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29th ID tested at Warfighter 16-2

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Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker (left), First Army commanding general, speaks with Brig. Gen. Blake Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division, during the Warfighter Exercise 16-2 Nov.18, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. More than 3,000 Soldiers, Airmen and Civilians from the Army and Air National Guard, Army Reserve, and active duty Army and Air Force, participated in the culminating training event which requires units to respond to several complex simulation events such as: encountering the enemy, air and fire support and refugee displacement. In this year’s event, the 29th ID worked in partnership with the active duty Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Tucker visited the training site to ensure the exercise was being performed to the Army’s standards. Note: Photo altered for security purposes. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, First Army Public Affairs Office)

Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker (left), First Army commanding general, speaks with Brig. Gen. Blake Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division, during the Warfighter Exercise 16-2 Nov.18, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. More than 3,000 Soldiers, Airmen and Civilians from the Army and Air National Guard, Army Reserve, and active duty Army and Air Force, participated in the culminating training event which requires units to respond to several complex simulation events such as: encountering the enemy, air and fire support and refugee displacement. In this year’s event, the 29th ID worked in partnership with the active duty Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Tucker visited the training site to ensure the exercise was being performed to the Army’s standards. Note: Photo altered for security purposes. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, First Army Public Affairs Office)

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — More than 400 Maryland and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division joined with National Guard and active duty Soldiers from around the country, as well as active duty and Air National Guard Airmen, for a nine-day warfighter exercise Nov. 13-22 at Camp Atterbury, Ind.

The division-level warfighter exercise, Warfighter 16-2, was designed to develop, train, and exercise the warfighting functions of the 29th ID. It tested the division’s ability to coordinate a simulated battle with command and control of six brigades and more than 20,000 personnel.

Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division work alongside active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers from around the country at Warfighter 16-2 Nov. 9-22, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, First Army Public Affairs)

Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division work alongside active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers from around the country at Warfighter 16-2 Nov. 13-22, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, First Army Public Affairs Office)

“Warfighter is about learning processes and procedures and bringing together all the warfighting functions to become one team,” said Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th ID. “In that way it was a tremendous success. You learn not just what the unit can do but also what you as an individual can do.”

Although the exercise wasn’t graded, it was designed to over stress the staff in a scenario against an opponent with similar capabilities to the U.S., according to Lt. Col. Allan Carter, director of operations for the 29th ID. The opposing force offered a simulated war game exercise that was free flowing and free thinking in order to stress the staff and to show what functions the staff did well and what needed improvement, he said.

“Warfighter really stresses the people and the equipment,” Ortner said. “If you’ve got processes and procedures that might work perfect in a regular environment, they can break down in an environment like this. So you need to develop processes and procedures that can be used in any type of mission.”

Under the command of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 29th ID and 101st Airborne Division together fought a simulated battle in the notional country of Atropia. Atropia had been invaded by the neighboring, notional country of Ariana and the two divisions fought to expel the Arianans and restore sovereignty to the people of Atropia.

The 29th ID had specific training objectives that the scenario was designed to stress, according to Carter. These training objectives were derived from the commanding general’s mission essential task list assessment. The objectives included all warfighting functions so each part of the staff would be challenged during the exercise.

In addition to the 29th ID, 101st Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps, a number of Army and Air Force units from around the country participated in the giant, simulated battle. Elements of the Fort Drum-based 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, the Virginia National Guard’s 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the Maryland National Guard’s 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, the Colorado National Guard’s 169th Field Artillery Brigade, the Georgia National Guard’s 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the Rhode Island National Guard’s 43rd Military Police Brigade and the Virginia Air National Guard’s 200th Weather Flight were with the 29th at Camp Atterbury.

At Fort Campbell, Ky., the 101st participated in the Atropian campaign while providing command and control of its organic division assets. Elements of the XVIII Airborne Corps participated from Fort Campbell as well.

Brig. Gen. Bake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, gives a tour of the 29th ID command post to Acting Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning during Warfighter 16-2 Nov. 18, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. John G. Martinez)

Brig. Gen. Bake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, gives a tour of the 29th ID command post to Acting Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning during Warfighter 16-2 Nov. 18, 2015, at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. John G. Martinez)

Soldiers from the 116th IBCT acted as a response cell to support the exercise, and it provided a valuable training opportunity for the brigade staff.

“It was great training for us,” said Col. William J. Coffin, commander of the 116th IBCT. “We sent a robust team of almost 40 Soldiers, mostly primary staff officers. We went beyond the the typical response cell mission and used it as a great training opportunity to establish our command post and exercise our staff procedures, especially with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and air assault planning. With many new staff members since annual training 2015, we were able to build the team and also strengthen our training partnership with the 29th ID headquarters.”

For Ortner and other senior leaders of the 29th ID, WFX 16-2 also provided an opportunity to see just how their staff performs in an operational environment, facing stressful and difficult decisions.

“I already knew they were pretty good,” Ortner said. “Here I learned how to work with them in a more stressful environment and we’re finding those individuals that handle stress very well.”

“A large percentage of the division staff had never participated in a warfighter exercise so this was a good, culminating event to show the current training level,” Carter said. “The big take away was what the division staff’s proficiency level was, where the staff excelled and where the staff could improve in providing mission command.”


Va. Guard Youth Program seeks volunteers

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More than 60 National Guard youth joined 24 National Guard teen volunteers and 25 adult volunteers July 26-31, 2015, at Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va., for the 10th annual Virginia National Guard Youth Camp. The week presented a full schedule of activities for youth who traveled as far as Roanoke and the D.C. area to attend. (Courtesy photo)

More than 60 National Guard youth joined 24 National Guard teen volunteers and 25 adult volunteers July 26-31, 2015, at Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va., for the 10th annual Virginia National Guard Youth Camp. The week presented a full schedule of activities for youth who traveled as far as Roanoke and the D.C. area to attend. (Courtesy photo)

SANDSTON, Va.– The Virginia National Guard Youth Program is currently seeking volunteers to assist with youth events in 2016. Volunteers are needed for Yellow Ribbon events, to assist with registration for youth events, and to serve as photographers, chaperones, team leaders, mentors and teachers. Volunteers with medical experience are also needed to provide medical support at camps and retreats. In addition the Youth Program needs volunteers to serve on the overnight staff for events.

“For those that are interested or know of any individuals that love to dedicate their time helping National Guard youth, this is may be the perfect opportunity for them to get involved,” said Joe Duerksen, Lead Child and Youth Coordinator for Virginia Guard Family Programs. “Volunteers are what make our program successful as they engage, teach, and mentor our youth.”

The Virginia Guard Youth Program aims to engage, empower and educate Virginia National Guard youth and families through programming, education and community awareness.

Youth Program Logo“By bringing a common language of resilience and connection, our National Guard Youth Program strengthens the military family as a unit during times of trial,” Duerksen said. “Without volunteers, our program would be ineffective at reaching military youth and families across the state.”

“Our volunteers help to create an environment to share the successes and challenges of the military life,” added Silena Callis, Child and Youth Coordinator.

For more information, please contact:
Joe Duerksen
Lead Child and Youth Coordinator
804-236-7866
joe.m.duerksen.ctr@mail.mil

Silena Callis
Child and Youth Coordinator
804-236-7865
silena.m.callis.ctr@mail.mil

ChalleNGe hosts career fair, parent & mentor workshops as cadets prepare to graduate

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The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy held a career fair Feb. 19, 2016, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Pictured are (left to right) Cadet Christian Roberts, Nash D. Montgomery, RPM coordinator, Major Marcus Brooks, ChalleNGe Commandant, representatives from Home Depot, Cadet William Sherrod and Mark Chicoine, Director of ChalleNGe. (Contributed photo)

The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy held a career fair Feb. 19, 2016, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Pictured are (left to right) Cadet Christian Roberts, Nash D. Montgomery, recruitment placement mentor coordinator, Major Marcus Brooks, ChalleNGe commandant, representatives from Home Depot, Cadet William Sherrod and Mark Chicoine, director of ChalleNGe. (Contributed photo)

CAMP PENDLETON , Va. –The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy hosted a career fair Feb. 19, 2016, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, as well as a parent workshop Feb. 19 and a mentor workshop Feb. 20 in Virginia Beach, Va.

Commonwealth ChalleNGe is the Virginia component of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, which focuses on preparing teenagers who have dropped out of high school, or are on the verge of dropping out of high school, with skills, discipline and academics to become a productive citizen.

Twenty-five employers, including representatives from vocational schools and colleges, attended the job fair and several employers allowed cadets to complete job applications on the spot, according to Nash Montgomery, ChalleNGe recruitment placement mentor coordinator.

The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy hosted a career fair Feb. 19, 2016, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Va. Twenty-five employers, including representatives from vocational schools and colleges, attended the job fair and several employers allowed cadets to complete job applications on the spot. (Contributed photo)

The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy hosted a career fair Feb. 19, 2016, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Va. Twenty-five employers, including representatives from vocational schools and colleges, attended the job fair and several employers allowed cadets to complete job applications on the spot. (Contributed photo)

Some of the organizations attending the event were Americorps, Norfolk Naval Shipyard Apprenticeship Program, Home Depot, Military Sealift Command, ITT Technical Institute, Tidewater Community College, Navy Federal Credit Union and Old Dominion University.

Montgomery said they received many positive comments about the career fair from organization representatives as well as the cadets.

The parent workshop was designed to support parents of cadets who are transitioning to the post-residential phase of the program, according to Myron James, mentor coordinator for ChalleNGe. The workshop helps to give parents an idea of “what to expect” when the cadet returns home, according to James.

“In most cases graduating cadets have made positive behavioral changes that could be easily be redirected if the cadets reverts back to some negative influences in the community,” he said.

Guest speakers from various community agencies were invited to speak on the support they can provide to parents back in the communities.

The mentor workshop was similar to the parent workshop but focused more on cadet and mentor communications, mentor reporting requirements and role play, according to James. Thirty mentors attended and group sessions were guided to encourage mentors to share ideas on difficult issues that may arise during the post residential phase by the cadet. Mentors also shared ideas with the cadets in efforts to build the mentor/cadets relationship. The workshop concluded with the mentors having lunch with their cadets to discuss and make plans on mentor/cadet weekly contact and placement monitoring after the residential phase.

There are currently 106 cadets in Class 44 of the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy and they are scheduled to graduate on March 5, 2016.

ChalleNGe is a 17-and-a-half-month program that is structured in a military-style environment designed to promote academics, attention to detail, time management, and leadership, while promoting self-esteem, confidence and pride.

As an alternative education program, cadets have the opportunity to prepare for and take the General Educational Development test. During the residential phase, they also prepare for future employment, military or higher education opportunities.

After the graduates complete the 20-week, residential period of academics, physical fitness, counseling, life skills, and team building, they will move on to a 12-month, post-residential phase.

Commonwealth ChalleNGe opened its doors in July of 1994. Since then, 43 classes totaling more than 4,000 cadets, have completed this rigorous program and have gone on to lead successful lives.

For more information on the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, visit http://vachallenge.org.

116th IBCT Soldiers gain valuable experience supporting JRTC rotation at Fort Polk

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Senior leaders from the Virginia National Guard's Staunton-based Infantry Brigade Combat Team visit with brigade Soldiers on duty supporting Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 16-04 Feb. 24, 2016, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Senior leaders from the Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based Infantry Brigade Combat Team visit with brigade Soldiers on duty supporting Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 16-04 Feb. 24, 2016, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

FORT POLK, LOUISIANA — Nearly 150 Soldiers assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team traveled to Fort Polk, Louisiana, from Feb. 11 to March 1, 2016, to provide support to the Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 16-04.

Soldiers assigned to the Hanover-based Battery A, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment and from the Fredericksburg-based Company A, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion served as part of the opposing force for the rotation, providing a live enemy for the Soldiers of the Alaska-based 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division who were training at JRTC.

Meanwhile, 18 Soldiers assigned to the Charlottesville-based Company C, 429th Brigade Support Battalion, gained valuable experience by providing medical support to Soldiers of the various units participating in the rotation.

“The opportunities to have units deploy to Fort Polk and participate in JRTC rotations, both OPFOR and BLUEFOR, enables our leaders to sustain a high level of training readiness while enhancing mission command in challenging conditions on unfamiliar terrain,” said Col. William J. Coffin, commander of the 116th IBCT, who visited the Soldiers at Fort Polk. “During my visit, I saw young Soldiers and junior leaders taking the initiative to aggressively present a tough, realistic opposing force for the rotational unit. Our commanders on the ground integrated well with the JRTC OPFOR and were recognized by the OPFOR commander, Geronimo-6, for their ability to task organize into small tactical teams and to quickly adjust missions in the dynamic operational environment.”

For the combat engineers, the training was valuable, in part, because it provided an opportunity to go up against an enemy, according to 1st Sgt. Lewis E. Shadle.

“It’s been great because we’ve been training up for this and now we get to go force on force, which is something we don’t normally get to do,” he said. “Even though we’re OPFOR, it doesn’t change how we operate. We’re operating the same way we would as a conventional force. We’re just doing it in an OPFOR uniform.”

“My guys are actually setting up minefields and digging anti-tank ditches,” said Capt. William Pearson, commander of Company A. “Meanwhile the equipment operators are using some equipment we don’t have back home.”
In addition, Soldiers revisited some of their basic Soldier and engineer skills.

“Some of the basic skills have kind of been lost over the years- map reading skills, plotting your points, getting an azimuth, getting a pace count,” Shadle said. “This is back to the basics of what a combat engineer is.”

“They’ve done fantastic and they’ve learned a lot,” Pearson said.

Meanwhile the Soldiers of Battery A were honing their field craft and tactical competencies. They were often displacing sections, while providing continuous fire support to the infantry battalion.

“We owned the night,” said Capt. Matthew Payne, commander of Battery A. “we operated in two separate platoons, without breaks in support to Task Force Geronimo.”

The battery averaged 60 fire missions a day, mostly between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 a.m, according to Payne. They conducted the majority of their operations at night, driving hundreds of miles using only night vision goggles.

“We operated solely in a decentralized fashion, occupying firing points as sections and only at night while avoiding detection by BLUEFOR ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] and SOF [Special Operations forces],” he said.

“Being on the other side and seeing how the OPFOR operates is good training,” said Spc. Sean Tompkins, assigned to Battery A. “We’re experiencing what they do as well as see what is happening on the other side.”

The outstanding showing by Battery A wasn’t just due to his Soldiers’ performance but also due to the performance of Soldiers from the Portsmouth-based 2nd Battalion, 183rd Cavalry and vehicle maintainers assigned to the Norfolk-based Company G, 429th Brigade Support Battalion, who were attached to Battery A, according to Payne.

“Without 13Fs initiating Calls For Fire and maintainers recovering our mired equipment, A Battery would not be so fortunate to rain steel on the enemy,” he said. “Our success was due to the combined arms integration and relationships established within the battery and supported infantry battalion and for that I am thankful.”

While Soldiers of those two units were providing support to the opposing force, the 18 Soldiers of Charlie Med were supporting the entire rotation with medical care.

“There are potentially 4,000 patients here and we see 25-30 a day,” said Capt. Thomas Cook, executive officer of C Company, who was the commander on the ground. “We’ve seen active duty, reservists and even international soldiers. Anyone involved in the exercise itself is supposed to come here.”

In addition to assisting the doctors and physician assistants, the medics treated and assessed patients, and determined if they need to be returned to duty, put on quarters or were in need of higher echelon care. They also provided patient transport for their appointments and kept up with medications.

“It’s a different training than we would normally get in the field,” said Sgt. Thomas Best. “It’s great to get clinical training and being able to assess patients with so many instruments we don’t normally get to use.”

Cook echoed those sentiments, saying they received valuable training on systems and equipment they wouldn’t be exposed to in a typical setting.

“We’re getting a good overall training as far as what a medic is capable of and what a medic can do for the Army all in one place,” Best said.

This wasn’t the first time troops of the 116th traveled to Fort Polk and it won’t be the last. In November more than 95 Soldiers assigned to Battery B and Company G supported JRTC rotation 16-02 and the number of Stonewall Brigade Soldiers training at JRTC is expected to increase in the coming years, according to Coffin.

“As the BCT moves into 2017 and 2018, JRTC should provide a great venue for individual leaders to hone their skills as guest OC/Ts [observe controller/trainers],” Coffin explained. “We plan on maximizing these opportunities with the eye on preparing the BCT for its planned rotation to JRTC in 2020.”

NGB Senior Enlisted Advisor visits Va. Guard Airmen, Soldiers, leaders

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Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Brush, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visits Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers March 8, 2016, in Sandston and Richmond, Virginia. Brush met with senior leaders as well as junior servicemembers at the Virginia National Guard headquarters in Sandston. At Waller Depot in Richmond he met with Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Virginia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Virginia Defense Force and the Virginia Guard Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear High Yield Explosive Response Force Package. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Brush, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visits Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers March 8, 2016, in Sandston and Richmond, Virginia. Brush met with senior leaders as well as junior servicemembers at the Virginia National Guard headquarters in Sandston. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

SANDSTON, Va. — Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell O. Brush, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard, visited Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers March 8-9, 2016, in Sandston, Richmond and Hampton, Virginia.

Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Brush, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visits Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Guard Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear High Yield Explosive Response Force Package March 8, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Brush, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visits Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Guard Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear High Yield Explosive Response Force Package March 8, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“We were honored to have Chief Master Sgt. Brush visit with the Virginia National Guard and see firsthand the great service that the our Soldiers and Airmen are providing for the commonwealth and our country,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Alan M. Ferris, Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Advisor. “It was a great experience for our Soldiers and Airmen to engage in conversation with the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and discuss the many successes and challenges that we face in our continued efforts to support the Commonwealth, the Army and our nation.”

On March 8, Brush toured the Virginia National Guard headquarters in Sandston, where he met with the senior enlisted leaders of the Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force. He then traveled to the Army Aviation Facility in Sandston to meet with Soldiers and tour the facilities there.

Later that day he visited with Airmen and Soldiers at Waller Depot in Richmond. They briefed him on the status and capabilities of the Virginia National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Virginia Defense Force and the Virginia Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP.

On March 9 he met with Airmen and leaders of the 192nd Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

At every stop he saw the equipment and systems used by the Guard in various operations, from decontamination equipment and ion scanners to F-22 Raptors and UH-60 Black Hawks. But those high-tech systems need someone to operate them and that’s where the Soldiers and Airmen come in.

“While the equipment packages we have are truly amazing, it takes Airmen and Soldiers to run it and we need to stay up with the technology,” Brush said. “I think there are subject matter experts at every level of our military.”

Brush spent many years as a traditional Air Guard Airman while working as a state trooper in Montana, so he understands many of the challenges facing traditional Guard Soldiers and Airmen. Still he also understands and appreciates the role of the National Guard’s fulltime force.

“One of the questions and concerns is that full time support doesn’t contribute to readiness,” he said. “But there is no question in my mind that our full-time force can’t get any smaller than it is or we will start losing readiness.”

That readiness is what enables the Guard to conduct so many different missions on such short notice.

“One of the things we hear time and time again, wherever we go, is that the best kept secret is the National Guard,” Brush said. “My frustration, and one of the things I work on every day, is to educate our communities on the things we do. People have no idea.”

When a catastrophic event happens in the community, people often assume the Soldiers and Airmen running around are active duty personnel, he said.

“Little do they know these are people who live in their communities and they’re people who come back to their communities,” he said.

Rep. Brat visits, tours Fort Pickett

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Rep. Dave Brat visits the virtual training facility at the Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center March 31, 2016. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Rep. Dave Brat visits the virtual training facility at the Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center March 31, 2016. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

FORT PICKETT, Va. — Rep. Dave Brat visited the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center March 31, 2016. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Lt. Col. Preston Scott, Fort Pickett garrison commander, provided an overview of the installation and its capabilities, then escorted Brat on a tour of the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and the Fort Pickett virtual training facility.

“It was a pleasure to learn about how these brave men serve,” Brat said on Facebook.

Rep. Dave Brat tours the Virginia National Guard Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site March 31, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Va. MATES provides maintenance support for more than 500 combat vehicles and other equipment positioned at Fort Pickett including M1A1 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, howitzers and a variety of other tracked and wheeled vehicles. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Rep. Dave Brat tours the Virginia National Guard Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site March 31, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Va. MATES provides maintenance support for more than 500 combat vehicles and other equipment positioned at Fort Pickett including M1A1 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, howitzers and a variety of other tracked and wheeled vehicles. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

During his visit Brat first toured MATES, where more than 120 personnel provide maintenance support on more than 500 combat vehicles and other equipment positioned at Fort Pickett including M1A1 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, howitzers and a variety of other tracked and wheeled vehicles. In addition to Virginia National Guard vehicles, MATES personnel maintain equipment assigned to the West Virginia and Pennsylvania Army National Guard that is drawn when units from those states come to Fort Pickett for training. In addition to vehicle maintenance shops, MATES also contains supply areas and a variety of repair shops including vehicle painting, body work, communications equipment and small arms.

From there Brat met with leaders and toured the facilities at the 183rd RTI. The RTI is comprised of a headquarters and three battalions. First Battalion conducts infantry training, including the 11B Infantryman Military Occupational Specialty Qualification Course, Light Leaders Course and rappel master, while 2nd Battalion conducts the 88M Motor Transport Operator Course. Third battalion includes both Officer Candidate School and Warrant Officer Candidate School and also trains Soldiers as military police officers. The schoolhouse was completed in 2011 and includes approximately 400,000 square feet of instruction space, including a combatives training room, eight modular classrooms and a lecture hall capable of accommodating 480 students, along with three barracks with two-person rooms and open bay housing that can accommodate 275 students.

Brat then visited the Fort Pickett virtual training facility, where servicemembers from throughout the military can train for combat in a virtual environment. The facility provides individual and group-level training with weapons and tactics, saving both time and money.

Finally Williams and Scott took Brat to the Fort Pickett headquarters where they provided a briefing on the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Affairs Security Training Center and the future of Fort Pickett. FASTC, which will provide hard-skills security training to State Department personnel and the foreign affairs community, will be located at Fort Pickett. Construction on the FASTC project began on Feb. 25, 2016, and it’s expected the center will eventually provide training for up to 10,000 students per year.

Fort Pickett is approximately 41,000 acres and operated by the Virginia National Guard. It features a combination of open and wooded terrain maneuver areas and 21 ranges capable of supporting almost any weapons system in the U. S. Army inventory. In addition, the installation has a rail spur and C-17 capable airfield as well as barracks to support more than 5,000 personnel and morale, welfare and recreation facilities including a gym, post exchange and leisure center.

Photos: Rep. Brat visits Fort Pickett – March 31, 2016

Historical, archaeological archives move into new digs at Fort Pickett

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Members of the Virginia Defense Force assist with the movement of the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection into a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The collection includes documents, clothing, equipment and other artifacts which cover the history of the Virginia National Guard. The new building will provide better protection for the items as well as the opportunity to display parts of the collection for the public. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Members of the Virginia Defense Force assist with the movement of the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection into a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The collection includes documents, clothing, equipment and other artifacts which cover the history of the Virginia National Guard. The new building will provide better protection for the items as well as the opportunity to display parts of the collection for the public. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

FORT PICKETT, Virginia — The Virginia National Guard Historical Collection and archeological collection both moved into a new building with some help from members of the Virginia Defense Force March 28-31, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

The historical collection includes documents, clothing, equipment and other artifacts which cover the history of the Virginia National Guard. The archeological collection includes broken debitage, manufactured stone tools and ceramic pottery found on Fort Pickett.

Chris Parr, manager and curator for the Virginia National Guard archaeology program, prepares to move items to a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The archeology collection measures about 158 cubic feet and includes approximately 60,000 artifacts. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Chris Parr, manager and curator for the Virginia National Guard archaeology program, prepares to move items to a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The archeology collection measures about 158 cubic feet and includes approximately 60,000 artifacts. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

The new building will provide better protection for the items as well as the opportunity to display parts of the collection for the public.

“The collection is going to be in pretty good shape now that we have this new facility,” said Dr. Maria Christina Mairena, curator for the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection. “It had been stored in a warehouse and there were insect infestations and cobwebs. We don’t have those concerns in this building.”

The move would not have been possible without the help of the VDF, she said. Col. (Va.) Dennis Mroczkowski, Lt. Col. (Va.) M.Kent Brinkley, Lt. Col. (Va.) Payton Owens, and Capt. (Va.) Josiah Henson volunteered to help with the move.

“We have a real appreciation for this collection,” said Mroczkowski, the VDF historian and a retired curator with the U.S. Army Center for Military History. “It’s surprising that so few people know about it. It’s great to showcase this while we’re moving it and alert people to this resource and the priceless artifacts that are here.”

“It’s part of our heritage,” Brinkley said. “Virginia military history goes all the way back to 1607 and it’s important for people in the Virginia Guard and the VDF to know about it.”

Mairena added that the VDF has representation in the collection and there will be more coming in the future.

“I had no idea of the size of the collection when I first came here,” she said. “By the time I was done inventorying everything it was up to 2,600-2,700 items.”

They are still accessing more items and the total should be up to 3,000 soon.

Over the past two years they have inventoried all the items and did condition assessments on them. It took about seven months to rehouse the collection. Now everything is packed in new boxes, with clean tissues.

“We identified what’s moldy, what had moth damage. We had a textile conservator come down for a day and look at some of our worst uniforms,” Mairena said. “She told us modern dry cleaning methods will take care of the mold. So once those uniforms are clean we can put them up on display.”

Some items from the collection are currently on display at an exhibit at the Virginia War Memorial showcasing the Guard’s 1916-1917 service on the Mexican border. There are also plans to do a World War I exhibit at the War Memorial.

Dr. Maria Christina Mairena, curator for the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection, moves items to a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new building will provide better protection for the items as well as the opportunity to display parts of the collection for the public. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Dr. Maria Christina Mairena, curator for the Virginia National Guard Historical Collection, moves items to a new building March 29, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new building will provide better protection for the items as well as the opportunity to display parts of the collection for the public. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“We have some fabulous items from WWI,” she said. “At the Dove Street Armory they found a medical chest from WWI. It was in complete condition and still had every item, everything you would need to do surgery. I’d like to see that on display some day.”

The family of a WWI Soldier donated his leather identification tags. He was a motorcycle messenger in WWI, going from the front lines and back on his motorcycle, and they also have a number of postcards he sent home from Europe to his family.

The collection includes items from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam but not as much as she would hope.

There are a number of items from 1990 to the present, including items from the Virginia Air National Guard, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“A lot of the uniforms we have, the insignia has been taken off,” she said. “It might be a beautiful jacket but without someone’s nametape and without some insignia it doesn’t say as much. Having that person’s history attached to it means we can tell that person’s story and people can relate to it. Otherwise it’s just a jacket and not about the individual.”

Items from the Historical Collection aren’t the only thing moving in to the new building. The archeology collection from Fort Pickett, which measures about 158 cubic feet and includes approximately 60,000 artifacts, will also relocate to the building.

Fort Pickett is about 42,000 acres and according to Chris Parr, manager and curator for the archaeology program, they have surveyed approximately 20%-25 % for archaeological sites.

As the Virginia Guard’s archaeologist, Parr assists works the Environmental Programs office and assists with environmental compliance.

“We have yielded about 500 sites and they cover every period of human occupation from Paleo-Indian from 13,000 B.C. all the way up to World War II and the founding of Camp Pickett,” he said.

From an archaeological standpoint, Parr said Pickett’s relationship with the prehistoric population is fascinating.

“It was a communal hunting ground,” Parr explained. “They would come out here to hunt and then go back to their respective quarters. So we have a lot of campsites but we don’t have any confirmed village sites at Pickett so far.”

Mairena gave thanks to John Listman and Bev Boyko, the previous curators, who helped establish the collection.

“They did an incredible job on this collection with limited resources,” she said. “It’s nice to be working with folks who care. There’s a lot of lip service to history. But I think that knowing your history really helps going forward.”

Photos: VDF helps move Virginia National Guard Historical Collection to new buildings- March 29, 2016

Candidates, cadre, graduates celebrate OCS 58th birthday

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Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrate its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrate its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

RICHMOND, Va. — Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrated its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action.

An officer candidates in class 58 of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School speaks with the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose at a ceremony commemorating the 58th birthday of the Virginia OCS April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII, was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

An officer candidates in class 58 of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School speaks with the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose at a ceremony commemorating the 58th birthday of the Virginia OCS April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII, was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

“Class 58 has started another great tradition to add to the OCS history books,” said Maj. Sheryl Lloyd, commander of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School, which is located at Fort Pickett. “These officer candidates have built a positive image of the type of leaders we are developing at the Officer Candidate School at Fort Pickett with the implementation of the first OCS birthday celebration after 58 classes of leaders have been developed.”

The goal of the event was to boost the esprit de corps and the sense of pride in the school, as well as encourage officer candidates to explore the rich history of the program, according Officer Candidate Mohammed Harba, the officer candidate in charge of the event.

“I also hoped to exhibit to the previous graduates that our class is proud of their accomplishments and seeks to emulate and honor them,” he said.

“What made it extra special was having the Rose family and OCS alumni come by and celebrate with us at the location where everything got started,” Lloyd said. “I was honored to be a part of history.”

Rose was killed in action Feb. 21, 1969, while serving as a rotary wing aviation unit commander. Today the Harry Q. Rose Award is given to one member of each Virginia Guard OCS class who has distinguished him or herself in leadership throughout the duration of the program. Rose’s two sisters, brother in law and nephews attended the ceremony and were recognized by the candidates.

“Getting to meet them in person to express our respect for Capt. Rose’s service and sacrifice was an honor beyond measure,” Harba said. “I believe that their presence was the highlight of the event and our most important accomplishment that day, considering the fact that this year is the 50th anniversary of his Virginia OCS graduation.

“Having the opportunity to interact with Capt. Rose’s family allows us to experience a true connection to an icon of the Virginia OCS program and our school’s history, and takes us to a new level of motivation that goes beyond the photograph of him that graces our classroom wall,” he added.

JSRCC is the original site of the Richmond Howitzers Armory, where the Virginia OCS first mustered April 19, 1958, and graduated May 23, 1959.

Officer candidates in Class 58 of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School listen to a speaker during the ceremony commemorating the 58th birthday of the Virginia Guard OCS April 19, 2016, in Richmond, Va. The 30 candidates of Class 58 are scheduled to graduate in August 2016. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Officer candidates in Class 58 of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School listen to a speaker during the ceremony commemorating the 58th birthday of the Virginia Guard OCS April 19, 2016, in Richmond, Va. The 30 candidates of Class 58 are scheduled to graduate in August 2016. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“I couldn’t locate the Howitzers Armory in Richmond, so I checked the Library of Virginia and discovered that the armory was demolished,” Harba said. He also discovered that JSRCC sits on the site where the armory once stood.

“Amazingly, remnants of the armory’s old Victorian brick walls can still be seen outside the college building,” Harba added.

During the ceremony, leadership of JSRCC unveiled a plaque which will be mounted on campus noting its status as the birthplace of the Virginia Guard OCS.

“I’m very proud of how everything turned out,” Lloyd said. “Great planning and research went into making the event a great success. It is all a tribute to the great work done at the OCS schoolhouse yesterday, today and forever.”

Photos: Virginia Guard Officer Candidate School celebrates 58th birthday


Virginia Guard Soldiers train for Military Funeral Honors duty

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Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course, April 26-30, which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course, April 26-30, which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conducted Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 26-30 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition.

“We are the final honor for our veterans,” said Sgt. Sam Conolly, area coordinator for the Tidewater region and one of the trainers for the course. “It’s a great duty, probably the most honorable thing I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t think anything can trump it.”

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course, April 26-30, which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military.

“I’ve been in the military 13 years, including five years of active duty,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Cain, senior instructor for the program. “In my career I’ve never seen a more dedicated group of Soldiers.”

Since 2007 they have performed nearly 18,000 funeral services throughout the commonwealth. They average almost 190 services each month, meaning Soldiers often perform multiple ceremonies a day.

“This is one of the most professional organizations I’ve been with,” said Tim White, military funeral honors coordinator and a command sergeant major with the Virginia Army National Guard. “Our motto is ‘Honoring those who served.’ Our guys truly live by that. I’m impressed by everything they do.”

Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors teams are based in Bowling Green, Gate City, Petersburg, Salem and Suffolk. There are currently 14 fulltime members of the program and approximately 80 part-time, M-Day Soldiers.

Funerals take place seven days a week and Soldiers need to be prepared to perform duty when needed. This means occasionally cancelling family plans or other events to ensure they are there to honor a veteran.

“This is literally a 24/7 job and we love it,” Cain said. “Everyone in this program is extremely proud of it.”

Before they can even be considered for the Funeral Honors Program, Soldiers must first have a letter of recommendation from their unit. They must then meet the height and weight requirements and Army Physical Fitness Test requirements.

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course, April 26-30, which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“It takes a very high standard to even be in this program,” he explained. “We only want the best of the best. We represent not just the Virginia Guard but the National Guard as a whole.”

Then they have to complete the week-long training, learning the finer points of funeral honors both in a classroom and in hands-on training. The course covers everything from the correct wear of the uniform, to the drill and ceremony aspects of the service, to instilling the mental toughness needed to perform such a ceremony.

“It’s the last memory a family has of their loved one before they lay them to rest,” said Pfc. Nathan Williams, a cavalry scout with Norfolk-based Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “It’s only right we train hard enough to make it look perfect.”

That means learning to deal with both physical and mental discomfort.

“You’re taught mental toughness at the beginning and you just have to push through,” said Spc. Jacob Combs, a chemical specialist assigned to the Rocky Mount-based 229th Chemical Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 91st Troop Command. “You have to give 100% each time. You have to give the exact same throughout the whole entire process.

“No matter how many services you perform a day, he or she gets the perfect funeral no matter what,” he explained. “They deserve it.”

Soldiers are taught that no one service is more important than another. Each veteran deserves the same respect and honor.

“A service for a homeless veteran at a veterans’ cemetery is just as important as one that has 200 people,” Cain said. “We treat every service with the professionalism and dedication that we would any other.”

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course, April 26-30, which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition. Begun in January 2007, the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program is composed of five teams located throughout the state which provide funeral details, not just to National Guard Soldiers but to veterans of all branches of the military. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conduct Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 28, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“It’s about honoring him or her,” explained Pfc. Jessica Kaewnork, a power generator repairer with the Petersburg-based 276th Engineer Battalion. “By being precise and on top of things, we’re giving them the honor they deserve.”

When it’s time for a ceremony, the Soldiers make sure their uniforms are squared away. Then they arrive early and leave late. They perform their mission and stay out of the way, preferring to honor the veteran by keeping the focus on him or her, not them.

“We try to stay behind everything,” Conolly said. “You show up before the family arrives and leave after they leave. What we do is such a sensitive thing. It is so detail oriented. There are so many small things that add up and if everyone does them the same, that’s what makes it a great service.”

To get to the point where they can perform that service flawlessly, team members continuously train. Even after they graduate the course, Soldiers must continue to practice and perfect their movements, according to White.

“In this environment, you have to be perfect,” he said.

“It’s either right or it’s wrong,” said Combs. “No matter how right you make think it is, if it’s in any way wrong, then it is wrong. So you do it again until you get it crisp and correct.”

But all the physical training still doesn’t prepare them for the mental and emotional impact of performing a ceremony.

“The Soldiers in the training don’t really understand how important it is until we get them out there for a ceremony,” Cain explained. “We can tell them all day but until they get out there and see the effect they are having on the families, on the spouses, on the children, that’s when they can see what they are doing is very important.”

“This is the worst day of that family’s life,” Conolly explained. “They just lost a loved one and we want to do our thing, honor the veteran and leave. There are only two things you can do in the service- honor or dishonor. We pick one, to honor.”

The next Level 1 training course is scheduled for July in Virginia Beach. For more information about the Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program, please call 804-722-8902.

Photos: Soldiers train for Military Funeral Honors duty – April 29, 2016

Dept. of Military Affairs recognizes, thanks state employees

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Brig. Gen. Paul F. Griffin, Virginia National Guard Director of the Joint Staff, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognize and thank Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a State Employee Recognition luncheon May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. State employees received training and briefings in the morning, followed by the luncheon, where selected personnel received awards for their outstanding performance and dedicated service. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Brig. Gen. Paul F. Griffin, Virginia National Guard Director of the Joint Staff, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognize and thank Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a State Employee Recognition luncheon May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. State employees received training and briefings in the morning, followed by the luncheon, where selected personnel received awards for their outstanding performance and dedicated service. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

SANDSTON, Virginia — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, Brig. Gen. Paul F. Griffin, Virginia National Guard Director of the Joint Staff, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognized and thanked Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at luncheons and awards ceremonies May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett and May 12, 2016, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach.

The Virginia National Guard recognized and thanked Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a luncheon and awards ceremony May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

The Virginia National Guard recognized and thanked Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a luncheon and awards ceremony May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“This annual recognition program is a way for our directors and department heads to specifically recognize and thank those state employees within their organization who have gone the extra mile and exceeded expectations,” Mercer said.

“This was an opportunity for us to thank our employees for their hard work,” explained Michelle Claiborne, human resource manager for DMA. “These employees are always willing and able to support the mission of DMA.”

Employees first attended briefings and mandatory training for state workers in the morning. Classes covered topics including health benefits, workers compensation, policy, safety and ethics. Then, following a catered lunch, senior leaders recognized individuals who have reached five, 10, 15 and 20 years of service with DMA.

The senior leaders also presented awards to DMA employees for customer service, workplace safety and health, career achievement, innovation, new employees, teamwork, community service and volunteerism.

“You guys are absolutely critical to the mission that we do here at Fort Pickett and for the overall Virginia National Guard mission,” Griffin said to the employees at Fort Pickett. “We couldn’t do it without you.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what each and every one of you does,” said Williams at Camp Pendleton. “Thank you all very much for what you do.”

State employees play a significant role across DMA in sustaining the full spectrum of functions, explained Mercer.

Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognize and thank Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a State Employee Recognition luncheon May 12, 2016, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognize and thank Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at a State Employee Recognition luncheon May 12, 2016, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

“Their great work directly impacts the Virginia National Guard’s readiness, training, finance and logistics, facilities, communications, safety, and Soldier care functions among others,” he said.

The Virginia Defense Force has several staff serving Virginia as part of the DMA team, and the Commonwealth ChalleNGe and STARBASE programs, with their focus being on education and the overall development of young people, are managed and staffed by state employees, Mercer explained.

“Everything our state personnel do across DMA matters because, in the end, we are all here to support our Air and Army National Guard members and their families and the cadets in our ChalleNGe program,” Mercer said.

Photos: Virginia Department of Military Affairs honors state employees at Fort Pickett - May 10, 2016

Photos: Virginia Department of Military Affairs honors state employees at Camp Pendleton- May 12, 2016

29th ID Soldiers return to France for 72nd commemoration of D-Day

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Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commander of the 29th Infantry Division, speaks during the 29th Infantry Division memorial ceremony at Omaha Beach in Sainte-Laurent-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2016. Liberation Monument (in back) was dedicated to the Soldiers, many of them belonging to the 29th Infantry Division, who stormed the beach and gave their lives to liberate France on D-Day. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Timothy Moore)

Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commander of the 29th Infantry Division, speaks during the 29th Infantry Division memorial ceremony at Omaha Beach in Sainte-Laurent-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2016. Liberation Monument (in back) was dedicated to the Soldiers, many of them belonging to the 29th Infantry Division, who stormed the beach and gave their lives to liberate France on D-Day. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Timothy Moore)

FORT BELVOIR, Virginia — Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, led a group of 13 Virginia National Guard Soldiers to France for the June 6, 2016, commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of the Allied Invasion of Normandy.

“I think one of the greatest things about being in Normandy as a 29th ID Soldier is the reaction from the people of Normandy to the 29th patch, especially in Vierville and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer,” said Ortner, who was in Normandy as the 29th ID commander for the first time. He had previously visited in a civilian capacity. “The love, the appreciation, the respect they show to the Soldiers of the 29th is unbelievable.”

Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division pose for a photo with a French D-Day reenactor during an event in Sainte-Mère-Église, France commemorating the 72nd Anniversary of D-Day. (U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Joe Bush)

Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division pose for a photo with a French D-Day reenactor during an event in Sainte-Mère-Église, France commemorating the 72nd Anniversary of D-Day. (U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Joe Bush)

On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. However it came with a steep price. More than 10,000 Americans lost their lives on D-Day.

The heroic efforts of the Allied troops is still remembered and celebrated in Normandy today, but not just by the French citizens who remember, and endured, the war.

“One of the greatest things I see is it’s not just the adults, it’s not just the old people,” Ortner said. “They teach their children about what the 29th means and what they did. You would have a lot of them coming up, saying, ‘Thank you.’ That was one of the most moving things I saw.”

For nearly two years, from October 1942 to June 1944, Soldiers of the 29th ID trained in Scotland and England, preparing for the Normandy invasion. On D-Day, the 29th ID’s 116th Infantry Regiment was in the first assault wave to hit the beaches and more than 800 members of the 116th were killed.

More than 70 years later, the experiences those Soldiers endured on D-Day is still hard to comprehend. But Ortner has advice for anyone who visits Normandy and tries to re-create the battlefield.

“What you need to do is, about six in the morning, go stand on the beach at that low water mark at low tide, and look at that distance those Soldiers had to cross,” he said. “The distance they had to cross, in the conditions they were in, is unbelievable.

“To think of what they went through and what they suffered through, not just the first wave,” he explained. “Imagine the second wave arriving and seeing the beach littered with bodies and still getting off the boat and charging in and taking those hills. What they did is absolutely incredible.”

Pillion takes command of Camp Pendleton

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Lt. Col. Timothy Pillion takes command of the Virginia National Guard's Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center from Lt. Col. Elena Scarbrough during a traditional change of command ceremony June 23, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of colors that represented the transfer of command from Scarbrough to Pillion. (Photo by Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Lt. Col. Timothy Pillion takes command of the Virginia National Guard’s Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center from Lt. Col. Elena Scarbrough during a traditional change of command ceremony June 23, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of colors that represented the transfer of command from Scarbrough to Pillion. (Photo by Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

CAMP PENDLETON, Virginia — Lt. Col. Timothy Pillion took command of Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center from Lt. Col. Elena Scarbrough during a traditional change of command ceremony June 23, 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of colors that represented the transfer of command from Scarbrough to Pillion.

“I’ve worked around Tim for many years and I know he is a professional leader who gets results and takes care of his people,” Mercer said. “I’ve watched both these officers serve over the years and I can tell you this command is transitioning from one very good leader to another.”

Camp Pendleton is a state-owned, 328-acre installation which provides training facilities for National Guard units, as well as all other Department of Defense, active duty and reserve units as well as public safety organizations. It houses the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, the Virginia Air National Guard’s 203rd RED HORSE Squadron, and the Virginia Army National Guard’s 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and Troop C, 2nd Battalion, 183rd Cavalry Regiment.

The post features administrative buildings, conference facilities, barracks, classrooms, dining facilities, a live-fire qualification range and nine different virtual trainers as well as a chapel, fitness center, distance learning center, wooded training areas, helipad, land navigation course, beach and amphibious landing site.

“You have joined a great group of professional Soldiers and civilians and I know you’re going to feel welcome here,” Mercer said to Pillion. “This is a very unique command. You will be working in roles not always seen as a commander as you interact with and continue to build relationships with the local community and public leadership. I know you’ll do a great job and I look forward to you doing great things here.”

“I’ve always been blessed with great coworkers and great staffs in my previous assignments and it’s evident that won’t change in this assignment,” Pillion said. “The Camp Pendleton staff takes great pride in the quality of their work and they’re the best at what they do. I look forward to working with each of you to continue to grow Camp Pendleton.”

“It’s very obvious that Lt. Col. Scarbrough has established many relationships in the Virginia Beach community,” he added. “I promise to continue to foster those relationships and build new ones.”

Scarbrough will be retiring after 20 years of active federal service in the active Army and National Guard.

“The fact that there are this many dignitaries and such a diverse group here is fairly telling about the respect that Lt. Col. Scarbrough has earned in the community,” Mercer said. “While her military accomplishments are many, it is really her interface with the Virginia Beach/Tidewater community that reflects her excellence in this command.”

In the last two years Scarbrough established Camp Pendleton as “the central hub for local emergency management training and a key location for integrated state and federal response planning and preparation events,” according to Mercer.

“Her commitment in the pursuit of excellence have really propelled SMR to this position and earned the trust and respect of her superiors and subordinates,” Mercer said. “Great work and please know that the leaders across the state recognize your accomplishments and the impact you’ve had on Camp Pendleton and the Virginia National Guard.”

Pillion, who most recently served as the deputy commander of the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group, is a 1991 graduate of Morehead State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and a 1999 graduate of Lincoln Memorial University with Master of Business Administration. Pillion was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and his first assignment was as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the Kentucky Army National Guard. He joined the Virginia Army National Guard in 1993 and served as a platoon leader and executive officer in the 1033rd Transportation Company. In 1996 Pillion was selected for command of the 1032nd Transportation Company and served with the 1032nd until selected for Active Guard/Reserve Duty as the battalion training officer and assistant S3 for the 1030th Engineer Battalion in 2000. Subsequent assignments included battalion operations officer and battalion support operations officer with the 1030th, executive officer with the 529th CSSB, Chief of International Affairs, JFHQ-VA, and deputy Inspector General, JFHQ-VA. In 2012 Pillion was selected for command of the 1030th Transportation Battalion and served there until 2015 when he joined the 329th Regional Support Group.

His military education includes Infantry Officer Basic Course, Engineer Officer Advance Course, Transportation Officer Advance Course, Airborne School, Anti-terrorism Officer Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, Army Inspector General School, and U.S. Air Force Installation Inspector General Course.

Scarbrough, who was the first Army nurse to command an installation in the history Virginia National Guard, graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in 1996 and immediately received her commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She served as a staff nurse at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1996-1999 and head nurse, pediatrics, at Fort Lee, Virginia, from 1999-2001. Scarbrough then transitioned to the Virginia Army National Guard in an Active Guard Reserve capacity. Her first assignment was the Army Medical Department Strength Manager from 2001-2004. She earned top recruiter in the nation in 2002 and earned the Master Recruiting Badge. Scarbrough then served as the Occupational Health Nurse from 2004-2005 before commanding Company C, 429th Brigade Support Battalion from 2005-2008. In 2008, she became the deputy State Surgeon, responsible for the medical readiness of the entire Virginia Army National Guard. Scarbrough took command of Camp Pendleton in May 2012.

Scarbrough completed her Master of Science in Leadership from South University in 2014 and the LEAD Hampton Roads program in 2015. She was recognized as Inside Business Hampton Roads Women in Business 2015 Businesswoman of the Year and received Lifetime Honorary Member of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads for support for public safety.

29th ID leads multinational exercise, Saber Strike 16

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Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division and exercise director of Saber Strike 16, speaks with Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube, the Latvian Chief of Defence, June 9, 2016, in Valka-Valga, a border town between Latvia and Estonia. U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division from both Maryland and Virginia operated as an exercise control element for Saber Strike, ensuring all units meet their training objectives and helping reallocate resources during the exercise to achieve training objectives. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Frank O’Brien, 29th Infantry Division)

Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division and exercise director of Saber Strike 16, speaks with Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube, the Latvian Chief of Defence, June 9, 2016, in Valka-Valga, a border town between Latvia and Estonia. U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division from both Maryland and Virginia operated as an exercise control element for Saber Strike, ensuring all units meet their training objectives and helping reallocate resources during the exercise to achieve training objectives. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Frank O’Brien, 29th Infantry Division)

ADAZI MILITARY BASE, Latvia — More than 20 Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division traveled to Europe to participate in Saber Strike 16 June 4-22, 2016, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Saber Strike is a long-standing, U.S. Army Europe-led, cooperative training exercise designed to improve joint operational capability in a range of missions, as well as prepare the 13 participating nations to support multinational contingency operations.

Lt. Col. Eric Brown, a Maryland National Guard Soldier with the 29th Infantry Division, lines up alongside Norwegian and Latvian soldiers during the opening ceremony of the Latvian portion of Saber Strike 16 June 11, 2016, at Adazi Military Base, Latvia. Saber Strike is a long-standing, U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise designed to improve joint operational capability in a range of missions, as well as prepare the 13 participating nations to support multinational contingency operations. Saber Strike 16 took place May 26- June 21, 2016, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, 29th Infantry Division)

Lt. Col. Eric Brown, a Maryland National Guard Soldier with the 29th Infantry Division, lines up alongside Norwegian and Latvian soldiers during the opening ceremony of the Latvian portion of Saber Strike 16 June 11, 2016, at Adazi Military Base, Latvia. Saber Strike is a long-standing, U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise designed to improve joint operational capability in a range of missions, as well as prepare the 13 participating nations to support multinational contingency operations. Saber Strike 16 took place May 26- June 21, 2016, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, 29th Infantry Division)

“We are here to assure the Baltic states of the commitment of the United States to the common defense of the Baltics,” explained Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th ID and exercise director of Saber Strike 16. “We’re here to build cooperation and interoperability that will give the Allies that ability to work together for defense but also to build the ability to come together in times of crisis.”

Saber Strike 16 featured allied and partner-nation ground forces conducting live-fire, command post, and cyber/electronic warfare training, plus the integration of U.S. close-air support with multinational ground forces. Leading up to the exercise, the Germany-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment conducted a 2,200-kilometer tactical road march, called Dragoon Ride II, from Germany to Estonia, to demonstrate U.S. land forces’ dynamic presence throughout the region.

“Saber Strike is an excellent opportunity to train joint and multinational operations,” said Capt. Alex Sanchez of the 29th ID, who served in Latvia. “This opportunity has taken on even greater importance with evolving real world circumstances. The exchange of ideas and development of systems to work across service and national boundaries strengthens our alliances, our partner nations and ourselves.”

Members of the 29th ID served as an exercise control cell for Saber Strike 16, managing many of the support functions and tracking the training requirements for different units going through the exercise. They helped ensure all units met their training objectives and helped reallocate resources during the exercise to achieve training objectives.

“Participating in this sort of exercise helps increase the readiness of the units that participate, but also demonstrates the capability of the National Guard division headquarters to significantly contribute to the security of the United States,” Ortner said.

Army and Air Guard personnel from Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania took part in the exercise as well as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps.

In addition to the three host countries and the U.S., participating nations in Saber Strike 16 included Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

“The value to the Virginia and Maryland National Guard is our ability to work with allies,” Ortner said. “Nobody fights a war alone anymore, or handles a disaster alone. Having the familiarity of coordinating with our Allies improves our ability to respond if the National Guard is called to support.”

Working alongside troops from other nations was a valuable and rewarding experience for 29th ID Soldiers participating in all three Baltic countries.

Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division and exercise director of Saber Strike 16, speaks with Latvian media following the opening ceremony of Saber Strike 16 June 11, 2016, at Adazi Military Base, Latvia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, 29th Infantry Division)

Brig. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division and exercise director of Saber Strike 16, speaks with Latvian media following the opening ceremony of Saber Strike 16 June 11, 2016, at Adazi Military Base, Latvia. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, 29th Infantry Division)

“They’ve welcomed us with open arms and we’ve worked well together,” said Capt. Winston Bridgeman of the Maryland National Guard, who served in Estonia. “It’s been a wonderful experience for me. I’ve never worked this closely with a foreign military.”

“I feel very lucky to have had this occasion to work closely with so many of our partner nations,” Sanchez said. “This has been a learning opportunity to see the way other armies and services plan and lead their soldiers and Marines. The ability to work closely and learn from each other as individuals has strengthened the foundations of our alliances from the ground up.”

“The cooperation and interoperability that has been learned in this exercise is very important and it will help in any sort of crisis that may arise,” Ortner said. “But the trusted relationships that have been built between the Soldiers, between the nations and between our peoples, is probably the most important achievement that has come out of this exercise and that we know we can and will depend on each other.”

U.S., Jordanian military legal professionals gain greater understanding through joint symposium

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Col. Brent Johnson (left), Staff Judge Advocate for the 29th Infantry Division and Task Force Spartan, participates in a symposium on operational law and military justice with military judges from the Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army April 25, 2017, near Amman, Jordan. The four-day symposium included U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force legal professionals from the U.S. Central Command and military judges from the Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

Col. Brent Johnson (left), Staff Judge Advocate for the 29th Infantry Division and Task Force Spartan, participates in a symposium on operational law and military justice with military judges from the Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army April 25, 2017, near Amman, Jordan. The four-day symposium included U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force legal professionals from the U.S. Central Command and military judges from the Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

AMMAN, Jordan — U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force legal professionals from the U.S. Central Command area of operations teamed with 10 Jordan Armed Forces- Arab Army military judges for a four-day symposium on operational law and military justice April 24-27, 2017, near Amman, Jordan.

The event provided an opportunity for U.S. and JAF professionals to exchange ideas and best practices while developing a deeper understanding of each other’s military.

“One of the purposes of the symposium was to provide insight into both the Jordanian and U.S. military justice structures,” said Capt. John Parson, a Command Judge Advocate with the 29th Infantry Division.

“Legal symposiums between allied forces are an important tool to ensure the Judge Advocates have a clear understanding of how allies perform on the battlefield and thus can properly advise the commander when working in a fluid environment,” said Col. Brent Johnson, Staff Judge Advocate for the 29th Infantry Division and Task Force Spartan.

In addition to overviews of both the U.S. and Jordanian military justice systems, topics of the symposium included Operational and International Law, Law of Armed Conflict, Joint Targeting Process, Rules of Engagement, Rights of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Military Justice, and Attorney Ethics.

Parson said he gained a greater appreciation for the JAF judges.

“Often times legal concepts do not translate well in the native language but to grasp these concepts in a language, which is not your own, brings great credit to the astute legal minds of the JAF judges,” he said. “They were very earnest and frank discussing the concepts of law of armed conflict within the application to the current operational and geopolitical environment.”

In addition to five Maryland and Virginia National Guard Judge Advocates from the 29th Infantry Division, U.S. participants included legal personnel from 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and U.S. Army Central.

“The young Judge Advocates got immense personal growth from the engagement,” Johnson said. “The question and answer period with the Jordanians gave the young Judge Advocates an in-depth opportunity to understand the Jordanian perspective on the material and how it is applied.”

U.S., Canadian military personnel earn German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge in Jordan

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A 29th Infantry Division Soldier from Task Force 29 earns their German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge May 30, 2017, in Jordan. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

AMMAN, Jordan — Following three grueling days of physical tests, more than 50 U.S. Army Central Soldiers, including Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, a U.S. Air Forces Central Airman and two Canadian Armed Forces soldiers earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge May 30, 2017, in Jordan. The GAFPB is a decoration of the German Armed Forces, authorized for wear by the U.S. military, and awarded to soldiers of all ranks. A German air force officer from the German Embassy in Amman served as an advisor and oversaw the three-day event, which was hosted by the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 149th Military Engagement Team.

“For American Soldiers the GAFPB is a sign of international military cooperation,” said 1st Lt. Pete Knight of the 149th MET, who served as officer in charge of the event. “It signifies that a Soldier has worked with a foreign military officer, competed in a multiple-day series of challenging events, and proven him or herself to be capable of performing in conditions that often are not within their comfort zone.”

Among the U.S. personnel who earned the coveted badge were active duty Soldiers from the 35th Signal Brigade, the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade and U.S. Special Operations Command Central, as well as U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade and the 195th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support.

In addition, Ohio National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Battalion, Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, Kentucky National Guard Soldiers from the 149th Military Engagement Team, two Canadian Armed Forces soldiers and one U.S. Air Force Airman earned the badge.

“The amount of participation in this event was phenomenal,” Knight said. “We had participants between the ranks of E-2 and O-6 compete. Furthermore, we had participants from active duty Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force and participants from both enlisted and officer ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces.

“Additionally, we had multiple echelons of logistical support from the Jordan Armed Forces, Jordanian civilian contractors and Jordanian Special Operations leadership, whose help was critical to its success,” he added.

“Everyone was involved, not just the participants,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James Nugent of the 29th Infantry Division, who served as noncommissioned officer in charge of the event. “Whether it was in planning, setting up the lanes, grading, performing duties as a safety monitor, or cheering on the Soldiers from their sections, everyone here had a stake in the event.”

The first day’s challenge was a 100-meter swim in full uniform in under four minutes. Participants, who wore shorts and t-shirts under their combat uniforms, were then required to remove their uniform jacket and pants and throw them to the pool deck while treading water.

“The most challenging event for our participants was the 100-meter swim,” Knight said. “Even for strong swimmers, it can prove to be very challenging. We lost about one third of our participants during the swim.”

Day two featured a fitness test and pistol qualification. The fitness test included a sprint test, a flexed arm hang and a 1,000-meter run. After changing into their duty uniform, participants then moved to the firing range for the marksmanship challenge. Here they were provided with an M9 pistol and were required to hit three targets at least once with one five-round magazine.

On the final day, participants took part in a ruck march in full uniform while carrying a 33-lb rucksack. Competitors were required to march either 6km, 9km or 12km at a pace of at least 10 minutes per kilometer.

All of the GAFPB activities took place early each morning, meaning the participants still had to tackle a full day of work before coming out the next morning for another round of activities.

“We knocked the stations out early in the day, so as not to interfere with the battle rhythm,” Nugent said. “When it was all said and done, 58 Soldiers earned the badge and we didn’t miss a beat. That is due to the quality of the Soldiers and the leaders that participated.”

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Kramer, deputy commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, Col. Joseph Gardner, commander of the 149th MET, and Capt. Alexander Seelig, a German air force officer currently assigned to the German Embassy in Amman, were all on hand to congratulate the recipients of the GAFPB and present them with the certificate acknowledging their achievement.

“Of course it makes me proud to see that so many of the U.S. Soldiers want to compete for the GAFPB,” Seelig said. “I could see in the participants’ faces that they really want to gain the badge. This shows not only the connectedness between our nations but also that our standard in military proficiencies is something the Soldiers approve. All in all it gives confidence that the German military work is appreciated by so many U.S. Soldiers in different ages and ranks.”

“Many of our Soldiers have never had the opportunity to compete for a foreign award,” Knight added. “This event, courtesy of the German Embassy to Jordan and Capt. Seelig, provided a rare opportunity for coalition forces to compete together for a foreign badge, as well as a great opportunity for our junior Soldiers to see leaders at every level participate together.”

View more photos on the 29th ID Facebook page:
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More than 100 29th ID Soldiers return to USA from federal duty in Jordan

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Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division return to the United States after serving on federal active duty in Jordan since September 2016. View more photos HERE. (Photo courtesy Fort Bliss Mobilization and Deployment Office Public Affairs)

FORT BELVOIR, Va. — More than 100 Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division returned stateside July 9, 2017, after serving on federal active duty in Jordan since September 2016. The Soldiers arrived at their demobilization station in Texas where they will spend approximately seven to 10 days for reintegration training, medical evaluation and administrative tasks to transition from federal active duty to traditional National Guard status.

Soldiers will return home in small groups to airports closest to their home of record to reunite with their families and loved ones.

The Soldiers and Airmen of Task Force 29 conducted joint training and engagements in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with personnel from the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army as well as other allied countries in an effort to promote regional stability.

“The extraordinary service and pursuit of excellence by our Soldiers and Airmen has been outstanding,” said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey P. Kramer, deputy commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division and commander of Task Force 29. “These men and women, comprised of multiple Army and Air Force units, including the 29th Infantry Division, should be proud of all that they have accomplished here through engagements and training while working by, with and through our Jordanian partners.”

TF 29 was one of two groups of 29th Infantry Division Soldiers to deploy in 2016. TF 29 entered federal active service on Aug. 1, 2016, and spent approximately one month in Texas for training before beginning their mission in Jordan. On Oct. 30, 2016, more than 450 members of the 29th ID headquarters entered federal active service and later mobilized to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield. These Soldiers are also scheduled to return home this summer.

A formal recognition for all 29th ID Soldiers will take place in the coming months.

“What I witnessed from these Soldiers over the past several months is an example of what the National Guard does so well,” said Maj. Heath Phillips, headquarters detachment commander for TF 29. “That is, bringing together multiple specialties from diverse backgrounds and forming a successful team.”

While in Jordan the Soldiers of TF 29 coordinated and executed more than 150 security cooperation engagements from September 2016 to July 2017. This is more than any unit or organization in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during the same period. They also helped improve the interoperability between Jordanian and coalition forces by coordinating multiple exercises and subject matter expert exchanges such as medical evacuation exercises designed to demonstrate the capability of Jordanian air assets.

Female Soldiers of TF 29 planned and coordinated multiple engagements with JAF female soldiers, providing both U.S. and Jordanian military women the opportunity to exchange information and best practices on leadership, communications skills and various women’s empowerment topics. Through these engagements the U.S. and Jordanian military women built friendships and an understanding of each other’s culture and similarities in the challenges that they face.

In an effort to enhance interoperability between JAF and coalition forces, noncommissioned officers from TF 29 participated in 13 exchanges focused on NCO duties and responsibilities in battalion and brigade command post operations.

Additionally, TF 29 NCOs coordinated with U.S. Army Central, the U.S. Embassy-Amman, the Kentucky National Guard’s 149th Military Engagement Team and the JAF to execute the 2017 JAF NCO Symposium, a senior NCO exchange focused on professionalizing the Jordanian NCO corps.

“Our Soldiers performed exceptionally, representing not only the 29th ID and the U.S. Army, but the United States as a whole,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James Nugent, the command sergeant major for TF 29. “Junior and senior NCOs alike worked alongside Jordanian NCOs and officers and showed them first hand why the NCO Corps is known as the backbone of the U.S. Army.”

In an effort to coordinate and synchronize all Theater Security Cooperation activities in Jordan between multiple U.S. Department of Defense elements and coalition partners, the TF 29 plans section, led by a Colorado Army National Guard officer, established the Operations Actions and Activities synchronization effort.

Additionally, the plans section assisted the JAF Joint Operations Center in achieving full operational capability and coordinated with the JAF Directorate of Joint Training to write the operations plan for Eager Lion 2017, the largest training exercise in the U.S. Central Command area of operations.

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear personnel conducted five combined exercises with joint CBRN and explosive ordnance disposal personnel, as well as Jordanian first responders. This included a four-day EOD exchange with the JAF EOD Officer School focused on knowledge of regional IED-defeat topics.

While working closely with the U.S. Embassy to establish long-term monitoring, sustainment, and interoperability-building programs, the CBRN section also completed 20 engagements with U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army CBRN units.

The TF 29 intelligence section participated in dozens of subject matter expert exchanges on Joint Operations and other topics with their JAF counterparts.

Meanwhile TF 29 engineers conducted more than 30 senior and key leader engagements of their own. In addition, the engineer section co-hosted a joint engineer, EOD and CBRN exchange seminar at the Royal Jordanian Engineer School House, led a combat engineer exchange at a remote border location, and developed terrain analysis map products for the JAF Border Guard Force engineer battalion.

The signal section not only provided day-to-day computer and information technology support to U.S. and coalition forces in Jordan, but its Soldiers trained with more than 50 of their Jordanian counterparts on IT-related tasks.

Field medicine, Individual First Aid Kit training, combat stress and resiliency, field sanitation and preventive medicine practices were among the topics of engagements the surgeon cell conducted with more than 200 junior and senior members of the JAF.

In order to provide U.S. and JAF legal professionals with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s military, the TF 29 legal section planned, coordinated and hosted five joint legal symposiums on operational law and military justice with the JAF Director of Military Justice, JAF military judges, and U.S. Air Force Judge Advocates.

Finally, the unit ministry team conducted religious leader engagements with the JAF Grand Mufti and his staff in support of religious tolerance and combatting religious extremism. The UMT also coordinated trips to religious, cultural, and historical sites throughout Jordan, and provided religious and holiday services, Bible studies, spiritual resiliency messages, a 12-week financial seminar and morale activities supporting service member resilience.

“We are proud of our Soldiers and proud of the fact that the 29th ID will be remembered for having had such a large role in strengthening the long-standing U.S.-Jordan partnership,” Nugent said.

However, the Soldiers of TF 29 realize their ability to build and strengthen that partnership with the Jordanians would never have been possible without the relationship they have with their loved ones back home.

“The support of our families and loved ones back home has been a big part of our success during this mission,” Phillips said. “The sacrifices these Soldiers make to serve their country is matched by the ones made by their families and we can’t thank them enough.”

Camp Pendleton receives Army Environmental Award from Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army

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Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Eugene Collins presents a 2016 Secretary of the Army Environmental Award to Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and the staffs of the Virginia National Guard Environmental Office and Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center Aug. 31, 2017, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

SANDSTON, Va. — Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Eugene Collins presented the 2016 Secretary of the Army Environmental Award for Cultural Resource Management in the small installation category to Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and the staffs of the Virginia National Guard Environmental Office and Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center Aug. 31, 2017, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The award is the highest honor in the field of environmental science and sustainability conferred by the Army.

“Camp Pendleton has reached a milestone,” Collins said. “You have bridged the gap between preserving the past and establishing energy security and resiliency, all while ensuring environmental stewardship and support to military readiness.

“What you have done is certainly not a small accomplishment,” Collins said. “This award is the Army’s highest honor for environmental leadership and it recognizes the Army’s best demonstrated environmental practices…I applaud your dedication, I applaud your success and I challenge you to keep it coming.”

“Today is a culmination of years of effort,” Williams explained. “We have advanced the cause of taking this installation, this tiny little place here in Virginia Beach, and really pulling it into today.

“The effort that our environmental team and our energy team are putting in to this place to turn it into a world-class training installation is extraordinary,” Williams added. “To prepare and train our forces, both Army and Air Force, is truly job one – training our Soldiers and Airmen for the fight.

“While we’ve made great strides and the team should be justifiably proud of themselves, time is not on our side,” he continued. “We have so much more work to do and so many more things to accomplish.”

Following the award presentation, Collins received a briefing on the history of Camp Pendleton, as well as future projects planned for the facility. He then took a tour of Camp Pendleton and got a first-hand look at some of its historic buildings.

Camp Pendleton is a state-owned, 328-acre installation which provides training facilities for National Guard units, as well as all other Department of Defense, active duty and reserve units as well as public safety organizations. It houses the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, the Virginia Air National Guard’s 203rd RED HORSE Squadron, the Virginia Army National Guard’s 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and Troop A and Troop C, 2nd Battalion, 183rd Cavalry Regiment.

The post features a multi-purpose training facility, administrative buildings, conference facilities, barracks, classrooms, dining facilities, a live-fire qualification range and nine different virtual trainers as well as a chapel, fitness center, distance learning center, wooded training areas, helipad, land navigation course, airfield damage repair training site, beach and amphibious landing site.

Established in 1912 as the State Military Reservation, Camp Pendleton was greatly expanded during WWI by the Navy and in WWII by the Army in support of national defense. The Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation Historic District was recognized with National Register of Historic Places listing in 2005.

The Virginia National Guard Environmental Office partners with Camp Pendleton Collective Training Center staff to support installation development and mission use consistent with preservation of Camp Pendleton’s historic significance and the Virginia National Guard’s history.

 


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Active shooter exercise tests Fort Pickett, local first responders’ capabilities

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Fort Pickett staff members and first responders from the Town of Blackstone, Dinwiddie County and the Virginia State Police conduct an active shooter training exercise Sept. 29, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise was designed to assess Virginia National Guard, state and local first responders' capabilities and identify any gaps or shortfalls in the current active shooter response plans. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

Fort Pickett staff members and first responders from the Town of Blackstone, Dinwiddie County and the Virginia State Police conduct an active shooter training exercise Sept. 29, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise was designed to assess Virginia National Guard, state and local first responders’ capabilities and identify any gaps or shortfalls in the current active shooter response plans. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne)

FORT PICKETT, Virginia — Fort Pickett staff members and first responders from the Town of Blackstone, Dinwiddie County and the Virginia State Police conducted an active shooter training exercise Sept. 29, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise was designed to assess Virginia National Guard, state and local first responders’ capabilities and identify any gaps or shortfalls in the current active shooter response plans.

“With the increase of active shooter incidents occurring within the U.S., especially on military and other government installations, the purpose of this exercise is for Fort Pickett key personnel to be able to demonstrate coordinating the post’s organic resources with outside resources, exercising their core capabilities and objectives in response to an active shooter incident occurring at Fort Pickett,” said Allen Evans, emergency management coordinator for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs.

During the scenario law enforcement personnel provided security and focused on addressing the threat while fire and emergency medical personnel provided medical care to simulated injuries. Fort Pickett uniformed personnel and other key staff contributed logistical support, base security and liaison to traditional military assets in response to the exercise scenario.

Exercises like this are important because it shows “we are able to work together as a team to utilize all available resources, both military and civilian in order to deal effectively with any situation that effects the public safety of the post,” Evans said.

This is the first time joint law enforcement agencies and state agencies have worked together at Fort Pickett with the Virginia Army National Guard to put on this type of exercise, according to Evans.

“Without support of the Fort Pickett post commander pushing for this training, this exercise would not have existed,” Evans said. “Also, the technical assistance, support and expertise of the force protection chief, state anti-terrorism officer and state physical security officer helped me a great deal in keeping this exercise together in addition to assistance from other Fort Pickett Personnel, Virginia State Police, Fort Lee, state public safety agencies and local law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies. Overall, the exercise went well and everyone who participated said they learned a lot and took it seriously.”

29th ID Headquarters Battalion changes command at Fort Belvoir

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Lt. Col. Edward Lewis assumes command of Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division from Lt. Col. H. Cary Payne Nov. 4, 2017, at Fort Belvoir, Va. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Marc Heaton)

Lt. Col. Edward Lewis assumes command of Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division from Lt. Col. H. Cary Payne Nov. 4, 2017, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Marc Heaton)

FORT BELVOIR, Virginia — Lt. Col. Edward Lewis assumed command of Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division from Lt. Col. H. Cary Payne during a traditional change of command ceremony Nov. 4, 2017, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, presided over the passing of colors that symbolizes the transfer of command from Payne to Lewis.

Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, presents Lt. Col. H. Cary Payne with the Meritorious Service Medal Nov. 4, 2017, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Payne is retiring after more than 30 years of service to the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Marc Heaton)

Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, presents Lt. Col. H. Cary Payne with the Meritorious Service Medal Nov. 4, 2017, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Payne is retiring after more than 30 years of service to the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Marc Heaton)

Lewis takes command of the battalion after it recently returned from an overseas deployment and prepares for a year filled with exercises and training opportunities across the country.

Ortner congratulated Payne on his accomplishments and the performance of his Soldiers during his command.

“Lt. Col. Payne has done an exceptional job,” Ortner said. “A commander sets the course. The Soldiers do the rowing. You set the tone.

“You were the right person at the right time to take on this command,” Ortner added.

Payne, who is retiring after more than 30 years of service to the U.S. Army, was presented with a Meritorious Service Medal and left behind a few words of wisdom for his fellow Soldiers on professionalism, personal standard and being present in the moment.

“Old Soldiers never die,” Payne added. “They just fade away.”

Headquarters Battalion consists of four companies and earlier in the day a change of command was held for Operations Company, 29th Infantry Division. Capt. Christopher Duncan assumed command of the company from Capt. Isaac Seo.

“If there was one company I could have wished for,” Duncan said, “it’s this one.”

Payne lauded Seo for his leadership and accomplishments while in command.

“Isaac, you’re going to be missed,” Payne said. “Be proud of yourself and these Soldiers.”

192nd IS provides vital support to recovery operations in Puerto Rico, USVI and Southern U.S.

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Virginia National Guard Airmen of the 192nd Intelligence Squadron review satellite imagery used to develop Incident Awareness and Assessment products Nov. 1, 2017, at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Airmen of the 192nd provided more than 3,000 products in support of National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in in the Southern U.S. and Caribbean. (U.S. National Guard photo by Cotton Puryear)

Virginia National Guard Airmen of the 192nd Intelligence Squadron review satellite imagery used to develop Incident Awareness and Assessment products Nov. 1, 2017, at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Airmen of the 192nd provided more than 3,000 products in support of National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in in the Southern U.S. and Caribbean. (U.S. National Guard photo by Cotton Puryear)

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. — Nearly 20 Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the 192nd Intelligence Squadron, based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, spent more than two months working around the clock to provide Incident Awareness and Assessment support to five states and territories following devastating hurricanes and tropical storms this summer and fall.

Beginning Sept. 28, 2017, the 192nd IS stood up an Unclassified Process and Dissemination team to provide situational awareness and assessment to civil authorities during natural disasters or emergencies.

“Like a NASCAR spotter, we’re the eye in the sky,” said Chief Master Sgt. Kevin McNamee.

For 65 days, the Airmen of the 192nd UPAD worked around the clock in teams of five at a time processing, analyzing and disseminating images and video of storm-damaged areas. As part of their effort to aid local, regional and federal officials in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the team analyzed imagery from damaged areas, provided route analysis, damage assessments and more. They used open source information, unclassified systems and imagery provided by military and civilian aircraft, including the Civil Air Patrol.

In total the Airmen of the 192nd provided more than 3,000 products in support of National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in in the Southern U.S. and Caribbean, according to Master Sgt. Michelle Riter.

“We provided a total of six assessments to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, including an overall assessment for him on conditions in Florida,” Riter said.

In one instance, members of the 192nd used imagery to spot a chemical leak at a refinery in Texas. They then notified authorities on the ground who confirmed the chemicals were leaking into the water supply.
The process of establishing the UPAD began about a year ago, according to McNamee. It was still being set up when the storms hit and the 192nd was asked to activate it and begin performing missions.

Not only was the UPAD new for the 192nd but, according to 192nd personnel, this was the first time a UPAD has been stood up and used in an operational capacity nationwide, meaning there was a lot to learn and fine tune as the operation went on.

In addition to the valuable experience the Airmen gained during the operation, the relationships the 192nd developed with personnel from the Air National Guard in other states, as well as other federal agencies, will come in handy should assistance ever be needed in Virginia following a storm or natural disaster.

In the meantime, the 192nd now has a wealth of experience their Airmen can share with other units across the country for future domestic operations.

Virginia National Guard Airmen review satellite imagery used to develop Incident Awareness and Assessment products Nov. 1, 2017, at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. During one mission, members of the 192nd used imagery to spot a chemical leak at a refinery in Texas. They then notified authorities on the ground who confirmed the chemicals were leaking into the water supply. (U.S. National Guard photo by Cotton Puryear)

Virginia National Guard Airmen review satellite imagery used to develop Incident Awareness and Assessment products Nov. 1, 2017, at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. During one mission, members of the 192nd used imagery to spot a chemical leak at a refinery in Texas. They then notified authorities on the ground who confirmed the chemicals were leaking into the water supply. (U.S. National Guard photo by Cotton Puryear)

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