Wilkening takes command of Guard National Guard, with 2,300 mem- Former Air Guard bers at state headquarters and commander is Truax Field in Madison, Mitchell Field in Milwaukee, and Volk Field states’s 29th AG near Camp Douglas; and a civil- ian workforce including the By Tim Donovan state’s Emergency Management At Ease Staff division. “It is an honor and privilege Gov. Scott McCallum passed to serve you and the men and the flag of the Wisconsin National women of the Wisconsin National Guard to a new commander in a Guard as the next adjutant gen- ceremony at the state headquar- eral,” Wilkening told the gover- ters Aug. 9, making Brig. Gen. Al nor before a standing-room-only Wilkening the state’s 29th adju- audience at the state headquar- tant general. ters armory. Wilkening succeeds Maj. “You have exhibited extraor- Gen. James G. Blaney, who held dinary leadership during some of the state’s top military spot for the most dynamic and demanding five years. times in our nation’s history and I “As I wish Jim Blaney well in look forward to engaging the chal- a long and happy retirement,” lenges that lie ahead,” Wilkening McCallum said. “I also look for- said. “I also look forward to serv- ward to working with Al ing in this new capacity with great Wilkening, who will continue the confidence because I am assum- strong leadership that makes our ing command of the very best mili- Brig. Gen. Al Wilkening is promoted to the rank of major general during the change of Wisconsin National Guard the tary organization in the nation.” command ceremony for the adjutant general of Wisconsin. Pinning second stars on the best in the nation. Gen. Wilkening Wilkening began his military new adjutant general’s uniform are Gov. Scott McCallum and Wilkening’s wife, Pat. brings a solid blend of military and career in 1968 with five years on Wisconsin Army National Guard photo by Larry Sommers. private-sector experience to this active duty in the U.S. Air Force, position, and he is widely re- where he served as an instructor deputy adjutant general for Air spected throughout the Wiscon- pilot. Following active duty he and commander of the Wisconsin sin National Guard and in military joined the Wisconsin Air National Air National Guard. Wilkening is circles nationwide.” Guard at Madison’s Truax Field a Massapequa, N.Y., native and a As adjutant general, in August, 1973. current resident of Brooklyn, Wis. Wilkening will serve in the While serving at Truax Field, Addressing more than 400 governor’s cabinet and head the Wilkening flew O-2A, AO-37 and Guard members in the audience, Celebrating 25 years of service to Wisconsin Department of Mili- A-10 aircraft, with assignments Wilkening called them “an assem- tary Affairs, which includes the leading up to 176th Tactical bly of proud warriors —profes- members of the Wisconsin Army and Wisconsin Army National Guard, Fighter Squadron commander and sionals in every sense of the word Air National Guard and their families with about 7,700 members as- deputy commander for operations — who are committed to their pro- signed to 100 units in 67 state in the 128th Tactical Fighter Wing. September 2002 communities; the Wisconsin Air In December 1990, he became See ‘New TAG’ page 20 Three Army Guard units return from active duty Missions completed for 829th Engineers, 32nd Military Police and 147th Aviation By Tim Donovan improve and maintain the sprawling U.S. base At Ease Staff camp established at the Afghan air base. Returning to Fort McCoy, soldiers were Summer brought an end to lengthy ac- greeted by their families before completing tive duty missions for three Wisconsin Army outprocessing from active duty and a final National Guard units trip to the Richland called up to support sepa- 500-plus other Guard Center armory. In rate U.S. contingency op- members still on duty, more Richland Center, unit erations overseas. mobilizations coming. members received a For 12 members of formal welcome from Richland Center’s 829th See editorial on page 2. hometown officials, Engineer Detachment, legislators, reporters homecoming from a deployment to Afghani- and senior National Guard commanders. stan was June 12. The engineers were or- dered to active duty in November, shipped 32nd Military Police Company overseas to an undisclosed location in Cen- Operation ENDURING FREEDOM was not tral Asia in December, then eventually served the only overseas military operation experi- for about four months in Kandahar, Afghani- enced by Wisconsin Army Guard troops Sgt. Nick Grob, 829th Engineer Detachment, is greeted by girlfriend stan. during the past year. Shannon Amos and daughter Raven, 3, upon his return to Fort McCoy As part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, after six months of service in Central Asia. Photo by Mike Gourlie. the unit’s plumbers and electricians helped See ‘Homecomings’ page 3 Chontales duration staff comes home By Mike Gourlie and the ravages inflicted by Hur- At Ease Staff ricane Mitch in 1998. The exercise resulted in the They are now back home, all 52 construction of four schools, six of them — memories in place, sou- medical clinics, four wells and venirs of a grateful citizenry in hand three composting latrines. The and written accolades from the U.S. doctors, physician assistants, ambassador — testaments to the nurses, dentists and optometrists five arduous months these soldiers participating performed almost spent leading a humanitarian effort 32,000 medical procedures for the in Nicaragua. local inhabitants, many of whom All are Wisconsin Army Na- had never before received medi- tional Guard members who made cal care. In addition, military vet- up the majority of the ‘duration’ erinarians performed over 18,000 soldiers that helped move 2,400 medical procedures on local ani- other reservists in and out of this mals. Central American country to build The exercise included all four clinics and schools and to provide U.S. military services — Army, Air medical, dental and veterinary care. Force, Navy and Marines — ac- Joint Task Force Chontales tive, reserve and National Guard. Spc. Christopher Gans, a concrete finisher with Detachment 1, Company C, 724th Engineer provided relief in a region suffer- The training benefits and Battalion, Rhinelander, lays a floor for the El Coral Medical Clinic. This clinic was one of ing from the political turmoil that six constructed by engineers as part of Joint Task Force Chontales, an exercise led by tore the country apart in the 1980s See ‘Chontales’ page 7 the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Page 2 Editorial : TWENTY YEARS AGO... A globally engaged and From the Summer 1982 edition: Combat support can be deadly, noisy and able National Guard earthshaking, especially when it comes As At Ease went to press at the end of August, 945 from 107 mm mortar rounds delivered by members of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard the Combat Support Company, 2-127. In a had been called to service in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001 direct support role, the unit gets firing — and up to 200 additional Army Guard members’ orders and target acquisitions to destroy mobilizations were imminent. the enemy or targets in its sector. The job What does this mean for the National Guard? And, is more difficult at night because unit what does this say for us? members must keep noise and light to a The meaning is quite clear: the United States reli- minimum, and use artificial light to correct ance on the 1.25 million men and women of the military the guns, according to 1st Lt. Dale reserve components — including 10,000 Wisconsin Peterson, a unit platoon leader. Army and Air National Guard members — continues to grow in this dangerous world. That reliance will likely Other news from 20 years ago: continue to grow as new missions for homeland de- fense and security evolve, and as the Guard’s robust The men and women of the 426th capabilities are required to support U.S. military opera- Engineer Battalion spent Annual tions around the world. Training making improvements to the What does it say about us? It clearly demonstrates Air Guard’s Volk Field, including the that the Guard is a reliable and competent force. The renovation of an abandoned runway. missions undertaken by men and women of the Na- The project, once completed, will tional Guard are no less important than the security of provide a 3,000-foot assault runway our nation, because that is exactly what our members perfect for tactical landings and are insuring with their active duty assignments. It has takeoffs for the Air Guard and regular always been so, of course, but it is good for America to Air Force C130s. know this again as the nation faces unprecedented Photo by Lee Jenkins challenges the Guard will continue to meet. Since Sept. 11, Wisconsin Guard members have patrolled America’s skies, protected her airports, stood alert at two airfields, kept watch over upper Midwest Column left...CLICK! airspace, maintained air bridges required for global mobility, secured airbases in hostile lands, and per- formed dozens of other missions important to our nation’s ongoing military operations at home and abroad. Nearly five hundred men and women of the Wis- consin Guard remain on duty this very day, and they will continue to serve all of us proudly and well. Hail and Farewell The Wisconsin National Guard welcomed Maj. Gen. Al Wilkening as the new adjutant general Aug. 9 and bid farewell Maj. Gen. James G. Blaney, who held the state’s highest military office for the past five years. Gen. Blaney was approaching 42 years of military service at the time of his retirement and was the last active member of the Wisconsin National Guard called up with the 32nd Division during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.