Year in Review 153rd AW Cowboy Guard welcomes Puerto Wyoming’s Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner 4 State Public Affairs Officer Deidre Forster Rico maintainers Public Affairs Staff Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire Master Sgt. Robert Trubia Contributing Maj. Tom Blackburn Capt. Meghan Hoffmann 1041st, Senior Master Sgt. Charles Delano Sgt. 1st Class Frank Marquez Wyo’s Master Sgt. Dan Butterfield most Sgt. Ashley Smith 10 Senior Airman Autumn Velez decorated unit since Mail Cowboy Guard Wyoming Military Department Korea 5410 Bishop Blvd. Cheyenne, WY 82009 Wyoming Phone 307-772-5253 Guard Email [email protected] supports 22 Website: www.wyomilitary.wyo.gov 58th Inauguration 153rd CACS: 2 7 Driving technological warfare On the cover Sgt. Colten Simcheck, a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System crew chief assigned to A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery, rolls out during a convoy movement at Camp Guernsey. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire Cowboy Guard, a Wyoming National Guard news publication, is produced annually by the Wyoming National Guard Public Affairs Office, Cheyenne, Wyo., in accordance with AR 360-1 and AFI 35-101. Contents of Cowboy Guard are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, National Guard Bureau or the State of Wyoming. 2 B Battery welcomed home from Afghanistan Soldiers of B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery were officially welcomed home from a deployment to Afghanistan and honored at the Lander armory, May 7, with a Freedom Salute. Gov. Matt Mead, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and Brig. Gen. Tammy Maas, commander of the Wyoming Army National Guard, along with other military and civic leaders honored the artillerymen and their families. Story and photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire State Public Affairs Office Soldiers of B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 300th Field for the rest of us,” said Mead to the troops. “I am so Artillery were officially honored and welcomed home at proud to be your commander in chief.” the Lander armory, May 7, with a Freedom Salute after Cheney also thanked the soldiers and their families for recently completing a deployment to Afghanistan. their service to state and nation. Master of ceremonies for the event, 1st Lt. Timothy “I have heard the National Anthem at many, many Tierney, said the event was an opportunity for elected events and have never been as moved as I am here and military leaders and the community to publicly ac- today with you Wyoming soldiers. We all owe you a debt knowledge the soldiers, as well as their families, friends, of gratitude,” she said. employers and others that supported them during the Maas expressed her gratitude, but focused on the deployment. unit’s accomplishments while in theater. Those attending the ceremony to welcome home “Task Force HIMARS did split-operations twice with lim- the 28 soldiers included Gov. Matt Mead; U.S. Rep. Liz ited personnel including 34 C-130 lifts, over 30 rotary- Cheney; Brig. Gen. Tammy Maas, commander of the wing movements and the establishment of a new firing Wyoming Army National Guard; Command Sgt. Maj. Har- position in a forward operating base. Each time they oc- old Pafford, Army command sergeant major; Lt. Col. Kent cupied a [forward operating base] they were in position, Porter, 115th Field Artillery Brigade commander; and ready to fire the same night they arrived on ground. They Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Laird, 115th Field Artillery truly set the standard for excellence in combat. Job well Brigade command sergeant major. done Bravo Battery!” During their deployment, the soldiers were assigned to As part of the Yellow Ribbon Freedom Salute, soldiers Joint Special Operations Command and part of a Guided and their families were presented information about Multiple Launch Rocket System task force that took part veteran’s health, education, employment resources and in 87 missions, deploying precision-guided munitions other benefits. with high explosive warheads on enemy positions with no An individual award was presented to Sgt. 1st Class civilian casualties. Samuel Beecham, the forward unit’s noncommissioned “We celebrate you who volunteer to go into harm’s way officer-in-charge, who was recognized by the American for the rest of us and who volunteer to provide security Legion as “Citizen Soldier of the Year.” 3 153rd makes room for Puerto Rico ANG maintainers Fortunately, we’re safe and healthy, we’re breathing and our families are OK. What’s important is we stick together and work,” she said. Right after Maria hit, guardsmen were alerted over radio to report for duty, after ensuring their fami- lies and colleagues were safe. That meant all hands on deck helping in the communities and on the base with road clearing, traffic control and other emergency response duties. Airman 1st Class Juneilly Mercado, a crew chief, said, “It was horrible. I felt like the door from the front of the house wanted to pop away. Afterwards, it was hard getting out of Above, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Gascot, crew chief, Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift where I live because the streets were Wing prepares to reseal areas of the tail section on a C-130E aircraft. Below, Senior Airman covered with debris. It was a day or David Colon, a crew chief, uses a hand crank to access the emergency landing gear panel Nov. 16, at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base, in Cheyenne. two to finally get to the base which is two hours away from my house. Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire deployed overseas. Another Puerto When I got to the base, everyone State Public Affairs Office Rican team and plane is slated to be was settled in and we were start- here in January. ing to receive airplanes. When I got Even though their hangar, and “Unfortunately, our hangar got de- some time off, I went home and tried much of their island, was flattened stroyed, but we still have a job to do, to fix what I can and to bring water to in Hurricane Maria, 22 members of so we asked the Wyoming National my family.” the Puerto Rico Air National Guard Guard if they could give us the space stayed on task and volunteered to we needed,” Staff Sgt. Ashley Bar- complete their mission—inspecting, reto, a jet engine mechanic, said of maintaining and repairing one of its the mandatory isochronal inspection, C-130E cargo planes. conducted every 540 days. “It’s a While the scheduled maintenance month-long inspection where we look was intended to be performed in at every single detail of the aircraft Puerto Rico at the 156th Airlift from top to bottom, so we can keep Wing, plans changed and arrange- flying.” ments were made to bring the unit Two weeks before Maria hit the to Wyoming while many of the 153rd U.S. territory, the island was threat- Airlift Wing’s planes and crews were ened by Hurricane Irma. Barreto said that was stress- ful enough, but the Category 5 storm that eventually sub- merged 80 percent of her hometown underwater brought stress to a whole new level. “We prepared Airman 1st Class Juneilly Mercado, above, a crew chief, inspects a steering activator end to the best of our cap on a C-130E. Right, Tech. Sgt. Edgardo abilities, but with a Lopez, aircraft mechanic, and Tech. Sgt. Vic- Category 5 hurricane, tor Jimenez, a non-destructive tester, conduct anything can happen. a sway brace inspection Nov. 16. 4 Shortly after the emergency re- Maj. Carl Johansen, commander of sponse had subsided, and the base the 153rd Maintenance Squadron, WyoGuard breaks was somewhat back in order, came said the Wyoming wing has opened the call for volunteers to perform the its facilities to other states before, ground on new required C-130 inspection. and has sent personnel to other training and “They said we need help, we need wings to help out when called upon. to do our job. Whomever is willing to He said the request came from a readiness come, we definitely appreciate it,” PRANG airman who the unit worked centers Barreto said of the call for volunteers with on another recent mission. to perform the duty in Wyoming. Johansen said the coordination Groundbreaking events were “It’s hard to leave our families back and logistics for the effort is “pretty held in May for a 101,000 square- home, especially with the struggle substantial,” but a request his wing foot Wyoming Army National Guard that’s happening, but this is what we was pleased to fulfill. readiness center in Laramie and signed up for.” “We’re just happy to help and the in September for the Lt. Gen. R.L. Fifty seven days after Maria swept experience has been pretty cool,” Esmay Training Center on Camp across Puerto Rico, and a couple of Johansen said. Guernsey Joint Training Center. weeks into his mission in Cheyenne, “In addition to providing space, The new readiness center, near Senior Airman Alexis Castro, a crew we’ve been able to conduct training the Laramie Airport and adjacent to the Field Maintenance Shop chief, said his home was still without to some of the Puerto Rico members and conduct knowledge transfer, and #2 on Highway 130, replaces the lights, but his family had a couple of 1959-constructed building cur- I know they have appreciated all the barrels of water. rently housing Laramie-based units. He said he didn’t hear any com- support from all of the wing units.” It will consist of an assembly munications after the initial storm, He added that Wyoming’s deployed hall, commercial kitchen, class- but reported to the wing for account- airmen are “doing well, and support- rooms, family welfare areas, re- ability.