A LOOK AT THE LIFE OF PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON - PG 17

THE VOLUNTEER STATE

guard

magazine

WE GO INSIDE THE 

2014 BEST WARRIOR 

COMPETITION TO 

FIND OUT 

PG 6

SEARCH & 

RECOVERY

TN GUARD ASSISTS 

IN LINCOLN COUNTY 

AFTER DEVASTATING TORNADOES HIGH TECH 

VIRTUAL 

TRAINING IN 

CATOOSA

WHAT IT TAKES 

TO BECOME THE 

BEST WARRIOR 

IN TENN.

Photo of SSG Michael Gentry, Jr. NCO of the Year 2014
2 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

The Volunteer State Guard is published to provide command and 

public information about Tennessee National Guard Soldiers and 

Airmen throughout the world. Views expressed herein are those of 

the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of and 

are not endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Departments of the Army or the Air Force. This publication does not supersede any information presented in any other official Air or Army publication. Articles, photos, artwork and letters are 

invited and should be addressed to: Editor, Volunteer State Guard, 

3041 Sidco Dr., Attn: TNPAO, Nashville, TN 37204.

For more information, contact us by telephone (615) 313-0633, or by 

email to tnpao@live.com. The Volunteer State Guard reserves the 

right to edit all submitted material. Published works may be reprinted, except where copyrighted, provided credit is given to the publication and the authors. Distribution of the Volunteer State Guard is 

electronic and can be downloaded at: http://www.tnmilitary.org

PAGE 6

2014 BEST WARRIOR

What it takes to be the Best Warrior in the State of Tennessee. 

STORY & PHOTOS BY SFC MATTHEW ZIER

COVER PHOTOGRAPHED BY 

SGT ART GUZMAN

PAGE 8

VIRTUAL TRAINING 

We go Inside the high-tech training grounds in Catoosa, Georgia.

STORY BY SSG MELISSA WOOD

PHOTOS BY SSG MELISSA WOOD & 

SGT NICOLE SMART 

PAGE 10

SEARCH & RECOVERY

TN Guard assists in Lincoln County, TN after the recent tornadoes. 

STORY BY LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY

PHOTOS BY LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY & 

CW4 NICK ATWOOD 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SENIOR EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

PHOTO EDITING

PHOTOGRAPHY 

WRITERS

MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris

Rob Pennington

Rob Pennington

Rob Pennington

SSG Melissa Wood

SPC Sterling Daley

MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris,

CW4 Nick Atwood

Lt. Col. (Ret) Niki Gentry

SFC (Ret) John Evans

MSgt Robin Olsen

SFC Matthew Zier

SSG Melissa Wood

SGT Nicole Smart

SGT Art Guzman

SPC Sterling Daley

MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris

Lt. Col. (Ret) Niki Gentry

MSgt Robin Olsen

SFC Matthew Zier

SSG Melissa Wood

Rob Pennington

PAGE 12

FIT TO FIGHT

Step inside the gym with NPC 

National Champion PFC Thomas 

Anderson

STORY & PHOTOS BY 

SSG MELISSA WOOD

PAGE 15

VETERANS WORKSHOP

Building a tradition of assisting 

veterans in Tennessee 

STORY BY LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY

PHOTOS BY SFC (RET) JOHN EVANS

PAGE 17

PRESIDENT JACKSON

The life of President Andrew Jackson and what made him as tough 

as hickory. 

STORY & PHOTOS BY 

MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

HAVE A STORY 

TO SHARE?

If you have an idea for a 

story let us know!

email: tnpao@live.com

THE VOLUNTEER STATE 

GUARD MAGAZINE
3 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

230th DEPLOYMENT

Tennessee Army National Guard Soldiers from the 1/230th Air Cavalry Squadron, 

based in Louisville, (Knoxville) departed on Feb. 15 and 16, for a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

PHOTO BY: LT COL (Ret.) Niki Gentry

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
4 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

JACKSON’S 247TH BIRTHDAY

An actor portrays Andrew Jackson at the 247th Birthday Celebration of our seventh President. The Tennessee National Guard participated in the annual wreath 

laying ceremony at the Presidents home “The Hermitage.” 

PHOTO BY: MAJ (Ret.) Randy Harris

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
5 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

BACK ON TENNESSEE SOIL 

Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 251st Military Police Company return from their nearly yearlong deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation 

Enduring Freedom.

PHOTO BY: SSG Melissa Wood

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
6 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

2014 BEST 

WARRIOR

COMPETITION

SMYRNA, Tenn. – For every soldier, there 

comes a time where they have to prove 

their knowledge and skill. For most, this 

comes at a schoolhouse, learning a specific 

task to complete their mission. For a select 

few, this test came in the form of a competition against the best of the best. It is the 

annual Best Warrior Competition, where 

each major command sends their best 

junior enlisted soldier and noncommissioned officer through a series of rigorous 

challenges based on common soldier tasks. 

 The competition was overseen by the 

State Command Sergeant Major for the 

Army National Guard, Command Sgt. Maj. 

Daniel Jennings. He along with each major 

command’s command sergeants major 

judged each competitor on their performance of written, physical and mental 

exams to determine who the best junior 

enlisted and NCO were within the state 

of Tennessee to compete in the National 

Guard’s upcoming Region III Best Warrior 

Competition later this spring. 

 The four-day event was hosted by the 

117th Regiment, Regional Training Institute, headquartered at the Volunteer Training Site in Smyrna, Tenn. This was the first 

year the RTI has hosted such an event and 

is expected to host several more, including 

a Regional Competition, in the upcoming years. The training site not only had 

the logistic facilities necessary to hold the 

event, they also served as a non-bias group 

of cadre as the 117th will never have any 

competitors in this competition. The RTI 

cadre created events centered on basic soldier skills: physical fitness, military bearing 

and courtesies, weapon systems and land 

navigation. Every soldier in today’s Army 

knows these tasks from Basic Training, 

where they were given the conditions and 

standards. It’s here at the competition 

where the soldiers’ mastery of these tasks 

and skills are tested to their limits. 

WE WERE GIVEN THE 

CONCEPT

 “We were given the concept. We went 

out and did a lot of research studying the 

[Active] Army’s best warrior’s comp seeing 

what the standards were, trying to make 

a mirror image,” said Command Sgt. Maj. 

Devin Rodgers, command sergeant major 

for the 117th Regiment. “ We also went 

out and looked at the next level, being the 

Regional competition,” continued Rodgers, 

“We looked at their past criteria to make 

Spc. Burton 

Holloway of 

the 278th 

won the 

title “Soldier of the 

Year”

Story and Photos by 

SFC Matthew Zier

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO 

BE CROWNED THE BEST WARRIOR 

IN TENNESSEE.

Above: Holloway, an Infantryman with Detachment 1, Troop 

B, 278th Armored Cavalry 

Regiment in Springfield,Tenn. 

competed against three other 

junior enlisted soldiers from 

across the state in a grueling contest of wits, skill, and 

physical prowess. Holloway 

will continue on to the Region 

III competition to be held at 

Camp Blanding, Fla. later this 

April.

WARRIOR
7 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

sure we were preparing our soldiers to 

compete at the next level.”

 This competition is both physically 

and mentally challenging, but it can also 

provide very positive experiences. Staff 

Sgt. Michael Gentry, Jr. was a previous 

competitor in 2011 Best Warrior event 

for the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. His loss was a driving factor in 

making him compete again. “My best 

friend won the competition that next 

year and that pushed my game up to the 

next level to put me where I am now,” 

recalled Gentry. “Just the thrill of being a 

competitor motivates me to push myself 

to the next level,” said Gentry.

 Gentry, currently servings as a Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer with 

Troop A, Regimental Troops

Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Nashville, Tenn., came from a 

very competitive upbringing. “I

thought I was going to go far because of 

my family because of their competitiveness. I knew from a sophomore in high 

school that I would make a great soldier, 

since I didn’t make it in competitive 

sports” said Gentry.

“Though when I joined, I never expected 

to be competing at an event like this.”

 Gentry won the title of NCO of the 

Year for the Tennessee Army National 

Guard by only a small margin. The

entire competition was very close, with 

only a few points between first and second place in either category. Spc.

Burton Holloway, currently assigned to 

Det. 1, Troop B, 1/278th ACR in Springfield, Tenn., stood above the

other junior enlisted competitors from 

the beginning, but barely earned the title 

of Soldier of the Year for the

TNARNG by mere single digits.

 Gentry and Holloway will move on 

to the Region III competition at Camp 

Blanding, Fla. in mid-April.

 Both Gentry and Holloway, along with 

every soldier that made it to this level, 

show the strength, integrity and

constitution that Tennessee Guardsmen 

are known for throughout history, continuing the legacy of the Volunteer Spirit.

SKILLS

WEAPON SYSTEMS 

familiarize yourself with your 

weapon inside and out

PHYSICAL FITNESS 

better have your body in tip top 

shape

LAND NAVIGATION 

sorry no google maps here - 

leave your gps at home

MILITARY BEARING AND 

COURTESIES 

know when, what and where to 

do it

Below: Staff Sgt. Michael Gentry, Jr. won the “NCO of the Year” for 

the Tennessee Army National Guard

“Just the thrill of 

being a competitor 

motivates me to 

push myself to the 

next level” 

- SSG Gentry
8 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

VIRTU A L

Story and Photos by SSG Melissa Wood

TRAINING WITH 278th’s 3rd SQUADRON

CATOOSA, Ga. – The Tennessee National 

Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment 

recently took to the field for a landmark 

training exercise combining traditional 

military muscle with cutting-edge virtual 

technology. 

 Each frigid weekend this January, soldiers from the 278th’s 3rd Squadron surged 

onto the maneuver area at Volunteer Training Site–Catoosa in northwest Georgia, 

equipped with Bradley Fighting Vehicles 

and heavily-armored Humvees. As one platoon of scouts positioned their tanks along 

the hillside watching over the terrain below, 

another occupied a state-of-the-art virtual 

battle space meticulously designed to simulate a maneuver area 300 times its size.

 The Guard debuted the Combined Arms 

Virtual Training concept Jan. 11, during its 

inaugural virtual-meets-live-fire training 

exercise. The CAV-T concept leverages multiple virtual simulators to replicate heavy 

equipment and remote training sites that 

are often difficult to reach and expensive to 

maintain.

 While the physical maneuver area at 

VTS-Catoosa offers only 10 square kilometers of actual terrain, the CAV-T interface 

occupies 3,000 square virtual kilometers of 

the Mojave Desert, all tucked inside what 

appears to be a simple semi-trailer parked 

on an unassuming lot. 

 Despite its modest appearance, one look 

inside reveals a video-gamer’s dream – an 

intricate fusion of digital technology and 

advanced military communication networks fit for a futuristic sci-fi thriller. The 

resulting visual impact is meant to immerse 

the cavalry scouts into a 360-degree combat 

environment capable of producing realistic 

“The great thing 

the simulators 

bring is the 

ability to practice gunnery 

skills when we 

can’t fire live 

rounds.”

 - SSG Michael Metcalf
9 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

CATOOSA, GEORGIA

war-fighting scenarios limited only by their

commander’s imagination. Meanwhile, 

armed with machine guns and long-range 

surveillance systems, their sister platoon 

conducts comparable maneuvers as they 

fight through the inclement Georgia weather.

 The ability to marry virtual training 

with actual live-fire exercises has a number 

of advantages. “Nothing will ever replace 

putting boots on ground,” Staff Sgt. Michael 

Metcalf, the squadron’s master gunner emphasizes, “but the great thing the simulators 

bring is the ability to practice gunnery skills 

when we can’t fire live rounds.” 

 Metcalf explained that the expansive 

safety radius needed to fire their actual 

weapons just isn’t available locally. “A scout 

troop would take ten to fifteen kilometers,” 

he noted. “There’s nowhere in Tennessee 

we can find that. Even on the top gunnery 

ranges in the world, there are still limitations,” he said. “With the simulators, there 

are none.”

 In addition to the virtual training they 

receive on their real-world weapon systems, Capt. Stephen Allred, 3rd Squadron’s 

L Troop commander, said the increased 

maneuver space CAV-T affords his soldiers 

is just as important. “Being able to complete 

our training on the simulators has been 

extremely beneficial to us as far as

being able to maneuver our elements,” he 

said.

 Allred stated the ability to familiarize 

his new soldiers on virtual vehicles before 

they step into their physical ones, also 

helps lessen their learning curve and makes 

their precious time in the field all the more 

valuable. “The time spent in the Bradley is 

priceless,” he said emphatically.

 1st Lt. Bradley McMahan, the Tennessee 

Army National Guard’s training specialist 

and a cavalry scout himself, echoed Allred’s 

sentiment. “Doing this on the ground we 

have available is a little like playing football 

on a pool table,” he said. McMahan, who 

facilitated the training, also explained that 

increased maneuver space and freedom

to fire weren’t the only factors at play when 

he coordinated this exercise.

 “I can move three Bradleys, five Humvees, two support vehicles and necessary 

personnel down the highway for a little 

under nineteen thousand dollars,” he said. 

“In comparison, after about eighteen

gallons of diesel fuel, I can run the trailer-based training over the course of the 

entire weekend for around one hundred 

ninety eight dollars.” That’s a significant 

savings for the Tennessee National Guard 

and ultimately the tax payer.

 “There is no substitute for live training,” 

McMahan added, “so each platoon is given 

the opportunity to operate their own equipment as well as the simulated equipment. 

Simulators help us make the most of that 

most important resource.”

 

AN IMPRESSIVE 

TRAINING TOOL 

Overall, Allred said he was impressed with 

the value virtual training added to his 

soldiers’ time in the field, which is vital to 

the operation of their 

highly technical 

equipment. 

“This is the 

best gunnery 

I’ve ever had in 

my seventeen 

years of doing 

this,” he said. 

“The things our 

soldiers have 

now are all the 

things us old 

scouts wish 

we’d had. It was 

excellent.”

The IGT, Individual Gunnery Trainer trains 

and sustains individual gunnery skills for employing the M2 .50 cal, MK-19, M240B and 

M249 SAW machine guns from the gunner’s 

position of selectable vehicles. 

Story and Photos by SSG Melissa Wood
10 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. – Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 253rd Military Police 

Company assisted local authorities 

across storm stricken areas of Lincoln County, Tenn., after a powerful tornado devastated the region 

on the evening of April 28. Local 

responders requested support from 

the Guard through the Tennessee 

Emergency Management Agency 

with Soldiers on site by 4 a.m. on 

April 29.

 

 

 “We are assisting in search and recovery 

efforts by conducting door to door checks 

of residents in the damaged area. Our role 

is to provide local responders with additional manpower to aid victims of this tragedy,” said the Tennessee Guard’s Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the mission, 

Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Graves. “We will be 

here for as long as we’re needed.” 

 “One of the missions of the Tennessee Military Department is 

our domestic obligation of 

saving lives and mitigating 

the losses to the citizens of 

our state during events such 

as the Lincoln County tornado,” said Maj. Gen Max 

Haston, Tennessee Adjutant 

General. “The seamless operation between 

the Tennessee Emergency Management 

Agency and the Tennessee National Guard 

gives us a distinct advantage in response 

operations not enjoyed by some states. I 

am very proud of the men and women who 

serve and demonstrate the professionalism 

I witnessed during my visit to the disaster 

site today.”

 Haston and Governor Bill Haslam visited the disaster site on April 30, to obtain an 

aerial and ground perspective of the damage inflicted in southern Tennessee.

 Staff Sgt. Eric Heitz, a team leader with 

the 253rd, coordinated efforts with Graves 

and emergency management personnel to 

provide a thoroughly planned search pattern of areas where the storm damage was 

most extreme. The teams were well prepared to remain self sufficient for upwards 

of three days and traverse the dangerous 

debris ravaged area using Humvees to reach 

citizens and homes in the tornado’s path.

 Radio communications were established 

among the supporting National Guard personnel as well as with civilian emergency 

responders in the incident area established 

by Lincoln County officials. Cooperation 

between the military personnel and multiple response agencies from across the 

region was quickly established and even as 

threatening weather conditions continued 

South Lincoln Elementary 

School (shown right) was 

used as a storm shelter 

during the first round of 

storms. Luckily no one 

was at the school at the 

time of the tornadoes.

DISASTER RECOVERY IN LINCOLN COUNTY, TN
11 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

to plague the area, search and rescue operations and wellness checks continued into 

the late afternoon of the first day following 

the storm.

 The mission of the Tennessee soldiers 

was conducted over a widespread area. 

Based upon the size of the tornado and the 

distance it traveled, many damaged or destroyed homes needed to be reached to ensure the welfare of those living in the area. 

Beyond the requirements of the mission, 

National Guard members often spoke of 

bringing a sense of hope to the area by their 

contribution. Although military members 

knew they could not fully ease the massive 

loss to members impacted in the community, they all desired to do their best to ease 

the suffering of their fellow Tennesseans 

with their sense of duty in this vital mission. - LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY Members of the Tennessee National Guard’s 253rd Military 

Police Company assist in motor vehicle traffic control on April 

29, 2014 in areas impacted by a deadly EF-3 tornado that 

devastated southern portions of Lincoln County, Tenn., on the 

evening of 28 April 2014.

DISASTER RECOVERY IN LINCOLN COUNTY, TN

An aerial shot of South Lincoln Elementary School. The 

school took a direct hit from 

the storm. 

Left: Governor Bill 

Haslam and Maj. 

Gen Max Haston 

arrive to assess the 

damage inflicted by 

the storms. 

STORY BY: LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY PHOTOS BY: MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS, CW4 NICK ATWOOD & LT COL (RET) NIKI GENTRY 
12 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

Step inside the gym 

with National MiddleWeight Champion 

PFC Thomas Anderson

FIT TO

FIGHT

This Tennessee Guardsman shows us what it takes 

to join the ranks of professional body building

Story and Photos by SSG Melissa Wood
13 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

 Step inside Clarksville’s Anytime Fitness, 

and you will be greeted by a mural-sized 

homage paying tribute to one of the gym’s 

own – personal fitness trainer Thomas Anderson, who was recently crowned NPC’s 

(National Physique Committee) National 

Middleweight Champion, a feat which 

earned him a coveted place among the 

world’s top body building professionals. 

 Outside the gym, Pvt. 1st Class Anderson spends his time with the Tennessee 

Army National Guard’s 230th Signal Battalion, where he serves as a Radio Communications Security Repairman.

 “Any kind of ground or radio equipment, 

we troubleshoot it, find out what the problem is, and then we repair it accordingly,” he 

explained.

 Anderson said his military training has 

significantly contributed to his training 

methodology inside the gym. 

 “It’s actually given me a sense of discipline,” he said. “It has given me a sense of 

structure.” 

 “When I first started working out, I actually had a lot of problems coming up with 

different exercises and routines to maximize my workouts whenever I went to the 

gym,” he said. “The National Guard provided that structure, so it carried over to where 

I could actually sit down and evaluate what 

I wanted to do in the gym; making lists and 

different routines, making sure everything 

coincided with what I was looking to do as 

far as my fitness related goals. It provided 

me the foundation to really take off with my 

body building and pretty much my overall 

fitness,” he continued.

 “My parents are both retired military, 

so physical fitness has always been a big 

part of my life,” he said. Even so, Anderson 

explained that although he has always been 

naturally lean, until he started working out 

in 2004, he had never carried much weight 

on his relatively small frame. 

 All that changed in 2007, when another 

athlete approached him in the gym and 

asked if he had ever considered entering the 

highly competitive world of body building. 

He accepted that challenge, and in July 

2007, Anderson won the novice overall 

class in his first competition.

 “That’s pretty much when it took off for 

me,” he said. “I’ve been competing ever 

since.”

 Anderson can now approach every challenge confident that he can push himself 

well past his perceived mental and physical 

limitations, an attitude that has served him 

well in the six years he’s grown from a novice into a newly-anointed professional.

 “As far as going from novice to professional level, it really took a lot of hard 

work. There would be days when I would be 

overly sore in muscles I didn’t even know I 

had. But from my understanding, that was 

just one of the things I was going to have 

to learn to deal with and then continue to 

build on top of that,” he said. “The idea was 

to always try to get better in any way possiAnderson devoted six years of exhaustive training 

and dedication to earn his IFBB Pro status.

“My parents are both 

retired military, so 

physical fitness has 

always been a big 

part of my life.” 

- PFC Anderson
14 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

ble.”

 Hard work, however, is not without its 

downfalls. After a disappointing performance in 2009, Anderson resigned himself 

to push his body – and his mind – further 

than he ever had before. 

 “In 2009, I competed at the NPC Nationals as well, but sadly I didn’t place very 

well,” he said. “It took me four years to build 

my body up to the point where I could do 

the same show here last year in 2013 and 

actually win my class to give me my IFBB 

[International Federation of BodyBuilders] 

Professional status. That just kind of gives 

you an idea of what kind of time it takes to 

take yourself from not winning or placing 

at all to actually winning your class and 

gaining that top honor.” 

 FLEX magazine called Anderson the biggest surprise of the contest, citing his crisp 

conditioning and distinctive muscle tone as 

the basis for his win. 

 “It was a big surprise,” he said, “especially 

considering my history in that competition. 

For someone to come from placing dead 

last in the competition and then coming 

back years later and just completely destroying the competition, that says a lot 

about what you did as far as preparing 

yourself within those four years.”

 Photos from the contests in between 

offer a clear illustration of Anderson’s fierce 

determination to return to the same stage 

and finally claim his victory. 

 “If you would ever see the pictures that 

were placed from that first competition all 

the way up to the one I recently won, you 

can definitely see my work ethic – in every 

way imaginable,” he said. 

 Anderson said that being featured in 

FLEX Magazine was an achievement in and 

of itself.

 “The effect it had on me was just happiness... like just incredibly overjoyed,” he 

said with a smile. “Even though I had been 

featured times before in other magazines, 

just to see the changes and the hardships I 

had to overcome to build myself up to that 

point physically; to see those achievements, 

it really made me feel proud to actually be 

in this sport. Seeing that in the magazine 

just confirmed even more for me that I 

really have a future in the sport of bodybuilding.”

 Anderson’s next challenge? His first IFBB 

competition, which will pit him against 

some of the world’s best athletes. Until then, 

he plans to spend the rest of the year preparing to enter his first professional competition sporting his best possible physique.

 “What I plan to do as far as taking it to 

the next level is to sit down and evaluate 

what I need to do as far as any specific areas 

that I need to improve upon,” he said. “In 

the IFBB ranks, you’re going to have a lot 

of other guys that are going to be in better 

shape just because of the fact that they have 

more time in and they have more experience,” Anderson explained. “One thing that 

I wanted to do is sit down to evaluate, study, 

and do my homework on what I need to do 

to fix my weaknesses so I can make those 

my strengths and I can be a better opponent 

when I do step onstage with these other 

competitors.”

 After all, he said – success in bodybuilding, just like any tactical endeavor, is all 

about the preparation. - SSG MELISSA 

WOOD 

 CUT THE CARBS: DRINK UP: PROTEIN POWDER:

Ample water consumption 

ensures adequate hydration 

during intense workouts and 

flushes out excess sodium so 

the muscle can be presented 

at its best.

Protein derived from fish, chicken, and other lean meats packs 

a more powerful punch than any 

manufactured powder. 

Concentrating on lean 

protein and veggies builds 

muscle, increases energy, 

and in the end delivers 

better overall performance.

When it comes to his competition diet, EAT LIKE A CHAMPION Anderson says simplicity is key.
15 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

The State of Tennessee has long been 

known for its tradition of providing 

volunteers both in war and peace 

to aid its citizens. Thousands of men and 

women have answered the call to duty 

without hesitation, often placing themselves 

in harm’s way and in many cases sacrificing 

their very lives for the sake of their fellow 

countrymen.

 The veterans in the state hold a proud 

tradition of helping others, yet often these 

brave defenders fail to take full advantage 

of the benefits and opportunities for the 

part they played in their service. On May 

13, the Fourth Annual Veterans Workshop sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, 

was held at Tennessee National Guard 

Headquarters in Nashville. Vendors from 

numerous veteran support agencies were 

on hand to answer questions and provide 

critical information concerning the many 

services and benefits available to those who 

serve our nation.

 “Tennessee is the Volunteer State, and 

we are here to help the veterans. This is the 

Fourth Annual Veteran’s Workshop. We’re 

proud it’s here at the Guard Armory...we’re 

Story by: Niki Gentry

Photos by: John Evans

Building A Tradition of Assisting

Veterans in Tennessee

Below: Numerous academic institutions and other specialized groups were available to 

answer questions and provide guidance to veterans attending the workshop.
16 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

here to help all Tennessee veterans,” said 

Congressman Cooper.

 “We’ve had hundreds show up in past 

years. I think we’re going to have a good 

crowd this year because we have fifty 

booths; all sorts of services here for veterans. So hopefully people have a good time 

and also get the services they have earned 

and deserve, because America, Tennessee in 

particular, is thankful,” he said. 

 Maj. Gen. Max Haston, the Adjutant 

General of Tennessee welcomed the veterans and vendors to Tennessee National 

Guard Headquarters. Haston, a veteran 

of Operation Iraqi Freedom knows firsthand the trials many Soldiers face upon 

their return home from combat or military 

retirement. 

 “The Veteran’s event that we do here 

annually in Nashville has become an institution. It is an event that produces results 

that help veterans and their families immediately. It’s not a promise or a ‘we’ll get back 

with you later,” said Haston. “It’s an event 

that provides assistance immediately which 

makes a huge difference.”

 Throughout the day, the crowd continued to grow in attendance with veterans 

of numerous wartime missions as well as 

those who served strictly in peacetime. 

Vendors from the Veteran’s Administration, 

Humana Health Care, Tennessee Army and 

Air National Guard recruiting, numerous 

academic institutions and other specialized 

groups were available to answer questions 

and provide guidance to attendees. 

 Many of the veterans participating in 

the event were able to ask vital questions 

concerning the range of benefits available 

to them and the significant changes that impact their health care, their monetary and 

educational benefits. 

 Many veterans said they often see the 

maze of programs available and resulting 

bureaucracy as a hindrance to requesting 

assistance. During the Workshop each 

vendor attempts to sort through the unique 

challenges that impact each participant and 

resolve them while the veteran is present 

and has time to work through their problems individually.

 Following years of combat across the 

Middle East and the globe, supporting veterans has become a priority for not only the 

U.S. government but the American citizens 

these men and women swore an oath to 

defend.

 The Fourth Annual Veteran’s Workshop 

proved to be a very beneficial event for 

those in need. As Maj. Gen. Haston said, 

“The Workshops are now an institution,” 

and with more veterans returning from 

the rigors of combat and military missions 

around the world, the need to explain and 

understand their available benefits is more 

critical than nearly any period in America’s 

post war environments. - LT COL (RET) 

NIKI GENTRY

Above: U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper speaks to 

veterans at the Fourth Annual Veterans 

Workshop

Below: A representative from the DAV 

Booth with a workshop attendee
17 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

The Life of President 

Andrew Jackson

HISTORICAL LOOK

Our seventh president of the United States. Andrew Jackson is known for founding the Democratic Party and for his support of individual liberty. 

Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaws region between North 

Carolina and South Carolina. At age 13, he joined a local militia and served as a courier 

during the Revolutionary War. 
18 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

His older brother, Hugh, died in the Battle 

of Stono Ferry in 1779, Jackson and his 

brother Robert were captured by the British 

and held as prisoners; they nearly starved 

to death in captivity. When Jackson refused 

to clean the boots of a British officer, the 

officer slashed at the youth with a sword, 

leaving Jackson with scars on his left hand 

and head, as well as an intense hatred for 

the British. While in captivity the brothers 

contracted smallpox, from which Robert 

did not recover. A few days after the brothers were released by British authorities, 

Robert died. Not long after his brother’s 

death, in November 1779, Jackson’s mother died of cholera. At the age of 14, he was 

orphaned.

 Raised by his uncles, Jackson began 

studying law in Salisbury, North Carolina, 

in his late teens. In 1787, he was admitted 

to the bar and became a lawyer in Jonesborough, an area that is now the county seat of 

Tennessee’s Washington County.

 When Jackson arrived in Nashville in 

1788, he met Rachel Donelson Robards, 

who, at the time, was unhappily married to 

but separated from Captain Lewis Robards. 

Rachel and Jackson married before her 

divorce was officially complete—a fact that 

was later brought to light during Jackson’s 

first presidential campaign, garnering 

accusations of bigamy by the press. Jackson’s willingness to engage his and his wife’s 

many attackers earned him a reputation 

as a quarrelsome man. During one incident, Jackson even challenged one accuser, 

1780

Jackson is an orderly in the 

Revolutionary War

1783

Jackson is a teacher at a 

school in Waxhaw

1787

Jackson admitted to the bar

1788

Jackson appointed solicitor 

or attorney general for what is 

now Tennessee

1796

Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

1797

Elected to U.S. Senate

1821

Appointed provisional governor of Florida

1823

Elected to U.S. Senate

1828

Elected President of U.S.

1832

Re-elected President of U.S.

RESUME

PATH TO THE PRESIDENCY 

Jackson’s Victory over the British at New Orleans - 1815

Jackson refuses to clean the boots of a British officer. 
19 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

Charles Dickinson, to a duel, and won. 

 In 1796, Jackson was a member of the 

convention that established the Tennessee Constitution and, that same year, was 

elected Tennessee’s first representative in 

the U.S. House of Representative. He was 

elected to the Senate the following year, but 

resigned after serving only eight months. 

In 1798, Jackson was elected a judge of 

the Tennessee Supreme Court, serving in 

that position until 1804. That same year, 

Jackson acquired an expansive plantation 

in Davidson County, Tennessee, called the 

Hermitage, where he grew cotton, and soon 

became a member of the planting elite.

 Jackson was appointed commander of 

the Tennessee militia in 1801. During the 

War of 1812 he led his troops to victory 

against the Creek Indians at Horseshoe 

Bend, killing some 800 warriors and procuring 20 million acres of land in present-day Georgia and Alabama. After this 

military success, Jackson was appointed 

major general.

 After leading 5,000 soldiers in the defeat 

of 7,500 British in New Orleans, on January 8, 1815, Jackson was dubbed a national 

hero. He received the thanks of Congress 

and a gold medal. He was also popular 

among his troops, who said that Jackson 

was “as tough as old hickory wood” on the 

battlefield, earning him the nickname “Old 

Hickory.”

 During the First Seminole War, in 1817, 

Jackson and his troops captured Pensacola, 

Florida (then a Spanish territory), and overthrew West Florida Governor José Masot, 

who had been secretly assisting the Indians 

in the war. Spain later ceded Florida to the 

United States by the Adams-Onis Treaty, 

and Jackson was named Florida’s military 

governor, a post that he held from March 

1821 to December 1821.

 In 1822, Jackson was re-elected to the 

U.S. Senate, and in 1824, state factions 

rallied around him and a Pennsylvania 

convention nominated him for the U.S. 

presidency. Though Jackson was the most 

popular candidate, he lost the election 

when the House of Representatives chose 

his opponent, John Quincy Adams. The 

decision, an alleged deal to give Adams 

the election in exchange for Henry Clay’s 

secretary of state seat, became known as the 

Corrupt Bargain. The negative reaction to 

the House’s decision resulted in Jackson’s 

renomination for the presidency in 1825, 

three years before the next election. It also 

split the Democratic-Republican Party in 

two.

 Jackson won the presidential election of 

1828 by a landslide, with John C. Calhoun 

as his vice-presidential running mate. Jackson’s opponents nicknamed him “jackass,’ a 

moniker that Jackson took a liking to—so 

much that he decided to use the symbol of 

a donkey to represent himself. Though the 

use of that symbol died out, it would later 

become the emblem of the new Democratic 

Party.

 But Jackson moved into the White 

House alone. On December 22, 1828, two 

months before Jackson’s presidential inauguration, his beloved Rachel died of a heart 

attack. She was buried two days later, on 

Christmas Eve. 

 Jackson was the first president to invite 

the public to attend the inauguration ball 

at the White House, which quickly earned 

him popularity. The crowd that arrived 

was so large that furniture and dishes were 

broken as people jostled one another to get 

a look at the president.

 Perhaps in his greatest feat as president, 

Jackson became involved in a battle with 

the Second Bank of the United States, a theoretically private corporation that actually 

served as a government-sponsored monopoly. Jackson openly displayed his hostility 

toward the bank, vetoing its re-charter 

bill and charging it with disproportionate 

economic privilege. The American public supported his views on the issue, and 

in 1832, catapulted Jackson’s re-election 

campaign against Henry Clay; he won his 

second term with 56 percent of the popular 

vote, and nearly five times as many electoral 

votes.

 After completing his second term in 

the White House, Jackson returned to the 

Hermitage, where he died on June 8, 1845, 

at the age of 78, of lead poisoning caused by 

two bullets that had remained in his chest 

for several years. - MAJ (RET) RANDY 

HARRIS

Left: Enormous crowd in front of the 

White House for Jackson’s inaugural 

reception - 1829

Below: Portrait of First Lady Rachel 

Jackson
20 VSGM SPRING EDITION 2014

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