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Annual Soldiers learn National Guard Governor’s how to Appreciation Easter Egg protect unit’s Day held in PPllHuntaa . i.i . .nn . .6 ss GGhealthuu .a a. .9rrddiiTopekaaann . .12 Volume 51 No. 2 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol May 2008 Ribbon cutting, groundbreaking enhance Homeland Security By Sharon Watson fill a gap that our state has had for some Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Maj. time and that’s the chance for those who Gen. Tod Bunting, the Adjutant General work together in a disaster response to and Director of Kansas Homeland actually come together in a realistic train- Security, hosted a ribbon cutting for the ing environment and determine the best debut of the Crisis City Rail Venue at the course of action before lives are at stake.” Great Plains Joint Regional Training “Until now, Kansas first responders, Center (GPJRTC) in Salina on March 28. including the National Guard, train on The railcar venue is the first training their own, but today this will change with feature of Crisis City, which is a hands-on a new opportunity for inter-agency training homeland security public safety training on a regular basis,” said Bunting. “In area at the GPJRTC. This rail training 2007, we learned a great deal about how venue will allow emergency responders well we can work together and we’ll take from local, state and federal organizations, our lessons learned from those disasters including law enforcement, search and res- and improve our response capabilities even cue teams, medical response teams, public more.” and private industry safety professionals In-kind contributions of approximately and the National Guard, to train together, $12 million made the rail venue possible. conduct exercises and work through realis- The locomotive and other rail cars were tic disaster scenarios. provided by Burlington Northern Santa Fe “Kansas is among one of the first states Railway. They were moved and the tracks in the country to develop such a training set in place by R.J. Corman Railroad opportunity for our first responders and Group. Other contributions of equipment National Guardsmen to better prepare and labor came from Union Pacific together for emergencies and disasters,” Railway Company, Occidental Chemical Federal, state and local dignitaries joined together to cut the ribbon at the Crisis said Sebelius. “Crisis City, at the Great Corporation, J.R. Simplot Company, Mid- City Rail Venue, the first section to be completed at the multidiscipline training Plains Joint Regional Training Center, will (Continued on Page 2) facility, located at the Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center at Smoky Hill Range outside of Salina. The center will provide a variety of training scenarios so that law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical, fire, military and 161st Field Artillery Battalion other public and private organizations can train together to respond to emergency Soldiers reunited with medics situations. (Photo by Jane Welch) By Tech. Sgt. Jami Perusich Bunting also used the opportunity to thank Kansans bring World War II On Feb. 22, seven Soldiers from the the three medics for helping Kansas Kansas Army National Guard’s Battery B, Guardsmen, saying that he wanted to “rec- 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Dodge ognize some people who have done aircrew back from watery grave City, were reunited with the three medics incredible things.” By Staff Sgt. W. Michael Houk thought back then. that assisted when they were wounded in Sgt. Allison Justice, Florida Army A drama unfolded in the skies above the Thanks to an organization called Iraq exactly one year earlier. The reunion National Guard; Spc. Amanda Kistler, western Pacific island nation of Palau on BentProp, who found the crash site in took place at McConnell Air Force Base, Wisconsin Army National Guard; and Spc. Sept. 1, 1944, as intense fighting between 2004, the location is no longer a mystery. Wichita, and around 60 people were present. Billy Jo Bush, New York Army National American and Japanese forces was getting BentProp is a privately funded organiza- Among those in attendance was Guard were all presented with the Kansas under way. During a raid, comrades of the tion that searches for planes and their Kathleen Berry, the widow of Staff Sgt. National Guard Medal of Excellence for U.S. Army Air Forces looked on helplessly crews who crashed after being shot down David Berry, who was killed in the same their actions. Bunting also recognized the as the crew of a B-24 Liberator bomber, by the Japanese in 1944-45. They reported attack. Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adju- seven Kansas Guardsmen who were wound- the Babes in Arms, was brought down by it to the Joint POW-MIA Accounting tant general, stated that “while 22 February ed in the attack. 1st Lt. Todd Miller, Sgt. 1st anti-aircraft fire. Three of the crew report- Command, who for the last three years 2007 was a dark day for the State of Class Jerrod Hays, Sgt. 1st Class Lloyd edly bailed out, one without a parachute, investigated and recovered the remains Kansas, today is an important, but particu- Mattix, Sgt. Johnny Jones, Sgt. Mike Miller, before the bomber dove headlong into the from the site. The Kansas Coyotes had the larly difficult day for the people who have Sgt. Pete Richert and Spc. Curtis Turpin ocean never to be found — or so it was (Continued on Page 3) come together here.” were all present at the reunion. An eighth While the reunion’s main purpose was to Kansas Soldier, Spc. Simon Makovic, was allow the wounded Soldiers to meet the injured in the same attack, but was unable medics under happier circumstances, to attend the ceremony. U.S. Navy divers hand Master Sgt. Matt Miltz, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas (Left to right) Sgt. 1st Class Jerrod Hays, Jennifer Turpin and Spc. Curtis Turpin, Air National Guard, a sealed case containing remains of U.S. B-24 crewmembers 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, talk with Sgt. Allison Justice and Spc. Amanda shot down during World War II off the western Pacific island of Palau. Miltz placed Kistler, two of the medics who attended to the Soldiers when they were wounded in the case and another like it in the cabin of the KC-135 tanker that flew the remains Iraq in 2007. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt McCoy) to Hawaii for identification. (Photo by Staff Sgt. W. Michael Houk) Page 2 Plains Guardian • May 2008 Ribbon cutting, groundbreaking enhance Homeland Security Continued from Page 1 National Guard. America Car, Inc. and Energy Senator Sam Brownback secured $9 Transportation. million dollars in funding for the ASOS’s “The rail industry shares the state’s new facility. interest in safety training and the rail “The ASOS facility adds an important venue at this facility will provide perma- new dimension to operations at the Smoky nent training capabilities not previously Hill Range, which has become a unique available to emergency responders in national training asset,” Brownback said. Kansas,” said Mark Stehly, BNSF’s assis- “The new squadron that will operate out of tant vice president, Environmental/Haz this facility will train our Soldiers and Mat/Technical Research and Development. Airmen to coordinate their operations in Crisis City at the GPJRTC will eventual- the field, making them safer and more ly be expanded to include an incident com- combat-capable.” mand training center, an engineered con- The targeted completion date for the crete rubble pile, urban search and rescue 284th ASOS facility is one year. venues, a grain bin for search and rescue “This unit is unique because it brings training, a farm venue to provide training the ground forces and air forces together to for farming and grain silo accidents and a conduct joint training,” said Lt. Col. J.J. five-story rescue training tower. It will Jordan, commander of the 284th Air also provide training in military operations Support Operations Squadron. “The ASOS and urban terrain. can facilitate the process by training the “We are building a state of the art joint Army how to best employ air power. We training center to ensure the people we call do this in military operations, but don’t upon to save lives and property have the typically have a training venue where we best resources possible to prepare to can train jointly.” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius joined Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Sen. Sam Brownback, respond during what could be very chal- “Because of the ASOS mission to pro- Congressman Jerry Moran and other officials in breaking ground for a new facility lenging circumstances,” said Col. Randy vide air power to ground forces, the 284th for the 284th Air Support Operations Squadron, located at Smoky Hill Range. Roebuck, GPJRTC garrison commander. will be a key component to joint military (Photo by Stephen D. Larson) 284th Air Support Operations Squadron training operations at the Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center,” Jordan said. and the 284th ASOS facility, some addi- allow anyone using the facility to train as Sebelius and Bunting also hosted a tional training capabilities are currently close to real world as possible.” groundbreaking ceremony for a new facili- In addition, the ASOS can also provide communications resources for homeland being constructed at the GPJRTC and will “The Great Plains Joint Regional ty for the Kansas Air Guard’s 284th Air be completed in the next year. Training Center is preparing our military Support Operations Squadron at the security needs in Kansas during disaster response. Congressman Jerry Moran secured $3.5 forces for missions here and abroad and the Smoky Hill Range in Salina.