atat easeease Wisconsin National Guard March 2009 at ease March 2009 at ease Table of Contents 3 From the Top 5 News Briefs at ease 8 Snapshots: Wisconsin Guard In Photos Volume 30 Number 1 16 Look Out, Look Out, Here Comes the 32nd Official Magazine of the Wisconsin 17 A Covenant to Support You Army and Air National Guard 20 Train and Train Again The Adjutant General: Brig. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar 22 Southern Exposure Deputy Adjutant General Army: Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson 26 Blood Ties and Service Stripes Deputy Adjutant General Air: Brig. Gen. John McCoy 27 Letters from Annual Training Director of Public Affairs: Maj. Jackie Guthrie 28 Vietnam Vet Soldiers On At Ease Staff: Editor: Kelly Bradley 30 Red Arrow Legacy: Soldiers Answer WWII Bugle Call Photo and Copy Editor: Larry Sommers Contributing staff writers and photojournalists: 36 Wisconsin Revamps Family Support Programs Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs Staff 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 40 ESGR Supports Troops, assists employers 115th Fighter Wing 128th Air Refueling Wing 42 What’s in the Cards? Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center 48 Flood Relief a Joint Effort How to Reach Us E-mail: [email protected] 50 Eye In the Sky Phone: (608) 242-3055 Fax: (608) 242-3051 Address: Department of Military Affairs; 52 Raise Your Right Hand Attn: Kelly Bradley 2400 Wright Street; Madison, WI 53704 54 Milwaukee Airmen Provide Security in Afghanistan Change of Address Current Guard members: At Ease gets your current 56 Who Ya Gonna Call? 54th CST Threat Busters! mailing address from your unit records. No special notification is necessary. 58 Learning for Life Guard retirees, civilian and institutional addressees: 60 Partners in Progress Change of address notification should be sent to the above contact. 64 Same Mission, Different Battlefield The Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard’s At Ease magazine is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. 68 “Mike” Brings Future to Madison Helicopter Unit Contents of the At Ease are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, or the Department of the Army or Air Force. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of 70 Are You Ready Wisconsin? the Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Officer. Printed by Royle Printing, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Government 72 Happy Anniversary! under exclusive written contract with the Wisconsin National Guard. Circulation: 18,000. 2 at ease From the top I hope you enjoy this updated and modernized At Ease magazine. Our Public Affairs office, led 74 WMA Graduates 50th Class by Lt. Col. Tim Donovan (now on deployment to Iraq) 76 A Decade of Success evolved this award- winning publication 77 What School? WOC School! to a more modern format; and under 78 Brick and Mortar at Camp Justice the leadership of our new state 79 Badgers in Iraq public affairs officer, Maj. Jackie 80 Troop E Completes the Run Guthrie, will guide its ongoing 81 332nd ROCs Iraq transformation. I will contribute Brig. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar 82 Annual Report periodically as the adjutant general to share issues, items of significance, commentary and vision. Your Wisconsin National Guard performed magnificently in 2008. Our deployment activity peaked at about 5 percent, with as many as 500 Soldiers and Airmen deployed in the combat zone at various times throughout the year. Fifteen years ago, that would have seemed breathtaking, but not today. Our contribution in 2008 was significant, but not remarkable. 2009 is already fulfilling its promise to be historic. The Wisconsin National Guard will participate in its largest operational deployment since World War II, as the famed “Red Arrow” deploys again. The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team will deploy approximately 3,200 Soldiers to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After an All-Wisconsin send-off Feb. 17, the brigade traveled to Fort Bliss, Texas, for additional training, and is expected to arrive in theater in late April. As the 32nd Division prepared to deploy to the Pacific in World War II, Life magazine ran a cover story entitled “Red Arrow Division gets the call back to duty,” and the cover depicted many of our Soldiers in various stages of deployment preparation. As I viewed this piece of history, I asked myself — what has changed? Well, everything has changed. The National Guard is now operational and involved in rotational combat operations, we are receiving brand new equipment, and we are leaner and more lethal following transformation. But as I reflected on it, despite the changes above, nothing has changed. The Wisconsin National Guard still On the Cover: represents the best that Wisconsin has to offer, and our Soldiers and Airmen continue to be ready, willing and able Retired Col. Tommy Makal, left, and Platoon Sgt. Pete Smoczyk, 32nd to defend our nation when called. The Wisconsin National Division veterans of World War II, escort the 32nd Brigade colors as Guard represents enduring value for our citizens. honorary color guards at the start of the brigade’s send-off ceremony, A few things you need to know about this historic in Madison Feb. 17. Makal enlisted in 1937 and saw combat with the Red Arrow in North Africa and Europe. Smoczyk joined the Wisconsin deployment. First, although it is the 32nd flag that is National Guard’s horse cavalry in 1936 and fought in the Southwest deploying under Col. Steve Bensend’s leadership, we Pacific as part of the division’s 127th Infantry Regiment. Photo by Staff have Soldiers deploying in significant numbers from each Sgt. Joe Streeter of our major commands, including the 157th Maneuver March 2009 3 From the top, continued Enhancement Brigade, the 64th Troop Command and the This is significant, to be sure. However, the reason for the 426th Leadership Regiment. I am grateful to Col. Mark Michie, center-of-gravity shift is directly related to the nation’s reliance Col. Darrel Feucht and Col. Ken Koon for their leadership and on an operational Guard to meet mission requirements and support. Col. Michie’s 157th was also tasked with substantive the extraordinary performance of our Soldiers and Airmen in training responsibilities to prepare the 32nd’s Soldiers for answering the call. The National Guard has significant “skin in mobilization and they have excelled in this critical role. the game,” and our nation’s leaders have both recognized and Second, the Army National Guard headquarters under codified this shift. Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson’s leadership has performed Further evidence of this shift is the quantity and quality of superbly. There are a lot of moving pieces required to equipment flowing to the National Guard. In 2008 we began get a deployment of this size out the door. It takes vision receiving a significant amount of new, front-line, state-of-the- and leadership — both were amply supplied. Col. Kevin art equipment that is on par with that issued to the active Army Greenwood, chief of the Army Guard staff; Col. Mark Bruns, and Air Force. If the current programmed budget is executed, deputy chief of staff for Personnel (G1); Col. Tim Lawson, we should have at least 77 percent of our authorized deputy chief of staff for Operations (G3); Col. Tom Gregar, equipment on hand by 2013, as opposed to the less than 75 deputy chief of staff for Logistics (G4); and Wisconsin’s U.S. percent equipment level most states had prior to the Sept. 11 property and fiscal officer, Col. Pete Seaholm, were tireless as terrorist attacks; and more to the point — an unprecedented they formulated a superb plan and executed it flawlessly. Key percentage of it will be top-of-the-line equipment. elements of my personal staff were also deeply involved, in Looking forward, 2009 will obviously bring a high particular, the Judge Advocate Corps under Col. Julio Barron operations tempo among other challenges. Our nation and the Public Affairs Office, first under Lt. Col. Donovan and is facing a fiscal crisis, and both the federal and state then under Maj. Guthrie. governments are facing persistent deficits. This could Lastly, it is not just the Army National Guard deploying impact the National Guard in several ways, possibly reducing this year. We will also send both of our flying wings back in projected equipment purchases and reducing National Guard to harm’s way as the 115th Fighter Wing and the 128th Air recruiting and retention programs. Refueling Wing participate in Aerospace Expeditionary Force The Air Force is advocating significant force structure cuts missions in 2009. At various times in 2009, the Wisconsin in our fighter inventory at a time when the F-35/F-22 programs National Guard will have approximately 40 percent of our may be in jeopardy. It is not clear what impact this will have forces deployed in combat operations. I hope you are as on the Air National Guard, but current projections would likely proud as I am of your Soldiers and Airmen. be negative. We are engaged at every level to work these issues and solve them in the best way to serve our state and As to the past year, 2008 cannot be summed up in terms nation. of deployments only. There are other areas of significance as Although it is too early to forecast what impact the fiscal well: crisis may have on your National Guard, I can assure you that • Congress has fully funded the Yellow Ribbon program whatever comes our way, we will remain committed to our core for family support, and DoD placed the responsibility values.