In the Eye

of the storm

North Dakota Guardsmen Train, Help Law Enforcement Keep Peace

during Monthslong Oil Pipeline Protest in Southern Morton County

Page 12

Meet the New Boss 188th goes to Washington 

Happy Hooligans Welcome

New 119th Wing Commander

Page 4

Air Defense Soldiers to Support

National Capital Region Mission

Page 16

GUARDIAN

North Dakota

Volume 10, Issue 1 Spring 2017
Departments

Guardian Snapshots ..................... 

News Briefs .....................................

Sound Off! ..................................... 

Page 22

Page 26

Page 27

Interact With Us!

See even more N.D. National Guard highlights 

at our social media sites, and share your thoughts!

www.youtube.com/NDNationalGuard

www.flickr.com/photos/NDGuard www.facebook.com/NDNationalGuard 

www.twitter.com/NDNationalGuard

On the Cover

Inside This Issue

Features

The North Dakota Guardian is an authorized publication for 

members, families and retirees of the N.D. National Guard.

• Contents of the North Dakota Guardian are not necessarily the 

official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, or the 

Department of the Army or Air Force.

• Editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of 

the Joint Force Headquarters, N.D. National Guard ( JFND) 

Public Affairs Officer.

• Printed by United Printing, a private firm in no way connected to 

the U.S. Government under exclusive written contract with the 

JFND. Reproduction is by the offset method with a circulation 

of approximately 4,900.

• The North Dakota Guardian is published by the JFND Public 

Information Office, Box 5511, Bismarck, N.D. 58506-5511, 

701.333.2007

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

Contributions to the North Dakota Guardian are encouraged! 

Send articles, photos and art to Editor, JFND PIO, Box 5511, 

Bismarck, N.D. 58506-5511. Electronic submissions are 

preferred. Please e-mail stories in Word format to: 

jennifer.m.joyce2.mil@mail.mil

Phone: 701-333-2195 Fax: 701-333-2017

Digital photos should be 300 dpi, if possible.

Commander in Chief

North Dakota Governor

Doug Burgum

The Adjutant General

Maj. Gen. Alan S. Dohrmann

Chief of Public Affairs

Maj. Amber Balken

Editor

Staff Sgt. Eric W. Jensen

Contributors

Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp

Sgt. Ashley Johlfs

Mr. William Prokopyk

Sgt. Erin Walters

Sgt. Brandi Schmidt

Pfc. Ethan Hongess

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kiel Skager

Staff Sgt. Brett J. Miller

Spc. Andy Weston

Sgt. Tiffany Vannett

Staff Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti

Spc. Thea Jorgenson

Shirley Olgeirson

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James Cheney

Pfc. Rachelle Lewis

Soldiers from the 191st Military 

Police Company train fellow 

Guardsmen Nov. 30, 2016, on 

crowd and riot control at the 

Army Aviation Support Facility 

in Bismarck, North Dakota. The 

N.D. National Guard supported 

local law enforcement for more 

than 7 months during a oil 

pipeline protest in southern 

Morton County.

10 Simply 

Outstanding

Each year, the 119th Wing recognizes 

the “best of the best” from within 

its ranks. Read about the Happy 

Hooligans’ Outstanding Airmen of 

the Year, who are recognized for their 

contributions as military members 

and also for their passion for serving 

others. The winners were recognized 

in March by Gov. Doug Burgum.

Photo by Sgt. Ashley Johlfs, 

116th Public Affairs Detachment

8 Thank You,

Bottineau

N.D. Army National Guard Soldiers 

have trained and worked inside the 

armory in Bottineau, North Dakota, 

for more than seven decades. Force 

structure reductions and budget 

constraints, however, prompted 

the organization’s divestment from 

the facility. In February, the city’s 

Guardsmen reported for one final 

formation.

18 At the Head

of the Class

The 164th Regiment Regional 

Training Institute provides the 

best possible training to Soldiers 

throughout the state and across the 

country. For its fourth evaluation 

cycle in a row, the cadre and staff 

there have earned “Institute of 

Excellence” status from the U.S. 

Training and Doctrine Command.
F Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann

VIEW FROM THE TOP

A MESSAGE FROM THE ADJUTANT GENERAL

Thank you, Guard Family

First and foremost, I want to say 

“thank you” to our Airmen, Soldiers, their 

families and employers for the incredible 

support you all have provided to our state 

and Morton County, in particular, during 

the recent pipeline protest there. I know 

we have asked a lot of our members and 

those who support them over the past 

seven months. 

This extended period of state active 

duty was like no other domestic response 

operation we’ve ever experienced. We 

have fought floods, fires, tornadoes and 

other natural disasters, but we have 

never had to contend with civil unrest 

in a rural setting for such an extended 

period of time. You have met face-to-face 

with some of the protestor groups, and 

have stood side-by-side with our local 

law enforcement officers. You have kept 

the peace and protected the citizens of 

Bismarck and Mandan and throughout 

southern Morton County. Your training 

and experience were crucial to the 

success of this operation. You endured 

harsh weather, a difficult operational 

environment and, in some cases, personal 

attacks against you and your families. 

Despite all of this, you have continually 

maintained your professionalism. 

Our first unit activated for state active 

duty responded in September. Since 

then, nearly 1,500 of you have reported 

to support law enforcement. You did so 

while leaving your jobs, school and your 

family. You were asked to perform duties 

you have never done. No other profession 

has been trusted to perform duties of this 

kind, and you have performed them with 

such expertise. 

In addition to state active duty, the 

North Dakota National Guard has 

mobilized for missions abroad this year. 

Currently, 70 Soldiers with the 136th 

Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 

are conducting logistical operations 

and providing command and control 

for assigned units in Afghanistan. Also, 

about 250 Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 

188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment are 

at Fort Bliss, Texas, preparing for their 

mission to protect the airspace around the 

National Capital Region in Washington, 

D.C. Additionally, about 150 Airmen 

from the 119th Wing are getting set to 

deploy to locations around the world. 

This will be the third largest deployment 

for the N.D. National Guard since the 

Global War on Terrorism began. For the 

N.D. Air National Guard, it is the largest 

number of Airmen it has mobilized at one 

time. 

As we move into the spring and 

summer months, we continue to 

strengthen and celebrate relationships 

within our communities. Many of us will 

be present at Memorial Day, Flag Day 

and Independence Day celebrations across 

our state — some of which are being 

planned now. 

We also will say “thank you and 

farewell” to a handful of cities who 

have supported the National Guard 

for decades. As you know, some of our 

units have divested from these locations 

due to budget constraints and changing 

operational needs. In February, we 

conducted our closing ceremony in 

Bottineau, which you can read about on 

page 8. The city was so kind and gracious 

in light of the bad news and hosted a 

parade, a community closing ceremony 

and a free lunch for N.D. National Guard 

members and the community. It was an 

amazing closing to our 70-year history in 

Bottineau.

By the time this issue of the North 

Dakota Guardian goes to print, we will 

have completed this year’s legislative 

session. While our budget likely will be 

cut by approximately 15 percent, I am 

confident that we will be able to maintain 

our Soldier, Airmen, family, and survivor 

support programs. With that said, we have 

had to make some cuts. The Bismarck 

Military Service Center (MSC) closed 

in January, however all personnel and 

services remain in place and are accessible 

at the Raymond J. Bohn Armory. We’ve 

also been forced to make some cuts to our 

reintegration programs, but are confident 

we can gain efficiency through our ND 

Cares program to not only maintain 

reintegration initiatives, but enhance 

them.

My No. 1 priority remains readiness, 

but to achieve our readiness objectives, we 

must continue to take care of our people 

and get more of our state’s youth onto this 

incredible team. I am incredibly proud of 

your accomplishments and am honored to 

serve side-by-side with you. 

Photo by Sgt. Erin Walters, 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

A North Dakota Guardsman monitors activity Jan. 27 near the oil 

pipeline protest camps established in southern Morton County. 

Nearly 1,500 Airmen and Soldiers served on state active duty 

between September 2016 to April 2017 to assist law enforcement 

in maintaining public safety during the protest events.

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 3
A visit with the new 119th wing commander

Moving Forward

Col. Thomas “Britt” Hatley addresses 

119th Wing unit members for the first 

time as their commander Feb. 4 during a 

change of command ceremony. 

The North Dakota Air National Guard 

welcomed its newest 119th Wing commander 

Feb. 4 during a change of command ceremony 

in front of an audience of family members, distinguished senior military leaders and civilian 

guests in Fargo, North Dakota.

Col. Thomas “Britt” Hatley assumed duties 

as the 119th Wing commander from Col. Kent 

Olson, who has served in the position since 

2013. Olson soon will retire with more than 

36 years of service in the N.D. Air National 

Guard.

Hatley is the first non-native Hooligan to 

lead North Dakota’s Airmen. He recently sat 

down with Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, 

119th Wing public affairs superindendent and 

North Dakota Guardian contributor, to discuss 

his background, thoughts on becoming a Happy 

Hooligan and his vision for the future of the 

N.D. Air National Guard.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your 

background and where you grew up?

A: I am originally from Asheville, North 

Carolina, but I’ve lived a number of places. 

My dad worked for Ford Motor Company 

for 32 years, so we moved quite a bit for his 

work, primarily throughout the south and 

midwest.

I attended college at Louisiana Tech 

University in Ruston, Louisiana, where I 

participated in Reserve Officers’ Training 

Corps (ROTC). After commissioning, I 

attended pilot training at Vance Air Force 

Base in Enid, Oklahoma, and embarked on 

my Air Force career from there. My in-laws 

live in Hampton, Virginia. My father-in-law 

is a retired Air Force senior noncommissioned officer and my parents reside outside 

Charlotte, North Carolina, so that is home 

now.

I spent 10 1⁄2 years on active duty and the 

majority of my career in the Air National 

Guard. I have been a drill status Guardsman, Title 32 federal technician, and both a 

Title 10 and Title 32 Active Guard Reserve 

(AGR) member. So I’ve had the unique opportunity to view the total force from many 

perspectives.

Q: Was there something that inspired 

you to go into the military and helped guide 

your career path?

A: Both my grandfather and father 

served in the military. My grandfather 

joined the U.S. Army in 1938 and served in 

the Pacific during World War II, whereas 

4 · Guardian · spring 2017
Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant general, right, congratulates Col. Thomas 

“Britt” Hatley on becoming the 119th Wing’s newest commander Feb. 4 during a change 

of command ceremony at the North Dakota Air National Guard base in Fargo. Outgoing 

Commander Col. Kent Olson, left, soon will retire after more than 36 years of service in the 

N.D. Air National Guard.

my father served in the Air Force in the early 1960s. So their stories 

shaped my thoughts on service to the nation. Additionally, since I 

was knee-high, I aspired to fly airplanes. Finally, my involvement in 

ROTC really peaked my interest in the leadership aspect of service.

Q: What aircraft have you flown in the military?

A:After pilot training, I flew the B-52H at Barksdale Air Force 

Base, Louisiana, for three years. During my time there, I was very 

fortunate to be selected to fly the B-2A Stealth Bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Upon leaving active duty and joining 

the Air National Guard, I flew commercially for Continental 

Airlines. After an intervening period of two years, I returned to 

flying in the Air National Guard when the 131st Fighter Wing in 

St Louis, Missouri, transitioned to a B-2A classic associate mission with the active-duty 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman. Joining 

the 131st Fighter Wing, at the time, was my first exposure to the 

challenges arising from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure 

(BRAC). Needless to say, the challenges were many and those lessons learned remain with me today. 

Q: What do you think about this opportunity to command the 

119th Wing?

A: I am honored and awed, to be quite blunt. When I was 

initially approached about the opportunity in Fargo, I immediately 

knew it was the Happy Hooligans. Your name precedes you. In my 

time in the Air Force and as a Guardsman, I had learned of the 

Happy Hooligans for two reasons: from their past accolades and 

also from their involvement in the 2005 BRAC. Recall, I came from 

a unit also affected by the 2005 BRAC, so I empathized with many 

of the challenges and frustrations experienced within the Wing and 

the larger Air National Guard. 

In short, to be asked to lead such an outstanding organization 

was very flattering. I was also keenly sensitive that I would be the 

first non-homegrown Hooligan to lead the Wing. However, the 

Hooligans have been exceedingly gracious in welcoming me and my 

family, which has been a wonderful experience.

Q: What are your short-term priorities for the Wing?

A: Let’s start off with how I view the world in my job as the 

119th Wing commander. We have one moral obligation, and that 

is to ensure our Airmen are organized, trained and equipped to 

succeed. That means taking care of the members and their families, 

whether at home or deployed, and to ensure they re-acclimate upon 

their return. My philosophy is, really, to go slow to go fast. What 

that means is we are not trying to fix something that’s not broken. 

Rather, we want to build upon the success of our predecessors. To 

that end, I am looking at a ‘four-plus-one line of effort.’ 

One, we must take care of the Hooligans deploying this spring 

and summer. This is the largest deployment for the unit in many 

years. So, we want to ensure we properly train and equip our Airmen to get out the door, successfully do the job and return home 

safely while also taking care of their families while they are deployed. 

Secondly, we want to successfully bed down the MQ-9 Reaper 

and begin local flying operations in Fargo. This is an important 

event for the 119th Wing as this is the first time in four years we 

have had local flying in Fargo. This is significant to the unit and the 

community of Fargo, to see airplanes flying here again.

Third, ensure our Intelligence Group meets the full operational 

capability (FOC) benchmark in fiscal year 2018. This is an incredible mission, both in the kinetic and non-kinetic targeting intelligence realm. This postures the 119th Wing to support combatant 

commanders around the world. Incidentally, the Intelligence Group 

is moving into a brand new facility later this year, and this will go a 

long way in meeting the FOC benchmark. (Continued on page 6)

Photos by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 119th Wing

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 5
Top left, Col. Thomas “Britt” Hatley, 119th Wing commander, left, stands with North Dakota 

Air National Guard Company-Grade Officer of the Year 1st Lt. Kali Lettenmaier, center, and 

Field-Grade Officer of the Year Maj. Lee Teigen March 19 as they are recognized at the 2017 

Roughrider Conference held at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck, North Dakota. Above, Hatley 

addresses attendees March 4 at the annual 119th Wing Enlisted Banquet at the Hilton Garden 

Inn, Fargo.

(... continued from page 5) Fourth, we want to successfully tackle 

our Capstone inspection in 2018. The last inspection of this size was 

in 2013. We want to show Air Combat Command the incredible 

job we do day-in-and-day-out. The Hooligans have a great tradition of crushing every opportunity put in front of them and I am 

completely confident we will do the same in this inspection.

The ‘plus one’ that courses through every line of effort, is meeting TAG’s (Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, the North Dakota adjutant 

general) 100 percent recruiting goal. We want to make sure we get 

the right people in the right jobs to ensure the success of the Hooligan family moving forward. Our retention rate has always been 

impressive. But as members retire, we need to continue bringing in 

the youth of Fargo and surrounding communities and show them 

the great things we do here. These young men and women (who 

join) are doing something the vast majority of their peers are not 

doing, and that is signing up for something far bigger than themselves. I want to impress upon them how much that means to me. I 

am proud of them for taking the opportunity to join us. We have an 

excellent record of bringing in talent, providing world class training 

and setting Airmen up for success at home and abroad.

Q: What would you like your legacy to be as the Wing commander?

A: Meeting the objectives I talked about in the ‘four-plus-one 

lines of effort.’ The next two years are significant in our history 

because we are effectively turning the page on another great chapter 

of Hooligan history. With the precision attack and reconnaissance mission, we have been continuously operating in a combat 

environment for the past 10 years, and we don’t see that stopping 

anytime soon. But I think the challenges in front of us with a brand 

new airplane, locally flying that airplane, deploying more than 100 

members, getting a new mission up on its feet (119 Intelligence 

Surveillance Reconnaissance Group), and meeting our inspection 

commitment, provide an opportunity to make a significant mark on 

the newest chapter in the unit’s history.

Q: Do you have any advice for unit members to help them with 

their career success within the 119th Wing and the military, in 

general?

A:Always seek out opportunities to excel. If you fall short, that’s 

where the learning happens. But never give up. Also, if there is one 

thing I have learned since arriving in Fargo, it is the ‘Hooligan Way.’ 

The ‘Hooligan Way’ means taking the initiative to improve things 

and never settling for someone else to fix your problems for you. 

That resilience is baked into every member when they walk through 

the doors of the 119th Wing. 

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 119th Wing

Photo by Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

6 · Guardian · spring 2017
A virtual command and control exercise, the Warfighter 

Exercise is designed to test and evaluate a headquarters 

reaction and methods of battle pertaining to its management 

and execution abilities. On the surface, you see the actions 

of the various warfighting functions, such as movement and 

maneuver, fire support, intelligence, sustainment, command 

and control and protection. What you don’t always see 

is the most vital piece of this complex strategic puzzle: 

communications.

The 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, based in Fargo, 

North Dakota, along with its organic entity, the 426th Signal 

Company, is home to the largest group of technically and 

tactically proficient communications specialists in the state, 

otherwise known as the S6. Warfighter exercise venues, over 

the last few years, including at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 

in 2014, have served as proving grounds for the section to 

improve upon its operations. 

Occasionally overlooked, the brigade S6 section is the 

power behind the operations. It combines an automation, 

network operation, combat net radio, and communication 

security section under one consolidated communications shop 

and is led by Maj. Justin Abel, the brigade S6 officer. 

“This small team has the capabilities of an internet service 

provider, cable, telephone, and a power company combined 

in a highly mobile tactical form. I am fortunate to work with 

such a highly skilled team” Abel said. 

With several military occupational 

specialties, each member of 

the team is an integral part of 

how information is relayed, unencrypted and connected to create 

the Command Post of the Future 

(CPOF), a software system that 

allows the warfighting functions to 

complete their operations. 

“It is a very complex situation; if one piece of the puzzle 

doesn’t fit right, the entire operation doesn’t function,” said 

Staff Sgt. James Opitz, senior nodal network systems operator.

The amount of time, energy, knowledge and dedication 

that goes into setting up the communications system for 

a brigade Warfighter exercise is often taken for granted. 

Network operations teams need to be able to establish a highspeed, wide-area network capability for secure voice, video 

and data information to be relayed to a tactical operations 

center. A satellite transport terminal is set up and operated 

by a satellite communications system operator/maintainer, 

who maintains overall responsibility for ensuring that the 

lines of communication remain up and running. A cable 

systems installer/maintainer ensures that the fiber optic 

cables are connected to the associated equipment and also 

is able to install, repair and maintain the cable for essential 

communication systems and circuit groups. Then, a nodal 

network systems operator brings the signal from the satellite 

and ensures that internet capabilities are available to the 

operations center.

Once connectivity is established, a military information 

technology specialist is responsible for maintaining the 

functionality of the network, servers and end-user computers 

to provide capabilities, such as e-mail, collaboration, file 

storage and back-up protection, and also works to establish 

the CPOF. A cyber network defender then ensures 

compliance and detects and protects against unauthorized 

activity on the domain. They specialize in anti-virus software 

and are able to analyze and respond to cyberattacks. 

The cornerstone of movement and maneuver is the combat 

net radio, which creates a web of communication linking 

personnel on the ground with their closest command. A 

signal support systems specialist also assists and is a subject 

matter expert specializing in radio systems, spanning the 

electromagnetic spectrum from high frequency to ultra-high 

frequency. They work to coordinate programming of the 

radios, establish antennas and ensure quality transmission 

to make sure this form of combat communications runs 

seamlessly. In conjunction, an electromagnetic spectrum 

manager is responsible for requesting and allocating the 

frequencies utilized by all the signal equipment.

It takes a team of specialized experts who can work 

together to complete these vital tasks. 

Staying Connected: 141st MEB’s Communication section

Vital during Command and Control Exercises

Story and photo by Sgt. Erin Walters, 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

OF THE QUARTER

Sgt. Jared Munoz, a satellite communications system operator with the 426th Signal 

Company sets up a satellite transport terminal Dec. 2, 2016, during a communications 

exercise with the 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

Are you a Unit Public Affairs Representative (UPAR)? Submit your stories and photos to the N.D. Guardian! Email 

Microsoft Word documents or PDFs and high-resolution photos to 2nd Lt. Jennifer Joyce at jennifer.m.joyce2.mil@mail.

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 7
Final

Members of the North Dakota 

National Guard and residents of 

Bottineau, North Dakota, gathered 

together Feb. 20 to celebrate 75 years of 

partnership. Due to budget constraints and 

forces structure reductions, National Guard 

units have been faced with divesting from a 

number of active armories, one of which was 

in Bottineau. The community and Soldiers 

who served there met for a final formation 

to bid one another farewell.

Since 1940, Bottineau has hosted an 

array of National Guard units with ranks 

comprised of multiple Soldier specialties, 

from infantrymen and engineers to medical 

personnel and, most recently, water purification specialists with Detachment 1 of the 

132nd Quartermaster Company. Soldiers 

assigned to Bottineau have served there 

during World War II, the Korean War, Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. 

 The final formation festivities began with 

a parade featuring N.D. National Guard 

Soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, 

North Dakota adjutant general, and Brig. 

Gen. Robert Fode, N.D. National Guard 

Army Component commander. Members 

of the community also were included, along 

with Bottineau Mayor Ben Auffoth. After 

the parade, attendees met at the armory 

building for a brief ceremony, with Auffoth 

and Dohrmann rendering remarks. Sgt. 

1st Class Charles Votava, former readiness 

noncommissioned officer for the 132nd 

North Dakota Soldiers Bid Farewell to Bottineau

Quartermaster Company, then read the history of the units that were assigned to the 

armory. After the reading, anyone that had 

ever been assigned to a unit stationed at the 

Bottineau armory was invited to participate 

in a mass formation on the drill floor under 

the leadership of 1st Sgt. Joseph Wesson, 

also of the 132nd Quartermaster Company. 

After the mass formation was established, 

Capt. Renee O’Connor, 132nd Quartermaster Company commander, and Wesson had 

the honor of casing their unit’s colors. This 

is a long-held military tradition signifying 

the end of a unit’s service to the military. 

The flag retirement and mass formation 

constituted the last official military acts in 

the Bottineau armory. 

“Holding a final formation comprised of 

current North Dakota Guard Soldiers, as 

well as veterans who once served in units 

assigned to the Bottineau armory, was a 

proper way to honor the more than 70 years 

of partnership between the city of Bottineau 

and the National Guard,” Fode said. “It was 

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant general, left, presents a plaque Feb. 20 to Bottineau Mayor Ben Aufforth, which 

commemorates the more than 70-year partnership between the Bottineau community and the North Dakota Army National Guard. 

The organization’s units divested from the city’s armory this year due to budget contraints and force structure reductions.

By Mr. Bill Prokopyk,

N.D. National Guard Public Affairs Office

Formation Formation

8 · Guardian · spring 2017
generations of Soldiers fill the ranks to contribute to this ceremony. 

This was truly a humbling experience.”

Due to drawdown in force structure in 2016, the N.D. Army 

National Guard was experienced a reduction in force and is positioned to lose up to seven units comprised of approximately 300 

positions by the end of the 2017 fiscal year. This is not unique to 

North Dakota. National Guard units across the country have been 

met by similar challenges in their communities. 

The N.D. Army National Guard previously had an authorized 

force structure of 3,400 Soldiers. Currently, its membership is just 

under 3,000. Because of the changes in force structure, the organization’s new authorized end strength is 3,080 Soldiers. 

Other North Dakota cities that will face a loss of their local units 

include: Carrington, Grafton, Mayville, Mott and Rugby. Other 

cities that previously lost units are Cavalier, Hazen, Hettinger and 

Oakes. 

Left, Brig. Gen. Robert Fode, N.D. National 

Guard Army Component commander 

(saluting), takes command of the “final 

formation” at the Bottineau armory from 

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota 

adjutant general, right. The formation 

was open to all veterans in attendance 

who had served in the Bottineau armory 

during their military service. Bottom 

left, Capt. Renee O’Connor, 132nd 

Quartermaster Company commander, 

and 1st Sgt. Joseph Wesson, also of the 

132nd Quartermaster Company, case their 

unit’s colors during the final formation 

in Bottineau. This gesture signified the 

official divesture of the unit, which was 

the last to serve in the Bottineau armory. 

Bottom right, an honorary Color Guard 

begins the community celebration in 

Bottineau to commemorate the more than 

70 years of partnership between the city 

and the N.D. Army National Guard.

truly inspirational to witness the level of support displayed by this 

community for their Guard Soldiers during this final formation and 

over the decades.”

During the ceremonies, Dohrmann recognized the oldest and 

youngest veterans in attendance. The honor of being the oldest was 

Gerald Sanderson, 97, a World War II Veteran, while the youngest Soldier present was Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Cadet Ty 

Domben. Also honored were four Korean War Veterans: Curtis 

Nelson, Audrin Larson, Earl Thompson and Ted Ambsbaugh. 

“It was wonderful to see such community involvement during 

the ceremony regarding the last formation at the Bottineau armory. 

The armory has a rich history with the National Guard and its 

lineage and history spans many generations with decades of service,” 

Wesson said. “It was a pleasure to have served with this unit and to 

witness so many prior Soldiers participate in the final formation. It 

was truly an honor to give the command to ‘fall in’ and see so many 

Photos by Maj. Amber Balken, Joint Force Headquarters

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 9
Story and photos by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp,

119th Wing

T

he North Dakota Air National Guard, 

known as the “Happy Hooligans,” 

recognized the organization’s top 

noncommissioned officers and unit 

members March 4 during its 2016 

Outstanding Airman of Year banquet at the 

Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo, North Dakota. 

Fifteen Airmen were nominated for the 

award based on their military and civic 

service throughout 2016. Three winners 

walked away with the titles of Outstanding 

Airman of the Year, Outstanding 

Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and 

Outstanding Senior Noncommissioned 

Officer of the Year.

The N.D. Army National Guard’s 188th 

Army Band provided entertainment during 

the banquet, and a number of distinguished 

guests, including North Dakota Gov. Doug 

Burgum, and senior N.D. Air National 

Guard leaders rendered remarks.

“I want to say to each of you, that you 

bring honor to our state and to our nation 

through your valor and through your 

commitment. You’re warriors of the highest 

order. I’m incredibly proud to serve as your 

commander-in-chief,” Burgum told the 

Airmen during the event.

After his remarks, Burgum and N.D. Air National Guard senior leaders presented 

awards to Tech. Sgt. Jeremiah Colbert and Senior Master Sgt. Rollie Swedberg. Colbert was 

named the Career Advisor of the Year for his individual efforts and achievement with unit 

retention and career motivation program management. Swedberg was named First Sergeant 

of the Year, which recognizes the important contributions and leadership qualities exhibited 

by first sergeants in the U.S. Air Force.

“These Airmen are truly the best of the best,” said Brig. Gen. Ron Solberg, assistant 

adjutant general — Air. “You don’t win 18 Air Force OutstandingUnit awards without 

having superb, professional and competent Airmen at every level, in every squadron, 

throughout the entire organization.” 

The official award presentation followed, honoring the three Outstanding Airmen of the 

Year winners: Airman 1st Class Ashley Laine was named Outstanding Airman of the Year; 

Tech. Sgt. Dylan Lorenzen was recognized as the Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer 

of the Year; and Master Sgt. Merri Jo “MJ” Filloon was named the Outstanding Senior 

Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

Airman 1st Class Ashley Laine joined the N.D. Air National Guard in August 

2014. She serves as a fusion analyst with the 177th Intelligence Squadron.

Laine was raised in Osage, Minnesota, and attended Frazee High School. 

She lives in Fargo where she attends North Dakota State University, 

pursuing a degree in nursing. She also volunteers her time with the 

Minnesota Autism Association, Habitat for Humanity and is involved with 

the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society.

The Best of the Best

Happy Hooligans Name 

Outstanding Airmen of the Year

Airman 1st Class 

Ashley Laine

10 · Guardian · Spring 2017
Gov. Doug Burgum shakes hands with Senior Master Sgt. Rollie Swedberg, and presents him the 

N.D. Air National Guard First Sergeant of the Year award during the 119th Wing’s annual unit 

Enlisted Recognition Banquet. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum shakes hands with Master Sgt. Theopolis Toliver, of the 219th 

Security Forces Squadron, Minot, Air Force Base. Burgum presented Tollver a recognition coin 

March 4 for being a candidate for North Dakota Air National Guard Senior Noncommissioned 

Officer of the Year at the annual unit Enlisted Recognition Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 

Fargo. It is the first time a North Dakota governor has given a coin from the governor’s office to 

a state National Guard member during the recognition banquet.

Staff Sgt. Dylan Lorenzen enlisted into the N.D. Air National Guard in September 2010. He 

began his military career as a mission intelligence coordinator with the 178th Reconnaissance Squadron. He currently serves as a full-time network warfare analyst within the 177th 

Intelligence Squadron.

Lorenzen grew up and attended high school in Glyndon, Minnesota. He later attended the 

University of Mary in Bismarck where he earned a business administration degree.

Lorenzen lives in Moorhead, Minnesota, and volunteers his time with the Lake Agassiz 

Habitat for Humanity, Homeward Animal Shelter, Special Olympics of North Dakota and the 

Air Force Association Cyber Patriot program. He also volunteers as a wrestling coach and is 

an active member of the North Dakota State Bison Wrestling Club. He’s involved with the 

Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the U.S. (EANGUS) and InfraGard.

Staff. Sgt. 

Dylan Lorenzen

Master Sgt. Merri Jo “MJ” Filloon began her military service in February 1990 when she 

enlisted in the N.D. Army National Guard. After nine years, she transferred to the N.D. 

Air National Guard. Currently, she is a Recruiting and Retention manager within the 

Force Support Squadron of the 119th Wing. Filloon was raised in Bismarck and attended 

Bismarck High School. Later, she attended Bismarck State College and North Dakota 

State University where she majored in accounting and business.

Filloon resides in West Fargo, North Dakota, with her husband and their three children. 

She is active in youth programs at her church and is involved with a number of other 

organizations, including the Combined Federal Campaign, Wounded Warrior Project, 

Compassion International and Feed My Starving Children.

Master Sgt. 

Merri Jo "MJ" Filloon

See More Photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/NDGuard

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 11
Holding the L

Airmen and Soldiers Called to State 

to support law enforcement in mort

12 · Guardian · spring 2017
A

A 7-months-long mission came to a close on April 15 for members of the North Dakota 

National Guard. Beginning Sept. 7, 2016, nearly 1,500 Soldiers and Airmen supported law 

enforcement on state active duty during the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest. 

The protest activity began last April with a peaceful, sit-in-style protest along highway 

1806 in Morton County. Later, in August, a call went out nationwide from protest organizers asking for more support, and for people to gather along the oil pipeline route in North 

Dakota. That call increased the movement from a dozen people to a couple thousand and 

swelled even further in coming months. Law enforcement personnel from across the state 

reported to Mandan, North Dakota, to support the Morton County Sheriff ’s Department, 

the lead agency for the protest response. By the middle of August, it was evident that it 

would take more than just law enforcement to maintain safety. 

Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple issued an emergency declaration on Aug. 19, 2016, initiating the emergency operations plan, which allowed the N.D. Department of Emergency 

Services to begin work. Initially, the N.D. National Guard was not requested for assistance. 

“There were a number of historical and political reasons not to call on the Guard,” said 

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant general. 

However on Sept. 7, that call came from the governor, and North Dakota’s Soldiers and 

Airmen responded to support law enforcement and augment public safety efforts, in light of 

the Dakota Access Pipeline protest’s growing numbers. 

“Because of the increased and prolonged need for law enforcement resources, I have 

asked Maj. Gen. Dohrmann to make available some North Dakota National Guard personnel to support law enforcement and augment their public safety efforts,” Dalrymple said in 

September. “By helping in these support roles, we can free up more officers for enhanced 

patrols and calls for assistance. The Guard members will provide valuable personnel, resources and equipment necessary to support local, tribal and state officials.”

Line

Left, Soldiers from the 191st Military Police (MP) Company train fellow Guardsmen Nov. 30, 2016, on crowd and riot control 

techniques at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Bismarck. North Dakota Guardsmen supported local law enforcement for more 

than 7 months during an oil pipeline protest in southern Morton County. The training with the MPs was designed to simulate 

activities Soldiers and Airmen may have had to contend with during protest events. Below, Capt. Corey Schumacher, of 68th Troop 

Command, left, confers with Sheriff Paul Laney, right, and Sgt. Carrie Gress, both of the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, to 

discuss the day’s operations on Dec. 2, 2016 at the forward operating base established at Fort Rice . The N.D. National Guard and 

local law enforcement agencies integrated and worked together to ensure no major injuries occurred during the Dakota Access 

Pipeline protest activities. 

 Active Duty 

ton county

By Maj. Amber Balken, 

Joint Force Headquarters

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 119th Wing

Photo by Sgt. Ashley Johlfs, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 13
The mission started with about two dozen Soldiers from the 

191st Military Police (MP) Company, who aided law enforcement 

by manning traffic information points and conducting morale and 

welfare checks with local ranchers and residents in the community. 

As the protest activity grew, and the numbers of protestors increased, the need for even more Guardsmen was evident. With the 

additional forces, the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s roles and responsibilities changed, as well. Guard members performed maintenance at 

and took day-to-day operational control of a forward operating base 

established at Fort Rice (about 5 miles north of the main protest 

campsite). There, they provided security at observation posts and 

prepared for crowd control operations. 

Crowd control was a new task for most members of the N.D. 

National Guard. Before performing these duties, the Soldiers and 

Airmen went through four days of extensive training provided by 

the 191st MPs. 

“This was my first experience with CRC (crowd and riot control),” said Spc. Matthew Aberle, 815th Engineer Company (Horizontal). “We were trained by the MPs for four days, and I thought it 

was great; very realistic, and they showed us some stuff we might see 

on the line (responding for crowd control).”

Dohrmann said conducting that type of training and then performing during a state response was unique to the National Guard. 

“This solidifies the community’s trust in the National Guard. 

We are a profession of arms and we proved that during this protest 

activity,” he said. 

Once their training was complete, the Soldiers and Airmen were 

asked to integrate with multiple law enforcement and state agencies. More than 50 different state and federal agencies, to include 

support from outside state agencies, were involved in the protest 

response. 

Maj. Amber Balken, N.D. National Guard public information officer, briefs media representatives 

Dec. 5, 2016, before a press conference with Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant 

general. Hundreds of media outlets from around the world, nation and region covered the events 

in southern Morton County while the N.D. National Guard was called to state active duty. 

Photos by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 119th Wing

14 · Guardian · spring 2017

State Active Duty

By the #s

(From Sept. 7, 2017 - April 15, 2017)

• Nearly 1,500 Soldiers and 

Airmen activated for state active 

duty.

• About 50,000 work day 

(calendar days multiplied by 

number of Guardsmen on duty 

for each specific day).

• 136 students left class to 

respond for state active duty.

• 31 was the average age of the 

Guardsmen on state active duty.

• The Guard members hailed 

from 159 cities and towns in 

North Dakota, as well as 9 other 

states. 

• Total cost of the National 

Guard’s response was nearly 

$9M.
“It was challenging at first; we do things 

a little differently,” said Sgt. Douglas Eagon, 

1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery 

Regiment. “For a lot of us, this is the first 

time that we have worked with different 

agencies. I have really learned a lot working with them, and they have learned a lot 

about us and our procedures, and it has been 

a very easy transition.” 

Unlike other state active duty missions, 

like flood or wildfire response, the Soldiers 

and Airmen were faced with a small population that didn’t agree with their presence at 

the protests. This was the first time that the 

N.D. National Guard has served in this type 

of capacity, and not everyone supported its 

activation. 

“This was a unique state active duty 

experience, unlike flood fights. Not everyone 

we came in contact with was happy that we 

were on duty,” said Lt. Col. Tad Schauer, 

219th Security Forces Squadron commander. 

“This was a new experience for us. Our 

Airmen and Soldiers conducted themselves 

with great restraint, respect and professionalism.”

Guardsmen and law enforcement personnel became targets of “doxing”— an 

Internet-based practice of researching and 

broadcasting personally identifiable information about an individual. Personal and 

family information was gathered by certain 

members of the protest movement and 

placed on public websites in order to intimidate the officers and service members.

“What is hard about this situation is that 

we are here to protect the protestors also. 

And at the same time, they want to stop 

that pipeline, so they don’t care who is here 

to protect them,” Eagon said while on state 

active duty. 

Eventually, the doxing morphed into 

personal attacks on social media, as well as 

stalking incidents in the Bismarck-Mandan 

area.

“After our third day here, we got back to 

our hotel and there were people videotaping 

and trying to get us to say something bad. 

They were harassing us, but we all maintained composure and were polite,” Aberle 

said. “I believe it turned out to be a pretty 

positive encounter.” 

Some Guardsmen experienced those 

threats with members of their family. Airman 1st Class Ty Haaland began working 

for the Department of Emergency Services 

(DES) prior to coming on state active duty 

with the 219th Security Forces Squadron. 

He also is a member of a law enforcement 

family. 

“My step-dad is in the (North Dakota) 

Highway Patrol and he’s been involved since 

the very beginning, so I saw the impacts 

right away,” he said. “Working with DES, 

I was able to be involved with the protest 

response before I went on state active duty, 

which helped when I was pulling security 

cover over Christmas and New Year’s.” 

Haaland said his family did deal with 

threats toward law enforcement, and that he 

and his step-dad put in long work days for 

nearly seven months, but mentioned that 

the support of the community through the 

event was outstanding. 

“I was coming home from work (in November), driving over the Memorial Bridge 

(in Bismarck) and the sides of the bridge 

were filled with community members supporting law enforcement and the Guard,” 

he said. “They had signs and flags and were 

waving at everyone crossing the bridge. It 

was nice to know that we weren’t forgotten 

about.” 

Throughout the protest response mission, North Dakota senior elected leaders 

expressed their appreciation for the N.D. 

National Guard’s support.

“The Guard played a critical role in 

maintaining safety and supporting Morton 

County during the Dakota Access Pipeline 

protests,” said Cody Schulz, Morton County 

Commission chairman. “Their dedication 

and professionalism was instrumental in ensuring there were no major injuries during 

the seven-month protest period. On behalf 

of the citizens of Morton County, thank you 

for your service to our nation, to our state, 

and to our county.”

Left, a Guardsmen speaks with media representatives Dec. 8, 

2016, while at the forward operating base at Fort Rice. Many 

Airmen and Soldiers served on state active duty through the 

winter months with temperatures sometimes dipping to 

minus 20 degrees. Right, a Soldier with the 141st Maneuver 

Enhancement Brigade fuels a vehicle at Fort Rice. 

Lt. Col. Tad Schauer, 219th 

Security Forces Squadron 

commander, delvers meals 

Dec. 5, 2016, to Soldiers and 

Airmen who were serving on 

state active duty. 

Photo by Sgt. Erin Walters, 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 119th Wing

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 15
Story and photos by Sgt. Brandi Schmidt,

116th Public Affairs Detachment

Family and friends gathered at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex March 9 in Fargo, North Dakota, to honor Soldiers deploying for a mission to the National Capital 

Region in Washington, D.C. More than 200 members of the 1st

Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery (1-188th ADA) Regiment 

will collaborate with other Department of Defense agencies as part 

of the integrated air defense system designed to protect the airspace 

there by contributing to Operation Noble Eagle.

“These Soldiers are answering the call from their country and 

their state,” said Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant 

general. “After an extended period on state active duty (supporting 

law enforcement in southern Morton County), they are still giving 

it their all with a yearlong deployment.” 

This is the 1-188th ADA’s 11th deployment since 2004, which 

makes it the most-deployed unit in the North Dakota National 

Guard. It also is the second time the 1-188th ADA has supported 

the Operation Noble Eagle mission, having deployed to Washington, D.C., once before from July 2013 to April 2014.

The “Send-Off Ceremony” began when the unit received the 

Superior Unit Award, which was presented to Col. Jon Erickson 

and Sgt. Maj. Wallace Keller, who led the unit on their first mission 

to the National Capital Region in 2013. Maj. Gen. Glenn Bramhall, 

commanding officer for the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense 

Command, presented the award on behalf of the Department of the 

Army. 

Bramhall said the criteria for a unit to be considered for this 

award is lengthy and earning it is a prestigious recognition. 

The 1-188th ADA Soldiers mobilizing for the forthcoming National Capital Region mission will be led by Lt. Col. JoDee Aubol, 

of West Fargo, North Dakota, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Entzel, of Bismarck, North Dakota, the unit’s senior enlisted leader.

“The talent, commitment and dedication of this group is second 

to none,” Aubol said. “There is a lot of expertise to be taken from 

the 85 Soldiers who are on their second rotation for this specific 

mission. I have no doubt we are ready to answer the call to protect 

the nation, if the situation arises.” 

A North Dakota state flag was presented to Aubol and Entzel 

from Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford during the ceremony. Other flags 

also were presented, including the United States flag from North 

Dakota’s congressional representatives and a North Dakota Patriot 

Guard flag. 

Farewell and Best Wishes

Air DefenseSoldiers Departfor Washington, D.C., Mission

16 · Guardian · spring 2017
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 

188th Air Defense Artillery 

Regiment were inducted into 

the Honorable Order of Saint 

Barbara Dec. 4 during the 

unit’s second Saint Barbara’s 

Day Ball at the Alerus Center in 

Grand Forks. The recognition 

is given to those who have 

demonstrated the highest 

standards of integrity and 

moral character, displayed 

an outstanding degree of 

professional competence, 

served the artillery with 

selflessness and contributed to 

the promotion of the artillery 

branch. 

Above left, Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant 

general, left, and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, right, present a 

North Dakota flag to Lt. Col. JoDee Aubol, commander for the 

1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artilllery Regiment’s National 

Capital Region mission, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua 

Entzel, senior enlisted leader, during the unit’s “Send-Off 

Ceremony.” Second from left, Spc. Nicholas Breazile spends 

some moments with his child during the ceremony. Second 

from right, Chaplain (Capt.) Yacob Makkonen, left, the unit’s 

chaplain, spends some time in prayer with Chaplain (Col.) 

David Johnson, N.D. National Guard staff chaplain. Right, Spc. 

Hudson McHenry embraces his family during the day’s events 

March 9 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“We just want to get rolling,” Entzel 

said. “We’re excited to do this again, but we 

know we couldn’t do this without the support from our families.” 

North Dakota is among five states that 

will participate in the National Capitol 

Region rotation. The 1-188th ADA is headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota, 

with units in Bismarck and Fargo, although 

the deploying Soldiers hail from communities across North Dakota, as well as cities 

in Minnesota, California, Nebraska and 

Wisconsin.

A greeting from U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer 

was read by his aide during the ceremony 

and video messages from Sen. John Hoeven and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp were played 

for the audience. Each of North Dakota’s 

leaders stated they were excited to have the 

Soldiers back in Washington, D.C., and said 

their office doors are always open for them. 

Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kiel Skager, Joint Force Headquarters

Guardsmen Recognized at Saint Barabara

’

s Day Bal l

By Pfc. Ethan Hongess,

1-188th Air Defense Artillery

The 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense 

Artillery (1-188th ADA) Regiment 

Soldiers’ esprit de corps ran high as they 

donned their dress uniforms and gathered 

with loved ones and fellow Guardsmen 

for their second-ever Saint Barbara’s Day 

Ball at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, 

North Dakota. St. Barbara’s Day falls on 

Dec. 4 and is a tradition observed by both 

Army and Marine field artillery and air 

defense artillery units.

This year, Soldiers from each of the 

unit’s companies and detachments gathered in Grand Forks for this rare event. 

It was an opportunity for the Soldiers, 

friends and family to all be together under 

one roof and bond before some of them 

embark on another deployment to the 

National Capital Region. 

“Dining together as a military mess is a 

celebration of one of our most cherished 

military traditions,” said Battalion Commander Lt. Col. JoDee Aubol. “Events 

such as this, with family and loved ones, 

help make us a military family.”

During the evening, the 1-188th ADA’s 

esteemed noncommissioned officers and 

officers were inducted into the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, which 

allowed them to be recognized and 

presented with a coveted medal. The 

award is reserved for those who have 

demonstrated the highest standards of 

integrity and moral character, displayed 

an outstanding degree of professional 

competence, served the artillery with 

selflessness and contributed to the promotion of the artillery branch. 

The following Soldiers were presented 

with the award: Capt. Mitchell Johnson, 

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric Nagel, 

Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Walsh, 

1st Sgt. Daniel Strehlow, Sgt. 1st Class 

John Haynes, Sgt. 1st Class Michael 

Kamedula, Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Kliniske, Sgt. 1st Class David Saari, Staff Sgt. 

Trevor Desrosier, Staff Sgt. Ross Seefeld 

and Staff Sgt. Christopher Smallbeck. 

“Being inducted into the Honorable 

Order of Saint Barbara was, without a 

doubt, a major highlight of my career,” 

Kamedula said. “To be recognized by 

your peers is both rewarding and humbling, and to have that recognition take 

place with the group of Soldiers who 

were inducted alongside me makes the 

experience much more satisfying.” 
Excellent

Always

164th Regiment Regional Training Institute

Again Earns ‘Fully Accredited’ TRADOC Rating

E

valuators from the U.S. Training and Doctrine Command 

(TRADOC) again recognized the 164th Regiment Regional 

Training Institute (RTI) as an “Institution of Excellence,” making it the fourth “Fully Accredited” rating the North Dakota Army 

National Guard schoolhouse has received since 2007. RTI instructors and cadre in January earned the distinction after undergoing a 

series of detailed inspections, which are administered by TRADOC 

staff in 3-year cycles to Army training institutions nationwide.

“This is a remarkable achievement for the 164th Regiment 

Regional Training Institute and the North Dakota Army National 

Guard, as a whole,” said Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota 

adjutant general. “TRADOC first introduced the ‘Institute of Excellence’ standard in 2006. Our RTI was the first engineer schoolhouse in the country to achieve that status, and it has continued 

to tout the accomplishment after each evaluation cycle since then. 

We have a top-notch training facility here in North Dakota, staffed 

by some of the best instructors in the U.S. Army. I congratulate all 

involved in earning these superior accreditation marks and, most 

importantly, for providing exemplary training and education to 

Soldiers nationwide.”

Staff and instructors from the 164th Regiment RTI, under the 

By Staff Sgt. Eric W. Jensen,

Joint Force Headquarters

18 · Guardian · spring 2017
Left, 164th Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI) faculty 

and staff, including 164th RTI Commander Col. Jackie Huber, 

front row, left, and 164th RTI Commandant Command Sgt. 

Maj. Jeffrey Narum, right, are pictured under a series of award 

banners noting the years in which the schoolhouse was deemed 

an “Institute of Excellence” by the U.S. Training and Doctrine 

Command (TRADOC). TRADOC staff administers accreditation 

evaluations to Army training institutions in 3-year cycles. The RTI 

has earned a “Fully Accredited” rating during every evaluation 

it has undergone since 2007. Bottom, students at the 164th 

Regiment RTI emplace siding on a wood hut March 28, 2014, as 

part of a construction specialist engineer course in a warehouse 

located inside the RTI building.

Courtesy Photo

Photo by Staff Sgt. Brett J. Miller, Joint Force Headquarters

One Army School System, provides yearround training to National Guard, Army 

Reserve and active-duty Soldiers from 

across the United States. The schoolhouse, 

located at Camp Grafton Training Center, 

near Devils Lake, North Dakota, is comprised of two training battalions, responsible 

for facilitating Engineer Branch Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development (NCOPD) and Engineer and Quartermaster Military Occupational Specialty 

(MOS) training. 

The 164th Regiment’s 1st Engineer Battalion specializes in Army engineer training 

and offers courses in horizontal and vertical 

construction, including combat bridging, 

carpentry and masonry, heavy equipment 

operation, drafting and surveying, electrical 

systems and plumbing. Additional schools 

are facilitated by the 2nd Modular Battalion, which provides Officer Candidate 

School for in-state Soldiers, culinary arts, a 

Foundation Instructor-Facilitator Course 

and a Small Group Instruction Course.

To achieve “Institution of Excellence” 

status from TRADOC, the 164th Regiment’s training battalions were required to 

score 95 percent or higher in 13 evaluated 

areas, covering a range of schoolhouse functions from safety and educational programs 

to facilities and environment and leader 

development. TRADOC staff scored 164th 

Regiment RTI instructors and personnel 

using a number of assessment tools to derive 

the accreditation outcome, including onsite 

facility observations, instructor and staff interviews, reviews of documents and organizational records, written questionnaires, and 

interviews with students attending courses 

at the 164th Regiment RTI. Both battalions 

scored 100 percent in each area, receiving 

the highest possible accreditation level.

“The results are a true testament to the 

commitment, drive and motivation of the 

men and women assigned to the 164th Regiment RTI, who truly care about Soldiers by 

providing them the best military education 

experience,” said Col. Jackie Huber, 164th 

Regiment RTI commander. “We are truly 

blessed to have the talent and expertise in 

our state that sets us apart from other training institutes.”

Upon earning its accreditation, 164th 

Regiment RTI staff received a memo signed 

by Gen. David Perkins, TRADOC commander, which said, “TRADOC recognizes 

the dedication and hard work of all personnel committed to ensuring the 164th Regiment RTI received ‘Institute of Excellence’ 

status. This achievement demonstrates your 

commitment to meet the competency needs 

of today’s Army and the future force.”

“What is further remarkable about this 

accreditation, is that our 1st Engineer Battalion received nine ‘Best Practices’ from the 

U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of 

Excellence Quality Assurance Office, which 

is a testament to the quality of training 

provided and dedication of our faculty and 

staff at the 164th Regiment RTI,” said Maj. 

Raymond Ripplinger, 164th Regiment RTI 

officer-in-charge. “They are truly talented 

and are committed to continual instructional and process improvement, which is 

a major contributing factor to the overall 

success of the organization.” 

Currently, 65 full-time and 19 traditional faculty and staff support the RTI. In 

2010, the 164th Regiment unveiled a new, 

state-of-the-art, 182,825-square-foot RTI 

building. The facility features a regimental 

headquarters and staff offices, 16 classrooms, 

lecture hall, lodging for students, indoor 

running track, fitness room, plumbing and 

electrical labs, and a building material storage space to house carpentry, electrical, masonry and plumbing materials for training.

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 19
BUILDING THE GU

T

he North Dakota Air National Guard is boosting its efforts to 

recruit new members for their new and evolving missions, and 

winning awards along the way. 

The new high tech missions at the 119th Wing entail operating 

some of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world, 

contributing impactful intelligence work, and providing all of the 

mission critical support missions that go along with running an Air 

National Guard base. 

Many second or third generation Happy Hooligans have been 

joining the 119th Wing. The new Airmen are carrying out a family legacy, which indicates a high level of satisfaction among unit 

members. 

“It is fulfilling for new Airman to become part of an honorable organization that their family members and close friends have 

contributed to, and the first generation Airmen are also taking great 

pride in becoming Happy Hooligans,” said Staff Sgt. Maria Yurczyk, a new recruiter at the 119th Wing. 

Yurczyk has recently been added as a full-time recruiter for the 

119th Wing with a newly created position and office space at Fraine 

Barracks in Bismarck, North Dakota. She completed recruiting 

school Feb. 16 with Distinguished Graduate honors. 

“I am looking forward to getting to know the area and local 

schools, along with being able to help members of our community 

make a life changing decision to serve their country and state,” said 

Yurczyk.

She welcomes support from Guardsmen residing in the area, as 

she enlightens prospects and canvases the southwestern portion of 

the state. And right now, the N.D. Air National Guard has a lot to 

offer those pondering N.D. Air National Guard enlistment. There 

are many appealing opportunities available, including with 26 different jobs that qualify for a $20,000 bonus and the high-tier $350 

GI Bill Kicker. In addition, there are multiple positions in which a 

new Airman can earn the advanced rank of E-3 at enlistment.

Yurczyk will focus her recruiting efforts on prior and non-prior 

service applicants interested in Air Guard positions in Minot and 

Fargo. She can be reached at 701-552-1548. 

Fargo recruiters also are focusing their efforts on prior and 

non-prior service applicants. Tech. Sgt. Neil Nelson is making new 

inroads into his northwestern Minnesota territory. Tech. Sgt. Shelly 

Fink is coming up with innovative ideas to reach students of all 

ages and Tech. Sgt. Tyrel Cale recently won a national recruiting 

challenge initiated by Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, director of the Air 

National Guard.

Also on the N.D. Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention 

team are Master Sgt. Merri Jo “MJ” Filloon and Master Sgt. Tina 

Sly, who are Recruiting and Retention managers. They are focusing 

their recruiting efforts on Air Guard transfers, officer recruiting, 

and Palace Transfer programs, which allow Air Force active-duty 

members to transition directly to the Air National Guard without a 

break in service. 

Master Sgt. Greg Peterson also is a Recruiting and Retention 

manager tasked with responsibilities for the 219th Security Forces 

Squadron at Minot Air Force Base. And Senior Master Sgt. Tanya 

Augdahl is the Recruiting and Retention superintendent overseeing 

operations for the state of North Dakota.

The entire team has been recognized for their recruiting efforts 

with the Region II Golden Eagle Award for fiscal year 2016 as the 

top state Recruiting and Retention team with superior programs in 

their respective region. To contact the N.D. Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention team, call its members at 1-800-972-8825.

119th Wing Recruiters Expand Footprint to Bismarck

Story and photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp,

119th Wing

From left to right, Staff Sgt. Maria Yurczyk, Tech. Sgt. Neil Nelson, Master Sgt. Merri Jo “MJ” Filloon, 

Master Sgt. Greg Peterson, Senior Master Sgt. Tanya Augdahl, Tech. Sgt. Shelly Fink and Master Sgt. 

Tina Sly pose March 4 with the Region II Golden Eagle Award for fiscal year 2016 at the annual N.D. 

Air National Guard Enlisted Recognition Banquet in Fargo The Golden Eagle award was presented 

to the group for being the top state Recruiting and Retention team with superior programs in their 

respective region. 

20 · Guardian · Spring 2017
UARD HOME TEAM

T

he 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB) has found 

its ranks flush with Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets over 

the last several months, as future officers from North Dakota 

State University (NDSU), University of North Dakota and Concordia College have converged on the Fargo-based unit.

The cadets come from many walks of life and have differing plans 

for what they will branch in, but most have begun their military 

careers because of the ROTC scholarships available to them. 

Cadet Jessica Corley first found out about the ROTC program 

offered at NDSU while living in Texas and challenges herself to 

venture outside her comfort zone and try something different. 

“I like to do things that scare me,” said Corley when discussing 

moving so far from home. “It’s definitely different. Some things 

become easier the more time I spend here.”

Other Soldiers learned about being able to receive both a scholarship and commission in the Army by talking to their recruiters. 

“I was just going to enlist and then my recruiter was like, ‘Wow, 

you received good grades in high school. You can get a ROTC 

scholarship,’” said Cadet Thomas Raymond. 

And some recruiters even take the time to come talk with prospective students, as was the case when a recruiter came to Cadet 

Lillian McCoy’s high school, which led to her enlisting in the Army 

National Guard. 

Along with the incentive of receiving an affordable college education, new cadets with the MEB are finding other benefits through 

Army Guard service, as well. 

“The MEB offers a unique opportunity for cadets,” said Lt. Col. 

Mark Topp. “The composition of the MEB staff offers cadets the 

interaction with mentors that have a wide array of experiences.”

That range of leadership experience is something Cadet Nigel 

Helley agrees is beneficial. 

“The MEB is offering me an overview of how operations work,” 

he said. “It’s good to know that next level up of leadership. You get 

that outer view. You can bounce around to other officers and get 

cross training.” 

 The 141st MEB has a large amount of officers within its ranks. It 

is a rare unit where cadets are allowed the opportunity to meet and 

converse with officers from different branches and different ranks, 

ranging from second lieutenant to colonel. 

“My mentor is really good,” Corley said. “I’m gaining leadership 

experience and I have time to learn the things I need to.”

The mentors also have found opportunity in having the cadets in 

their ranks.

“Cadets have been a welcome addition to the MEB and the mentors have embraced the opportunity to help shape the future leadership of the North Dakota Army National Guard,” Topp said.

Camaraderie has been a common experience for the cadets in the 

unit, as well. 

“We all get along really well,” McCoy said. “It’s nice to be able 

to hang out with cadets from other areas. You can see what other 

cadets are going through at their school.”

Individuals in the Fargo area looking to learn more about the 

ROTC program, as well as Soldiers who are interested in becoming officers while furthering themselves through education, can go 

to http://www.ndsuarmyrotc.com/index.html or visit https://www.

nationalguard.com/tools/guard-scholarships to learn more about the 

scholarships that the National Guard has to offer.

ROTC Cadets Find Home

with 141st MEB

Courtesy Photo

By Spc. Andy Weston, 

141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets from 

North Dakota State University’s Bison Battalion 

participate in a ruck march March 2 on campus in 

Fargo, North Dakota.

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 21
GUARDIAN Snapshots

About 50 young “padawans” reported to Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake, North Dakota, to attend a Jedi Academy 

April 1, which was sponsored and organized by the N.D. National Guard Child and Youth Program. The military children reported 

to multiple stations throughout the day, in order to complete their Jedi training. During the event, they learned how to build star 

fighters and droids and also completed light saber training and gained a knowledge of blasters through multiple rounds of laser 

tag. The children also received a class from Jedi Master Ann (N.D. National Guard Human Relations Counselor Ann Stark) on growth 

mindset and resiliency, which showed “the Force” is within them.

Visit www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard/

See More, and Download Photos!

Jedi Academy event organizers Bryce Crosby, Family Assistance Center specialist, and Mandy 

Malo, N.D. National Guard Child and Youth Program coordinator, go over the training schedule 

prepared for the “padawans,” or Jedi apprentices, prior to the kick-off the Jedi Academy April 1 

at Camp Grafton Training Center.

Photos by Staff Sgt. Eric W. Jensen, Joint Force Headquarters

Photos by Sgt. Tiffany Vannett, 164th Regiment Regional Training Institute

THE FORCE AWAKENS

The newly-appointed Jedis raise their light sabers after graduating from Jedi Academy. The military 

children were presented certificates from actors potraying members of the Galactic Empire, 

including Darth Vader, an imperial officer, a storm trooper, a tie fighter pilot and a snow trooper.

A “padawan” take aim at a womp rat nest during the Jedi 

Academy sponsored and organized by the N.D. National Guard 

Child and Youth Program at Camp Grafton Training Center.

Mandy Malo, N.D. National Guard Child and Youth Program coordinator, 

assists Alex Jensen in completing his “padawan training,” as he traverses 

an obstacle course while wielding a light saber during the Jedi Academy 

at Camp Grafton Training Center.
Members of the N.D. National Guard biathlon team joined more than 100 competitors from 23 states to compete in March at the 2017 Chief, National Guard Bureau Biathlong Championship at Camp Ethan 

Allen Training Site, Vermont. The competition combines cross-country skiing with marksmanship to build cardiovascular endurance. North Dakota’s “A” team, which includes members Capt. Blake Hillerson, 

Capt. Robby Meland, Sgt. Brandon Pulst and Cadet Conrad Roberts, placed fifth overall. Left, Spc. Brett Butler, a mechanic with the 231st Brigade Support Battalion, is the youngest member of North 

Dakota’s biathlon team. This year was Butler’s second season of competition and he said, “the Biathlon Program, to me, is the most rewarding part of (serving in) the Guard and responsible for my retention.” 

Right, team members, from left to right, Sgt. Jordan Becker, Pulst, Butler, Roberts, Meland and Hillerson prepare for competition in Vermont. Courtesy Photos

Photo by Sgt. Ashley Johlfs, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

COMPETITIVE EDGE

LEGENDARY

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 23

Heather Mattson, N.D. National Guard equal employment manager, fourth from right, and Brig. Gen. Robert Becklund, deputy adjutant general, third from right, 

present appreciation mementos to the cast of “Legendary Ladies” March 21 at the Bismarck Heritage Center in Bismarck. The group, which promotes the history of 

women who made unique contributions to the American west during the mid-1800s to the mid 1900s, gave a performance in front of an audience of N.D. National Guard 

members to commemorate Women’s History Month in March. The presentation was arranged on behalf of the N.D. National Guard’s Diversity Council.
Above, North Dakota Lt. Gov. Brent 

Sanford signs a statement of support 

for the Employer Support of the Guard 

and Reserve (ESGR) Jan. 29 at the North 

Dakota state capitol. Sanford signed the 

statement on behalf of the Office of the 

Governor of North Dakota to recognize 

the National Guard and Army Reserve as 

essential organizations for the strength 

of the nation and well-being of its 

communities. Gov. Doug Burgum also 

declared Jan. 16-21, 2017, to be North 

Dakota Cares (ND Cares) Week during the 

capitol event. Executive Order 2015-01 

initially established ND Cares, which 

is a coalition charged with improving 

collaboration and coordination on 

behavioral health service for service 

members, veterans, families and survivors. 

Gov. Burgum’s administration stated its 

commitment to furthering the ND Cares 

coalition’s development. North Dakota is 

home to more than 52,000 veterans.

Photos by Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

STATE 

SUPPORT

Left, Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota adjutant general, presents award plaques March 19 to Capt. Robert Meland and Lt. Col. Rusty Romans, 

right, at the 2017 Roughrider Conference held at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck. Meland was named Company-Grade Officer of the Year for the N.D. Army 

National Guard, while Romans was named Field-Grade Officer of the Year (N.D. Air National Guard Officers of the Year are featured on page 6).

OFFICERS OF THE YEAR

Photo by Sgt. Ashley Johlfs, 116th Public Affairs Detachment
Submit your photos to be considered

for inclusion in the N.D. Guardian!

Email high-resolution photos

to 2nd Lt. Jennifer Joyce, N.D. Guardian

editor, at jennifer.m.joyce2.mil@mail.mil.

Share your photos! 

Medical personnel from the N.D. Army National 

Guard in February took part in a Medical Readiness 

Training Exercise (MEDRETE) at the 37th Military 

Hospital in Accra, Ghana, which also included 

participants from the Ghanaian government, U.S. 

Army Africa (USARAF) and Brooke Army Medical 

Center in San Antonio, Texas. MEDRETE 17-2 was 

the second in a series of medical readiness training 

exercises that USARAF facilitated in various 

countries in Africa. The mutually-beneficial events 

offered opportunities for partnered militaries 

to cooperate on medical specific tasks, share 

best practices and improve medical treatment 

processes. Right, Capt. Annie Gerhardt, a N.D. 

National Guard nurse practitioner, coordinates 

surgical intervention for a patient during the 

exercise Feb. 7 at the 37th Military Hospital in 

Accra, Ghana. Below, Sgt. 1st Class Eric Anton, a 

N.D. Army National Guard medic, triages a patient 

during MEDRETE 7-2. North Dakota has established 

long-term relationships with Ghana through the 

National Guard’s State Partnership Program since 

2004. The program, as a whole, encourages the 

development of economic, political and military 

ties between states and partner nations. 

PARTNERING

ABROAD

Photos by Staff Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti, U.S. Army Africa
NewsBriefs

N.D. National Guard Races

to Zero Out Sexual Assault

ESGR Presents Patriot Awards

to 188th ADA Employers

By Spc. Thea Jorgenson, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

By Shirley Olgeirson, ESGR

The 5th Annual Race to Zero 5K and 

10K run/walk hosted 217 participants, 

who laced up their shoes on the morning 

of April 1 in Bismarck to blaze through 

the Sertoma Park running trail. The road 

race was established to create awareness 

about sexual assault in the state of North 

Dakota. 

This year’s race was a collaboration 

between the North Dakota National 

Guard’s Sexual Assault and Response 

Program, North Dakota Council on 

Abused Women’s Services; or CAWS, 

Bismarck State College and United 

Tribes Technical College. 

Erica Davidson, N.D. National Guard 

sexual assault response coordinator, said 

the race has grown since its first year in 

2012.

“The first year we had 100 participants. 

This year we’ve doubled that. Next year, 

we’re hosting Race to Zero in Fargo, too,” 

she said. 

In addition to the run/walk, attendees 

could visit the registration hall at the 

Bismarck-Mandan Elks Lodge to observe 

a visual display called “The Clothesline 

Project.” The project honors survivors and 

victims of sexual assault or violence and 

allows them to share their stories through 

messages and artwork created on t-shirts. 

Even though the project was intended for 

women to share their stories, organizers 

said it is equally important to remember 

that sexual assault victims are not always 

female. 

According to CAWS ND, in 2015, 

more than 1,200 sexual assault victims 

were served by approximately 20 sexual 

assault crisis centers across North Dakota. 

Of these cases, 90 percent of the victims 

were female. Only 13 percent of the 

assaults were committed by strangers, 

whereas in at least 40 percent of the 

assaults, the assailant was a friend or date 

of the victim. Of these 1,200 cases, only 

69 percent of the crimes were reported to 

law enforcement.

While some runners participated to 

get out and run on a beautiful morning, 

others were there with a different purpose 

in mind. Lindsay Koch hadn’t heard of 

the Race to Zero before, and a friend 

asked her to participate. After doing 

some research, Koch decided this would 

be a great 5K to be a part of, even though 

she has not run a 5K in quite some time. 

Koch’s husband, Shane, served in the 

N.D. Army National Guard with the 1st 

Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery 

Regiment. He has been her support 

system as she pushes herself to reach 

physical goals, but for her, this particular 

race was more than that.

 “It’s amazing how many people are 

here,” she said during the event. “It’s 

supposed to be a good turnout. I’m 

hoping people go home today and realize 

they served a purpose, that they helped 

acknowledge the sexual violence issue. 

Hopefully somebody goes home and 

realizes they made a difference, they put 

their time in and finished that race, and 

that they made it to the end.” 

About 30 employers of Soldiers 

who departed for a yearlong National 

Capital Region mission in March were 

presented Patriot Awards for their 

support to Guardsmen while they serve in 

Washington, D.C. The group also learned 

more about the 1st Battalion, 188th 

Air Defense Artillery’s (1-188th ADA) 

deployment while getting a first-hand 

look at the equipment that will be used to 

defend the airspace there during an event 

at the National Guard armory in Grand 

Forks, North Dakota. 

The Patriot Award recipients included 

Brian Nygord, from ATOS, a business 

technology company in Fargo, who was 

nominated for the award by Sgt. Tyler 

Nagel, an Avenger Systems repairer with 

the unit. The Avenger air defense system 

is the Army’s premier shoot-on-the-move 

air defense weapon. The award citation 

noted that Nygord is understanding of 

Tyler’s military service and always ensures 

adequate time off, even on short notice. 

Pfc. Ethan Hongess nominated Melissa 

Harvey, his supervisor at the Arc of the 

Upper Valley. Hongness said, “Melissa 

commends me for my service and makes 

me feel like a valuable asset to the Arc 

team. “

Spc. John Sampel is a crewmember on 

the National Advanced Surface to Air 

Missile System with the 1-188th ADA. 

He works part-time as a certified nursing 

assistant at Altru Health Systems, and 

nominated his supervisor, Shannon Rud, 

who provided continued scheduling 

flexibility when accommodating Sampel’s 

mobilization, as well as time to respond 

for state active duty. 

Participants at the 5th Annual Race to Zero 5K and 10K run/walk dash across the finish line April 1 at Sertoma Park in Bismarck. 

The event each year is held to raise awareness about sexual assault in North Dakota. The month of April nationally is observed as 

Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Photo by Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

26 · Guardian · spring 2017
Find More Guard News Online! www.ndguard.com

Chaplains’ Corner:

Iceman’s Lesson

By Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James Cheney

I just finished up a tour at Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) 

in Alaska. It was great to be a part of a team — and a part 

of North Dakota’s heritage — in the interior of Alaska. Carl 

Eielson, whom the base is named after, came from Hatton, 

North Dakota, to Fairbanks in 1922 to be a teacher. Drawn 

by the beauty and vastness of Alaska, he soon pursued 

aviation with the support of local businessmen. His many 

accomplishments include being the first pilot to fly across the 

polar ice cap. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross 

and won the 1928 Harmon Trophy for the greatest aviation 

accomplishment of the year.

Eielson’s international fame ended with a tragic flight 

to the rescue crew — and $1 million worth of furs — on 

the Nanuk after it became frozen in the ice off the coast 

of Siberia. Eric Borland died with Eielson on the ice in 

November of 1929. Borland was Eielson’s mechanic.

There were no mountains or Air Force bases named 

after Borland. However, the beginnings of the sacred bond 

between mechanic and pilot were forged and became a part 

of a tradition carried on today at Eielson AFB and across 

the nation’s force. Essentially, that bond is a solemn trust 

informed by duty.

Any mechanic, worth their salt, out of sense of duty will 

not turn over an aircraft unless it is air-worthy. A mechanic’s 

signature in aircraft logs attest to their “say-so” that the 

aircraft is mechanically sound and ready for the sky.

The inherent message in these trusted relationships is how 

duty leads to empowerment, or in other words, setting people up 

for success and letting them receive the glory. Initially, this could 

very well rub us the wrong way, however, empowering others to 

succeed is part of the joy of leadership. This joy, once tasted, often 

finds us returning for more and stumbling upon a worthy way to 

give ourselves away.

Leadership’s vocation is a call to constantly renew our 

relationships with an awareness that our duty empowers others 

and leads to their success. A big part of the golden rule of doing 

unto others as you would have them do to you, and scripture’s call 

to love our neighbor, has as its end the best interests of those we 

are called to serve.

Easter’s Pasch is a season of springtime’s renewal. Our own 

renewal could very well be wrapped in the mystery of these 

relationships of duty, service and empowerment in our attempts to 

love and serve our neighbor. St. Francis, a man who gave himself 

away to lady poverty, wrote these powerful words about service: 

“O Master, let me not seek so much to be consoled as to console, 

to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is 

giving that we receive, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in 

pardoning that one is pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born 

to eternal life.”

North Dakota Air National Guard member Master Sgt. 

Jarrett Permann, third from left, receives the 2016 Air 

National Guard Outstanding Chaplain Assistant of the Year 

Minuteman Award March 29 at the U.S. Air Force Chaplain 

Corp Summit Awards banquet in San Antonio, Texas. 

Permann was selected based on many accomplishments, 

skills and contributions, as well as civilian civic and 

community involvement. From left to right in the photo 

are Senior Master Sgt. Noika Bechara, Air National Guard 

chaplain assistant liaison to Air Combat Command; Brig. 

Gen. Steve Chisolm, assistant to the U.S. Air Force Chief of 

Chaplains; Permann; Col. Terry Williams, special assistant 

to Air Combat Command; Capt. Jose Martinez, Outstanding 

Air National Guard Chaplain of the Year (Samuel Stone 

Award); Senior Master Sgt. John Recore, Air National Guard 

chaplain assistant career field manager and Col. Bill Yates, 

director Air National Guard Chaplaincy. 

Air National Guard courtesy photo

Permann named 

Outstanding Air National Guard 

Chaplain Assistant of the Year

www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil · 27

SoundOff!
Lt. Col. Brock G. Larson, 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Cory J. Everson, senior enlisted leader for the unit, stand at the position of 

attention March 6 at the head of the unit’s formation during a “patching ceremony” at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The 136th CSSB is providing command and control structure for assigned 

or attached logistical units and is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division’s Sustainment Brigade. In accordance with Army Regulation 670-1, Chapter 21, Paragraph 17, for their service conducting 

operations in Afghanistan, the Soldiers of the 136th CSSB, and all attached and subordinate units, now are authorized to wear the 1st Cavalry Division shoulder sleeve insignia for wartime service.

Photo by Pfc. Rachelle Lewis, 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion