Warrior Words
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WARRIOR WORDS Newsletter of the Southern Regional Support Command * California State Military Reserve Fighting Up-Close, Personal SGT DeLio and his colleagues teach the National Guard the nitty-gritty of hand combat PAGE FOUR Kids get in Chaplains step at keep faith Sunburst with Soldiers PAGE SEVEN PAGE SIX January 2009 Issue Number Six * Published by the SRSC Public Affairs Section 2 WARRIOR WORDS/JANUARY 2009 OFFICER PROFILE AT THE FRONT W01 RANDOLPH RAYCROFT NEW BOSS: The new commander of the Age: 64 California State Military Reserve will be COL Lives in: Roland Candee of Sacramento. COL Candee Manhattan Beach comes to the CSMR from the California Joined the CSMR: National Guard, where he was staff judge Dec. 2003 advocate at the Joint Forces Headquarters in Prior Service: US the state capital. In his civilian role, he is a Army Signal Corps, superior court judge in Sacramento County. two years. COL Candee succeeds BG Emory “Jack” CSMR Duty: Hagan, who served in the post for over two Logistics. years. More information will be forthcoming Current Civilian through the chain-of-command. Occupation: EARTH’S FAVORITE: “The Day the Earth Retired from Stood Still,” a remake of the 1951 sci-fi storage company classic starring Michael Rennie,” was the management. number one box office film in its opening Family: Married weekend. The current version, with Keanu 41 years with a 29- Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates, year-old daughter. was filmed in part at the Joint Forces Training Why did you join the CSMR? Base in Los Alamitos. Among the military To support the homeland security mission. “extras” in several scenes were members What do you most like about the CSMR? of the CSMR as well as California National The cameraderie. Being a part of the reserve. Guard Soldiers. Military honors and awards: Meritorious Achievement Medal (CSMR); Good Conduct, National Service (USA). CHAPLAIN’S CORNER The greatest source of comfort Unfortunately, we live in a world WARRIOR where pain and suffering are com- mon aspects of the human experi- WORDS ence. Soldiers, especially those who have combat experience, have Southern Regional Support Command a unique and personal perspective COL MARC BRESLOW, on the problem of pain and suffer- COMMANDING ing. Suffering and sacrifice are of- ten part of what it takes for soldiers Published bimonthly by the Public Affairs Section of the to accomplish difficult missions. CPT CHRISTOPHER Southern Regional Support Command, Our God is called “the Father FOWLER California State Military Reserve of compassion and the God of Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos. all comfort” for good reason. He tells us that one critical outcome from personal suffering is the ability to comfort Public Affairs Officer others. “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can MAJ James Adair comfort those with the comfort we ourselves have received Deputy Public Affairs Officer from God” (1 Cor. 1:3-4). 1LT RON ALEXANDER Being “comforted” means receiving strength, encourage- ment, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suf- EDITOR: SSG Jim Tortolano. STAFF: CW2 Richard DeLaTorre, fer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling over- SSG Richard Bergquist, SSG John Thompson, SGT Robert whelmed, allow God to comfort you. And, remember that Davison, SGT Gregory Solman, SPC Darrell Wilson. every trial you endure, as a person and as a soldier, will help Please send news items, story suggestions, corrections to you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles. [email protected]. May the Lord bless and comfort you and those you love! ON THE COVER ON THE COVER WARRIOR WORDS/JANUARY 2009 3 GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER confers with Homeland Security and California National Guard officers at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where the Joint Operations Center for Golden Guardian was located. Lessons learned are ‘Golden’ CSMR Soldiers take part in the simulation of response to a major earthquake By SSG Jim Tortolano At 10 a.m. on Nov. 12, millions of “The exercise helped me and others Warrior Words Southern Californians at work and to visualize the FEMA courses we take at school played their part, taking for the MEMS [military emergency Soldiers from the Southern Regional cover and evacuating buildings. At management specialist] badges,” said Support Command of the California the Southern California Emergency 1LT Pesantes. State Military Reserve took part Operations Center at the Joint Forces The state Department of Homeland in what’s been called the “largest Training Base in Los Alamitos, CSMR Security originally had sought 40 to earthquake drill ever” in November, Soldiers labored alongside National 45 CSMR Soldiers for the exercise, and will get a chance to practice their Guard troopers and other emergency but discovered on closer look they disaster assistance skills in February agencies on the simulation. would need a much smaller number. as well. The CSMR Soldiers worked under Soldiers not called to state active According to 1LT Galo Pesantes, a the command of COL Clyde Doheny duty for Golden Guardian who were dozen area CSMR Soldiers took part of the California Air National Guard; counting on using that experience for in Operation Golden Guardian Nov. the lead CSMR Soldier at Los the practicum necessary to complete 12-14, an exercise based around a Alamitos was Pesantes. their basic MEMS badge will get fictitious 7.8-magnitude striking the Acting primarily as controllers, the another chance soon, however. Southland. The annual preparedness CSMR Soldiers were on duty about 30 According to 1LT Pesantes, a live event this year was also broadened to hours each over the three-day period. two-day disaster exercise is being the public at large, in the form of “The Each controller was responsible for a planned for February 2009 at Los Great Southern California Shakeout.” county in the simulation. Continued on page 8 4 WARRIOR WORDS/JANUARY 2009 ON THE COVER Photos by SSG John Thompson SGT MiKE DeLIO (left) demonstrates how to disarm a knife-wielding assailant with SSG Dustin Wilkins. Self-Defense’s Cutting Edge These CSMR Soldiers are fast as lightning; but, no, they don’t do kung-fu fighting. They provide real-life combatives training for the National Guard By CW2 Rick de la Torre talent to the Southern Regional Support re of CSMR Soldiers who can serve as Warrior Words Command’s PMO section. ace combatives trainers. Over the past few years, through vari- “These four guys are top-notch profes- There are the four of them. They have ous contributions of time and equipment, sionals,” said MAJ Frank the hardy look of fit and squared away they have been developing Naumann, the PMO sec- Soldiers. and teaching a special se- tion leader. They exude the command presence ries of lessons that provide “The training is out- of typical, self-assured NCOs. But yet supplemental combatives standing. The skills there is a quiet normalcy about them that training. that the Soldiers are would make you believe they’re pretty The lessons, which align learning can be used on much like most Troopers. with Army standards, offer a daily basis out there But do not mess with them. Don’t even high-caliber learning oppor- wherever they’re de- think about getting this quartet upset. tunities on the art and prac- ployed.” The four CSMR soldiers — SSG Ed tice of self-defense. Garcia, who runs Garcia, SSG Dustin Wilkins, SSG Jim The PMO’s goal is to not his own martial arts Wagner and SGT Michael DeLio — are only bring Cal Guard MP Sol- studio and has taught all acclaimed practitioners in self-defense diers into even sharper readi- combatives to for- martial arts who provide extraordinary ness, but to create a crack cad- eign police agencies, WARRIOR WORDS/JANUARY 2009 5 said the CSMR training fo- cuses on using realistic “street” scenarios, instead of predict- able settings commonly used in classic martial arts programs. The specific approach taught is Krav Maga, the official self-defense system of the Is- raeli Defense Forces. Krav Maga, which is used by law enforcement across the U.S., emphasizes instinctive move- ments and practical techniques whether the attacker is armed or unarmed. Garcia believes that realis- tic training is crucial in help- ing Soldiers maintain personal and situational awareness at all times in whatever hostile envi- ronments they may find them- selves in. A very useful type of percep- tion, for example, is to watch for weapon “signatures” on people, such TRAINING IN THE GYM are (left to right, rear row) SGT Tim Griggs, PFC as the bulge of a handgun. Janie Bordelow, SSG Jennifer Olch, PFC Josh Ornelas, SGT Rich Marazsky, “It makes a big difference,” said Garcia PFC Andre Bustamante, recruit PFC Jonathan Smith, (front row) SSG Dustin about practicing with realism in mind. “It Wilkins, SSG Ed Garcia, SGT Mike DeLio. has been very successful.” Two critical aspects of the realism are niques,” said Wagner, a former police of- The overall expertise and commitment speed and simplicity. A typical knife at- ficer. “Just do what you have to do.” that the CSMR brings to supplemental tack by a fast-moving assailant in close DeLio, who specializes in Southeast combatives instruction and other MP-ori- proximity may take only a few seconds. Asian stick and knife tactics, agreed that ented training enhancement, such as ini- There is no time or room for anything in order to survive and get home safely, tial entry force and fire team movement, fancy, especially any kung fu-style moves a fast and basic approach is needed with has earned the appreciation and admira- popularized in movies and video games.