Grassroots diplomacy with El Salvador
Winter 2011
We are stronger and wiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Honorable John H. Lynch Governor of New Hampshire
Major General William Reddel III Adjutant General of the N.H. National Guard
Brigadier General Craig Bennett Commander of the N.H. Army National Guard Brigadier General Carolyn Protzmann Commander of the N.H. Air National Guard
Major Greg Heilshorn State Public Affairs Officer, N.H. National Guard First Sergeant Michael Daigle Deputy State Public Affairs Officer, N.H. National Guard
Captain Sue Lamb Public Affairs Officer, 157th Air Refueling Wing, N.H. Air National Guard
STAFF
114th Public Affairs Detachment, N.H. Army Guard, and 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office and Communications Squadron, N.H. Air Guard Bob Ulin Publisher
Marie Lundstrom
A good stand-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 54th Troop Command hones marksmanship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Dunkelberger makes general, assistant to USAF chief nurse. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Dispensing with the particulars . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Performing with steady aplomb . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Quest for German gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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Salvadoran partnership continues to evolve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 More than willing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 MEDEVAC crew receives prestigious award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 One tough mudder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Editor
Gloria Schein Graphic Artist
Chris Kersbergen Darrell George Advertising Sales
Toll Free: (866) 562-9300 • Fax: (907) 562-9311 Web: www.AQPpublishing.com
Jumping on the back of a speeding train. . . 19 Back on solid ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Army Promotions & Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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Air Promotions & Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The New Hampshire National Guard Magazine is a quarterly, joint publication for the soldiers and airmen serving in the N.H. National Guard, as well as their families and retirees. It is posted to the World Wide Web at https://www.nh.ngb.army.mil. The New Hampshire National Guard Magazine is a commercial enterprise publication produced in partnership with the State Public Affairs Office, New Hampshire National Guard, 1 Minuteman Way, Concord, NH 03301; and AQP Publishing Inc., 8537 Corbin Drive, Anchorage, AK 99507. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser shall result in the refusal to print advertising from that source. 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. Circulation: 3,000 How to reach us: We welcome letters to the editor. They must include the writer’s full name and mailing address.
On the cover: State Command Sgt. Maj. John Nanof visits with a group of students during a break in classes from the San Jose Villanueva school in El Salvador on Feb. 15, 2011. The school has established a longterm relationship with Bow High School in Bow, N.H. through the NHNG State Partnership Program with El Salvador. Photo courtesy of Maj. Brian Fernandes, NHARNG
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Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
New Hampshire National Guard Magazine State Public Affairs Office, N.H. National Guard 1 Minuteman Way • Concord, NH 03301 (603) 225-1340
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We are stronger and wiser By Maj. Gen. William Reddel III, Adjutant General of the New Hampshire National Guard
On Dec. 13, 2011, our National Guard celebrated 375 years of dedicated service to our individual states and nation. From King Philip’s War in 1675 to the current struggle in Afghanistan, National Guardsmen have fought bravely in every major American conflict.
New Hampshire National Guardsmen Sgt. Ian James of Pittsfield and Master Sgt. Marc Gagnon of Manchester join N.H. Gov. John Lynch to cut a birthday cake during a ceremony Dec. 13 at the Statehouse in Concord to celebrate the 375th anniversary of the National Guard. Photo by 1st Sgt. Mike Daigle, Deputy PAO
At home, they have responded to crises, saving lives, protecting property, and giving a much-needed sense of comfort to their fellow citizens. The New Hampshire National Guard as a militia for selfdefense can be traced back to 1623 and the first settlements near the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth. Since 9/11, more than 2,000 New Hampshire Guardsmen have deployed overseas in support of combat and peacekeeping missions under Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Collectively, they account for a Silver Star, several Bronze Stars and Army Commendation Medals with Valor Devices, more than 100 Combat Infantry and Combat Action Badges, and more than 100 Purple Hearts. Four have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Sgt. Jeremiah Holmes, Spc. Alan Burgess, Sgt. David Stelmat and Cpl. Scott Dimond were killed in action. Domestically, N.H. citizen soldiers and airmen have mobilized under Operation Noble Eagle, aided the victims of floods and ice storms, and rescued lost hikers in the White Mountains. They have stood up a Civil Support Team that has responded to chemical and biological emergencies, and developed a proficiency for nation-building establishing a model State Partnership Program with the Central American country of El Salvador. The last 10 years of our history have been the most dynamic on record, forever changing the way we operate. We are stronger and wiser. We have a greater appreciation of who we are and what we stand for. The connection to our communities has grown deeper, and we are as committed to the ideals of our state and nation as the first minutemen were nearly four centuries ago. Our legacy continues to grow richer thanks to your selfless service and the support and sacrifice of your families, employers and communities. You are of the One Percent a free society has always depended on. O
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
From right, Sgt. Robert McKay and Pvt. Derek Champagne of the 237th Military Police Company, New Hampshire Army National Guard, speak with a Litchfield, N.H., resident during a health and wellness check Nov. 2. More than 80 percent of the town was without power as a result of the Halloween nor’easter. Photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Hughes, 114th PAD
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
A GOOD STAND-IN Story and photos by Maj. Greg Heilshorn, State PAO
If Santa ever needs a stand-in, chances are Gil Colon will be on his short list. For nearly three decades, the New Hampshire National Guard warrant officer has volunteered to support a charity that collects toys for thousands of disadvantaged boys and girls. Fittingly coined “Operation Santa Claus,” the program is the annual holiday cause of the State Employees Association of New Hampshire. Each December, the SEA partners with the Guard to distribute donated gifts to 11 locations across the Granite state. Colon, of Rochester, started as a driver and worked his way up to state coordinator, overseeing an effort that has swelled to include more than 100 citizen soldiers and airmen. “I love this,” said Colon, during what would be his last Operation Santa Claus on Dec. 13. Colon retired from the military at the end of the month. “It’s one of the nicest things we do as an organization. People see us helping for storms and disaster relief, but when we can go back into our communities like this, it really gets to the heart of who we are and why we are here.” Over the years, Colon has taken a postman-like approach to his responsibilities, ensuring the N.H. Guard lives up to its national creed of “Always Ready. Always There.” “Through all kinds of weather, snow and ice storms and bitter cold, we never lost a package and always got the toys there on time,” he said. Jane Lyman, a longtime civilian volunteer from Silver Lake, said the N.H. Guard has been crucial to the success of the program, which started in 1961. “Without the Guard, I don’t know how we would get all these gifts to where they need to go,” she said. “Every child needs to have a Christmas.” They are children who have lost their parents to illnesses or accidents, according to the SEA. Some have been abandoned or have been removed from abusive homes. Other children have both parents, but their families have been overwhelmed by job loss, foreclosure and homelessness. Lyman’s fondest memory is of a 15year-old boy who had lost his parents and was being taken care of by his grand-
Chief Warrant Officer Gil Colon displays a citation from Gov. John Lynch, who recognized his many years of involvement with Operation Santa Claus on Dec. 13 in Concord.
mother. “He wanted nothing for himself and everything for his grandmother,” she said. “We got as many things as we could think of in a box for his grandmother and then filled another box for him.” Another volunteer, Dianne Blodgett of Concord, recalled a 3-year-old asking for a blanket rather than a toy, and another child “who just wanted chocolate milk.” “I wish I could be there on Christmas Day to see them open their presents,” Blodgett said. At an otherwise nondescript state warehouse near the Greyhound bus station in Concord, about 50 N.H. Guardsmen loaded toys and bikes into a small convoy of Army trucks. Maj. Gen. William Reddel, the Adjutant General of the N.H. Guard, along with the deputy adjutant, Brig. Gen. Carolyn Protzmann, joined soldiers and airmen to form a green and tan bucket brigade. Gov. John Lynch was on hand as well to thank everyone for their support. “It’s good to help out with all the different locations,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Morris of Berwick, Maine, an active duty aircraft mechanic with the 64th Air Refueling Squadron at Pease Air National Guard Base. Sgt. Jason Burpee of Hooksett, a soldier with the 3643rd Brigade Support Battalion, said, “I grew up in a thrifty household. I grew up not knowing what it
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
was like to not always get what you wanted.” Both were first-time volunteers, something Colon likes to see as he bids farewell to a mission he helped build, one toy at a time. “Others will step up,” Colon said, moments after Lynch presented him with a citation for his years of service with Operation Santa Claus. “It’s what we do. It’s what we are best at.” O
A bucket brigade of N.H. Guardsmen load toys at a warehouse in Concord on Dec. 13 in support of Operation Santa Claus.
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54th Troop Command hones marksmanship By Spc. Margaret Taylor, 114th PAD
On one range, a Humvee-mounted MK-19 belched rounds into the still, foggy morning air. Not far away, the new M-320 grenade launcher debuted by spewing orange chalk-filled rounds at targets downrange. And at another site nearby, M-240B and M-249 machine guns chattered side by side, toppling targets up and down a tree-lined hillside. These were only some of the weapons various units in the New Hampshire Army National Guard brought to the ranges at Fort Devens, Mass., for their annual weapons qualification on Oct. 1-3. In attendance were about 370 soldiers from the 54th Troop Command, including the 237th Military Police Company, 160th Engineers Detachment, C Company, 3/172nd Infantry Battalion (Mountain), C Company, 2/238th Aviation Regiment (MEDEVAC), 169th Aviation, and the 114th Public Affairs Detachment. These soldiers had an opportunity to train on handguns, rifles, grenade launchers and a variety of crew-served weapons.
“There have been plenty of rounds and plenty of range time. We have had a lot of trigger time, and as infantrymen that’s what we need.” – Staff Sgt. Derek Downey
“The goal of the weekend was to hone soldiers’ perishable skills,” said 1st Sgt. Robert Rogers, first sergeant of the 237th MP Company. “Its purpose was also to introduce them to new equipment and work out the kinks.” While weapons proficiency was a major logistical objective, the weekend brought about several other triumphs as well. For example, Mountain Company soldiers, were able to train on the M-320, a brand new weapon system that will replace the M-203 grenade launcher. The new weapon is no longer attached to soldiers’ M-4 rifles, and is much more versatile as an independent weapon, soldiers said. During its training, the company was able to qualify 21 soldiers on the new weapon, despite their first time firing it. “They pick it up really quick,” said Staff Sgt. Derek Downey, Mountain Company, 3rd platoon sergeant. “There have been plenty of rounds and plenty of range time. We have had a lot of trigger time, and as infantrymen that’s what we need.” Qualifications began almost as soon as units arrived at Fort Devens and lasted through the afternoon and into early evening. Once darkness fell, soldiers engaged in a night-fire exercise, shooting targets lit only by intermittent strobes. The following day afforded many soldiers the opportunity to cross-train. “There was a good mix of skills,” said Maj. Melinda Morin, executive officer for the 54th TC, who played a key role in organizing the weekend. “The diversity of the troops gathered here was fantastic.” Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
Staff Sgt. Peter Miner, a squad leader with the 237th MP Company, demonstrates a technique for dislodging jammed ammunition from an MK 19 grenade launcher at Fort Devens, Mass., Oct. 2. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
The firing line also brought together units from different states and services. The Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing Security Force shared a range with Mountain Company, and both welcomed any soldier or airman who wished to train on their M-240B or M-249 machine guns. Camaraderie was a natural by-product of the weekend training. “He’s got my back, and I’ve got his,” said Spc. Jeff Flanagan of his assistant gunner, Pvt. Joe Green, after they qualified on the M-240B. “It’s as simple as that.” O 5
RAMP UP
From left, Maj. Heidi Lelke, Lt. Col. Michael Blair and Tech. Sgt. Richard Blais, a tanker crew with the 157th Air Refueling Wing, consult their flight manual during a weekend exercise Oct. 22, 2011, at Pease Air National Guard Base. Photo by Staff Sgt. Curtis J. Lenz, 157th ARW PA
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
Dunkelberger makes general, assistant to USAF chief nurse Col. Gretchen Dunkelberger of Eliot, Maine, has been selected to serve as the Air National Guard’s assistant to the U.S. Air Force chief nurse and for promotion to the rank of brigadier general. The former commander of the 157th Medical Group at Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire will be responsible for advising Maj. Gen. Kimberly Siniscalchi on all programs and policies related to recruitment, training, utilization, deployment, and retention of the nearly 3,000 commissioned and enlisted nursing personnel in the Air National Guard.
Dunkelberger most recently served as the Air National Guard assistant to the commander, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. She is currently leading two exploratory teams dealing with national access to health care for the Air Reserve Component and psychological health within the Reserve Component (both AFRES and ANG). She earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of New Hampshire in 1983 and joined the U.S. Air Force in October of the same year. O
Dispensing with the particulars By Fallon Reed, Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator, New Hampshire Department of Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management
state, and a third “mobile” unit capable Management and Patient Tracking system The New Hampshire Air Guard, in of responding to any place in New or IRMS. Utilizing the system in a conconjunction with the Departments of Hampshire. The Pease site is staffed and trolled environment such as the SERV Safety, Health and Human Services, conmanaged by the 157th Medical Group. POD exercise allows for the system to be ducted the 2nd annual State Emergency tested and to ensure that it will work The exercise also provided the opporResponder and Volunteer Point of appropriately during an emergency. O tunity to use the state’s new Inventory Dispensing, or SERV POD, exercise at Pease Air National Guard Base on Nov. 5. The exercise was held during the Guard’s drill weekend and provided seasonal influenza vaccine to more than 500 airmen in less than two hours. SERV PODs are designed to vaccinate or provide prophylaxis to statelevel emergency responders, mission critical personnel and their families in the first few hours of a public health emergency requiring mass prophylaxis. SERV PODs would be utilized to ensure that National Guard, state police, state EOC staff and others would be able to continue with their response efforts and ensure that their health is not at risk during the event. There are two SERV PODs identified with Capt. Paul Marcus gives a shot to an airman at the 2nd annual State Emergency Responder and Volunteer Point of Dispensing, or SERV POD, exercise at Pease Air National Guard Base on Nov. 5. Courtesy photo physical locations in the Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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Performing with steady aplomb Story and photos by Spc. Margaret Taylor, 114th PAD
At first, there wasn’t much to look at – a pile of concrete rubble here, a bunch of white trucks with white trailers there, and a big black tarp covering a strip of ground in the middle. Several dozen National Guardsmen, their bright orange vests in stark contrast to the bleak October landscape, waited for a signal. Then, at a word, a hailstorm of activity broke out. Citizen soldiers and airmen from New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island emptied out the trailers and transformed the bleak field into something out of the next apocalyptic movie, sans zombies. Within a half hour, several white and yellow decontamination tents – most set aside for victims but a few for rescuers
as well – had been set up around the black tarp. Then, while some service members ran water hoses from portable generators and water sources to the tents, others began donning their white hazardous material suits.
Once validated, the New England CERFP will be capable of responding to an emergency anywhere in the region – even across the nation, if necessary – in less than eight hours.
Within 90 minutes, the New England Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), comprising 200 Guardsmen, was ready to tackle whatever hazmat catastrophe might come. As part of a five-day training exercise culminating in a federal validation, the New England CERFP put on a public display of its capabilities for state and regional military leaders at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord Oct. 26. The exhibition involved setting up decontamination and medical units, and working through a disaster-relief scenario with about 100 “victims.” The purpose of the training was to acquire certification, to practice with units from other states and to hone emergency response skills, said Capt. Darrell Davis
Soldiers with the Search and Extraction team, 861st Engineer Company, Rhode Island National Guard, prepare to move a victim away from a disaster site during a training exercise at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord, N.H., Oct. 26.
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
Airmen from the 143rd Medical Group, Rhode Island Air National Guard, help a victim move from a gurney to the start of the decontamination line during a training exercise at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord, Oct. 26
of Newcastle, the commander of the NHNG’s team. Many soldiers in C Company, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), for example, are EMTs or firefighters in their civilian jobs, Davis said. Participation in the CERFP permits these soldiers to broaden their working knowledge as well as share it with teammates who come from different areas of expertise. “It’s great for unit cohesion,” said Sgt. Shannon Kulakowski of Epping, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the NHNG team. “With us helping out in hazmat cases, it frees up local first responders so they can keep doing their jobs.” Once validated, the New England CERFP will be capable of responding to an emergency anywhere in the region – even across the nation, if necessary – in less than eight hours. Not long after the decontamination area was established, soldiers from 861st Engineer Company, 56th Troop Command, Rhode Island Army National
Guard, began their search and extraction mission, combing through the rubble – in the scenario, the site of a bomb blast – for survivors. Those victims able to walk were quickly moved from the hot zone, or the source of the incident and contaminated area around it, into the first tent (the warm zone) to begin decontamination. Hazmat-suited soldiers from the NHNG processed the victims one by one, helping them remove their contaminated clothing, wash off any residual toxins and move across the black tarp to the critical or noncritical care medical tents (the cold zone) for additional treatment. Next door, civil engineers from the 143rd Airlift Wing, R.I. Air National Guard, performed the same operation, only with victims who were unable to walk. They were transported from the hot zone in gurneys, through triage and onto a conveyor-belt system through the warm zone. Once out of the warm zone, the victims were wheeled to the cold zone tents manned by members of the 157th
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
Staff Sgt. Abel Emanuelli of Derry, N.H., an infantryman with C Company, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), New Hampshire Army National Guard, helps a victim through the decontamination line during a training exercise at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord, Oct. 26.
Medical Group, N.H. Air National Guard. In an actual situation, injured victims would have been transported from there to local civilian medical facilities. O 9
Quest for German
GOLD
Story and photo by Spc. Margaret Taylor, 114th PAD
“You can do it!” “Come on, Taylor!” “You’re almost there!” The cheers of the soldiers I’d just met the day before carried me over the finish line with a few minutes to spare. I took a few more wobbly steps and gratefully dropped the 35-pound pack I’d been carrying for the last 7.5 miles. I was the last to finish, and I didn’t expect the welcoming party. Twelve soldiers from various units in the New Hampshire Army National Guard, two from the 157th Airlift Wing, N.H. Air Guard, and I spent much of Oct. 13-14 striving for the German Armed Force Military Proficiency Badge at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and at Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth. This award is one of the few foreign badges U.S. service members are allowed to earn and wear, and the process to gain it is arduous, to say the least. But receiving an award is not the sole benefit of the event. “It definitely boosts morale,” said Sgt. 1st Class Sage Ladieu, an attrition and retention NCO from Center Barnstead and assistant facilitator of the event. Retired Maj. Robert Sanders of Kennebunkport, Maine, and a senior military science instructor for UNH Army ROTC, and the event’s primary facilitator, learned of the badge during one of his several tours of duty overseas when he was stationed in Germany. He competed in the event during that tour and was awarded a badge. Not many soldiers get a chance nowadays to earn a foreign award, Sanders said. Providing his cadets with an opportunity to experience the event, maybe earn a badge and put their soldier skills, agility, endurance and strength to the test was something he really wanted to do. After receiving the necessary certification from German headquarters in the winter of 2010, Sanders was able to set up the first competition in New Hampshire in May 2011 for his cadets. This piqued such an interest that he sponsored another one later in May, opening it to National Guardsmen. The next German badge qualification event is scheduled for spring 2012. O
Master Sgt. Lore Ford competes in the swim portion of the German Armed Forces Military Proficiency Badge test Oct 13-14, 2011, at the University of New Hampshire. Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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Salvadoran partnership continues to evolve
Maj. Gen. Mark Sears, the deputy commander for mobility and reserve affairs at U.S. Southern Command, makes a point during a conversation with Brig. Gen. Jamie Parada, the vice chief of the Salvadoran Joint General Staff, and Col. Carlos Mena of the Salvadoran Air Force, at Pease Air National Guard Base, Newington, Aug. 13, 2011. Photo by Capt. Rob Burnham, NHNG PA
By Capt. Robert Burnham, NHNG PA
A delegation of El Salvador’s military high command met with New Hampshire National Guard leadership last August to discuss disaster preparedness during a weeklong visit to the Granite State. “We have a domestic response mission, and we need to enhance our techniques in responding for the future,” said Brig. Gen. Jamie Parada, the vice chief of the Salvadoran military’s Joint General Staff. Discussions also focused on the future of the military’s 12-year-old relationship with the N.H. Guard, established in 2000 under the National Guard’s State Partnership Program, which now touts more than 60 such partnerships between state National Guards and countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Central and South America. The two parties agreed to incorporate more disaster response-related training into their program, which averages 10 to 15 exchanges or events annually. In January, a contingent of senior leaders from the N.H. Guard were scheduled to travel to El Salvador, a five-hour flight 12
Brig. Gen. Craig Bennett, commander of the N.H. Army Guard, shows Brig. Gen. Jamie Parada, the vice chief of the Salvadoran Joint General Staff, a photo of a group of N.H. Guardsmen pushing a Salvadoran bus that was stuck in mud during a 2006 medical readiness exercise in Francisco Gotera, El Salvador. The photo is from a book entitled “Why We Serve,” which Bennett presented to Parada as a gift during an August 2011 senior military visit. Looking on is Maj. Gen. William Reddel III, the Adjutant General of the N.H. Guard. Photo by Capt. Rob Burnham, NHNG PA New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
from Boston. The visit was to coincide with a Salvadoran air show and the delivery of computers and musical instruments donated by the University of New Hampshire ROTC program and students from Bow High School. “Our program continues to evolve into a mutually beneficial partnership,” said Maj. Gen. William Reddel III, the Adjutant General of the N.H. Guard. “We are building lasting relationships founded in a friendly, professional exchange of expertise in military, civic, business and educational arenas. We have established partnerships with our militaries, university and primary school systems, law enforcement agencies, search and rescue teams, and chambers of commerce.” At the national level, the partnership gives New Hampshire a prominent role in nation-building and overall global stability, Reddel added. El Salvador was the only country in the Western Hemisphere outside of the United States to commit troops in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “We believe our partnership played a role in the country’s decision to support
Mari Carmen Aponte, U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, enjoys a conversation with Derek DeAngelis, a Bow High School humanities teacher, during a N.H. Guard military and civic leader visit to El Salvador in February 2011, which included an office call with Ambassador Aponte at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador. The Bow, N.H. school shares a partnership with a Salvadoran school in the town of San Jose Villanueva. Photo courtesy of Maj. Brian Fernandes, NHARNG
Brig. Gen. Craig Bennett, commander of the N.H. Army Guard, salutes a Salvadoran cavalry soldier during a February 2011 N.H. Guard leader visit to El Salvador. Photo courtesy of Maj. Brian Fernandes, NHARNG
our commander in chief as well as support NATO operations in Afghanistan,” said Reddel. “Our civil-military nature makes our state and National Guard uniquely qualified to effect a positive impact on nations with burgeoning democracies like El Salvador.” At the individual level, the state is developing a more diplomatically astute, globally aware citizen, he added. The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador experiences frequent earthquakes and tremors as well as hurricanes and tropical storms that often have devastating effects on the population and land. The Salvadoran military, because of its size and capability, has proved well-suited to respond to natural disasters, playing a prominent role in the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the earthquakes of 2001; and the eruption of Santa Ana volcano in 2005, which coincided with a devastating tropical storm and earthquake that produced landslides. O
A student from San Jose Villanueva, El Salvador, smiles for a photographer during a break at his school, Feb. 15, 2011. The school shares a partnership with the Bow High School through the N.H. Guard’s State Partnership Program with El Salvador. Photo courtesy of Maj. Brian Fernandes, NHARNG
IN THE VALLEY OF HAMMOCKS Tucked between the southern borders of Guatemala and Honduras, El Salvador is home to nearly 7 million people. A fault line running down the center of the country connects 22 volcanoes, four of which have been active in the last 50 years. More than 1 million people reside in the capital city of San Salvador, which was originally nicknamed “El Valle de las Hamacas” or “The Valley of the Hammocks” by Spanish explorers because of the frequent seismic activity. From 1980 to 1992, a civil war cost the lives of 75,000 people. The country has struggled since then to build a stable economic base amid crime, corruption and gang violence. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million Salvadorans live in the United States and send remittances home – accounting for about 17 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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MORE THAN WILLING
Five questions for Senior Airman Ryan Weeks, 22, of the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron, N.H. Air National Guard. The Milan resident was selected as part of the color guard for the official ceremony marking the end of the United States military mission in Iraq held in Baghdad on Dec. 15. The 157th’s Airman of the Year for 2011, Weeks was among the last N.H. Guardsmen serving in Iraq. He was interviewed via email by Maj. Greg Heilshorn, State PAO. How were you selected to be a part of the color guard? A base-wide email was sent out in search of an Air Force individual between the heights of 5’11 and 6’1 who would be staying in Iraq until “end of mission” and was interested in representing the Air Force on the Joint Service Color Guard team. I was hesitant at first because I had zero color guard experience up to that point, but I decided to go for it. After a couple days of practice, they determined that I was the right fit for the team. How did it feel to be a part of such a historic ceremony? It was a tremendous honor. We knew how important this was to the United States and especially to the families of those individuals who made the ultimate
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sacrifice. We wanted to guarantee that the ceremony was flawless. What’s your mission in Iraq? I arrived in Iraq in late October for a short notice tasking to assist with the surge of troops and equipment leaving the country. I am in the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. I’m currently on my third overseas assignment. The first was an involuntary at Al Asad, Iraq. The second was Bagram, Afghanistan. I volunteered for the second and third deployments. What are your duties at Pease? I am a traditional Guardsman at the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron. When I’m not on active duty orders or on drill status I attend the University of New Hampshire as a full-time student. Why did you join the military? I was raised in a very proud family who has the military embedded in their roots. My brother is a former Marine who served in Fallujah, Iraq, at the height of the war in 2006. My father is a retired Navy veteran who served several tours in Vietnam. My grandfather served along with his brothers and the list goes on. When it came my time, I was more than willing to serve my country. O
New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
MEDEVAC crew receives prestigious award
From left, Capt. Pete Cartmell, commander, F Company, 1/169th MEDEVAC Detachment, N.H. Army National Guard; former NHARNG Chief Warrant Officer Zachary Lane of Bridgeport, W. Va; James Osborne, a rescued hiker; Staff Sgt. Matthew Stohrer of Lebanon, Penn., and a UH-60 aircrew member standardization instructor, Eastern Army Aviation Training Site, Pennsylvania ARNG; and Sgt. 1st Class Allan Robinson of Litchfield, N.H., quality control/test assurance, 195th Regiment, NHARNG, pose with Osborne, whose life they saved during a search and rescue mission in February 2008. Photo by Spc. Margaret Taylor, 114th PAD
An aircrew from the 238th MEDEVAC Company, N.H. Army National Guard, received the New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Award on Oct. 23 at the N.H. Police Standards and Training Facility in Concord. Capt. Peter Cartmell, retired Chief Warrant Officer Zachary Lane, Staff Sgt. Matthew Stoher and Sgt. 1st Class Alan Robinson were honored along with N.H. Fish and Game by New Hampshire’s congressional delegation for its search and rescue of two lost hikers on Franconia Ridge on Feb. 11, 2008. “With winds gusting up to 65 knots and freezing fog causing ice buildup on the blades, it was the most extreme mission for a N.H. Army Guard search and rescue crew in the last 20 years,” said Col. Frank Leith, the state Army aviation officer at the time, in a story for the spring 2008 edition of New Hampshire National Guard Magazine. It was one of three separate rescue operations performed by the 238th in a span of nine days under fierce weather conditions. Cartmell received the award for the second time. O
Capt. Pete Cartmell, commander, F Company, 1/169th MEDEVAC Detachment, N.H. Army National Guard, is congratulated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen for receiving the New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Award at the N.H. Police Standards and Training facility in Concord, N.H., Oct. 23. Cartmell and three other members of his former UH-60 Black Hawk crew, C Company, 3-238th Aviation Regiment, received the award for their participation in a search and rescue mission in February 2008, which saved the life of a lost hiker. Photo by Spc. Margaret Taylor, 114th PAD
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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99% of Americans have seen combat on TV.
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1% of Americans have seen combat in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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One tough mudder By Tech. Sgt. Angela Stebbins, 157th ARW Public Affairs
This past Mother’s Day was far from the norm for Tech. Sgt. Melinda Fuller, a mother of three children and non-destructive inspection shop unit training manager from the 157th Air Refueling Wing maintenance group. While most moms would simply want to relax on Mother’s Day, relaxing was not what Fuller had in mind. This year, Fuller spent Mother’s Day with those she refers to as her extended family – other members of the 157th ARW. She and four other Guardsmen from Pease participated in the Tough Mudder Competition at Mount Snow in Vermont. The event was designed by British Special Forces, and is said by many sports race and endurance critics to be one of the hardest one-day endurance competitions in the world, with courses typically between 7 and 12 miles. The organization boasts that this competition tests all-around toughness, fitness, strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie – all in one place and in one day. The contest Fuller competed in is composed of 10 miles of steep ascents, descents and obstacle courses that could vie with some of the best military training facilities in the world. This competition also raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, raising more than $600,000 in 2010 alone. “Six months ago, my team members and I started training. We ranged in age, gender, fitness levels, body types, heights and weights. The motivating factors for each of us may have been a bit different, but ‘bettering our physical fitness’ was a common goal,” Fuller said. “Our team from Pease was made up of Tech. Sgt. Keith Brocato, Tech. Sgt. Hope Townes, 2nd Lt. Jeff Hill, Staff Sgt. Sean Avery, and myself, (along with some friends and family members),” Fuller said. “We made a Tough Mudder team pledge, sang the national anthem with great pride and ran across the starting line. The ‘race’ that we knew would test our physical and mental strength took longer than any of us had anticipated – 4.5 hours. At 37 years old, I can say that the ‘race’ was grueling and filled with physical and mental challenges that I had not expected.
Members of the 157th Air Refueling Wing take on the “Tough Mudder” competition on Mother’s Day. Pictured from left, 2nd Lt. Jeff Hill, Tech. Sgt. Hope Townes, Staff Sgt. Melinda Fuller and Staff Sgt. Sean Avery. Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Fuller
We were faced with vertical climbs and steep descents, kneedeep mud, icy and rocky terrain and 35-degree water that we had to swim across. “It was immediately apparent that this 10-mile course was going to be tough and could not be done with an ‘every man for himself’ attitude. We all quickly put the word ‘race’ out of our minds and replaced it with ‘challenge,’ as we knew the only way any of us would cross the finish line was if we crossed it together,” she said. On average, only 78 percent of the participants finish a Tough Mudder event; however, every one of our unit members finished! O
PLYING THEIR TRADE
N.H. Guardsmen from the 157th Civil Engineer Squadron, 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron, and Detachment 2, 160th Engineer Company, build an internal support structure during renovations to the NATO school administration building in Oberammergau, Germany, Aug. 16, 2011. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Vezeau, 157th ARW PA
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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SALUTING OUR 14TH PRESIDENT
Maj. Gen. William Reddel III, the Adjutant General of the N.H. National Guard, salutes a flag held by the Governor’s Horse Guard during a ceremony Nov. 22, 2011, at Old North Cemetery in Concord to honor the 207th birthday of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States. Photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Hughes, 114th PAD
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
Jumping on the back of a speeding train By Krista Graham
This morning Tom came in from walking our dog. As he knelt down to take off its leash, he complained, “All you do is sniff around. You don’t accomplish your mission!” Tom has been home for several weeks now. Aside from the fact that he speaks largely in military terms or acronyms and still measures time on a 24-hour clock, he finally seems to be settling in. But it has taken a while. The first several days he was home, he described it as feeling like “waking up from a coma.” Like Rip Van Winkle, he had opened his eyes one day to find himself in a home that had moved on without him. The structure of the house was the same, but the walls and carpets were different. The children had also changed. One had become a teenager, and another was now old enough to drive. One had turned 20, and another had joined the Marines. The neighborhood was also different. Two houses had sold, and new families had moved in. Our extended family had grown. A niece had been born, and a brother-in-law married. So many changes in such a short time! After about a week of wandering around in this waking dream, I heard Tom say to a friend, “You know what it feels like being home?” I expected to hear the coma metaphor again but was surprised to hear him say, “It is like jumping on to the back of a speeding train!” After a year of military consistency with a predictable routine and clearly defined mission, he found himself plunged into the world of work schedules and car pools and lessons and sleepovers and errands. Our “normal” family routine is sheer chaos and mayhem compared to what he’s been used to. From my point of view, it is good to have him home. I had grown a bit weary of being on my own. Certain things were really starting to get old. Little things,
“And best of all, when my 15 year old comes to me and says, ‘Mom, will you take me out driving?’ I can reply with a smile, ‘Go ask your father!’” –Krista Graham
Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Graham is welcomed home by NHARNG Command Chief Warrant Officer William Harville at Manchester airport on Aug. 29. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
like having to walk from one side of my bed to the other to make it each morning or never being able to pass off a tough decision by saying, “Go ask your father!” Still, it hasn’t been all roses since Tom reentered our world. First of all, he returned with far more than he left with. I knew we were in trouble when, prior to his return, I started receiving large boxes mailed from Kuwait addressed from Tom to Tom. As the time of his arrival got closer, the boxes got bigger. Some were large flat squares. Others were giant plastic foot lockers. Every few days, I had to drive to the post office to pick up a package too large to deliver. I heaped these containers up in the corner of our spare room. Several times visitors asked me, “What’s in all those boxes?” My answer was always the same: “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.” When the unpacking process began about five days after Tom got home, I quickly learned that unnecessary stuff shipped home by a soldier is not to be called “junk.” The correct term is “artifacts.” Needless to say, we were up to our necks in artifacts for several days. Just when I was about ready to check into a hotel, Tom miraculously made it all disappear. I am not asking where it ended up. What I don’t know can’t irritate me.
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
Before Tom left, we attended an Army-sponsored pre-deployment workshop. We were challenged with the fact that statistically families either break down or grow stronger as a result of deployment separation. We were told that we either had to actively work to strengthen relationships, or they would naturally erode under the strain. We decided that we wanted to be one of the families who came out of this year better than we went in. We certainly didn’t do everything in top-notch style. Tom left many emails from home unanswered, and I served more frozen dinners on paper plates than I’d like to admit. But overall, looking back on where we were a year ago and where we are now, I think we can say, “Mission Accomplished.” And best of all, when my 15 year old comes to me and says, “Mom, will you take me out driving?” I can reply with a smile, “Go ask your father!” O
Krista’s husband, Chief Warrant Officer Tom Graham, deployed with the 197th Fires Brigade as the brigade historian and a contracting specialist. During his deployment, Krista wrote a blog from the perspective of a wife and mother. This was her last installment.
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Back on solid ground In the late summer, early fall of 2011 the 197th Fires Brigade and Detachment 18, Operational Support Airlift, returned from deployments in support of Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. The homecomings marked the completion of the largest mobilization of N.H. Guardsmen at any one time since World War II.
Master Sgt. Thomas Pratt of HHB, 197th Brigade embraces his family during a welcome home reception at the Manchester armory on Aug. 29, 2011. Pratt was among the last of 750 brigade soldiers to redeploy after serving in Kuwait in support of Operation New Dawn. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
the t General for el III, Adjutan her members of dd Re m ia ill Maj. Gen. W ampshire, along with ot H eet returning state of New hire National Guard, gr . 16, in ps ug A am H e, ad ew s Brig the N the 197th Fire soldiers from Manchester.
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From left, Col. Peter Corey, commander of the 197th Fires Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Considine unfurl the unit colors during a welcome home reception at the Manchester armory on Aug. 29, 2011. The soldiers returned from a yearlong deployment in support of Operation New Dawn. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
All seven mem bers of Opera return home tional Suppor to to Afghanist New Hampshire after th t Airlift Detachment 18 an to fly surv eir yearlong eillance and deployment missions from intelligencebases in Bag gathering was welcom ra m an d Kandahar. ed by friends Detachment an Support Faci 18 lity, Concord, d family at the Army Av iation N.H., on Sept . 22.
Maj. Gen. William Reddel III, Adjutant General for the state of New Hampshire, and Gov. John Lynch, governor of New Hampshire, pose for a photo with Isaiah Cross, 7, and Esther Cross, 4, at the Operational Support Airlift Detachment 18, welcome home ceremony, Sept. 22, at the Army Aviation Support Facility.
Maj. Brian Fisher of the 197th Fires Brigade hugs his son during a welcome home ceremony at the Manchester armory on Aug. 19, 2011. The soldiers returned from a yearlong deployment in support of Operation New Dawn. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
Chief Warrant Officer 4 George Munson of Operational Support Airlift Detachment 18 is welcomed home by his family at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Concord, Sept. 13. Det. 18 deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom flying surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions from Bagram and Kandahar. Photo by Spc. Courtney Selig, 114th PAD
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
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BALANCING ACT Chief Warrant Officer Joe Bledsoe of Joint Force Headquarters traverses a rope bridge during the unit’s August 2011 drill weekend. The river crossing was part of training to emphasize soldier proficiency, physical fitness and team building. Photo by Spc. Karin Leach, 114th PAD
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011
Army Promotions & Awards Private Second Class Kenneth Brown Ryan Peterson Nicholas Theberge Spencer Dayton Jesse Therrien Kyle Simard
Private First Class Richard Rivenburgh Joseph Green Elijah Hawkins Anthony Govostes
Lydia Whitmore Bradford Colburn Benjamin Nicholl Joshua Calawa
Specialist Nicholas Daley Farnon Dix Thomas Tetreault III Sean Yamamoto
Sergeant Nicholas Miller
Brandon Cabrera Dustin Glidden Sara McPherson Diane Cammarata Gavin Cafarellistrablizky James Berry Vivan Duong Kory Orfant
Sergeant First Class Joanne Desruisseaux Luis Cepeda Michelle Lowes
Winter 2011 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine
Joseph Phinney Clinton Range Kent Johnson
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Norton William Fish III Michael Fletcher Athena Petrin David Voight
First Lieutenant Mark Dupuis
Captain Travis Ostrem
Lieutenant Colonel Roy Hunter IV William Lemaire John Logsdon
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Thomas Graham II
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Air Promotions & Awards
UPLIFTING TRAINING
Airman 1st Class Liza Roy, 157 Student Flight
Senior Airman Eric Moulton, 260 ATC Justin Evans, 157 CMF Sean Wood, 157 LRS
Staff Sergeant Jennifer Frisina, 157 MXS Russell Georgio, 157 MXG Tedd Hadley, 157 MXG Marc Fillion, 157 MDG Alan Roma, 157 CES Raymond Miller, 260 ATC
Technical Sergeant Gary Thomas, 260 ATC Christopher Philibotte, 260 ATC Glen Meyers, 157 MXG William Davenport, 157 MDG Michael Hutchins, 260 ATC
Master Sergeant Jason Veziris, 157 OG Robert Stewart, 260 ATC
From left, Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Garand of Newfields, detachment training NCO for the New Hampshire Army Guard’s 54th Troop Command, and Sgt. Rodney Anderson of Exeter, crew chief for Company C, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment (MEDEVAC), participate in hoist training Oct. 12. The soldiers use the training to practice using the hoists which can lift up to 600 pounds of personnel or equipment during state or national emergencies. Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Michael Noel, NHARNG
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New Hampshire National Guard Magazine / Winter 2011