Wisconsin National Guard cultural support team receives a hometown welcome at Miller Park

By Tech. Sgt. Jon LaDue

Wisconsin National Guard

Milwaukee fans gave a triumphant cheer Monday (Aug. 25) as the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 9-5 at Miller Park - but fans gave an even bigger applause to start the game as three Soldiers of the Wisconsin National Guard were honored for their recent return from a historic deployment to Afghanistan.

The three Soldiers, all women, were three of four Wisconsin Guard Soldiers who spent the past year helping Army Special Forces units in Afghanistan build relationships with local nationals, especially women and children as part of the Army's Cultural Support Program - who operate as Cultural Support Teams or CSTs. The Wisconsin women are some of the first females in U.S. history allowed to serve alongside Special Forces in combat operations.

"I feel honored to be honored for going to Afghanistan and doing the mission that we did," said Sgt. Sonia Buchanan, of Cottage Grove, Wis. "It's going to open doors for girls down the road."

Buchanan was joined at Miller Park by 1st Lt. April Nelson, of Viroqua, and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert, of De Pere, Wis. (Master Sgt. Karen Dumke, of Waupun, was also on the CST mission but was out of state during the game).

The women stood jubilantly for about three minutes as they watched pictures of themselves on the giant Miller Park screen and heard their story shared with more than 28,000 fans in attendance.

The event and recognition was part of the Brewers' "Mission Welcome Home," a program coordinated through the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize Wisconsin's service members returning from deployments since 9/11, according to an event coordinator Nate Nez, who also serves as a senior program specialist at WDVA.

"It really puts a personal face to what our troops are doing - especially here in Wisconsin," Nez said. "It shows communities, when the service members are not in uniform, that they are from small town Wisconsin and they are doing some unique missions."

There's no doubt the CST's 10-month tour in Afghanistan was unique and historic. The four Soldiers were among nearly 250 applicants nation-wide. A little more than 100 were selected for screening and the four Wisconsin Soldiers were among 56 to complete the inaugural training at Fort Bragg, N.C. Their primary task was to engage the female population in areas where such contact may be deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male servicemember including conducting medical civic-action programs, searches and seizures, humanitarian assistance and civil-military operations.

And while there's no way to tell how many young women were at Miller Park Monday or how many female Soldiers nation-wide were inspired by the CST mission, the recognition given by the Brewers and embraced by a stadium full of fans is enough to make the future look bright for everyone ... but especially for female service members.

"I think it puts us out there and shows everyone in Wisconsin and throughout how important it is to have females in combat," Nelson said. "It also helps the younger generation realize that women can do whatever they want and accomplish whatever they want as far as goals and a profession.

"There's other females throughout the nation who haven't had as much support and recognition from their state," said Nelson, "it makes me proud that I'm from Wisconsin."

USO Celebrities Visit Joint Operations Center

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 18, 2012 – The tables turned today as the USO's spring tour celebrities got a taste of combined military operations during a visit to a joint operations center here.

Navy Vice Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is serving as military host for the tour for comedian and actor Anthony Anderson; retired Major League Baseball pitcher Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson; actor Jason “Wee-Man” Acuna; actor and pitchman Dennis Haysbert; Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders Allyson Traylor, Brittany Evans and Kelsi Reich; and former “American Idol” contestants Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young.

The celebrities toured U.S. Air Forces Central's Combined Air and Space Operations Center. The CAOC is responsible for command and control of all air operations in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, said Air Force Col. Dave Iverson, 609th Air and Space Operations Center commander, providing 24/7 air coverage and conducting counterterrorism operations 365 days a year.

The CAOC is a joint and coalition team, staffed by the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and coalition partners since becoming fully operational on Feb. 18, 2003.

“We work with Canadians, Australians, the British and our other coalition partners in addition to every branch of service,” Iverson noted.

Serving as host for the USO celebrities’ tour of the facility, Iverson explained the CAOC’s mission and operational capabilities.

A majority of the CAOC's operations occur in Afghanistan’s southern and eastern border regions, Iverson said. Troops in enemy contact can have air support in seven to eight minutes, he added.

Air mobility is another major mission, whether it’s moving cargo or airdropping supplies for special operations forces, who often are in locations difficult to get to by road or with no airfields nearby, Iverson said.

Other CAOC functional areas include cells for personnel recovery, offensive and defensive operations and space, he explained.

Following the short tour and photo opportunities with the service members in the CAOC, some of the celebrities shared their thoughts of the tour.

“I felt like a third-grader trapped on a school tour,” Anderson joked. “But I understand why they can't have classified and top secret stuff on the screens while I'm in there. It was informative, and I understand [the privacy was] for national security reasons and whatnot. The center was what I pictured it to be -- minus the classified information that was going to be on the screen. I really wanted to see what was going on.”

After calling the tour an “amazing” experience, the comedian couldn’t resist another joke.

“I wanted to watch a Super Bowl or NBA Finals game on one of those [big] screens,” he said. “Overall, great experience just to see how an operation works like that from the inside out.”

The tour also showed him that Hollywood portrayals of military operations centers can be fairly accurate, he said. “[It was] definitely what I thought it would be from watching movies, being a part of movies in situations like that,” he said. “It was like, 'OK, what we've done on film is pretty accurate to what really goes on inside a command center like that.”

Johnson, who has been on multiple USO tours and visited other operations centers, was also impressed by the CAOC.

“It was obviously very intense to see the maps and big-screen videos and probably stuff that you can't talk about too much,” he said. “But I felt very privileged to be able to see the stuff behind the scenes. There's so much technology going on, and I just feel honored and privileged to be here, and hopefully, we encouraged and lightened up the moment and the day for some people.”

USO Spring Tour Thrills Wounded Warriors, Basewide Crowd

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

SOUTHWEST ASIA  – The USO’s spring tour, lead by the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs and his “Vice Squad,” continued to entertain service members overseas as its fourth stop brought morale and high spirits to wounded warriors and other troops serving here today.

“We are here to see you and thank you so much for coming out to see us,” Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. told an enthusiastic audience. “This is the opportunity for some really fantastic people who have come out to do this USO tour, some real terrific celebrities – people who love our country and who loves soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, to come out here and thank you all for what you're doing for your country.”

Following a brief visit and show on the USS Enterprise as it patrolled the seas, the Vice Squad arrived here to an excited, base-wide crowd who were treated to barbecue and other refreshments.

Service members listened to a short monologue from each USO celebrity before a short performance and photo opportunities with celebrity comedian/actor Anthony Anderson; Major League Baseball pitcher Randy “Big Unit” Johnson; performer Jason “Wee-Man” Acuna, actor and pitchman Dennis Haysbert; Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders Allyson Traylor, Brittany Evans and Kelsi Reich; and American Idol contestants Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young.

Before the show, the vice chairman celebrated those who sacrificed for the nation and recognized a special group attending the USO show.

“You are the people who have volunteered to come out here,” Winnefeld noted. “You've deployed away from your wonderful families, serving your country, doing the right thing and supporting our troops on the ground.

“And by the way, can we get a round of applause for our eight wounded warriors we've got here tonight?” he added. “Thank you guys – we're with you all the way.”

Winnefeld also recognized the USO for their years of commitment to the military dating back to the Vietnam War era.

“I want you to know, the USO has been doing this for a long time – many, many decades,” he said. “It goes all the way back to Bob Hope and Vietnam and a lot of giving, wonderful people over the years.”

“And I want to thank the USO folks for setting this tour up for us,” Winnefeld said. “This is a remarkable audience and it's going to be a really unique evening for us to have a chance to meet you [all].”

Leap Frogs Participate in Phillies Home Opener

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Luke Eastman, U.S. Navy Parachute Team Public Affairs

PHILADELPHIA (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, presented the first pitch baseballs during the pre-game ceremony of the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies home-opener game at Citizens Bank Park, April 9.

The Leap Frogs were schedule to jump into the stadium from a C-130 Hercules aircraft flown by members of the 139th Airlift Wing from Missouri Air National Guard, but were unable to perform due to unsafe weather conditions.

The crew did perform a flyover for the more than 45,000 people in attendance immediately following the national anthem.

"It was a great event," said Joseph Pinkerton, a spectator at the game. "When the C-130 flew over after the national anthem, it was just perfect timing."

Service members from every military branch displayed an American flag that covered half the field during the national anthem. The crowd clapped and cheered and fireworks went off as the C-130 flew over the stadium.

Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Hareso, 11th Fighter Wing of Pennsylvania Air National Guard, was in charge of the flag detail during the ceremony.

"The most impressive part of this is that it's multi-service," said Hareso. "We have Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. There's about 140 people presenting the flag, then we all get to celebrate and watch the Phillies play."

The Leap Frogs and the aircrew also made an appearance on top of the Phillies dugout for a brief introduction during the seventh-inning stretch.

"This is an annual event for the Leap Frogs and even though we weren't able to jump today, we're always happy to be here and support the Phillies," said Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brad Woodard, the Leap Frogs' team chief. "We're here in support of Naval Special Warfare, and the people in Philadelphia always give us such a warm welcome."

The performance at Citizens Bank Park is one of 35 major events on the Leap Frogs' schedule this year. The team is based in San Diego and performs aerial parachute demonstrations across America in support of Naval Special Warfare and Navy recruiting.

Fort McHenry Sailors Get out to the Ballpark

By Ens. Laura Price, USS Fort McHenry Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- A USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) Color Guard rendered honors April 4 before an exhibition baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and their AAA affiliate, the Norfolk Tides.

Electronics Technician 1st Class Salvador Perez, Seaman Sheunqua Williams, Seaman Danino Lauder, Culinary Specialist Seaman Janet Garcia, and Logistics Specialist Seaman Christopher Doran made up the color guard. The team, who has traditionally performed at smaller ceremonies for the ship, marched out to center field to proudly display the flags during the national anthem, just minutes before the first pitch.

After their performance, the group got a rousing ovation from the many fans on hand to see their baseball team take the field.

"That was my first time performing in front of a big audience; it was a lot of fun," said Williams. "It was exciting to see everyone standing up for us. There was a lot of energy from the crowd."

"It was exhilarating," said Perez. "With the smell of hot dogs and funnel cakes, there's really nothing like the charged atmosphere of an opening day."

By working with the Baltimore Orioles, Fort McHenry Sailors continue to build ties with the city of Baltimore, where the historic Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is located.

"Since Fort McHenry is in Baltimore, we are representing the fort, our ship, and the city," Williams explained.

Fort McHenry will be one of several Navy ships heading up to Baltimore in June for "Sailabration," an event to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. While up there, the crew hopes to once again get the chance to work with the Baltimore Orioles.

"It is exciting for our young Sailors to get involved with the community, especially getting ready for the War of 1812 commemoration," said Perez. The color guard is highly motivated to get the chance to do something again with the Orioles when we are up in Baltimore."

"I love the Navy, so color guard is a way to show the honor, courage, commitment and everything we do and stand for in the Navy," said Williams. "We get to travel and meet new people. It is exciting to be part of this team."