NGAT Summer 2016 News

Founded 1959 | Volume 57 | Number 2 | Summer 2016

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N AT I O N A L G U A R D A S S O C I AT I O N O F T E X A S

COL (Ret) Dale & Georgie Pyeatt share a dance at the wedding of one of their sons.

(Photo by Rob Casias)

inside

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NGAT loses its former Executive Director

Multinational Lumberjack River Exercise

Retired Guardsman Meets his Pen Pal

T:7.25”

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VISIT USAA.COM/SERVING FOR A FULL LIST OF THE BENEFITS. 1This is a reduction in your premium for comprehensive coverage, except in CA, where it also applies to your premium for collision coverage. Not available in NY. Other Restrictions apply. USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its affiliates. Use of the term “member” or “membership” does not convey any eligibility rights for auto and property insurance products, or legal or ownership rights in USAA. Membership eligibility and product restrictions apply and are subject to change. Property and casualty insurance provided by United Services Automobile Association, and its affiliate property and casualty insurance companies, and is available only to persons eligible for P&C group membership. Each company has sole financial responsibility for its own products. Restrictions may apply to installment payment options. © 2016 USAA. 231963-0616-A

2016-17 Board of Directors President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

President-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vice-President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Secretary-Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joint Forces HQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ARNG Troops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36th ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72nd IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72nd IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

56th IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

56th IBCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36th Sustainment Bde . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36th CAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

176th Engr Bde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71st BfSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

136th MEB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HQ, TANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

149th FW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

147th RW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

136th AW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TX State Guard Rep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Retired Rep – Region I . . . . . . . . . . . .

Retired Rep – Region II . . . . . . . . . . . .

Retired Rep – Region III . . . . . . . . . . .

Family Readiness Rep . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Executive Director (Interim) . . . . . . . .

Kenn White Vacant Tony Carter Brian Hildebrand Christopher McKeag Tyra Swanson Mike Wallace Brian Hildebrand Richard Sublett Jet Hays Mark Horn Toni Savely Bob Roark Jimmy Leonard Patrick Hardy Daniel Greigo Michael Selheim Albert Cardenas Leonor Milton Doug Clark Richard Chamberlain Priscilla Leger Melissa Harden Randy Ransom Scott Kingsley Theresa Billeck-Zuniga

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Theresa Billeck-Zuniga Bailey Buckingham MediaNation.net Aus-Tex Printing & Mailing

NGAT NEWS 3706 Crawford Ave Austin, TX 78731 512-454-7300 1-800-252-NGAT (6428) NGAT Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ngat.org NGAT EMAIL Meeting and Marketing Director—Rob Casias . . rcasias@ngat.org Insurance Director—Kathy Gallatin . . . . . . . . . insurance@ngat.org Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . membership@ngat.org NGAT News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ngatnews@ngat.org

CONTENTS p7

DEPLOYMENTS

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ARMY JOURNALISTS

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President’s Report

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Members Corner

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In Memoriam

7 Deployments

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Texas Guardsman Partner Up

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Army Journalists Behind the Scenes

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Around the World with the Guard

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Retired Guardsman Meets his Pen Pal

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Leadership Update

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Around Texas with the Guard

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Salute to Retirees

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22 Taps

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2016 TXMD Hall of Honor Inductees

2017 NGAT Conference

NGAT Planning Calendar

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NGAT News (usps 015-752) published quarterly by the National Guard Association of Texas, 3706 Crawford Avenue, Austin, Texas 78731-6308.

Periodicals postage paid at Austin, Texas 78710 and additional offices.

POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: NGAT News, 3706 Crawford Avenue, Austin, Texas 78731-6308

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MEMBERS MAY EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGES TO: membership@ngat.org S u m m e r 2 0 1 6 H N a t i o n a l G u a r d A s s o c i a t i o n o f Te x a s |

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

NGAT WELCOMES CSM JIMMY LEONARD to the NGAT Board of Directors representing the 176th Engineer Brigade.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHY GALLATIN OUR NGAT INSURANCE DIRECTOR. Kathy recently celebrated her 25th Anniversary of working at NGAT. We are proud to have her as a member of our team and thank her for her years of service to this organization. (Photo by 1SG Daniel Griego)

IN THE MONTHS SINCE OUR LAST PUBLICATION, NGAT continues to make exciting changes. Our external audit was just completed and a full report will be presented to the NGAT board during our August board meeting. I have seen the preliminary report and I am eager to begin discussions again regarding our NGAT building. Once the full report is provided by the audit firm, I will make it available to any NGAT member that wishes to view it. The Audit committee will meet to review our external audit as well as review the findings from an internal audit that was recently conducted.

I encourage any NGAT member who may be interested in serving on a committee to reach out to NGAT for more information. I am excited to report our committees continue to become more active and make progress toward their goals: The HR committee is getting close to finalizing the information needed to get the Executive Directors position advertised and this means that we should be able to hire a permanent Executive Director within the next few months.

The Conference committee met at the end of July to finalize plans for the March, 2017 San Antonio Conference. This year’s conference theme “Be Extroardinary,” will cover breakout topics that discuss how to make an extraordinary organization, association and extraordinary members. We have an exciting guest speaker scheduled during the awards dinner and valuable break-out sessions. Learn more about the Keynote speaker for Saturday’s awards dinner on page 21.

We have also created a short term planning task force that will consist of Army and Air Guard members who will come together periodically over a 90-day period to look at new and meaningful programs we can create for our members and their families. We still have some room on Task Force Tallas that will stand up September 2016. We have an exciting future planned for NGAT. I was honored to attend the funeral of COL (R) Dale & Georgie Pyeatt recently and would like to share a few words to honor their memory and service. Dale served his country and continued to serve long after his military retirement. His contributions to the Texas Military Forces extended well past his active duty retirement, serving for many years as the Executive Director for NGAT, ESGR and other national associations as well. After his retirement from NGAT, he continued to serve on the Education Foundation where he worked with NGAT to provide scholarships for NGAT members and their families. Throughout his service to our country and his role as executive director of NGAT, Dale never lost site of the important role of NGAT and its mission to improve the operational readiness, training and image of the Texas National Guard on both the state and national levels. Georgie Pyeatt was Dale’s constant companion and the guiding force behind the success of the NGAT Travel Program in the 1990’s. As the NGAT Membership/Travel Director she kept things going in the office.

With the passing of Dale & Georgie Pyeatt, NGAT has lost two strong champion supporters of NGAT. NGAT plans to honor Dale by creating a scholarship in his honor.

Kenn White LTC, TXARNG NGAT President

Watch our future unfold at #futureofngat 4 | N a t i o n a l G u a r d A s s o c i a t i o n o f Te x a s

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MEMBERS CORNER H

AIRBORNE GRADUATE TEXAS ARMY & AIR NATIONAL GUARD SENIOR ENLISTED LEADERS Texas Army and Air National Guard senior enlisted leaders pose for a photo at the Texas Military Department Joint E-9 Leadership Conference held at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, May 12, 2016. NGAT is proud to say the majority of these leaders are NGAT Life Members. H (Photo by Robert Seyller).

Congratulations to NGAT Life Member, 2LT Cody Zamaripa a member of Co A 1-143rd Inf Rgmt for recently completing Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA. H

NGAT Unveils its New Logo

IN THIS ISSUE OF THE NGAT NEWS MAGAZINE we are proud to start rolling out the new logo that was selected a few months back. Special thanks goes out to Brian Billeck who after talking with our staff and members came up with the logo you see here.

1SG MARION QUINONES RECEIVED POSTHUMOUS LEGION OF MERIT Texas Joint Counterdrug Taskforce leaders, COL Suzanne Adkinson, taskforce commander, LTC Miguel Torres, taskforce executive officer, and CSM Jesus Gonzalez, taskforce senior enlisted advisor, take a photo with Norma Villarreal Quiñones and Mario Quiñones Jr., 1SG Mario Quiñones widow and son, following a ceremony where Adkinson and Torres presented the Legion of Merit to the Quiñones family July 7, 2016, in Houston. Quiñones was awarded the medal posthumously and was a former member of the taskforce before he passed away in 2014 from Cancer. H (Photo by 1st Lt Alicia Lacy)

It could be a while before we get the new signage for the NGAT office building but you should start to see it on our correspondence and website very soon. The verdict from the design community has generally been more positive but at the end of the day we want to make a bold statement that we are the National Guard Association of Texas and the Texas flag and minuteman represents us all be it Army, Air or State Guard members.

We hope that unleashing this boldness will keep us (and you) inspired for the next 40 years. Thank you for being a member and supporting this association.

Brian Billeck, who designed our new NGAT logo, is the marketing director at Luciano Restaurants in San Antonio. H

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In Memoriam It is with great sadness that NGAT announces the passing of our former Executive Director COL (Ret) Dale M. Pyeatt on July 11, 2016 after a courageous battle with gastric cancer and former NGAT Membership/ Travel Director Georgie Pyeatt who passed away on July 7, 2016 after years of battling multiple myeloma’s.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the National Guard Association of Texas Educational Foundation, 3706 Crawford Ave, Austin, TX 78731 or online at www.ngat.org.

COL (Ret) Dale Martin Pyeatt April 7, 1940-July 11, 2016 COL (RET) DALE M. PYEATT served the Texas Military Forces for more than 40 years. He began his military service on 10 March 1967 when he enlisted as a private in company I, 3rd Battalion, 143rd Infantry. He served as an enlisted Soldier with MOS assignments as mortar gunner, armorer, supply sergeant, tank commander, and tank platoon sergeant.

Following his graduation from the Texas National Guard Academy, Colonel Pyeatt was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned as an armor platoon leader, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor. His commissioned service include various command and staff positions in two armor divisions and one infantry division, and includes service as a brigade commander. He also commanded (had operational control of) seven tank battalions, three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and a forward support battalion.

Colonel Pyeatt was a graduate of the U.S. Army Senior NCO Course, U.S. Armor Officer Basic Course, U.S. Armor Officer Advance Course, the Command and General Staff College, and numerous other schools and training courses. He was honor graduate of his class at the USAF Air Ground Operations School.

Colonel Pyeatt’s military service has been characterized by numerous military achievements, which include the following: commanded a company-sized unit as a 2nd Lieutenant; commanded one of the first “Round Out” tank companies as a 1st Lieutenant in the First Cavalry Division; served during Hurricane Carla and Wichita Falls tornado; developed the training plan for the first Texas tank company to undergo cold-weather training; commanded the first reserve component unit to undergo ARTBASS training; served on the Armor Force Mobilization Task Force (Ft. Knox) and the Army Leadership Committee (Ft. Leavenworth). He also served as president of the National Guard Association of Texas and is a charter member of the Texas Guard Legislative Task Force.

Colonel Pyeatt continued to make outstanding and significant contributions to the military forces of this state and nation. He served as executive director of the National Guard Association of Texas from 1994 to 2005, and, in this capacity, maintains a close relationship with numerous members of the congress and the state legislature as he lobbied for recruiting and retention incentives, modern equipment for the Guard, realistic missions for units of the Texas Guard, and funding for military operations and training.

From 1994 to 2005 Colonel Pyeatt serves as the secretary-treasurer of the National Guard Executive Directors Association and, in effect, conducts the day-to-day operations of the association. He also served as the State Executive Director, Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (Texas). At the age of 55 he obtained his private pilot’s license and shared his love of aviation with his entire family.

Colonel Pyeatt is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Lone Star Distinguished Service Medal, Texas Meritorious Service Medal, and the Adjutant General’s Individual Award. H

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Georgie Juan Schiller Pyeatt October 25, 1940-July 7, 2016 GEORGIE PYEATT was born October 25, 1940 in Dallas, Texas.

She moved to Temple in 1946, attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, and graduated from Temple High School in 1958. She married Dale Martin Pyeatt of Temple in 1960 and after spending over 55 years together, he followed her in death less than four days later. From 1990 to 1994 Georgie worked for the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Then from 1995 to 2005 she served as the membership and travel director for the National Guard Association of Texas during her husband Dale’s tenure at NGAT. Georgie loved to travel and had visited over 40 different countries with her husband, family, and friends.

Georgie and Dale both had a love for Hawaii and if money were no object they would have moved there. Georgie enjoyed reading mystery novels and solving crossword puzzles and had a passion for her Czech heritage. H To leave a message for the family please visit www.meaningfulfunerals.net.

H DEPLOYMENTS H ARROWHEAD SOLDIERS MAKE HISTORY Story by SPC Christina Clardy and MAJ Randall Stillinger SOLDIERS OF THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION, their families and friends gathered for a ceremony at Cameron Field on Fort Hood, Texas, May 31, to send off “Task Force Arrowhead” as they deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. This is an historic event for the 36th Infantry Division because the detachment of over 50 experienced and specialized officers, warrant officers and senior enlisted members will be the first National Guard unit to take over a regional command from an active-duty component in Afghanistan within a combat environment since Sept. 11, 2001.

“Approximately 75 percent of the team deploying into the country have been part of either an agricultural development team in Afghanistan or they have been part of a security force advisement team,” said BG S. Lee Henry, commander of the deploying task force. “They have an awareness of the culture in Afghanistan to give them a good foundation going in.”

In 2014, the regional commands transitioned to a Train, Advise and Assist Command (TAAC) structure, advising Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to promote the long-term success of these institutions and the sovereignty of the Afghan government. Twothirds of the Soldiers will be deploying to Afghanistan; the rest of the service members will mobilize but remain stateside. They will serve as an intelligence reach-back group, which is made possible by the advances in today’s modern combat technology and communication systems.

At the farewell ceremony surrounded by family and friends, MG Lester Simpson, Commander of the 36th Infantry Division, addressed Henry directly saying, “this has been a team effort and there are a lot of folks who have helped us get to this point. I have the utmost confidence in you and your team.”

Maj Gen John F. Nichols, the Adjutant General of Texas, gave the departing Soldiers and their families one final piece of advice: “To the friends and families, especially the families, while your Soldier serves - you serve. With you here taking care of the home front, our Soldiers can go forward and defend America abroad, be it in Texas, Afghanistan or Iraq,” Nichols said. “To the Soldiers of Task Force Arrowhead, I tell you this: be Texas smart, be Texas proud and be Texas strong.”

While this unit is deploying overseas, the 36th Infantry Division remains capable of responding to domestic emergencies, national and overseas combat operations.

As well as joint partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to include disaster relief and response, emergency preparedness, counterdrug efforts, reconstruction missions and security assistance on some aspects of border security. H

SOLDIERS FROM THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION gather for a photo at Fort Hood prior to their deployment to Afghanistan. H (Photo by MAJ Randall Stillinger)

THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION TASK FORCE ARROWHEAD, commanded by BG Samuel Lee Henry (far left), made history as it assumed command of Train Advise Assist Command - South from the 7th Infantry Division, commanded by Brigadier General Antonio Aguto, during the transition of authority ceremony at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. This will be the first time a National Guard division command element has assumed responsibility for a regional command within Afghanistan. H

THE ASSISTANT DIVISION COMMANDER SUPPORT, BG RICHARD NORIEGA (bottom left), bids a warm farewell to Soldiers from the 36th Infantry Division, as they deploy to Southern Afghanistan June 11, out of Fort Hood, Texas, in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. H (Photo by MAJ Randall Stillinger)

S u m m e r 2 0 1 6 H N a t i o n a l G u a r d A s s o c i a t i o n o f Te x a s |

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H 2016 TXMD HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES H The Texas Military Department’s Hall of Honor program was established in 1980 to recognize outstanding Texas Air, Army and State Guard members. Since its inception, more than 115 members of the TXMD have been inducted. The new inductees picture and a narrative explaining their service will be displayed on the Hall of Honor Inductees wall in building 8 on Camp Mabry for one year and then will be moved to be permanently displayed in the conference room of the Brig Gen. C.L. Scribner Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, Texas.

CMSGT (RET) JOHNNY D. JONES Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Johnny D. Jones served in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard for over 38 years. He enlisted into the Air Force as an aircraft loadmaster in November 1969. Early in his career, he crewed C-141 and C-130 missions in Vietnam for 18 months, compiling over 300 combat missions with 575 combat flying hours and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor as a young Airman 1st Class. He returned from Vietnam to serve as an instructor and evaluator loadmaster where his efforts resulted in superior combat readiness and an outstanding safety record.

Jones transferred to the Texas Air National Guard’s 136th Airlift Wing in 1978. Throughout his tenure at the wing, he served in the 136th Aerial Port Squadron, 136th Airlift Control Flight and the 181st Airlift Squadron. While the Aerial Port Squadron was activated during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he and his crew shattered all previous Air Force records for tonnage moved in a 24-hour period.

In 1988, Jones supported the aero medical evacuation of the Corpus Christi State School during Hurricane Gilbert and assisted in the emergency airlift of a 30-ton air conditioning cooling tower, a type of load that had never been airlifted on a C-130 before. The following year, he led a team to support Hurricane Hugo airlift operations to the U.S. Virgin Islands. His efforts resulted in the rapid airlift and deployment of a hospital unit, medical supplies, food, water and equipment.

In 2005, Jones deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom as the superintendent of transportation for the logistics directorate of the combined Air headquarters. There, he directed the airlift of over 105 tons of equipment increasing Air capabilities by 40 percent for Enduring Freedom’s MQ-1 Predator strike mission.

Back home again, he served as the Deployed Aerial Port Superintendent for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (Belle Chase), New Orleans and Ellington Field in Houston, where his team set up a fully functioning aerial port to handle the massive influx of aircraft delivering troops and supplies.

As the 136th Airlift Wing Command Chief, Jones was the “pulse” of the enlisted force, where his insight, experience and renowned respect were invaluable in his role as a mentor for the wing commander, over 1,200 wing enlisted personnel and the entire Texas Air National Guard enlisted force. He was an active member of the National Guard Association of Texas, co-chairing the Enlisted Breakfast programs, as well as ensuring enlisted issues were well-represented during break-out sessions and business meetings. He was also an active member of the Silver Eagles, an organization of 136th Airlift Wing tenured and retired members who dedicate themselves to improve the quality of life for airman currently serving.

Chief Jones’ tireless efforts and devotion to the Texas Air National Guard and the State of Texas for over 38 years had a significant impact on the force that will undoubtedly continue far into the future. His competence and outstanding contributions to the Texas National Guard reflect great credit on the Texas Military Department and the State of Texas. H

SGM (RET) ELWOOD H. IMKEN Sergeant Major (Retired) Elwood H. Imken’s military service spanned more than 38 years from March 1967 through 2005. His career reached every echelon from Platoon through Division and every level of leadership, culminating as the Division Operations Sergeant Major for the 49th Armored Division and the 36th Infantry Division.

In each capacity he demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism and dedication to improving unit readiness and taking care of each Soldier.

As Operations Sergeant Major for the 49th Armored Division and 36th Infantry Division, a position he held for over 14 years, he has left a lasting mark. He served as the Operations Sergeant Major for all four division warfighter exercises and approximately 30 other major exercises conducted by the Division.

He also served as the State Active Duty coordinator for the Division, directing the mobilization of Texas soldiers in over 100 state active duty missions, ranging from hurricane relief to the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery mission.

As the lead trainer for the Division, he helped thousands of Texas soldiers get the required schooling for their grade and specialty. During the 49th Armored Division’s historic deployment to Bosnia he served as the Operations Sergeant Major for the Multi-National Division.

Following his retirement, he immediately began working for the Texas Military Department as the Chief Training Specialist.

As the Texas Army National Guard Chief Training Specialist for the Texas Military Department, he was integral in designing the All Hazard’s Plan and statewide rehearsal of concept drills where services across the state met to rehearse the plan for a state response to natural disasters. It was his plans and integration of many key organizations that led to successful responses for Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Ike and dozens of other droughts, fires and floods that effected Texas in the last 15 years.

In addition to his immense impact in domestic operations, Imken played a huge role in establishing and sustaining community outreach programs such as Food For Families, a program that provides food to stock pantries across Texas. His planning efforts directly contributed to the success of the one-day food drive collection of 1,552,714 pounds of food in 2014 alone. Similarly, he is very involved in the planning and execution efforts of Blue Santa, another outreach program where he worked hand-in-hand with the Austin Police Department to provide thousands of toys annually to underprivileged children across the state.

He worked alongside the Texas Department of State Health Services to create an annual medical emergency preparedness exercise, Operation Lone Star. Operation Lone Star provides hands-on training for the Texas Military Department medical personnel as well as providing valuable community health services to Texas inhabitants that may otherwise not receive medical care. Imken facilitated the planning and coordination necessary to execute the establishment of Medical Points of Dispensing along the Texas border. The magnitude of this operation is so big that 12,000 border area residents attend annually, and over 100,000 have been cared for during the program’s 12-year history.

SGM Imken’s tireless efforts and devotion to the Texas Army National Guard and the State of Texas for the past 49 years made a significant impact on the force that will undoubtedly continue far into the future. His competence and outstanding contributions to the Texas National Guard reflect great credit on the Texas Military Department and the State of Texas. H

For more information about the Texas Military Forces Museum visit their website at www.TexasMilitaryForcesMuseum.org S u m m e r 2 0 1 6 H N a t i o n a l G u a r d A s s o c i a t i o n o f Te x a s |

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Texas Guardsmen partner with Czech Republic engineers Story by SGT Elizabeth Pena ENGINEERS FROM THE TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD’S 386TH ENGINEER BATTALION, 551st Multi Role Bridge Company, Czech Republic’s 15th Engineer Regiment and U.S. Army’s 20th Engineer Battalion conducted a Multinational Lumberjack River Exercise, June 21, 2016.

“This is the first time we have worked with an active duty engineer battalion in order to conduct a gap crossing exercise along with the foreign national soldiers,” said Texas Guardsman LTC Anthony J. Miles, commander for the 386th Engr Bn. Service members coordinated with each other to conduct a wet gap crossing. When a large body of water is blocking ground transportation, this is used to transport military supplies, personnel and/or vehicles across a lake or river.

“It’s an honor to see Czech soldiers exercising alongside American soldiers,” said Petr Gandalovic, ambassador for Czech Republic, during his visit to Fort Hood. “This is important because we all keep the same values and we all have to be responsible for each other, and the responsibility translates into capability of doing something real.”

“The concept of the operation was to conduct rafting operations and project combat power across the far shore,” said CPT Jacob Patterson, an operations planner for the 386th Engr Bn. During the exercise, soldiers worked on ground to free-launch bays and bridges into the lake, and conducted air operations to sling load a bridge, several bays and ramps.

Once all the equipment was in the lake, service members then connected the bays and ramps to form a floating bridge. Each bridge is made up of five interior bays and two

ramps, referred to as a “seven float.”

“With that seven float you can push the heaviest piece of army equipment across,” Patterson said. “We pushed M113’s, ENGINEERS WITH THE 386TH ENGINEER BATTALION work alongside members of the Armáda M2A2 Bradley’s, Up- eské republiky (Czech Army) and the 20th Engineer Battalion at Fort Hood. The training included Armored Humvee’s, a a full-scale demonstration of a wet gap crossing at Lumberjack River. (Photo by 1SG Daniel Griego) buffalo and a husky, which is a route clearance piece of equipment.”

Soldiers built two bridges to transport equipment across the lake and used realworld conditions as practice for maneuver operations.

“This year the water levels are much higher than they were last year,” Patterson said.

“It’s about 5 to 10 feet higher than what we experienced last year, so that in itself is a challenge because we’ve had to change the operation multiple times based on Mother Nature and what we were given to work with.”

Last year, Texas National Guard’s 386th Engr Bn went to Czech Republic to conduct a similar exercise using the Czech’s equipment.

This year, they came the United States.

“It’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve SOLDIERS FROM THE 551ST MULTI ROLE BRIDGE had so far,” said 2LT Josef Kurfirt, platoon COMPANY (MRBC) conduct an equipment air drop using a leader with the Czech Republic’s 15th Eng. Reg. “The most valuable thing for us is for us CH-47 Chinook helicopter as a part of the Wet Gap Crossing, at Fort Hood, Texas. (Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena) to see this bridge, work with their equipment and vehicles, and compare technologies and procedures with them.”

The Texas National Guard is currently to-military engagements with multinational partnered with the Czech Republic and allies in support of defense security goals.

Chile under the State Partnership Program.

The SPP has been successfully building Through SPP, Guardsmen conduct militaryrelationships for over 20 years. H

SOLDIERS WITH THE 551ST MULTI ROLE BRIDGE COMPANY (MRBC) work together to load boats into the lake as part of a first-time Multinational Lumberjack River Exercise, at Fort Hood, Texas. (Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena)

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WARGAMES FROM THE INSIDE-OUT: Army journalists go behind the scenes in multinational training operations MEMBERS OF THE 100TH MOBILE AFFAIRS DETACHMENT prepared various NATO personnel for immediate interaction in an exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany. Eight Army National Guard Soldiers out of Austin, Texas posed questions that leaders and Soldiers would encounter on the battlefield in support of Exercise Swift Response 16.

The Exercise Swift Response 16 is designed to enhance the readiness of the combat core of the U.S. Global Response Force and to conduct rapid-response, joint-forcible entry and follow-on operations alongside Allied high-readiness forces in Europe. Swift Response 16 includes more than 5,000 Soldiers and Airmen from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United States and takes place in Poland and Germany, May 27-June 26, 2016.

For the 100th MPAD working with people from multiple nationalities also inspired their journalist to improve their communication skills.

“Seeing young people that know three and four languages was extremely motivating,” said SGT Praxedis Pineda.

The engagement also provide an opportunity to strengthen the public affairs branch. Each unit arrives at the training center and demonstrates their skills. Then the host public affairs office and supporting staff share this information with the public affairs detachments, providing a valuable opportunity to gain lessons from across the Army. The 100th MPAD’s participation contributed public affairs assets to the JMRC public affairs mission while adding training value to training units to enable them to rehearse their responses for the press. Soldiers interaction with the media has always existed however incorporating it into training is relatively new. JMRC leaders clearly recognize how important media training is to the total Army concept. H

PARATROOPERS WITH THE 1ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM/82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION participate in a multinational airborne drop as part of Exercise Swift Response at Hohenfels, Germany.

(Photo by SGT Michael Giles)

SGT MARLINE DUNCAN, broadcast journalist with the 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, prepares her equipment for capturing video during Exercise Swift Response 16 at U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels, Germany. (Photo by SGT Michael Giles) SGT PRAXEDIS PINEDA, print journalist with the 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, checks his camera setting while trying to captures images of an AH-64 Apache helicopters during Exercise Swift Response 16 at U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels, Germany. (Photo by SGT Michael Giles)

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MG RICHARD GALLANT, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, (left) presents BG Tracy Norris, Assistant Deputy Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard (center) and SFC Brenda Lopez, TXARNG G5 NCOIC (right), with the Army National Guard Communities of Excellence third place in the Bronze division at a ceremony held at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Virginia, May 23, 2016.

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CAPT BRETT RINGGER, 136th Medical Group, Texas Air National Guard, optometrist, examines a patient during the Greater Chenango Cares Innovative Readiness Training in Cortland, N.Y., July 18, 2016. The IRT provided medical care to patients at no cost, as well as eye examinations and glasses on site. (Photo by SMSgt Elizabeth Gilbert)

(Photo by SSG Michelle Gonzalez)

1LT LUKE FERRADJ, LEFT, OF CO D 1-143RD INF RGMT receives his ranger tab after successfully completing Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

1ST LT CONNER DEEBEL (LEFT) AND 1ST LT D.J. CHERF, F-16 Fighting Falcon student pilots, review flight training materials at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Deebel and Cherf are currently assigned to the 149th Fighter Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, which is currently operating at Luke AFB while San Antonio’s Kelly Field undergoes runway repairs.

(Photo by 2nd Lt Phil Fountain)

136TH AIRLIFT WING, BAND OF THE SOUTHWEST, kicked off their Colorado leg of their “From the Mountains to the Prairies,” 2016 summer tour where they entertained audiences in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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COL DENNIS HUMPRHEY, Commander of the Marksmanship Training Center, presents the overall International Individual Rifle trophy to SGT Justus Densmore, at Camp Bisley, England. SGT Densmore is a member of the 342nd Engr Co (HORIZ) located in Bastrop, Texas.

NGAT LIFE MEMBER CPT ELIZABETH SHUMPERT shows her UT pride with fiancé Richard Ramirez in Innsbruck, Austria at the top of the mountain Nordekette.

SOLDIERS FROM THE 1-141ST INF BDE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, served at the Observer Coach Trainer Academy at U.S. Army Garrison, Hohenfels, Germany, to ensure multi-national units safely meet their training objectives. Exercise Swift Response is one of the premier military crisis response training events for multi-national airborne forces in the world. (Photo by SGT Adrian Shelton)

CELEBRATING THE 112TH CAVALRY REGIMENT’S 95TH MEMBERS OF TASK FORCE ARROWHEAD celebrating the 4th of July at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Pictured left to right are: CPT Derek Ruschhaupt, SSG Mireya Cruz, BIRTHDAY in Kandahar, Afghanistan with Stetsons, cigars, and near beer. Pictured left to right are NGAT Life Members: CPT 1SG Kenneth Saffell, SSG Joseph Perez, SGT Juan Ponce de Leon.

Derek Ruschhaupt, LTC Jose Rivera and LTC Edward Dextraze.

TSGT AGAPITO FLORES, an aerospace ground equipment specialist with the 147th Reconnaissance Wing, based at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, works on a satellite at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia. (Photo by 1st Lt Alicia Lacy)

MEMBERS OF THE 136TH AIRLIFT WING make a stop on the flight line at Wake Island located in the Western Pacific Ocean. Members were on a return trip from Australia where they had been supporting Joint Combined Rescue and Personnel Recovery exercise “ANGEL REIGN.”

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT “Every time I felt pain, cramps or my feet hurt and I wanted to stop, I thought of Damon and everything he had endured and I continued on.”

—LTC (Ret) Touchet

BG SEAN RYAN PRESENTS DAMON BILLECK with a certificate making him a honorary commando on behalf of LTC (Ret) Jerry Touchet and his soldiers in Afghanistan.

Retired Guardsman Meets his Pen Pal for the First Time DAMON BILLECK IS THE NEPHEW OF NGAT MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR, MSG (RET) THERESA BILLECK-ZUNIGA and on January 31, 2014, at the age of 9, Damon was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma bone cancer. He quickly made national headlines when Pharrell Williams sent him a video message of hope and inspiration. That video made its way to the Special Forces Commandos stationed at Camp Moorehead in Afghanistan where LTC (Ret) Jerry Touchet saw the video on MSG (Ret) BilleckZuniga’s Facebook page. After viewing the video and following Damon’s story, LTC (Ret) Touchet was inspired and touched by Damon’s courage and zest for life.

LTC (Ret) Touchet had lost some special people in his life to cancer and wanted to do something special for Damon. He stayed in touch with Damon through Facebook where they exchanged messages DAMON BILLECK MEETS HIS PEN PAL LTC and photos, he arranged for soldiers to write letters (RET) JERRY TOUCHET for the first time in and send holiday greetings to Damon. In June of San Antonio where they both received the 2015, Touchet arranged through former soldiers he National Guard Center of Influence Award. had served in the Guard with to make a presentation to Damon to make him an honorary Commando. BG Sean Ryan presented Damon with a special certificate, coin and flag that was flown over Camp Moorehead in Afghanistan.

It truly was a special honor for Damon.

Damon constantly wore his Special Forces Commando hat and shirt to give him strength but in November of 2015 the cancer that Damon had been fighting had returned and he had to have his left arm amputated all the way up to his shoulder. Never during the cancer treatment or the news that he was going to lose his arm did Damon feel sorry for himself. Damon keep telling himself what Pharrell Williams told him and that was “the present is a gift and this is your moment right now so be happy because your life is just beginning.”

In January 2016 the Polish Army visited Camp Moorhead in Afghanistan. They were so impressed with Damon’s story and the strength he had, they made Damon one of their beneficiaries of the Camp Moorehead Umstead 50K run fundraiser. LTC (Ret) Touchet elected to run the 31 mile race in Damon’s honor.

“I had never done anything like this before or even had the chance to train for something like this,” Touchet said. “The day before the race the Special Forces Colonel in Afghanistan posted a message he got from a friend that does running like this and it said to keep telling yourself that “You are a Monster.” Well, my ‘monster’ helped me complete the 31 mile run and my ‘monster’ was Damon. Every time I felt pain, cramps or my feet hurt and I wanted to stop, I thought of Damon and everything he had endured and I continued on.”

The bond that began two years ago between two strangers recently grew stronger when Jerry met Damon for the very first time at a surprise meeting in San Antonio. Their initial meeting was brief and so overwhelming that Jerry Touchet had to walk away.

“I was really surprised when I came around the corner and saw Damon for the first time, that it almost knocked me on the floor,” Touchet said.

The two stood and talked for nearly 45 minutes before taking a break. A meeting they hope to repeat often. Touchet makes it to San Antonio about once a year. Damon will end chemotherapy treatment in Houston at the end of November and looks forward to hearing from his special Army friend soon.

LTC (Ret) Jerry Touchet served in the Texas Army National Guard for 21 years and is a life member of the National Guard Association of Texas. He retired in 2009 and was later activated to serve an 18-month tour in Afghanistan with the Army Reserves. Since then, he has been back to Afghanistan and Iraq working as a contractor (staff trainer). He is currently stationed at Camp Moorehead in Afghanistan with Special Forces Commandos. H

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H LEADERSHIP

COL Charles Schoening Commander 176th Engineer Brigade

UPDATE H

COL Calton Smith Col Raul Rosario Commander Commander 136th Regional Training Institute 149th Operations Group

COL Michelle Bryant Deputy USPFO

LTC Alfred Prill Commander 636th Brigade Support Battalion

MAJ (P) Jim Carney Commander TXARNG Recruiting & Retention Battalion

CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISITS THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION AT FORT HOOD LTC Mike Wallace (left), an Operations Officer with the 36th Infantry Division, speaks with U.S. Representatives (left to right) Trent Kelly (Mississippi), Dan Newhouse (Washington) and Jeff Miller (Florida), and the Assistant Division Commander for Support, BG Richard Noriega (right), about working with more than 5,000 active and reserve component Soldiers during the Multi-Echelon Integrated Brigade Training on June 11, at Fort Hood, Texas. The MIBT is a two-week exercise designed to provide high-level combat training to Army National Guard brigade combat teams who did not attend a Maneuver Combat Training Center rotation due to capacity and scheduling constraints. The MIBT is based on the MCTC training modules to sustain readiness and capabilities, and is intended for non-deployment cycles for reserve and active-component forces. Kelly is also an Engineer colonel in the Mississippi Army National Guard and Miller is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee of Veteran’s Affairs. H (Photo by SPC Christina Clardy)

NGB CHIEF VISITS TEXAS General Frank J. Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, center, and Chief Master Sergeant Mitchell O. Brush, Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau, left, visits with Maj Gen John F. Nichols, Adjutant General of Texas National Guard, right, and key leaders of the Texas Army and Air National Guard during an operations brief at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas. H (Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena)

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TEXAS STATE GUARD WELCOMES CHAPLAIN ASSISTANT MG (TX) Gerald “Jake” Betty (right), Commander, Texas State Guard, and Chaplain (COL/TX) Lyle Metzler (left), Chief of Chaplains, welcome the first Texas State Guard Chaplain’s Assistant, SGT (TX) Jeremy Mills, at Camp Mabry. H

AIRMEN BEAT ARMY PEERS IN BEST WARRIOR COMPETITION MG William Smith (left), Deputy Adjutant General - Army Texas Military Department, SSgt Steven Hein, secruity forces airman in the 136th Airlift Wing, SrA Austin Kirwin, tactical air control party member in the 147th Reconnaissance Wing, and CSM Mark Weedon, senior enlisted advisor Texas Military Department stand together after Hein and Kirwin are named the top junior enlisted and noncommissioned officer competitors at the Texas Army National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition banquet May 13, 2016, at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The annual competition is an Army-wide competition that tests the physical and mental endurance of soldiers. H (Photo by 1st Lt Alicia M. Lacy)

CELEBRATING OUR NATIONS BIRTH WITH MUSIC Soldiers with the 36th Infantry Division “Brass” Band based out of Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas, give a local citizens hands-on experience with their instruments following their performance in the Tarrytown Parade July 4, 2016. This year, the band participated in more than 10 July Fourth events throughout Texas communities during their annual training. H

READY FOR FLIGHT SGT Joseph A. Puente, a crew chief with the 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion, based out of San Antonio, Texas, stands ready for the next medevac emergency, June 4, 2016.

The State Operations Center requested more resources from the Texas Military Department due to the recent flooding across Texas. The 2-149th is equipped with medevac capabilities such as aircraft, to transport people and ambulatory patients to safety or a higher level of care. H

(Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena)

(Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena)

TEXAS STATE GUARD PRAYER BREAKFAST The Texas State Guard honored service men and women of the United States and Texas Military Department at the TXSG Prayer Breakfast, Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas.

During the event soldiers and families were entertained by General George Washington (actor Mark Collins). H

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TEXAS GUARDSMAN CONDUCT PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE An Air Guardsman evaluates Texas Guardsmen on their transport of mock patients to the military aircraft during an evacuation exercise at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, June 9, 2016. The Texas Division of Emergency Management along with the support of Texas Military Department and other state and local authorities conduct a state level hurricanepreparedness exercise June 1-9, 2016 across various Texas cities. The Texas Military Department practiced both general population and medical evacuation through embarkation hubs in the Rio Grande Valley. H (Photo by SGT Elizabeth Pena)

NIGHT TARGET PRACTICE AT PILOT KNOB Soldiers of the 249th Transportation Company engage targets at night with an M-240 machine gun at the Pilot Knob range located on Fort Hood Texas. Soldiers qualified as part of their annual training requirement with crew served weapons mounted on vehicles. H (Photo by SGT James Strunk)

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Boeing is proud to sponsor the National Guard Association of

BETTER FACILITIES START AT THE TOP

Texas and appreciates all NGAT does to support and protect our nation.

Cool down that hot hangar, get airflow on your training field and brighten up the mess hall with Big Ass Fans and Big Ass Light fixtures. Big Ass products feature precision engineering and industrial-grade materials that excel in any environment. They’re incredibly energy-efficient, too, so they can cut utility bills while they improve your space. Whatever problems your facility might have, we’ve got products and the expertise to solve them. Talk to our experts for a custom recommendation.

GS-07F-0188W

294546_44_Texas_National_Guard.indd 1

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EARLY RETIREMENT FOR SOME IN ARMY GUARD Full-time Army National Guard soldiers now qualify for temporary early retirement after serving 15 years. Army Secretary Eric Fanning expanded the program in late June to include a limited population of Guardsmen, according to Army Times, mostly those serving in the Active Guard and Reserve program.

The Temporary Early Retirement Authority was authorized by Congress and implemented by the Army in 2012 to help manage the troop drawdown. Soldiers with between 15 and 20 years have the option of taking retirement, but with retirement pay reduced accordingly, the newspaper explained.

Army Directive 2016-27 signed by Fanning makes TERA available to the following Army Guardsmen: • AGR officers who were selected for continuation on the reserve active-status list but were not subsequently promoted or continued on the reserve active-status list and are not on a list of officers recommended for promotion or continuation; • AGR officers who were twice not selected for promotion and whose names are not on a promotions list; • AGR officers and warrant officers who, pursuant to selection by an AGR Release From Active Duty (REFRAD) Board or Active Service Management Board (ASMB), have been selected to be involuntarily released from the AGR program; and • AGR enlisted soldiers who were selected to be involuntarily released from active duty as a result of an AGR REFRAD Board or ASMB.

LONG TIME NGAT SUPPORTER AND LIFE MEMBER MAJ LADONNA SINGLETON (right) receives a Meritorious Service Medal from COL Josh Lewis at her retirement ceremony held at Hensley Field, on June 25, 2016.

BG TRACY NORRIS (LEFT), ASSISTANT DEPUTY ADJUTANT GENERAL— Army presents COL Steven Solka with a Certificate of Retirement during his recent retirement ceremony at Camp Mabry. COL Solka was also presented with the Texas Superior Service Medal for his 30 years of faithful service. Both are NGAT Life Members.

So what does a maintenance sergeant do when he retires from the Army National Guard you ask? Go to school to be a chef of course! NGAT LIFE MEMBER, MSG (RET) GARY CATES cuts up a lamb at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas. Way to go Chef!

RETIREES READ HERE TO STAY CONNECTED So you retired from the National Guard, now what? Sometimes we just want to know what’s going on, who is getting promoted, who is getting together or maybe we are just trying to connect with a friend from the Guard we have not heard from in a while. NGAT is hoping to change that for our members. In the coming year we plan to upgrade our membership database so it will interact with our website. This will allow you the member to update your information, sign-up for conference and connect with lost friends from the Guard as well as establish discussion groups on our website.

There are some exciting changes coming to your association and we need your help. If you know a NGAT member who is not receving emails from NGAT or the NGAT News Magazine let us know so we can update their information and get them back in touch with the Association.

While we prepare to upgrade our system please check our website for a page we established specifically for our Texas National Guard Retirees. Go to www.ngat.org and from the drop down menu under “News” select “Retirees Update.” Here you will find information about promotions, retirements, Guard activities, Changes of Commands and more. It’s your page so if you have some information that you want to get out please email it to membership@ngat.org and we will get it posted for you. Let us help you spread the word. Please get the word out and tell other Texas National Guard retirees about this page. We look forward to hearing from you.

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“Be Extraordinary” at the 58th Annual NGAT conference that will be held 31 March-1 April 2017 at the Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio, Texas. Our theme will cover conference topics that touch on making our organization extraordinary, make our association extraordinary, and make our members extraordinary.

REGISTRATION (ONLINE REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN OCTOBER) All attendees must pay the registration fee.

Registration fee is $15.00 per person.

MEAL PACKAGES

- Early Bird Registration fee is $110 and closes on 27 January 2017.

- Regular Registration fee is $125 and closes on 6 March 2017.

(The deadline for meal packages is 6 March 2016. After this date, meals must be purchased individually as available.)

- A $25 late fee will be added to all registrations received after 6 March 2017.

- All cancellation requests must be received in the NGAT office prior to 10 February 2017.

HOTEL

- Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel, 111 E. Pecan Street, San Antonio, TX 78205 - Make your reservations directly with the hotel at: 1-866-764-8536. Make sure to identify yourself as a member of the National Guard Association of Texas.

- Hotel rate: $117 single/double plus tax per night.

- Hotel reservations can also be made online at the NGAT website.

(NGAT cannot guarantee rooms after 17 February 2017)

ATTIRE

NGAT Business Session: Business Casual NGAT Dinner: Army - Class A/Service Dress/Mess Dress Air - Mess Dress/Service Dress. Civilians - Business Suit/ Evening Formal Wear. Spouses After-Five Attire.

CONFERENCE OPTIONAL EVENTS

Golf Tournament at Fort Sam Houston Golf Course—Shotgun, Florida scramble with low net/low gross competition. The golf tournament is open to both registered and non-registered attendees of the conference. Registration includes

green fee, cart, continental breakfast, lunch, and award plaques.

The annual 5K Fun Run/Walk at Brackenridge Park—Come enjoy a leisure run/walk on Friday morning. The registration fee includes wicking t-shirt and refreshments.

14th Annual Silent Auction—Bid on over 200 auction items and take advantage of some great bargains on gift baskets, jewelry, weekend getaways, and tickets to music, sports and other entertainment venues. Donations for the auction are always accepted at the NGAT office.

Grayline Tour of the San Antonio Missions—Tour of the four southernmost Spanish colonial missions: Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada. The missions along with the Alamo have been name a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).

San Antonio River Cruise—You will cruise along the San Antonio river and pass under the Market Street Bridge, cruise pass River Center Mall along with other river attractions and sites.

Wine Tasting—Sip, savor, relax and enjoy some exquisite Texas wines at our wine tasting.

Spirits Tasting—Enjoy a classic cocktail: “Bourbon” It’s important to know Bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is Bourbon. Come learn a little about the history and production of Bourbon and enjoy this classic cocktail.

Pokemon Go Lure Party—Do you love Pokemon GO? Start practicing. Plan to meet up at the NGAT conference and have fun finding Pokemons for prizes.

License to Carry Certification—A License To Carry class will be held Friday morning of the NGAT conference. The class will provide the required 4 hours of instruction as mandated by the State of Texas and a written test. You must bring certification of your shooting with you to the class. (Check website for more information) Sisters Grimm Ghost Tour—Participants will be guided throughout one of the nation’s oldest cities and your guide will tell you the history and ghost stories no soul dare tell.

NGAT Welcome Party Reception with Geeks Who Drink—The Welcome Party reception menu includes pasta and Kobe beef slider stations with all the trimmings and ice cold refreshments. So you think you are a trivia buff? Join your friends for some laughs and friendly competition in military trivia and movies. Bring the whole family with you and enjoy an evening with friends at the reception that will also include a board game room for all you gamers.

You can also catch a river taxi after the reception and explore the Friday night festivities along the San Antonio Riverwalk.

Spouses Luncheon—Enjoy a leisurely lunch at the Spouses Luncheon on Saturday. Registration fee includes lunch, entertainment and prizes.

Saturday Dinner—Dinner presentations include a extraordinary speaker Steadman Graham who will help your understand your leadership identity.

NGAT will also present the Minuteman and Scholarship awards. After dinner, guests will have the opportunity to visit hospitality suites.

Hospitality Suites will be located at the hotel and units will compete for “Best Suite” award.

The NGAT Social Lounge – Visit and mingle with friends in a more conversation-friendly environment.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast, fellowship and prayer during the NGAT Prayer Breakfast on Sunday morning.

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NGAT Conference Guest Speaker Profile Our Extraordinary Organization (TXMD): Our guest speaker at the business session will speak regarding a professional topic related to the guard and we will have discussions and presentations about the guard’s transformation.

Our Extraordinary Association (NGAT): At our NGAT business session we will discuss our guiding principles, values and new programs (to include our new foundation).

Extraordinary members (That’s You): Don’t miss our breakouts sessions that will help our members become extraordinary people by providing information to help them professionally.

- Civilian: LinkedIn (All attendees get a free professional headshot) - Civilian: Spouse luncheon. Dynamic guest speaker that talks about knowing how to finding your identity. (Proposed) - Military: Breakouts will cover: Lautenberg Issues and changes in the law, Divorce and Military Retirement Benefits, Legal strategies for Service members to reduce taxes, Challenging VA disability determinations, Why everyone needs a will, Protecting Your Rights-10 Legal Issues Soldiers and Leaders need to know and the process of the Board for Correction of Military Records.

Stedman Graham in large part credits his experience as a soldier for his strong foundation, after proudly serving the U.S. Army from 1974-1979, both stateside and in Germany. Mr. Graham used military tuition assistance to complete his graduate degree while serving. Since his honorable discharge as a Specialist, Graham has built a strong reputation for helping corporations, organizations and individuals succeed. He is the Chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm based in Chicago. As an educator and speaker, Graham lectures and conducts seminars for businesses and educational organizations worldwide on the topics of identity development and leadership. Graham considers it his mission to transform followers into leaders and has a passion for helping young people have a larger vision for their lives. He is the author of 11 books including two New York Times bestsellers. His most recent book, “Identify: Your Passport to Success,” was a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

At the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, he taught a management strategy course entitled “The Dynamics of Leadership.” Graham is currently a distinguished visiting professor at colleges and universities throughout the country. Active in philanthropy and community work, he is on several boards including the Board of Junior Achievement. Graham served in the U.S. Army and played basketball professionally in the European League. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Hardin Simmons University, a master’s degree in education from Ball State University and an honorary doctorate in Humanities from Coker College.

THE DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

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H TAPS H As of 07/13/16

BG Chester “Chet” Brooks Jr., Life Member #32113, Retired, Austin SMSgt Edward “Eddie” Brought, Life Member #12056, Retired, San Antonio **PFC Brandi N. Cantrell, B CO, 636TH BSB, Telephone MSgt Clyde D. Clay, Retired, Hamilton City **SPC Edwin E. Carbajal, B CO 1-141 INF, Bastrop Mr. Richard A. Cook, Life Member #10160, Retired, Amarillo MSgt Brigido DeLeon Jr., Life Member #17386, Retired, Wichita Falls 1SG James H. Duran, Life Member #2674, Retired, Red Rock SPC Michael J. Elliott, Life Member #31775, Killeen CSM Paul Esler, Retired, Trinity SGT Raymond E. Garcia, Retired, San Antonio SSG Glenn R. Griever, Life Member #8494, Retired, Mineral Wells Mr. James E. Groce, Life Member #1882, Retired, Sherman Mr. Edgar Joe Holt, Life Member #959, Retired, Houston Lt Col Jerry R. Houser, Life Member #4873, Retired, Bismarch, AR SFC George N. Kemmitz Sr., Life Member #14784, Gatesville **Maj Patrick J. LaCicero, 181st Airlift Sqdn, Fort Worth SGT Walter Lake, Life Member #27317, Mt Pleasant **SSgt Richard A. Lynch, 221st Combat Communications Sqdn, Pottsboro MSgt Ramiro “Marty” Martinez, Sr., Retired, San Antonio SFC Raul Rios Mendez, Retired, Austin MSgt Clay W. Milligan, Life Member #224, Deer Park **PFC Darren Mitchell, CO D, 536TH SPT BN, San Antonio MSgt Ernest T. Niederkrom, Life Member #14726, San Antonio Mrs. Georgie J. Pyeatt, Retired, Elgin—Former NGAT Director of Travel & Membership **CPT Todd C. Peterson, Life Member #34094, 1836th (-) Trans CO, Fmyrma, GA SSG Carlos M. Rodriguez, Jr., Life Member #13325, Retired, San Antonio Mr. Santiago Urdiales, Life Member #4464, Retired, San Antonio Mr. Philippine G. Vinskey, Life Member #10991, Rio Rancho, NM SPC Clarence L. Wehmeyer, Retired, Elgin MSG Robert M. Weinberg, Life Member #19299, Retired, Pearland SMSgt James H. Wilson, Life Member #11883, Retired, League City LTC Gordon Wise, Retired, Port Aransas **PV2 Dustin Yeoman, 840th Mobility Augmentation CO (MAC), Weatherford

COL DALE M. PYEATT, LIFE MEMBER #3067 Retired, Elgin Former NGAT President 1980-1981 Former Executive Director 1994-2005

*Had NGAT Life Insurance Policy **Had No-Cost Active Guard Policy of $1,000

IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE PASSING OF A CURRENT OR FORMER NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER, PLEASE NOTIFY US BY PHONE, MAIL OR EMAIL BY SENDING A LETTER TO OUR OFFICE, OR BY EMAIL AT NGATNEWS@NGAT.ORG.

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PERIODICAL

National Guard Association of Texas 3706 Crawford Avenue Austin, Texas 78731-6308

ngat.org

PLANNING CALENDAR (As of 30 July 2016)

2016 20-25

Aug

EANGUS Conference, New Orleans, LA

5

Sep

Labor Day (NGAT Office Closed)

9-12

Sep

NGAUS Conference, Baltimore, MD

11

Sep

Patriot Day

10

Oct

Columbus Day (NGAT Office Closed)

24

Oct

NGAT Board Meeting, Austin

11

Nov

Veteran’s Day (NGAT Office Closed)

13

Dec

National Guard’s Birthday

26-30

Dec Christmas Holiday Observed (NGAT Office Closed)

2017 2

Jan

New Year’s Day Observed (NGAT Office Closed)