs, I believe."

In 2007, 44 states honored their war wounded by proclaiming May 1 as "Silver Star Day for the Wounded," with at least two of those states working to make the proclamation permanent, Orman said. Silver Star Families of America hopes at least that many states will endorse the Silver Star banner, she added.

The Missouri-based group is a supporter of America Support You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

JCOC: Conference Participants Have Mixed Success on Flight Simulators

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 9, 2007 - From the pilot's seat of a KC-130 air refueler, Mark Brainard carefully guided the craft over the ocean to the landing strip on the coast as his co-pilot coached him. "Pretty good," the co-pilot said of Brainard's approach. "Start grounding out, pulling back towards you a little bit."

Brainard, chief of staff for the governor of Delaware, is part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, which landed here today on its fourth day of a week-long tour of military forces in U.S. Pacific Command.

As Brainard followed the co-pilot's guidance, an electronic voice reported the altitude -- 100, 50, 30 ... "All right, just hold that," his coach said.

That's when it all went wrong. Brainard dove too quickly, and if he had been flying a real plane, it would have been one rough landing.

"Woo hoo," his would-be passengers exclaimed from behind, and laughter broke out in the flight simulator. "Oh, oh, there went my lunch," one said.

"You shouldn't be yelling at the pilot like that," Brainard said and laughed as he slid from the seat. "You made me bounce in."

"That was actually a pretty good approach," the trainer pilot said.

"Everything was great until that sloppy end," Brainard said.

"I didn't say landing, I said approach," the trainer said and there was more laughter.

In addition to the refueler simulator, the participants seated themselves into the "cockpit" of an F-15 Eagle tactical fighter. Most met with similar success, crashing and burning as they attempted to fly the highly technical craft. Others were able to pull off barrel roles and lived to tell the story. But, they took it all in stride and exited the multi-million dollar simulators with a lot of laughter and another vivid reinforcement of the skills of the servicemembers they have met throughout their stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and now Japan.

"I think everyone here knows in their own mind the sacrifice that the men and women provide for the country all over the world, but here we put a name and a face and so many human touches to understanding what's happening all over the globe," Brainard said. "This is just a little bit more of an exciting way to do that. This is an experiential way for us to understand what people are doing -- the expertise and professionalism and dedication and conscientious training that every single one of the men and women that we've met puts in their job every day."

Before the stop at the simulators, the group met with members of 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, and saw firsthand the Army's technology behind shooting enemy missiles from the sky. Afterward, they sat in the grass and shared some field rations -- meals, ready to eat -- with the troops.

Some found opening the packages and preparing their lunch as confusing as they later did the simulators. Tony May, senior vice president and partner of Triad Strategies, in Harrisburg, Pa., said getting to his meal was a little difficult, despite what is supposed to be easy-open rip marks on the packages. "I can see why it is vermin proof. And you want to carry your Swiss army knife," he said.

Reviews of the meals were varied, but it was obvious that is was not the usual fare for this group of doctors, lawyers, educators and business leaders.

Brainard had the beef enchilada with refried beans and a molasses cookie. "I gave the candy to the kid who opened it up and heated it up for me, because I didn't know what the heck I was doing," he said.

May was more impressed with the Army's version of chili and macaroni. "I know for a fact that it tastes better than the ... canned version. The oatmeal cookie was as good as you can find in a supermarket," May said. "I can see why people find it a little odd, but it seems to be a good solution for the situation of being in the field."

Throughout the day, the group added more facts and figures on operational capabilities to their growing cache of military knowledge. They also met more troops and thanked each of them for their service. Some participants in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference have experience with particular branches of the military, but as they make their way through this trip, exposure to different branches, locations and capabilities rounds out and broadens their understanding of the Defense Department as a whole.
Brainard said this trip has been an opportunity for him to learn about the sacrifices of the many who serve in his state.

"My job back home is going 80 miles an hour on a number of different things, and very rarely do I have an opportunity to take a breath and learn and get a better understanding," he said. "With so many of our men and women in the Delaware Air and Army National Guard deployed all over the globe, it's a great way to learn not only what they're doing but what all the servicemen and women are doing around the world."

Brainard said he will take back "a real personal understanding" of the level of commitment that servicemembers bring to their jobs. "It's an unbelievable commitment and level of professionalism and dedication and a real love of country that they bring," he said. "Before we all left our hometowns we knew that, but until you see it and until you meet these folks, it's an extra level of learning that you wouldn't get back home."

May said he has been equally impressed with all of the services and said the level of discipline has impressed him most. "In general, most people say Marines are the toughest guys, and then you meet Marines, you meet guys who are in the Army, and you meet guys who are in the Coast Guard. They are all disciplined, and I'm impressed with the level of discipline and skill that everybody displayed. I'm impressed with their apparent readiness for a lot of conditions that I wouldn't have guessed were going to exist," May said.

"It's reassuring for the public to know that the Army and the other services all seem to be doing a great job," he said.