New Mexico Minuteman - Fall 2011

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CAMP DEFY aims to keep children out of trouble By Sgt. Joseph Romero, Youth Mentorship coordinator The New Mexico National Guard partnered with the city of Las Cruces Weed and Seed program to host the 2011 Camp DEFY—Drug Educations for Youth—in Las Cruces, N.M. Weed and Seed is a community-based strategy aimed at preventing, controlling and reducing violent crime, drug abuse and gang related activity and is sponsored by the United States Department of Justice. Camp DEFY is a big part of the Weed and Seed initiative and has been planned and coordinated by Soldiers from the New Mexico National Guard Counterdrug Support/ Drug Demand Reduction program for over a decade. They continue to serve and support the Weed and Seed project. The week-long summer camp is designed to create a bond and a strong foundation for young children between the ages of 7-11 and instill in them the importance of positive Drug Demand Reduction Educates Youth on Tough Subjects By Spc. Brad Beitler, Youth Mentorship coordinator The New Mexico National Guard Drug Demand Reduction Section set a goal to reach out to as many youths in the Albuquerque community as possible in order to spread the awareness and knowledge of gangs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. DDR continued their partnerships with the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, United States Attorney’s Offi ce, 150th Security Forces Squadron, Detachment 1, 342nd Training Squadron—Pararescue & Combat Rescue Offi cer School, New Mexico Boys and Girls Clubs and Police Athletic League to broaden the mission to educate more children about these tough subjects. These agencies hosted the Gang Resistance Education and Training camp. The seven-week program reached out to approximately 350 children, ages 11-14, to educate them about gangs. GREAT camp also educated the children about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco by not only providing them with preventive educational 26 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Fall 2011 values, good decision making and a drug-free life style within our society. The camp provides drug awareness classes, mentorship, and several fun activities that children from the Weed and Seed area rarely get to participate in. Camp DEFY was originally started by the U.S. Navy and has been held in Ruidoso, N.M., for the past seven years. Camp UNITY is another Weed and Seed initiative planned and coordinated by the New Mexico National Guard. This two-week camp was divided into two phases. Phase one provides various life skills, drug-awareness, and goal-setting classes with the objective of overall UNITY and togetherness to achieve team and individual goals. Phase two is the reward for participating in classes, but also providing them with activities they could enjoy that would not involve drugs or negative life consequences. The camp was deemed a huge success. The preventive classes these children experienced included overall dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco; dangers of methamphetamines; gang prevention; and leadership skills. By using many community resources, the success of the camp was heightened and received great feedback from children, parents and other community members. The activities that the New Mexico National Guard’s DDR program and their partners provided children were plentiful and diverse. Some of the activities and games included, but were not limited to rock wall climbing; gauntlet activities (an apparatus that acts as a fun maze); competitive and noncompetitive athletics; dodge ball; swimming; rappelling; fi shing; simulated weapons training; paintball games; archery; water games; and numerous others. a year-round/summer-long program at the Weed and Seed. This year the DDR program ventured to Denver, Colo., with a stop in Santa Fe, N.M. to visit with Gov. Susana Martinez and the fi rst gentleman, Chuck Franco. Teens were able to take in a rare luncheon at the governor’s mansion followed by a state Capitol tour led by the governor. The New Mexico National Guard’s DDR program participants are proud to play a large role in the community’s efforts to increase the level of awareness of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Abasic premise of the program is that drug prevention starts with the community’s youth. DDR is proud to team up with Albuquerque citizens to keep young men and women off substances that can ruin lives, families, and possibly whole communities.
PROUD TO BECOME AN AMERICAN By Staff Sgt. Anna Doo, 200th Public Affairs Det. CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Just days after America celebrated her 235th birthday, Pfc. Jose Manuel Valdez was sworn in as a citizen of the U.S. in a ceremony held at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina. Valdez, an infantryman with the U.S. contingent of Kosovo Forces 14 rotation, had been working on the administrative process to offi cially become a citizen for about six months and completed the interview and offi cial ceremony while on a yearlong deployment to Kosovo. The process of obtaining citizenship for Valdez, who has been living in the U.S. for more than 22 years, was relatively quick. Valdez said he was relocated to California from his birthplace of Ceballos, Durango, Mexico, when he was just 2 years old. He lived in California for the next 11 years and then moved to Roswell, N.M., where he has spent the past 12 years. Valdez enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 2007 and has been an infantryman ever since. He said his cousin was in the military, and while on a tour to Iraq, earned his citizenship. Learning that Soldiers serving in the military, while on deployment can earn citizenship, prompted Valdez’ interest in travelling the same path to naturalization. Valdez is currently serving in Company C, 1-200th Infantry, based in Las Cruces, N.M., as part of KFOR14 in Multinational Battle Group East. The reasons for Valdez to work toward citizenship were numerous, but a couple stood above the rest. Valdez said he wanted to make sure he prepares for future possibilities and is eligible for as many jobs as possible. He is looking forward to being able to plan for the future. Right now, he plans to complete this current tour of duty and return home to his civilian job as a supervisor with Penasco Valley Telecommunications. “Just the fact of being able to vote, and looking down the road toward jobs in law enforcement or border patrol are the best reasons to get citizenship,” Valdez said. “I’m looking forward to reenreenlisting, do at least three more years, and then we’ll go from there.” Valdez said he had been preparing for the interview process and the ceremony since he learned the application paperwork was complete. Before the ceremony, Valdez said, “I’m not nervous about the ceremony; I’m actually nervous about the interview proprocess; I don’t know what that’s going to be like.” With the application complete and the interview process behind him, Valdez stood in front of the American fl ag, ready to take the Oath of Allegiance. MNBG-E commander, Col. Michael D. Schwartz, and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, Christopher W. Dell, assisted Valdez in the fi nal steps to becoming a citizen. Pamela Hutchings, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Offi ce director, Vienna, administered the Oath of Allegiance to Valdez who repeated each word. Valdez was presented with a certifi cate and received congratulatory remarks and well wishes from both Dell and Schwartz. “We are all glad you took the effort, and took that leap, and did all the things you needed to do to become a citizen of the United States of America,” said Schwartz. Schwartz then presented Valdez with two commander’s coins— one from pre-mobilization from N.M. and one from the deployment in Kosovo. Dell echoed Schwartz’s remarks and the satisfaction and pleasure those in attendance were feeling on the occasion. “You had a choice, a choice that you exercised to become an American,” said Dell. “We are all extremely proud of you—proud of your service, grateful for it, and very simply proud to call you an American.” Finally, Valdez, full of conviction and pride, led his fellow Soldiers in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. His platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Luis R. Sandoval, summed up the occasion with a few words. “Every time you have somebody that looks for citizenship, especially someone who’s been in the U.S. for his whole life, it’s just something special,” said Sandoval. “Especially with him being a Soldier and serving his country, it’s just a perk for him. He’s already an American; he’s lived his whole life in the U.S.; he’s serving his country, and now he can voice his opinion by voting. One more great American Soldier.” N.M. leadership visits Kosovo The New Mexico National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Kenneth C. Montoya, center, along with the State Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Adair, right, visited Soldiers from the New Mexico Army National Guard stationed in Kosovo Aug. 9-11, 2011. Montoya and Adair, along with the state human resources manager, Col. Carla Romero, spoke with Soldiers on Camp Bondsteel, Camp Novo Selo, and near Camp Nothing Hill, Kosovo. The Soldiers are currently serving as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping operation of Kosovo Forces 14. Photo: Staff Sgt. Anna Doo Fall 2011 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 27
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Page 8 and 9: Engineers conduct AT on the border
Page 10 and 11: New Mexico National Guard team comp
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Page 14 and 15: B Co., 1st Bn. races away with TAG
Page 16 and 17: Joining the offi cer ranks Six cand
Page 18 and 19: By Lt. Col. Jamison Herrera, State
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Page 26 and 27: NEWS BRIEFS The NMNG welcomes a new
Page 30 and 31: By Sgt. Suzanna Dominguez, State Pu
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New Mexico Minuteman - Fall 2011

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