August 2016 Newsletter
Annual Reunion The 38th annual reunion of the 126th Regimental Association will take place on Saturday, September 10, at the Grand Valley Armory, 1200 44th Street SW in Wyoming. Join us as we celebrate the transition of the 1-126 Cavalry back to the 3-126 Infantry, and honor the accomplishments and future of our organization. We will also hail the new incoming 3-126 Infantry Commander, LTC Ravindra V. Wagh and bid farewell to LTC Bartholomew J. Verbanic. 1600 hrs 126th Regimental Association Meeting 1730 hrs Social time 1800 hrs Seating and ceremonies 1900 hrs Dinner Dinner will cost $20 per person and the Association will be picking up the bar tab. Tickets for dinner can be purchased online at eventbrite.com. Search for the 126 Regimental Dinner in Wyoming, MI or go to http://tinyurl.com/126th-reunion-dinner-ticket. If you are unable to purchase tickets online, please Bill Sobotka at (616) 531-3295 or email to billsobotka@prodigy.com
Battalion Update
The 3rd of the 126th Infantry is quickly hitting its stride as it continues its conversion from Cavalry to Infantry. In May, June and July the Battalion trained for and conducted both a fire team and buddy team live fire exercise. In order to capitalize on the individual and collective Infantry tasks taught during the Infantry Transition and Reclassification Courses at Fort Custer in April the Battalion took the audacious step of accelerating right into live fire battle drills. The NCOs and Soldiers performed like true professionals by training from dawn to dusk without incidents or injuries. The Battalion Leadership was able to visit the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Wisconsin for the
Brigade Change of Command ceremony. It is either by coincidence or fortune but 3-126 Infantry will fall under the 32nd IBCT 'RED ARROW' next year, on the 100 year anniversary of when the Red Arrow Division originally formed for service for World War I. The 32nd IBCT leadership is eager to bring the entire organization together once again and planning a visit to Michigan this August to see how they can best assist. As the organization continues to evolve into the premier infantry battalion within the State of Michigan, new leadership is emerging. LTC Verbanic has been selected to serve in the State G3 and this highly coveted position allows him to directly impact the training for all Michigan Army National Guard Units. LTC Wagh will assume command of the battalion in September. MAJ Bierens, the Battalion XO, has been selected to attend the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is the first Michigan Army National Guard Officer to attend this highly competitive and intellectually rigorous course. MAJ Bierens will be replaced by MAJ Keelean, the current OIC for the 1-125 Infantry. The Battalion will host a regimental dinner on 10 September 2016 from 1800-2100 at The Grand Valley Armory to celebrate our transition back to Infantry and welcome our new leadership.
Mexican Border War – 100 Years Ago Despite being the oldest military service in the United States, by 1916 efforts were underway to eliminate the National Guard and increase the strength of the Regular Army – called the Continental Army Plan -- out of fears that eventually, the United States would be drawn into World War I and was not prepared. President Woodrow Wilson, however, did not back such a plan but instead pushed for legislation that would allow for federalization of the Guard when needed. Up to this point, the National Guard could not be ordered by the President to engage in any war outside of our nation’s borders. That all changed when the National Defense Act of 1916 went into effect, but Guard units had already started arriving on the Mexican Border fifteen days prior. Thus, President Wilson was left with the old “Dick Act” of 1903, limiting his authority to mobilize the