Fighting New Battles - Arkansas National Guard

The Arkansas MinutemanArkansas National Guard Soldier and NCO of the Year announced– Austin and Marino are tops after grueling three-day contestSgt. Tracy G. Austin and Sgt. TimothyS. Marino were named as the ArkansasArmy National Guard’s “best of the best”following an intense 2006 Soldier andNoncommissioned Officer of the Yearcompetition at Camp Joseph T. RobinsonMarch 16-19.Command Sgt. Maj. Deborah Collins,Arkansas National Guard statecommand sergeant major, announcedthe winners at an awards luncheon Mar.19, and commented that “their dedicationand commitment to being the bestthat they can possibly be is an inspiration.”Each of the eight participants wasawarded the Army Achievement Medaland a $50.00 cash award. Each of thewinners received the Army CommendationMedal and a $300 cash award.All enlisted men and women of theArkansas Army National Guard, E-4and below, are potential candidates forSoldier of the Year, and all members E-5and above are eligible to compete forNCO of the Year. Individual units in thestate evaluate and nominate unit representatives,who then undergo a rigorousthree-day test of their military knowledge,skills and physical conditioningconducted by the 233rd Regional TrainingInstitute at Camp Robinson.Austin and Marino representedArkansas at the 1st Army Region 5Soldier and NCO competition Apr. 21-23at Camp Robinson, where Austin toppedSoldiers from Louisiana, Oklahoma,Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas forthe Region 5 Soldier of the Year title.Austin is a member of CompanyC, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, 39thBrigade Combat Team, based in Mena,where his family resides. NCO of theYear Marino lives in Jacksonville andis assigned to Company D, 114th AirTraffic Services, 77th Aviation Brigade,based at Camp Robinson. They competedfor the coveted honors from a fieldof four Soldiers and four NCOs, eachchosen by their perspective major commands.Austin traveled to Fort Campbell,Ky., where he competed for, but did notwin, the 1st Army Soldier of the Yeartitle.Maj. Gen. Don C. Morrow, the adjutant general of Arkansas, congratulates Sgt.Tracy G. Austin, (middle) 2006 Soldier of the Year, and Sgt. Timothy S. Marino,2006 NCO of the Year. (Photo by Sgt. Chris A. Durney.)212th Signal Battalion cases colors last timeThe Arkansas Army National Guard’s 212th Signal Battalion cased its colors forgood at a somber “Last Call” celebration and ceremony May 6 at Fisher ReadinessCenter in North Little Rock.The battalion, which brought over 130 of its Soldiers home from Iraq this pastwinter, formally deactivated as a result of the total Army transformation. Portionsof the battalion’s communications assets are moving to the 39th Infantry BrigadeCombat Team and the 142nd Fires Brigade, but the 212th as a whole remains activeonly in the state’s history.The battalion also said good by to its companies during the ceremony, includingCompany D which was housed with headquarters in North Little Rock. The 212th’sCompanies A, B and C were located in Hot Springs, Benton and Pine Bluff, respectively.Photo by 1st Sgt. Bob Barnett, 119th Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentRetired 212th Signal Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Tommy Hughbanks rolls upthe battalion colors during the May 6 deactivation ceremony and “Last Call”celebration at Fisher Readiness Center in North Little Rock, Ark.Summer 2006 Page 37