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Official Newsmagazine of the California National Guard a Historic Transition Brig

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Official Newsmagazine of the California National Guard a Historic Transition Brig February 2010 Vol. 5 No. 2 GRIZZLYOfficial Newsmagazine of the California National Guard A historic transition Brig. Gen. Mary J. Kight takes command of 8 the Cal Guard Final Farewell 2 Maj. Gen. William H. Wade II reflects on his tenure Embedding mental health care www.calguard.ca.gov/publicaffairs10 Commander’s corner Changing of the Guard FebruaryJuly Major General William H. Wade II PHOTO BY BY PHOTO With this, my last column as the adjutant general, I thought I would revisit the accomplishments, mile- stones and benchmarks of the California National Guard — America’s premier community-based militia — dur- T ECH. SGT. DAVI SGT. ECH. ing the past four years. It has been said that the best way to start any job is to jump right in and “just do it,” and that is exactly what I did (or was forced to do). My first day on the job was D Sept. 1, 2005 – the day Hurricane Katrina made land- LOEFF J. fall along the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi as a Category 3 storm. The dev- astation left in its wake included 1,836 people dead and L ER $81.2 billion in damage – the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. This was followed by Hurricane Rita less than a month later wreaking additional havoc from Tex- as to Louisiana. No stranger to natural disasters, Califor- nia responded immediately by dispatching its National Guard to provide assistance. The California National Guard performed 43 Emergency Management Assis- tance Compact missions, utilizing 1,835 personnel for a total of 42,143 workdays. California’s great Guardsmen rescued 92 civilians, cleared 11,026 structures, located 62 deceased personnel, flew 209 support sorties and airlift- ed nearly 700,000 pounds of relief cargo. Nine months later, America once again called upon the California National Guard to step forward and man the ramparts of freedom. On June 15, 2006, in response to Maj. Gen. William H. Wade II, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. William Clark Jr., the top enlisted leader in the Cal Guard, case Wade’s the president’s call to arms, the Soldiers and Airmen of flag on Feb. 2, signifying the end of his tenure as adjutant general. Wade had served in that position since September 2005. the California National Guard deployed to the Califor- nia-Mexico border to provide immediate support to the land Security’s increased threat level, the governor or- ing Systems flew 103 hours and dispensed nearly 208,000 United States Customs and Border Protection Service in dered 552 Cal Guard members to provide support at gallons of fire retardant. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, then- order to enhance border enforcement operations along seven international California airports in order to imple- chief of the National Guard Bureau, said of the Califor- the Mexican border from the Pacific Ocean to the south- ment heightened security requirements, including secu- nia Guard’s response efforts, “This has been probably eastern tip of Texas. The National Guard Bureau’s intent rity augmentation of external secondary access points, the most proactive response to a domestic event that I was to rotate personnel from the remaining 50 states and armed roving patrols and secondary baggage screening. have seen in my 40 years in uniform” — a true testament territories on an annual training/additional annual train- Without missing a beat, California’s finest citizen-Sol- to the professionalism and dedication of the men and ing basis in order to staff entry identifications teams; diers and Airmen mobilized and deployed to answer the women of the California National Guard. support surveillance and reconnaissance; perform cam- state’s call, providing a total of nearly 23,000 workdays era and scope operations; conduct intelligence analysis; to the effort. Still reeling from the devastating effects of the fall blaze provide aviation airlift and insertion support; perform of 2007, California again called upon its Guard in re- vehicle maintenance on Border Patrol vehicles; provide While still performing the taxing mission along the sponse to more than 2,000 wildfires ignited by a series of logistical support; construct fencing, roads, lighting and Mexico border, the state’s Guard was further tasked to lightning storms that occurred during a 48-hour period vehicle barriers to enhance and ensure interior lines of provide support to California firefighters during the on June 20-21, 2008. Complicated by heavy fuel sources communication; and conduct ICAD monitoring for law fall of 2007. Driven by the infamous Santa Ana winds, and steep, inaccessible terrain, the scope of the emer- enforcement communications. However, in order to en- catastrophic wildfires destroyed homes and threatened gency quickly exhausted all local and state resources sure continuity of operations, I insisted on ordering Cal- numerous communities in Los Angeles, Orange and San while straining available federal resources, necessitat- ifornia personnel to duty for a minimum of six months Diego counties. The California National Guard was mo- ing the activation of not only Cal Guard aviation assets, or for the duration. Contrary to the non-believers who bilized and instrumental in ensuring the consequence- but also personnel and equipment to act as firefighting said it couldn’t be done, California was monumentally management of the then-largest fire in California history, hand crews – the first call-up of its kind in more than 30 successful in activating more than 1,600 personnel for which burned 517,535 acres, destroyed 3,204 structures, years. True to form and reputation, the Cal Guard set the long haul, organized into five subordinate task forc- caused $1.7 billion of damage new benchmarks for response es within a joint task force, for the next two years. Dur- and forced the evacuation of an to civil authorities by activating ing this operation, California’s Guard was credited with estimated 515,000 people. For nearly 3,700 personnel (for a assisting in the apprehension of 95,086 illegal aliens and/ nearly two months, the Guard See page 8 total of more than 76,000 work- or criminals and the seizure of 725 vehicles and more mobilized more than 2,700 per- days) and mobilizing 67 mili- than 40,000 pounds of marijuana and cocaine. It also sonnel to assist local, state and tary aircraft from 20 different expanded border surveillance for the full 156 miles of federal authorities with fire for more on the states and five service compo- California-Mexico border, constructed 952 anti-vehicle suppression efforts, evacuation- nents. With this unprecedented barriers, installed 58,600 feet of electrical cable that sup- site management and support, response, rotary aircraft flew ported 27 light sets, and flew 1,275 air missions totaling traffic control, security patrols Change of Command 1,338 hours and dropped 5.5 more than 5,000 flight hours in support of border secu- of evacuated areas, billeting million gallons of water, while rity operations. of law enforcement personnel, fixed wing aircraft flew 680 sandbag-filling for erosion con- hours and dropped 1.1 million Demonstrating the California Guard’s outstanding op- trol and emergency communica- gallons of water and more than erational reach and superior ability to multi-task, the tions for some of the affected communities. Throughout 12 million pounds of fire retardant. When every avail- governor called upon his state defense force a mere two this arduous period, Army Guard aircraft flew nearly 330 able civilian ground fire crew asset had been exhausted, months later, in August 2006, to provide additional sup- hours and dropped more than 416,000 gallons of water, the Guard trained and deployed 2,400 Soldiers and Air- port to homeland security in California’s airports for a while Air Guard craft with Modular Airborne Fire Fight- men as Type II firefighters, who cut nearly 469 miles of second time after a terrorist attacked London’s Heath- row Airport. Responding to the Department of Home- Continued on Page 19 2 Flying into GrizzlyThe Official Newsmagazine of 5 the California National Guard danger Co-pilot earns FebruaryJuly Purple Heart Vol. 5 No. 2 2010 Keeping livestock alive 40th ID helps Afghan farmers Publisher Showing class Brig. Gen. Mary J. Kight The Adjutant General in Kosovo 1-144th teaches Director of Communications youths English Maj. Thomas W. Keegan 15 9 Editor Brandon Honig Table Of CONTeNTs Layout, Graphics, Photo Editing Erin Wetzelberger East meets West 1-18th Soldiers earn their spurs Editorial Staff 4 Japanese Airmen came to California to learn air- 9 Seven members of 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regi- Staff Sgt. Jessica Inigo refueling techniques from the 129th Rescue Wing ment, joined a prestigious group while in Kosovo Sgt. Jonathan Guibord French connection Embedding mental health care Photographers French officers toured March Air Reserve Base to 10 TriWest and the CNG pioneer a program to place Tech. Sgt. David Loeffler learn about Predator unmanned vehicle operations behavioral health specialists in armories Tech. Sgt. Joseph Prouse Copter co-pilot takes shrapnel 251st honored for WWII service 5 Capt. Mary Jennings, 129th Rescue Wing, earned a 14 Coast artillery regiment earned citation from the Purple Heart while saving Soldiers in Afghanistan president of the Philippines for role in Pacific Theater Submissions Training with industry ADT clinic for Afghan animals Articles: The 40th Brigade Support Battalion teamed with 15 40th ID Agribusiness Development Team vaccinates 250-300 words for a half-page story; private firms and public agencies for recent
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