Always Ready, Always There
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ALWAYS READY, ALWAYS THERE Citizen Soldiers respond to EF3 tornado in their own community 8 AIRMEN BLAZE TRAIL at BWC 14 | GUARDSMAN VOICE OF HOPE 10 FEATURES 10 12-13 14-16 18 Voice of Hope Soldiers & Airmen Join Forces Best Warriors Compete Fitness Goals Mississippi Army Nation- Soldiers and Airmen of Mississippi Army and Health and Fitness are al Guard Sgt. 1st Class Mississippi National Guard Air National Guardsmen crucial to the readiness of Stephanie Kennett is named disaster response units train compete for the title of today’s military forces. 1st the 2017 National Guard with local and state agencies Soldier of the Year and Sgt. John Melson shares Sexual Assault Response to learn to respond to threats Non-commissioned Officer workout tips to improve your Coordinator. from weapons of mass de- of the Year during the 2017 fitness routine and reach struction. Best Warrior Competition at your goals. Camp McCain. The Guard Detail is the official magazine of the Mississippi National Guard. It is published three times a year with a circulation of 12,300 copies and is distributed online via the Mississippi National Guard web and Facebook pages. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Army, Air Force, Army National Guard, Air National Guard or the Department of Defense. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Office of Public Affairs, Joint Force Headquarters, Mississippi, State of Mississippi Military Department. All photographs and graphic devices are copyrighted to the State of Mississippi, Military Department unless otherwise indicated. All submissions should pertain to the Mississippi National Guard and are subject to editing. Contributions and reader comments should be sent to: [email protected]. STAFF SGT. TIM MORGAN COVER PHOTO: JFH-MS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLISHER Letter From THE ADJUTANT GENERAL THE EDITOR Maj. Gen. Janson D.Boyles REMEMBERING TOP... Saturday, March 18, 2017, at around 1 p.m., I was travel- ing to Jackson from Camp McCain after completing pistol qualification with the Joint Force Headquarters. I received a phone call from Mrs. Scquita Jones, the wife of 1st Sgt. (Ret.) Willie “Floyd” Jones, formerly of Jackson’s 102d Public Affairs Detachment. I pulled over at the nearest rest area. “Floyd just passed away,” she said with a tremble in her voice. “We’re here with him now at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Jackson.” EDITOR The news was devastating. First Sgt. Jones was a larger Lt.Col. Christian Patterson than life figure in the Mississippi National Guard public Director of Public Affairs affairs community and my life for many years. He joined the 102d Public Affairs Detachment in 1974 and served as ASSISTANT EDITOR the unit’s top non-commissioned officer from 1986 until his 2nd Lt. Rachel Henson retirement in 2007. He was a talented photographer and a Deputy Public Affairs Officer strong NCO with a powerful command presence. Prior to his death, I had known Floyd since I joined the National Guard in 1994 at 18 years old. PRODUCTION We deployed to Bosnia together in 2000, Normandy, France briefly in 2004, Kosovo for almost all of 2005, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 2007. I have tons of memories of our service together and GRAPHIC DESIGNER wish that I had another opportunity to thank him for helping me get to where I am today. Justin Thompson As you read this issue, remember the “Floyds” in your lives. Cherish the time with those mother and father figures in your formations. Visit the old school Soldiers and Airmen that helped you CONTRIBUTING STAFF progress personally and professionally. Keep their spirits alive in your units, and say, “thanks 2nd Lt. Terry Hill again” before time expires… Staff Sgt. Scott Tynes Rest easy Floyd…f5.6 and be there Staff Sgt. Michael Williams Staff Sgt. Tim Morgan Lt. Col. Christian Patterson, APR+M Danielle Thomas Editor-in Chief FOR COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS PLEASE PHONE 601.313.6271 VISIT US AT 1st Sgt. (Ret.) Willie “Floyd” Jones 1947 - 2017 [email protected] or the following Social Network sites under Mississippi National Guard TRENDING Mississippi Air National Guard Col. Mike Nabors is greeted by his mother after taking his final flight on a 186th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker at Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Miss., March 22, 2017. Nabors is retiring after 25 years as a federal civil service technician and will serve as the full-time state assistant to the adjutant general for Mississippi. (Mississippi Air National Guard photo by Staff. Sgt. Jessica Fielder) Use the QR code here to check out the 2017 Spring edition of the Mississippi Minuteman news broadcast. Major General William O. Hill Fellow Guardsmen, Bureau’s Pillars of Wellness and the Army’s Ready and I don’t know anyone who Resilient (R2) Strategic Frame- would deny that our most valu- work have a common thread able resource is our members, - to increase awareness of the for it is impossible to accom- overall health and deployabil- plish any mission without ity of our personnel. These them. And since we recognize programs promote physical, this fact, the Department of spiritual, social/family and Defense devotes tremendous mental/psychological wellness. resources to training and No leader would argue the equipping the greatest military applicability of these facets, ever assembled. How quickly but few believe they possess this resource becomes wasted the necessary skills to assess when one of our member’s his/her subordinates’ personal problems results in an early readiness in these areas. Or departure from service. As do we? The answer is simple personal problems mount, dis- - involvement. It is imperative tractions from the task at hand leaders and supervisors engage can result in a personal or with their subordinates and team member’s injury. Worse peers on a personal level and yet, perhaps the member intervene, counsel or direct decides he/she can no longer to the appropriate resources handle the stresses of life and as needed. We’re all familiar commits suicide; an irreplace- with the mantra “Mission First, able loss to all. People Always.” The state- ments are complementary… After over a decade of not competing. The training continued military conflict, and personal interactions with our Airmen and Soldiers are our people develop cohesion, faced with both sustained unity and the foundation of and considerable stressors trust which enables mission which directly impact readi- accomplishment. As stated ness. It is therefore essential at the beginning, without our that all leaders recognize the people, there is no mission. importance of developing resilient warriors who are Our units have an outstand- ready to accomplish their ing reputation for exceed- mission in any environment. ing mission requirements. This involves a change in our However, this cannot ever approach to how we maintain be expected, nor was it ever the fitness and resiliency of the designed to be, at the expense organization. In the past we of our members. We are concentrated on the technical, blessed in serving with some war fighting skills and to some of the finest military personnel degree neglected the stressors in the world. They deserve our resulting from the non-military engaged involvement and com- environment. However, with mitment to their well-being. sustained operations and an increased deployment tempo, Shoulder to Shoulder! we must promote all attributes of personal readiness as it is Maj. Gen. William O. Hill congruent to unit readiness. Assistant Adjutant General - Air The Air Force’s Comprehen- Mississippi National Guard sive Airman Fitness Frame- work, the National Guard Sergeant Major Alicia D. Gates Many factors positively should be transparent by the and negatively affect a propagation of command non-commissioned officer’s emphasis programs, training career progression. Both the schedules and ample oppor- Non-commissioned Officer tunity in times of high opera- Evaluation Report and the tional tempo. Army Physical Fitness Test act as powerful influences as The readiness level of our it relates to an NCO’s future. military force is fueled by lead- Army evaluations and physical ership involvement and Soldier preparedness are major cor- accountability. Evaluations and nerstones in effective person- personnel fitness are respon- nel management and retention, sibilities shared by all parties which are necessary to meet involved. Both areas impact the demands of the Mississippi our state and nation’s level of Army National Guard. These readiness because we must be tools help to ensure our Sol- prepared to lead, sustain and diers are prepared to elevate respond to matters at the local to higher responsibility, and and national levels. Leaders the right Soldiers are being must prepare future leaders to retained for further service. meet our military operational requirements. This is gener- An NCOER evaluation can ated at the most basic level impact decisions made within through mentoring and evalu- promotion boards, hiring ating our current force while boards and retention boards. emphasizing the necessity of If completed properly, this maintaining a physicallly fit report paints a picture of the force capable of responding to rated NCO’s characteristics the call of war. as it relates to leadership, dependability, commitment, Sgt. Maj. Alicia D. Gates competency and enthusi- G1 Operations Sergeant Major asm. The evaluation forces Mississippi Army National communication between the Guard leader and subordinate NCO, enabling feedback centered on mentorship, expectation and accomplishments. This is an opportunity for leaders to strengthen their subordinates and for the NCO to gain insight and knowledge. Physical fitness is the foun- dation to a well-prepared and emotionally equipped leader, which is needed to perform the complex and demanding tasks of today’s military operations. A fit Soldier is a prepared Soldier.