Cavalry Medical 35th ID competition assistance to honored at . .07 Armenia . .10 Speedway PlainsPlains GuardianGuardian . .16 Volume 50 No. 5 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol October 2007 “Terrorist” explosions add realism to disaster exercise By Sharon Watson tion with the University of After nearly two years of preparations “Every disaster is unique and Kansas Medical Center. for a major disaster in downtown Wichita, the more exercises we do, the The event was funded through everything came together on a Friday better we will all work togeth- the University of Kansas Medical morning in October. Emergency respon- er, and the more efficient and Center with financial support ders from around Kansas pulled upon the from the South Central Kansas scene of an explosion at a partially col- effective we will get in our pre- Homeland Security Council. lapsed building. It was approximately 9 paredness and responsive- “This exercise provided south a.m. Oct. 19, the beginning of a disaster ness.” central Kansas emergency respon- exercise designed to provide a realistic Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting ders a tremendous opportunity to event complete with smoke, fire, and work together in what would be a actors portraying victims of explosions set major disaster for the state’s off by terrorists. provided its Expeditionary Medical Support largest city,” said Maj. Gen. Tod The exercise at the northwest corner of System, known as EMEDs, for a mobile Bunting, Kansas Adjutant General Washington and Waterman included more hospital at the scene. Kansas Division of and Emergency Management than 800 responders from 19 surrounding Emergency staff also participated. Director. “It was an excellent counties, including the Kansas Army “Two years ago we had a disaster exer- demonstration of the training our National Guard which provided a UH-60 cise like this in Richmond, Mo., and we state’s responder’s already have Black Hawk to simulate the transportation wanted to bring it to Kansas,” said Dale and of the hard work that has been of victims. The Kansas Air National Guard, Grube, associate dean of continuing educa- put into community disaster plan- ning and response.” 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation The planners of the exercise obviously had no idea their exer- cise would fall in one of the most returns from Iraq deployment challenging years that Kansas emergency responders had ever By Jane Welch by. Some were honking their horns and experienced. Three 100-year Two commercial airplanes, five buses, others got out of their cars to wave at the weather disasters happened from one police patrol car, six police motorcy- Soldiers and show their appreciation. January to July including what cles and 50 riders of the American Legion The driveway into the Expocentre was may have been the most expensive Riders/Patriot Guard are what it took to get lined with U.S. flags, members of the disaster ever for the state, a snow the 200 members of the 1st Battalion, American Legion Riders/Patriot Guard A Kansas National Guard helicopter flies over the and ice storm that hit 44 counties 108th Aviation home to Kansas from Fort Riders and the friends and families of the scene of a “terrorist explosion” during a large- on New Year’s Eve. In May, the Hood, Texas, and delivered to their wel- returning Soldiers. The crowd roared with scale emergency response exercise in Wichita Oct. town of Greensburg was devastat- come home ceremony at the Kansas excitement as the first bus turned into the 22. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt McCoy) ed by an EF-5 tornado while other Expocentre in Topeka on Friday, Sept. 14. driveway. parts of the state sustained flood- Kansas, you can’t have too much training The Soldiers, flown into Forbes Field, The buses were parked and quickly ing, and in June, southeast and northeast and preparation for these kind of events,” were greeted by members of the rear emptied of their passengers. The Soldiers Kansas communities were struck with mas- said Bunting. “Every disaster is unique detachment of their unit and members of lined up in formation and were called to sive flooding. and the more exercises we do, the better the American Legion Riders/Patriot Guard. attention. 2nd Lt. Ryan Bernard was told “Although many of the people involved we will all work together, and the more They were then loaded on buses to begin to report to Col. Alan Soldan, the battalion in this exercise also worked in the efficient and effective we will get in our the final leg of their journey home from commander, where he was then promoted response to Greensburg and southeast Iraq to the arms of their awaiting families. to first lieutenant. Bernard’s wife, Brenda (Continued on Page 15) The route took them by the Museum of the Jo, stepped out of the crowd to place his Kansas National Guard, where Kansas new rank on his uniform. National Guard retirees and their fellow After the promotion was complete, Kansas Guardsmen deploy Soldiers held a 20 by 40 foot U.S. flag to Command Sgt. Maj. Glenn Peterson, the welcome them home from their service. battalion sergeant major, took over the in support of NATO mission Along the route people were stopping their duties of getting the Soldiers ready to cars and waving at the buses as they went (Continued on Page 2) By Staff Sgt. James M. Grosdidier ences – can live in peace if given a Twenty-eight Kansas Soldiers prepar- chance,” Thomasson said. “We are there ing to deploy to the Balkans were hon- to help them get that chance.” ored during a ceremony at Fort. During the deployment ceremony, Maj. Leavenworth, Kan., Oct. 12. The Gen. M. Wayne Pierson, 35th Infantry Soldiers will deploy in support of NATO Division commander, noted that many of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia- the Soldiers supporting the NATO mis- Herzegovina and the Serbian province of sion will be serving with or in close Kosovo. proximity to other 35th Infantry Division The Soldiers will augment or replace Soldiers already in the Balkans. Soldiers at three locations: Sarajevo, “Part of the headquarters of the 35th NATO’s Bosnia headquarters; Pristina, Infantry Division is on its way to NATO’s headquarters in Kosovo; and Kosovo,” said Pierson. “All indicators Camp Bondsteel, the main U.S. Army are that they are doing an outstanding base in Kosovo, said the officer-in- job. I know you will be equally profes- charge of the deploying troops, Lt. Col. sional and proficient.” Danny Thomasson of the 35th Infantry The deploying Soldiers will first go to Division. Fort Benning, Ga., where they will con- While in the Balkans, the troops in duct pre-deployment training. The Sarajevo will support peacekeeping and Soldiers expect to be gone for about a stabilization missions, help integrate year. Bosnia-Herzegovina into eventual mem- The U.S. Army has had Soldiers in the bership in NATO and assist with efforts Balkans since 1995 when the Dayton to apprehend people indicted for war Peace accords were signed, ending ethnic crimes. The troops in Kosovo will con- violence between Serbians, Croatians tinue to promote peace and security. and Bosnian Muslims in the volatile Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation march into the Kansas Expocentre, “All citizens – despite ethnic differ- region. Topeka, for a welcome home ceremony on Sept. 14. (Photo by Jane Welch) Page 2 Plains Guardian • October 2007 Kansas team shares Greensburg lessons with Armenians By Sharon Watson knowing their risks for disaster are great, I Three members of the state’s disaster want to see what possibilities might exist response team who served in Greensburg for donating fire trucks that are no longer following the EF-5 tornado’s devastation, needed here in Kansas to the Armenians,” traveled to Yerevan, Armenia, Sept. 23-29 said Sterbenz. to share lessons learned from the response. “This State Partnership is an incredible The Kansas National Guard has a State opportunity to share knowledge and Partnership Program with Armenia. This resources, and improve relationships allows Kansas and Armenia to share mili- between countries,” Watson said. “Many tary, as well as business, government and friendships have developed between civilian practices to benefit each. Kansans and Armenians due to this partner- The Armenian Rescue Service hosted ship and the information exchange is invalu- the Kansas team for the trip, which includ- able and will benefit generations to come.” ed traveling to the town of Gyumri to Maj. Edward Keller, Kansas National observe of a two-day disaster tabletop Guard, is currently serving in Armenia at exercise and a one-day disaster exercise the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan to coordinate involving a building fire with victims. The the efforts of the program. Part of Keller’s Armenian Rescue Service is a government role is to provide ongoing support for responder that provides the immediate teams traveling to and from Armenia. He medical support needs of the victims on a will serve there through February 2009, at disaster scene and also provides medical which time another Guard member will be transport to local hospitals. assigned to take his place. Keller recently The Kansas team included Lt. Col. returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. He James Culp, of the 184th Air Refueling Sharon Watson (right), public affairs director for The Adjutant General’s works for the Topeka Police Department Wing, who served as the Kansas National Department, answers questions from the Armenian media during an emergency when not deployed. Guard’s commander of military operations exercise in Gyumri, Armenia. Watson was part of a three-person delegation visiting in Greensburg.