Kansas National Teen Camp and Citizen-Soldiers Guard stands Operation Kids on the hunt for up new signal Camp creates lieutenant’s PlainsPlainscompany ........7 GuardianGuardianbonds ...........10 gold bar ........14 Volume 56 No. 4 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol August 2012 Kansas Guardsmen help Colorado in firefighting mission By Staff Sgt. Jessica Barnett any other state needs them, these Soldiers Public Affairs Office would be glad to go again.” One UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and The Guardsmen used a 660-gallon Bambi nine Soldiers from the Kansas National bucket slung beneath their helicopter to re- Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regi- lease water on the flames at target areas di- ment and Company G (-), 2nd Battalion, rected by ground personnel. 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support “We train for Bambi bucket missions on Aviation Battalion), headquartered in a regular basis,” said Sgt. Ryan Kohlman, Topeka, activated to Colorado June 12 for standardizations instructor with Company little more than two weeks to help combat G, 2-135th Avn. (GSAB). “The training re- wild fires. ally pays off when we are called to other The Guardsmen deployed to Colorado at states in their hour of need.” the request of that state’s emergency man- “Most of what we did was on the flanks agement officials to support ongoing of the fire,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 ground firefighting efforts in an area at the Steve Hood, safety officer, Army Aviation High Park in Larimer County, Colo., ap- Support Facility #1, Topeka. “We dropped proximately 15 miles west of Fort Collins. water to keep the fires contained and pre- Prior to conducting their missions, the venedt them from jumping across fire- Kansas Guardsmen were updated on the breaks.” current situation and mission to familiarize “We also did home protection,” he con- themselves with the terrain, flying condi- tinued, “by wetting down areas around tions and the location of water sources for homes where firefighters had started back- the Bambi bucket. burns.” “The flight crews and support members The crew provided structure protection were ready and eager to go,” said Maj. Gen. A Kansas National Guard aviation crew, made up Soldiers from Company G, 2nd by delivering more than 15,000 gallons of (KS) Lee Tafanelli, the adjutant general. Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), release ap- water, totaling 34 buckets. “They did their job professionally, proudly proximately 460 gallons of water from their Bambi bucket in support of firefighting The success of the mission was definitely and with the kind of enthusiasm that’s the efforts at High Park in Larimer County, Colo., approximately 15 miles west of Fort a cooperative effort between military and hallmark of being a Kansas National Collins, June 15, 2012. (Photo by Sgt. Ryan Kohlman, Company G, 2nd Battalion, civilian organizations. Guardsmen. I’m sure that if Colorado or 135th Aviation Regiment) (Continued on Page 6) 35th Infantry Division takes 73rd Civil Support Team part in corps-level exercise supports MLB All-Star events By Lt. Col. Eric Ford cise III Corps’ mission command functions By Staff Sgt. Jessica Barnett under a mutual aid agreement. 35th Infantry Division and systems and help set the conditions for Public Affairs Office “We contacted the Kansas CST and the The 35th Infantry Division headquarters the execution of future operations, the com- The Kansas National Guard’s 73rd Civil Iowa CST to see if they were interested in participated in the III Corps Warfighter Exer- puter-based simulation involved Soldiers and Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruc- supporting this operation and both teams cise at Fort Hood, Texas, from June 1 to 21. civilians from 17 different units from across tion) and three Iowa 71st CST members were very excited to go ahead and support It was the first corps-level full-spectrum uni- the U.S. Other divisions participating in the provided support for the Major League whatever we needed,” said 1st. Lt. John fied land operations training exercise in 10 exercise with the III Corps Headquarters Baseball All-Star weekend at Kauffman Breeden, 7th Civil Support Team, Missouri years for the U.S. Army. Designed to exer- were the 101st Airborne Division and the Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., July 7 to 10, National Guard. “Each team is taking care 28th Infantry Division. Soldiers at Fort Leav- alongside the Missouri National Guard’s of something different and it’s really help- enworth, Kan., also participated via tactical 7th Civil Support Team. ing by splitting up the workload and not networks. This was the division’s second Local emergency response authorities over-tasking any one unit.” Warfighter exercise in less than a year. asked for the National Guard’s assistance The joint team worked directly in sup- Because there hasn’t been a corps-level when assessing public safety needs for the port of the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Depart- PAID exercise like this in a decade, commanders MLB All-Star game and requested support ment and their Hazardous Materials PRSRT STD PRSRT SALEM, OR U.S. POSTAGE across the Army looked to capture lessons from the 7th CST. The 7th CST looked to Response Team, as well as other civilian PERMIT NO. 178 PERMIT learned from the exercise and its planning Kansas and Iowa, their partners within their authorities that are providing both safety that began last September. The exercise, FEMA Region 7, for additional support (Continued on Page 2) using the Army’s Decisive Action Training Environment, is part of the Army’s effort to renew its focus on the basics of war fight- ing. “The Army has been fully committed to accomplishing our nation’s missions around the world and that has impacted our ability to conduct this type of training event,” said Maj. Gen. John E. Davoren, commanding general of the 35th Infantry Division. “This Warfighter exercise is very significant since it is the first large-scale training operation done at this level, specif- ically focused at keeping our forces effec- tive and adaptive for future operations.” After more than 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. Army honed and sharpened its counterinsurgency skills, Soldiers are now beginning to spend time on more comprehensive training to Members of the 73rd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction), conduct 2800 Topeka Blvd. 2800 Topeka OFFICIAL BUSINESS OFFICIAL meet a hybrid threat that could span preventive maintenance checks and services on their air monitoring and screening Adjutant General of Kansas Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287 Topeka, Penalty For Private Use, $300 guerilla, insurgent, criminal and conven- equipment prior to providing active monitoring and reconnaissance of domestic bio- DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY THE OF DEPARTMENT NATIONAL GUARD OF KANSAS GUARD OF NATIONAL tional forces, all in one environment. logical, radiological and nuclear chemicals at Kauffman Stadium during the Major The corps-level Warfighter is designed to League Baseball All-Star Game in Kansas City. Mo., July 10. (Photo by Staff Sgt. DEPARTMENT AND AIR OF THE ARMY FORCE DEPARTMENT (Continued on Page 2) Jessica Barnett, Kansas Adjutant General’s Department Public Affairs Office) Page 2 Plains Guardian • August 2012 “Not On My Watch”: Aeromedical company deploys to Afghanistan By Steve Larson “(We’re) deploying as a medevac com- Public Affairs Office pany, part of a three-state combination – Even though the U.S. military presence Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas,” said in Afghanistan is winding down, U.S. mili- Bernard. “This is the first time this unit has tary personnel still face the possibility of ever deployed. In fact, it did not exist a injury in accidents or through attack by year ago. In the course of 12 months, we’ve hostile forces. In such situations, rapid stood up the unit, trained them up, and aeromedical support can mean the differ- we’re ready to go.” ence between life and death. “It’s definitely been a challenge,” he said. Approximately 20 Kansas National “There’s been a lot of issues they’ve had to Guardsmen will soon be taking on this vital work through … coordinating with the state mission during a year-long deployment to took a lot of work all the way down Afghanistan in support of Operation Endur- through the individual Soldier. Everybody ing Freedom. These Soldiers, members of really pulled together. I think we’ve got an Detachment 2, Company C, 2nd Battalion, excellent team put together for this mission. 211th Aviation Regiment (General Support I look forward to accomplishing it and re- Aviation Battalion), were honored in a de- turning home.” ployment ceremony July 15 at the Kansas Bernard said the deployment will present Regional Training Center, Salina. The UH- challenges, but will be an excellent learning 60 Black Hawk helicopter unit will provide opportunity for the unit. aeromedical evacuation support; rapid “It’s going to be a great experience for movement of patients, medical personnel them (the younger Soldiers) in getting out and supplies and other support, as needed. Capt. Ryan Bernard (right) accepts a Kansas flag from Maj. Gen. (KS) Lee Tafanelli, of their Basic and Advance Individual The detachment is commanded by Capt. the adjutant general, on behalf of his unit, Detachment 2, Company C, 2nd Battalion, Training and coming to a unit that de- Ryan Bernard. The Kansas Soldiers will 211th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), during their deploy- ploys,” Bernard said. “It’s good exposure be joining other National Guard units ment ceremony in Salina, July 15 . The flag, which was flown over the Kansas Capi- for the course of that year.