New Mexico Minuteman - Winter 2012

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A message from the Adjutant General Thank you for all your sacrifi ces Happy New Year to all of you! This past year has seen many challenges and accomplishments for the New Mexico National Guard. I have been very fortunate to have visited our Soldiers serving in Kosovo a couple of times and watched our Soldiers there performing with the utmost professionalism. They witnessed many changes within their area of responsibility during their deployment. They had to deal with many volatile situations while deployed and always relied on their training and discipline to ensure that they did the right thing and kept everyone safe. The leadership and teamwork of all the Soldiers on the mission are to be congratulated for doing such a great job. I could not be more proud of all of you and your families for representing our state and nation with so much honor and integrity. Thank you all for your sacrifi ces. We still have our own Medevac C-171st Company in Afghanistan doing great things. We have seen many reports detailing the As we start another new year, I want to share with you a few experiences I had during the past year. They have to do with the fi nest Soldiers and Airmen of the New Mexico National Guard. First, there are about 500 members of the Army and Air National Guard that were ordered to active duty, mustered at their hometown armories or air bases, made fi nal preparations for their active duty missions; then, in most cases, deployed to someplace far away from their homes, families, jobs, and civilian lives. From Roswell to Santa Fe and many other New Mexico communities in-between, Soldiers and Airmen have said goodbye to their loved ones to answer their nation’s call. I watched these farewells with emotions. On one hand, I regretted that families would be separated; holidays, birthdays and school plays would be missed; and that many of these fi ne young men and women of our New Mexico National Guard were being sent into harm’s way. But on the other hand, I was as proud of them as they prepared to serve. I was also proud of our governor, Susana Martinez and Mahlon Love, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, along with fellow New Mexicans for supporting our Soldiers and Airmen as they left their hometowns for destinations half a world away. It wasn’t always this way. Most New Mexico citizens only know what our Soldiers are doing overseas from what they hear from the national news. In October, Maj. Gen. Kenny Montoya, the Adjutant General, Col. Mark Arellano and I had the opportunity to visit our Soldiers in 2 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Winter 2012 accomplishments and life-saving missions that this unit has been involved in. Always remember to keep them and their families in your prayers. We are preparing to send off another 400-plus Soldiers to the Middle East to assist our world partners with a peacekeeping mission. This unit has been preparing diligently for the past year and are excited and well prepared to take on and complete this mission safely. As the world situation continues to evolve, we will as well. We have been a very responsive force for the past 10 years, and I have full trust and confi dence that the New Mexico National Guard will continue to meet all challenges we will encounter, “Beyond the Standard!” Adair refl ects on his past year’s experiences Kosovo and see fi rsthand what the news media have not been able to show you— that our New Mexico Soldiers are highly motivated and respected, and they are doing excellent work in an unstable environment. They are serving America and the people of Kosovo with distinction and honor. Maj. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya State Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Adair Our Soldiers are also doing remarkable things in Afghanistan. They have fl own over 800 missions, sometimes under hostile conditions, to provide critical medical evacuation coverage for our wounded Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Seamen; they have been providing medevac coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at four separate locations since arriving in Afghanistan. Many U.S. and allied service members and Afghan civilians can credit their lives to the quality of service and fast response time Company C has provided. Seeing what these sons and daughters of New Mexico accomplish daily reminds me why I wear the red, white and blue on my shoulder. Of all the experiences I’ve had during the past year, none equals the happiness I’ve felt seeing our Soldiers and Airmen step off airplanes and back into the arms of their families. If you’ve ever seen a father hold his six-month-old baby for the fi rst time, you can begin to imagine how joyous and special these homecomings have been.
NGB chief gives praise, admiration to Guard members in Kosovo By Staff Sgt. Anna Doo CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, visited Soldiers and Airmen stationed in Kosovo Oct. 24, 2011. The service members are part of Multinational Battle Group East, Kosovo Forces 14 deployment in support of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission here. McKinley, along with the adjutants general from Maryland and New Mexico and senior enlisted personnel from NGB and the two states, spent the day touring multiple locations where U.S. personnel are stationed. At the Forward Command Post at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, personnel showed McKinley the operations cell as well as the truly multinational aspect of the operation. The group consists of Moroccan, French, German and U.S. Soldiers working together. After touring Kosovo with Task Force Aviation in UH-60 Black Hawks, McKinley hosted a question and answer session with more than 300 Soldiers stationed at Camp Bondsteel. McKinley began by commenting on the professionalism of the Soldiers stationed in Kosovo during the recent unrest that has reshaped the deployment. “I wanted to come today so you could hear my words of thanks, my words of appreciation and admiration,” McKinley said. “This region of the world is not completely settled from the wars. My administration to you all for your discipline and your restraint at that moment in September, no matter whether you were here supporting the force or you were actually at Gate 1, the Soldiers represented by this KFOR mission did a magnifi cent job.” News of the unrest in northern Kosovo and the U.S. Forces’ professional response reached the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. president, McKinley said. He went on to say they were all pleased with the manner in which the Soldiers reacted and voiced their support of KFOR’s efforts at de-escalating tensions and threats to the security situation. Before McKinley opened the fl oor for questions, he said, “I am standing in a room full of people who have put service before self; my congratulations and hat’s off to you all.” Soldiers were able to voice concerns to the NGB chief. Questions concerned an issue currently being discussed in the highest levels of U.S. politics—the retirement system for volunteer Soldiers, fi nancial incentives for particular military occupation skills and delays in paying out enlistment bonuses. McKinley answered other questions regarding the semantics of combat pay and recognition, and inequalities in subsistence with counterparts serving in other theaters. Maj. Daniel Caisse asked McKinley about the future of the National Guard within the current budget constraints and right sizing of the economy. Chief Warrant Offi cer William Jepsen voiced concern over the age of equipment the National Guard is using and whether a plan for fi elding newer equipment is being considered. McKinley answered both questions with praise for the ingenuity of Guardsmen in using available assets to complete any mission set before them, and the prospect of tough decisions about where to cut back and where to spend. He said that the strategic development process set by the president will shape those decisions. “We will size the force to a strategy he [the president] thinks he can afford. It should be a strategy, it shouldn’t just be an affordability drill here,” McKinley said. “When that happens, they’re going to pass down things to us in the National Guard that are either going to be utilizing our skills and our affordability, and the fact that we are doing it at less cost, and we can put more force or at least the same size force and give the nation a hedge force like an insurance policy. Or they’ll take a slice across the board, which happens periodically, where everybody pays their fair share. We haven’t gotten to that point yet.” He went on to add the additional mission of the citizen Soldier citing the numerous natural disasters of this past year that called upon local Guardsmen to aid their fellow citizens. McKinley said, “We have another mission also; and that is to take care of our mission at home. The governors expect the National Guard to be available, well-trained and well-equipped, and we go out of those gates of the armory ready to go.” “It’s an important event, that’s for sure—to have someone of his stature and position come speak with us. I appreciate it,” said Sgt. Timothy Tharp of the visit. “Of course I really appreciate the work Col. [Michael D.] Schwartz [MNBG E commander] does on our behalf. He’s not a four-star, but he fi ghts for us. He has to take his lumps just like us, but he’s still spent many sleepless nights working to get us what we need.” McKinley presented 13 junior enlisted Soldiers with coins for a job well done. The New Mexico Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya, also presented coins to six Soldiers. Five enlisted service members were also honored with coins from New Mexico State Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Adair. New Mexico National Guardsmen make up the headquarters element of MNBG-E as well as the majority of service members present along with those from 22 additional states, territories and nine countries. Soldiers expressed their gratitude to the NGB for sending the top leadership to Kosovo to speak face to face with the personnel stationed here. McKinley, the fi rst four-star general to hold the position of chief of the NGB, reciprocated that sentiment by showing his gratitude to the Soldiers who volunteered for this tour of duty. Winter 2012 / NEW MEXICO National National Guard Guard 3
Page 1: NGB Chief visits N.M. Soldiers in K
Page 6 and 7: Veteran Stand Down assists less for
Page 8 and 9: Sena retires; trades in his uniform
Page 10 and 11: Diversity Day strengthens National
Page 12 and 13: NMNG celebrates Red Ribbon Week By
Page 14 and 15: 12 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Winter 20
Page 16 and 17: By Chief Warrant Offi cer David Bur
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Page 30: Do we really need SAFETY? By Chief

New Mexico Minuteman - Winter 2012

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