The Magazine of the Texas Military Forces

Texas Joint Best Warrior Competition

Governor’sTwentySniper Competition

Maintainers put hands on the

Predator

DTHE ISPATCHMARCH 2015

The Magazine of the Texas Military Forces

Texas Joint Best Warrior Competition

Governor’sTwentySniper Competition

Maintainers put hands on the

predator

DTHE ISPATCHMARCH 2015

Sgt. Wendi Farris, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, attempts to complete an obstacle

course during the Texas Military Forces Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S.

Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Praxedis Pineda)

The Cover

Contents

6 TXARNG Aviators receive award

8 TXANG brothers compete for Best Warrior Title

10 TXMF Joint Best Warrior Competition

24 36 ID Commanding General and CSM recognize the “Hug Lady”

26 147th Reconnaissance Maintainers maintain skills

30 Governor’s Twenty in full swing 32 REAL Guidance - Healthy Relationships

Staff Sgt. Sam Laureto, 147th Security Forces Squadron, climbs an obstacle during the Texas Military Forces Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Praxedis Pineda)

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Contents

* The Dispatch is an authorized publication for members of the Texas Military Forces and the Department of Defense. Contents of The Dispatch are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the National Guard Bureau, or the State of Texas. * The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Office. * The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the U.S. Army or the Texas Military Forces. * Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher will refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. * Content is edited, prepared and provided by the Texas Joint Military Forces Public Affairs Office, Bldg. 10,

2200 W. 35th Street, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas. 78703.*

The Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols

GovernorGov. Greg Abbott

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Joanne MacGregor

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Travis Walters

Public Affairs Staff Maj. Joshua Amstutz

Capt. Martha Nigrelle1st Lt. Alicia Lacy

Staff Sgt. John Gately Laura Lopez

John ThibodeauMichelle McBride

Managing EditorGraphic Layout and Design

Sgt. 1st Class. Malcolm M. McClendon

Contributing Writers and Photographers The Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Office would like to thank all the contributing writers and photographers

who generously share their work with us. Without the hard work and dedication of Soldiers, Airmen, and civilians, we would not be able to tell YOUR Texas Military Forces story.

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“The Lone Star Band” is a versatile ensemble. Under the direction of commander and bandmaster Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Lightsey. Covering musical territory beyond traditional military concert band repertoire, the 50-piece group can branch off into 6 smaller ensembles capable of performing virtually any style of music simultaneously. These ensembles include a 14-piece popular music ensemble that performs swing era jazz to 60’s soul and modern R&B; a 7-piece popular music ensemble that performs country, rock, and Tejano; a 14-piece New Orleans style brass band; a brass quintet; a clarinet ensemble; and the newly formed tuba-euphonium quartet. These groups also combine into multiple configurations to form ceremonial and marching units to

support various military events throughout the year.

a

The Lone Star Band’s upcoming performances include: • Saturday April 18th: Texas Military Forces Open House and

American Heroes Air Show • Sunday May 25th: Memorial Day Concert in Sun City, TX

For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/36thInfantryDivisionBand or

http://www.music.army.mil/organizations/pages/default.asp?unit=36ID

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Please click the video above to see the Texas Military Forces’ latest video, “I am the Guard”. It features Citizen-Service

members from the Texas Army, Air and State Guards. We hope you enjoy...

I am the Guard

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Recognizing SuccessTexas Army aviators receive national award

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. – An Austin-based fixed wing unit from the Texas Army National Guard received special honors from the Joint

Operational Support Airlift Center during a cere-mony held at JOSAC headquarters in Illinois, Feb. 10, 2015.

Operational Support Airlift Detachment 49, which utilizes C-12 aircraft to transport passengers and cargo from across the military branches, received this special honor during a ceremony at the head-quarters for United States Transpor-tation Command.

The unit, which is command-ed by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Todd Moorehead, is a detachment assigned to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, also headquar-tered in Austin.

Maj. Scott Messare, JO-SAC’s Execution Opera-tions officer, said, “These awards are a chance for us to publicly recognize units that are consistently per-forming at the top of their peer organization groups.”

Messare helps facilitate the awards program and praised the Texas aviators for their great work and willingness to support the Department of Defense mission.

“They are here for a reason,” Messare said. “They are definitely at the top of their group and a pleasure to work with.”

The annual award is presented among various categories based on size, function and location. Detachment 49 was at the top of the 21 units in their category.

The primary selection criteria includes number of hours and missions flown, number of passengers carried and

pounds of cargo hauled. The JOSAC branch chiefs also consider other aspects like aircraft and aircrew

availability, flexibility in supporting missions, per-centage of canceled missions, and the accuracy

of logistics flight records.

The goal of the awards program is to recog-nize the success of flight crews in meeting

the goals of JOSAC, which include preventing fraud, waste and abuse

of Department of Defense assets, conducting operations with effi-

ciency, and completing assigned missions with the most amount

of cost savings to government and the taxpayers.

The program also rewards an aspect of the mission that can’t necessarily be measured in statistics: Excellent customer ser-vice for the passengers who fly on their aircraft.

Moorehead, of Austin, said that this award is a nice rec-

ognition of all the work that the Soldiers have done.

“We threw the Army work ethic at the mission and we make our-selves as available as possible,”

Moorehead said.

Col. Micheal Dye, commander of the Army Aviation Support Facility at Austin’s

Bergstrom International Airport, said that he’s not sur-prised that the detachment received the award.

“These are a great group of guys that work hard to ac-complish the mission with a tremendous level of profes-sionalism,” Dye said. - 36th ID PAO

Story and photos by Maj. Randall Stillinger36th Infantry Division Public Affairs

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A C-12 aircraft from Operational Support Airlift Detachment 49 arrives at Dallas

Executive Airport en route to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

Below: Left to right, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Greg Price, Sgt. 1st Class Steve Garza, Chief

Warrant Officer 5 Todd Moorehead and Col. Micheal Dye pose for a photo with their

award in front of the Scott Air Force Base Operations building.

Click to follow the 36th ID on Facebook

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BASTROP, TEXAS - When the Texas Air National Guard first joined the Texas Military

Forces Best Warrior Competition in 2013, then Air Force Staff Sgt. Mat-thew Rentería proclaimed that he would “win it all.” He did not end up winning “it all” in 2013, but he pulled a close second in the non-commissioned officer division of the competition.

Matthew returned to compete in the 2015 Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift, this time bringing a lifelong friend who helped him forge his competitive spirit, Senior Airman Michael Rentería.

The fraternal twins are well known as highly motivated, with an intense drive to surpass each other in all pursuits.

“They are both outstanding individ-uals,” said Master Sgt. Justin Tassin, a Tactical Air Control Party supervi-sor for the brothers in the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron. “But when you put the two together, you can see the sibling rivalry, and it pushes them harder to perform.”

Competition between the brothers covered all aspects of growing up.

“Everything we were doing, we were doing at the same time,” Senior Airman Rentería said. “We compet-ed in getting the girls, school and

sports. It keeps us going. It keeps us battling.”

Matthew and Michael also credit their father and their role in the military for their drive to excel.

“He’s my hero,” Michael said. “He did a lot for us growing up.”

Matthew explained that their roles as tactical air control party Airmen

when you put the two together, you can see the sibling

rivalry, and it pushes them harder

to perform. ”

“

Sibling RivalryTXANG Brothers battle it out at this year’s Best Warrior Competition

Story and photos bySpc. Michael Giles100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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achieved the highest event score during the interview portion, and they both scored among the top three in the obstacle course. Mat-thew earned the highest score on land navigation and Michael succeeded in earning the highest overall score among the junior en-listed soldiers.

The 149th Fighter Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. George Longoria, evaluator chairman for the essay portion of the event, expressed that the brothers’ competitiveness is a quality that strengthens Americans. “Competing and being the best is part of our make up.” - 100th MPAD

require high standards of physical and mental readiness, and this also keeps them working to stay sharp.

“Primarily, my concern is the mis-sion,” Matthew said. “If something were to pop off, I want to be in com-bat shape to go and do my duties.”Matthew has served for 10 years in the Air Guard while Michael has served for eight. Matthew mentored his brother in preparation for the

competition, giving him the bene-fit of his experience, but said that Michael has what it takes to do well on his own in his first Best Warrior Competition.

“He has learned a lot,” Matthew said. “He has been through a lot of training, so he’s squared away.”Both brothers earned bragging rights during this year’s competi-tion. Matthew and Michael each

Everything we were doing, we were

doing at the same time. We competed in

getting girls, school and sports.”

“

Center photo: Tech. Sgt. Matthew Renteria, right, and Senior Airman Michael Renteria

listen to a brief before the obstacle course.

Below: Senior Airman Michael Renteria, right, and Tech. Sgt. Matthew Renteria

participate in the essay writing competition.

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BEST WARRIORTEXAS GUARDSMEN COMPETE FOR THE TITLE

Story by Senior Master Sgt. Elizabeth Gilbert, 136th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Spc. Matthew Harrison, 71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, crawls under wire at the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Praxedis Pineda)

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This year’s 2015 Texas Military Forces Joint Best Warrior Competition brought out 35 guardsmen from both the Texas Army and Air National Guards who competed at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, to determine who would be the best of the best, Feb. 5-7.

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THE BEST WARRIOR Competition is a big deal for Texas and the Texas

Military Forces,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Weedon, TXMF senior enlisted adviser. “It is one of the biggest joint events we have involving actual soldiers and air-men. This event allows the soldier and airman to compete with each other in both physical and mental challenges.”

The competition demonstrat-ed the knowledge and skills of the guardsmen in seven events, spanning three days. The first day started with an essay, testing their aptitude, writing abilities and critical thinking and how well the soldiers and the airmen express their thoughts. Following the writing skills, the competitors met with a panel of senior enlisted leaders who barraged them with a series of questions pertaining to their military tasks.

“We are from the same Texas Mili-tary Forces,” said Command Chief Master Sgt. Kevin O’Gorman, state command chief for the Texas Air

“

Staff Sgt. Rene Cervantes runs to complete a 6-mile tactical march during the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Suzanne Carter)

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BEST WARRIOR

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National Guard. “When we deploy in a joint environment, we work together side-by-side and we need to foster that early on. This com-petition brings camaraderie and jointness, even though soldiers and airmen do things differently.”

Day two started with a twilight land-navigation course, starting at 5 a.m. and finishing after day-break. Once again, the soldiers and airmen battle-tested their skills in using a map and compass to plot the points and discover hid-den flags throughout the course.

Shortly after completing land nav-igation, the competitors went to the weapons-qualification range, then on to the 11 Army warrior task lanes, where both Army and Air Force participants demonstrat-ed their ability to disassemble and reassemble weapons ranging from a 9 mm pistol to an M2 machine gun, as well as testing in combat-first-aid techniques.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Hein, 136th Security Forces Squad-ron, and member of the Richard-

A Texas National Guardsman displays his combat life saving skills at the Texas Military

Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7,

2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton).

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son Police Department, finished first during the land navigation course, coming in at 1 hour and 29 minutes, finding three of four flags.

“It’s been a privilege to come out here and contend with the best,” said Hein. “It’s definitely good to come out here to compete and learn from the other guys like the Army and other guys in the tacti-cal control party.”

Many of the competitors felt that the first day of the competition was the most challenging and exhausting. It included the mile-long obstacle course, containing nine stations with rigorous cal-isthenics in between obstacles, a six-mile ruck march and finished with three mystery events. The total course spanned eight miles as each competitor attempted to conquer each event with a go or no-go while carrying a 35-pound ruck sack on their back.

“The BWC is tougher than all the races I’ve competed in,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Candice Wade, a

A Texas National Guardsman aims down range at the marksmanship portion of the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Praxedis Pineda)

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BEST WARRIOR

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veteran competitor in the War-rior Dash, Tough Mudder and Spartan Races, about the Best Warrior Competition. “The Best Warrior Competition is in a much higher level ... dealing with a land navigation course, eight types of weapons, combat casualty care, an obstacle course, ruck march and various physical events. I can say that this is absolutely the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”

Among the spectators present were Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols, the adjutant general for Texas, and Maj. Gen. Edmundo Villarroel Geissbuhler, Chilean army liaison officer, who were both here to ob-serve the competing guardsmen.

“There are two competitions going on here,” said Nichols. “One is the competition between Army and Air Force. The other is between the soldiers so we can send forth the best soldier in a national com-petition and be the best in the U.S. Army. This is a big deal to us.”

Geissbuhler strolled though the courses, closely observing each

A Texas National Guardsman prepares to navigate through unfamiliar terrain before dawn as part as the Texas Military Forces’

Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master

Sgt. Charles Hatton).

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station, cheering on the soldiers and airmen racing through the obstacles.

“We have a lot of contact with the Texas Military Forces, both in the Air Force and Army,” said Geiss-buhler. “This state partnership be-gan in 2008 and there are a lot of activities we do together. I received an invitation to come here today and I’m very glad to be here.”

Texas and Chile are part of the State Partnership Program, using military-to-military relationships between the U.S. and Chile to increase military capabilities and interoperability.

When asked if the Chileans have this type of competition amongst their military forces, Geissbuhler said, “We do have this competition in Chile, it is part of our training. We have been approved to send four competitors here to the BWC next year and compete among the TXMF. We will be sending two soldiers and two airmen and hope to do well.”

A Texas National Guardsman, attempts to complete an obstacle course during the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton).

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BEST WARRIOR

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By the end of the three-day event, the competitors seemed both mentally and physically exhaust-ed.

“I’m here to do my best, not just as a woman, but as a soldier,” said Sgt. Wendi Farris, 149th Aviation Battalion, one of the four female competitors. “This was really ex-citing. I’ve learned a lot and grown in the process. I’m devising my plan for next year’s competition.”

There were 22 Army and 13 Air Force competitors, coming from all parts of Texas. Most of the competing guardsmen were drill status guardsmen. They also serve Texas as police officers, firefight-ers, physical strength trainers and other professionals.

The overall winners for the com-petition will be announced at an award ceremony April 11, 2015. - 136th AW PAO

Guardsmen write an essay regarding their beliefs concerning women participating in combat roles as part of the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7,

2015. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Adrian Shelton)

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36th Infantry Division honors Fort Hood “Hug Lady”Story and photos by Maj. Randall Stillinger, 36th ID Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, TEXAS – The 36th Infantry Division Commander and Command Sgt. Maj. honored Eliza-beth Laird at Fort Hood’s Robert Gray Army Airfield

on Feb. 13, 2015.

Soldiers of the 1st of the 112th Cavalry Regiment, Texas Army National Guard, were on hand as Maj. Gen. Les Simpson and Command Sgt. Maj. John Sampa presented a plaque and a dozen yellow roses to Laird, who is well known within the military community as “The Hug Lady.”

For almost 12 years Laird has been going out to hug Sol-diers as they boarded flights bound for war zones. After checking in at the terminal, each Soldier receives a hug on their way into the waiting area.

Simpson told the departing 36th Infantry Division Soldiers that regardless of the weather, regardless of the circumstances, she comes out to see troops go, and then to see them return.

“She doesn’t get paid to do that. She really cares about you,” Simpson said.

The certificate presented by Simpson reads “Your un-ending love, support and care for our deploying soldiers means more than you will ever know. Your steadfast, faith-

ful commitment, regardless of the time of day, does not go unnoticed. Thank you for always being there to send us off, and for being the first one to welcome us home.”

The 83-year old Laird has a long history of service and employment with the U.S. military. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 on her 18th birthday as a cook, but also played trumpet in a band. After military service she was employed by the Army as a stenographer, a secretary and a computer analyst. She’s been in the Fort Hood/Killeen area for the last 42 years. These days, when she’s not hugging troops, she’s helping others with their taxes.

During the early days of the Global War on Terrorism, Laird started volunteering at Fort Hood with the Salvation Army and was involved in the mobilization and deploy-ment process. One day in 2003, she was invited to come over and shake the hands of deploying Soldiers as they boarded a bus.

Laird recalls the day that started it all: “This one Soldier hugged me. There was another Soldier behind him in line and I just had to hug him,” Laird said. “It just snowballed from there.”

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She is now personally notified of each departing and returning flight, and is given the opportunity to speak to each group of Soldiers before they board the plane. She even has her own “III Corps Hug Lady” business card. When asked what motivates her to come out for every flight, Laird said, “I just want to thank our Soldiers for what they do. Without our military, we wouldn’t be here.”

“I just want to say ‘thanks, thanks, thanks’,” Laird said.Even during this interview, a young 1st Cavalry Divi-sion Soldier politely interrupted so he didn’t miss his opportunity to hug the iconic Hug Lady. He was getting ready to board a flight to the National Training Center in California, but he had received his first hug on his way to Afghanistan a few years ago.

“You want a hug?” Laird asked him.

“Yes ma’am,” the Soldier replied enthusiastically. He received his hug and the interview continued.

The 36th Infantry Division command team was at Fort Hood to send off the 1 Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regiment, as they left for Egypt as part of the Multinational Force and Observers mission, which was created during the 1979 treaty between Egypt and Israel.

1st Lt. Josue Munoz of Grand Prairie, one of the Soldiers deploying with the 1-112th, had received a hug from Laird during a previous deployment and appreciated her being there once again.

“The fact that she’s still out here makes me feel good that there are people that support what we do,” Munoz said. “Having just one person do what she does makes a world of difference.”

Laird’s health has been a concern recently and is usual-ly the only thing that prevents her from coming out for flights. She spent the ten days prior to the 1-112th Cavalry’s departure in the hospital, but immediately got right back to doing what she love’s best. “As long as the Lord will allow me, I’ll keep doing this,” Laird said. “Each of them are special.” - 36th ID PAO

Opposite page: Elizabeth Laird, known as “The Hug Lady,” addresses the Soldiers of

the 1st Squadron, 112th Cav. Regt. Feb. 13, prior to their deployment to Egypt as part of the Multinational Force and Observers

mission.

This page: A 36th Infantry Division Soldier gets a hug from “The Hug Lady.”

Below: Maj. Gen. Lester Simpson, commander, 36th Infantry Division, and

Command Sgt. Maj. John Sampa recognize Elizabeth Laird, “The Hug Lady” for her

service to deploying Soldiers with a plaque and a dozen yellow roses.

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Story and photos by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy147th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs

MANNING THE

UNMANNED

Valuable training

With millions of dollars of equipment in their care, main-tenance airmen train at the wing and during exercises like Green Flag to ensure fully-functioning aircraft are mission ready for the pilots, while remaining proficient in their key tasks.

“We try to give these kids experience on doing what we do and there’s a lot of repetition in the work we do, but it’s something you need to master so that we can keep these aircraft flying and we can give the support to the Army,”

said Master Sgt. Clayton P. Lemons, MQ-1B crew chief with the wing.

However, due to the unique nature of the Texas Guard base not physically launching the reconnaissance aircraft out of Ellington, maintainers are not able to work on airborne Predators at the wing, so opportunities to train at the Launch and Recovery Element in Louisiana prove to be beneficial.

“It’s important for us (to come out here) as crew chiefs be-cause we get experience we don’t get at Ellington,” Lem-

FORT POLK, LOUISIANA – Keeping an aircraft airborne takes the concerted efforts of multiple individuals, including the maintainers who work on them day after day. As part of a two-week-long Green Flag-East exercise that is held throughout the year,

maintainers from the 147th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 147th Maintenance Group, 147th Reconnaissance Wing, at Ellington Field in Houston, played a vital role in ensuring the MQ-1B Predators were functioning properly and able support the joint Army-Air exercise.

Maintainers with the 147th Reconnaissance Wing perfect their skills

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ons said, about the training opportunities at Fort Polk.

As opposed to the trainer MQ-1s maintainers work on at Ellington, training on a functional and flying aircraft requires additional maintenance to keep aircraft fully mission capable, Lemons added.

Attention to detail and being thorough in each task are critical to the job, which requires hands-on training to en-sure airmen fully understand how to execute their duties. “Anyone can read tech data, but it’s if you fully understand it and are able to exercise it for when you go downrange

or respond to a hurricane or natural disaster,” said Senior Airman Stephen Angelle, an MQ-1B crew chief with the wing.

“I didn’t know that it took this many people to keep an air-frame flying,” Angelle added. “Because as a kid, you look at the airplanes and you never think about how they stay flying. You just think of the guys flying them. You forget about the maintainers and I think it’s very important not to forget about the people who maintain the aircraft and keep it going.” - (continued next page)

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Green Flag-East

Green Flag-East is a joint exercise held at the Joint Read-iness Training Center at Fort Polk up to 10 times each year, with Army brigades training in combat scenarios designed to provide realistic combat operations in a controlled environment.

The Air Force’s role in the exercise is to provide close air, intelligence and surveillance support, often working in concert with Air Force joint terminal attack controllers to put bombs on target and protect ground forces.

Because overseas contingency operations involve two or more service branches working together, Army and Air members training how they fight enables participants an opportunity to experience a higher operations tempo in a high-stress environment.

For the maintainers, their role is to keep the aircraft mis-sion capable to be able to support the Army.

“I think that us working with the Army is important,” Lemons said. “They have to utilize air support to do their mission, and if we can provide them with that and

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it helps keep an Army soldier from dying from the bad guys, I’m on board with that.” - 147th RW PAO

Previous page: An MQ-1B Predator comes in for landing at the Green Flag East exercise held at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Crew chiefs inspect the aircraft after landing.

Above left: Master Sgt. Clayton Lemons and Airman 1st Class Samuel Roberts, inspect an MQ-1B Predator.

Above: Airman 1st Class Samuel Roberts, inspects an MQ-1B Predator prior to launching.

Right: Airman 1st Class Jimenez and Senior Airman Stephen Angelle, begin the process to inspect an MQ-1B Predator after landing.

Click to follow the 147th on Facebook

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Story by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy,Texas Military Forces Public Affairs

BASTROP, TEXAS – It was a show of joint camaraderie, but also friendly competition as

Texas Air, Army and State Guards-men shared the common interest of putting bullets down range.

About two dozen Guardsmen con-verged at Camp Swift near Bastrop for the Governor’s Twenty sniper competition Feb. 20-22, 2015.

The three-day shooting event is one of four state-level marksmanship matches held throughout the year to determine the top 20 marksmen who comprise that year’s Governor’s Twenty and earning the coveted Governor’s Twenty tab.

The tab is a state-level marksman-ship award for the top 20 shooters in the state.

It is awarded to the top eight pis-tol marksmen, two snipers, eight riflemen, and two machine gunners to comprise the state’s Governor’s Twenty.

In addition to providing a venue for Guardsmen to compete among their peers throughout the state, the marksmen competitions allow another avenue for them to receive valuable training.

“There’s no better training than going out,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Brors, 204 Security Forces Squadron, Texas Air Nation-al Guard. “When we do unknown distance, it’s our ranges, so whether we put up the targets or not, I know what the different distances are, but

coming out here I re-ally have to use the

training we’ve been taught.”

Most often, troops only shoot to qual-ify a few times a year, if that; however, the matches provide vital training and an oppor-tunity for

soldiers and

airmen to hone their marksman skills, a critical portion of their job.

“The sniper is growing in impor-tance,” Sgt. Craig Feldschneider, C Troop, 1-124 Cavalry Regiment, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. “It’s one of the most important things we have on the battlefield.”

For Army snipers, their training ends when they complete the Army Sniper School with no opportunities for advanced training.

“We top out at sniper school,” said Sgt. Chase Smith, C Troop, 1-124 Cavalry Regiment, 56th Infantry Bri-gade Combat Team, 36 Infantry Di-vision, Texas Army National Guard. “The field is always changing. There are new formulas and new ways of doing things.”

During each competition, partici-pants vie for the possibility to travel to the Winston P. Wilson rifle and pistol championships at the Nation-al Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson near Little Rock, Arkansas.Following the competition in Arkan-sas, the chief of the National Guard Bureau awards the Chief ’s Fifty Marksmanship badge to the top 35

All eyes set on the BadgeTexas Guardsmen aim their sniper rifles down range for a chance to wear the Governor’s Twenty tab

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The sniper is growing in importance. It’s one of the most important things we have on the battlefield. ”“

in combat rifle, 10 in combat pistol, three machine gunners and two snipers.

“If we do good here, the Arkansas match is where your skillset gets pushed,” Smith said. “You have to pull every skill together to make it work. If you’re just a good shot, you won’t do good at all. You have to incorporate everything at the same time.”

Though pistol marksmen, riflemen and machine gunners can move on to compete for the President’s 100 tab, the competition for snipers ends at the WPW match.

“Snipers top out at Arkansas,” Smith said. “You can get the Chief ’s 50, but

you can’t get the Presi-dent’s 100 tab.”

In addition to the Governor’s

20 tab, soldiers and airmen can earn points toward Excellence in Compe-tition badges, ranging from a bronze and silver badge to the Distin-guished Rifleman and Distinguished Pistol Shot badges.

“This event is a great thing and we love doing it because it’s a chance to bring a lot of people together from the state that all have common interests and common occupations,” Feldschneider said. “We can come

out here and put some rounds down range and everyone has fun. It’s com-petitive, but it’s friendly.”

The state hosted the pistol match in late January. The rifle competition is set for late March. - DISPATCH

A Texas Army National Guard sniper team aims down range at the Texas Adjutant

General’s Governor’s 20 Sniper competition held at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas.

(Photo courtesy of Tanya Lippincott).

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REAL GuidanceCourtney J. Lynch, PhD, LCSW and Tracy K. Ward, M.Ed, LPC

(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne)

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Mike MacLeod)

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REAL Guidance

The Four Rules ofActive Listening

1. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood2. Be non judgmental3. Give your undivided atten-tion to the speaker4. Use silence effectively www.state.gov/m/a/os/65759.htm

Maintaining Healthy Relationships

Part of maintaining mental fitness is surrounding yourself with good support. Part of good support is healthy relationships. We all are in relation-

ships with others, be it friends, family, neighbors, part-ners, or spouses. How does one build a healthy marital and family relationship? We decided to ask someone we consider an expert. He is a man, a Soldier, a hus-band, a father, and a chaplain. Please meet Chaplain (Maj.) Jeremy S. Stirm, who answered a list of our ques-tions about relationships, and we have summarized his answers below.

Chaplain, Maj. Jeremy S. Stirm has over 25 years of military experience. He currently serves as the Opera-tions Chaplain, Joint Forces Head-quarters - Texas and the Deputy Division Chaplain, 36th Infantry Division. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 as the Squadron Chaplain for the 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment. Before becoming an Army Chaplain, he served with the 20th Special Forces Group (Air-borne) for 13 years. He deployed as a Special Forces non commissioned officer to Afghanistan in 2002. By far his most reward-ing roles, and at times the most challenging, are as a father to two wonderful children and as a husband to a patient and loving wife of nearly 19 years.

What makes a healthy relationship? Stirm said three words come to mind when he thinks of a healthy relationship: trust, communication, and commitment. These three concepts are the founda-tion for any healthy relationship, whether a relation-ship between friends, family, or anyone entering into a community. If we are not intentional about these important areas, and if these three areas are not firm, then the foundation of the relationship is not solid and may buckle under stress. Building a foundation of trust, communication, and commitment takes time and effort, and each impacts the others. For example, trust affects our ability to communicate and our level

of commitment. The more you trust someone, the more you are willing, and able, to really listen to what he or she is saying. A big part of communication is listening, and trusting your partner to hear what you are really saying. “God gave us two ears, but only one mouth,” Stirm said. Thus, good listening, not just talking, is essential for effective communication.

Regarding commitment, Stirm indicated that there are varying levels of commitment associated with various stages and types of relationships. For instance, while dating is an important component in building trust and

commitment, dating does not call for the level of commitment that is found in marriage. Likewise, simply living together does not replicate the level of commitment and trust that marriage affords. Rather, a deeper investment and commit-ment comes through marriage. Elaborating on a question about individuals who struggle with trust due to a history of abuse, betrayal, or a broken heart, Stirm said that, “if trust is violated, it will be diffi-

cult to trust in new relationships, but not impossible. If you want to move past acquaintanceship, you have to communicate and build trust.”

What keeps a marital relationship healthy?Keeping a relationship healthy requires grace and hard work. As Stirm reminds us, sometimes the emotion-al [feel good] love is not enough, because there will certainly be days in a marriage when one looks at the other and thinks “I really don’t like you today, but I love you.” This love is the deeper love that comes with commitment. Having grace to accept imperfections and forgive mistakes is really essential on these types of days.

Regarding hard work, it is the little things that we do for each other daily that matters, and not just the grand gestures. The grand gestures are nice, certainly appre-

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REAL Guidance

“Strengthening the family bond can prove to be challenging even for the most dedicated

parents. One of the best tools to achieve this goal is holding a Weekly Family Meeting. The goals of the Weekly Family Meeting are to help you communicate better, bring everyone closer together and to have some fun.” For more tips on family meetings, visit:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-fitness/201209/10-tips-holding-fami-

ly-meeting

For more information on

keeping a relationship

healthy, Chaplain Stirm

recommends:

Five Love Languages

by Dr. Gary Chapman

ciated, but in and of themselves are not enough to maintain a healthy relationship. Continual hard work to maintain a healthy marriage can include simple actions such as: loading the dishwasher, picking up groceries, spending time together, helping children with homework, and simply saying, “Thank you.” Stirm calls this type of work ‘filling your partner’s love tank.’ Keeping one’s love tank ‘full’ can be part of sustaining a healthy marriage. What fills one spouse’s love tank may be different from what fill another’s. For example, one person’s love tank may be filled by words of encourage-ment and appreciation, while another’s may be filled by getting a gift or doing an activity together. Pay at-tention, watch, and take the time to discover what fills your spouse’s love tank, and be self-aware, in knowing what fills yours. Making this a priority and a routine will enrich your relationship.

What makes a strong family?Stirm says the concept of filling the love tank works for kids too, and what fills one child’s tank may not be what fills the others. Know what fills your children’s

love tanks. Mainly, he says, making a strong family takes time. “It requires an investment of time to be a Mom and a Dad.” Of course, there are times parents may have to be away, at work, or even deployed; there-fore, he stresses the importance of making the time count when you are at home. Really be present, not just physically, and be with your family members.

Another critical aspect of building a strong family according to Stirm is praying together. For some this may mean praying at mealtimes, or praying at bedtime, which may offer uninterrupted time with parents and God. “Kids will say things in prayer that they will not tell you. A lot of times you can hear their hearts in prayer. Listen to them.”

To have a strong family, spouses must work as a team. Work together and get in sync to set the family rules

and routines. This may be done through long conversations about expectations (which will change over time as children grow) and through family meetings. The stronger parents can be in working together as a team, the fewer oppor-

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If you would like to

learn more about healthy

relationships, read about

the

Strong Bonds Program

www.strongbonds.org

tunities will arise for children to split parents from one another. Parents should take care not to undermine one another, and not play favorites with children — “love them all the same.”

Blended families may face additional challenges in building a strong family. He suggests that perhaps a longer courtship period is needed in order to better establish trust, communication, and commitment. Al-though it takes adjustment and hard work, try to adopt a mindset of being one, united family.

What spiritual advice would you offer to a young couple just starting out?Build on a common faith foundation. Praying together is important. He notes, “We reveal our true hearts in prayer.” These times of prayer, communication with God, will strengthen your commitment and trust to each other and God. If there are differences in faith, explore and dis-cuss those differences early in the courtship.

Stirm shares that every cri-sis should not be thought of as grounds for a possible divorce. Rather, a crisis presents an oppor-tunity to work together to solidify the commitment. Having a com-mon faith foundation will give you a solid base to build upon and a sure footing in troubled times.

He further cautions against comparing your relation-ship with other relationships. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking the grass is greener over there. The grass is always greener on the other side, but as one of Stirm’s fellow church members said, “if the grass is greener on the other side, then water your grass!” Keep the romance alive. Lastly, don’t hold grudges and learn to listen.

Stirm points to Luke’s narration of the Good Samaritan and talks of families helping neighbors. The parable has been utilized to get one to see that people from far away countries and different races are still our neigh-bors. However, Stirm invites us to consider broaden-ing our definition of ‘neighbor’ to include our spouses and children. Within the family, “the person in the next room is your neighbor.” Often we are willing and glad

to help the person next door or down the street with a request, but grimace or complain when our child or spouse asks for a small favor.

Being a Soldier, chaplain, father, and husband, what advice would you give young men? To the young men, Stirm says “It is not all about you. Sometimes my wants and needs have to take a back seat to the family’s wants and needs. I learned this truth from my father, who modeled it in his own life. Growing up, I lost count of the number of ‘boy band’ concerts my father endured because my younger sister wanted to go. There are things we do for the communi-ty and family that are bigger than one person. Doing for others builds trust and gives evidence of the com-mitment we have in the relationship.”

Stirm emphasizes the importance of modeling within the family. The relationship that he models with his wife serves as an example of a healthy relationship for his children. Through modeling respectful behavior and kindness to his spouse, he hopes his children will begin to “connect the dots” be-tween what was modeled and how they begin to create and practice healthy relationships in their own lives. He hopes to teach his chil-dren through example, and states a belief that fathers and husbands “can be tender yet protective.” In addition to teaching by example,

prayer plays an important role in his relationship with his children. He shared that he has already begun to pray for his children’s future spouses.

Reflecting on the content of our interview, Stirm said that prayer and praying together may be the answer to all of these interview questions and to many other questions and concerns that families face. - REAL Guidance

If you would like to speak to a Chaplain about any oth-er question or concern, contact 1-866-822-7685, select 7#, or email: ng.tx.txarng.list.tx.mf.chaplain@mail.mil.

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REAL Guidance

Tech Sgt. Matthew Renteria prepares to navigate through unfamiliar terrain before dawn as part of the Texas Military Forces’ Joint Best Warrior Competition

held at Camp Swift near Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 5-7, 2015. The event tests the mental and physical proficiencies of the participants through various challenges. (U.S. Army

National Guard photo by Sgt. Praxedis Pineda)