May 2014 Vol. 9 No. 5 GRIZZLYOfficial Newsmagazine of the California National Guard We got jobs! pg. 2400 jobs in 24 months 5 CA Military Department employment initiative marks 2-year anniversary 129th Rescue Wing saves baby at sea 8 www.calguard.ca.gov/pa Leadership Corner Back to basics: Rely on yourself Major General David S. Baldwin National Guardsmen are trained to do of our young troops may have never prac- three things above all else: shoot, move and ticed the basic skills associated with occu- communicate. Our members seem eager to Every Soldier or Airman must be able pying a piece of land and defending a pe- practice shooting, but many have become rimeter, for example. so reliant on technology that they can’t to perform their job in a contested, seem to move or communicate without Siri With the pace of deployments slowing telling them how. degraded environment. … If we down, it is time for us to return to those traditional skills, refocus on the basics and Warriors don’t need a GPS device to find cannot be effective when cut off ensure we are living up to Army and Air their destination and they don’t need a Force standards. As we execute this transi- cell phone to contact other members of tion, our noncommissioned officers will set their unit. Every Soldier or Airman must from networks and data links, our the tone, enforcing rigorous guidelines that be able to perform their job in a contested, must be met every single day. Only relent- degraded environment that may not offer enemies will turn the tables on us less attention to detail will ensure we meet the conveniences to which you’ve become or exceed the standard in everything we accustomed. and take the advantage. do. Our military’s technological capabilities - Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin There must never be a question that the Cal are unparalleled around the globe, giving Guard’s land power and airpower will be us an enormous edge on our adversaries. The Adjutant General where it needs to be, when it needs to be, And our enemies know that. Right now and that its members will complete their they are scheming to deny us full capabil- mission. If we cannot be effective when cut ity and take away that edge the next time able to us, but we also must maintain our reach your unit by phone? off from networks and data links, our ene- we engage on the battlefield. traditional skills so we won’t be crippled mies will turn the tables on us and take the when devices are non-operational. A war- The past decade has been among the busi- advantage. Our renewed focus on the ba- We must stop cutting corners in our train- rior who neglects either the digital world est in Cal Guard history, with thousands sics, combined with a strong grasp of tech- ing. Assuming that you and your unit will or the world in which our predecessors of combat deployments in addition to our nology, will prepare us for whatever type always have maximum capability is fool- fought is not fit to fight. domestic responsibilities. Apart from brief of conflict may arise in the future. ish, and assuming you can rely on unprac- periods of traditional warfare, however, ticed skills when you need them is a recipe If you lost connectivity, could you find our troops have been engaged in coun- If you are headed to the field and don’t for disaster. multiple routes to your armory? Could terinsurgency operations that required have a good old fashioned 1:50,000 map of your wing launch its aircraft? Could our different skills than traditional military where you are going, or you have one and We need to leverage digital capabili- maintainers do their job? What would you fieldcraft. As a result we have shifted our don’t know how to use it, you are in the ties and master the technology avail- do in a state emergency if you couldn’t training focus in recent years, and many wrong. Get back to basics. New is bright and shiny; old is tried and true Command Sergeant Major William Clark Jr. I am sure most of you have heard the muffled — or in some art in our ranks and requires attention at all levels. Soldiers little research in preparation for the training. Set your ju- cases a bit louder — grumblings of a Soldier cursing their and Airmen need to understand the issues that can arise nior leaders up for success and give them the necessary shiny new smart phone or GPS device in the field, usually when living in an austere environment. lead time to develop a memorandum of instruction or let- because their battery died or their charger broke. I can’t ter of instruction, and then have them present that class to tell you how many times I have asked a young Soldier or The California Army National Guard’s upcoming annual their first sergeant or command sergeant major. noncommissioned officer (NCO) to show me where we are training (AT) period is a great time to empower our young on a map, and they break out a GPS or phone or tablet and NCOs to address this issue and to develop classes on tasks I encourage NCOs and leaders at all levels to break out spend time trying to get a signal — or find out the device many of us have not practiced for years. Soldiers need to those dusty lensatic compasses and raid the supply facility is out of juice. understand how to emplace a defensive perimeter with at Camp Roberts for protractors and maps so all our Sol- overlapping fields of fire. They need to understand why diers can learn or refresh a very perishable skill. The Com- As Maj. Gen. Baldwin stated in his column this month, a particular route into and out of an area of operations mand Post of the Future (CPOF) is a great tool, but you we can’t ignore the importance of having a backup when is best for both foot and vehicle traffic, and why we com- must have an analog backup in your command posts and technology fails, because it will fail, and often at the worst bat-park vehicles. Medics should give classes on field hy- challenge Soldiers to get outside and build a large-scale time. It’s important to know how to use a Blue Force giene and sanitation. Those are just a few topics that could terrain model of your area of operations. Digging may be Tracker, but you must also have skill with a map, compass be covered during AT, and I am sure you can all think of an issue in some areas, but this should not prevent the es- and protractor. You should also be able to turn on a radio many others. tablishment of well-laid-in defensive positions using natu- and send a message regardless of your military occupa- ral camouflage and construction materials. tional specialties. The key to our success is ensuring this training is done to standard — the Army or Air Force standard. As NCOs we If your command is up for the challenge, pick a time to Troops look to NCOs first to set the standard in all areas enforce the standard, and our No. 1 job is to train Soldiers. plan and conduct a day or two of missions that do not in- — not just in garrison but in our day-to-day lives and in all volve all the hi-tech gear to which we have become accus- missions, including field duty. Fieldcraft is becoming a lost The written standards are available but require us to do a tomed. 2 Grizzly TABLE OF CONTENTS The Official Newsmagazine of the California National Guard Counterdrug gets personal Jumping for joy, overcoming fears 4 The Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force Civil Operations 14 California Military Department members observe Sexual As- Team combats drugs by working with community leaders sault Awareness month by jumping out of an airplane May 146th AW’s band of brothers ‘Start by Believing’ Three brothers in the 146th Air Expeditionary Wing have A series of events marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month Vol. 9 No. 5 each other’s backs during an overseas deployment A new and improved Camp Bob 2014 WFW is getting you hired 15 Facilities open for business at Camp Roberts, giving the Cali- 5 Work for Warriors celebrates two years of finding employ- fornia National Guard new capabilities ment for California National Guard and reserve members Publisher Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin MP saves baby Warfighter tests MP brigade’s skills Staff Sgt. Max Valderrama lives up to the Military Police The Adjutant General 16 6 The 49th Military Police Brigade is put through the paces at Corps’ regimental motto of “Assist, Protect, Defend” Director of Public Affairs a recent Warfighter exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. Lt. Col. Peter B. Cross Train at the cellular level to stay fit The Air ride there Lt. Col. Daniel Markert discusses conditioning from the neu- Editor 7 The 49th Military Police Brigade gets to a Warfighter exercise roendocrine system up Capt. Jason Sweeney with help from the Air Guard and Air Force Marching to remember Preparing for success 17 Capt. Danielle Flores participates in the 25th Annual Bataan The 224th Sustainment Brigade practices the military deci- Memorial Death March in honor of her grandfather who sur- sion-making process before a June Warfighter exercise vived the real thing Submissions 129th flies to the rescue Three cheers for the chief 8 Airmen from the 129th Rescue Wing swing into action to res- Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CA) Suzy Shimonishi wins her age Articles: cue a sick baby stranded on a sailboat off the coast of Mexico group in the 25th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March Articles range from 350 to 2,000 words.