Ocean State Guardian - Summer 2008

Summer 2008 / Rhode Island National Guard 1

Rhode Island National Guard

The Ocean State Guardians

Bob UlinPublisher

Justin RitterGraphic Designer

Susan HarringtonEditor

Darrell GeorgeAdvertising Sales

CORPORATE OFFICE:8537 Corbin Dr., Anchorage, AK 99507

(907) 562-9300 • (866) 562-9300Fax: (907) 562-9311

www.AQPpublishing.com

[email protected]

From the Adjutant General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Safety Message from the Command Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

RI Army National Guard Member honored by Providence College . . . . . . . . 4

RI Air National Guard 143rd MDG members make history . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

It’s a people thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

British Army hosts Rhode Island Paratrooper Exchange 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 8

RI JAG saves Guardsmen money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Rhode Island National Guard, or AQP Publishing, Inc. of the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage with-out regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affili-ation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared, and pro-vided by the Office of Public Affairs, Joint Forces Headquarters – RING. All photographs and graphic devices are copyrighted to the Rhode Island Na-tional Guard unless otherwise indicated.

The Governor of Rhode Island and theCaptain General of the Rhode Island National Guard

The Honorable Donald L. Carcieri

The Adjutant General of the State of Rhode Island andCommanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard

Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray

Assistant Adjutant General for ArmyRhode Island National Guard

Brig. Gen. Brian Goodwin

Assistant Adjutant General for AirRhode Island National Guard

Col. Paul Ayers

Managing EditorState Public Affairs Officer

Lt. Col. Denis J. Riel

EditorPublic Affairs Specialist

Sgt. David B. Osgood

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE(401) 275-4038

[email protected]

The Ocean State Guardians is published by AQP Publishing, Inc., a private firm in no way con-nected with the Rhode Island National Guard, un-der written contract with the Rhode Island National Guard. This Rhode Island National Guard magazine is an authorized publication for employees and mili-tary members of the Rhode Island National Guard. Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the state of Rhode Island, the U.S. Government, Department of De-fense, or the Rhode Island National Guard.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the state of Rhode Island, DoD, the

Rhode Island Special Forces attend Raven training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Rhode Island Army National Guard’s hero from Ground Zero . . . . . . . . . . . 12

My trip through Special Forces Assessment & Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Going down to Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

SSG Christopher Potts Memorial Ruckmarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Rhode Island National Guard Living Memorial proposed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Largest American parachute competition to be held in Rhode Island . . . . 18

RI National Guard tests state emergency response capability . . . . . . . . . . 19

Sexual Assualt Prevention & Response Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Be a hero: Learn how to save a victim of heart attack or cardiac arrest . . . 20

RI Special Forces Soldiers parachute into Fort Harrison, Mont., during their Annual Training.

Cover Photo: Sgt. David “Oz” Osgood

ON THE COVER

Summer 2008

www.riguard.com

Pg. 4 Pg. 10 Pg. 18 Pg. 14Pg. 4Pg. 4 Pg. 10Pg. 10 Pg. 18Pg. 18 Pg. 14Pg. 14

2 Ocean State Guardian / Summer 2008

I can think of no better story to tell than that of the great missions our Soldiers and Airmen ac-complish every single day both here at home and in the theatres of operation. The Ocean State Guardians will serve to highlight some of those incredible stories and I am proud to unveil this inaugural issue.

Since being appointed to the position of Adjutant General in 2006, I can tell you that I have been continually amazed by the RI Guard’s devotion to duty, work ethic, and outstanding performance.

From watching both the D/126th Aviation Regiment (fixed wing) and the 1/126th Regiment (helicopters) be recognized as the best units in Army aviation, active or reserve, to witnessing the 143rd Airlift Wing successfully field and combat-prove the Air Force’s newest transport aircraft, the C-130J, to watching the 43rd Military Police Brigade re-write the book on detainee operations in Iraq, to numerous other incredible stories, your accomplishments during this time of war have been nothing short of astounding!

I am truly honored to serve you as your Commanding General and I reaffirm my pledge to ensure that your Rhode Island National Guard, the second highest deployed Guard in the country, will continue to be well led, well equipped, and well trained so you can continue to perform the outstanding missions you do every day.

Enjoy reading about your great accomplishments and I encourage you to share this magazine with your friends and family so that they may learn what we already know: There are none better than the Rhode Island National Guard!

Guardians Lead the Way!

Welcome to the new command information magazine: The Ocean State Guardians!

Maj. Gen. Robert T. BrayAdjutant General

Commanding GeneralRhode Island National Guard

From the Adjutant General


A Safety Message from the Command Staff

1. The Rhode Island National Guard continues to perform at an operational tempo unprecedented in our history. The Glob-al War on Terrorism, combined with our Homeland Security duties, have our Soldiers and Airmen training, maintaining, deploying, and resetting in a virtually non-stop cycle. With this in mind, the value of quality time with friends and fam-ily cannot be over stated. Summer in Rhode Island is a spectacular opportunity to be outside and enjoy our state’s natural beauty. But the summer also presents unique risks of which our Soldiers, Airmen, and Federal and State Civil-ian employees must be aware:

a. Motorcycle / Vehicle Safety - Motorcycles and POV’s are still the number one killer of Soldiers and Airmen. The Rhode Island Army National Guard has a pilot program in place to enhance motorcycle safety for beginners and experienced riders through training facilitated by the Community College of Rhode Island. This high quality training is provided at no cost to Soldiers. I urge you to contact our Ground Safety Officer, CW3 Pete Turn-er, at 275-4540 for more detail. As gas prices climb, so does the interest in motorcycles for transportation. Leaders need to know who, and at what training level, the bikers are in their for-mations. In addition, leaders need to reemphasize the use of seat belts in vehicles, avoiding fatigue, maintaining safe speeds and the proper use of protective equipment including helmets.

b. Water Sports - Narragansett Bay provides us the perfect back drop for a wide variety of activities on the water. Take a mo-ment to assess the risks associated with boating, swimming, surfing and other water sports. Ensure that you and your fam-ily members are properly trained, equipped, and prepared for the variables found on the water.

c. Heat Injuries - Sunburn, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are prominent injuries for people un-prepared for the challenges pre-sented by New England’s often hot and humid weather. Proper use of sunscreen, staying well hydrated, frequent weather checks, and monitoring rig-orous activities will reduce the risks associated with opera-tions in the heat.

d. Alcohol Consumption - Remember that the misuse of al-cohol will impair your judgment, coordination, and situational awareness. Use of any alcohol increases the risk associated with any activity in which you or your loved ones participate. The common sense test is simple: Am I mentally and physi-cally fit for an emergency if one should occur? If I am not, then who has my back?

2. I encourage you to take advantage of this special time in the Ocean State. Enjoy your well-deserved vacations and special moments with those you care about. But please do so safely while keeping a keen eye on risk management. A detailed Leaders Safety Brief presentation can be found in the Avia-tion and Safety section of the RING portal (http://ringportal/sites/SAO/Ground%20Safety/default.aspx). Please take a moment to review it to determine where you can apply risk management both personally and professionally. My philoso-phy is that there is nothing we accomplish in training that war-rants the injury of a Soldier or Airmen. This same philosophy should apply when we are off duty. You and your family are the Rhode Island National Guard’s greatest assets-and your safety is my primary concern. Thank you for your service.

Command Sgt. Maj. John J. McDonough IV

Rhode Island Army National Guard Memberhonored by Providence CollegeMaj. Michael Manning delivers PC commencement address and receives Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater

Maj. Michael P. Manning, currently deployed as the op-erations officer with Special Operations Detachment-Global (SOD-G), RIARNG, delivered the commencement address at Providence College’s 90th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 18, 2008.

Manning graduated from PC in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history and was commissioned through the college’s ROTC program. He began his service with the U.S. Army in Germany in 1998 and was stationed in Europe until 2000. In 2000, Man-ning transferred to traditional, full-time status with the RIARNG while pursuing civilian career interests. He returned to active duty with the RIARNG in 2003 and was subsequently assigned to PC as an instructor of military science for seven months.

In 2004, Manning and his unit, the 173rd Infantry Company (Long Range Surveillance), were mobilized in support of Op-eration Iraqi Freedom. As commander of the unit, he served in Iraq from January through November 2005. For his service in Iraq, Manning was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

In 2006, Manning was assigned as the first coordinator of the State Partnership Program (SPP), where he led the R.I. National Guard initiative that fosters cultural understanding, military partnership and educational opportunities between citizens in Rhode Island and The Bahamas. For his work with the SPP and his military service, Manning was profiled as one of Providence Business News’ “40 Under Forty” in 2007 as a leader in the community.

“I have heard him speak publicly and was very impressed by the depth of his faith as a young man who has seen and experienced a great deal since his graduation,” noted Col-lege President, Rev Brian J. Shanley, O.P. “I believe Major Manning delivered an important message about leadership and character formation and how Providence College helped shape his personal and spiritual development.”

Manning was first commended with an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree during the ceremony and later deliv-ered his remarks wearing a uniquely distinctive combination of dress blues and a newly adorned doctoral hood.

Manning, who was introduced by Shanley as “a hero,” re-ceived two separate and prolonged standing ovations during his address in which he focused on the importance of ser-vice. Manning noted that the values formed by his family, his experience at PC, and his time in the military, have formed the foundation for his life. He left the 1,300 graduates with this final message: “I am not standing up here advocating service in the Armed Forces or a vocation as a member of the clergy. Rather, I commit to you that you have all been called to serve in some capacity in whatever role that you ul-

timately decide to assume in life. I translate service to mean giving back.”

Manning, who remained humble and thankful throughout the ceremonies, remarked that “this honor could have gone to any graduate of the PC ROTC program or any member of the military. We all have served and I accept this award on behalf of all the men and women of the military.” Manning also thanked his wife Meg, the mother of his three children and also a PC graduate, noting that “without her, I wouldn’t be here.”

On May 31, Manning’s address was broadcast on the American Perspectives television show on the C-SPAN net-work. Producer Rich Dubroff, who noted that they review “hundreds of commencement addresses annually,” stated that Manning’s was “a fresh face and a unique story of great interest to the C-SPAN audience.” His was one of 15 chosen for national broadcast.

All-in-all, quite an honor for this RI Guardsman!

MAJ Mike Manning speaking before an audience of PC graduates. His address brought the audience to their feet two times.

By Lt. Col. Denis Riel



Rhode Island Army National Guard Memberhonored by Providence College Lead way in certification of emergency medical support team


An Air National Guard Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) team pio-neered new territory in military medical training and education as part of the Vigilant Guard ‘08 exercise.

Leading that team in key positions were seven members of the Rhode Is-land National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing’s Medical Group.

Vigilant Guard ‘08 was a three-day National Guard-hosted exercise in Beaufort County, S.C. It was designed to test how well National Guard and civilian first responders from the federal, state and local levels could react and work to-gether in a domestic emergency.

The exercise, which was held in Rhode Island in 2007, was one of the largest training exercises in the history of the National Guard.

EMEDS is a modular, scalable, rapid response medical package that can be used in humanitarian relief, wartime contingencies and disaster response operations.

The EMEDS team, comprised of 62 doctors, nurses and other medical spe-cialists from Air National Guard units of seven states, became the first team ever to complete its five-year certification re-view during a field exercise. Additionally, the team also used the opportunity to provide more than 18 hours of profes-sional medical continuing education.

Lead physician for the EMEDS unit was Maj. Mauro Sarmiento. Arguably the busiest member of the team dur-ing the exercise, Sarmiento praised the near-seamless way in which the teams from seven different Wings came to-gether and performed.

“We are all trained to the same exact-ing standards and are subject to the same evaluations,” said Sarmiento. “Really, the most difficult part of the mission was learning people’s names and understand-ing their accents. Aside from that, there were no real mission hiccups to speak of. The team performed flawlessly in support of the civil response mission and in a real-

world scenario we would save numerous lives as a result of this training.”

Tech. Sgt. Melissa DiQuinzi, a public health officer, said, “It is an incredible learning experience to be able to interact with the Army and the civilian resources. It is incredible to see all these people come together to be ready to help out a community in an emergency.”

In order to make the experience as realistic as possible, the exercise used numerous “casualty” role players who were each assigned a certain injury. After assignment, each had makeup or “moulage” expertly applied to simu-late exceptionally realistic injuries such as fractures, open wounds and other medical problems. The actors were then briefed as to what their symptoms would be and encouraged to “act out” their symptoms in order to give a realistic presentation to the medical profession-als conducting the triage.

The exercise was, according to many participants and observers, exceedingly realistic and helpful.

“It was a very realistic exercise,” said Lt. Col. Ed Wakem, EMEDS vice commander from the 143rd Air Wing. “There’s no mission more fulfilling than helping our fellow citizens during times of crisis and war. The National Guard brings trained personnel from around

the country who are able to support a community that has suffered a disaster. Vigilant Guard allows us to test our ca-pability and develop relationships with the local and state agencies we would be working with. The EMEDS brings an important medical expertise that can be relied upon in a disaster.”

Maj. Doug Genereux, a physician assistant, noted the high quality and ex-perience of the Guard responders who comprised the EMEDS team. “We have nurses who work in major trauma units, doctors who work in the emergency re-sponse arena, and health care profes-sionals who all bring their civilian exper-tise to the table for this mission. It is a real force multiplier. This is an incredible value for U.S. citizens in times of natural or manmade disaster.”

In addition to the aforementioned Rhode Island Guard members, Master Sgt. John Cabral and Staff Sgts. Kelly McGrory and Joshua Fonseca also participated in the EMEDS certification and exercise.

Joining the 143rd MDG contingent were representatives from 187th MDG, Ala.; 169th MDG, S.C.; 107th MDG, N.Y.; 117th MDG, Ala.; 158th MDG, Vt.; and 188th MDG, Ark. Support personnel also came from the 20th MDG, S.C.; and the 149th MDG, Texas.

RI Air National Guard 143rd MDG members make history

143rd Medical Team Members: (left to right) Staff Sgt. Kelly McGrory, Maj. Mauro Sarmiento, Staff Sgt. Joshua Fonseca, Lt. Col. Edward Awkem, Tech. Sgt. Melissa DiQuinzo, Maj. Douglas Genereux, Master Sgt. John Cabral, photographer.

Author’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on the RI Air National Guard’s human resource development initiatives.

If it is your first time attending one of the RI Air National Guard’s leadership training sessions you might soon be won-dering just what you have gotten yourself into.

You may wonder this at some point, that is, between the onset of lively music and the introduction to any assortment of amusing props and icebreakers—such as Hula-Hoops, beam-ing flashlights or funky sunglasses that you are instructed to don. Oh, and be ready to catch an incoming beach ball!

No need for concern, though, that’s just the way Chief Mas-ter Sgt. Michael Brady, state human resource advisor for the RIANG, likes to conduct business—getting people motivated and personally involved.

“From the beginning it was determined that this training would be anything but traditional,” Brady explained about one of these events.

Leadership and Team Building Training, held at the North Smithfield ANG Station last year, satisfied an important criteri-on—but with an exciting twist—fulfilling a portion of the quadren-nial diversity training requirement for about 200 members of the 102nd Information Warfare Squadron, 281st Combat Communi-cations Group and 282nd Combat Communications Squadron.

“Everything revolved around diversity, but I didn’t want to call it that,” Brady said. “We put our own spin on it by incorpo-rating leadership and team building into the training.”

During the planning phase it was taken into consideration that the Guardmembers would also be completing other ancil-lary training requirements throughout their long day.

“Our goal was that it was not the dreaded traditional train-ing. We wanted it to be pep-rallyish—totally different from sit-ting down watching a video and listening to a lecture,” ex-plained Brady, the primary organizer of the event.

The end product was a playful, interactive and fast-paced, 90-minute session demonstrating that diversity fits hand-in-hand with, and is fundamental to, leadership and teamwork. The train-ing was conducted twice that day, offering flexibility for Guard-members to attend either the morning or afternoon session.

Packed with physical activities like push-ups and jumping jacks, the training initiative promoted diversity via leadership and teamwork exercises and the exchange of ideas. Address-es from Brig. Gen. Thomas Haynes, assistant adjutant general for the Air Guard, and key participants enhanced the event.

Inspiring the RI Air National Guard’s most valuable resource

By Staff Sgt. Kristine Rodrigues, Joint Force Headquarters-Air

The Guardmembers were asked to form teams of 10 indi-viduals consisting of different genders, races or ethnic groups, unit affiliations, job specialties and rank—including at least one officer.

Blindfolded members of the RI Air National Guard take part in an exercise during a Leadership and Teambuilding Training event.Photo: Staff Sgt. Kristine Rodrigues

Chief Master Sgt. Michael Brady, State Human Resource Advisor for the RI Air National Guard, conducts a Leadership Development Seminar—Coaching 101.Photo: Staff Sgt. Kristine Rodrigues

Inspiring the RI Air National Guard’s most valuable resource

It’s a people thing



U.S. Army Warrant Offi cer Association helps Rhode Island National Guard Family Program

By CW3 Robert F. Ward

On Feb. 29, 2008, the Ocean State Chapter of the Unit-ed States Army Warrant Officer Association presented gift certificates for food and gasoline to the Rhode Island Na-tional Guard Family Program. President of the association CW3 Robert Ward, along with vice president CW5 David Levesque and secretary CW3 Catherine Laporte pre-sented the gift cards to Ms. Stacy Viens, Family Program Coordinator for Rhode Island, who will distribute them to families in need in the Ocean State.

The cards will assist families who may be a “little short” some weeks due to family issues. Says Mrs. Viens, “They will not be limited to families of Soldiers and Airmen in the Rhode Island National Guard, but any service member’s family from the Army Reserves, Navy, Coast Guard or Ma-rines [active or Reserve]. This will definitely assist families that may not be eligible for other programs.”

Ward added, “Our chapter realizes that a little ‘pick me up’ is needed every once in a while, and we need to do what we can, when we can, to ensure members of our armed forces families are taken care of, deployed or not.”

Stacy L. Viens CMW & Associates, Inc. Asst. State Family Program Director Rhode Island National Guard Office: (401) 275-4469 Fax: (401) 275-4306 E-Mail: [email protected] After-hours/Emergency Phone: (401) 447-3696Toll Free: (877) 440-7994

Left to right: CW3 Robert F. Ward, President; Ms. Stacy Viens, Family Program Coordinator for Rhode Island; CW5 David R. Levesque, Vice President; CW3 Catherine C. Laporte, SecretaryPhoto: Staff Sgt. Ariana McNeil

A scenario of a simulated gas explo-sion involved blindfolding the leaders and having security forces—represented by first-term Airmen—rescue them by navi-gating them though Hula-Hoop rings and then into another room, safely home.

Lesson learned: Leaders need their subordinates just as much as subordi-nates need their leaders.

Plastic balls—bearing words such as Leadership, Teamwork, Champion and Diversity of Thought—were tossed into the crowd as a catalyst for brainstorming what those terms meant to the participants.

“We’re hoping that when people hear ‘diversity’ it’s not only race, ethnicity or gender specific,” Brady said. “It’s all of those things but it’s also diversity of thought, ranks and people from different work centers or job specialties.

“You might have a cook working with a mechanic,” he added. “A green J-1 and a blue J-1 [Army and Air Force joint staff members] can actually see that they can do things together. I am hoping

it starts and continues people thinking about those issues.”

It is essential that nobody be left out, Brady noted. “There is a lot of brain pow-er out there; anybody’s idea could be a good idea. We should be able to at least listen to others’ ideas rather than say this is the way we have always done it.”

As the state HRA since June 2006 Chief Brady is directly responsible to the assistant adjutant general for Air, and advises command leadership on all mat-ters relating to diversity, mentoring, force management and force development.

Brady fosters communication and highly encourages input and feedback from others. His surveys and question-naires are effective tools he uses to reevaluate his programs to better meet the needs of his customers.

In April, based on many positive re-sponses from last year’s training initia-tive, Brady conducted the first of a series of Leadership Development Seminars, Coaching 101. He is hoping to be af-

forded an opportunity to hold the semi-nars—exploring a spectrum of leader-ship concepts—on a quarterly basis.

“We want to get people energized to take care of not only their troops, but especially the young folks,” Brady says. And he points out that making sure ev-erybody has a chance to participate and grow within the organization is vital to retention.

“People want to be challenged,” he says. “We are trying to ensure that we are developing people and not leav-ing anyone behind to slip through the cracks. We want to keep our most valu-able resource—people.”

The bottom line, he says, is taking care of people and treating them the way you want to be treated.

For more information about Leadership Development Seminars or other RIANG human resource development programs contact Chief Master Sgt. Michael Brady at [email protected]. Members of the 143rd may contact Master Sgt. Colleen Ross at [email protected].

If you wish to get in touch with the RI National Guard Family Program, please contact:


Now you are flying beneath the Brit-ish low level parachute (LLP), but before you can think about it, you’re hitting the ground hard! You struggle to disconnect your parachute from your harness as you are dragged through the weeds. A bit dazed and beat up, you get up, get out of the harness and pull out the parachute bag, invert it and then go to the end of the canopy where you start to twist the chute until you can place it in the at-tached parachute bag. You also put your reserve parachute in the bag. You then put it on and wear the bag as a backpack until you reach the turn-in point. You just made a British para jump.

This is how the hardcore British pa-ras train for airborne combat, and a team from the Rhode Island Army Na-tional Guard’s 56th Troop Command re-cently had an opportunity to experience their training firsthand. The five-member team, led by Maj. Kenneth Niles, 56th Troop Command’s G-3, participated in this annual paratrooper exchange with the British army, generously hosted by Capt. Roy Hatch.

Our trip exposed us to the rigors of becoming a British “para,” as they are known. For para candidates in the Brit-ish army, the seven-phase, 28-week program consists of a 10-mile battle march in full gear performed under two hours, an airborne assault, a very high challenge course, a 2-mile infantry fit-ness test in under 18 minutes in full combat gear, a team log-race carrying telephone poles for 1.5 miles, a four-man stretcher race for 6 miles, and fi-

Staff Sgt. Hukill and Maj. Niles (front left) along with British Paras behind and German Paratroopers on the right, shortly before jumping into Germany.

nally milling, a form of boxing, where for one minute you are only allowed to hit in the head. Successful candidates are awarded the coveted maroon beret (pronounced berry). After that, you are permitted to attend the two week Air-borne training course where once com-pleted, you are awarded your airborne wings and then assigned to one of the airborne units.

The British army consists of the regu-lars (the full time soldiers) and the ter-ritorial army (TA), similar to our National Guard Soldiers. On completion of their training, they are posted to either 2nd or 3rd para within the 16 air assault bri-gade, based in Colchester. Sixteen air assault brigade is the United Kingdom’s army rapid reaction force, held at high readiness to deploy anywhere in the world. The parachute regiment lives up to its motto “Ready for Anything” and the training they undertake in the battalion reflects this ethos.

Since the United Kingdom is one of the United States’ closest allies, we of-ten send Soldiers to train along each other’s. This gives the Soldiers a unique insight in how things are done by both countries and spreads good will and strengthens our ties. This year we car-ried the honorable duty of being ambas-sadors and guests.

These exchanges sometimes involve additional countries and for this itera-tion, we found ourselves training with our German allies. As a result, in a short period of time, we experienced different cultures, different foods, different equip-

ment, different customs and different battle commands.

During our stay, we were attached to the 144th para medical squadron of the 16 air assault brigade, U.K. We participated in airborne jumps with ele-ments of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th para as well. We also made two jumps into Germany with the German paratroopers or “fallschirmjagers” (pronounced FALL-sherm-yagers).

The experience was integrated into an ongoing exercise scenario, which meant sleeping in sleeping bags at various loca-tions and performing the field problems along with the host units. Our exercises consisted of British airborne training, six airborne jumps and weapons training with the highly accurate British SA80 A2 5.56 mm machine gun and the larger 7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) or “gimpy” for short. We also had equipment classes, a grueling ruck march and a formal military dress din-ner. And, of course, no trip to the U.K. would be complete without an obligatory visit to one (or more) of the British pubs to sample some good British beer and enjoy good British cheer.

As Airborne Soldiers we found the brotherhood of paratroopers very strong and we had much in common. Our hosts and fellow exchange soldiers were all of a professional, polite, friendly and most welcoming demeanor. I personally felt that I was able to get to know each soldier even if it was only for a little bit of time. And most of all we made a lot of new friends who we hope to see again.

You find yourself on a C-130 Hercules, skimming the earth, following every bump and contour of the ground. You can’t help but see and smell the vomit from the many puking paratroopers all around you. Then the commands come and finally the “Prepare for Action!” is heard as the RAF safety takes the “stick” of paratroopers to the door. Green Light, on, #1, GO! ... #2, GO! ... and so is the rhythm as the stick of combat Soldiers exit the aircraft at 600 feet above ground in 13 knot winds. You count 1,000 ... 2,000 ... 3,000 ... and look up, and to your relief find yourself under a fully deployed canopy and all okay.

British Army hosts Rhode Island Paratrooper Exchange 2007By Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Hukill, Asst. Rigger NCOIC 56th ABN TRP CMD


In 2007 alone, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (JAG) provided $80,000 worth of free legal services to members of the Rhode Island Army National Guard. Such services included wills and power of at-torneys, which alone can cost hundreds of dollars to draft in the private sector.

This is one of the many benefits any member of the RI Guard can enjoy. In addition, mobilizing Soldiers have found the JAG support particularly useful. At the Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP), the JAG office briefs deploying units on simple estate planning and the Service Members’ Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Soldiers are given a mobiliza-tion packet containing important infor-

mation such as a financial management checklist, sample letters to invoke the SCRA, and a statutory health care pow-er of attorney under Rhode Island Law.

As part of the SRP, Soldiers have the opportunity to talk to an attorney and re-ceive a will and/or a power of attorney. If these members were to obtain these services on their own, they would prob-ably spend about $1,000 for a will and $150 for a power of attorney. This is a critical free service for these Guards-men, many of whom would not be able to hire a lawyer for financial reasons. For members of the RI Air National Guard, there are similar services available from the Air Guard JAG.

For many other states, their National Guard JAG components have to send their soldiers to active duty JAG offices for legal assistance. However, as there are no active duty Army bases in Rhode Island or in nearby states, the RI JAG sin-glehandedly handles all the JAG services for the Guard. The RI JAG office’s tireless efforts to make itself available to Soldiers is a vital service in support of the Guard.

If you wish to contact the RI JAG, please call Lt. Col. Vivian Caruolo, staff judge advocate, at (401) 275-4145.

JAG saves RI Guardsmen$80,000 in 2007By Lt. Col. Vivian Caruolo, Staff Judge Advocate


The Raven is one of the most ad-vanced, low-level, unmanned aerial vehicles in the U.S. Military’s arsenal for local “over-the-hill” reconnaissance. Light weight, battle tested and backpack portable, its features are continuously updated and refined with new technolo-gies based on input from the front lines.

With its four-and-a-half-foot wing span and four-pound weight, the Raven is ca-pable of covering up to 10 kilometers

the better pilot you will be. It does take a bit of practice to achieve precision flying, especially when you throw in some envi-ronmental factors (ground winds, winds at altitude, limited visibility flights, etc). However, once these factors are over-come, the Raven’s limits are only subject to the pilot’s imagination.

The training provided everyone the chance to become comfortable oper-ating the Raven. I think the more we used the Raven the more we thought of ways to use it. After completing the course, we were certified as Raven operators which allows the unit to be fielded with the component. The Raven will be another valuable tool to our tool box and will definitely be an asset for future operations.

A Soldier demonstrates the ease with which the Raven un-manned aerial vehicle can be launched.Photo Courtesy of AV Inc.

Rhode Island Special Forces attend Raven training

with real-time color and infrared imagery for both day and night reconnais-sance. Thousands have gone overseas with U.S. troops, logging more than 150,000 combat flight hours in 2007 alone.

I journeyed with other members of A Co, 2nd Bn, 19th SFG(A), to com-plete 10 days of intense training on the Raven un-manned aerial vehicle at Camp Shelby, Miss. The course consisted of sever-al mornings of classroom instruction that covered its basic statistics, capabili-ties, maintenance and a touch of mission planning that related to Raven opera-tions. The majority of course time, how-ever, was spent out on the field getting some “stick time” with the craft.

All of the instructors were prior Air Force and collectively had a great deal of experience working on the ground with Army personnel. This allowed them to provide some insight on mission-spe-cific employment of the Raven for future, real-world missions.

Overall, the Raven is pretty user friendly and fairly easy to operate. The system gives you two choices of opera-tion. It can be flown manually by remote control or it can fly a pre-planned route via GPS synchronization. It goes without saying that the more stick time you get,

E ven before the last building was hit on 9/11, local citizens were running – not away from the buildings but towards them, to help. Individually or in small groups they gathered

on the edge of the historic carnage and then went forward into a scene of shattered buildings, toxic fires, and broken bodies.

One of the heroes of that day, and the soldier who estab-lished the first military command center at Ground Zero, was a Rhode Island National Guard Soldier from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, then 1st Lieutenant (now Captain) Christopher Miller.

When the planes struck, Capt. Miller, who was also a New York City police detective, sped the two miles towards what later became known as “Ground Zero.” On the way there, he learned that the towers had collapsed.

After checking in at the mo-bilization site, he and fellow detective Luigi Modica went on foot through the “Frozen Zone,” the outer edge of Ground Zero on which the wave of dusty smoke and debris had settled.

“Ground Zero was com-pletely covered with a white dust, up to kneecap-level at that point, and the firemen and I were dealing with a near ‘com-bat trauma’ level of conscious-ness,” recalls Miller. As they moved, Detective Modica noted that the dust they were inhal-ing could possibly be harmful; Miller secured two breathing apparatuses from a stand nearby. Detective Modica’s concerns later proved to be correct.

Once deep inside the ring of destruction, they began “clear-ing” the various buildings of people who might still be inside. “People were still evacuating and in various states of disorien-tation, but I was not really involved in their movement so I kept my narrow focus [on room clearing],” Miller said.

At one building they had to enlist the help of two firemen to break the large glass doors with a pick ax. After clearing one office building, they were relocated with fellow police depart-ment “teammates” to the West Side Pier, commandeering a yellow cab to get there.

Once at the pier, Miller found a group of Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division who were on leave but had rushed to

By Sgt. David OsgoodBy Sgt. David Osgood

Detective Chris Miller in his NYPD uniform. (upper left)

Capt. Miller’s father, a deep influence in his life. Camp Drum, 1952. (upper right)


Capt. Miller in Kurdistan working with indigenous fighters – PESH ODA.

Rhode Island Army National Guard’s Hero from Ground ZeroRhode Island Army National Guard’s Hero from Ground Zero

Capt. Miller in Kurdistan working with indigenous fighters – PESH ODA.

the scene to help. Miller asked who was in command of them and finding he was the highest ranking individual, immediately took charge.

Along with their First Sergeant, he took over a nearby of-fice and within minutes had established a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) with a communications network that included a WEB TV. From there he began processing military volunteers to assist in search and evacuation.

Miller then moved out to coordinate directly with his troops who were filtering through West Side Pier. Upon his return, he discovered that a more senior officer from the Navy Reserves had arrived, allowing Miller to return to his police brothers.

From there, Miller was assigned to guard the entry and exit points to the inner perimeter of the Frozen Zone for those now

searching for survivors in “the pit.” He was standing at that lo-cation when the damaged por-tion of Seven World Trade, a 47–story structure, collapsed. No one was in the building but as the crush of debris rained down, those in the surrounding area had to run for their lives. Miller was forced to sprint so quickly that he lost his pistol, but it was later returned by an-other detective.

As the dust from Seven set-tled, he found a fellow police of-ficer who was still incapacitated with “combat fatigue” from hav-ing to shoot his way through the

glass windows of Two World Trade to escape before its collapse. Miller returned to his post and was relieved around two in the

morning at which time he went to check on the TOC he had start-ed. The TOC was still running smoothly so he retuned home.

Captain Miller has never sought to draw attention to him-self for his courage and leadership that day, despite his heroic actions. Sadly, many others, who had little or no part in that day’s events, did. As the defining lines of sacrifice, of where you were and what you did were blurred, people sought to ele-vate their status. Very often too, the names of the true heroes were lost as the crush of lives came together at this nucleus of the Global War on Terror, and then exploded out as units were recalled and then mobilized. His name was one.

Miller’s actions that day were truly exemplary but also typify the sense of duty he has held his whole life. Enlisting in the Ma-rine Corps while still in college in response to the Marine bar-racks bombings in Beirut in 1983, he became an infantryman with Fleet Marine East Pacific. There, Miller recalls, “I became

PHOTO CAPTIONS


familiar with the U.S. Marine Corps and their mission oriented operations and warrior ethos, which I integrated into my own de-veloping personality…I never lost sight of these core values.”

Those core values have been instrumental throughout his ca-reer, both in his rise to detective in the narcotics division of the NYPD and his promotion to Captain in the RI National Guard. Like so many RI Guard Soldiers, he was able to draw on his ex-periences in each occupation to perform tasks in the other. After serving in A Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Miller transferred to the RI Army National Guard’s intelligence unit Special Operations Detachment – Global (SOD-G). Leaving the NYPD in 2007, he deployed with SOD-G in March 2008 as the

Operations-Intelligence Officer for the Andean Ridge Regional Engagement Branch, Special Operations Command-South.

Miller still humbly bears the burden of his work and of having lost friends. “I lost my good friend and former Intelligence Cap-tain and New York City firefighter Mark Whitfor, and another friend from the 75th Precinct, Detective Joseph Viggiano and his brother John, FDNY, all on 9/11. I’ve also lost other brothers in arms since, such as First Sergeant Chris Coffin, who was a friend of mine and who was killed in Afghanistan in ‘03. Their families are the ones that really continue to suffer...I assume and pray that they were all killed instantly and will continue to fight in their honor.”

Captain Christopher Miller is a true hero.

A Commitment to the Families: In a public recognition of the contributions and hardships that families and employers of deployed Soldiers undergo, The Adjutant General of the State of Rhode Island Maj. Gen. Bray and Gov. Carcieri sign the Family Covenant.

Father and Son: Spc. Eric Cervone (left) of 169th Military Police Company and Sgt. John Cervone of 65th Public Affairs Operations Center together at Fort Dix, training for their deployment to Iraq. When Cervone heard that his son was deploy-ing, he volunteered with a unit leaving at the same time to Iraq to be near his son.

RI Air Guard 102nd IWS Receives Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA): MG Robert T. Bray with 102nd Information Warfare Squadron (IWS) commander, Lt Col John Reed attaches the AFOUA streamer for “meritorious service and sustained superior performance and excellence” to unit flag during a ceremony at the Coventry Air National Guard Base. Also in attendance was US Senator Jack Reed.

RI Air Guard 102nd IWS Receives Air Force

Dedication Ceremony for Three New RI Air Guard Buildings: Security Forces, Aerial Port Squadron, and the new Entry Control facility. This $13.3 million project was part of the 143rd Airlift Wing’s $70 million military construction plan.

Ground Support from the RI Air Guard: The 282nd Combat Com-munication Squadron successfully participated in a recent operational readiness exercise designed to test their abilities to perform tasks in a simulated wartime environment. During the exercise, they were sub-jected to mock sniper fire, chemical attacks and mortar rounds. Pictured from left, Tech. Sgt. Izbicki and Staff Sgts. Lesak and Ouellette.

A Commitment to the Families: In a public recognition of the contributions

Scrapbook


My Trip Through Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS)By Roster # 242, Rhode Island National Guard Special Forces

In the woods around Fort Bragg, there is a little base called Camp MacKall where every four weeks 300 “candidates” from the U.S. Army show up to try to get “Selected” for Special Forces (SF) qualification training. The program, called Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), is three weeks of brutal physical, emotional and intellectual testing designed to expose your every weakness.

I traveled down to SFAS recently to run the gauntlet. Hav-ing been through once before only to become a “Non-Select,” I had apprehensions: the knowledge of how much pain I would have to endure weighed heavily against the comfort of know-ing how best to prepare.

And I certainly had been preparing. As a member of the Rhode Island National Guard Special Forces, I had been run-ning and rucking constantly. I was practicing my land navi-gation skills throughout various New England state parks. I had turned my cramped little apartment into a gymnasium and had vegan protein packets stashed away in cupboards and in desk drawers. This freedom to create one’s own training ap-proach to getting “Selected” is one of the great advantages of going Special Forces through the Guard.

Although I can’t go into any great detail about the actual events at SFAS (the school is understandably reluctant to di-vulge its secrets) I can say that it exceeded its reputation as a challenging course. Even having gone through before, I was surprised at just how much pain there was to endure if one wanted to become an SF operator.

It reminded me of what I had learned in school. History had taught me about the Spartan warrior and of their belief in the inherent goodness of physical and dangerous challenges. Many of the tests at SFAS, in its intensely male environment, had the same spirit, though always conducted in a safe, con-trolled environment.

However, the most physically fit Soldier, who could and would do “anything,” was not what they were looking for. This is what is exceptional about SFAS: the emphasis was also on the intellectual, emotional, and leadership components of a person. These intangibles needed to be demonstrated and were tested every bit as much as the physical.

The reason for this is that SF Soldiers, operating down range, have to do the work of diplomats, doctors, teachers and translators as well as being a shooter, all while cut off from immediate supplies, reinforcements or rescue. The men who showed up at SFAS, needed to prove to the evaluators that they had all those abilities in them and that, with the right nurturing, those skills would emerge.

However, not everyone had it. Some candidates were dropped for intellectual aptitude, psychological reasons or performing poorly in a leadership position. Others failed physical events: the obstacle course, ruck marches or long distance runs.

Many others simply quit, deciding it wasn’t for them. During Selection, it was easy for the blur of pain and fatigue to cloud one’s judgment and during such times the idea of quitting passed through all of our minds. Those who quit were never seen again in the course. Those who decided to endure the pain still had to face the board where their ultimate fate was decided.

The board epitomized a significant part of the selection process: the secrecy of your performance. At no time did you ever know how well you were really doing: no feedback was given, no scores were shown, no standards were revealed. You just went from one day to the next in the hope that you were making the grade. Some days were good and you hoped an evaluator was around to see you perform. Other days you wished you were invisible.

For the people who had to face these tests, there was a surface of sameness. Like other schools, all rank and other identifiers of military qualifications were removed from the uni-form. In addition to that, however, the name tags were also removed and in their place a piece of white engineer tape was sewn on which was a unique number identifier that became your “name” while you were there.

I was Roster #242.Despite this appearance of uniformity, the assembled candi-

dates were as diverse as any group of male Soldiers could be.

Team Trials. A Special Forces candidate struggles to lift a telephone pole with his teammates during a two-hour session of long PT.

(continued on page 15)


In age they ranged from 19 to 42. Back-grounds were disparate too. On my team, there was a trumpet player from an Army band, two fellow National Guard Soldiers, a truck driver, two mortarmen, one Civil Af-fairs Soldier and four infantrymen.

There was also great diversity in reasons for attending SFAS. As always, despite what might be stated up front, the reasons for becoming a Special Forces Soldier are complex and personal. Partly it’s that, on some level, the SF job matches a person’s personality, taste, lifestyle, career path, etc. However, there are other reasons that lie below the surface but that are just as valuable in making it through the program: pride, the need to “be someone,” or the an-ger at being told you wouldn’t make it.

Selection, like so many other great tests, is an emotional experience lying well beyond the physical. It was a relief for me to know that I had made it to the end and to this time hear that word “Selected” in connection with my name. But more than anything, I knew that it had opened the door to an exciting community and a still longer road ahead.

(Special Forces continued)

As part of the Rhode Island National Guard’s ongoing effort to expand the battle mind and capabilities of the RI Soldier, five Soldiers of A Co, 2nd Bn, 19th Special Forces Group (Air-borne) flew to Jordan to participate in six days of intense Arab cultural relations training.

Increasing attention has been placed in recent years on the Soldier’s ability to interact as a peacekeeping and fighting force with the local populace. Schools such as these raise the Soldiers’ cultural quotient or CQ - the ability to understand and work with people of different nationalities.

Located on the pristine grounds of the Jordanian Peace Operations Training Center, the school is designed to im-merse the students in a “real world” Arab environment. As one participant noted, the course is an excellent way to get into the “Arab mindset” and to gain an understanding of their cultural and political perspective.

Often, much insight could be gained into Arab-American relations by what the Jordanian instructors didn’t say or what topics were avoided: women and honor, tribal allegiances and America presence overseas. As was observed by this class, some topics between the American student and the Arab teachers were still difficult to talk about.

The course was especially geared towards those who would have direct contact with the local populous: Psychological Op-erations, Military Police, Infantry, Armor, Special Forces, Civil Affairs, Medical Detachments and Engineers. The course in-cluded classroom time, but also a number of hands-on events where students interacted with role-players re-creating a typical problem Soldiers might face. Stu-dents had to bring the knowledge they had gained in the classroom to problem solve their way through each event.

Throughout the course, in-structors emphasized key differ-ences between the American and Arabian cultural mindset. One of those differences was that, when it comes to world events, Ameri-cans have a comparatively short memory while Arabs will recall events that affected them years ago. This greatly shapes their in-teractions with other tribes with which they had prior dealings.

Another stark difference is that, in the Arab mindset, not every problem has to have a solution but instead can simply be man- Intensive Training. An instructor (in soft cap) give’s advice on a student’s handling of a “real-world” situation.

By Sgt. Tim RogersBy Sgt. Tim Rogers

Going down to Jordanaged. This is especially hard for American troops to accept as they have been taught the importance of problem resolu-tion. This issue was repeatedly pointed out by the instructors as a source of contention for American Soldiers when work-ing with Arabs.

However, perhaps the most important lesson of the course was that Arabs need to be an increasing part of the Allied oc-cupation and stabilization missions. Understandably, Arabs would rather be guarded by people of their own “nation” (if not tribe) than by a foreign power. Though the Iraqi training and equipment may not be at the same level as the U.S. and other Allied forces, a “mediocre” job by Iraqi personnel is bet-ter than an excellent job by Allied forces, as one instructor pointed out.

For those Soldiers who participated in this training, the ex-periences and lessons will make them invaluable assets to their team’s problem solving capabilities and greatly increase their potential for tactical and strategic mission success.

If you wish to take part in this excellent training, please contact the school coordinator:

Maj. Alfredo E. FerrerARCENT C3 TREXComm: (404) 464-4973DSN: 367-4973E-Mail: [email protected]

Rhode Island Guard conducts cultural training overseasRhode Island Guard conducts cultural training overseas


O n April 28, 2008, 40 members from Providence College Army ROTC (Patriot Battalion), U.S. Army Reserves and the Rhode Island Army National Guard conducted the 3rd

annual SSG Christopher Potts Memorial Ruckmarch.In November 2004, Staff Sgt. Potts, who had spent time in

A and C/1/103rd, was killed defending his men in a firefight near Taji, Iraq. In 2006, Lts. Ryan Hogan and Michael Calcagni ruckmarched the Boston Marathon to raise funds for a scholar-ship set up in Potts’ honor. Calcagni was a 2004 graduate of Providence College and commissioned in the ROTC program. In 2007, the two ruckmarched the Marathon again, this time joined by members of the 103rd and PC ROTC. In September 2007, Calcagni, Hogan and the other Soldiers of Charlie Bat-tery were activated and deployed for a year tour in Iraq. The Cadets at the program wanted to pay tribute to the deployed, wounded and fallen, and make sure that a tribute, started by one of their own, did not end with his deployment.

Soldiers on the ruckmarch carried at least 35-pound rucks. All assembled at India Point in East Providence at 0530. When Fall In was called, the names of Rhode Island-ers who had been lost in the Global War on Terrorism and

Potts’ Bronze Star with Valor Citation were read. Marching in uniform at a brisk pace, the Soldiers and Cadets walked from East Providence to Bristol along the 14.5 miles of the East Bay Bike Path in 3-4 hours. The biggest hope among all those who participated was that this event will be held again next year and that even more people will be there to honor those who have fallen.

By Cadet Aaron A. Rozovsky, Providence College

Going down to Jordan

From left: Cadet Ryan Allen ‘09, Cadet Aaron Rozovsky ‘08, Cadet Christopher Lyon ‘11, Cadet Robert Bretz ‘11, retired Lt. Col. Steve McGonagle, Cadet Dan Murdough ‘08, Cadet Anthony Boguslawski ‘08, Cadet Alden Jones ‘08, Master Sgt. David Bowman, Cadet Garrett Chase ‘08, Lt. Col. Paul Dulchinos

By Cadet Aaron A. Rozovsky, Providence College

SSG Christopher Potts Memorial Ruckmarch



If a committee from the Rhode Island National Guard Retirees Association is successful, future visitors to the Rhode Island Veteran’s Cemetery in Exeter will be greeted with a stunning Living Me-morial to the service of past and present Rhode Island National Guard members.

Planned to be located along the cem-etery’s tree-lined Memorial Boulevard, the monument is designed to be “a quiet place for rest and contemplation,” ac-cording to committee chairperson retired Lt. Col. Bob Urquhart of the Rhode Is-land Air National Guard.

The monument, a bronze centerpiece statue of the National Guard’s iconic Concord Minuteman, will be surrounded by granite monoliths bearing a portion of

the “I am the Guard” poem, as well as the logos and history of the R.I. Army and Air National Guard.

Already the site of a number of memo-rial monuments, the Veteran’s Cemetery does not have one which specifically recognizes the Rhode Island National Guard, arguably the military organization which has had more Rhode Islanders enlisted in it than any other.

Urquhart notes that the RING traces its roots back to 1638 and has partici-pated in every major United States mili-tary conflict since the Revolutionary War. Most notably, more than 4,000 current RING members have been called to ac-tive federal military duty since 9/11.

“It’s time we honored our RING veter-ans, both past and present, for their sacri-fice, service and dedication to this nation and to this state” concluded Urquhart.

The Rhode Island National Guard Retirees Association is undertaking rais-ing funds a unique fashion. Contributors may purchase a laser-engraved brick or bricks, which will become of the monu-ment’s walkway. Urquhart believes that past and present RING members, fam-ily members and the public may wish to purchase bricks as a way to permanently memorialize the service of loved ones or friends. Urquhart was quick to point out that the service need not be in the RING, but in any branch of the military, active duty or reserve. Funds are also being solicited from local, state and nationally elected officials and Rhode Island cities, towns and business communities.

For more information on the RI National Guard Living Memorial or to purchase a brick or bricks, visit the RING Retirees Association Web site athttp://ringretirees.homestead.com/Memorial.html.

RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD LIVING MEMORIAL PROPOSEDNATIONAL GUARD RETIREES SPEARHEAD CONSTRUCTION MOVEMENTRHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD LIVING MEMORIAL PROPOSEDNATIONAL GUARD RETIREES SPEARHEAD CONSTRUCTION MOVEMENTRHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD LIVING MEMORIAL PROPOSEDNATIONAL GUARD RETIREES SPEARHEAD CONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT


A Canadian paratrooper receiving the prized US Army Jump Wings at the closing ceremony.

Founded in 1982, Leapfest is the largest and longest continually running international military parachute competi-tion in the United States.

Held every August in the state of Rhode Island, teams from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force as well as international teams from Europe, South America and Asia come to compete in precision landing events.

From its beginning, Leapfest has first and foremost been about fostering ca-maraderie and esprit de corps amongst the Airborne community. With teams of four jumpers and one alternate, partici-pants exit a CH-47 helicopter at 1,500 feet using the MC1-1C/D static line steerable (round) parachute. The ob-jective is for all teammates to touch the ground marker as quickly as possible,

either by landing on it or by running to it once on the ground.

The event is five days long, starting in the middle of the week with a friendship jump amongst all the competitors and running through the weekend. A recep-tion is held the second day for interna-tional teams followed by familiarization classes for them with U.S. equipment. The competition itself is held on Satur-day and the closing ceremony is held the following day with the announcement of the winners. For the foreign teams, the event ends ceremoniously when they are presented with the coveted U.S. Army Paratrooper Wings.

In addition to the competition, there are several displays to see just off the drop zone on Saturday. Exhibits of weap-ons and equipment from the units of the Rhode Island National Guard will be set up. Also, past events have had RIARNG Family Support Groups, the Special Forces Association and World War II-era re-enactment Soldiers and equipment. This year we are pleased to have the Army National Guard NASCAR, the RI-ARNG Rock Wall and the Video Kiosk.

Where else but here in the Ocean State can you meet Citizen-Soldiers of the Airborne community and their Inter-national counterparts in the largest in-ternational parachute competition?

hosts its annual internationalparachute competition

By Sgt. David Osgood

Rhode Island

hosts its annual internationalparachute competition

RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD TESTS STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITYNational Guard Reaction Force tests it mettleBy Lt. Col. Denis Riel

W ithout notice and unbeknownst to most participating Soldiers and Airmen, on a cold, snowy day dur-

ing the March drill period, approximately 100 members of the National Guard were alerted at an ungodly early hour and called to respond to East Greenwich’s Camp Fogarty and North Kingstown’s Quonset Air National Guard Base.

Upon arrival, they were met by their anxious leaders and briefed as to the rea-son for their pre-dawn call-out. What they learned was that they would be respond-ing to the site of the former Ladd School in Exeter where local and state law en-forcement authorities needed immediate assistance with crowd control issues.

In short order, 80 members of the Army Guard’s Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry Brigade and 20 members of the Air Guard’s 143rd Security Forces Squadron were in vari-ous military vehicles and en route to the Exeter location. They were eventually diverted back to Camp Fogarty where they were finally apprised of the reason for their recall and movement: Opera-tion Quick Resolve.

What was Operation Quick Resolve? It was an Adjutant General directed exer-cise intended to assess and validate each of the five National Guard Reaction Force essential tasks: mobilize, deploy, commu-nicate, security and civil disturbance.

The scenario was, of course, notion-al. However it was a practical test of the Rhode Island National Guard’s ability to respond to an all-hazards environment and provide force protection, security and other assistance in support of civil-ian authorities who may have exhausted their resources.

Upon being recalled to Camp Fogar-ty, the reaction force participated in joint crowd control and civil disturbance train-ing, testing their ability to work together as a “purple” unit. And how did it go?

“We came together seamlessly and were working as a single cohesive unit in quick order” said C/1/200th commander Capt. Jef-frey Lessard.

“Given all that we are doing in the theatre of operations with our in-lieu-of mission, we are more easily able to integrate with an Army unit and work jointly toward a common ob-jective with a minimal amount of heartburn,” said 143rd SFS NCO-IC Senior Master Sgt. Joe Baltazar. “There is very little difference between our respective missions in the post 9/11 world.”

In addition to the civil disturbance train-ing, the exercise also provided a venue for members of the Air Guard’s 281st Combat Communications Squadron from North Smithfield to plan for the deploy-ment, set-up and exercise of the state’s Joint Incident Site Communications Ca-pability (JISCC) system.

The JISCC is an advanced, self-contained communications suite which can be deployed to the location of any emergency to quickly provide on-scene commanders with critical communica-tion and internet capabilities. It is a cor-nerstone of the Rhode Island National Guard’s civil support program.

At Joint Force Headquarters in Cran-ston, the Joint Operations Center was activated for the exercise to provide command and control capabilities for its commander, Brig. Gen. Mathew Dzialo. An additional 30 National Guard staff members manned the JOC throughout the exercise while reacting to various exercise inputs.

“We put the team through their paces and they performed admirably,” Dzialo said. “The JOC team is comprised of experienced and battle-proven warriors who would undoubtedly provide the criti-cal command and control which would ensure that civilian authorities had the support they needed to save lives, pre-serve and restore order, maintain com-munications and ensure continuity of operations and government in the event of a domestic emergency.”

“As the National Guard transitions from a strategic force to an operational force, we must remain aware of and committed to the state mission, which uniquely differentiates us from our ac-tive duty and reserve brethren,” said Adjutant General of Rhode Island Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray. “Operation Quick Resolve sharpens our state emergency response capabilities and reminds us of our primary responsibility to the citizens of Rhode Island as the state’s first mili-tary responder for all domestic emergen-cies. Today’s exercise reinforced the fact that the National Guard remains ready, reliable, essential and accessible.”


Members of C/1/200 RI Army National Guard, and 143rd SFS, RI Air National Guard, conduct joint crowd control training during the RI National Guard’s Reaction Force Exercise 2008. The exercise simulated a state governor call-out of National Guard troops in support of local law enforcement authorities during a major emergency.Photo: Sgt. David Osgood


The Rhode Island National Guard, in accordance with DOD and National Guard Bureau policy, has established a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, has assigned a RING Joint Force Headquarters Sexual Assault Re-sponse Coordinator (SARC) and a 143rd Airlift Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. The number one objective of the SARC’s office is to focus on the needs and concerns of the victim. The SARC serves as a point of contact for in-tegrating and coordinating sexual assault victim care. By contacting the SARC’s of-fice, victims of sexual assault may choose to have a trained Victim Advocate assist them in a confidential manner. Sexual assault is more common than you think, and you are not alone. For more informa-tion, please contact a Sexual Assault Re-sponse Coordinator.

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce myself to the Army and Air Guard fami-lies. I am Sgt. 1st Class Amy Slater and

I am your Sexual Assault Re-sponse Coordinator (SARC) for Joint Force Headquarters. Along with Lt. Col. Fletcher of the Air Guard, I am here to assist any Soldier or Airman, male or female, in the event of a Sexual Assault.

The SARC program has been in existence since mid 2005. Like any new program, we are not only striving to become a famil-iar entity but a program that people trust.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month was in April and we conducted a suc-cessful awareness campaign. We col-lected hundreds of pledge posters and gave out teal awareness pins to wear on our uniform. Several units even col-lected new or gently used clothing to do-nate to victims of sexual assault. In May, many of our Victim Advocates attended a guided tour through the emergency room at Women and Infants Hospital Triage Center. We were given a dem-

onstration of a SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination) kit so we can be prepared to advise a victim what he or she will go through during the exam.

Our Unit Victim Advocates are a won-derful and caring group of people. The RING family should be confident that if a sexual assault occurs, we are there. Our job is to help victims not only get the needed resources to heal physically and mentally after a sexual assault, but to educate everyone on how to prevent sexual assaults from happening to you or anyone in our military family.

Sexual Assault Prevention & Response ProgramBy Sgt. 1st Class Amy Slater, JFHQ, Rhode Island Army National Guard

Sgt. 1st Class Amy Slater (Army RING), JFHQ RI SARC

Lt. Col. Bruce Fletcher (Air RING), 143rd AW SARC

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

You are not alone! 24/7 Hotlines:

JFHQ SARC – 401-480-6028Wing SARC – 401-413-8765

[email protected]

You are not alone! You are not alone!

Ocean State Guardian - Summer 2008

Documents

Transcript of Ocean State Guardian - Summer 2008