Serving in the Greater safety Soldiers get Guard a for humvee realistic family gunners . .5 training close PlainsPlainstradition . .2 GuardianGuardianto home . .6 Volume 54 No. 5 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol September 2011 Kansas helicopter battalion deploys for mission in Iraq By Sgt. Jason Lee Public Affairs Office Friends and family members gathered at the Ramada Convention Center, Topeka, for the 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment departure ceremony Aug. 24. Approximately 250 Soldiers will deploy to Iraq for one year as part of Operation New Dawn. “Without you and your unparalleled support, we cannot do this mission and do it well,” said Lt. Col. David Leger, battalion commander. “Everything we accomplish this year will be as a team of Soldiers, and accomplished with you behind us.” The aviation battalion, using UH-60 Black Hawk heli- copters, will be transporting troops, supplies and equip- ment. “As Operation New Dawn nears an ending point in Iraq, there is still work to be done,” said Maj. Gen. (KS) Lee Tafanelli. “We are honored to send our very best avi- ation battalion in the country that will do that work.” “We will accomplish the mission to the best of our abil- ities and bring honor and respect to the United States [and] the state of Kansas,” said Leger. The 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment, also served in Iraq at the Logistical Support Area Anaconda base from 2006-2007 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Soldiers will go to Fort Hood, Texas, for additional Four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment, Kansas National Guard, training before they depart the United States for their tour take off on the first leg of their journey to Iraq the morning of Sept. 2. Approximately 250 Soldiers of the battalion of duty. are deploying for a year-long mission. (Photo by Jane Welch, Public Affairs Office) “Everything on the table”: Tough Automated air refueling may choices coming on budget cuts extend U.S. air power range By Andrew Tilghman going to have to make some changes where Army Times the money is.” By Tech. Sgt. Emily F. Alley Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., but with less Troops should expect to tighten their belts The Pentagon is conducting a sweeping 190th Air Refueling Wing air traffic than Edwards AFB in California. in the coming years – but by how much re- review to try to flesh out what the pay and Flying high and moving fast, boom oper- Engineers complimented the wing’s willing- mains an open question, the nation’s top mil- compensation package should look like in ators in KC-135 air refueling tankers can ness to innovate and noted the outstanding itary officer said. the future, he said. Mullen spoke to Military still look down and see a pilot when they effort by the Maintenance Squadron, specif- “We are a well-compensated force right Times at length about force structure and refuel a plane. Eventually, however, the ically mentioning Tech. Sgt. Jason Piper and now – and we should be, given what we’re compensation levels for the first time since cabin may be empty. Tech. Sgt. David Powelson from the 190th doing,” said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates an- Forbes Field was selected to host the first Avionics shop as part of their reason for re- the Joint Chiefs. “But the reality is… we’re nounced plans earlier this year to cut up to group of tests for automated air refueling. turning for the second round of testing. 47,000 troops from the Army and Marine After the first set of tests concluded, the en- “We flew eight days in a row. Our guys Corps. President Barack Obama said in April gineers could have gone elsewhere – other were always there,” said Maj. Jeff Warren- that he wants to slash $400 billion from the bases would have been happy to host them – der, a 190 ARW pilot who participated in the defense budget over the next 12 years. but they chose to come back to Forbes. testing. “They were just superb, actually.” Steep troop cuts unlikely The 190th Air Refueling Wing was first By early December, they had performed PAID However, said Mullen, there’s little selected largely because of its location near (Continued on Page 8) PRSRT STD PRSRT SALEM, OR U.S. POSTAGE chance of steep cuts in the next several PERMIT NO. 178 PERMIT years. The military’s complex personnel sys- tems make it difficult for the individual services to cut more than about 10,000 troops, at most, in a given year, Mullen said. The Army and Marine Corps are still struggling to reach an operational tempo that allows for twice as much time at home as time spent deployed. They may reach that by the end of 2013, Mullen said. Cutting back on troop levels also will have a direct effect on the future stress on the force. “In doing simple math, clearly any dras- tic reduction in end strength… is going to have an immediate impact on dwell [time]. It must, or we’ve got to slow [operations] down. Those are the two variables that you can actually adjust,” Mullen said. Military compensation will have to re- main competitive because the nation is fun- damentally committed to our military force, Mullen said. 2800 Topeka Blvd. 2800 Topeka “Any changes that we make, we have to OFFICIAL BUSINESS OFFICIAL Adjutant General of Kansas Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287 Topeka, Penalty For Private Use, $300 keep in mind this all-volunteer force. So DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY THE OF DEPARTMENT The sight of a pilot in the cockpit may become a thing of the past for air refueling NATIONAL GUARD OF KANSAS GUARD OF NATIONAL we’re in a time right now where retention boomers. A new automated air refueling system is currently being tested, a system is good, recruiting is good. It’s always bet- that would allow pilots to take a break during the process. (Photo by Master Sgt. DEPARTMENT AND AIR OF THE ARMY FORCE DEPARTMENT (Continued on Page 3) Allen Pickert, 190th Air Refueling Wing) Page 2 Plains Guardian • September 2011 Serving in the Kansas National Guard a family “tradition” By Sgt. Jason Lee Guard. Staff Sgt. Jim Wellman and Sgt. 1st Public Affairs Office Class David Wellman are part of the 35th A lot can be said about family traditions. Division. However, the family tradition Recipes, mottos, hobbies and beliefs can all continues to grow as Jim’s wife, Kathleen be traced back to a family’s tradition. and son, Nathan, also serve in the Kansas One family has made their “family tradi- National Guard. Jim, Roy and David’s tion” joining the military. Members of the nephew, Brandon Vannoy, enlisted in the Wellman family have been serving in the Kansas National Guard, as well. Kansas Army National Guard since the late “Overall, it is a good thing, it is good for 1980s and this trend shows no sign of ending. the family,” said Roy Wellman. “When you Sgt. 1st Class Roy Wellman, Headquarters come home (from deployment) you cannot and Headquarters Company, 235th Regi- explain what you have been through, but ment, has three sons and a son-in-law who when your family served it gives you have followed in his footsteps: Spc. Kyler someone to talk to that understands you.” Wellman, 226th Engineer Company; Levi “They have a strong sense of pride in Wellman, 2137th Forward Support Com- country, faith and family. They have always pany; Joseph Wellman, Forward Support been willing to volunteer for the tough Company, 891st Engineer Battalion; and jobs,” said family friend Michele Henry. Pfc. Jake Mathews, Company A, 1st Battal- “They have always been the kind of people ion, 161st Field Artillery, have all joined the that you could count on when times were Guard and kept the tradition of being tough. If there was work to be done at Kansas National Guard Soldiers going. school or church they were always present.” To understand this portrait of patriotism “They are humble people and ask very you have to stand back and look at the little in return,” said Henry. “They have in- A squad unto themselves, members of the extended Wellman family have been serv- whole picture, the whole “Wellman fam- stilled such a strong sense of duty that they ing in the Kansas National Guard since the late 1980s. (Photo by Heather Wellman) ily” picture. have generations of family members serv- Though Roy and his three sons and son- ing our country in the military.” in-law all wear the uniform, they are not Other members of the extended Wellman the only ones in the Wellman family to do family also serve in the military. A brother- Adjutant general visits so. Roy’s brothers, Jim and David Well- in-law serves in the Army and two members man, also serve in the Kansas National of the family are in the Air Force. partner nation of Armenia Maj. Gen. (KS) Lee Tafanelli, the adju- several other events. Agribusiness Development tant general, made his inaugural visit to Ar- “Although they are a young nation, the menia Sept. 20-23. Since 2003, Kansas and people of Armenia have a history dating Team 4 leaves for Afghanistan the Republic of Armenia have been part- back thousands of years, including the dis- nered under the National Guard Bureau’s tinction of being the first nation to adopt By Sgt. Jason Lee the Afghan people in improving and sustain- State Partnership Program to foster mili- Christianity (301 A.D.),” said Tafanelli.