high rollers - united states national guard born magazine/fall 12.pdf · 2019. 10. 25. · autumn...

Meet the mosthuggable man in the

Nevada GuardPage 4

Air Force Onebecomes familiar sight

Page 9

MGM Resortsputs out call for duty

2

Time flies for189th Aviation troop

Page 20

HighRollersheaddownrange,againPage 18

Autumn 2012 / BATTLE BORN / 1

In accordance with Department of Defense Instruction5120.4, Battle Born is an authorized, unofficial publication ofthe Nevada National Guard. Content is not necessarily theofficial view of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. government, theDepartment of Defense, the Nevada National Guard or thestate of Nevada. It is published by AQP Publishing, Inc., aprivate firm in no way connected with, but under exclusivewritten contract with, the Nevada National Guard.

The advertising in this publication, including inserts orsupplements, does not constitute endorsement by the state ofNevada or the Nevada National Guard of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertised in the publicationshall be made available for purchase, use, or patronagewithout regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or anyother nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. If a

violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by anadvertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to printadvertising from that source until the violation is corrected.

Battle Born is published quarterly for all current civilianemployees, military members, National Guard retirees,government leaders in the state of Nevada, and civilianemployers of Nevada Guard members. Battle Born isdistributed free of charge via mail and is available atwww.nevadaguard.com.

Comments and ContributionsLetters to the editor must be signed and include the

writer’s full name and mailing address. Letters should be briefand are subject to editing. Other print and visual submissions ofgeneral interest to our diverse civilian employees, NevadaNational Guard military members, retirees and families are

invited and encouraged. Please send articles and photos withname, phone number, e-mail and complete mailing address andcomments to:

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2460 Fairview DriveCarson City, NV 89701

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Publication of material is determined by available space andreader interest. The staff reserves the right to edit all material.

From Senior Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Drop Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Deployment Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Sports News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Accessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Retirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Events Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Features:

ON THE COVER: Senior Master Sgt. Gary Boucher(foreground) and Master Sgt. Randy Moorhous gather upa parachute on the drop zone at Herlong. The 152ndAirlift Wing prepares for a second deployment toAfghanistan where it will assist in transporting suppliesto the troops.

Governor Brian SandovalCommander in Chief

Nevada

Brigadier General Bill BurksThe Adjutant General

Nevada National Guard

Bob Ulin, PublisherMarie Lundstrom, Editor

Gloria Schein, Graphic DesignerDarrell George, Advertising Sales

Toll Free: (866) 562-9300 • Fax: (907) 562-9311www.AQPpublishing.com

www.nevadaguard.com

Departments:

Warrior spotlight: A true example of a Citizen-Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Keithley embraces being Nevada’s top Army NCO, literally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Nevada Airman receives Lance P. Sijan Award for leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Air Force One, High Rollers give the commander in chief reach to Northern Nevada . . . . 9

One year later: Community aids in recovery of restaurant shooting victims . . . . . . . . . . 10

Military skills pay off in Nevada’s tough job market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Teen camp builds bonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Soldiers reach out to critically ill children, survivors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Christmas comes early to the Nevada Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Nevada Guard Chinook gives lift to California fire operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

High Rollers prepare for Afghanistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Autumn 2012

Master Sgt. Paula Clark152nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

GovernorBrian Sandoval

The Adjutant GeneralBrig. Gen. Bill Burks

Managing Editor/State Public Affairs OfficerMaj. April Conway

EditorSgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez

Staff Writer/PhotographerStaff Sgt. Mike Getten

Contributors

Ashley AlamedaDirectorate of Mobilization

and Deployment Public Affairs

Lt. Col. Joanne FarrisJoint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

Spc. Michael Orton106th Public Affairs Detachment

Tech Sgt. Rebecca Palmer152nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Command Sgt. Maj. James Richardson421st Regional Training Institute

Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


There are hundreds of articles on leader-ship, maybe even thousands. So why attemptto write yet another? Simple, I was askedto. Hopefully, I can give it a different spinthan what you already may have read.

Gen. S.L.A. Marshall, a WWII combathistorian, described the art of leadership as:“Quiet resolution. The hardihood to take risk.The will to take full responsibility for decision.The readiness to share its rewards withsubordinates. An equal readiness to take theblame when things go adversely. The nerveto survive storm and disappointment and toface toward each new day with the score-sheet wiped clean, neither dwelling on one’ssuccesses nor accepting discouragementfrom one’s failures.”

The quote sends a pretty straightforwardmessage, but what’s Marshall’s point?My take on it proposes that if you want tobe a leader, you have to make a positivedifference in the lives of others. Having themost credentials, or the most money, or the

most awards doesn’t matter. Leadershipcomes from sincerely caring about those inyour charge. Keep them accountable, butdon’t punish every mistake. Give them achance to learn from their mistakes. This iscalled intelligent leadership, and I beteveryone reading this column has beengiven at least one second chance in theirlives or careers.

Remember, slipups are part of gettingto the top. Remember, the next time one ofyour subordinates makes a mistake, unlessit’s illegal or violates regulations, get themmoving again in the right way by helpingthem get back on their feet and ensure thatyou meet their needs to stay on the rightcourse.

Leaders must be tolerant of thosewho lose their way. Remember, ignorance,conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stemfrom a lost soul. Don’t just pray that lostsouls will find guidance. Instead, be theirguidance. Show them their souls must be

forged in the values of the nation that givesthem the privilege to wear their uniform. Asmembers of the United States of America’smilitary, we take an oath to support anddefend the Constitution of the United Statesand the nation’s values of life, liberty andthe pursuit of happiness.

I don’t know how these lessons cameabout, but try having your subordinatesadhere to five simple rules that result inthe happiness wrought from leading byexample: 1) Free your heart from hatred;2) Free your mind from worries; 3) Livesimply; 4) Give more; and 5) Expect less.If you can do this, you will be amazed atwhat your people will accomplish, becauseas Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle said duringWWII, “Nothing is as strong as the heart ofa volunteer.”

In closing, the true art of leadership is toenable self-leadership in others to accom-plish the mission at hand. �

FROMSENIOR LEADERSHIPBrig. Gen. Bill Burks, Nevada National Guard Adjutant General

Leaders’ souls must be forged innation’s values

A true example of a Citizen-Soldier, 1st Sgt. Roger Wheeler, of JointForce Headquarters Company in Carson City, demonstrates throughword and action his dedication to the Nevada Army National Guard.Wheeler, a traditional Soldier, works for Boeing Company in Seattle,Wash., and commutes to Carson City every drill. He manages 212employees at Boeing in the emergency hazardous materials section.

“The JFHQ is one of the most challenging jobs of my career,”he said. “My goal is to ensure that JFHQ is on the same playing fieldas other units in the state. I want to ensure that my Soldiers have theskills necessary to meet the challenge of any situation, whether a localor state emergency, or combat. The unit recently passed its first-evercommand inspection, creating a baseline for excellence in the unit. Theleadership skills I have gained in the Nevada Army National Guard arethe leadership skills I use at my civilian career.”

Wheeler said that he often enjoys woodworking, riding his quadand shooting. �

Lt. Col. Joanne Farris, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

WARrior Spotlight:A true example of aCitizen-Soldier ...

1st Sgt. Roger Wheeler, Joint Force HeadquartersCompany, Carson City, Nev.

CARSON CITY – He may be the onlyNevada National Guard leader to ever do it.He may even be the only Army sergeantmajor to ever do it.

And almost every Soldier in the SilverState has come to expect it.

State Command Sgt. Maj. Daryl Keithleyvery rarely misses the chance to hug histroops – or anyone he meets.

It has become the trademark, a grandgesture of sorts, for all his greetings andfarewells, and many Soldiers tell him theseembraces leave a lasting impression. Hesays they tell him, “Hey, sergeant major,you were there when I deployed, and youwere there when I got back.”

Keithley has held the Nevada ArmyNational Guard’s top enlisted office for fouryears, capping a career of 32 years, andcarving relationships that will last a lifetimeby making it a point to stay in touch withhis Soldiers – literally.

“I thought about the impact that asergeant major or first sergeant has on aSoldier to make him or her feel at ease,” hesaid. “If a Soldier sees I’m approachable,they’d come and talk to me if they hadproblems or issues.”

One of those issues for Soldiers latelyhas been coping with deployment. Since2001, the Nevada Guard has deployedmore than 3,600 troops in support of theGlobal War on Terrorism in both Iraq andAfghanistan. Nationwide, more than half ofall National Guard Soldiers have beendeployed, and it’s had a profound effect onthe community.

“Everyone at the grocery store is, ‘Howis Johnny doing? We want to send himsomething’ and that keeps everybodyengaged,” Keithley said. “It keeps thenation engaged because they’ve lost himfor a certain amount of time. They want himcoming back to be an important part of thecommunity.”

Keithley knows firsthand what it’s liketo be deployed. He was first sergeant of the72nd Military Police Company for almost10 years from 1996 to 2005, during whichtime he deployed three times and led

troops into the Iraqi war zone. He knowshis hugs matter.

One of those deployments came justafter 9/11. In November 2001, the MPs began24-hour operations to secure the DefenseLanguage Institute in Monterey, Calif.,because defense leadership deemed theschool a primary target by terrorists.

In 2004, a media maelstrom struck afterthe MPs returned home from Iraq. As partof the mission, they set up a prison on theoutskirts of Baghdad in Abu Ghraib. Theyturned over duties to Army reservists fromMaryland, the 372nd Military Company.That unit carried out the much publicizedprisoner abuse for which two Soldiers arestill serving time in prison, according to theBaltimore Sun.

The 72nd MPs hoped instead, that peoplewould remember their hard work in openingthe prison. There, the 4th Infantry DivisionSoldiers were at the front end of it, handingoff bad guys. Eventually the prison came tohold only high profile detainees.

“There was nothing at Abu Ghraib,”Keithley said. “We started with 13 soft-shelled Humvees, a little generator and amobile kitchen tent. We were right in thecenter of the Fallujah Triangle, in betweenFallujah and Baghdad.”

True to the infantry’s word, within amatter of three days, the 72nd MPs beganreceiving prisoners at Abu Graib. Duringtheir tour of duty, Soldiers held about 200inmates, a daily average. The Nevada MPsbuilt it from scratch, implementing policiesand procedures for the prison.

As for the environment in which Soldiersdid their jobs, small arms fire was aconstant reminder of the danger. “Weeither got attacked or mortared for 43 daysin a row,” Keithley said. “On our worst day,we had 45 injured prisoners. Three Soldierswere killed in one attack, but they weren’tfrom the 72nd.”

Not too long after the MPs returnedhome from Iraq, Katrina made landfallduring the hurricane season of 2005. The

4 / BATTLE BORN / Autumn 2012

State Command Sgt. Maj. Daryl Keithley gives a welcome home hug to a Soldier from the485th MP Company at Fort Bliss, Texas, on July 18. The Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Bill Burks,left, has been witness to these embraces on more than a few occasions.

By Sgt. 1st Class Frank MarquezJoint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

Ashley Alameda, Directorate of Mobilization and Deployment Public Affairs

72nd deployed to flood-ravaged NewOrleans in the aftermath of one of the worstnatural disasters in U.S. history. Nevadatroops moved 35,000 evacuees, helping tomaintain law and order.

Over the long haul, the Nevada Guardhas come a long way from taking thehand-me-downs from Big Army, a nicknamethat identifies the active component.Now the Guard is working with state-of-the-art equipment to remain an active,ready force.

Keithley himself began his career onactive duty in 1978. He spent four years asan Army investigator with the 591st MilitaryPolice Company at Fort Bliss, Texas. After atwo-year break in service, he joined theMissouri National Guard because hemissed the Army. After serving as policechief in his hometown of Lake of theOzarks, Mo., for 12 years, he moved to LasVegas to take a job with the Metro PoliceDepartment. In 1996, the transition wascomplete. He joined Metro and led BattleBorn Soldiers in Ely, Nev., as a platoonsergeant.

From those early days when the IraqWar began, Keithley has seen numerouschanges in the way the National Guard does

business. “When I came into the Guard, wehad crappy equipment,” he said. “In those13 soft-shelled vehicles, up-armored meantplacing sand bags on the floors of thevehicles. The difference between then andnow is like night and day.”

As a result of his vast leadershipexperience, he is well respected, and troopslisten when he speaks.

His son, Sgt. Anthony Keithley, amedical detachment clerk at Joint ForceHeadquarters, recalls the sergeant major’swords clearly. “Be the NCO that makes thedifference,” he said. “Take care of every‘Joe’ no matter their rank.”

The elder Keithley takes mentoringSoldiers seriously and doesn’t underestimatethe time it takes to bond with troops. Heviews it as an important guard against aunit being splintered by the fast pace ofmovement and technology. There is simplyless face time on today’s battlefield.

Keithley recognizes that leaders cankeep an open line of communication withSoldiers and be honest with them when theoccasion warrants.

“It’s important that you watch yourleaders, watch your squad leaders, yourplatoon sergeants, watch your first sergeant,

and note positive things,” he said. “Andthen the negative stuff. How do you feelabout troops running physical trainingand the first sergeant is inside drinkingcoffee and doing paperwork? But the firstsergeant’s explanation might be he’sgetting the unit ready for a commandinspection.”

In time, Keithley hopes he’s made adifference with Soldiers who would passa leader’s wisdom to the next generation.Soon Keithley will be leaving his full-time post as state sergeant major toresume his duties with Metro, but he seesthe Nevada Guard firmly ensconced onterra firma.

“Nevada is always a player. That’show Nevada got a new brigade includingbattalions. The National Guard Bureauknows we can fill them, knows we can trainthem, and there isn’t a time we haven’tsent 100 percent of our Soldiers when theyhead for theatre.”

He said it is a testament to the NevadaArmy Guard commander Brig. Gen. FrankGonzales and the Adjutant General Brig.Gen. Bill Burks. “That’s big. That just showshow much we have accomplished in 15 to20 years.” �



CARSON CITY – Second graders participating in Carson City Recreation summer programs were greeted by The Adjutant General Brig. Gen.Bill Burks, during a recent tour of the facilities at Joint Force Headquarters. The 34 children watched a safety video starring Sesame Street’sElmo, marched around the parking lot like real Soldiers and even tried on advanced combat helmets at the central issue facility.

Sgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

RENO – Chief Master Sgt. Bill Moore, 152nd Airlift Wingcommand chief, laughs as Capt. Maryanna Shade shaveshis head during an Aug. 5 fundraising event at the NevadaAir National Guard base. The event also saw shaved theheads of commander of the Nevada Air National GuardBrig. Gen. David Snyder and Chief Master Sgt. StanMartinez, and raised more than $3,000 for the Airman’sAssistance Fund.

Airman 1st Class Nick De La Rosa, 152nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

LAS VEGAS – Alannah Palmer sits for a face painting by TheresaMinden of the National Charity League which teamed up with OperationHome Front for the 5th Annual Back to School Brigade at the Floyd EdsallReadiness Center. The team at Family Assistance and the Nevada GuardYouth Council also set up camp at the Plumb Lane Armory in Reno forthe fourth year of Operation Backpack. Free school supplies wereoffered to military children thanks to the Dollar Tree stores and othergenerous donations.

Tech Sgt. Rebecca Palmer, 152nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs


Courtesy photo

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Sgt. John Hart, teamleader for the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion,meets Gen. David H. Petraeus, then commandinggeneral of the International Security AssistanceForces in Afghanistan. The general had administeredthe oath of reenlistment for the last time in his Armycareer to several Soldiers on July 4, 2011, at KandaharAirfield. Hart recalls getting a two-week notice totravel from his assigned location at ForwardOperating Base Ramrod, roughly a two-hour flight byhelicopter. “It’s a moment most us will never get,”Hart said. “The general gave us words of encourage-ment and thanked us for the time we had given tothe military.”

RENO – Gov. Brian Sandovaladdresses family, friends andofficials gathered at a Yellow Ribbonceremony held in the Grand SierraResort last September to welcomehome the 124 soldiers of the 485thMilitary Police Company from theiryearlong deployment to Afghanistan.The Soldiers who reunited withloved ones in July worked assecurity forces in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom at thedetainment facility in Parwan inBagram, Afghanistan.

CARSON CITY – Guard members strivefor leadership roles. Some accomplish thatgoal, and others excel at it. One of thosewho excels is Senior Master Sgt. GilbertoCarrera, who received the coveted 2012Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award. He isamong four Air Guardsmen named.

Carrera, an Airman with the 232ndOperations Squadron, was given the awardas a senior enlisted member and cited in amemorandum signed by Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt,the director of the Air National Guard.

“I’m overwhelmed, proud and honoredto receive this award. It’s a culmination ofefforts from all who I have served with,”said Carrera, who has served in the AirForce for 18 years. “I called my wife,Yolanda. She’s proud of me. She’s formerAir Force. So she understands the magni-tude of the award.”

Nevada’s Adjutant General Brig. Gen. BillBurks called the achievement outstanding.“My congratulations go out, not only toSenior Master Sgt. Carrera, but to all of theNevada Air National Guard. Carrera embodieswhat we want all of our Airmen to be –outstanding leaders today and in the future.”

Carrera, who hails from Ontario, Calif.,and is a graduate of Montclair High School,said that he was not a very good studentgrowing up.

“I was a product of my environment. Mymother immigrated into this country toprovide my brother and me an opportunityat a better life,” he said. “That was thereason I joined the active-duty Air Force in1994 – to get away from my neighborhoodand to take advantage of the opportunitythat my mother’s sacrifices provided. I lovemy mom and wanted to make her proud.

The Air Force made a man out of me, and Ihave excelled. And then, it just carried overto the Nevada Guard, which I joined in 2005.My mother shaped my work ethic. Shepassed away seven years ago, so on everytask, I keep in mind that she is watching.”

Carrera graduated from a senior NCOAcademy that lasted six weeks in Gunter,Ala., which is in the Montgomery city limits.

The Sijan award was created in 1981 torecognize individuals who have demon-strated the highest qualities of leadershipin their jobs and in their lives. The award ispresented to one individual in each of thefour categories: senior officer, junior officer,senior enlisted and junior enlisted. It hasbecome one of the U.S. Air Force’s mostprestigious awards.

The award was named in honor ofCapt. Lance P. Sijan, the first U.S. Air ForceAcademy graduate to receive the Medal ofHonor. Sijan was shot down over Vietnamon Nov. 9, 1967, and evaded capture for 45days despite severe injuries. He later diedwhile in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war campand was presented the Medal of Honorposthumously for his heroism.

Recipients of the National Guard LanceP. Sijan Award are eligible for the Air Forcelevel award. �

Senior Master Sgt. Gilbert Carrera (first row, fourth from left with black holster) poses with the MQ-9 Reaper Aircraft Maintenance Unit inKandahar, Afghanistan, where he led 73 active-duty Airmen from Creech and Holloman Air Force bases for six months from November 2011 toApril 2012. The unit’s roster also listed Air Guardsmen from New York and California, and the British Royal Air Force.

By Sgt. Mike GettenJoint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

Courtesy photo

Nevada Airman receivesLance P. Sijan Award for leadership


RENO – Air Force One has been rackingup frequent flier miles into and out of Renothis year.

The iconic light blue aircraft restedbriefly on the apron at the Nevada AirNational Guard Base for the third time ina year on Aug. 21. This time, PresidentBarack Obama was giving an address atthe Truckee Meadows Community College.Despite being on the ground for only a fewhours, the landing spurred dozens of Airmeninto action, with demands for top-notchsecurity and careful watch over refueling.

When Air Force One is set to arrive atthe Nevada Air Guard Base, the UnitedStates Secret Service notifies the baseoperations section of the pending visit,sometimes giving only a week’s notice ofthe arrival. The base clears immediately thetraining schedule for the visit. They want toavoid any conflict with parking the 152ndAirlift Wing’s C-130 Hercules aircraft andthe Air Force One VC-25A. The loosenedschedule also allows the Guardsmen toassist with the needs of the commander inchief and his staff.

“The Secret Service people prettymuch direct the whole thing,” said MasterSgt. William Seifert, an aviation resourcemanagement technician with the 192ndAirlift Squadron. “We are on hand to assistin whatever they need done. In essence,we babysit.”

It isn’t just the flightline that getsinvolved with a visit from Air Force One,though. The Secret Service and theDefense Logistics Agency sample the fuel

of two full trucks and at least one reservetank before sealing them. The trucks andfuel tank(s) are guarded until the fuel iseither used by the visiting aircraft or itdeparts Reno.

“We have to come in a day or more inadvance to meet with DLA and the SecretService so they can sample the fuel,” saidTech. Sgt. Larry Davidson, a member of theair base fueling team. “The Secret Serviceguys physically put a seal anywhere youcan enter a tank or add something to itscontents,” he said. “The fuel is tested to ahigher standard than what we normally usein our C-130s, but we conduct regularmonthly testing anyhow. When we go outto the aircraft, they will check those sealsby number to ensure it is intact but alsoin the right location, before we can fuelthe aircraft.”

Taking part in everything before, duringand after a visit from Air Force One, theAirmen from the security forces are likelythe most involved. They not only secure thebase and keep watch, but they work intandem with the other sections, too.

“From the minute the fuel truck issealed, we have to sit on it until the planedeparts. That is a 24-hour mission,” saidMaster Sgt. Jason Aceves, of the 152ndSecurity Forces Squadron. “We have toknow where we can park Air Force Oneand meet the demand for careful commu-nication with operations. The other partincludes handling the aviation groundequipment, because we have to be readyfor any contingency that comes up.”

The security personnel also coordinateefforts with civilian law enforcementofficials.

“The synchronizing of forces is some-thing we have to do,” Aceves said. “Themore time we have between the notifica-tion and the actual arrival the better, so we(can) meet with all of the civilian agenciesand coordinate the base assets. We havedone this often enough for everything to fallinto place.”

Several presidents have flown intoReno in the past 20 years and nearly everytime, the specialized aircraft lands anddeparts from the High Rollers’ base.

The official call sign for any Air Forceaircraft carrying the president is Air ForceOne. The aircraft most recognized as AirForce One, though, is a Boeing VC-25A,a militarized version of the Boeing 747airliner, which began service in the early1990s. The aircraft is capable of flying halfway around the world without refueling andcan refuel in flight.

The Presidential Airlift Group, part ofAir Mobility Command’s 89th Airlift Wingbased at Andrews Air Force Base, inSuitland, Md., maintains and operates twoVC-25As for the president. The group alsohas a small fleet of aircraft whichtransports the vice president, members ofthe cabinet and Congress, and othergovernment officials traveling on govern-ment business.

The Reno Air Base is one of the smallestfacilities in the U.S. Air Force, nestled on68 acres. �


By Sgt. Mike Getten, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

AIR FORCE ONE AND HIGH ROLLERSGIVE THE COMMANDER IN CHIEFREACH TO NORTHERN NEVADA


CARSON CITY – A simple memorial cere-mony at Mills Park on Aug. 31 marked theanniversary of the shootings at a local CarsonCity restaurant that claimed the lives of fivepeople, including three Nevada Guardsmen.

Hundreds from the surrounding communityturned out to show their support in a momentof silence.

The Adjutant General of Nevada, Brig. Gen.Bill Burks, said in a message to every Soldierand Airman in the Battle Born Guard: “Theirlives and sacrifices are important, and it isonly fitting that as we continue with the vitalGuard missions at hand, we take a momentto reflect on our core values and rememberthese Soldiers.”

On Sept. 6, 2011, Eduardo Sencion, 32,killed himself after he gunned down threeNevada National Guard Soldiers and onecivilian. Among those killed were Lt. Col. HeathKelly, 35, Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney,31, Master Sgt. Christian Riege, 38, andFlorence Donavan Gunderson. Seven otherswere injured. Kelly and McElhiney were Renoresidents and Riege lived in Carson City.

Sencion, who suffered from mentalillness, appeared to have targeted the GuardSoldiers in uniform, but Carson City sheriffKen Furlong said officials could not be sure ofhis intentions.

Furlong said at a press briefing then thatthe shooting devastated the community, but“we’re a resilient society; we rebuild, but wedon’t forget.”


ONE YEAR LATER:Community aidsin recovery ofrestaurantshooting victims

Sgt. Cait Koffarnus bows her head in amoment of silence at the memorial ceremonyheld at Mills Park in Carson City on Aug. 31,nearly one year after the fatal shootings thatkilled three Guardsmen at a local restaurant.Koffarnus was one of two Guardsmanwounded. The other was Sgt. 1st ClassJeremiah Mock.Courtesy of Marilyn Newton, Reno Gazette-Journal

The Reno Gazette-Journal echoed aquestion that confronted the survivors of anevent that spanned 85 seconds, and in thatinstant forever scarred a community: Why?

"When it happened, I had faith that Iwas not going to understand why," TracyKelly told the Reno newspaper. "To havefaith to be OK with not knowing - that getsme through it." She added that thecommunity helps her cope with theuntimely departure of her husband of morethan 10 years.

"I think it's Reno. If I had been inSouthern California, that [communitysupport] wouldn't have happened. It's sobig, and tragedy happens there all the time- you get lost. Here it's different. That'spartly why I'm staying. I have a communitythat understands what happened."

Tracy has a ready answer for her 5-year-old daughter, who often asks, “Whydid the bad man hurt daddy?”

“I tell her the truth,” Tracy said. “I don’tknow.”

Similarly, the former wife of Riege,Donnelle Brierley, coped with the impact ithad on her son, Michael Riege, 9, who isnow in the fourth grade.

“In the beginning, everything wasaffected, his grades, but he bounced backfrom that with more focus. Academically,he went through the roof. He’s positive, he’ssocial, and he’s friendly. That helped himthrough it – friends, teachers, the principal,the parents of his friends, all of theextended family – just everyone.”

Brierley this past summer moved toNorth Dakota after 15 years of living inStagecoach, Nev., thus bringing Michaelcloser to Riege’s family in Paige, Neb.

“I think mainly it’s just been time,” saidSgt. Cait Koffarnus, nee Kelley, who wasamong the two wounded Guard Soldierswho survived. Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Mockwas the other. Koffarnus was shot in the leftfoot and Mock in his right arm. Since theshooting, Mock has made numerous publicappearances in recognition for his braveryand heroism. In September, Koffarnusreceived the Valley Forge Cross for Heroismat the 2012 NGAUS conference held inReno. Mock received the same award, butwas unable to attend.

“I don’t want to say that nothing reallyhelps, but I still feel like it was just a fewminutes ago that I left IHOP,” Koffarnus

said. “It’s still really vivid, especially whena car backfires, or I hear a loud noise, orsomeone walks by with a gun. I can’t watchmovies anymore. When it starts to look likethe violence is going to start, Jason [herhusband] will press the pause button.I don’t even have to ask him anymore. Thenhe’ll say, ‘You want to go upstairs and grab(something) for me?’ And then he’ll fastforward through the violence.”

Cait is married to Warrant Officer JasonKoffarnus, a Black Hawk pilot with the991st Aviation Troop Command at Stead.“We got married just after the shootingon Oct. 23. The community actually paid forit,” she said. “A lady was doing a weddinggiveaway, and she heard about me andcancelled the sweepstakes. That’s kindof cool.”

Burks said of the fallen and thoseaffected by their absence, “The tapestriesof these rich lives are difficult to sum up ina few words, but their actions and ourmemories of them remain in our hearts.”

Kelly was a decorated field artilleryofficer, an Iraq veteran and a husband andfather. He was an avid student of militaryhistory and was known for his dry senseof humor.

McElhiney was a fast riser in theNevada Guard, with specialties in medical,dental and human resources fields. She

also owned a small bakery and frequentlymade cupcakes for Guard events.

Riege was deployed to Afghanistanfrom 2009 to 2010. He displayed numeroustalents including painting and singing. Heprided himself on being a fitness buff,disciplined Soldier and a father of four. Healso served in the U.S. Navy for two years.

Both Koffarnus and Mock, after multiplesurgeries, continue to recover from theirinjuries. Mock has since returned to duty.Koffarnus continues to participate in theWounded Warrior program. �


Donnelle Brierley, former wife of Master Sgt.Chris Riege, poses with their son, Michael, 9,for a recent photo. Brierley moved to NorthDakota this past summer bringing Michaelcloser to Riege’s family in Paige, Neb.

Courtesy photo


Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Frank MarquezJoint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

LAS VEGAS – When Nevada employershad a need for the right stuff, they turned tothe Guard.

MGM Resorts International started a12-week training program that hired 100thQuartermaster Specialists Andres Ramirezand Callye Russell. The “Water Dogs”Soldiers started the program in June andbegan working full time on the job Sept. 11.

“We took our military experience inorder to land jobs with MGM, and we evenhelped the training program,” said Ramirez,a water purification specialist. “We (were)advised on leadership skills, especiallyduring etiquette training for improvingcustomer service.”

Ramirez and Russell attended a job fairduring the May drill at the Floyd EdsallTraining Center and discovered that MGM,in cooperation with the American Red Cross,had started a training program for veteranscalled Boots 2 Business. The startupprogram sought candidates for jobs in themanagement field at one of the 15 proper-ties owned by MGM Resorts International.

“MGM Resorts has an ongoing need tofind candidates to fill positions for assistantmanager and manager,” said Clark Dumont,the vice president of corporate communi-cations at MGM Resorts International. “Weselected 14 veterans with leadership skills,a positive attitude, and a desire to go aboveand beyond to exceed customer satisfaction.

“We have been a long-time supporterof employees who deploy. For our program,we looked at high levels of leadership and

self-discipline. These skills are ideal for ourmanager roles.”

Called MGM Mirage at the time, MGMResorts was one of 15 U.S. companies toreceive the 2006 Secretary of Defense,Employer Support Freedom Award. Theaward is the highest honor a company canreceive from the Department of Defense forexceptional support above the require-ments of federal law.

Both quartermaster Guardsmen passedall the requirements and interviews, thanksin large part to their Army experiences.Ramirez credits his business-owner fatheras inspiration for a work ethic that madehim a finely tuned Soldier.

“My father made me what I am in theArmy. I also have to thank the military forgiving me this opportunity to showcase myskills and leadership abilities,” he said.

Ramirez is the new Hotel32 floor super-visor for the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino.

Russell, a food service specialist, beganwork in September as an assistant chef,tossing gourmet pizza dough at theCalifornia Pizza Kitchen in the MirageResort and Casino. Among her compatriots,she started the training program as acompany transfer, given credit for her nineyears of previous experience at the Luxor, amember hotel of MGM Resorts.

She, like Ramirez, is Army driven.Russell spent two years on active duty andthe last four in the Guard. She notesconnections between a well-run civiliankitchen and a Soldiers’ bond.

“We work together in the kitchen. It’snot about rank,” said Russell, describingthe dynamics of her quartermaster section.

Spc. Callye Russell and Spc. Andres Ramirez, Soldiers with the Las Vegas-based 100thQuartermaster Company, attended a 12-week management training program to become twoof the newest bosses at MGM Resorts.

Spc. Callye Russell and Spc. Andres Ramirez, Soldiers with the Las Vegas-based 100thQuartermaster Company, attended a 12-week management training program to becomesome of MGM Resorts newest bosses. Ramirez works as Hotel32 floor supervisor at theMonte Carlo, and Russell is an assistant chef at the California Pizza Kitchen in the Mirage.

Military skills pay off in Nevada’s toughjob market

“It’s OK for me to suggest ideas on how wemake food. It draws us closer. We know wehave each others’ back.”

Russell hails from Barstow, Calif. The30-year-old single mother has twodaughters, AvryRose, 10, and Audree, 7.When Russell told her own mother the goodnews about getting a job with MGM, herfamily was very supportive. “My mom seesme finally getting on that path,” she said.“This is something I’ve been trying to do for10 years.”

Ramirez faced challenges as well.Born in Guatamala City, Guatamala, theGuardsman moved to Las Vegas with hisfamily at age 5 and grew up here. Alwaysknowing he wanted to be a Soldier, Ramirezbecame a naturalized citizen at age 18 andjoined the Nevada Guard in 2006.

“Being in the Guard is a perfect way togive back to my country,” he said.

Ramirez complimented Russell’s workethic and said it is contagious. “She’sone of the very few Soldiers who makethe request to cook more. That’s prettyinspirational.”

Boots 2 Business, albeit a pilot program,will likely spell success, according toMichael Ryan, a special project managerfor the American Red Cross.

“We decided to team up with theAmerican Red Cross because of its expertisein working with the military and veterans,and providing transition support services,”Dumont said. “We are excited about thisunique program and collaboration.”

Both Soldiers credited Ryan withhelping improve their résumés and coverletters before they went forward to theMGM family. “There’s an amazing feeling tohave that relief and job security,” Ramirezsaid. “I am looking forward to taking on theresponsibility as a supervisor to make sureyour employees are OK.

“Plus, I’m getting married in October,”Ramirez continued, “and we’re close tobuying a house. My fiancée, Natasha, spentcountless hours on the computer, makingnotes for my interview, driving to OfficeDepot, comparing paper stock for theproper presentation. I wouldn’t be herewithout her.”

With the program in its infancy, MGMsays it will take several months to evaluatethe outcomes of the current programbefore it continues. �

Marquez remains mum about any freepizza Russell may have offered during thisinterview.

Elko miningbusinessesaid troopsStory and photo By Spc. Michael Orton106th Public Affairs Detachment

ELKO – Sgt. 1st Class Curt Prokasky ison his second deployment in Afghanistan,but of all the things he worries about whiledeployed, finances and family are not oneof them. His civilian employer stepped upin that department.

“To know that Newmont (MiningCorporation) has our back in every aspect,whether it be from a financial standpointor just to taking care of our families athome, is very comforting,” Prokasky saidin an email from Afghanistan. “We in theNewmont family take care of each other onthe job site just like we do on the battlefield.”

Prokasky is an operations manager of the 593rd Transportation Company at CampPhoenix in Afghanistan. He is also a senior mine maintenance planner at Newmont’sMidas Mine site. During this and previous deployments, Newmont and its employeeshave sent care packages, emails and kept in constant contact to ease the stress ofbeing away from home, Prokasky said.

More than 15 percent of Newmont’s active employee force is current or retiredmilitary, Newmont talent acquisition director Nick Tompkins said, and recruiting militaryis a focus.

The human resources and recruiting departments at Barrick Gold Corporation withoffices in Nevada, and Newmont have traveled to Veterans of Foreign Wars conventions,job fairs at Nevada military armories and conventions in neighboring states. The militaryteaches discipline, hard work and dedication, said Newmont recruiter Jeff Perkins.

One of the world’s largest gold producers, Newmont has created an online portaldesigned for people with a military background. Potential employees enter their militaryoccupational specialty and seek job openings that cater to their field.

Newmont matches pay differential for Soldiers who deploy. In addition, the companyoffers continued insurance for family members of deployed military, including medical,dental and vision, Perkins said. They also offer programs to help troops returning fromdeployments.

“We appreciate their service to this company and their country,” Tompkinssaid. “If there is anything we can do to support them, we will. There is a paybackobligation there.”

Newmont isn’t the only Elko company to go above and beyond for their militaryemployees.

Katie Neddenriep works for Barrick Gold Corporation in Elko. She is married toLt. Col. Kurt Neddenriep of the Nevada Army National Guard. Kurt’s last deployment toAfghanistan was in 2009 and lasted 10 months. While he was gone, she missed herhusband, but her employer was there to help, she said.

“Luckily I have a great employer who was flexible with me,” Neddenriep said.“I know first-hand that (Barrick is) a proud supporter of the military and their families.”Like Newmont, Barrick’s philosophy has always been to go above and beyond,Neddenriep said. Not only do they offer benefit packages for deployed military, theyoffer full pay for Guard members during drill weekends.

“It is a small thing we can do to show our appreciation,” Neddenriep said.Elko is fortunate to have strong support from local businesses, especially the mining

industry, Elko Assistant City Manager Delmo Andreozzi said. The strength of the miningindustry has allowed them to offer good pay, benefits and family support for itsGuardsmen, he said. �

Soldier employees stand in front of ahauling truck at the Newmont mining site.


LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – Being a teenagercan be awkward, but even more for militarykids. Children have to deal with the ups anddowns of deployed Guard parents. For 45teens, Zephyr Point proved to be a welcomerelief at this year’s Teen Camp.

The Nevada National Guard and Childand Youth Program hosted a five-day campfor youth ranging from 13 to 17. The teensjoined together in a plethora of games, ahike at Spooner Lake, sports, arts and crafts,swimming, canoeing, and archery, amongother activities.

The week at Zephyr Point held up to itsbilling of learning new skills and how towork together as a team. The teens usedbacon, rocks, string and branches to catchcrawfish. They walked tight ropes in aneffort to build trust, and more importantly,they built new and lasting friendships.

“It’s a rare occasion when Guard teensfrom across the state of Nevada can livetogether and learn from one another,” saidDelana Cardenas, lead child and youthprogram coordinator. “In a short five days,the kids forged great friendships, andtalked with other teens about the uniquechallenges of being part of a military family.And, although there were the daily challengesof climbing the steep walkways throughoutthe camp, the teens overcame obstacles indeveloping resiliency and communicationskills which will last a lifetime.”

The week also gave the kids a chanceto talk about unique challenges confrontingchildren of deployed parents, a not-so-easytask when most Guard soldiers meet oncea month. And the gulf between fellowmilitary teens becomes wider.

“Camp was a chance to unite teensdealing with deployment or just being aGuard teen,” said Sammey Strachen, childand youth program coordinator. “Kids areoften the only ones that don’t choose beinga part of the military. With each activity thatwe plan, we always try and create a safeenvironment for the children to learn moreabout peers who are in the same situation,no matter where they are in the deploymentcycle, or perhaps have never been throughone. The National Guard is so spread out itis always a joy to bring the youth togetherto normalize their life as a military kid.”

Harryck House, 13, whose father is afirst sergeant, attended the camp for thefirst time. “All around, it was awesome,”House said. “Everything about the campwas great. I made a lot of new friends.”

Sgt. Amy Batchelder, a camp counselor,said she enjoyed watching the kids sharestories about being kids of military parents.“You could see friendships develop withthe mention of the emotions they gothrough just talking about their parentswhen they deploy,” she said. “That partwas amazing.” �


builds bondsTEEN Camp Nevada teen goes

toWashingtonBy Tech. Sgt. Becky Palmer, 152nd Airlift WingPublic Affairs

LAS VEGAS –Military youth issuesstood front and centerat a national youthconference in August.

Steven Foreman ofLas Vegas met withother teen representatives from aroundthe country for a 2012 teen Guard panelin Washington, D.C.

As the representative for Region 9,Foreman, 17, knows first-hand some ofthe issues teens face. His father, Sgt. Maj.James Foreman, is currently deployed toAfghanistan. The absence of parents wasamong several topics at the gathering forGuard teens.

“We also talked about different waysto connect youth and opportunities toget them involved, and resources that areavailable,” Foreman said. “The biggestobstacle is getting the word out to all theyouths of military members.”

The youth group plans to start anewsletter, and some states createdFacebook pages where Guard teenscongregate and get information aboutevents in their area. The panel sponsorsactivities for youth throughout the yearincluding Camp Youth, an event thatprovides resiliency training and counseling.

The panel was established to educateand empower National Guard youth tobecome ambassadors of patriotism,diversity, moral character, intellectualachievement and service to others. Theteens’ mission aims to make connections,support and inspire. Foreman became amember in April and represents Region 9,including Nevada, Arizona, California,Hawaii and Guam.

For information on youth programs,visit www.jointservicessupport.org. �

Story and photo by Sgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

Jesse Ingham of Reno helps Gabe Irenze ofLas Vegas tiptoe across the tight rope, one ofthe resiliency exercises taught at Teen Camp.In the background, Sierra Ingham does herbest balancing act as Liberty Gummert and acampground staff member stand nearby.


LAS VEGAS – One never knows theimpact we may have on the life of a child.

For nearly two weeks in late summer,21 Soldiers and family members from theNevada Army Guard volunteered more than1,700 hours in support of Camp Cartwheel,a free youth camp for children affectedby cancer and other critical illnesses, andtheir siblings.

The camp at Torino Ranch sits amidthe Spring Mountain National RecreationArea surrounded by the Toiyabe NationalForest near here. More than 200 criticallyill children at the camp enjoyed rockclimbing, swimming, canoeing, archery,hiking and more.

“Camp is heaven,” said TammyRichardson, the 17th Sustainment Brigadefamily readiness senior advisor, campcounselor and activity specialist. She’s alsomy wife. “I wait all year for camp and use myleave to come up and be with the children.”

When Tammy and I lost our daughter,Stephanie, to cancer in 2003, our journeyhad just begun. Ten years later, we are moreat home with these amazing volunteers andchildren than we are in our own home.

Cartwheel is sponsored by the NevadaChildhood Cancer Foundation and is anoutdoor four-night camp designed to helpchildren with serious illnesses and theirsiblings overcome the physical, mental andemotional obstacles posed by childhooddisease. The camp also provides respitefrom the stress of hospitals, clinics and thetrauma of fighting disease. For patients, it’sa time to have fun with their brothers andsisters, and remember what it feels like tobe a kid.

Soldiers and family members from the72nd Military Police Company, 421stRegional Training Institute, 137th MilitaryPolice Det., 1864th Truck Company, JointForce Headquarters, Medical Detachmentand the 17th Sustainment Brigade servedas counselors and activity specialists. Theyalso assisted campers with safety, securityand transportation. For many Soldiers, theexperience had a profound impact.

“I cannot express how amazinglyresilient these girls were,” said Sgt. 1stClass Michelle Tucay, a 17th SustainmentBrigade personnel staff NCO and campcounselor. “There was never a time they

were not smiling, laughing or having agreat time. They were always concernedfor each other and made sure everyonewas included. This changed my life.”

Each day, Soldier volunteers interactedwith campers and facilitated many of theactivities to help campers enjoy the day’sevents and forget about their afflictions, orthe loss of their loved ones, for a few shortdays. Campers cooked and made ice cream.They built small wooden cars, shot arrowsat the archery range and paddled canoes.

“My experience at camp was lifechanging,” said Sgt. Greg Krizmanich, of therecruiting and retention branch. “Throughoutthe week with these kids you learn a lotabout how people can come together tomake a change in kids’ lives. The wholetime you are there, you don’t notice thesekids being held back by anything. It’s likewhen they’re at this camp, there is nothingthat can keep them down. I know now thatwe’re not just volunteers at this camp, weare blessed with the opportunity to be apart of their lives. Camp is only a few dayslong, but with the memories that you wereable to create, it will last you a lifetime.”

For Sgt. 1st Class Michael Kennedy, a421st RTI instructor, the experiencebecame a personal investment. “(My firstyear as a volunteer) I was a little hesitant.I told my wife that only my stepdaughter,

Ella, (should) go with me. Ella got to hangout in a camp setting with other kids withafflictions and had fun. Now she totallysees me as her dad. The next year my wifewanted to come along for the ride, and wealso got my son involved as a camper.”

Another part of the bonding experienceinvolved counselors giving each other afunny or special nickname. Master Sgt.Brett Penny, a senior truck master for the1864th was called 50 Cent. To Penny itmade perfect cents, or rather, sense. StateCommand Sgt. Major Daryl Keithley andthe commander of the Nevada Army Guard,Brig. Gen. Frank Gonzales, visited thecamp, too. The kids gave the two seniorSoldiers the nicknames Huggy Bear andBiggie Smalls.

“Camp Cartwheel could not happen inits present form without the continuedsupport of the Nevada Army NationalGuard,” said Jeff Gordon, chief executiveofficer of the NCCF.

“The Camp Cartwheel experience issimply like none other,” said Tiana, thedaughter of Lt. Col. Steven Milliron of JointForce Headquarters. “Being surrounded bysuch brave children is beyond humblingand really makes you look at life withprofound new appreciation.”

For information on Camp Cartwheel, call(702) 735-8434. �

Soldiers reach out tocritically ill children, survivors

Sgt. 1st Class Mike Kennedy, a 421st RTI instructor and his wife, Joan, help transportcampers at Camp Cartwheel, a youth camp for children affected by cancer and other criticalillnesses. This year, 21 Nevada Guard Soldiers and family members volunteered to help out.

Courtesy photo

By Command Sgt. Maj. James Richardson, 421st Regional Training Institute

By Ashley Alameda, Directorate of Mobilizationand Deployment Public Affairs

FORT BLISS, Texas – Nevada troopscelebrated Christmas in July. Yes, Virginia,Santa paid an early visit to 159 Soldiersand Airmen and their families through agenerous donation by Las Vegas businesstycoon Steve Wynn.

Soldiers from the 485th Military PoliceCompany got more than they expectedwhen they arrived here from Afghanistanon the early morning of July 18. SixtySoldiers from the redeploying unit wereeach given a Visa gift card worth $500,while other Soldiers and four Airmen werepresented the gift cards at the Las VegasReadiness Center.

The event dubbed Summer Santa was arepeat of Wynn’s Secret Santa giveaway atChristmas. All recipients were identified bytheir respective commands in the vettingprocess. The Nevada National Guard wasjust one of 48 organizations that benefitted.

Henderson resident Monica Habart andfour of her peers jumped at the chance tovolunteer. “This is why I joined the UnitedWay, to give back to the Las Vegas commu-nity,” Habart said.

Upon arriving in Texas, returning troopswere greeted by the Nevada Guard’sAdjutant General Brig. Gen. Bill Burks andSenior Enlisted Leader Command Sgt. Maj.Stephen Sitton. Nevada’s Army leaders werethere as well. Brig. Gen. Frank Gonzales and

Command Sgt. Maj. Darryl Keithley stood inthe receiving line in the darkness of earlymorning on the tarmac at Biggs Airfield.The troops also met with Command Sgt.Maj. Greg Cook of the 17th SustainmentBrigade, the 485th’s parent unit.

After the Soldiers filed through requisiteadministrative stops, they were stoppedshort of the chow line. All 60 of the Soldiers’names were called. Bemused, they watchedwhile other redeploying Soldiers walkedpast them. That’s when Burks explained theholdup, and how the United Way of SouthernNevada’s Secret Santa and Summer Santaprogram, funded by a $2 million donationfrom Wynn, made the gift cards possible.

Wynn said he started the program tohelp defray the higher cost of living in someareas especially during the holiday season.Burks added that Wynn had donated $1million to the program in December andhad spread more good cheer again in July.

“Mr. Wynn has donated at least $30,000to the Nevada National Guard alone,”Burks said.

The gift cards can be used whereverVisa credit cards are accepted, however,they are not to be used to buy alcohol ortobacco products, as requested by Wynn.

Keithley called the Soldiers individuallyto the floor and gave each a hug while Burkshanded out cards.

The United Way of Southern Nevadafocuses on education, health and financialstability to strengthen communities throughdonations and volunteers. They distributed2,000 gift cards to those who needed a bitof help adjusting to the increased expensesassociated with the summer months.

Wynn is well known in Las Vegas.Starting with a string of family-owned bingoparlors, he acquired interests in manycasinos. After renovating, restructuring,designing and expanding hotels and casinossuch as the Golden Nugget, the Mirage,Treasure Island and the Bellagio, Wynn iscredited with helping turn Las Vegas intowhat it is today.

“The basic resources families will beable to obtain with this gift will help themmaintain healthy lives,” said Cass Palmer,president and CEO of the United Way ofSouthern Nevada. “The generous donationis evidence that by bringing togetherpassionate advocates and neededresources, we can make a lasting changein our community.” �


After receiving a Visa gift card valued at$500, Britany Ofseur, wife of Cpl. HerbertOfseur, and their daughter, Anieca, 4, thankMonica Habart, senior director, campaigndevelopment with United Way of SouthernNevada at the Las Vegas Readiness Centeron July 14.

Brig. Gen. Bill Burks, the Adjutant General of the Nevada National Guard, praises the Soldiersof the 485th Military Police Company upon redeployment from Afghanistan.

Ashley Alameda, Directorate of Mobilization and Deployment Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs


LAKEPORT, Calif. – Like a good neighbor,the Nevada Guard was there.

Seven CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew-members from the Silver State flew toCalifornia to sling-load a downed CaliforniaGuard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. TheBlack Hawk was being used to fight theScotts Fire in Lake County and took aprecautionary landing. No crew memberswere injured.

“Our mission was to take the BlackHawk to Lampson Field Airport, about fivemiles away,” said Chief Warrant OfficerSean Laycox of the 991st Aviation TroopCommand of Reno. “We certified the load,and made sure it would fly properly.”

Lt. Col. Kris Kirkland, Nevada’s commandpilot for the mission, said due to Afghanistandeployments, California and Nevada haveonly one Chinook each available for domesticheavy lift missions right now. “A mainte-nance problem stymied California in thissituation, so we came over to assist,”Kirkland said. “As a result, it also became agreat training opportunity for our youngerSoldiers.”

On site to oversee the operation betweenneighboring states, Col. Laura Yeager,California’s state aviation officer, said thatafter careful analysis, sling loading was thebest option. “We determined that getting the

Black Hawk out by ground transportationwas going to be problematic because ofpower lines and the uncertainty of the weightrating of a bridge,” she said. “Because ouraircraft was out for repair, it meant thatgetting the Black Hawk out of there wouldhave been delayed by about a week.Because of this great relationship withNevada, we called to see if they could helpus. They called back and immediately saidthey would.”

As a result, the Nevada Guard heli-copter crew arrived to assess the situationand review events leading up to thedowned Black Hawk.

“There were two Black Hawks fromthe 1/140th Aviation Battalion out of LosAlamitos on approach to the fire. One ofthe bird’s emergency lights flashed,”said 1st Lt. Jason Sweeney, a CaliforniaNational Guard spokesman. “They had anissue with the transmission and made aprecautionary landing. In heading towardClear Lake, the Black Hawk pilot founda five-acre field in Lakeport, a few milessouthwest of the fire that charred nearbyhills.”

The UH-60 landed on Tom Inderkum’sproperty, where it attracted attention fromdozens of neighbors for a week. Inderkumremarked that on the first day, dozens ofcars were backed up on the dirt roadleading to his property to see the helicopter.

“Basically, we just heard the helicoptersgoing over all day,” said Inderkum, whoplans to transform the idle pasture landinto a botanical garden. “We watched theplanes doing chemical drops and thehelicopters going back and forth with theirbuckets. The next thing I know, it’s gettinglouder and louder. I said that helicopter’sgoing really low. By the time I camearound the front of my house, the heli-copter had set down, so I wandered outand greeted the pilot. He said his checkengine light came on. In my smart-alecksense of humor, I indicated that he missedthe lake by a couple of miles. It’s not everyday you get a Black Hawk helicopter inyour front yard.”

Inderkum and his wife, who had justmoved from Sacramento to Lake Countyfour weeks prior to the fire, treated thehelicopter crew to lemonade and water-melon,” he said.

1st Sgt. Rick Hendricks of B Company,1/126th Aviation Battalion, of Stockton,Calif., and an eight-man crew rigged thedowned helicopter and removed the rotorblades in preparation for transport. “Thishappens pretty rarely,” he said. “But wehave done it in Afghanistan and Iraq,recovering aircraft that has a malfunctionof some sort as part of the downed aircraftrecovery team.” �

A Nevada National Guard CH-47 Chinook heli-copter and crew lift a California Guard UH-60Black Hawk that had developed transmissionproblems while fighting fires in NorthernCalifornia.

Nevada National Guard Chinook giveslift to California fire operations

Master Sgt. Dave Loeffler, California Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs



Compiled from staff reports

HERLONG, Calif. – About 130 Airmenfrom the 152nd Operations Group and the152nd Maintenance Group deployed earlierthis month in support of Operation EnduringFreedom and other operations within theU.S. Central Command.

During the four month rotation, the HighRollers, with three Nevada Air Guard C-130HHercules aircraft, are based in Kuwaitwhere they are flying airlift and air dropmissions over Afghanistan and other loca-tions as assigned. The unit is expected totravel as far west as the Horn of Africa.

Lt. Col. Jon Schulstad of Reno is theprovisional commander for the blended unitcomposed of Airmen from the active dutyAir Force, the 165th Airlift Wing out ofSavannah, Ga., and the Reno-based unit.

Senior Airman Thomas Kinney, anaircraft mechanic crew chief with the 152ndMaintenance Group, is on his seconddeployment since joining the Nevada Guardin 2008. He deployed to Bagram Air Base in2011 and said it was a positive experience.

“When I deployed in 2011, we werereally busy, which translates to more stuffbreaking,” Kinney said. “But our aircraftfared well and kept flying, which reflects alot on our mechanics’ knowledge and skills.”

Kinney said he was looking forward tothe deployment.

“I am somewhat excited about going,because this time I have the previousdeployment as a reference, which was a

good experience,” he said. “Besides, it is achance to get out of the hangar and dosomething different for a while.”

As the 152nd Airlift Wing prepared forthe deployment, crewstook advantage ofairdrop trainingin a desertlandscapethat waseerilysimilar toAfghanistan.

Just a 15-minute flight from the Reno air base inHerlong, Calif., Airmen in the 192nd AirliftSquadron and the 152nd LogisticsReadiness Squadron took part in special-ized training using the Improved ContainerDelivery System.

Usually, the crew practices dropping onecontainer out of the unit’s C-130 Herculesaircraft. In preparations for deployment,though, the unit opted for a mass drop –the rapid ejection of 10 bundles. Mass dropsin Afghanistan can deploy up to 16 bundlesweighing 2,200 pounds each.

Mass drops require careful pre-flightplanning and two flight passes over the dropzone. Aircrews over the battlefield can avoidenemy small arms fire by dropping suppliesfrom high altitudes. In the first flight pass,the crew releases a weather probe called adropsonde. The probe registers the wind’sspeed and direction, and global positioning.

“This whole process (for airdrops) takesmore planning effort, rigging, coordinationand makes the loadmaster’s job morecomplicated (than other flights),” said Maj.Ricardo Bravo of the 192nd. “The navigatorsup front have to do a different type of‘aiming,’ utilizing different calculations thana normal airdrop. For a pilot, it is nice toexperience this type of training at homestation because when 10 bundles exit theaircraft, a pilot gets to feel how the planereacts.”

Young aircraft commanders can actuallyfeel how the aircraft dips after the suddenweight shift. These are valuable lessonsand skills to take into a combat theater.

In addition to all the pre-flight planning,in-flight calculations, and post-drop adjust-ments, crew members note persistentchallenges in hitting the target. Becausemass drops require two passes overhead –one for the dropsonde and the other for therelease of cargo – the wind’s directionand strength can change very quickly inbetween passes.

Also, parachutes flutter open after thebundles leave the aircraft, but unlikeguided bomb systems, the parachute isonly good for stabilizing the floating cratesor bundles. A sudden gust could carry thebundle significantly off course. That’s whencrews rely on Mother Nature and hope thatresupply deliveries land safely on target.

The 152nd Airlift Wing has deployedaircraft in support of Operations Iraqi andEnduring Freedom more than a dozentimes since the onset of the war. �

HIGHROLLERSPREPAREFORAFGHANISTAN

Airman 1st Class Ryan Burkart (foreground) and Master Sgt. Kimberly Whetzel do their partas members of the ground crew at Herlong on Sept. 27.

A High Rollers C-130 Hercules transportaircraft flies over the drop zone duringtraining at Herlong, Calif., on Sept. 27.

Sgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez


Construction begins atElko County Guard facility

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Guardbroke ground on a remodeling and construc-tion project for a state-of-the-art NevadaArmy Guard facility in Elko County. TheGuard acquired the University of Nevada,Reno’s Fire Science Academy campusthis past summer and is remodeling andadding a building in the hope of developinga new place for troops in northeasternNevada to train.

Nevada Adjutant General Brig. Gen. BillBurks said adding the Carlin facility to theGuard’s training sites gives the organizationuntold expansion opportunities. “The NevadaGuard sees the potential as a site tosupport Regional Training Institute courses,exercise locations for myriad units and firstresponders in the state, unit drill weekendsand unit annual training.”

The new 5,400-square-foot readinesscenter building will house offices, storageareas, a vault and a locker room. A simulta-neous remodel of two other buildings onthe campus also began this summer. Theclassroom building has nearly 20,000square feet of space, and the Guard willremodel to meet audiovisual standards.Portions of the current firehouse on campuswill also be remodeled to serve as a vehiclemaintenance building for the Nevada ArmyGuard’s Detachment 2, 593rd TransportationCompany.

The entire 410-acre campus waspurchased for about $16.5 million, whichincluded acquisition, remodel and construc-tion monies. Of that total, the state ofNevada spent $7.9 million, and the federalgovernment $8.6 million.

The new building is set to be completedby late summer of 2013.The remodel projectsshould be complete by spring of 2013. �

High Rollers rappelfor special athletes

RENO – Two Airmen gave new meaningto the term “high rollers” at a recentfundraiser here.

Col. Jeff Burkett, the 152nd Airlift Wingcommander, and Master Sgt. Rick Hays ofthe 152nd Communications Flight, droppedfrom the top of the Grand Sierra Resort tohelp raise money for the Special Olympicsat an event called Over the Edge.

Eight corporate-level businesses and52 individuals donated nearly $50,000,according to Maggie Schwarz, a SpecialOlympics regional vice president. Sheadded that there are 11 local programs forthe more than 3,000 Special Olympicsathletes in Nevada. The program providestools to its athletes and helps them preparefor life.

The fundraiser at the Grand Sierra Resortwas open to businesses and individuals.Some companies raised money through aToss Your Boss campaign, and others madeindividual donations.

Burkett and Hays both enjoyed their timeon the rappel lines. “It was a rush, and I wasglad to have a partner up there,” said Hays,after dropping 27 floors, or about 320 feet.

Burkett said he was honored to repre-sent the 152nd and support the SpecialOlympics. �

Call goes out for NevadaArmy Guard aviators

RENO – The Nevada Army Guard avia-tion community annually recruits and selectsthe best qualified Soldiers for participationin the Army’s initial entry rotary wing course.


NEWS BRIEFS <<<

Led by the commander of the Nevada National Guard, Brig. Gen. Bill Burks, members of theGuard, contractors and community leaders break ground on a new building at the ElkoCounty Readiness Center in Carlin July 31.

The selection process includes a writtenalternate flight aptitude selection test, a flightphysical, and an appearance before theselection board, which meets on Dec.13, andagain on April 13.

To confirm board dates and times,contact the 991st Aviation Troop Commandpersonnel office at (775) 771-6061. For moreinformation on recruiting processes, call(775) 972-2740. �

Nevadans honored at 2012NGAUS conference

RENO – Sgt. Cait Koffarnus, nee Kelley,and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Mock receivedthe Valley Forge Cross for Heroism. Theywere among several Nevadans to receiveawards at the 2012 National GuardAssociation of the United States conferencein September. Other awardees: Gov. BrianSandoval was awarded the Charles DickMedal of Merit; Susan Fisher, the PatrickHenry Award; Col. Ondra Berry, GardeNationale Trophy; Capt. Lance King, theTheodore Roosevelt Leadership Award forCompany Grade Officers; and the 152ndAirlift Wing, the Distinguished Flying UnitPlaque. �

Maj. April Conway

By Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan –For the deployed Soldiers in the NevadaArmy Guard’s 1/189th General SupportAviation Battalion, time is flying.

The CH-47 Chinook helicopter unit’saviators, flight engineers and mechanics aretwo-thirds through a one-year deploymentto Logar Province, Afghanistan. The unit’s60 Soldiers are set to return to the SilverState in mid-spring 2013. The battalion alsoincludes 60 Montana Guardsmen.

The majority of the unit’s Guardsmenare based at Forward Operating BaseShank; a few mechanics are based atKandahar Airfield.

Unit commander Capt. Michael Bordallosaid the deployment has gone extremely wellsince the unit left Reno in April. “It’s gonejust like we thought it would,” he said. “Wehave been doing general support missions,moving personnel and equipment through-out Regional Command-East.”

Bordallo said that the unit’s crewsalso support combat troops. “We are alsodoing the majority of the air assaultmissions for the task force here becauseChinooks are the only rotary aircraft withthe ability to do the missions,” he said.“The air assault mission has us executinghasty and deliberate air assaults that are

in support of conventional and unconven-tional forces.”

Before the fourth month of the deploy-ment concluded, the unit racked up someimpressive statistics. From May to August,the unit recorded 2,641 flight hours, trans-ported 2.7 million pounds of cargo and16,216 passengers, and executed 145deliberate and hasty air assaults. Uniquecargo and passengers include workingmilitary canines, Afghan soldiers and UH-60Black Hawk frames.

In August, one of the Chinooks suffereda hard landing that resulted in the aircraft’sdestruction. Aside from minor injuries,every Nevada and Montana Guardsmanwalked away from the incident.

Because of ongoing security issues inAfghanistan, Bordallo said the Soldiers inthe unit remain on FOB Shank during mostof its free time.

“There is no leaving the FOB unless youare on a mission,” Bordallo said. “ThisFOB has all of the creature comforts of thebigger bases like Bagram or Kandaharairfields.”

Bordallo said one of the battalion goals inits last months of deployment is finding a wayto link up with the 593rd TransportationCompany, which is also in RegionalCommand-East based at Camp Phoenix.

“They are just about a 30-minuteChinook flight away,” Bordallo said. “We planto meet up sometime in the near future.Their commander and I agreed thatgetting two Nevada units together wouldbe great.” �


DEPLOYMENT ROUNDUP . . . .

Deployment time flies for 189th Aviation Soldiers

Nevada’s 1/189th Aviation Battalion’s CH-47 Chinooks do a large percentage of the heavy liftand air assault operations in Logar Province. Afghanistan’s rugged terrain often tests theaircraft and pilots with pinnacle landings and high-altitude hauls.

Chief Warrant Officer Dan Walters, 189th Aviation Battalion

Story and photos by Pfcs. Jordan Troyer andChad Paradis, 593rd Transportation Company

KABUL, Afghanistan – Soldiers of firstplatoon, 593rd Transportation Companyembarked on a three-day mission to theSalang Tunnel, about 80 miles north ofCamp Phoenix in Kabul.

Convoy commander 1st Lt. Chris Jonesled the mission that started on Aug. 28 andcarried much-needed supplies to infantrytroops securing the north end of the tunnel.

The Soldiers departed by convoy fromBagram Airfield where they spent the nightin transient quarters. They used the time toprepare for the mountainous drive, lookaround Bagram, catch up on sleep andstrengthen cherished friendships.

Early the next day, the convoy set off onan eye-widening adventure along the HinduKush mountain range, climbing to heights of11,000 feet. Nevada troops passed throughnumerous villages rarely seen by mostother Soldiers. The villages en route to theSalang Tunnel seemed a world apart fromKabul, with fresh air and farms. Potablewater rushed through streams and riversfrom snow melts higher up the mountains.

Traveling the windy mountain roads,Guardsmen saw the unique way in which thescattered villages were built on the steeprock formations framed by waterfalls. Eachnew hairpin turn revealed the majesticscenery in contrast to the congestion andclutter of dusty Kabul.

Near the peak of the climb, the convoytraveled through many small unnamedtunnels. Local drivers sped around thetunnels on dirt paths barely wide enough fora car. Like Kabul traffic, drivers searched foropenings whenever and wherever possible.

After a few more hairpin turns, theconvoy stared into the tunnel’s entrance,which gave the appearance of giant snakepoised to devour a mouse. Once inside thetunnel, the convoy began the tedious taskof maneuvering around local drivers on thecramped and hazardous road.

Once the convoy emerged from thetunnel, it moved to the small outpost posi-tioned at the north end. With traffic backedup on the small road, not all the vehiclescould pull into the outpost. Soldiersassigned to Sgt. Ryan Wroblewski’s squadbegan to direct traffic while others worked

at a feverish pace to download all the cargo.A small supply yard slowed the dropoff

of gear. Only one truck could park on anarrow strip of dirt with just enough roomto maneuver a forklift. Curious Afghansstopped to watch the Battle Born Guardsmenwork as the day continued. The sun startedto dip below the mountain just as theconvoy was set to head back to Bagram.

The return trip went smoothly with abrief stop to cool the brakes on the wrecker

vehicle. It also allowed traffic to passsafely. As the convoy reached the bottomof the hill, the Soldiers could see the lightsof Bagram in the distance. They were readyfor another overnight stay.

“The mission to the Salang Tunnel wasa complete success,” said 1st Sgt. HarrySchroeder. “It provided much neededsupplies to the infantrymen and left theSoldiers of the 593rd with a good feelingabout Afghanistan.” �


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Snapshot of a convoy resupply to Salang Tunnel

A convoy resupply mission by the 593rd Transportation Company reaches the mouth of theSalang Tunnel high in the Hindu Kush mountain range about 80 miles northeast of Kabul.

By Lt. Col. Joanne FarrisJoint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

RENO – On the same day that Dutchsuperwoman Marianne Vos captured Olympicgold in road cycling at the London games,former Nevada Guard Staff Sgt. HelmanRoman won first place in the handcyclecompetition in Reno’s 20th annual Mighty,Mighty Tour de Nez cycling festival.

Roman finished with a time of 1:01:58placing first in the H4 category. A cavalrySoldier, he began handcycling after his legswere injured in Afghanistan when his mineresistant ambush protected vehicle was hitwith an improvised explosive device onSept. 11, 2009. The bomb crushed hisankles and broke his tibias and fibulas; hespent 10 months recovering at the WalterReed Army Medical Center.

“My therapist at Walter Reed came toget me every morning. She never took nofor answer. She knew what tough love wasabout,” Roman said. “I now cycle 10 to 20miles every day and also swim and doother cardio at the gym. If I were to giveanybody words of inspiration [they wouldbe]: never quit. Even when days are tough,never quit!”

Prior to the race start, Roman had theopportunity to meet Norma Coffey, whocame to the race to cheer for Roman.Coffey makes quilts for disabled Soldiers.With the help of Nevada Army NationalGuard Command Sgt. Maj. Bob Brown, thequilts are distributed to Soldiers throughoutthe country at Warrior Transition Units.Roman was a recipient of such a quilt.“This is the first time I have had the oppor-tunity to visit with a Soldier who received aquilt – what an honor!” Coffey said.

It’s been a challenging road to recoveryfor Roman. He can walk slowly with a cane,but can’t be on his feet for more than anhour. The damage to his nerves causesconstant pain. His hard work has paid off.Roman started competing in handcycle racesin July 2010 and has finished more than 20races. Sponsored by Achilles Internationaland the Achilles Freedom Team of WoundedVeterans and the Paralyzed Veterans of

America, Roman has traveled to Italy andColombia for competitive races. He has alsotraveled to New York, Boston, and NewHaven, Conn., and notably completed a200-mile ride from Washington, D.C., toPennsylvania.

The Adjutant General for Nevada, Brig.Gen. Bill Burks, presented Roman with aU.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal andState of Nevada Medal of Merit just prior tothe start of the race. Burks, who pulled thetrigger on the starter pistol, said “This istruly one of the greatest honors of mycareer, to come to this event and supportthese athletes.” �


Former Nevada Guardsman keeps rolling alongat Tour de Nez

Staff Sgt. Helman Roman’s handcycle bearsthe 1/221st Cavalry Wildhorse and UnitedStates flag patches that he wore on hisuniform during deployment.

Staff Sgt. Helman Roman finishes the sixth lap of the Tour de Nez handcycle race July 29.Helman went on to place first in the H4 handcycle category with a time of 1:01:58. Themedically retired 1/221st Cavalry Soldier was injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistanin 2009.





FORT BENNING, Ga. – The 2012 BestWarrior competition brought the NationalGuard’s seven regional title holders here todecide the best of the best among NCOsand junior enlisted Soldiers.

In hot and humid days of late July,Nevada’s own Spc. Julian Batz, a recon-naissance scout representing the 1/221stCavalry, placed fourth overall in a poolof 14 hard-charging competitors – someof them battle tested from previous BestWarrior contests. The top Soldier in eachcategory in this competition moved on tothe All-Army contest held in October at FortLee, Va.

“There’s a trend of success if you hadgone to competition before,” said the 20-year-old Batz. “Hopefully, pretty soon Ishould be picking up my E-5 to competewith the NCOs next year. I’m not worriedabout accolades. I believe opportunitiespresent themselves, and good things comeout of it. If I win the whole thing, then moregood stuff will come my way – I just keepgrinding.”

The competition asks for the Soldiersto dig deep, as not a minute of the day iswasted. Plus, a Ranger cadre keeps a closeeye on the competitors adhering to a by-the-book grading system.

On Day 0, Soldiers collected individualbody armor and rucks, and prepared theirequipment for the days of competition ahead.

On Day 1, after a wake-up call at4:30 a.m., troops started the day with atraditional Army Physical Fitness Test,which Batz maxed with 300 points, thenshifted gears to appear before an oralboard at which they recited policy andprocedure, and the Army creeds. The dayended with a written exam and essay.

On Day 2, Soldiers were roused fromsleep at 2:30 a.m., and immediately set towork finding points in the dark during landnavigation. That activity moved them intoday. After coming from the land navigationcourse, the group engaged weapons at thezero range, where they fired and qualifiedon the M-16 rifle and M-9 pistol. Stressshooting followed at a shoot and no-shootrange and at simulators that required a callfor fire, and accuracy observing differentterrains. Competitors capped off the daywith each humping 45-pound rucks during

an 8-mile march and finally, lights out at11:30 p.m.

On Day 3, the Soldiers stumbled out oftheir racks at 3 a.m. for urban operations,where they tested their search and rescueskills on a grenade assault course. Activitiesranged from clearing rooms to shootingtargets, then moving to evaluate and trans-port a 150-pound dummy casualty using askid litter. The Soldiers settled into a roomand were required to assemble an embitterradio and call in a status report for amedevac helicopter, then pull the casualtyto a designated evacuation point. Then itwas back to trigger time on the Mk-19grenade launcher, M-240-Bravo machinegun and the M-2 .50-caliber machine gun.The end of the day brought the Soldiers tothe Ranger obstacle course, with quittingtime at 8 p.m.

On Day 4, the Soldiers entered into amystery event at 4 a.m. They ran station tostation on a mile-long course. They eachcarried a dummy casualty on a skid litter,then up an incline, at which point theyassembled an ASEP radio to call in a situa-tion report. Once their Ranger evaluatorsgave the nod, the Soldiers were told toassemble a series of arms in 10 minutes.

Soldiers drew parts from the M-16 rifle,Beretta M-9 pistol, M-249 Squad AutomaticWeapon and M-240-Bravo machine gun, allof which filled a wooden box.

“Nobody passed that,” Batz said.The group of Soldiers ran along a road

and were warned to look ahead, as the sightof an improvised explosive device broketheir pace. The situation demanded a 9-lineunexploded ordinance report followed byan equipment shuttle run. The last stage ofthe run introduced wet monkey bars andcrawling through a submerged sandpit withbarbed wire overhead. Those Soldiers whoducked the barbed wire made it to a six-foot wall and the finish line.

“You didn’t know anything. It’s changedevery year by the organizers so nobodycan study for it,” Batz said. “That washardest part.”

Batz stressed that it isn’t the competi-tion itself that’s important. He weighed theexperience more as something that buildscharacter. “I just hope the fact that Icompeted will allow me to do somethingthat makes a difference,” he said.

For more information and updates onthe Best Warrior competition, visitbestwarrior.nationalguard.com. �

Nevada’s Best Warrior sets sights for next year

Taffy Keller, Manuever Center of Excellence Public Affairs

Nevada Guard’s Spc. Julian Batz of the 1/221st Cavalry, low-crawls through the obstaclecourse as part of the 2012 Best Warrior competition for the National Guard at Fort Benning,Ga. Soldiers also competed in stress shooting, urban operations, and land navigation.Inset: Batz runs the obstacle course.

Legion of Merit

COL Craig Wroblewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQCSM Robert Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQ

Meritorious Service Medal

CPT Michael Schiemer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/221st CavCSM Robert Boldry. . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSSG Dwayne Lee . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops Bn1SG Emerson Chattin . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSSG Christopher Bazan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/221st CavSSG Johnny Deal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/221st CavCW4 Shirley Conroy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQLTC Cory Schulz . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSMSgt Kimberly Randall. . . . . . . . . . 152nd Airlift WingTSgt Ladd Crooker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Maint GrpSMSgt Michael Arnold . . . . . . . . 152nd Operations Grp

Air Force Commendation Medal

MSgt Daniel Baraz . . . . . . 152nd Security Forces SqdnSSgt Nathan Trapp . . . . . . 152nd Security Forces Sqdn

Army Commendation Medal

PFC Arik Sitton . . . . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnCPT Jonathan Ashbaugh . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans Co1SG Dennis Basilio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Nathan Braido. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoCPT Joseph Claros . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoCPT Richard Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer Co1SG Daniel Quintana. . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Joshua Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG James Strange. . . . . . . . . 422nd Exped Signal BnSSG Trevor Kinney. . . . . . HHD, 991st Aviation Trp CmdSSG Roberto Caceres . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamSSG Ryan Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamMSgt Jordan Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamTSgt Vincent Girolami . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamSGT Michael Noyes. . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamSGT Justin Strong. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamSSG Philip Risi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQSSG Harry English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Med DetSSG Jennifer Palomino . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetCPT Brian Capra . . . . . . . . . . . 422nd Exped Signal BnSPC Emerson Marcus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 PAD

Air Force Achievement Medal

SrA Mason Blair . . . . . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint Sqdn

CMSgt William Moore . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Airlift WingTSgt Eric Ritter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Airlift WingLtCol Kevin Knuf. . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnMSgt Michael Robinson . . . 152nd Communications FltMSgt Jason Campbell . . . . 152nd Communications FltMSgt Eric Howe. . . . . . . . . 152nd Communications FltSrA Cassandra Kenyon . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnCol Leslie Gonzalez . . . . . . . . . 152nd Mission Spt GrpTSgt Benjamin Reynolds . . . . . . . . . 152nd Maint SqdnCMSgt Kelly Cavins . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnLtCol Brian Thayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnMSgt Roberto Fabela . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnSrA Sean Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Frank Tolete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift Sqdn

Army Achievement Medal

MSG John Bogdan . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnCPT Brian Capra . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSGT Jeffrey Deitch. . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSFC Sandra Flores . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnCPT Lee Gaston . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnMSG Jacob Gonzales . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnCPT Brian Hunsaker. . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnMAJ Amy Klima . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnWO1 Derek Petersen . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSGT David Powell . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSPC Kevin Redd. . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSGT Johnathan Rivera . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnCPT Beau Vinatieri . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSSG Ekow Adwenti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans Co1LT Eugene Agcaoili . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Joseph Ajuria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSFC Lord Alvarade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Joseph Babb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Hilario Barragan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT David Beachler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSFC Scott Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Michaleangelo Bonsignore . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Nathan Braido . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT David Bravo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Cody Busak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Aaron Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Taylor Christenson . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Carlos Cisneros . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 John Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Arturo Diaz-Ramirez . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Chanel Fermin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Alexander Franco . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Jason Frogge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Lee Fuller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Humberto Gamboa . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Raymond Giordano . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Christopher Griffith . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Justin Haws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans Co

SGT Charron Hernandez. . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Michael Holt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Heather Ibarra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Massimo Irenze . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans Co1LT David Jennings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Jessica Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSFC Eric Kent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Christopher Larkin . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Michael Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Salvadore Maestes . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Lucas Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Timothy Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Adalberto Martinez . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Jack Maurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Jason May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Roberto Mendiola . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Anthony Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Christopher Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT David Miromontes . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Carmela Mobo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Son Neal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Kevin Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Oliver Nolos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Glenford Pascasio. . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSFC Brett Penny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Jay Pierson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Solomon Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Michelle Primm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Michael Pugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Luis Quiorga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Michael Radecker. . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Zoltan Revay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Zachary Salyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Sandra Sandoval . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Wong Santitivech . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Ralph Santos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Gabriel Sena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Anna Shum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSSG Tyson Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Victor Torres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Corbin Wagner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Bruce Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Trayvon Washington-Gooden. . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Marcus Watts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSGT Tamara Wingo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoSPC Michael Yanez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPV2 Jorge Zorio-Ricardo . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoPFC Valeria Colon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Brian AlvaradoBraithe . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Benjamin Alworth . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Brian Arnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPV1 Roberto Bahr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Bradley Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Robert A. Case . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Robert R. Case . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer Co

24 / BATTLE BORN / Autumn 201224 / BATTLE BORN / Autumn 2012

AWARDS•PROMOTIONS•RETIREMENTSMoving Up and Moving On • June, July, August 2012

AWARDS


PFC Krystle Castillo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Justin David. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Ryan Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Victor De Santiago . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG James Del Palacio. . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG Lauriano Farias . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPV2 Marlon Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Jorge Gomez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Jason Goodberlet . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG Justin Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Labrandon Herd. . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Adam Hernandez . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer Co1LT Howard Hoover. . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer Co2LT Willard Hubler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Quincy Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Kyle Marrott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Johnnie Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Jacqueline McDowell . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Reynaldo Mercedes . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Eric Ohran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Edward Ojeda . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG Jacob Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Luis Rocha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Shane Rothwell . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Dylan Salazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Kenneth Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Timothy Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Jack Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Madison Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Thomas Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Russell Underwood . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Michael Vargas . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC David Warner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Nicholas Washington . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSGT Christopher Williams . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoPFC Ezra Wong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSSG Robert Wyatt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoSPC Christopher Lauko . . . . . . . . . . 277th Engineer PltSPC Michael Maddy . . . . . . . . . . . . 277th Engineer PltSGT Imelda Salazar. . . . . . . . . . . . . 277th Engineer PltSGT Janira Varty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277th Engineer PltSGT Monica Marks . . HHC, 757th Combat Sust Spt BnCPT Gage Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQSGT Victor Joecks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 PAD

Nevada State Distinguished Service Medal

LTC Christopher Patterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQ

Nevada Medal of Merit

MSgt Gina Kohl . . . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnMSgt Robert Shofner. . . . . 152nd Log Readiness Sqdn

Nevada State Commendation Medal

SPC Josh Killinger . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnSPC Marcus Cooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/221st CavLTC William Johnson . . . . . . . . Hawthorne Army Depot

SSG Allison Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421st RTI

Nevada Overseas Deployment Ribbon

MSgt Keith Maslowski . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnMSgt William Hartzler . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnSSgt Jennifer Cronin. . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnMSgt Jeffrey Linton. . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnSrA Benjamin Gaetke . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnSSgt Jeffrey Mello . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnTSgt James Begley . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnCapt Brooke Magee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Jeffrey Bellato . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Evan Kirkwood. . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Charles Steffens . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Thomas Dorsett . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Frank Magee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Joseph Jaquish . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Erik Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt Lance King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCapt David McNally . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnCMSgt Robin Mocabee . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnLtCol Jonathan Thorpe. . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnMaj Robert Hoadley . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnMaj Jason Little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnMSgt David Dwyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnMSgt Kathleen Backlund . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnSrA Kevin Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnSrA John Shorrock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift Sqdn

SSgt Nicholas Langton. . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnSSgt Shamika Webb . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnTSgt Joshua Rogers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Christa Morter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Luzmarina Schneider. . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Joshua Leggett . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Lyle Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnTSgt Christopher Caminiti . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnA1C Jonathan Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift Sqdn

Adjutant General’sOutstanding Graduate Award

SGT Brice Crawford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint Co

Nevada Honor Guard Ribbon

SPC Oscar Roman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoSPC Arik Sitton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer Co

Nevada Recruiting Ribbon

SSgt Rebecca Higgins . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Airlift WingSrA Alex Norris . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Force Spt SqdnTSgt Joseph Puertos . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnCol Donald Delporto . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical Grp


LTC/LtColThomas Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232nd Operations Sqdn

CPT/CaptErik Christensen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnEugenio Agcaoili . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust Bde

1LT/1st LtTiffany Tatum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQLee Wilson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift SqdnKitty Chan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Med Det

2LT/2nd LtCicely Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoIvana Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoJohn Dekoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoJames Rainwater . . . . . . . . . . 277th Engineer Haul PltRocky Kutsunai. . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnMiles McGuire . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnJames Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoMark Kennoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoChristopher Staggs . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoKristina Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoJoseph Casey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavDerrick Tang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Troop, 1/221st Cav

MSG/SMSgtBrett Penny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoDaniel Prothro II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans Co

PROMOTIONS

David Hurwitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoJunior Krows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/Ret

SFC/MSgtAaron Dawson . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnJason Fritz . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnMichael Landsberry. . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnKimberly Whetzel . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnLuciana Irenze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetCristian Gonzalezismerio . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeNicolas Allred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetMassimo Irenze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeDavid Schalles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeJoseph Babb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoJames Delpalacio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoOran Supsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnKristina Litle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnTracy Castro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoHeather Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoJamie Olson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoRafael Aguilera Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoLuis Alvarez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoLarry Harlan Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoKevin Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoJamar Grovner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt TeamLarry Clawson Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoMark Newton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoMark Carabajal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421st RTIMichael Davis Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavAlberto Gonzalez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavRicky Ferguson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421st RTIVictor Boivin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetTomas Ramos III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetChe Rios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/Ret

SSG/TSgtRhoderick Estrada. . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnJeffrey Stark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Maint SqdnJulia Martinez . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoReynaldo Mercedes . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoMichael Frazer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoDomenic Veneziano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoShawn Fidler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnCharles Rooker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeStephan Atkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoRyan Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoNathan Ohler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoMichael Roen. . . . . . . . . . . . . D Co, 3/140th MEDEVACShakur Beavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnDaniel Cruz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnRonald Gogan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485th MP CoPamela Commins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoRussell Bream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoJason Bushey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoJames Fikkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoJoshua Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoJacob Costello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoWessley Gonzalezochoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoChristian Marx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoRyan Wagner . . . . . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnJustin Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92nd Civil Spt Team

Melissa Leist . . . . . . . . . . . . 991st Aviation Troop CmdDaniel Varty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoSamuel Boyd Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoBobby Peroddy. . . . . . . . Det 45, Operational Spt AirliftJordan Coleman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavNathaniel Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavDonald Reynolds III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavSean Schnyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavTrevor Coen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421st RTIJake Boholst V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQJoseph Rutski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Med DetBenjamin Pagni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetMike Getten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106th PAD

SGT/SSgtLinda Gutierrez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Intel SqdnGuillermo Abregoolmedo . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoIsmael Diva III . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoJacob Gimmestad . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoAlbina Karimova. . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoThomas Marquez . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoRandy Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoEmerson Marcus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106th PADMiguel Corzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetMark Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetMaribel Ayala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoMaribel Ayala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoOscar Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoRory Townley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoBruce Walker Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoAnthony Whitley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoKarissa Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeKevin Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeJennifer Walton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeJennifer Walton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdePatrick Duffy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoNathan Owens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoMichael Silveria . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnAdam Brayton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoMelissa Poff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoMonica Marks . . . . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnTruman Marlowe Jr . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoDaniel Ransom . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoReem Hassan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoDarlene Smokey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoRoumel Arrozal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st Cav

CPLBlaire Pickett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/Ret

Jessy Arellano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/168th MEDEVACJacob Roseberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/168th MEDEVACTrevor Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/168th MEDEVACKenneth Kincaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/168th MEDEVACJames Paragas . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoArin Arjani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoMayra Meza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoRainier Navarro . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoTheresa Pittman. . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoGregory McKinley. . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoDawn Stokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoAshley White . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoSimone Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoCornelia Hodges. . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoKealakai Pena . . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoAtavia Jackson. . . . . . . . . . . . 100th Quartermaster CoRainier Frost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetCory Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetJoshua Burns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetJoy Cooper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetJazmyn Ennis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137th MP DetIsaac Garcia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoMatthew Lagrone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoBrian Huskey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoIrwin Coratibo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoSi Thuy Luong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoDemarge Boyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoMiranda Broadway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoShaela Salangdron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoColby Hover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnJason Aragon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnKalena Pelekai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSara Cushman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnMichael Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnDamon Blakeman . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnVictoria Gonzalez . . . . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnPatricia Mendoza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoScott Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoRomanus Mcdavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoBrandon Kaahanui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoLaura Tomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1864th Trans CoNathanael Dardon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoCristopher Castillo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoRodriguez Colon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoMarcus Sanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240th Engineer CoJeremy Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485th MP CoJamison White. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485th MP CoDalyn Jacobus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485th MP CoDaniel Acuna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485th MP CoEduardo Reyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoMichael Messer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoToshio Hartman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoThomas McFarland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609th Engineer CoEric Harrison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoRyan Monterotokuhisa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoDerek Valentine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoAlyssia Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoAdam Ferman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoDylan Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoBrayan Lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72nd MP CoRyan Van. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt Bn

Juan Sanchez-Juarez . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnMarco Hernandez-Barrera. . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnDaniel Decoite . . . . . . . . . . 757th Combat Sust Spt BnLevi Tackett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Engineer DetCraig Philo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoMaury Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoLatifah Branch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoGregory Molina . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoMichael Mccallum . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 3/140th AviationJessica Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 3/140th AviationDevin Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 3/140th AviationJuan Carrillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 3/140th AviationJeremy Trader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 3/140th AviationTyler Chambers . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnColton Shaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnShawn Wilson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnAnthony Sequeira . . . . . . . . . . . B Co, 422nd Signal BnRobert Stenson. . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnChaz Rapp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnNoah Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnBlake Doliboa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnLandre Torado . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnVictoria Funderburk . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnJason Bang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnJamey Gooch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnFelicia Booth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnJeff Sison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnKendra Aber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnRichard Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnJohn Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . D Co., 3/140th MEDEVACMichael Knight . . . . . . . . . . . D Co., 3/140th MEDEVACDuane Kennard . . . . . . . Det 45, Operational Spt AirliftAmanda Rush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeMichael Sevilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeBenjamin Barbeau . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeChristopher Lapping . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeLionel Vincent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeJanette Mejia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeBelen Ramirez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnZane Rodrigues-Bitton . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnLyzelann Fernandez . . . . . . . . . HHC, 422nd Signal BnAaron Janushan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavEvanjoche Javier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavJoshua Bigham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavRonnel Cayabyab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavAnthony Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavBranton Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HHT, 1/221st CavKevin Torres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Troop, 1/221st CavJohn Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Troop, 1/221st CavAdam Borden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Troop, 1/221st CavRobert Green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQCorey Hawk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavAllen Clodfelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavDontae Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavMarcus Bruck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavGarrett Hegland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavMichael Renfro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Troop, 1/221st CavAlan Kindangen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavMarco Covarrubias . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavChristopher Blakely . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavCharles Ketcham. . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st Cav


ACCESSIONS

Douglas Gardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavBrandon Mamola. . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavLogan Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavKenneth Landay . . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavRyan Magera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavDarian Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetJames Burkhalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetBlaire Pickett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetMikhail Arnold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetTyler Holdren . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnSteven Adkins. . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnDejon Williams . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnSandelle Mancilla . . . . . . . . 152nd Aircraft Maint SqdnCody Rigney . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnD’ana West. . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnDelvin Kennedy . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnBrian Boyer . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnMichael Sacci. . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Civil Engineer SqdnMegan Alford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Force Spt SqdnRebecca Barber . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Force Spt SqdnRobert Tepner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Intel SqdnKyle Giboney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Intel SqdnJeffrey Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Intel SqdnEric Dieffenbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Intel SqdnThomas Siler . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnTravis Schroeder. . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnEmili Conway-Striggow. . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnRoddrick Reed II . . . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnJennifer Metrovich . . . . . . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnDaniel Bodecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Maint SqdnStephanie Carlquist . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpStacee Bannister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpAmanda Lindsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpDavid Burbridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpRiley Givani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpJaime Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Medical GrpRobert Huseby . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Operations Spt FltEric Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . 152nd Security Forces SqdnJonathan Van Engen . . . . 152nd Security Forces SqdnAndrew Victor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192nd Airlift Sqdn

RETIREMENTS

SFC Oswald Brown . . . . . . . . L Troop, 1/221st CavSPC Clifford Cardenas. . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnSSG Aaron Castro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593rd Trans CoSFC Terrell Evans . . . . . . . . . . HHC, 17th Sust BdeSFC John George. . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoSGT Richard Gessick . . . . . . . . . . . 150th Maint CoSGT Ronald King . . . . . . . . . 777th Forward Spt CoSFC Dwayne Lee . . . . . . . . 17th Special Troops BnSFC Wade Mendenhall. . . . . . . . . NVARNG Rec/RetCW4 Charles Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQMSgt Robert Shofner. . 152nd Log Readiness SqdnSSG James Strange Jr . . . . C Co, 422nd Signal BnCOL Craig Wroblewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JFHQ

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