108Th Wing the Dual Mission of the ANG by Lt
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November 2012, Vol. 13, No. 10 108th Wing The Dual Mission of the ANG By Lt. Col. Steven Jamison, 108th Maintenance Group commander “I, (NAME), do solemnly swear that I will support and de- Wing Emergency fend the Constitution of the United States and the State Operation Cen- of New Jersey against all enemies, foreign and domestic; ter, running 24- that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and hour operations that I will obey the orders of the President of the United in support of the States and the Governor of New Jersey and the orders various emerg- of the officers appointed over me, according to law and ing state task- regulations. So help me God.” ing. Addition- When the Airmen of the 108th Wing take this oath, ally, our people they enter into a very special agreement that is unique deployed to nu- within the United States military. As New Jersey Air Na- merous locations tional Guard members, we have both a federal and state throughout the mission. This dual mission, a provision of the U. S. Con- state where they stitution, results in each guardsman holding membership sheltered fami- in the National Guard of his or her state, and also in the lies who were National Guard of the United States. During time periods displaced when when Air National Guard units are not mobilized or under their homes were federal control, they report to the governor and fall under uninhabitable; the supervision of the adjutant general of their respective conducted ex- state or territory. tensive search- Since 9/11, the federal mission has been in the forefront and-rescue ef- of our efforts at the Air National Guard. The men and women forts; provided vital equipment and vehicle support, and of the 108th have deployed around the world in support of directed critical security and stability actions to the most our national security efforts. In addition to these federal com- affected areas along the coast. These efforts directly con- mitments during the past decade, we maintained a strong tributed to the rapid restoration of infrastructure through- presence as a state asset. As representatives of the New out New Jersey and ensured civil order and security dur- Jersey governor, we promoted a State Partnership Program ing this time of crisis. with Albania, deployed civil engineers, security forces and In the near future, we will again federally mobilize bottled water to New Orleans, and recently provided critical 108th Airmen to deploy to the Central Command theater aide to New Jersey residents in response to Hurricane Irene in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Many of these and Superstorm Sandy. men and women also directly participated in our state re- Within hours of Sandy’s destructive impact, the Nation- sponse to Superstorm Sandy. al Guard mobilized approximately 7,400 Citizen-Soldiers The brave and selfless actions of these 108th mem- and -Airmen from 11 states to accomplish emergency bers personify the nature of the Air National Guard; pro- relief operations. Airmen from the 108th Wing immedi- viding support of continuing federal missions around the ately volunteered to help our friends and neighbors who world while simultaneously serving and protecting the citi- were affected by the storm’s aftermath. We established a zens of the New Jersey. This funded Air Force Cover: After the newsletter is an autho- WING TIPS EDITORIAL STAFF Storm - Tech. Sgt. rized publication for Col. Kevin J. Keehn - 108th Wing Commander Steven Fielding and Se- members of the U.S. Capt. April B. Doolittle - Public Affairs Officer nior Airman Richard Or- military services. Con- Senior Master Sgt. Raymond Knox - Public Affairs Superintendent tents of Wing Tips are not necessarily the official view Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen - Editor, Photojournalist tiz, 108th Wing Security of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Depart- Tech. Sgt. Carl Clegg - Photojournalist Forces Squadron, stand- ment of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force. Staff Sgt. Armando Vasquez - Assistant Editor, Photojournalist watch on the bayside of The editorial content is edited, prepared and provided Staff Sgt. Brian Carson - Photojournalist the Township of Manta- by the Public Affairs Office of the 108th Wing, 3327 Tech. Sgt. Eric Erbe - Photojournalist loking, N.J., Nov. 6, 2012. Charles Blvd., Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Senior Airman Adrian Rowan - Photojournalist The Airmen were there to N.J. All photographs are U.S. Air Force photographs, Airman 1st Class Kellyann Novak - Photojournalist provide security on the unless otherwise indicated. Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. April Doolittle/Released) www.facebook.com/pages/108th-Wing 108th Wing - NJANG www.twitter.com/108thWing 108th Airmen support New Jerseyans during and after Hurricane Sandy Above and below: Airmen of the 108th Wing, New Jersey Air seyans at various emergency shelters set up throughout the National Guard, being processed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix- state prior to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 28, 2012. Lakehurst, N.J., before being sent out to assist fellow New Jer- (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/Released) The 108th Wing activated this past month approximately Middle School in Long Branch. 150 Airmen to conduct defense support to civil authorities Following the completion of those missions, the 108th in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall. Airmen were assigned security and control tasks at sev- “Their individual civilian and military skill sets will great- eral beach towns in New Jersey. They were also as- ly enhance the support they provide to law enforcement, signed with assisting at a shelter for displaced Jersey City municipalities, and residents of our great state,” said Col. residents at the New Jersey National Guard’s armory in Kevin J. Keehn, commander of the 108th Wing. Jersey City. These missions are still ongoing, with other When the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, de- 108th Airmen replacements every two weeks. clared a state of emergency Oct. 27, 2012, the New Jer- sey National Guard began mobilization of its Soldiers and Airmen to support and assist local authorities with emer- gency response operations. “The New Jersey National Guard has prepared an ag- gressive joint - Army and Air - plan in anticipation of the need for a military first response,” said Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, the Adjutant General of New Jersey. The 108th Wing’s Airmen were stationed at Monmouth University and Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center at Wall Township to provide screening and in-processing support at these two shelter locations. Also, the Airmen supported screening and in-process- ing support at the following state supported reception points within Monmouth County: Neptune Township High School; Croydon Hall in Middletown; and Long Beach THE ELECTRICIAN Story and photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen, 108th Wing Public Affairs Staff Sgt. Robert Jentsch, left, shines a flashlight onto the control Veterans Memorial Middle School in Brick will have power. More panel of a gas-fired generator for Staff Sgt. Carl Hilpl, both with than 2,000 Airmen and soldiers from the New Jersey National 108th Wing, as Hilpl prepares to start the system so the shelter at Guard have been mobilized in response to Hurricane Sandy. New Jersey Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Carl Hilpl is been hooking up generators and making sure they were standing with the rest of the electric crew in the parking compatible with existing electrical systems. lot of the Ocean County Medical Center in Brick, N.J. At the Long Branch Middle School shelter, their work The temperature has fallen to 33 degrees and the rain kept the lights on. is turning to snow. Nor’easter Athena will soon be dump- Before arriving at the hospital, Hilpl was able to get the ing snow, rain, high winds and tidal surges on an area gas-fired generator at Veterans Memorial Middle School already hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. in Brick working. It’s day 10 of the New Jersey National Guard’s mobili- But it isn’t just about generators. At one point, Hilpl zation for Hurricane Sandy. went out to check on the power at the home of an elderly Hilpl along with Tech. Sgt. Nate Worthy and Staff Sgts. couple. The husband was suffering from leukemia and Robert Jentsch and Pete Tomos, all aircraft electricians the wife has cancer. Hilpl discovered that the wife was from the 108th Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, running out of life-giving oxygen. have been called out to fix a generator at the hospital. For the next several days, every 12 hours, Hilpl took Normally, these Airmen work on the electrical systems new oxygen tanks to their home. of a KC-135R Stratotanker air refueling aircraft. Not part of his training as an aircraft electrician, but Yet, when the state of emergency came, they worked certainly a duty as National Guardsman. just as well fixing electrical systems in shelters, schools Back at the hospital a cutting torch is brought in. Hilpl hospitals - wherever their skills were needed. and team have removed the cover at the base of the light This is the nature of the National Guard. pole and he begins to cut the bolts off. When they arrive, the team of Citizen-Airmen find out After they finish, Hilpl, Worthy, Jentsch and Tomos that emergency personnel called them to take care of light will climb into their up-armored high mobility multipurpose pole are afraid it will fall on the surrounding tents during wheeled vehicle and move on to the next generator. the upcoming Nor’easter. Keeping New Jerseyians from going into the dark.