New Hampshire Guardsman by Dave Horn

GUARDSMAN NEW HAMPSHIRE

WINTE R 2 0 2 0

MAGAZINE

OPERATION SANTA CLAUS: GUARDSMEN DELIVER

GUARD HOLDS 2ND ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY AND BIRTHDAY

THE MEAL, READY-TO-EAT CHALLENGE

VOL. 1, NO. 2

NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIONAL GUARD LEADERSHIP

PEASE MILITARY CANCER MORTALITY STUDY The Pease Military Cancer Mortality Study is an epidemiologic study that will analyze records of U.S. Air Force service members (active duty, guard, and reserve) who were assigned to Pease AFB/ANGB between 1 January 1970 and 31 December 2018 and who died from cancer. This study will be led by the Epidemiology Consult Service at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, which is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Assistance will be provided by ANGRC/SGPM and the 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Health.

The Honorable Chris Sununu Governor of New Hampshire

PURPOSE This study is necessary to determine if individuals stationed at Pease AFB/ANGB had different cancer mortality rates than their peers in the general U.S. population. Its findings could generate new hypotheses and steer further investigations.

EPIDEMIOLOGY is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns, and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.

This study is anticipated to take one calendar year to complete. It will begin once the Air Force Research Laboratory Institutional Review Board approves the study and the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine investigators receive the personnel rosters.

Brig. Gen. Shawn O’Brien Commander of the N.H. Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Laurie Farris Commander of the N.H. Air National Guard

NEW HAMPSHIRE GUARDSMAN MAGAZINE STAFF Lt. Col. Greg Heilshorn | Director of Public Affairs

CONTRIBUTING UNITS

• 603d Public Affairs Detachment, N.H. Army National Guard • 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, N.H. Air National Guard • Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs, N.H. National Guard

About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory leads the discovery, development and integration of cuttingedge and affordable warfighting and consumer technologies.

COMMANDERS’ CORNER

OPERATION SANTA CLAUS

RESCUE IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS: AFTER ACTION REPORT

CHIEF CONNELLY: BEST OF THE BEST

MEAL, READY-TO-EAT CHALLENGE

PEASE AIRMEN ATTEND DISASTER TRAINING EXERCISE

SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN HONORED AT GUARD’S 383RD BIRTHDAY

SNAPSHOTS

DID YOU KNOW?

PROMOTIONS

Staff Sgt. Charles W. Johnston | Editor

• 114th Public Affairs Detachment, N.H. Army National Guard

METHODOLOGY Utilizing the National Death Index, epidemiologic experts will determine which U.S. Air Force service members assigned to Pease AFB/ANGB during the 29-year period died of cancer. They will compare the group’s cancer mortality (overall and by specific cancer type) with that in the general U.S. population, accounting for age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities Adjutant General of the N.H. National Guard

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The New Hampshire Guardsman Magazine is a joint publication for soldiers and airmen serving in the N.H. National Guard, as well as their families and retirees. The New Hampshire Guardsman Magazine is produced by the State Public Affairs Office. Views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the official views of the departments of the Army and Air Force, or the State of New Hampshire. All photos are the property of the N.H. National Guard unless otherwise credited.

For more information, visit: AFResearchLab.com.

Cover photo: Spc. Erick Germano, aircraft fuel handler for the 238th Medevac Company, NHARNG, holds his daughter Ana during a departure ceremony for the company at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Concord on Oct. 5. The unit reported to Fort Hood, Texas later that month for pre-deployment training before departing overseas. It’s the fifth deployment for the 238th in the last two decades.

AFRL: 711th Human Performance Wing | www.AFResearchLab.com | Distribution A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. (88ABW-2020-0254, 27 JAN 2020)

Photo by Pfc. Mark Hayward, 114th Public Affairs Detachment. Facebook.com/ NHMinutemen

@NHNationalGuard

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COMMANDERS’ CORNER Greetings! It’s great to have the New Hampshire National Guard magazine back in circulation and to address the fine soldiers of the Granite State as your State Command Sergeant Major. I recall being a young NCO and looking forward to receiving the magazine; to see what the organization was doing, what events were occurring, who got promoted and perhaps catching a glimpse of my own unit in action. I’d like to thank all of the public affairs staff and contributors for bringing it back, and I hope that all of you will enjoy it.

This issue’s letters to the force come to us from the New

Hampshire National Guard’s top enlisted leadership,

State Chief Master Sgt. John W. Symington and State Command Sergeant Major Lore Ford, IV.

Happy New Year! 2019 was certainly a year of transition for the New Hampshire Air National Guard, and that will continue through the upcoming year as the 157th ARW receives its remaining KC-46 Pegasus aircraft. The transition could be challenging, given the new construction, parts and equipment swap-outs, weapon systems training and a myriad of other projects at Pease. The airmen of the NHANG have taken this challenge on and have exceeded expectations. I’m excited about the opportunities we’ll have in the upcoming year, such as NCO and SNCO Professional Enhancement, a Lackland AFB trip, and an Enlisted Leadership Seminar, just to name a few. And as in past years, we’ll have opportunities to participate in the Best Warrior Competition, German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge test, Army Ranger assessment and the TAG’s combat marksmanship match. In speaking with airmen who have participated in these events in the past, it’s a great opportunity to interact (and some might say compete) with our NHARNG counterparts and military CMSgt John W. Symington members from other services and countries. I’m also excited about the opportunities we’ll have to celebrate your successes. Please let your friends and co-workers know about the opportunities we all enjoy as members of the best Air National Guard organization in the world’s greatest Air Force. State and guard leadership continue to work together to improve our guard benefits, such as free tuition in the University System of N.H. (no longer limited to space available) and guaranteed interviews for any State of N.H. position for which you qualify and apply. Membership has its privileges! Readiness continues to be paramount in 2020. In addition to serving on the Southwest Border and various other taskings, Reserve Component Period 06 is scheduled to begin this year. This will involve many of our Mission Support Group personnel. It will require resilient airmen who are mentally, physically, socially and spiritually ready to fight tonight!

As 2019 comes to a close, we look back at all the great training that was accomplished in Germany, Hungary, Canada, El Salvador and throughout the nation. Training events were highlighted by the Best Warrior Competition, multiple recipients of Air Assault and German Armed Forces Proficiency badges, and Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program tours. Despite our tremendous operational tempo, we were also able to grow the NHARNG for the first time in many years. Adding a public affairs detachment, a military police battalion headquarters and the return of a tubed artillery battery CSM Lore Ford, IV positions us to further support federal contingencies and state active duty. In addition to our continued growth, we witnessed more deployments, as the 238th General Support Aviation Battalion and Operational Support Airlift, Detachment 18 departed in December. With a new year upon us, we will meet new and different challenges. Most annual training events will be conducted stateside, allowing us to have a greater focus on individual and crew tasks which are essential to our ability to “fight tonight.” Non-commissioned officers, this is your bread and butter. I expect you to take charge of your soldiers during this training. We continue to use distance learning as a training tool. The Distributed Leaders Course has replaced Structured Self Development. It’s a prerequisite to enroll in Professional Military Education and for promotion. These courses also provide a solid understanding of how the guard works at your level, and I ask our leaders make completing them a priority for both themselves and their soldiers. This is the year the Army Combat Fitness Test will officially replace the Army Physical Fitness Test as the new standard of fitness in the Army. Despite consternation from the rumor mill, social media and the like, those of you who have tried the test realize that there is little to worry about. We must set our sights on preparing for events instead of worrying unnecessarily about them. Testing equipment is scheduled to arrive shortly. In the meantime, be creative with how you and your soldiers train and prepare. We continue to refine the way we select and promote for NCO positions, both nationally and here in N.H. While discussions amongst promotion board members remain an internal process, soldiers who demonstrate excellence in physical fitness, leadership experience, military occupational specialty expertise and breadth of exposure to the larger organization are in the best position to be promoted. First Sergeant and Command Sergeant Major positions are appointments, not promotions, and will be done through a boardstyle selection process. This creates an additional step to the process but is vital to the proper filling of these leadership positions.

I’d like to thank you and your supportive families for everything you do to ensure we remain ready to go! It’s not an easy thing to do, especially with little ones. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention your employers and our community partners. Without their support, we certainly couldn’t do what we do.

Lastly, we continue to work to enlist and retain the best that our state has to offer. I encourage all of you to talk to family and friends about the importance and benefits of serving in the N.H. National Guard. More importantly, I expect all leaders to talk with their soldiers in a timely manner about reenlisting. Not everyone will reenlist, and some we must let go. But we owe every soldier an honest discussion about their future in the organization.

My thanks also to the Public Affairs Office for getting this outstanding magazine back in circulation!

Live Free Or Die.

CMSgt John W. Symington State Command Chief Master Sergeant, NHANG

CSM Lore Ford, IV State Command Sergeant Major, NHARNG

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GUARDSMEN DELIVER AT ‘OPERATION SANTA CLAUS’ Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Vezeau, 157th ARW Public Affairs Guardsmen participated in Operation Santa Claus, an annual event to distribute donated gifts to New Hampshire families in need this Christmas, Dec. 16 in Concord. Soldiers and airmen teamed with volunteers from the State Employees’ Association and Service Employees International Union Local 1984 to load gifts for transport to distribution points throughout the state.

“The reason why I joined the guard is to do this community effort,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Pufki, 3643rd Brigade Support Battalion. “Although we’re here for the war fight functions and domestic security, this is the stuff that I enjoy--being a part of the community.” This year’s gifts were delivered to approximately 3,000 children.

Funds for the gifts were raised during the year through various events, including potluck chili fests and silent auctions, said Richard Gull, SEA president.

The massive event attracts many new volunteers every year, to include Staff Sgt. Kellie Daly, 157th Operations Group.

“It’s a great feeling to do that,” Gull said.

“It’s good to get somewhere different, meet new people and know you’re helping the community,” Daly said. “It’s fun.”

The guard employed a variety of military vehicles for to ensure presents were delivered on time, regardless of distance, terrain or weather.

The program has been led by the SEA since 1960.

STAFF SGT. SHENNA LONDOFF, 157th Operations Group, NHANG, helps pass the gifts down the line for delivery.

N.H. GUARDSMEN load donated Christmas gifts onto military vehicles.

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AFTER ACTION REPORT: NHARNG Black Hawk Cliff Rescue • A N.H. Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter was dispatched at the request of N.H. Fish & Game to assist with a search and rescue operation in the White Mountains. • An injured, hypothermic, 36-year-old hiker from Meredith had spent the night in freezing whiteout conditions on Mount Lincoln after falling 70 feet down a mountain pass. • A volunteer crew of guardsmen was joined by Fish & Game Sgt. Jeremy Hawkes at the guard flight facility in Concord. Hawkes used a handheld GPS to help guide the aircraft into his grid, using cell phone forensics. • Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Fish and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luke Koladish maneuvered the aircraft into a hover 150 feet above the injured hiker. Jan. 2, 2020 6:49 a.m. - Call for Mission 8 a.m. - Crew arrives at AASF 8:45 a.m. - Crew briefed and approved 9:20 a.m. - ABLE 15 W/U 9:58 a.m. - ABLE 15 on station 10:18 a.m. - Rescuer on ground 10:27 a.m. - PT + Rescuer hoisted 10:30 a.m. - ABLE 15 W/D Cannon Mtn. 11:15 a.m. - W/D MC. 2.0hrs, 239 gal HH-60M 17-20951

• The Crew Chief, Spc. Nathan MacDonald, utilized advanced rescue hoist techniques to deploy Staff Sgt. Luke Sullivan safely to a ledge below the hiker. • Sullivan then climbed to the injured hiker’s position and secured him to a “jungle penetrator” hoist. • MacDonald cabled the hook down into the drainage, avoiding dead trees, from 170 feet to minimize blowing snow. Sullivan was hoisted up with the hiker on a dual lift. • The patient was transported to an ambulance, which was staged at Cannon Mountain. • This real-world mission saved Fish & Game and volunteer search and rescue personnel countless man hours performing a lengthy technical rescue, and quickly got the injured and hypothermic hiker medical assistance. • The guard has a long history of search and rescue work with Fish & Game.

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PERSONNEL OFFICER LAUDED FOR CONVERSION By Mr. Justin Creech, Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems CONCORD, N. H. -- Meet Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Connelly, New Hampshire Army National Guard Systems Integration Branch Chief, who is recognized as an Integrated Personnel and Pay System -- Army Best of the Best Soldier for leading the team for New Hampshire successfully through the conversion from the Standard Installation and Division Personnel Reporting System to IPPS-A. Connelly has been the NHARNG's SIB Chief for three years. He said a small steps approach to the migration is what he and his team decided would yield the best results. "We worked on identifying data points that come into IPPS-A, and focusing on those, then identifying the other data points and keeping them outside of IPPS-A," said Connelly. "We had quarterly meetings with each command on base to talk about the status of IPPS-A, and what we were trying to do to alleviate issues other people were having." Connelly said the biggest challenge he and his team faced was the level of change IPPS-A is bringing to Army Human Resources. IPPS-A is changing the definition of what personnel work in the Army is, which forces soldiers to change their mindset about the career field. This can present challenges, according to Connelly. "We're talking about the largest change in the personnel world in 20-plus years in the guard," said Connelly. "SIDPERS is what soldiers know and what they've been comfortable with. It's understandable they would be nervous about a change like IPPS-A."

Despite challenges, Connelly said he and his team were able to complete the conversion to IPPS-A with few errors in data transfer. He credits this to their small steps approach. "Focusing on data and data correctness paid dividends for us and our fielding group," said Connelly. Now that New Hampshire is live in the system, Connelly says he is excited for soldiers because of the stability IPPS-A brings. No longer will states be behind in the version of a system they have, which allows for better customer service, said Connelly. "It'll be easier to have a reservist working alongside an active-duty soldier because neither have to worry about how their pay is being handled," said Connelly. "With IPPS-A, we're all on the same platform." Along with his enthusiasm, Connelly wants soldiers and HR professionals to stay patient when it comes to learning and adjusting to the system. "We want civilians and soldiers who are new to HR right now to understand we're all new to IPPS-A," said Connelly. "No one has any more knowledge about the system than the rest of us, so be patient in learning the system."

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A COLLABORATIVE QUEST TO COOK A TASTIER MEAL, READY-TO-EAT By Grant Bosse, N.H. Department of Education

The Culinary Arts team from Pinkerton Academy won the inaugural MRE Challenge at Salem High School, taking home the coveted Granite Skillet, Nov. 20. The team cooking competition organized by the New Hampshire Army National Guard and the New Hampshire Department of Education teamed high school culinary students from six high school CTE programs and guardsmen to create gourmet dishes using the ingredients from a military-issue Meal, Ready-to-Eat. The 2,000 calorie-packed MREs are meant to keep troops fed in the field, but are not known for their culinary excellence. Competing schools included Pinkerton, Alvirne, Nashua, Milford, Salem and the Manchester School of Technology. Guardsmen worked with the student chefs for months to familiarize them with MREs, but none of the competitors knew in advance which meals would serve as their ingredients. The teams also had to incorporate a secret ingredient, plantains, which was revealed to them during their 45-minute cooking time. The Pinkerton team’s winning dish was plantain ratatouille with garlic bread. “What an impressive display of culinary talent,” said N.H. Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities. “The students were

focused and disciplined, a great reflection on their respective teachers and schools. They are well led. Equally impressive was the student-led video production crew. We look forward to making this an annual event.” Pinkerton’s Marketing team took first place in the poster contest. MST marketing students won the logo design competition and MST’s Culinary Arts team won the appetizer cooking competition. Teams from the school’s video production programs also created commercials to promote the event. Salem High School’s video production students live-steamed the event online and to an audience in its auditorium. “Our first MRE Challenge was a huge success, and I want to thank the Guard and our CTE centers for working together across several programs to create such a great learning environment for these students,” said Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. “We’re hoping to expand this to more schools next year when Pinkerton puts the Granite Skillet back up for grabs.” Video of the event is posted at the N.H. Department of Education’s YouTube channel. SGT. CHRISTOPHER DEMAIN, a recruiting and retention NCO from the New Hampshire Army National Guard, works alongside Salem High School Culinary Arts students Brenden Thomas Capsalis, David Edge, and Marissa Merrill while Salem High School principal Traci Collyer chips in to compete for the Granite Skillet in the Annual MRE Challenge hosted by the Career and Technical Education Center in Salem on Nov. 20 and sponsored by the NHARNG. This event, supported by the guard, the N.H. Dept. of Education, and Natick Labs, which provided the MRE’s and two staff representatives to judge the event, challenged students from seven high schools in N.H. to use the contents from a variety of MRE’s and create a more palatable dish. Courtesy photo

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PEASE AIRMEN PARTICIPATE IN MULTI-STATE DISASTER TRAINING EXERCISE Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Vezeau, 157th ARW Public Affairs Forty-five Airmen from the 157th Air Refueling Wing joined Army and Air National Guardsmen from three New England states to participate in a medical rapid response training exercise in Brunswick, Maine, Nov. 4 - 8. The exercise simulated the collapse of a chemical manufacturing facility and provided guardsmen the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required for the medical management of casualties.

Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island guardsmen with the New England-based Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package participated. The unit comprises five operational elements, including search and extraction, mass decontamination, medical, fatalities recovery, and command and control. The operation was conducted at two separate and distinctly different training sites.

Maj. Robert Howe, a physician with the 157th Medical Group, said one of the benefits of the training event was the fluidity of the featured scenario, which forced participants to respond exactly as they would in an actual disaster.

The main site featured command and control, mass decontamination, medical and fatalities recovery elements. Tents were erected, where medical personnel triaged patients.

“It’s sort of an epidemiological puzzle in terms of we’re seeing, people with x, y and z symptoms,” Howe said.

A second area featured a large pile of rubble used by search and rescue workers. Soldiers with the 861st Engi-

TECH. SGT. ALEXANDER BARNHART, 157th Medical Group, NHANG, muscles a powerful drill while steadied by U.S. Army soldiers of the 861st engineer company, Rhode Island Army National Guard, while practicing search and rescue operations.

neer Company collaborated with 157th Medical Group Airmen and employed search and recovery techniques, such as rappelling, moving debris and drilling through concrete. A key tool used in the exercise to connect the training sites was the National Guard CBRN Incident Management System, a web-based communications program which enabled better visibility of participants. “This [system] adds a whole new side to our mission,” said Tech. Sgt. Nicole Godschall, a medic with the 157th Medical Group. “We’re all looking forward to the potential this could bring.” The exercise also provided the opportunity for organizers to vaccinate every element of the CERFP for smallpox and anthrax, a requirement for all unit members.

Additionally, the medical team conducted simulations training which leveraged the trauma experience of the providers and nurses employed by the medical element. This optimized the team’s time, filled critical training requirements and encouraged team building--skills important for success in the face of an actual mass casualty event. “There were a lot of great lessons learned from that,” said Maj. Lyndsey Fleming, medical plans and operations office for the New England CERFP medical element. “We had never really done that for the entire group.” By the end of the five-day mission, confidence was high, skills were sharpened and the training was deemed a huge success. “It’s incredible to see everyone come together and run these scenarios,” Fleming said. “It was hugely beneficial.”

TECH. SGT. NICOLE GODSCHALL, an aerospace medical technician with the 157th Medical Group, NHANG, sets up a litter carrier for the training exercise.

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GUARD CELEBRATES 383RD BIRTHDAY Photo and story by Staff Sgt. Charles Johnston, NHNG Deputy State PAO The New Hampshire National Guard hosted its second annual awards ceremony and birthday celebration on Dec. 12, at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke.

A Proclamation, signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, was read before a crowded auditorium of attendees, officially declaring December 13th as “New Hampshire National Guard Day.”

The event featured 26 soldiers, airmen and civilian members awarded for their various achievements and exceptionally dedicated service.

Guardsmen award recipients include: • Spc. Robert Wells, Army Guard Best Warrior of the Year • Sgt. Ryan Garland, Army Guard NCO of the Year • Spc. Samuel Cummings, Army Guard RSP Solider of the Year • Sgt. Cassandra Brown, Army Guard Recruiter of the Year • 1st Sgt. James Kendall, The Adjutant General Match Champion (Open) • Warrant Officer Candidate Jeremy Chaisson, The Adjutant General Match Champion (Novice) • Senior Airman Clare Handy, Airman of the Year • Tech Sgt. David Anderson, Air Guard NCO of the Year

“It doesn’t matter if you’re Army, Air or a state employee, it takes all of you to help us field a winning team,” said Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, adjutant general of the NHNG. “Thank you for your service.” The event, conducted on the eve of the guard’s 383rd birthday, was highlighted by a ceremonial cake cutting by the youngest guardsman, Airman Thais Weller, the oldest, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Raiche, and Mikolaities.

A CEREMONIAL CAKE CUTTING is performed by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Raiche, the state’s oldest guardsman, New Hampshire Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities and N.H.’s youngest guardsman, Airman Thais Weller, to commemorate the N.H. guard’s 383rd birthday.

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A ceremonial cake cutting is performed by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Raiche, the state’s oldest guardsman, New Hampshire Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities and N.H.’s youngest guardsman, Airman Thais Weller, to commemorate the N.H. guard’s 383rd birthday. Photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Johnston, Deputy State PAO.

• Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Luter, Air Guard Senior NCO of the Year • Senior Master Sgt. Bernard Cho, Air Guard First Sergeant of the Year • Staff Sgt. Carl Berridge II, The Spirit of Hope Recipient • Staff Sgt. Michael Tagliareni, Honor Guard Member of the Year • Capt. Michelle Mastrobattista, Air Guard Company Grade Officer of the Year • Tech. Sgt. Kirsten Arends, N.H. National Guard Commendation Medal • Tech Sgt. Brian Deangelis, N.H. National Guard Commendation Medal • Tech Sgt. Meghan O’Regan, N.H. National Guard Commendation Medal • Staff Sgt. Alexandra Potter, N.H. National Guard Commendation Medal • Senior Airman Emma Nofsker, N.H. National Guard Commendation Medal

Civilian award recipients include: • Teresa Raposo, N.H. National Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Dir. of Psychological Health • David Beecher, exceptionally dedicated service, Anti-Terrorism Program Specialist • Joseph Dyrkacz, exceptionally dedicated service, Plant Maintenance Manager • Brian Moriarty, exceptionally dedicated service, Maintenance Mechanic • Adam Sheldon, exceptionally dedicated service, Plant Maintenance Manager • Normand Dumais, exceptionally dedicated service, State Firefighter • Scott Sneirson, exceptionally dedicated service, Equipment Mechanic Foreman • Erica King, exceptionally dedicated service, Accountant

ATTENDEES APPLAUD as New Hampshire Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities finishes the birthday cake cutting with a ceremonial sword.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES Retired Maj. Gen. John Blair pins the Army Aviator Badge on grandson, Warrant Officer 1 John Blair, during his graduation from flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala. on Dec. 5. They were the same wings the senior Blair received when he graduated in 1967. He served the following year as a medevac pilot in Vietnam, earning a Purple Heart. He spent the next three decades in the N.H. Army National Guard, the last, from 1994 to 2004, as the adjutant general. The younger Blair is just beginning his career as a medevac pilot in the NHARNG.

Courtesy photo. DEADSHOT Staff Sgt. David Musso, Warrior Training Team Marksmanship Branch, New Hampshire Army National Guard, squeezes off a round at the firing range at the NHNG Training Site, Ctr. Strafford, Dec. 12. Musso helps conduct training throughout the force to help improve readiness and lethality. He regularly competes on combat marksmanship teams at state and regional matches.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Johnston, NHNG Deputy State PAO.

TAKING THE OATH Maj. Michael Blough, chief of wing plans, 157th Air Refueling Wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard, administers the oath of enlistment to Senior Airman Nicole Hayes at a ceremony held on Dec. 4 at Pease ANG Base. Hayes, a former soldier in the NHARNG, reenlisted after completing six years of honorable service with the 114th Public Affairs Detachment.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Johnston, Deputy State PAO.

SERIOUS BUSINESS From left, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scot Yeanish, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul Santana, Chief Warrant Officer 5 James Ormond, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Fletcher, Sgt. 1st Class Greg Chapman, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Anthony Foote, and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Phinney pose in front of a C-12 after their deployment ceremony Dec. 7 in Concord. The NHARNG aviators and support crew make up Operational Support Airlift, Detachment 18. They deployed later that month to Afghanistan.

Photo by Pfc. Mark Hayward, 114th Public Affairs Detachment.

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CANNON BALL! Cadet Caleb Grenon, a University of N.H. ROTC student assigned to B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, fires a 19th century cannon, known as the Parrott Rifle, with historians from the 1st N.H. Light Artillery at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke, Jan. 12. The demonstration was part of a history presentation by the Woodman Museum, which taught current N.H. field artillery soldiers about the state and branch legacy during the Civil War.

Photo by Capt. John Petro, 197th FAB Public Affairs.

LAST CALL As the sun set on the last day of 2019, NHANG Chief Master Sgt. Pranav Zaveri worked his final shift as an air traffic controller while deployed to the Middle East in support of the 332nd Expeditionary Wing. After 18 years as an ATC, Zaveri will return to the 157th Air Refueling Wing as an operations group chief.

Courtesy photo.

DEPARTURE CEREMONY Guardsmen of the 238th Medevac Company, NHARNG, muster for their departure ceremony at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Oct. 5. The unit is presently deployed to the Middle East, its fifth deployment in the last two decades.

Photo by Pfc. Mark Hayward, 114th Public Affairs Detachment.

IN COLD PURSUIT Maj. Heath Huffman, strategic plans and training officer for the NH Air National Guard, pushes past the target range during a 10K pursuit race Jan. 18 at the 2020 National Guard Biathlon Regional Competitions at Camp Ripley, Minn. Huffman finished 5th overall for the Eastern Region. He and three other N.H. guardsmen qualified for the NG Biathlon Championships in February.

Photo by Anthony Housey, MNARNG Public Affairs.

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DID YOU KNOW? CANNONS RETURN TO THE FORCE The NHARNG’s Battery C, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery in Rochester is armed with M777A2 howitzers, like these fired by soldiers at Fort Pickett, Virginia, July 28. A crew of eight guardsmen can fire the cannon’s 155mm projectiles, weighing more than 100 lbs. each,

to a range of 30km (18.6 miles) in any kind of weather at a rate of five rounds per minute. The N.H. guard, which has a long history of cannon artillery dating back to the Civil War, hasn’t employed howitzers since the last of its older M198s were divested in 2007.

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PROMOTIONS N.H. AIR NATIONAL GUARD Airman Basic Dominic Fusco Ahnais Letch Joshua Williams Airman Gage Kearnes James Kelly Jr. Oshua Morrison Thais Weller Airman First Class Reese Bassett Ryan Brown Quentin Curtiss Caitlin Hogan Casey Maas Ronald Richer Jr. Samuel Walker Senior Airman Aidan Anderson

Luke Baker Thomas Bullock Justin Burrows Nicole Hayes Madeleine Jemiolo Seth Joy Carson Lustenberger Colton Mercier Peter Murray Tobias Warner Staff Sergeant Amber Anderson Brandan Abel Alex Fernando Calancha Vargas Joshua Grant Erik Keyser Elise MacLaughlin Victoria Nelson Martina Ramsay Daniel Russell

Alexandria Stroup Benjamin Wiggins Technical Sergeant Lainey Graham Benjamin Keeler Henry Locke David Moore Jr. Master Sergeant David Anderson Amanda Goulet Kevin Johnson Thomas Watson IV Senior Master Sergeant Brian Dulin Kenneth Jones Matthew Knott

First Lieutenant Amanda Bogue Trevor Britt Jeremiah Neault Captain Jacob Ricciotti Major Jeanne Hunter William Daley Michelle Mastrobattista Jeffrey Mnich Colonel Brian Jusseaume

Chief Master Sergeant Kimberly Urice

N.H. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Private (PV1) Spencer Almeida Jeremiya Andrade Jayda Baker Jenna Bung Allen Mackay Danny Morse Jr. Christian Oglesby Patrick Spaulding Tyler Whiting Private (PV2) Parker Adams Abner Classenperez Cole Coburn Nolan Ditty Rami Eid Taylor Paquette Caleb Pelletier Dylan Rebelo Naila Thompson Conner Vaillancourt Evan White Patrick Williams Sean Farrell Mark Galvin Richard Gendron Kyle Gilmartin Todd Greeson David Holden Ashly Lavery Devin LeBlanc Gregory Marquis Michael McCall

Photo by Cotton Puryear, VA National Guard Public Affairs

Private First Class Kristina Avery Nicolas Cullerot Caio Campos

Jalyse Daudelin Tyr Davenport Joseph Doherty Michael Downs Mehak Hill Evan Fowler Kameron Fowler Maxwell Homer Elliot Frizzell Joscalyn Gallo Luis Galvezsoza Hunter Hinxman Joshua Houghton Matthew Hutchinson Faith Jenkins Brenden LaValley Christyan LeBlanc Aaron Limbat Stephanie Mahoney Eric Marsden Caleigh Mclain Nathan Miller Marcus Nelson Brady Mansfield Julian Smart Stephen Smith Daryl Smith Dilip Tamang Garin Treybig Dakota Tripp Isaac Wells Brandon Wolinski Specialist Jacob Beaudet Matheus Candido George Carson III John Dunn Kali Dwyer

Brandan Eldridge Dustin Garner Spencer Goad Keith Gravlin Mark Hayward Madison Johnson Ryan Kelly II Taylor Kurto Spencer Lajoie Michael Langlois Brett Lima Nathan Monroe Matthew McGrath Andrew Nicholls Cameron O’Shaughnessy John Palazzi Emily Pitre Garrett Ronco Madalyn Stella Jesse Rothery Jacob Sullivan Cole Saltmarsh Nasreddine Tber Corporal John Lally Abigail McCarty Sergeant Evan Camidge Stephanie Langlais Erin Lapine John Marcley Alex Martinez Michael Pappas Bernard Porter Jacob Rolfe Isaiah Sekenski Michael Tibbetts

Staff Sergeant Devin J. Anderson Anthony Nguyen Robert Tuttle Jr. Sergeant First Class Jeremiah Smith Command Sergeant Major James Westgate Jr. Warrant Officer Matthew Kreisz Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Wareing Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tina Corliss Captain Brendan Meehan Kurt Thompson Major Jacob Akers Logan Kenney Brandon Labelle Jason Longval Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Bird Mark Patterson

NEW HAMPSHIRE GUARDSMAN 1 Minuteman Way Concord, NH 03301

PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #207 DULLES, VA