Evergreen Magazine - Summer 2017

SUMMER 17

BUSINESS IS

B O O M I N’ Most people are thinking about vacation during summer but not the Washington Military Department. Its going to work.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 1

2 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2 Photo

by Spc. Tyler Main

VIII New State Partnership X Red Leg Lifestyle XX Lessons learned from 1985 Columbian Lahar

XXVII Main Event XXX Youth Movement XL Teamwork makes the Scheme work

CONTENT

IV Fire Fight

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 3

FIRE FIGHT The 176 teams up with Department of Natural Resources

Story by Staff Sgt. Virginia M. Owens

4 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

“Everyone has to keep themselves accountable, work together and apply the training to ultimately succeed.” - Spc. Laurie LaFave 176th Engineer Company

S

moke billowed from the dry ground, thrown across the landscape as though they were dark clouds on a summer day in Washington. But these were far from ordinary clouds.

In August 2015, 16 active wildfires torched more than a million acres of Washington’s beautiful forests and plains. Homes across the region were decimated, possessions lost to the violent blazes, leading to a federal major disaster declaration by President Barack Obama.

By the end of that month, more than 500 Washington National Guardsmen were activated to assist the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to extinguish the blaze during the worst wildfire season in state history.

These events serve as a constant reminder of the importance of firefighting training for both guardsmen and DNR.

Story by Spc. Tyler Main No one person could stop all of those burning acres alone.

That’s why soldiers from the 176th Engineer Company (Vertical), who recently returned home from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East, teamed up with DNR for a new round of fire training encompassing various wildfire containing and extinguishing tactics.

“It takes a lot of teamwork to put out fires,” said Spc. Laurie LaFave, 176th Engineer Company, “Everyone has to keep themselves accountable, work together and apply the training to ultimately succeed.”

More than 800 Guardsmen in Washington have completed Red Card Certification training since 2013, when Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the adjutant general, put a renewed focus on this critical mission during Exercise Evergreen Ember.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 5

FIRE FIGHT: The176 teams up with Department of Natural Resources

“This has become the new normal,” said Daugherty in 2015. “Our Guardsmen have to be ready to support as fires become larger and more intense.”

After the wildfires of 2014 and 2015, the state felt some relief in the summer of 2016 without a major fire, but that doesn’t mean that fire training is any less important.

For the citizen-soldiers of the 176th, the training consisted of several days of classroom activities to educate soldiers on wild and woodland fires followed by various exercises to test on the training they had received. Exercises included digging trenches to prevent fire from reaching potential wild fuel, proper use of hoses and familiarization with water pump assemblies.

“A lot of the training is new to us. Only one soldier in our unit has had previous volunteer fire-

Photos by Spc. Tyler Main

fighting experience,” said 1st Lt. Sarah Drerup, 176th Engineer Company.

This exercise introduced unfamiliar but useful information and tactics to the soldiers. While the training proved to be vital in order to be proactive against possible fires in the future, the training also enhanced the partnership between DNR and the Washington National Guard.

“The partnerships are very important to have, especially with the Department of Natural Resources,” Drerup added. “Over the [last two] years we have deployed more than two-thousand National Guardsmen and our aviation units have dropped more than two million gallons over the years to support firefighting.”

As the threat of wildfires looms just beyond the horizon in summer months, soldiers were required to take a week away from their civilian jobs and families to participate.

The members of the 176th Engineers were excited for the opportunity to acquire this valuable training. Even though many of them just returned home, they answered the call without hesitation.

Photos by Spc. Tyler Main

“All these soldiers live in Washington or are close to Washington. They are really committed to the community,” Drerup said.

The constant selflessness of these participating agencies and service members hopefully provides state emergency managers and the public a sense of relief when it comes to the thought of the upcoming summer months where potential fire threats are always possible.

“Over the [last two] years we have deployed more than two-thousand National Guardsmen and our aviation units have dropped more than two million gallons over the years to support firefighting.” 1st Lt. Sarah Drerup, 176th Engineer Company.

T

Story by Capt. Joseph Siemandel

New St 8 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Ma

The Washington National Guard has been selected as the U.S. partner for the country of Malaysia as part of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program (SPP).

“The State Partnership Program allows us to leverage the deep and trusting ties the National Guard has built with a very large group of foreign allies across every combatant command,” said Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, Chief, National Guard Bureau. “I know the Washington National Guard and Malaysia will both benefit from the extraordinary skills and experience each will bring to this partnership.”

Guided by U.S. Department of State foreign policy goals, the State Partnership Program is administered by the National Guard Bureau and supports theater commanders’ security cooperation objectives.

The program has been successfully building relationships around the globe for more than 20 years. With the inclusion of Malaysia, the State Partnership Program will have a total of 73 state partnerships.

“I am excited that the Washington National Guard was selected for this opportunity to work as the SPP partner with Malaysia” said Maj.

Washington National Guard Adds Second State Partner

tate Partnership

alaysia

Gen. Bret Daugherty, the adjutant general, Washington National Guard. “We look forward to learning from one another and building a relationship that is mutually beneficial.”

Malaysia will become Washington’s second state partner.

In 2002 Washington formalized a partnership with the Kingdom of Thailand. Since the partnership began, the Washington National Guard has completed more than 100 exchanges ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness to maintenance, emergency management, aviation opportunities and medical response and treatment.

A formal agreement signing ceremony between Washington and Malaysia is scheduled for this summer.

The State Partnership Program evolved from a 1991 U.S. European Command decision to set up a Joint Contact Team Program in the Baltic Region with Reserve component soldiers and airmen. A subsequent National Guard Bureau proposal paired U.S. states with three nations emerging from the former Soviet Bloc and the SPP was born, becoming a key U.S. security cooperation tool, facilitating cooperation across all aspects of international civil-military affairs and encouraging people-to-people ties at the state level.

Through SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals but also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency and corollary engagements spanning military, government, economic and social spheres.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 9

Cover Story

REDLEG LIFESTYLE

Story by Spc. Brianne Kim

Redlegs train on new M777 Howitzer at Joint Base Lewis McChord Photo by Spc. Brianne Kim

T

Photo by Spc. Tyler Main

T

The breach opens, a pair of cannon crewmen load one 155 millimeter caliber artillery round into the chamber of the 35 foot weapon. The smell of gun powder lingers in the air as the team prepares for the inevitable blast that will shake the nearly five ton M777 Howitzer backwards and forwards.

The gun chief screams ready, the lanyard is tightened and with a quick movement, the 95lb round is shot nearly four miles over the Joint Base Lewis-McChord impact area. With a thunderous boom the round makes impact and dirt and dust fly up into the sky.

It’s just another day of doing what the Redlegs from 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment do. For many, this is the first time they have fired the M777. Part of the on-going Stryker transformation called for the unit to trade their M109 tracked howitzers for the more versatile towed behind M777.

“It’s been a little bit easier [transition] than we thought it would be,” said Lt. Col. Jack Mushallo, battalion commander, 2nd Battal-

Photo by Spc. Brianne Kim

REDLEG LIFESTYLE ion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment. “The M777 has a lot of the same systems as the M109 with the biggest difference being that the new howitzers require more manual operations than the old M109.”

The M109 Howitzer is much like a tank — soldiers sit inside and simply stop if they need to deploy any rounds. The M777 must be towed and is completely inoperable until it is assembled.

“The biggest change is probably that everyone’s involved, it’s a young man’s game because it’s physical,” Mushallo said. “Before the [M109 Howitzer] did it all aside from lifting the rounds in, you didn’t have to traverse any wheels or dig spades in and it wasn’t as physical. This is a lot more physically demanding than the [M109].”

Even with the increase in manual labor, soldiers of the 146th are still excited about the new equipment, learning how to operate it and getting to work as a full team to operate the M777.

“It’s something new, it’s something exciting,” exclaimed Sgt. Gerardo Najera. “This is my first time actually firing one of these and being a chief on it so it’s exciting.”

The gun chief is responsible for overseeing their crews operation of their howitzer.

Photos by Spc. Brianne Kim

“I have to make sure everything is on point. If anything gets messed up it’s on me so I pretty much have to verify my whole gun section,” Najera explained. “I verify that we use the right fuse, right ammunition and right powder. I verify that we’re laid right, I verify anything pretty much that has to do with the fire mission; I verify everything.”

A gun crew consists of seven to 10 soldiers who must work together cohesively to properly operate the new M777.

The amount of communication required

Photo by Spc. Tyler Main

when operating the new weapons is vitally important, leading to better team work and stronger bonds throughout the 146th.

“Now every single soldier that’s on this crew has a job, and it takes all of them working together to operate the howitzer effectively,” said Mushallo. “It’s like a symphony, the conductor needs to know what everyone is doing and everyone is working together as one team, one unit.“

“Now every single soldier that’s on this crew has a job, and it takes all of them working together to operate the howitzer effectively.”

- Lt. Col. Jack Mushallo, batallion commander, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment

Photo by Spc. Brianne Kim

R

esidents in Neah Bay, Port Angeles and Forks could be cut off – left without food, supplies and even key communication channels — should a deadly tsunami hit the area in the future.

That’s why it’s important for coastal residents to make emergency plans and prepare to be self-sustaining for two weeks. It’s also why the Washington National Guard tested response capabilities at Clallam County in June, working with emergency personnel to set up special supply drops and bringing emergency communication equipment to the region.

“Exercises like this are a great way to build relationships before a disaster happens and not during the response,” said Capt. Dominique Calata, force protection plans officer, Special Operations Detachment- Pacific.

Last year’s Cascadia Rising exercise not only tested the Washington National Guard’s capabilities to respond to a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake but provided opportunities for relationship building across the state. That continued this year as Guardsmen from the Special Operations Detachment – Pacific (SOD-P), Joint Force Headquarters and 194th Wing continued to strengthen relationships with first responders in Clallam County.

“We took part in a multifaceted exercise with the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office to test our communications capabilities, food and supply distribution, search and rescue mission, moving the county Emergency Operations Center and most importantly continuing coordination with the first responders in the area,” Calata added.

Preparedness Never Stops

Preparedness Exercise in Port Angeles builds on Cascadia Rising

Story by 14 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2 Capt.

Joseph Siemandel

One of the major capabilities tested during the three day exercise was the Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC), a system operated by both Air and Army National Guard personnel that make it possible to bring communication capabilities to remote locations. To add realism to the exercise, the JISCC was airlifted to the William Fairchild In-

ternational Airport in Port Angeles and set up along the runway.

“The unit was never really designed to be transported via air,” said Lt. Col. Mike Burk, deputy A6/J6, Joint Force Headquarters. “However, last year’s Cascadia Subduction Zone exercise identified a need to be able to fly the capability to locations where there may not be cleared roads.”

The JISCC was a critical part in the communication’s exercise portion of the June drill weekend, as citizen-soldiers from the SOD-P traveled to Forks and Neah Bay, two coastal cities on the Peninsula that could be hit the hardest after a deadly tsunami. The population of approximately 5,000 could be cut off completely due to downed phone towers and lines. The JISCC makes it possible for communication to continue via radio and internet signals when traditional communication channels have been eliminated due to a natural or manmade disaster.

During the 2014 and 2015 wildfires in central and Eastern Washington the capabilities of the JISCC were on display, providing critical communication resources to the fire fighters on multiple fires in remote areas.

“The JISCC has a very real world mission in Washington, especially in Eastern Washington where cell phone reception is not available and phone lines could be damaged by fire,” Burk said. “After a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake event, it would have the same capabilities.”

The SOD-P, which is assigned to Homeland Security Region Two (Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap Counties) coordinated the weekend’s event with Penny Linterman, emergency management program coordinator, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

“We want to continue to build that relationship with the Guard,” Linterman said. “It is critical that we continue to work together and rehearse.

Being on the peninsula, we could be cut off from everyone else in the event of a major earthquake.”

One thing that the county has been working on is establishing Community Points of Distribution (CPOD), a place the public goes to pick up

emergency supplies following a disaster. Members of the Guard joined voluneers at the Clallam County Fairgrounds to set up the potential distribution area.

“A benefit of the location near the fairgrounds is the easy access to and from the main roads, airport and pier,” Linterman said. “Supplies can be brought in and distributed to those in need and that is what is most important during a disaster, helping others.”

Still, it’s important to remember that help won’t be coming right away following a major disaster. It will take days, maybe even weeks. Residents in rural areas on the Olympic Peninsula need to be prepared to be two weeks ready – at a minimum.

Residents looking for help can download the Washington Emergency Management “2 Weeks Ready” brochure to get ideas for what supplies should be in an emergency kit, such as one gallon of water per person for each day you’re planning for your emergency kit.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 15

FOLLOW US

mil.wa.gov

Military Police train for upcoming deployment:

RAGE CONTROL Story by Pfc. Alec Dionne

L

oud noises from the crowd of protestors grow violent. Soldiers line up standing arm in arm together to form a shield wall. The command, ‘forward march’ is given and the shield wall moves toward the crowd. Although this is just training, the scenario is very real.

On May 6, 2017, the 506th Military Police Detachment finalized their Military Assistance for Civil Disturbances (MACDIS) training with a simulated vehicle control point and riot. One half of the unit, geared up with shin-guards, shields and practice batons, played the role of military police, the other half acted as rioters. The two groups clashed, the mock rioters harassing the military police, grabbing at their shields and try to pull members of the shield wall out of ranks, testing them to remember their training. The MPs resisted, advancing one command at a time, trying to prevent their fellow soldiers from being taken by the mock rioters.

“It’s beneficial for the soldiers because instead of just getting the classroom portion of the training, they’re actually getting to put the gear on and experience what it’s like to be able to wear it,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Richmond, 506th. “We are trying to hit all of our mission essential tasks so we are prepared.”

For a unit like the 506th, who are frequently activated for federal deployments and can take on a variety of tasks during a state activation, these trainings are essential to help keep them ready for anything.

As part of preparation, the 506th also conducted Traffic Control Point (TCP) training, a task that the 506th often does on real missions.

“We actually applied our TCP training when we went to the fires in Okanagan,” said Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kriess

Sgt. Michael Hanshaw, the non-comissioned officer in charge for TCP training.

TCP training involves checking vehicles for weapons, explosives and other regulated items. On a deployment these activities are essential for keeping soldiers safe in both garrison and combat.

The 506th does much more than control traffic. They are also qualified to do asset protection, provide combat support, conduct investigations and provide security for high-ranking military members.

“Being the National Guard, we help with state responses like the fires and any type of training that we can do will better prepare us for any kind of state emergency,” Richmond said. “When we get called up, we might have a day or two and we won’t have time to train.”

One type of state emergency that the MACDIS training is geared toward is the potential for riots or protests similar to the World Trade Organization riots in Seattle on Nov. 30, 1999.

Protestors took to the streets of downtown Seattle during the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 when protestors blocked delegates’ entrance into the conference and caused the cancellations of the opening ceremonies.

Two battalions from the 81st Brigade Combat Team were ordered to assist the Seattle Police Department to line out a no-protest zone so business could resume.

Lessons learned from 1985 Colombia Lahar Volcano Program Coordinator Brian Terbush for Washington Emergecy Management Division. He’s holding a hydrothermally-altered rock, which has been structurally weakened by hot acidic water found in many active volcanoes. The rock was found near the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano in Colombia.

Story by Steven Friederich

Photo by Steven Friederich 20 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

In

the valleys of Armero, Colombia, Brian Terbush says he was taken aback by what was left – buildings mired in mud and debris, left alone for three decades, not a soul present, except for a group of Washington state officials and some guides to provide some context.

Terbush, the volcano program coordinator for the Washington Emergency Management Division, was part of a binational exchange with officials from the country of Colombia in the northern part of South America.

For about a week, Terbush and a delegation of emergency management professionals, firefighters and scientists saw firsthand the devastation that happened back in 1985 when the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano erupted and sent a massive lahar downriver destroying the city of Armero and the surrounding area, killing 26,000 people.

“It is now overgrown ruins, although you can see the original cobblestones on the streets and you can see drag marks where rocks entrained in the lahar were dragged through the cobblestones,” Terbush said. “There’s the remains of a hospital, of homes. You get a feeling that people once lived here. But no one’s ever come back to live here.”

The volcano is very similar to Mount Rainier, which has the potential to generate its own lahars –basically mudflows that originate from melting snow during an eruption cou-

pled with debris, such as rocks and trees, and move fast down creeks and rivers.

This is the second trip sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance since 2013, where representatives from Washington state and Colombia have swapped specialists and talked about volcano preparedness activities.

Officials from Colombia arrived the first week of May, with stops around the Cascade Mountains, tours of Camp Murray and a public presentation in Orting, which has long been preparing for a potential lahar to come off Rainier.

“Standing in the ruins of Armero was a profoundly moving experience,” Terbush said. “I now understand the magnitude of a threat we face in Washington. With the continuously improving Alert and Warning systems we have in place, we can hope that people will be warned of oncoming lahars, but it is critical for them to understand the nature of this hazard so that they take appropriate protective action. A lahar has the potential to destroy anything in its path. When a lahar is coming, they need to be concerned for their own and their family’s life safety above that of their property, as there is nothing that can be physically done to halt the advance of the flow.”

Terbush says that there were miscommunication issues that happened in 1985 – which have given way to a template of how not to deal with a volcanic disaster.

“That night, ash was falling, but the public was receiving mixed messages and no coordinated messages,” Terbush said. “It took two hours for the lahar to come down. They had the systems in place to tell the mayor what was happening, but there was no evacuation order given and some people were receiving messages that they’d be fine – even though the volcano was clearly erupting and the ash was falling.”

Today, there are sirens in place along lahar routes in Colombia – similar to what’s present in Orting and elsewhere around Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier also has a clear coordination strategy to help guide the 150,000 people, who live on former lahars in river valleys below the volcano.

“A volcano doesn’t even need to have a huge eruption to cause huge devastation – it is just the melting of snow and a little bit of rock collapsing,” Terbush said. “The 1985 eruption was just snow melt – not even the glaciers and nothing explosive like Mt. St. Helens.

“You hear a lahar will come through,” Terbush adds. “You hear it will cover everything, but where you see the mud move through, people can’t live there anymore. And I think that’s something people don’t realize about the scope of the disaster. I certainly didn’t understand that. You’re going to want to pick up and get out of there and think about your life safety, not your property. That’s the most critical message I saw from sitting there.”

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 21

The patch shows Mt. Rainier and the Nevado del Ruiz

Lessons learned from 1985 Colombia Lahar Terbush says he really likes what the school children of Colombia do to educate themselves and their parents about volcanic dangers. Terbush says he met an educator that developed curriculum for students of various ages, and led teacher workshops on the material and how to incorporate it into the classroom.

“Every two years, groups of highschool students living in an area of each active volcano gather together in a conference format, to present information to the other students,” Terbush said.

“This sharing helps promote understanding of volcanic hazards to the youngest generation throughout the country.”

The survivor stories from the 1985 lahar are what sticks with Terbush.

“It was a huge tragedy,” Terbush said. “Some of the people we talked to lost their entire family.

They were the only ones to get out. I just can’t imagine that, but hearing it personally from these victims was very powerful. Additionally, we talked to some of 22 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

the responders who arrived and they just said it was something they were never prepared to deal with, called it terrifying – people buried in mud, walking away head to toe in mud.

“It is our responsibility as an organization to ensure that the information is given out to the public in as many ways as possible, so that it is available to all stakeholders,” Terbush added.

“While some people will respond to a pamphlet, and others will respond to their children telling them about the hazards. For some, the educational material that will reach them is not out there yet, and we need to develop it.”

This lahar warning siren is found along the Rio Claro with the back-up operated by the person who lives in the house next to it.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 23

PROOF OF CONCEPT: FUEL-EX Story and Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kriess

D

uring the Cascadia Rising exercise in June 2016, a Washington National Guard Black Hawk helicopter demonstrated how an evacuee might be rescued from Ocosta Elementary School outside of Westport, Washington. The school is designed to withstand a 9.0 earthquake and multiple tsunamis and is the first of it’s kind in North America. The helicopter hovered overhead as a hoist was lowered to the mock evacuee, fastened to a harness and raised up to safety in the Black Hawk.

But that was only one evacuee.

“What happens when there’s two-hundred kids waiting on that rooftop?” asked Lt. Col. Pete Hudspeth, director of logistics for the Washington Na24 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

tional Guard. “Somebody has to get those people off the roof and that’s going to be DoD helicopters or local search and rescue choppers.”

with an earthquake that could last for up to five minutes. Unreinforced buildings would be toppled and roadways would be severed.

The amount of logistics and coordination that goes into a typical aviation mission can be a daunting task. One must check safety equipment, log manifests, coordinate with the FAA, submit flight plans and conduct equipment function checks among many others. But the flight mission doesn’t go anywhere without one important thing – fuel A catastrophic 9.0 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Washington and Oregon is a very real threat that we live with in the Pacific Northwest. Such a rupture of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, or CSZ, would release widespread devastation upon the region

It is a very real scenario that state officials in conjunction with the Washington National Guard specifically trained for during last year’s state-wide exercise.

Managing and supplying the fuel of dozens of helicopters during the subsequent rescue missions of hundreds of stranded individuals would be high up on the list of recovery efforts. And since roads and major highways would be rendered impassable, a large re-supply of fuel would need to be flown in to one of the many local or regional airports. That’s why the Washington Army National Guard teamed up with the Air National Guard. During their an-

A message from one of the essays during the competition.

“A strong sense of purpose leads to an increase of morale, as well as motivation and a driving desire to achieve one’s goals.”

- Cadet Kevin Jiang, Alpha Company, 1-161 Infantry Battalion

nual training in June 2017, elements of Joint Forces Headquarters along with Company E, 1st Battalion (General Support), 168th Aviation Regiment joined with the 141st Air Refueling Wing to execute a proof-of-concept strategy that has never been done before within the state. The idea was simple: fly fuel in a KC-135 to Western Washington and transfer that fuel into an Army Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, or HEMTT. That fuel will then be deployed with the mission of refueling helicopters and other emergency response aircraft. “I believe that we’re going to have a gap from the time we don’t have any more gas to put in helicopters to the time where we’ll be able to receive fuel Photo by Spc. Tyler Main

from [other locations,]” Hudspeth said. “This fills that gap.”

He said that during Cascadia Rising someone raised the idea of flying in fuel in a KC-135 (an aerial refueling aircraft). That aircraft is maintained by the 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane. A KC-135 can transport up to MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 25

83,000 lbs. of fuel in its payload.

But the KC-135 is designed to push fuel out of the back boom into a receiving aircraft during flight. It is not designed to offload fuel into the fuel tank variant of a HEMTT. This process is not performed very often, if ever.

“There were a number of agencies that doubted whether or not it was possible,” Hudspeth said. “Now we’ve proven that it is possible.”

He said that in the event of a catastrophic rupture of the CSZ, much of coastal Washington will be in critical need of emergency services, services that require lots of fuel. Having a fuel supply near the affected area would drastically cut down on flight times and refuel times, shifting much of the response effort on citizens in need rather that the logistics of the response itself.

“In [using] hot refueling systems, what it does is allows faster return times, which means they can go out and rescue more people faster and in less time,” said Sgt. 1st Class

26 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Jeffery Kelly, distribution platoon sergeant.

Kelly said that between all the military installations in Western Washington, there is only enough fuel to sustain search and rescue operations for an estimated two to four weeks. After that supply is depleted, getting fuel transported in to Washington will likely take weeks. Having this capability would ensure that emergency aircraft, whether local or federal, would remain in the air performing critically necessary rescue missions without worrying when the next supply of fuel would arrive.

“What we did here was try to verify that we can get fuel from various systems including other agencies,” Kelly said. “In case there is a disaster in the future we know that we will have minimal issues receiving fuel outside of our normal delivery system. This gives us more options.”

THE MAIN EVENT

Each issue the “Main Event” will provide a one on one interview with the leadership across the Washington Military Department.

Interviewed by Spc. Tyler Main

Q: What are your responsibilities as the Senior Enlisted Leader?

A: The best way to describe it would be whatever touches the enlisted personnel: PT, morale, discipline and many others.

I’m the voice for the enlisted force. As well as advising The Adjutant General from an enlisted perspective.

Q: How do you feel about being the first female SEL in state history?

A: The gender is not what is important. What got me here was my leadership, past experiences and accomplishments.

Q: How does this pave the way for female guardsmen in the future?

A: Anybody can reach any position in the organization given the opportunities not based on gender nor ethnics. It happens with effort, timing and a little luck.

Q: What else do you hope to accomplish in your time as SEL? A: To keep creating benches, because no one is irreplaceable. Benches must be put in place to give younger service members opportunities for growth and progression. These benches also ease the transition when retirement occurs or someone leaves, we as an organization can fill that vacancy quickly and effectively.

Q: Why do you what you do?

A: Because I care immensely about soldiers and airmen. I enjoy seeing them succeed at something they did not think they could do. Seeing someone who was given the right tools and watching them flourish in their military career as well as their lives.

Q: How have you changed the position?

Q: Do you have any advice for Guardsmen that you would like to add?

A: By trying to define the position. The implementation of programs such as Peer to Peer and Joint Professional Development. Washington National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader There aren’t clearly set boundaries and the position is about making the force better and discovering what more it can provide.

A: It does not matter what position you are in - make it better than you left it.

Have a vision to make it better for soldiers and airmen around you. Never be satisfied with status quo.

Command Chief Master Sgt. Trish Almond

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 27

g n i k n e e a G h T ief h C y b ry el o t S and em i S h sep o .J t p Ca

M

arch, 1970, a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) was deep inside the Viet Cong controlled area of Vietnam. A young man by the name of Dan Swisher, a member of Charlie Company, 75th Infantry Regiment (Rangers) remembers the new first lieutenant leading the patrol wasn’t interested in turning around.

“We felt like we were whispering over the radio,” said Swisher. “Loren said we were yelling. He knew it was bad but was being told not to go in. But Loren broke formation and came to our aid anyways.”

“It was then we realized we walked directly into a trap, and began taking gunfire from all directions,” said Swisher. “We began taking casualties and immediately called for air support assistance.”

“I always wanted to say thank you, but I only knew his call sign, ‘Griffins’ but never the pilot’s name,” said Swisher.

That is when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Loren Gee, a pilot assigned to Charlie Battery, 4th Battalion, 77th Aerial Rocket Artillery heard the call.

28 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Thanks to the brave pilot, the pinned down Rangers were able to escape and tend to the injured.

Ten years later, unbeknownst to both men, they were actually on the same recreational baseball team. It was a pregame function that led to the two gentlemen talking, only to learn that it was Gee that came to the aid of Swisher and his LRRP team in Vietnam.

Photo by Capt. Joseph Siemandel

Today Dan Swisher is a father, a husband and works as the Chief Finance Officer for the Washington Military Department. He says that if it wasn’t for the action of Loren Gee, he may not be here today, along with his fellow Rangers.

“If it wasn’t for Loren, we wouldn’t have gotten out,” said Swisher. “Because of his actions we didn’t have to leave anyone behind.”

This story makes the events of June 21, 2017 even more special when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Loren Gee, Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, was honored by the soldiers of the 66th Theater Aviation Command at the Aviation Readiness Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“If not for guys like Loren and the Vietnam era pilots, Army aviation wouldn’t be where it is today,” said Brig. Gen. Wallace Turner, assistant adjutant general and commander, Washington Army National Guard.

In coordination with State Representative Tom Dent’s office, the 66th TAC invited Loren and his family to take part in a ceremony with the newest pilots in the Washington National Guard. He also had the chance to be honored by fellow Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Noel Larsen.

“I had the chance to do my job and save as many American lives as I could,” said Gee. “I didn’t do anything that all of you in this room wouldn’t do today.”

During Gee’s tenure as a helicopter pilot he flew more than 1,000 hours and logged more than 750 missions, including flying around the clock during the Battle at Hamburger Hill.

“I had the honor of visiting Loren at his home, he shared stories of Vietnam, including about his participation in Hamburger Hill,” said Syl Wiles, Legislative Aide to State Representative Tom Dent. “I am astounded by this veteran.”

Photos Capt. Joseph Siemandel MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 29

Youth Movement Story and Photo by Steven Friederich

F

or about a year, Spenser Parsley says he was a sergeant at the Washington Youth Academy, part of the cadre staff where he says he helped impart strict discipline upon the Third platoon, made up entirely of young women.

But he says he never grew up in a military household and when there was a chance to be part of the case manager team, he jumped at it. It’s a role he’s shined at in the past six months or so.

“You see these kids come in,” Parsley said. “They have anger issues. They’re down on themselves, but to see the transition. When you see the light bulb click on these kids, it really, really, makes you feel good because you know they’re going to be OK.” He got a call from one of his cadets a few weeks back. She had lost her place to stay and was reaching out for help. Parsley said he could tell that she was running out of options just from the sound of her voice.

“She was struggling,” he says. “She was homeless. When she was here, I was cadre and she wasn’t the biggest fan of me because I was always pushing her.

But I connected with her. And she reached out to me to tell me that she was in trouble. … She felt nobody cared about her. We showed up and proved we cared. People care. You just have to open up to the right person.”

30 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Parsley and a colleague traveled to meet her. Eventually, he was able to connect the cadet graduate with her mentor, who decided to let her move in. Together, they crafted a plan.

“The mentor already had a plan and told the teen that they’d be moving in and it was going to be exactly like at the Academy – up at 5 in the morning, school all day, and then coming home with her,” Parsley said. “To see a person step up and say you’re coming with me just shows how important the mentor role is.”

After five and half months of residency at the Academy, cadets move into a one-year post-residency cycle. This is where the mentor’s role is truly important, where the mentors and cadets have regular contact and work with the case manager at the Academy in case issues come up.

One of the requirements of being a mentor is that the he or she cannot be an immediate relative or live in the same household. Here, with the cadet ending up homeless, that requirement proved invaluable.

“They had established a relationship where the mentor was able to see just how much her student was obviously struggling,” Parsley said.

Parsley says a case manager’s role is to ensure that teens get the support they need not only while at the Academy but especially when they leave.

“We want our cadets to be able to trust us,” Parsley said. “We are invested in their future still even after they leave and we truly care about them because some of these kids feel that nobody cares about them. All of the case managers are willing to drop what they’re doing to help the kids. … It’s crazy how some of these kids won’t open up the whole time they’re here but the minute they’re home, they put it all on the table – and it’s, like, where was this months ago when I could have helped more personally?”

Parsley says he’s now on his fourth cycle, having seen three classes now graduate from the Academy and not only be successful after the residency program but come back, as well, for a post-residency graduation. When Class 2015-2 came back in December, it was the biggest post-residency graduation yet, he notes.

“My next graduation class I have only one not doing what they’re supposed to do after 24 … and they’re all on track to graduate or have already graduated and now have jobs and are working,” he added. “What’s great, also, is seeing how cadets of all cycles are supporting each other in person and on Facebook. They’ve formed their own support network to help each other, to support each other and encourage each other not to make mistakes.”

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 31

Around the Department

Pvt. William Joseph Dituri, a resident of Pasco, Wash. and a recent graduated from Tri-Cities Prep High School, will be attending Gonzaga University this fall.

Dituri had the honor of being the recipient of the 2017 Minuteman scholarship and will be a cadet in the Reserve Officer Training Corp at Gonzaga.

Every year, 12 Minuteman Scholarships are handed out. This year 11 went unclaimed.

William’s four years of college, with room and board, as well as books will be a total of $181,360.00.

32 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Around the Department The Washington Army National Guard had the honor of being the second test group in all of the Army to assess a new Army Combat Readiness Test. The ACRT could be a possible replacement to the current Army Physical Fitness Test. The guardsmen provided written feedback and valuable data which will help develop the scoring and implementation.

Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kriess MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 33

Around the Department

The 205th Regional Training Institute hosted its yearly Officer Candidate School Phase III training on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in early August. Approximately 186 officer candidates from 15 states graduated and earned their commission.

Photos by Sgt. James Gibbs Photos by Staff Sgt. Virginia M. Owens 34 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Around the Department Photo Courtesy of Capt. Sam Puri

Soldiers from the 156th Information Operations Battalion participated as Information Operations support for 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 10th Singapore Infantry Brigade during Tiger Balm 2017.

Exercise Tiger Balm is a U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC) sponsored exercise conducted annually since 1981 with the Singapore Armed Forces, to enhance regional security, interoperability and country-to-country military relationships. This two-week long bilateral exercise is hosted in Hawaii on even years and in Singapore on odd years. Concurrently, this exercise is held at multiple locations in Singapore, Hawaii and Alaska with U.S. Command Post Exercise response cells at several locations.

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 35

Around the Department Mentoring today’s youth!

Washington Army and Air National Guardsmen joined more than 300 students at Tillicum Elementary School for their annual end-of-year field day.

Looks like fun was had by the kids AND the adults!

Photos by Spc. Tyler Main

Photos by Staff Sgt. Virginia M. Owens 36 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

A message from Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the adjutant general All: After nearly four decades of military service, Brig Gen John Tuohy is retiring.

Please help me congratulate him on a distinguished career and thank him for his invaluable contributions to our state, our nation and the Washington National Guard.

Following his active duty service, Brig Gen Tuohy joined our organization in 1984 and has successfully filled many roles - to include Federal Human Resource Officer, JFHQ Chief and Staff and Commander of the 194th Wing.

Most recently, he has been Assistant Adjutant General-Air, commanding the 2,000 men and women of the Washington Air National Guard, while at the same time, leading our team at the Washington Youth Academy. Under his direction, both organizations have been recognized nationally - we are grateful for his leadership and success.

Brig Gen Tuohy will certainly be missed, but his tireless work to pioneer an initiative for a joint cyber training schoolhouse will likely leave us a lasting legacy. I wish him and his wife nothing but the best during retirement to include more time with their growing family and more adventures at their Idaho ranch.

Around the Department Please help me welcome Col Jeremy “Java” Horn as the next Commander of the Washington Air National Guard. Java is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy who brought his extensive experience and enthusiasm to the Washington National Guard in 2009. He’s helped lead the 194th Air Support Operations Group, commanded the 194th Wing and deployed to Afghanistan as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller. He was recently named our Director of Joint Forces, coordinating all Washington Army and Air National Guard domestic response capabilities.

I’m confident in Col Horn’s ability to grow our organization and offer him my full support. He’s known for his focused dedication, which will help us remain a leader in domestic response capabilities, cyber defense and national security missions.

Again, please help me congratulate both Brig Gen Tuohy and Col Horn as they begin this next chapter. Thank you both for your distinguished service and your selfless contributions to our organization, state and nation!

MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 37

Service member Spotlight

1st Lt. Joseph Webster truly embodies what it means to be a citizen-soldier!

During a recent return trip from annual training, 1st Lt. Webster, 319th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, and a certified emergency medical technician, responded to a medical emergency of an elderly woman on board the plane.

He acted alongside a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs nurse and a United States Air Force officer who is in medical school. The trio was able to stabilize the woman until she was able to be transported from the plane to a hospital.

Courtesy Photo

38 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Video Feature

Video by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kriess MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 39

F E AT U R E

Teamwork makes the Scheme work

C

Story and photos by Steven Friederich

Youth Academy Teams with Junior Achievement for financial literacy students to think before they spend money and how to budget. Teachers talk about taxes and careers and saving money for emergencies and college.

adet Ethan Wallace was facing a dilemma: Does he buy a house or does he rent? If he rents, then the insurance is less and then he can afford high speed Internet – and work from home, maybe saving expenses. If he buys a home, then he can build up equity – but then he’d have to slash his budget all over the place.

It sounds like some key choices someone in their 30s might have to face, but Wallace is a high school junior who is a cadet at the Washington Youth Academy. He’s at the Academy because he says he made some poor choices, was late for classes and just never did his homework when he was a student at Auburn High School. Now, he’s on track to graduate from the Academy in June with a whole lot of credits to let him return back to AHS to finish his education.

The exercise was part of Junior Achievement’s Finance Park in Auburn, where thousands of students from all over the region have a chance to deal with real life budget scenarios. The Youth Academy has been sending cadets to the finance park for the all-day exercise for the past few years.

Wallace, like all of his peers spending the 40 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

But the real world part of the class comes at Finance Park in Auburn, an elaborate simulation where sponsors have crafted individual storefronts for students to learn messages about life – everything from Alaska day at the facility, was given a real world persona – single dad in his 30s with a kid and a job as a software developer. Then, he was given a salary and a debt. He was told how much in credit cards and college loans he had to pay off and he was told that he still had to figure out a way to pay for housing, food, insurance, utilities, clothing, education, health care – plus entertainment, if there was anything left.

The financial education part starts in the classroom, where teachers encourage

Airlines talking about entertainment and vacations to Chevrolet talking about cars. The goal is to give students a solid foundation for making intelligent, personal-finance decisions throughout their lives. As luck would have it, April was also National Financial Literacy Month.

Darwin Wiggins, a case manager at the Washington Youth Academy, made it pretty simple for Wallace: “Don’t focus on the expensive cars. Focus on your family. Focus on what you need, not what you want.”

Wiggins says that it’s one thing for the cadets to be

taught something in a class, but quite another when confronted with how to do a real budget.

“These lessons can really stick with the cadets when they’re confronted with real choices,” Wiggins said.

The Academy pays $15 per student and the Junior Achievement of Washington nonprofit picks up the rest of the costs in

sponsorships and donations.

Cadet Justin Deyot added, “I really learned that I don’t want kids and I don’t want to get married. I had to pay for all these things for my child and my spouse, before I could pay for things for myself. It tripled the price of everything.”

Many of Deyot’s fellow students shouted out in agreement that to get the cars – and shoes – of their dreams, they wanted to stay single and childless for as long as possible.

Cadet Jonathan Sharp said the scenario made him 33 years old with two kids.

“I never realized how much kids really cost,” he said. “Childcare was the majority of my paycheck.”

plan because if you don’t have a plan, then you’re going to fall behind. And if you’re in debt, then you’re going to be poor. You have to get through life one day at a time, but also have a plan at the same time.”

Sighing a bit, and acknowledging all the times he asked his mom for things they couldn’t afford, he added, “Sorry, Mom.” “You can’t rely on your parent’s money 24-7 and you’re going to have to make some difficult choices when you grow up,” McCluskey said. “No matter how hard your choices are, you basically have to push through and always have a MIL.WA.GOV VOL III // ISSUE 2 - 41

Communications Director Karina Shagren State Public Affairs Officer Capt. Joseph Siemandel Chief Editor Spc. Tyler Main Copy Editor Virginia Owens

Contributors Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kriess Steven Friederich Spc. Brianne Kim Sgt. James Gibbs Capt. Joseph Siemandel Capt. Sam Puri Pfc. Alec Dionne

42 - EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL.III // ISSUE 2

Photo by Spc Tyler Main