1976: Vol.1, No.5
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Commentary AG Speaks TALK FROM THE TOP We are about to mark the end of the Bicentennial Year and I would like to thank all Guard personnel and their fam ilies for the extra time and effort devoted to those special Go Guard events in which the National Guard participated. A special project for the coming year will be to improve our recruiting and find ways to increase retention of trained personnel. Recruiting incenitives (state) are back in force and Recruiters All the new drive, "GO GUARD," will begin 1 January 1977. (See The Ohio Army National Guard is story in this issue.) You will be hearing more about this from launching a new campaign that will affect commanders. Emphasis is on each of us becoming more in the daily lives of its current 13,000 plus volved to bring in the good people we believe should be in members. the National Guard. "Operation Go-Guard," scheduled for A second special project for the new year is the Public formal kick-off on January 1,1977, is an in Affairs Program. Purpose is to let the people of Ohio know tensified recruiting effort which will tem what the Guard is doing for them and to let Guard personnel porarily alter weekend training drills. receive credit for their service to the state and nation. Take For at least a two-month period, pride in your unit and your contribution to national defense. guardsmen and women will be manning You're special. local armories six days a week, from 7:30 To each and every one of you, your wives and families, I a.m. until10 p.m. on weekdays, and from want to say thanks for your service during the past year. May 7:30a.m. until noon on Saturdays. your holidays be Merry and the New Year your best ever. Units will be divided into essentially six JAMES C. CLEM teams which will enable local units to Major General literally have door-to-door recruiters, The Adjutant General medical testing and information person nel on had on a daily basis rather than just on weekends once a month. According to this plan, "Everybody is a recruiter, everybody is a prospector," said Major General James C. Clem, the State **************** Adjutant General. "Until now, we've been relying on our 31 full-time recruiters," said Clem. "Now we're asking all our members to get rein The valved with their local communities on an individual basis," he added. Through Operation Go-Guard, the Buckeye Guard Ohio National Guard hopes to contact 100,000 new prospects by June 1, and to recruit 4,000 of those contacted. This is the first time in the history of the Ohio National Guard that such a An authorized unofficial publication of the Adjutant Gen recruiting effort has been attempted. eral's Department of the State of Ohio.':> However, many other states have had Governor .................. ;.......... , .... james A. Rhodes great success employing similar pro Adjutant General .: .................. MG james C. Clem grams in increasing their National Guard Assistant AG, Air ...................... BG-Paul E. Hoover strength. Assistant AG, Army .... :: .......... _.. BG-james M. Abraham Currently, the Ohio Army National Guard is more than 1,700 persons below The Buckeye Guard is produced by the 196th Public Infor the authorized strength of 15,297. mation Detachment, P.O. Box 660, Worthington, Ohio 43085, under the provisions of AR 360-81. It is a bi-monthly offset publication with a printing run of 23,000 copies. Editor and Det. COmmander ...... _CPT W. David F. j. Crosson Editors ............................................~:CPT Steven C. Stone 2lT Victor Dubina I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I Opinions expressed herein 'are nOt necessarily those of the know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are Department of Defense and its agencies, or of the Adjutant General's Departm~nt of the State of_ Ohio. those who have sought and found how to serve. Dr. Albert Schweitzer Pg.2 The Buckeye Guard Letters To the Editor: training, who did 98% of the hauling at its. The individual agrees to the condition I would like to take this opportunity to Watkins High School, who did 98% of the prior to release from active duty. express my opinion on the situation of hauling at Columbus city Park, who sup The policy within the Ohio National benefits for Guardsmen in relation to ported and helped the Engineer Com Guard has been to authorize transfer recruting and retention. pany at Lazarus Boy Scout Reservation between Army and Air Guard units I will admit that the pay scale is a credit and who supported and helped in haul wherein distance has become a problem to the Guard; I am sure many will agree ing at the Salvation Army Camp in for a member. that the pay is adequate. Yet there are Delaware. Inquiries on transfer should be other areas which must be examined. The I am proud to be a Guardsman in the directed to the Chief of the Consolidated \ grants for education are also fine, but it is Army. Personnel Office supporting the member available only at Ohio University or one I am proud of my uniform and how it making the inquiry-Ed. · of its branches. My question is, why are looks. these grants not available at any state I am proud of my unit and the way we funded university in Ohio? More all worked together to get the job done. To the Editor: Guardsmen would benefit from this grant We are a unit proud and willing to work The Buckeye Guard magazine has if available all over the state since many and pull together, and I feel we should be printed several articles on units winning are unable to attend Ohio U. or one of its recognized. different awards, but one award-winning branches. This change would not only I hope you understand the way I feel; I unit has never appeared between the benefit the Guardsmen but also the am sure I speak for all the Guardsmen. covers of this publication. HHC 134th Guard by making it more appealing to Engineer Group (Cbt) has either won or non-prior service people, providing a Sp 4 Clifford C. Cromberg come in a strong runner-up for several 192d Engineer Co. retention tool for its already precious unit awards during the past year. manpower, and providing a higher HHC 134th Engineer Group (Cbt) caliber, educated soldier to serve the To the Editor: received the Superior Unit Award for state in time of need. Are there any options for an early out if Training Year 1975 from the National Another area in which the Guard could a Guardsman lives a considerable dis Guard Bureau. In March of this year the benefit its men and itself is in the area of tance from his Air Guard unit? There are unit was runner-up for the Eisenhower State Civil Service. In this area of highly no other Air Guard units reasonably Trophy and won the Governor's Trophy. competetive testing, isn't it strange that close, but there are Army units to which These awards are given to units that the state will give preferential points for he could possibly transfer. demonstrate outstanding accomplish people who served the Federal Govern Other pertinent information: Palace ments in the areas of training, administra ment yet we who serve the state get Chase obligator; driving distance from tion, organization, maintenance, nothing? At least we are entitled to half of home (Whitesburg, Ky.) to Springfield, weapons qualification and the annual what the active duty people get. This Ohio is 300 miles one way {6 hours); I was general inspection. Few units can claim again would make the Guard appeal to initially living in Columbus when I joined this distinction. non-prior and active Guard personnel. the Springfield unit. HHC 134th Engineer Group was The Guard's benefits could also include Since my Palace-Chase contract expires runner-up for the Emerson C. ltschner a reduction in cost for driver's licenses, in April, 1978 (6 year obligation up in jan. Award. This award is given annually by license plates, and hunting and fishing 1978), I feel that transfering io a closer the Society of American Military licenses for all Ohio National Guard Army unit would involve cross training Engineers to the engineer company members. This is already being done in and delays in promotion. The local CBPO which best symbolizes the character, mis the southern states and they have had suggests I transfer. I would like to know sion and performance of the Co'rps of great success in recruiting and retention what the regulations say, either positive Engineers in the Army, Army Guard and as can be seen by comparing unit or negative. Army Reserv_es. strengths. Sgt. Robert Looney The Buckeye Guard magazine, being These suggestions will make the Guard Whitesburg, Ky. the fine publication that it is, would be an appeal to the people where they can be even better periodical if it included all appealed to th~'most: THE POCKET. This units that deserve recognition. state needs a strong, full-manpower According to Air Guard officials, Guard and with the ending of the draft, SFC Robert W. Parrett members must satisfactorily participate in HHC 134th Engineer Group (Cbt) the waiting lists are gone. To retain this training until completion of their military manpower the state must utilize its service obligation~ or until completion of powers to assist the Guard recruiters to the period of time specified by the To the Editor: make the Guard appeal to the people, Selected Reserve Service Contract for This letter concerns the Ohio National because as we all know the Guard is peo Palace-Chase members aryd by Ready Guard Enlisted Personnel Tuition Grant ple and without people there is no Guard Reserve agreement for other members as Program.