Vermont National Guard members help wounded bicyclist on way home from serving as Honor Guard

By Air National Guard Senior Airman Victoria Greenia

Vermont National Guard

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.  -- Vermont Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Darren Adams and Airman 1st Class Megan Robitaille were on their way back from Honor Guard detail in Bennington May 7, when Robitaille, who was familiar with the area, suggested they use a slightly off-beat road to save time on the trip home.

As they drove on through Hubbardton, Robitaille thought she saw a blue blanket or tarp in the middle of the road. Adams narrowed his eyes, saying "Is that what I think it is?"

Their fears were confirmed when they pulled up next to the bicyclist who's unnervingly still body lay in the middle of the southbound lane near a crest of the hill. Not far from him lay his crumpled bike, and a short distance away was a distraught lady in a car that had apparently collided with it.

Robitaille had gone to school for sports medicine and was used to helping injured people on the playing field. Adams had been an emergency medical technician for 13 years and had more than 3,000 rescues under his belt.

Both, still in full honor-guard uniform, rushed to the man after parking their car sideways to block on-coming traffic from the accident scene. There was no hesitation as training – both military and school – kicked in.

"I felt very confident we could help this man," said Robitaille. "It was instinct; this was what we had to do."

He was an older man, grey hair and wearing blue biking gear, and from the frothy saliva from his mouth the two VTANG members could see he was having snoring respiration or difficulty breathing.

It was obvious to them the man had gone into shock and was unconscious.

Using exact steps from Self-Aid Buddy Care to turn the man from his side, careful of possible spinal injuries, the two placed him on his back. From there, Adams got behind the man's head and thrusted the biker's jaw forward so the tongue wouldn't be blocking the airways. Meanwhile, Robitaille checked his pulse and then tried to warm his body with a blanket, which was cold and clammy despite the 75 degree weather.

A Central Vermont Public Service worker who came upon the scene shortly after them used his cell phone to contact 911.

"It's funny," Adams said, "because we're in our blues but it doesn't say who we are. I could tell the [emergency] call-taker was asking if there [were] first responders there and he says, 'I think the Air Force is here.' I could imagine the call-taker thinking a lot of good that's going to do."

But Robitaille and Adams did a lot of good – after holding the man's jaw forward to keep his tongue from blocking his breathing for a quarter of an hour, the man regained painful consciousness.

He could tell the VTANG his name, but didn't know where he was or where he was going or what day it was. Adams was able to do a head-to-toe assessment of the man's condition. Aside to the expected cuts and abrasions, the biker seemed to have a broken shoulder, ribs, and a head injury. The man's bike helmet had thankfully soaked up much of the impact.

"We went from burying a veteran to saving a civilian," Robitalle said. "It's one of those bittersweet things when you can't believe this is happening, but it's such a rewarding experience to be able to save someone's life." She said she hopes to see him again.

Both of them said that although they had a medical background which was obviously helpful in this situation, they are sure the SABC training through the Air National Guard would enable any service-member to be able to potentially save a person's life. The biggest factor is staying calm and letting the training come to you.

Wisconsin Guard part of tactical operation in Kosovo

By Sgt. 1st Class Jim Wagner

MNBG E Public Affairs Office

RUDARE, Kosovo - From planning to execution, Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers helped successfully remove a roadblock on the outskirts of this small northern Kosovo town June 1, improving freedom of movement for Kosovo residents.

Badger state Soldiers are currently deployed to Kosovo as part of the headquarters element of Multinational Battle Group East (MNBG E), one of two battle groups in the region supporting Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO peacekeeping mission.

The blocked roadway - the main artery between the southern portion of Rudare and Mitrovica - was one of nine roadblocks KFOR officials had determined prevented freedom of movement in the region.

In addition to providing a safe and secure environment, KFOR is charged to ensure freedom of movement throughout Kosovo as part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.

The operation was conducted in the early morning hours, while most residents of the town were leaving for work. Soldiers from the German and U.S. contingents quickly established vehicle control points and a security perimeter so the Portuguese-led KFOR Tactical Maneuver Battalion (KTM) could bring in the heavy equipment required to remove the substantial concrete, gravel and debris barrier.

Soldiers from other MNBG E multinational contingents arrived in the subsequent hours to provide follow-on security to the area.

U.S. forces on the ground were comprised primarily of Soldiers from the Georgia Army National Guard's 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment. The unit's headquarters element, located at MNBG E's forward command post (FCP) at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, developed the operation's course of action using lessons learned from other operations, current intelligence estimates and manning requirements.

Mission planners adapted their requirements to encompass key terrain - namely a bridge connecting Rudare with the city of Zvecan, as well as a road intersection north of the bridge - that needed to be controlled in order to ensure this mission's success.

Further complicating the operation was the complexity involved in getting more than eight different nations to execute the mission plan in a coordinated manner from several camps located throughout Kosovo.

According to Lt. Col. Joseph Lynch, FCP commander from 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry, concerns over potential miscues were quickly erased as the operation launched. Detailed planning and close coordination among all participants, he said, ensured the successful removal of the roadblock.

"Without the close coordination and cooperation of all nations involved, we could not have accomplished what we did," Lynch said. "We are extremely pleased that all the multinational units in this operation performed their missions with professionalism and excellence. I continue to be impressed by the level of dedication demonstrated by all the contributing nations."

"The operation was a total success, from the conception and planning of the operation to the execution on the ground by the Soldiers in this battle group," said Col. Jeffrey Liethen, MNBG E commander from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. "I couldn't be prouder of the men and women who performed their duties so admirably."

Two KFOR soldiers were injured by gunfire during the operation after unidentified individuals in a violent crowd of protestors opened fire on security forces. MNBG E forces responded in self-defense, using tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. The injured KFOR troops were not Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers.

KFOR officials strongly condemned the violence instigated by individuals who started the escalation of violence in the first place. A NATO press release stated that KFOR would respond proportionally and "continue to do so firmly, prudently and impartially, in full compliance with our mandate. That is what our troops have been doing for the last 12 years at considerable risk to their own safety. We urge all parties to avoid unilateral moves, inflammatory statements or violent acts."

Face of Defense: Air Force Flight Surgeon Saves Lives

By Airman 1st Class Jarrod Grammel

23rd Wing Public Affairs

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.  – Leaning over a small desk, Air Force flight surgeon Capt. Susan Marchiano finishes reviewing a patient's medical file. The tall, dark-haired doctor has a warm, friendly voice that makes people feel at ease.

She has worked everywhere from small, spotless rooms furnished with reclining leather chairs, to the inside of thundering HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters in Afghanistan.

Marchiano, flight commander of the 347th Operations Support Squadron here, was recognized as the Air Force’s best flight surgeon for 2011.

"It was a combination of her outstanding efforts, both downrange and flight medicine duties at home, that won her the award," said Air Force Lt. Col. David Blocker, the commander of the 23rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "Marchiano not only distinguished herself downrange but also displayed a willingness to fill leadership roles while caring for the rescue personnel."

Marchiano began her military career as a flight surgeon three years ago. Her interest in medicine, she said, started like most other doctors -- with wanting to help people.

"Back when I was growing up, I had a friend who died of cancer," Marchiano said. "That's what convinced me to become a doctor."

In early 2011, Marchiano deployed to Afghanistan, where she distinguished herself as a casualty evacuation medical director.

Marchiano led from the front in Afghanistan, Blocker said, noting she’d notched more than 130 combat flying hours there in 2011, and was credited with saving 82 lives.

Marchiano said she enjoys maintaining her squadron’s operational readiness here.  "I get to see and interact with the aircrew and rescue personnel," she said. "We help train the pararescuemen and assist them with medical treatment and evacuation."

Marchiano also helps care for the more than 1,200 patients at the flight medicine clinic here. She also supervises seven medical personnel who provide care, sustainment training and education for more than 400 service members.

"One of the things that made her stand out was that she made herself available for patients," Blocker said. "She also did an outstanding job providing rescue personnel with their specialized training. From the time she was first assigned to Moody, she took hold of opportunities and ran with them. You normally don't see that level of work until later in a career.”

Marchiano also “understands patient care, medical responsibilities and the operations we do," he added. "There is a difference between serving as a doctor in the military and in the civilian world. In the military, you have to mix the operational aspect and medical care."

Despite her professional success, Marchiano has stayed modest, and she acknowledges the people who’ve helped her along the way.

"I'm happy and excited about being named Air Force Flight Surgeon of the Year A lot of other people put in a lot of hard work. If it wasn't for their help, I wouldn't have won."

After having saved dozens of lives in dangerous, far-flung Afghanistan, Marchiano quietly sits at her desk after treating patients at the clinic here.

Like any other doctor, Marchiano said she continues to go to work every day for one simple reason -- to help people.

Veterans, Contemporary Warriors Salute D-Day Landings

By Army Staff Sgt. Rick Scavetta

U.S. European Command

SAINTE-MÈRE-EGLISE, France, June 6, 2012 – When Eugene Cook jumped into Normandy during the predawn hours of June 6, 1944, he landed several miles from his intended drop zone.

Alone in the dark French countryside, the young 101st Airborne Division paratrooper from Georgia assembled his rifle, got his bearings and began looking for other Americans among Normandy’s hedgerows. In the days and weeks that followed, Cook took part in the now-famous battles that began the liberation of France and led to Allied victory over Nazi Germany.

Cook, 87, was among the handful of World War II veterans who attended the 68th anniversary of the D-Day landings here this week. U.S. service members from all the military branches took part in honoring the veterans, something Cook said he was glad to see.

“We have to commemorate the lives of the guys we left here,” Cook said. “They gave their lives for us, and we should show them thanks.”

Known as Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, combined U.S. and Allied air drops with beach landings along Normandy’s coast. U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Infantry Divisions dropped onto the Cotenin peninsula to secure bridges, roads and towns vital to allowing the troops landing at nearby Utah Beach to move inland.

“That day, 68 years ago, as American blood mixed with French soil, it cemented even further the strong bonds between our two nations,” said U.S. Army Secretary John McHugh said as visited the La Fiere drop zone.

For the returning veterans there was a mix of feelings -- glad to be alive and sharing good times and sorrowful memories of those who’d died.

Yesterday -- a cold and overcast day -- John Perrozi walked between rows of white marble gravestones at the Normandy American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha Beach. He stopped at one cross and then another, paying his respects to several buddies who died fighting in Normandy. As an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper, Perozzi fought on D-Day with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It was his first trip back since the war.

During a June 3 ceremony at the La Fière drop zone, a battlefield where Perozzi fought, he received France’s highest military medal, the Légion d'Honneur. Before the ceremony, thousands of spectators watched as U.S. and international paratroopers recreate D-Day’s airborne operations -- jumping from U.S. Air Force planes onto the “Iron Mike” drop zone near the La Fière bridge -- at the Mederet River just west of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.

Soldiers from the Fort Bragg, N.C.,-based U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command and the Kaiserslautern, Germany-based 5th Quartermaster Detachment were among the hundreds of paratroopers who took part.

The Liberty Jump Team, which includes veterans from other conflicts and civilian parachutists, also jumped. Dave De Soucy, a retired officer from California who served in combat with the 101st Airborne Division during Vietnam, was one of the first to land in La Fiere’s marshy drop zone -- an area that was flooded on D-Day where several 82nd paratroopers drowned on D-Day, stuck in their chutes and harnesses. Packing up his chute, De Soucy said commemorative jumps honor World War II paratroopers, but also remind people about our current military operations.

“It’s an almost overwhelming experience,” said De Soucy, pausing as emotions welled inside him. “We’ve got to remember the folks who did it and those who still do it -- the one percent who go into harm’s way for the benefit of the [other] 99 percent.”

Afterward, Charles Rivkin, U.S. Ambassador to France, jumped with the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army’s parachute demonstration team. Then spectators, dignitaries, soldiers and veterans gathered on the grassy slope nearby for a series of commemorative speeches and wreath presentations.

John Roman, 87, who came ashore with the 4th Infantry Division, was surprised to hear a German military band at the ceremony, playing “Glory, Glory Hallelujah.” Seeing German troops didn’t bother him, he said.

“You’ve got to forget, some time,” Roman said. “It’s good that they are here. Maybe, the world will be better off.”

Toward the end of the war, Roman met a young French woman, Jacqueline, at a café. They’ve been married 66 years and had six children, she said. Each year, they come back, as Roman wants to remember buddies he lost, she said.

When wind gusts caught the beret of a German soldier, Jacqueline Roman watched in amazement as Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander of U.S. Army Europe, walked over and knelt down to pick up the beret off the dirt, then handed it back to the German.

“That’s the American way,” she said. “That was wonderful.”

After World War II, there were 16 million living American veterans. Now, many are reaching their final years. U.S. troops cherished the opportunity to speak with them, to shake their hands and hear their stories.

“You can learn firsthand about history from these veterans,” Hertling said. “Not a lot has changed. They had the same fears and anxiety as they went into combat and the trauma from the things they faced. They teach our soldiers a lot about what that means.”

One older paratrooper hugged Army Staff Sgt. Rachel Medley, 34, of Eureka, Calif., who serves with the Golden Knights. Meeting soldiers from World War II is humbling, she said.

“They paved the path for the way the world is today,” Medley said. “The time is rapidly approaching when it won’t be living history anymore. It will be just something we read about in books because there will be no one who witnessed this. For us to be here and say thank you, it’s a huge honor to be in their presence.”

U.S. troops and veterans marched through Sainte-Mère-Eglise, where they were honored with a banquet in the town square. Similar events were held throughout the area during the days leading up to this year’s D-Day commemoration.

Earlier in the week, on June 2, U.S. Special Operations Forces demonstrated a high altitude, low opening jump near the historic Norman town of Mont Saint Michel. Army Capt. Stephen Cargill, an officer from the Stuttgart, Germany-based 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, said free falling above Normandy meant a lot to him.

“It’s just amazing to get the opportunity to see something so incredible,” Cargill said. “It hits that much closer to home, to land on hallowed ground.”

One evening, Cargill and fellow Special Forces soldiers relaxed outdoors near the Stop Café, a famous gathering spot in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. Troops mingled with French people wearing old-fashioned uniforms. One Dutch teen, Rob Van Meel, 13, cautiously approached the Green Berets in his authentic World War II uniform of a 101st Airborne Division soldier.

While many French children ask U.S. troops for a souvenir, Van Meel just asked about their patches. Impressed with Van Meel’s detailed uniform, Army Master Sgt. Damon Storey got down and presented Van Meel with a set of combat jump wings -- a treasured possession. Van Meel attended D-Day anniversaries in Normandy every year of his life, he said. In fact, his first costume was as a World War II ammunition box at just 3 months old. He thanked Storey, but said he wouldn’t wear the jump wings on the Screaming Eagles uniform, as it wouldn’t have been historically correct.

A handful of aging U.S. and Allied veterans attended several ceremonies over the course of week. Ellan Levitsky Orkin, 92, and her sister Dorothy, 95, who served together in Normandy as U.S. Army nurses, were offered honorary French citizenship during a June 4 ceremony in Bolleville. They helped unveil a new memorial to World War II medics, near where they served with the 164th Field Hospital. They come back every year, but they don’t quite understand all the excitement, Orkin said.

“We came and had a job to do and we went home,” she said. “When we went home, nobody asked us questions then and we didn’t talk about it. It was too painful.”

Still, some veterans are willing to share their tales. And they don’t mind using newer technology if it means bridging the gap of miles. Milt Staley, 93, of Redding, Calif., waded through chest-deep surf onto Utah Beach on D-Day with the 4th Infantry Division. He first returned in 2011 and has since kept in touch with his French friends on Facebook.

When Staley visits the church at Sainte-Mère-Eglise, he remembers occupying foxholes dug earlier by 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers. Afterward, Staley fought with the 90th Infantry Division and was wounded in combat. Coming back to France is not about reliving the horrors of war, he said. It’s about sharing time with people in France.

“I was never hugged and kissed and thanked so much for what we did,” Staley said. “It amazed and overwhelmed me and I think I’ll never forget it.”

Cook, on the other hand, has returned many times. He also looks forward to seeing people he’s met before, plus reflecting on some of his wartime thoughts, he said.

“This brings back the memories of the guys we were with here,” Cook said. “It’s important that we rededicate ourselves to their sacrifice and D-Day helps us do that.”