35th ID Eight months “Care pack- assumes later, town is ages” warm control in on its way the hearts of PPllKosovoaaii . n.n . .2 ss GGbackuu . .a a. .11rrddiiSoldiersaann . .15 Volume 50 No. 6 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol December 2007 Kansans donate thousands to bring troops home for Christmas By Sharon Watson home for Christmas in December 2003, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and then died in May 2004. To her we say announced Friday, Dec. 7, that more than a special heartfelt ‘thank you,’ and to $135,000 in cash donations was raised since everyone, thank you so much for what you Dec. 3 to bring approximately 430 Kansas have done to bring our troops home,” National Guard troops home for Christmas. Sebelius said. “There is no doubt Kansans An additional $14,000 was raised from in- care deeply about our Soldiers and this is a kind contributions. The funds were donated small way to thank them and their families primarily to the Kansas National Guard for their service and sacrifice.” Foundation and also to the 161st Field The lead corporate givers, Wal-Mart Artillery Regimental Association. Stores and Koch Industries, Inc., donated The 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery more than $40,000. Wal-Mart presented a is training in Fort Bliss, Texas, for a late check to the Kansas National Guard winter deployment to Iraq, and many Foundation for $21,225 and Koch Guardsmen didn’t have the funds to get Industries, Inc. presented a $20,000 check. home for Christmas. Department of “Wal-Mart is committed to being an Defense regulations prevent the Kansas active member of the communities we National Guard from paying for military serve,” said Angie Stoner, senior manager of travel during leave. public affairs for Wal-Mart Stores. “With “We have been overwhelmed by the this contribution, we hope to make a posi- generous response we have received from tive difference in the lives of our men and all over the state, including a donation women serving overseas by helping to bring from the mother of Pfc. Jeremy Drexler, them home for the holidays.” an active duty Army Soldier, who made it “The holidays are a time when families Michele Henry, Kansas National Guard Foundation, expresses her appreciation to Deadly ice and snow storm the hundreds of Kansans who donated money to help bring the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery home for Christmas. (Photo by Jane Welch) closes roadways, leaves should be together, especially these mili- The Dodge City Harley Owners Group tary families who sacrifice so much,” said Chapter and Thunder of the Plains Mark Nichols, director of public affairs for Motorcycle Rally Committee raised enough thousands in the dark Koch Industries, Inc. “We’re happy to do funds to pay for one of the buses that our part to get the troops home.” brought the Soldiers home from Texas. This A wide array of Kansas organizations bus, from Diamond Limousine Service in and individuals also responded to the gov- Montezuma, traveled from Fort Bliss to ernor’s call for financial support for our Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City. troops. Hundreds of individuals have made Funds donated to the Kansas National donations, including a World War II veter- Guard Foundation and the 161st Field an who sent a check to the Governor’s Artillery Regiment Association went office for $1,000. (Continued on Page 15) TAG visits troops in Kosovo By Lt. Col. Rex Johnson “I appreciate your service, and what Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas adju- you are doing here,” Bunting said to tant general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Soldiers at a town hall meeting Sunday Scott Haworth, Kansas Army National night, Dec. 23, at Camp Bondsteel in Guard command sergeant major, paid a Kosovo. visit to deployed Kansas Guard Soldiers “I can’t tell you how much I am proud in Kosovo over the Christmas holiday. (Continued on Page 5) Trees bowed low in Junction City, the result of an ice storm that left thousands of people across the state without power for several weeks. Additional photos on pages 8 and 9. (Photo by Sgt. Gilbert Gonzales) By Sharon Watson restored to everyone by Christmas Eve. A deadly winter storm moved into Westar, Kansas City Power and Light and Kansas Dec. 8 and intensified two days BPU also had numerous power outages. later claiming six lives and leaving more “In many ways this storm was similar to than 130,000 utility customers in the dark. the winter storm that hit the western part Snowfall forced road closures and ranged of the state New Year’s Eve of 2006,” said from more than a foot in Northwest Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, adjutant general Kansas to 10 to 12 inches in southwest and and director of Kansas Division of south central Kansas. Northeast and Emergency Management. “The main dif- Southeast Kansas received an inch to six ferences were this storm covered many inches. The storm eventually moved on more counties and had a bigger impact in through other states, leaving its mark areas with more trees, resulting in more throughout the Midwest. debris.” Kansas Rural Electric Cooperative had Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a state 23 cooperatives impacted and nearly disaster declaration Dec. 10 for all 105 10,000 utility poles knocked down with counties. In the end nearly 70 counties sus- Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Haworth share a laugh approximately 50,000 customers out of tained the most severe damage. A federal with Soldiers of the 35th Infantry Division during ther visit to Kosovo. (Photo by power. Power remained out for approxi- disaster emergency was issued allowing Sgt. Sheila Swantek) mately two weeks for some, but was (Continued on Page 10) Page 2 Plains Guardian • December 2007 Guardsmen prepare for deployment under new training model By Staff Sgt. Mark W. Reasoner standards in the build up to deployment in The armories of the 170th Maintenance regular drill status. Company, Kansas Army National Guard, This training is reviewed for accuracy are already well accustomed to the annuals and completion during the unit’s extended of history and took another step into the annual training period. If the training is history books Oct. 16-18, 2007. properly documented and attended, the The 170th Maintenance Company, unit is validated for deployment overseas. which deployed to the Middle East during This saves time, effort and resources of the the first Gulf War, was notified that it active component and allows National might serve another tour in the Middle Guard and Reserve Soldiers to continue East in support of Operation Iraqi working for their employers up until the Freedom. What is new about this assign- time of deployment. ment is the fact that the unit will be one of The training took place at a makeshift the first to be trained under the Army’s Forward Operating Base at Fort Riley and new Army Force Generation Model, which was closely scrutinized by battalion, has been created to meet the needs and brigade and state headquarters. Training demands from the increased operations involved a Standard Rules of Engagement tempo of the on-going Global War on briefing by the state Judge Advocate Terrorism. General’s office, Army Physical Fitness In the past, units were mobilized for test, M2 .50 caliber machine gun mainte- approximately three months active duty nance, MK-19 40mm grenade launcher training conducted by the Active compo- maintenance, M249 Squad Automatic nent at a regular Army post before valida- Weapon maintenance, M16A2 Rifle main- tion and deployment overseas. The new tenance, Biometrics, Suicide Awareness model allows Reserve Component units to and Prevention, M40 protective mask train to 1st Army Division deployment maintenance, and General Orders 1 and 1B Staff Sgt. Ernesto Gonzales (second from left) provides instruction and pointers on maintenance of the MK-19 grenade launcher to Sgt. Kenneth Hare (far left) and 35th Division assumes authority Sgt. Daren Guy. Gonzales deployed to Fort Riley with the 995th Maintenance By Sgt. Shelia Swantek and tional community and courageous leaders Company and to Iraq with the 714th Security Forces, where he was wounded in a Lt. Col. Rex Johnson across Kosovo. mortar attack Oct. 12, 2006. 1st Lt. Wesley O. Topel, company commander, The transfer of authority ceremony held “We will strive to build strong, positive observes the training at the far right. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Reasoner) Nov. 2 at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, relationships from all leadership levels to of the 1st Army Division among other scoring the highest score on the Army marked a special day for both the 35th and ensure we take on the KFOR mission in an classes and subjects. Representatives on Physical Fitness Test from the company. the 29th Infantry Divisions. The 29th ID evenhanded, impartial manner treating all hand for the training included Lt. Col. The test is made up of three strength was relieved of their current assignment as of the people of Kosovo with dignity and Tony Divish, battalion commander and a endurance tests: pushups, sit-ups, and the the 35th ID assumed the authority of respect. former commander of the 170th two mile run. Ellis earned a score of 299 Multi-National Task Force East, This deployment marks the second Maintenance Company and Command Sgt. out of a possible 300. MNTF(E). deployment of the 35th ID to the Balkans Maj. Manuel Rubio, battalion command Just under half of the Soldiers assigned Brig. Gen. Douglas Earhart, outgoing since World War II. sergeant major and a former first sergeant to the company have already deployed commander of MNTF(E) from the 29th “As Soldiers, we have left our families of the 170th Maintenance Company.