VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 1

THE VOLUNTEER STATE

guard

magazine

How the State Partnership Program continues

to provide a key security cooperation.

THE STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM ISSUE
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 2
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 3

THE VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD MAGAZINE

PAGE 8 

PARTNERS

The State Partnership Program continues 

to provide a key security cooperation.

PAGE 12 

RETURNING TO THEIR 

ROOTS

Tenn. State Guard returns to Sycamore 

Shoals.

PAGE 14 

MYVECTOR PROGRAM 

Air Force Launches MyVector, Mentorship 

Resources for Airmen.

PAGE 16 

NCO HALL OF FAME

For a Retired Colonel, the NCO Academy’s Hall of Fame.

PAGE 19 

TURNING DELAY INTO 

OPPORTUNITY

Tennessee Engineers get extra training in 

Bulgaria.

PAGE 20

MILITARY AWARDS 

REG UPDATE - ARMY

Numerous Changes in Revision of Army 

Regulation.

PAGE 21

ENGINEER REUNION

Korean War vets remember friends and 

fellow Soldiers. 

VolState Guard is published to provide command and public information about 

Tennessee Guard Soldiers and Airmen throughout the world. Views expressed 

herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official view 

of and it is not endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense 

or the Departments of the Army and 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, The Volunteer State Guard, 3041 Sidco Dr., Attn: TNPAO, Nashville, 

TN 37204.

For more information, the staff can be reached by telephone (615) 313-0633, 

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

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

Distribution of the The Volunteer State Guard is electronic and can be downloaded at: http://www.tnmilitary.org

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTION

SENIOR EDITORS

PHOTOGRAPHY 

WRITERS

MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS

ROB PENNINGTON

MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

ROB PENNINGTON

CW4 NICK ATWOOD

MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

MASTER SGT. KENDRA OWENBY

MASTER SGT. MIKE R. SMITH

TECH. SGT. RICH KERNER

SFC ANTHONY L. TAYLOR

SSG LILA WALKER

SSG WILLIAM JONES

SGT SHANNON BALL

SGT NICOLE SMART

SGT ARTURO GUZMAN

SPC SOPHIA KLEVEMANN

CW4 NICK ATWOOD 

2LT STEVEN ESTES

MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

MASTER SGT. MIKE R. SMITH

TECH SGT. TORRI HENDRIX

SSGT KRISTA HAIR 

SSG LILA WALKER

SSG WILLIAM JONES

SGT SHANNON BALL

SGT SARAH KIRBY

PAGE 22

3000TH HIRE

Tenn. Guard Jobs Program Crosses 

3,000th Hire Mark.

PAGE 23

CYBERGUARD15

Train. Advise. Assist.

PAGE 24

READINESS FOR THE RING

Sgt. 1st Class Lashanda Johns Is 

A Force To Be Reckoned with in the ring.

PAGE 27

AIRMEN HELP HUMANITY

Local Airmen Measure, Saw, Hammer for 

Community.

PAGE 28

SWIFT RESPONSE 15

118TH MPAD and 194th Engineers lend a 

hand in Bulgaria. 

PAGE 29

A VIEW FOR THE FUTURE

Army Surveyors Drafting the Look of the 

Land.

PAGE 30

BUILDING STRONG 

RELATIONSHIPS

Tenn. Guardsmen help boost Bulgarian 

Communities.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 4

LIVE FIRE TRAINING

June 24, 2015 - Sniper platoon 2/278th Armored Calvary Regiment conducts live 

fire training on assigned weapon systems at Camp Shelby, Miss.

PHOTO BY: 278TH ACR

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 5

CHANGE OF COMMAND

Lt. Col. Bobbie M. Sprouse (above) hands command of 3rd Squadron 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment over to Lt. Col. Roark during the squadron’s change of 

command ceremony at the Mt. Carmel Armory in Tenn. Aug 1, 2015

PHOTO BY: SGT ARTURO GUZMAN

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 6

MEDAL OF HONOR

Aug 7, 2015 - Nashville Salutes Medal of Honor event at the Tennessee National 

Guard Joint Force Headquarters. Three Medal of Honor recipients joined us in 

Nashville to share their stories, take photos and sign memorabilia.

PHOTO BY: MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 7

A FAMILIAR FACE GETS A MAKEOVER

July 7, 2015 - An F-104 Starfighter static aircraft on display is being temporarily removed from it’s perch at McGhee Tyson ANG Base, TN. The aircraft will be remounted at it’s original location after it receives a remodel and a fresh coat of paint.

PHOTO BY: MASTER SGT. KENDRA OWENBY

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 8

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - July 14 of this year 

was the 22nd anniversary of the Tennessee 

and Bulgaria partnership that was created 

through the National Guard State Partnership Program in 1993.

 “Back in 1993, Tennessee was picked 

for Bulgaria due to many factors similar in 

nature, one being land mass,” said Lt. Col. 

Michael Nave, State Partnership Program 

Director for Tennessee. Bulgaria and Tennessee were about the same size geographically and similar in population.

 The first three state partnerships were approved April 27, 1993. Soon after, Tennessee 

partnered with Bulgaria on July 14; one of 

nine more established that day. There would 

be three more later the same year, two in August and one in September.

 Today, there are 68 partnerships with 74 

countries.

 “The State Partnership Program has 

evolved from a small program that was virtually unknown outside the National Guard 

to a program strongly supported by all the 

Combatant Commands and widely acknowledged by our nation’s executive and 

legislative leadership,” according to William 

Boehm, in a 2013 monograph entitled The 

National Guard State Partnership Program: 

Forging and Maintaining Effective Security 

Cooperation Partnerships for the 21st Century. Boehm is a historian with the Historical Services Branch of the Office of Public 

Affairs at National Guard Bureau, and was 

the primary author of the monograph.

 “The National Guard SPP arose out of 

DOD efforts to assist the militaries of the 

former Soviet bloc nations of Central and 

Eastern Europe transition to democratic rule 

following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 

1991,” said Boehm in the 2013 document.

 There were several priorities developed 

The State Partnership Program continues to 

provide a key security cooperation.

PARTNERS
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 9

when the program began, mostly focused 

on improving economic conditions during 

that time. The three with military relevance 

were helping to build democracy through 

the appropriate roles for European militaries including civilian command, pursuing 

humanitarian assistance for joint exercises 

with forces of interested nations for national 

disasters and rescue procedures, and developing a capability to participate with other 

institutions in strengthening crisis management mechanisms.

 The training and exercises in the State 

Partnership Program initially involved military assistance to civilian authorities in the 

case of such emergencies and disasters, according to Boehm. Today’s efforts are similar, involving more familiarization training.

 “We have completed several exercises just 

this year with the Bulgarian Land Forces,” 

explained Nave. “We usually conduct 12 to 

16 events each year.”

 These exercises include Kabile 15, Joint 

Reaction, Peace Sentinel, and currently Resolute Castle with Tennessee National Guard 

engineers. 

 Tennessee and Bulgaria often exchange 

subject matter experts and even military 

units to develop leadership in officers and 

NCOs, enable modernization of the military, perform disaster preparedness and crisis management exercises, as well as deployment planning and family support program 

development.

 “The events are tied to the Country Campaign Plans within the European Command 

Theater,” said Nave. “Focus can be attributed 

to such things as professional development, 

interoperability, consequence managements 

and defense reform.” 

 “Looking at the Guard as a whole, we can 

maintain a long lasting relationship with a 

partner country that our active duty counterparts cannot,” said Nave.

 The National Guard is able to forge relationships over a long period of time. Many 

Tennessee Guardsmen have visited Bulgaria on numerous occasions over the past 

two decades and vice versa. When the State 

Partnership Program began, the National 

Guard was in a unique position for aiding in 

the development of military forces in other 

countries by matching military organizations of comparable size, focus and mission. 

For active component personnel, this type of 

relationship would only last about three or 

four years, until the end of that tour of duty.

 “The concept of military personnel that 

could work a full-time civilian job and then 

come to the aid of the population in times 

of disaster was nor widely embraced in the 

former Soviet bloc countries,” explained 

Boehm. “Citizens in those countries generally views military personnel with suspicion 

and not as fellow citizens working for the 

good of the country.”

 “Our relationship with Bulgaria has 

evolved where we have contributed significantly to help them in many areas,” said 

Nave. “Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and 

the European Union in 2008. In consequence management, the Tennessee National Guard and our Tennessee Emergency 

Management Agency have worked with the 

Bulgarians who have now created a ‘Centers 

of Excellence’ that just recently obtained 

NATO accreditation for emergency management within their Ministry of Defense.”

 “The Tennessee National Guard, both 

Army and Air, have supported the Bulgarian communities with school renovations, 

health assessments, as well as vision and 

dental screenings,” Nave added.

 Another unique characteristic is that SPP 

fosters broader cultural, economic and academic ties at the local and state level through 

the use of Operational Mentor and Liaison 

Teams, which began in 2003. OMLTs consists of bi-national units that were initially utilized in Iraq, and later Afghanistan 

to coach, teach and mentor security forces 

units in those countries. Tennessee and Bulgaria were the second OMLT pairing and 

June 23, 2015 - Chief Master Sgt. Edward Walden, Sr., commandant of the Paul 

H. Lankford Enlisted PME Center, checks the uniform of Bulgarian Staff Sgt. Bistra 

Koleva Kumanova during a uniform inspection in NCO academy at McGee Tyson Air 

National Guard Base in Tenn. (Photo by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith)

PARTNERS
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 10

completed four deployment rotations that 

year. By the end of 2003, 11 partnerships had 

completed 54 rotations.

 The SPP continues to grow, meeting combatant command objectives and national security goals while maintaining relationships 

in every corner of the world. 

 “The program promotes defense reform 

and modernization, and provides a training 

venue for our National Guard forces and 

personnel in meeting Joint and Service doctrine, as well as training requirements,” explained Boehm. “The SPP has proven itself 

a unique and valuable engagement asset that 

will continue to pay dividends to peace and 

security from many years to come.”

 In 2005, the Tennessee Army National 

Guard’s military police conducted an exchange in Bulgaria where 80 U.S. Soldiers 

trained in Novo Selo, one of the largest 

small-unit exchanges in the Partnership’s 

history. 

 Since Tennessee partnered with Bulgaria, they have conducted more than 1,000 

events, to include four deployments to Afghanistan where a joint Bulgarian/Tennessee force trained the Afghani Army.

 In 2008, the Bulgarian military made 

the transition to an all-volunteer force and 

underwent a restructuring program aimed 

to bring the army up to NATO standards, 

modernize equipment, and fully integrate 

civilian and armed components. 

 Many Bulgarian villages have been influenced in a positive way by State Partnership Program events through humanitarian 

assistance initiatives in conjunction with 

military-to-military interaction. Exercises, 

such as Vigilant Sentry, have had a positive 

impact on the civilian population with the 

purpose of providing medical, dental and 

pediatric care to the rural population.

 Pairing states with other countries is beneficial.

 “Many people think some of these partnerships are mature enough that we should 

move on to other countries to provide support; however, maintaining these relationships is of vital importance both politically 

and militarily,” said Nave.

 Two years ago, the first two Bulgarian 

students completed the Airman Leadership School and Noncommissioned Officer 

Academy at Tennessee’s I.G. Brown Training 

and Education Center in Knoxville, both of 

which are requirements for enlisted Air NaBULGARIA

Official name

Republic of Bulgaria

Form of government 

Unitary multiparty republic with 

one legislative house

Head of state

President: Rosen Plevneliev

Head of government

Prime Minister: Boiko Borisov

Military

The president is the commander 

in chief of the Bulgarian armed 

forces, whose main defense capabilities lie in a ground force, an 

air force, and a navy. 

Capital

Sofia

Official language

Bulgarian

Official religion

none - The constitution refers to 

Eastern Orthodoxy as the “traditional” religion. 

Monetary unit

lev

Population

7,209,000 (2014 est.)

Climate

Average temperature is 51°F. 

Snowfall from mid-October to 

mid-May, average of 25–30 days 

of snow cover.

(Information courtesy www.britannica.com)

Bulgaria is bounded by Romania to the north, Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia in the southwest, and Serbia in the west. The capital city, Sofia, lies in a mountainous basin in the west.

PARTNERS
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 1 1

tional Guardsmen across the United States 

during different parts of their professional 

military education while in service. Bulgarian students still attend training in the United States, with several graduating from the 

Air Force’s Senior NCO Academy at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, 

Ala., in June of this year and more attending 

both ALS and the NCO Academy over the 

last two years.

 In June of 2013, the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 117th Military Police Battalion hosted four members of the Bulgarian 

military police during the Tennessee unit’s 

two-week annual training at the Volunteer 

Training Site in Tullahoma, Tenn.

 “It’s been an incredible training experience,” said Maj. Wade Reed, the operations 

officer for the 117th in 2013. “The Bulgarians have been alongside us, trading valuable 

techniques and learning different ways to 

look at tactical and technical problems.”

 “We’ve been learning from them, just as 

much as they have from us,” Reed added.

As part of the training, the Bulgarian military police trained on tactics, operations, 

weapons familiarity, and were able to use 

several of the combat simulators at the Tullahoma training site, to include the Mobile 

Armored Tactical Combat House.

 In January of 2014, officials from the Bulgarian Armed Forces Information Security 

Directorate came to Nashville to observe the 

Tennessee National Guard’s Cyber Unit in 

an endeavor to strengthen their own cyber 

defense program.

 “The relationship between Bulgaria and 

the Tennessee National Guard is very important for us to maintain,” said Bulgarian 

Lt. Col. Atanas Atanasov, Chief Expert for 

Bulgaria’s Information Security Directorate.

The visit centered on establishing methods 

of instruction to allow the Bulgarian team to 

better train their own defense force on cyber 

security measures.

- MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

Aug. 15, 2009 - Soldiers from Tennessee and Bulgaria provide security for other service members as 

they sweep through a mock village during a training 

exercise. (Photo by SPC Sophia Klevemann)

Aug. 10, 2015 - Members of the 253rd Military 

Police Company, Tennessee Army National Guard 

spend their summer working alongside and training 

with Bulgarian forces at the Novo Selo Range in 

Bulgaira. (Photo by SGT Nicole Smart)

PARTNERS
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 12

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On September 25, 

members of the Tennessee State Guard 

from across the state will return to the organization’s roots at Sycamore Shoals State 

Park in Elizabethton, Tenn.

 Volunteers from all over the Appalachian region gathered at Sycamore Shoals 

on September 25, 1780, to join with Isaac 

Shelby and John Sevier in fighting the 

British and Loyalists during the American 

Revolution. The Tennessee State Guard, 

the state’s only authorized militia, recognizes that gathering of the Overmountain 

Men as the foundational event.

 The State Guard will join with re-enactors to commemorate the 235th anniversary of that first muster as an essential 

element of the State Guard’s 3-day annual 

training event. Among the activities, State 

Guard members will cross the Watauga 

River, weather permitting, as their predecessors did to participate in the muster. They 

will gather in formation in the park’s amphitheater for the commemoration ceremonies 

led by members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, to swear in new members of the Tennessee State Guard, present 

awards and commendations, and conduct 

promotions of serving members. State 

Guard members who are direct descendants 

of original Overmountain Men will be presented with certificates recognizing the participation of their ancestors in this foundational event.

 The original Overmountain Men gathered 

at the Sycamore Shoals site during the American Revolution in response to the threat from 

British Colonel Patrick Ferguson, an aide to 

General Cornwallis, to cease resistance or 

face dire consequences. Ferguson threatened 

to march his troops over the Appalachians 

and “hang your leaders, and lay waste the 

country with fire and sword.” Colonial Colonels John Sevier and Isaac Shelby sent out 

the call to the men of the region to gather 

at Fort Watauga near Sycamore Shoals to 

pursue Ferguson and his loyalist troops. 

The pursuit through North Carolina and 

Northern Georgia culminated in the Battle 

of Kings Mountain, a decisive Colonial victory during which Ferguson was killed by a 

militia marksman.

Sycamore Shoals

As part of the ceremonial events, Tennessee 

State Guard members will form an honor 

guard on Saturday, September 26, through 

which members of the Overmountain Men 

Victory Trail Association will pass as they 

depart Fort Watauga on their traditional 

commemorative march to Kings Mountain. 

State Guard members will then turn to an 

extensive training exercise in command, 

control, and communications in the event of 

the predicted massive earthquake along the 

New Madrid Fault.

 “This is a unique opportunity,” said Tenn. 

State Guard Brig. Gen. Kenneth Takasaki, 

Commander. 

 “The State Guard will return to the site of 

our initial formation, celebrate our heritage, 

and exercise our response to a future event. 

We’ll be saluting our history and planning 

for the future. It will be an exceptional weekend.” - 2LT STEVEN ESTES

TENN. STATE GUARD

Tenn. State Guard returns to Sycamore Shoals.

RETURNING TO 

THEIR ROOTS

Members of the TNSG practice map-reading skills in anticipation of the 

command, communication, and control exercise scheduled to take place 

at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN. (Photo by TNSG)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 13

Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan

Staff Sgt. David A. W yat t 

Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist

Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith

Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and families affected by 

the terrible events that occurred in Chattanooga on July 16, 2015. 

“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, 

for glory lights the Soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.”

Joseph Rodman Drake, early American poet
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 14

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Air Force recently launched an improved and re-branded Career Path Tool, called MyVector, which 

encourages mentorship between Airmen at 

all levels.

 The first step in the success of MyVector 

is for Airmen to volunteer to be mentors and 

share their experience and expertise with 

other Airmen.

 “Mentoring and networking are two of 

the most important things for leaders to embrace,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “Mentoring represents an 

investment -- one where we may not know 

the impact until many years later.”

 The reconfigured online platform supporting mentoring has a modern look and 

feel. These new configurations support not 

only the traditional by-name request method of requesting a mentor, but also provide 

a mentor-matching capability based on 

weighted characteristics identified by the 

Airman searching for a mentor.

 MyVector has a real-time mentoring plan, 

discussion forums, a bullet tracker to document accomplishments, and the ability to dialogue online with your mentor. A resource 

page is also available to assist both parties 

with mentoring questions and relationships.

 “Air Force mentoring fosters a culture of 

inclusion for all Airmen while maximizing 

their strengths, and is aligned with the culture of the Air Force for mission accomplishment,” said Dr. Patricia McGill, the doctrine, 

institutional competencies and mentoring 

chief. “MyVector captures Airmen experiences within and across Air Force specialty 

codes and occupational series. Mentors will 

be able to provide feedback on their mentees’ career progression.”

 Mentorship requires time, effort and dedication. To assist with this process, there is a 

“Mentoring Checklist” in Air Force Manual 

36-2643, “Air Force Mentoring Program,” 

which outlines how to plan for the different 

mentoring sessions.

 “No matter your age, it’s important to help 

each other,” James said. “Seek a mentor and 

be a mentor.”

 For more information and to register for 

an online profile, go to https://afvec.langley.

af.mil/myvector

- TECH SGT. TORRI HENDRIX

MENTORSHIP

Air Force Launches MyVector, Mentorship 

Resources for Airmen.

MYVECTOR

PROGRAM 
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 15
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 16

MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL 

GUARD BASE, Tenn. - As usual, he drove 

to the I.G. Brown Training and Education 

Center, retired Col. Edmund C. Morrisey arrived early to exercise among the other retirees and Airmen in Wilson Hall. He parked 

in his usual parking spot and wished good 

mornings to passersby.

 The 86-year-old Morrisey then walked on 

the treadmill, pulled on the rowing machine, 

lifted weights and pedaled on the stationary 

bike. He tries to do these exercises two or 

three mornings a week, and credits it partly 

for his trim waistline.

 He left the base as he normally does: with 

no fanfare. Sometimes he stops to talk with 

an Airman who asks for his mentorship. 

Sometimes he discretely drops off baskets of 

fresh local strawberries, or corn, or peaches, in the staff break rooms -with modest 

amusement, like a secret admirer.

 If there’s an NCO academy or an Airman leadership school graduation, Morrisey 

arrives in his business attire to applaud the 

accomplishments at the ceremony from his 

favorite spot: in the back of the auditorium. 

He attends only if invited - he always attends.

 The TEC’s first commander and commandant, Morrisey said that he’s still reassured 

in what he calls the Air National Guard’s 

“crown jewel” for learning and leadership, 

and that it has not stultified. It has been 47 

years since its start - he retired more than 31 

years ago - but he stays attentive to the TEC’s 

energy and image.”I think I’m identified as 

the resident geezer, but I don’t know if it’s on 

their staff briefing,” Morrisey joked, while 

taking a break from his workout. 

 It’s not like Morrisey has nothing else going on in retirement - he will tell you how 

he and a friend enjoy gathering golf balls 

around the area to give to kids. He has other 

interests that keep him busy.

 In conviction, the silver-haired veteran - 

the only colonel that the Air National Guard 

For a Retired Colonel, the NCO Academy’s Hall of Fame.

NCO HALL OF FAME

COL. EDMUND MORRISEY

MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. - 

Maj. Edmund C. Morrisey awards the NCO academy honor 

flight ribbon on the flight line in 1969. (U.S. Air Force file 

photo/Released)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 17

ever inducted into the Air Force Order of 

the Sword- likes to keep a low profile when 

on the campus.”I’m a strong believer that every dog has its day,” said Morrisey. “I have 

a great respect for the commander and staff 

here.”

 An only child from Connecticut, and 

an all-American prep-school swimmer, 

Morrisey received his commission in 1952 

through ROTC at Hartford’s Trinity College. He left the regular military for some 

time before he rejoined the Connecticut Air 

National Guard as an operations officer. He 

later served in Germany and Colorado. He 

had a memorable encounter while serving 

with the Texas Air National Guard when he 

swore 2ndLt. George W. Bush into service.

 It was also during those days that Morrisey first experienced how World War II 

and Korean War veterans were changing the 

image of the Air National Guard - in one assignment, supporting a 1963win in the Air 

Force’s William Tell aerial gunnery competition.

 “What really blindsided us was that civilian and military members considered us 

less than professional,” Morrisey recalled in 

2001, during the classroom building’s dedication in his name.

 Morrisey’s journey with the TEC began as 

a major in July 1968, when he traveled from 

Texas to take command of a new school that 

taught leadership to enlisted Guardsmen. 

He said that his mentor and boss, Maj. Gen. 

I.G. Brown,the director of the Air National 

Guard, was his inspiration for a goal that 

never left him: that the perception of the Air 

National Guard must change.

 “His advice was very simple, he said ‘make 

this work,’ and little did I know the extent 

that ‘make this work’ would spread to,” Morrisey said during the TEC’s 45th anniversary 

celebration.

 But back at the fitness center, Morrisey 

remembered the enormous challenge they 

had in earning the school its reputation; 

nevertheless, it took them just five years to 

become known as “the premier institution.”

 They produced an NCO academy, an Airman leadership school and the officer preparatory academy (forerunner of today’s Academy of Military Science).They also garnered 

accreditation from the Southern Association 

of Colleges - the first Air Force professional 

military education center to do so, he said.

”I think I’m 

identified as 

the resident 

geezer, but 

I don’t know 

if it’s on their 

staff briefing.” 

COL. EDMUND MORRISEY

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Capt. Edmund Morrisey, top center, pictured 

here in 1963 with personnel from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 146th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and members of the Colorado and Utah Air National Guard 

who were among the first Air National Guard teams to win the Air Force’s William Tell 

aerial gunnery competition. (U.S. Air Force file photo/Released) 
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 18

 “That did not happen accidentally,” said 

Morrisey.

 In some ways,General Brown’s challenge 

carried on long after the NCO academy’s first 

staff of six instructors, two administrators 

and Morrisey’s Commandant, Chief Master 

Sgt. Paul H. Lankford. From their first 103 

graduates to about 40,000 graduates today, 

Morrisey said that the Air National Guard 

shaped its image as a professional organization with those formations of Airmen.

 Today the TEC’s Paul H. Lankford Enlisted PME Center runs the Air Force’s largest, 

continually running total force NCO academy.

 “I finally determined that regardless of 

whether you are a Guardsman, or a Reservist or on active duty status, you are now all 

brought into the expected level of performance,” said Morrisey. “I’m just so pleased, 

and that’s why you see as much of me here 

as you do. It’s just a pleasure to see the things 

that are happening.”

 The Air National Guard’s NCO Academy 

Graduates Association formed from the first 

graduating class, and its present-day members recognized Morrisey this week with a 

lifetime achievement: they inducted him 

into their Hall of Fame.

 “That is our top award,” said retired Chief 

Master Sgt. Janice Richardson, association 

president, who oversees 106 chapters, nationwide.

 “He was the driving force that motivated the graduates to build our organization, 

add value to our units and communities and 

get more of our enlisted members to attend 

PME,” cited Morrisey’s nomination.

 But Morrisey could not travel to their 

annual conference, so the TEC’s commander invited the association to present their 

award to him on a recent morning in Patriot 

Hall.The ceremony was just as he preferred 

-a simple presentation by the association’s 

president in the lobby, with just a handful 

of people. “I am just tickled to death of the 

quality of the staff as well as the quality of the 

students coming here, and that makes my 

day happy,” said Morrisey when applauded. 

“I hope everyone knows that I was a creation 

of really sharp noncommissioned officers.”

 Morrisey said that he is also pleased to 

join Chief Lankford among those honorees. 

Lankford- a World War II POW and a Bataan Death March survivor - served as commandant until 1981. He passed away in 2008 

at the age of 89 with more than 42 years of 

regular Air Force and Air National Guard 

service.

 “We had an agreement: I didn’t know 

about enlisted PME and he was going to lead 

me there, and I was going to raise his perception of what the Air National Guard was 

all about,” said Morrisey. 

 Morrisey then smiled and returned to his 

workout. - MSGT MIKE SMITH

COL. EDMUND MORRISEY

Brig. Gen. Tony McMillan, Commander of the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte, N.C. , 

presents a command coin to Col. (retired) Edmund C. Morrisey, Jr. after speaking to 

the Noncommissioned Officer Academy Graduates Association of North Carolina. 

(Photo by Tech. Sgt. Rich Kerner, 145 AW Public Affairs) 
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 19

NOVO SELO, Bulgaria - In early June, 

members of the Tennessee Army National Guard arrived in Bulgaria as the first of 

many rotations from Tennessee who will 

be supporting Resolute Castle, which is a 

component of Operation Atlantic Resolve. 

Operation Atlantic Resolve is ongoing in 

Eastern Europe, emphasizing the ironclad 

treaty commitment of the United States to its 

NATO allies by providing a persistent presence in NATO’s Eastern European members. 

 Sgt. 1st Class Michael DeMorato of the 

Tennessee Army National Guard’s 212th 

Engineer Company out of Paris, Tenn., explains his unit’s mission at the Novo Selo 

training range. 

 “The mission tasked to us was come to 

Novo Selo training area in Bulgaria, to construct some covered shelters and ammo 

breakdown pads. We are also going to construct some operations and storage buildings 

for the training center here that the Bulgarians and Americans share for all their tank 

and live fire exercises,” said DeMorato, adding “We actually had to break the dirt, kinda 

get a general rough area for us to work freely 

and then we have to put up our batter boards 

constructed to a level ground so we can start 

forming up for concrete to construct these 

building in future rotations” 

 When faced with a delay in receiving some 

of their basic operating materials, or BOM, 

the 212th Engineers turned the events into a 

training opportunity. 

 “We had the delay in the BOM, which gave 

us time to teach these Soldiers that when 

they come in its not just having a general 

rough area so we can start forming concrete, 

but some of the lower enlisted were actually 

able to get out there when they see just grass 

and dirt and get into the horizontal side of 

it and see what needs to be done before we 

can even do our job. They got to understand 

the planning phases, the recons we had to 

do and actually start turning dirt just so they 

can plan on doing batter boards and start 

forming our stuff up,” said DeMorato. 

 “We are engineers and we always adapt 

and overcome. They gave us an area where 

we found some materials to reconstruct 

and get some other training so these guys 

can tear something down and not just build 

something. It was just miscellaneous rough 

lumber, a bunch of stairs and platforms. We 

are going ahead and tearing enough down 

so not just our rotation can be employed, 

but the next rotation can come in and already have that stuff completed so that way 

they don’t have to come here and tear things 

down, start over. Kinda like a production assembly. The more we start and the more we 

do since we are already on ground-tearing 

everything up and getting it ready for the 

next rotation when they come in, they will 

already have some stuff pretty much ready 

for them to start rolling on,” he added. 

 Work continues for the 212th and other 

members of Tennessee’s 194th Engineer Brigade’s first of many rotations here in Bulgaria; in support of Tennessee’s partner in peace 

and Operation Atlantic Resolve. 

- SSG LILA WALKER

Tennessee Engineers get extra training in Bulgaria.

TURNING DELAY 

INTO OPPORTUNITY

212TH ENGINEER COMPANY

(Above) SFC Michael DeMorato of 

Tennessee’s 212th 

Engineer Company. 

(Left) Soldiers with 

the 212th work to 

prepare the ground 

for future construction projects. (Photos by SSG Lila 

Walker)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 20

An updated version of Army Regulation 

600-8-22, Military Awards, was published 

June 25 and went into effect July 25. 

 The revised version features numerous 

changes, including clarification for Soldiers 

who are flagged for fitness test failures and 

their ability to receive awards, updated guidance regarding awarding the Purple Heart 

according to the Defense Authorization 

Act of 2015, and guidance on obtaining 

missing medals.

 Soldiers who are flagged may be recommended for and presented an award based 

on valor and heroism, even posthumously 

when assigned to a unit engaged in combat against hostile forces and the Soldier 

died as a result of injuries sustained during 

combat. 

 Flagged Soldiers are still ineligible to be 

recommended for other types of awards. 

Once the flag is lifted, the Soldier will become eligible at that time.

 Awards to flagged Soldiers requires a 

waiver that will accompany the award recommendation. The Purple Heart does not 

require exception or waiver for presentation because this award is an entitlement 

and different from all other awards.

 In addition, under the Defense Authorization Act of 2015, those Soldiers who 

were killed or wounded in attacks by foreign 

terrorist organizations because of their status as military members are now eligible for 

the Purple Heart. This is retroactive to September 11, 2001.

 If you are missing a medal, Army or other branch of service, you can get it replaced, 

and possibly for free.

 Medals are initially presented at no cost 

to the service member. Replacement medals 

are issued on a one-time basis and without 

charge to the recipient or immediate next of 

kin if the recipient is deceased. The next of 

kin can be any of the following: surviving 

spouse that has not remarried, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother.

 Subsequent replacement medals will cost 

money. Next of kin cannot receive duplicate 

medals if the service member has already requested one.

 Issue or replacement of World War I Victory Medals or earlier medals is no longer 

possible, but they can still be purchased 

from outside, private vendors.

 Active duty, National Guard, and Reserve 

personnel should submit requests for medals to their unit commanders.

ARMY

For medals on behalf of individuals having 

no current U.S. Army status or deceased 

prior to 1 October 2002 requests should be 

submitted to: National Personnel Records 

Center (NPRC), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, 

MO 63138–1002. 

Requests for medals for individuals who retired, were discharged (or have a Reserve obligation), or died after 1 October 2002, and 

request for retired general officers should 

be submitted to: Commander, U.S. Army 

Human Resources Command (AHRC–

PDP–A), 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Fort Knox, KY 40122–5408.

AIR FORCE

Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces Personnel Center, ATTN: AFPC/DSPSIDR, 550 

C Street, Randolph Air Force Base, TX 

78150–4712.

MARINES

Commandant, United States Marine 

Corps, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, 

Code: MMMA, 3280 Russell Road, Quantico, VA 22134–5103.

NAVY

Chief of Naval Operations (DNS–35), 

Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350–

2000.

COAST GUARD

Commandant (G–PS–5/TP41), U.S. Coast 

Guard, Washington, DC 20593–7238.

More information about replacing medals 

can be obtained at the NPRC website:

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-medals.html.

Additional service records can be obtained 

here: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/militaryservice-records/index.html.

- MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

REGULATION UPDATE

Photo by SFC Anthony L. Taylor

Numerous Changes in Revision of Army Regulation.

MILITARY AWARDS 

REG UPDATE - ARMY
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 2 1

MILAN, Tenn. - Korean War Veterans who 

were also Tennessee Guardsmen from the 

2998th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company, gathered together one more time to 

reminisce and remember their friends and 

fellow Soldiers who have passed away. 

 In 1951, 71 men from a small town in 

rural west Tennessee were activated and sent 

overseas to help turn back the communist 

threat. Of those 71 men who returned home 

in 1952, 14 remain.

 “This is our 65th reunion since we landed 

in Pusan, Korea,” said Bill McClean one of 

the remaining Veterans who organized the 

event. “We have celebrated our 50th, 56th 

and 60th reunion. On our 60th reunion, 

Governor Phil Bredesen proclaimed August 

19, 2010, as the 2998th Engineer Treadway 

Bridge Company Day”. Today, that proclamation is on display at Troop C, 1st Squadron, 278th Regimental Combat Team, in 

Milan.

 “We went from Japan over to Korea; it 

was an overnight trip. We were actually on 

a Japanese ferry boat. It had no kitchen, 

but they did have C-rations on board for 

emergencies. We got into the 

C-rations and threw everything overboard except the 

franks and beans. The officer 

in charge of the ship got mad 

and he called us all together. 

He said that we all acted like a bunch of kids. 

I chuckled and said, ‘We are kids, Sir’. We 

were 17, 18 and 19 years old. And he said, 

‘well, you’re going now where it’s going to 

separate the men from the boys,” said McClean.

 “I remember when we got there. It was 

raining, it was cold, and it was muddy. One 

of my buddies threw his duffle bag down 

in the mud and he started laughing. It was 

quite a sight. He said crying won’t do us any 

good, so I might as well laugh,” he added.

 The unit’s mission was to construct bridges that consisted of rubber pontoons that 

supported steel roadways. The bridges were 

fast to set up, usually taking less than a day 

and all the equipment necessary was brought 

to the worksite on trucks. The unit accomplished its mission and returned home a year 

later without a single casualty or serious injury. McClean said the one of the highlights 

upon returning home were meals with fresh 

vegetables, milk and drinks with ice in them. 

 “The Korean War is the ‘Forgotten War’. 

You go to the VA and there all kinds of pictures on the wall for the Vietnam War and 

WWII, but there’s hardly anything for Korea,” said McClean. “We just went and did 

our duty, came home and went back to work”. 

Six Veterans and their spouses attended the 

65th reunion at Northside Baptist Church in 

Milan. Additionally, four surviving spouses 

received roses in memory of their late husbands and to recognize their personal sacrifices during the war. 

 Bill McClean has chronicled the history of the 2998th and has dedicated it to the 

Soldiers and family members of the unit. It’s 

available at: http://tn-roots.com/tngibson/

WAR/2998/Page_2.htm 

- SSG WILLIAM JONES

R E U N I O N 

Korean War vets remember friends and fellow Soldiers.

2998TH ENGINEERS 

GATHER FOR REUNION

ABOVE: Four surviving spouses received roses in memory of 

their late husbands and to recognize their personal sacrifices during 

the war. From left to right: Jean Cole (Ralph W. Cole), Jane Powers 

Montgomery (L.L. Powers), Mildred Hill (G. Edwin Hill), and Margie 

Hilliard Holt (David B. Hilliard) 

LEFT: Six of the surviving members of the 2998th Engineer 

Treadway Bridge Company. Back row: Aaron Long, Guy T. Taylor, 

Mary Taylor, Billy F. McLean, Jimmy L. Watson, Louise Watson. 

Front row: Melva Long, Glen R. Hall, Suzanne Fuqua, John B. 

Fuqua. (Photos by SSG William Jones)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 22

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Maj. Gen. Max 

Haston, Tennessee’s Adjutant General, 

today recognized Dollar General Vice 

President of Government Affairs Steve 

Brophy and Dollar General for hiring Spc. 

Josh DeRoisa as the 3,000th hire through 

the Job Connection Education Program 

(JCEP). 

 DeRoisa’s employment represents yet 

another milestone in the nearly four year 

old business partnership program assisting Tennessee National Guard members 

and their families in finding jobs across 

the state.

 Joining Maj. Gen. Haston were Burns 

Phillips, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce 

Development; Melinda Kelsey, Communications, Constituent and Government 

Relations Administrator and Jann Dower, 

Director of Constituent Service, both with 

Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Also in attendance were Capt. 

Michael Riley, Section Chief of the Army 

National Guard Transition Services and 

Employment Outreach, National Guard Bureau, and Dinetha Thompson, the National 

JCEP Program Manager.

 “Today we recognize an initiative that 

only a short time ago was in its infancy and 

now, just over three years later, has contributed to the hiring of over 3,100 National 

Guard members and family members in the 

Tennessee National Guard resulting in over 

$105 million in salaries!” exclaimed Haston.

 While jobs and salaries are critical, Haston 

went on to say, “more importantly, the program has provided the security and stability 

we all need that comes from having a good 

job and career.”

 JCEP helps Guard and Reserve service members, and their spouses, who are 

unemployed or under-employed, to find 

careers. The program, which is offered by 

the Army National Guard, provides dedicated training and development specialists and 

a skilled business advisor to assist participants in making their job connections.

 “Our Veterans have a proven ability for 

success in the workplace and the one statement I hear the most from business leaders 

is that hiring veterans just makes sense,” said 

retired Tennessee National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Bill Marley, who administers 

the JCEP Program for Tennessee.

 “I was looking for a career, not just a job, 

and Dollar General evaluated my total military experience to do the job--now I’m a 

manager,” said DeRoisa, who also serves as a 

member of the 1st Airfield Operations Battalion, 107th Aviation Regiment in Tullahoma, Tenn.

 “The strength of our program is built on 

the partnerships we have throughout the 

state with both government and business 

leaders like Labor and Workforce Development and Dollar General,” stated Marley. 

“They understand that the hiring of our Soldiers and Airmen is not just a feel good initiative but rather a sound business decision 

that contributes to the bottom line of their 

organization.”

 Haston went on to praise Commissioner 

Phillips and Dollar General for their efforts 

in support of Paychecks for Patriots, another initiative that puts Veterans back to work 

across the state. Occurring normally in the 

fall, last year the Paychecks for Patriots event 

will be held on October 1, across the state at 

various locations.

- CW4 NICK ATWOOD

Tenn. Guard Jobs Program Crosses 3,000th Hire Mark.

3000TH HIRE

JOB CONNECTION PROGRAM

Maj. Gen. Max Haston, The Adjutant 

General of Tennessee, recognizes the 

3000th hire through the JCEP program. (Photo by CW4 Nick Atwood)

Questions about the Job Connection Program? Contact Bill Marley at (615) 678-3373 or Bill.Marley@jcep.info
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 23

BERRY FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. - Members 

from the 218th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group 

(ISRG) participated in Cyber Guard 15, a three week exercise in Suffolk, Va. The joint exercise, co-led by U.S. Cyber Command, DHS, and 

the FBI, included participation from the private sector, DOD, international allies, and U.S. federal and state government entities to include 

National Guard elements from multiple states. Participants exercised a 

whole-of-nation approach to identify, defend, and protect our domestic critical infrastructure. 

 Col. Jason Glass, commander of the 218th ISRG, said, “Without 

terrestrial boundaries the cyber dimension transcends throughout 

all domains. These exercises allow the National Guard to engage and 

train with all partners to include the private sector. The enhancement 

of such training is critical as we address the threat of the 21st century, 

and the environment it presents.” 

 The cyber domain is an all-inclusive realm, posing an equal opportunity threat to any device with an internet connection. The cyber vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure affect the federal, state, 

and private sectors, therefore all sectors, or a whole-of-nation effort, 

is necessary to mitigate a potential cyber-attack from becoming a national emergency. The National Guard has proven its worth time and 

time again in times of catastrophic events, and it’s becoming evident 

that augmentation in the cyber world is no different. Defense Support 

to Civil Authorities (DSCA) outlines the use of military forces to augment state, territory, tribal, local, and private-sector authorities in a 

catastrophic event where assigned resources are overwhelmed. This 

concept is at the heart of DOD’s role in Cyber Guard. 

 According to the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy 2015, 

“DOD will draw on the National Guard and Reserve Components as a 

resource for expertise and to foster creative solutions to cybersecurity 

problems.”

 An exercise player from the 218th ISRG said, “Unlike our active 

duty peers, the Air National Guard must be prepared to respond to a 

multitude of federal and state incidents, ranging from natural disasters 

and civil disturbances to kinetic and non-kinetic [cyber] aggression 

toward U.S. interests both at home and abroad. Because of the vast 

array of incidents that we have to be prepared to respond to; participating in multi-organizational training events, like Cyber Guard, is 

critical to ensuring that the Air National Guard can maintain the public trust in our ability to defend and protect the critical infrastructure 

of the state and the nation.”

 Participants from multiple organizations were grouped into adversary and defender teams to emulate a realistic cyber battlespace. 

During the exercise, players on the blue team (the defenders) were 

tasked to deny adversarial presence, identify scanning, spear phishing, and malware residency on the network. The teams were able to 

exercise actual operations in a closed network environment. With the 

persistent cyber battle format of the exercise, the National Guard was 

able to train in a real world scenario against an expert adversary, and 

strengthen its communication procedures as a joint team. An emphasis on the importance of a whole-of-nation effort enhanced the cyber 

team approach to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Annual training 

exercises such as Cyber Guard maintain ready National Guard force 

capabilities to conduct cyberspace operations. 

 Relationships built during Cyber Guard have provided collaborative 

opportunities outside of the exercise. At the local level, the 218th ISRG 

continues a strong working relationship with the Tennessee Joint Force 

Headquarters J6 Computer Network Defense team, and have participated jointly in this exercise for the past two years. National Guard 

units from Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky have been multi-year 

partners during Cyber Guard, and continue communication and synergistic training efforts throughout the year. 

 An exercise player from the 218th ISRG said, “I believe the relationships we forge in joint exercises, like Cyber Guard, create multiple 

benefits. By knowing the key stakeholders, it enables our responders to 

more effectively communicate and information share. In addition, by 

having a relationship with our personnel, there is an environment of 

trust established with the other services and agencies which strengthened their communication with our responders.” 

The act of preparing, securing, and defending our nation’s networks, 

systems, and information is a team effort. As we partner with other 

Departments and Agencies, international allies and partners, state and 

local governments, and the private sector, we continue to gain global 

strategic stability to defend against cyber-attacks, and hold the strategic advantage against adversaries. Click Here for Cyberguard15 Video

- SSGT KRISTA HAIR
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 24

SOLDIER-ATHLETE

READINESS

WITH STRONG DETERMINATION AND A 

DEVASTATING RIGHT HOOK, BIRCHWOOD, 

TENNESSEE NATIVE SGT. 1ST CLASS 

LASHANDA JOHNS IS A FORCE TO BE 

RECKONED WITH IN BOTH BOXING AND 

KICKBOXING.

FOR THERING
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 25

W

ould you last more than 34 seconds with Ronda Rousey? “No,” 

said Sgt. 1st Class Lashanda 

Johns. “Ronda is very experienced in all forms of martial 

arts. I am only experienced in two of them.”

 Johns is the readiness NCO for the 

Tennessee Army National Guard’s Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, Regimental 

Training Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. She has been in the National 

Guard for 13 years. During this time, she has 

participated in six boxing matches and four 

kickboxing matches, boxing off and on since 

2009.

 “I compete as much as a I can, but I also 

do it for fun,” said Johns. “It is really difficult 

READINESS FOR THE RING SGT. 1ST CLASS LASHANDA JOHNS

Clockwise from top: July 2015, Johns 

works on her kickboxing in the gym; 

Johns receives an award at the Bataan 

Death March; Johns rucking in the Bataan Death March in 2014. (Top photo by 

Master Sgt. Robin Brown, bottom photos 

Courtesy Photos) 
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 26

at times to manage boxing and the National 

Guard; most of my tournaments usually fall 

during annual training or drill weekend.”

 The National Guard has kept her busy. 

Johns has deployed three times, twice to 

Iraq and once to Kuwait. She even received 

a Bronze Star during her first deployment 

to Iraq. Training didn’t stop when she deployed.

 “The friends I have made throughout 

the years in the Guard are like my family,” 

she said. “I just recently returned from a 

deployment [to Kuwait], but I trained over 

there almost every day.”

 Johns returned from Kuwait at the beginning of July 2015. She attended the World 

Amateur Kickboxing Tournament in Orlando, Fla. July 24-26.

 “Tony Alston, who is still deployed, trained 

me while I was in Kuwait to get ready for my 

most recent kickboxing tournament here 

in the United States,” Johns added. Alston 

is a Staff Sergeant with the Indiana National Guard’s 1313th Engineer Company. “He 

teaches boxing part time back home.”

 “In combat sports, you have to be very 

disciplined; this is the same with the National Guard. To be a good Soldier, boxer or kick 

boxer, you have to stay disciplined and focused,” she said. This focus is evident in her 

training.

 “I do a lot of sparring, speed bag work, 

heavy bag work, running and circuit training,” Johns said. “Since I also kick box, I do a 

lot of kick pad drills and stretching.”

 “You have to train hard and be ready to 

get hit, and sometimes hit really hard,” she 

added.

 Johns said she participates in the sport for 

herself, but she got an interest in boxing at 

an early age.

 “As a kid, I watched boxing with my father 

every Tuesday night. I told him I would love 

to do something like that, but he told me 

no,” Johns said. “Many years later, after my 

second deployment, I went to a kickboxing 

gym and it all started there.”

 “I thought it was awesome and looked 

like fun,” she added. That enthusiasm hasn’t 

changed for Johns, but her father’s opinion 

has.

 “My father loves the fact that I compete 

now. He comes to every event he can attend,” 

she said. “I asked him what changed, and he 

said he hasn’t seen be get beat up yet. He said 

if the day ever comes that I am taking a beating, it will be hard for him to watch.”

 “I feel really good when I box, it relieves 

a lot of stress and is an adrenaline rush,” she 

said. “Boxing and kickboxing are very rewarding. You see results in a every aspect of 

your life. It makes you look great, feel great, 

and feels even better when you win.”

 Johns has advice for anyone who is interested in boxing.

 “Do not listen to people who say you can’t 

do it, or that it’s dumb,” she said. “If you have 

a dream, you should go after it!” 

- MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

READINESS FOR THE RING SGT. 1ST CLASS LASHANDA JOHNS

Johns (bottom left) in Iraq. - 2004

(Courtesy Photo) 

Sgt. 1st Class Lashanda Johns running at a 5K event in Kuwait. - 2015

(Courtesy Photo)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 27

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - About a dozen military volunteers took part in a Habitat for 

Humanity project August 18-19 to pre-fabricate utility sheds as well as door and window frames.

 The I.G. Brown Training and Education 

Center’s instructors and staff from McGhee 

Tyson Air National Guard Base spent several hours in Habitat’s wood shop in North 

Knoxville each day cutting wood and nailing 

together shed, window and door sections for 

assembly during home construction projects. 

 “It’s outstanding to have the help,” said 

Ken Cruikshank, a volunteer crew leader for 

Habitat for Humanity.

 Cruikshank said that fabricating the shed 

sections at their Washington Avenue office 

cuts the time building them on site by about 

50 hours. 

 The Knoxville Habitat builds and donates 

an average 25 homes each year, he said. 

There’s no garages built, but each home gets 

a shed for storage. Habitat’s web site calls 

their homes decent and affordable for people in need. 

 Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kalon Pang, an enlisted professional military education instructor, said that he hopes to expand his assistance with the organization. He contacted 

them initially and organized the effort because of his own interest to volunteer. 

 “Being from Oklahoma, I see these projects a lot because of the tornados, so I always 

wanted to do this,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to see people who need these houses get 

them.”

 Pang said that the volunteers also strengthened their camaraderie from building together.

- MASTER SGT. MIKE SMITH

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Local Airmen Measure, Saw, Hammer for Community.

AIRMEN HELPING 

HUMANITY

Tech. Sgt. Kalon Pang and Master Sgt. Cindy 

Dickson assemble a doorframe that will be used 

in a home building project. (Photo by Master Sgt. 

Mike Smith)

Master Sgt. Don Pierson 

cuts lumber inside a wood 

shop to fabricate window 

and door frames. (Photo by 

Master Sgt. Mike Smith)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 28

NOVO SELO, Bulgaria - Soldiers from the 

Tennessee Army National Guard deployed 

to Novo Selo Training Area here with a continued support of Operation Resolute Castle 

15, and provided support for the multinational exercise Swift Response 15, on August 

24. 

 Swift Response is a multinational training exercise involving more than 4,500 service members from 11 NATO nations taking 

place in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Romania. The training event, a component of 

Operation Atlantic Resolve, provided participants with the opportunity to integrate 

high-readiness forces from multiple allied 

nations to train as a cohesive and interoperable team and demonstrate NATO’s ability 

to quickly respond to a crisis. This was NATO’s largest U.S. led airborne exercise since 

the Cold War.

 To support the exercise, public affairs 

personnel from the Nashville-based 118th 

Mobile Public Affairs Detachment assisted 

in capturing the imagery from the parachute 

assault by the Italy-based 173rd Airborne 

Brigade and elements of the 82nd Airborne 

Division into nearby Tenevo Airfield.

 The 118th MPAD is deployed here to 

support the state’s 194th Engineer Brigade 

in Operation Resolute Castle 15, a readiness 

training exercise designated to assist U.S. 

Army Europe and Bulgarian allies in building roads and other infrastructure to provide world-class training facilities at Novo 

Selo for exercises such as Swift Response and 

the United States Marine Corps’ Black Sea 

Rotational Force. 

 “We were fortunate to have the 118th 

MPAD here,” said Maj. Michael Weisman, 

the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s public affairs 

officer. “They provided some great photos of 

training and it was great to work with public affairs professionals from both the active 

and Guard forces.” 

 U.S. Army Europe employs State Partner 

National Guard forces to facilitate the provision of theatre support and services and 

to enhance partner capacity and capability. 

The 194th Engineer Brigade is responsible 

in Bulgaria and Romania to provide support 

of general engineering by strengthening and 

enhancing allied capacity and improving installation infrastructure.

 “Working with components within U.S. 

Army Europe has been proof to us that 

our work is a united effort for supporting 

a greater cause,” said Col. Brad J. Bishop of 

Brownsville, Tennessee, commander of the 

194th Engineer Brigade based out of Jackson, Tennessee. “Our labor spent in improving the buildings, roads and other forms of 

infrastructure for the training site here at 

Novo Selo is not just in benefit for the Tennessee National Guard but is a large contribution toward the foundation of training 

for all components of Operation Atlantic 

Resolve, that includes active duty U.S. Army 

Europe as well as our NATO allies.” 

 The general engineering support provided 

by 194th includes horizontal and vertical engineering, survey and design, quality assurance and installation status report inspections as well as maintenance support. 

 “The construction work by the 194th will 

be huge for units from any country that come 

to train here at Novo Selo,” said Weisman. 

“They are helping to make this a world-class 

training area that can support everything 

from airborne and air assault operations to 

heavy tank gunnery.” 

 The 194th EN BDE began the rotation of 

troop construction projects to the Novo Selo 

training area on May 1st and are scheduled 

to return home on the 30th of September. 

- SGT SARAH KIRBY

SWIFT RESPONSE 15

118TH MPAD and 194th Engineers lend a hand in Bulgaria. 

GUARDSMEN ASSIST 

IN SWIFT RESPONSE

Photo Courtesy NATO
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 29

194TH ENGINEERS

Army Surveyors Drafting the Look of the Land.

A VIEW FOR THE 

FUTURE

NOVO SELO, Bulgaria - “It’s hot, it’s cold 

and sometimes it’s wet,” said Chief Warrant 

Officer 3 Anthony Clark, a construction engineer technician with the 212th Engineer 

Company, “but they are out there in every 

environment and it is tough.”

 From May through September Soldiers in 

the Tennessee and Alabama Army National 

Guard are building roads and constructing 

training sites in Bulgaria and Romania in 

part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. 

 Before any work is performed, technical engineers survey existing site conditions, 

prepare detailed designs of roads, and provide drainage solutions for water, said Clark.

 The 774th Survey and Design Detachment designed the roads that the 194th Engineer Brigade is constructing, as well as the 

structures here and in Romania, he said. 

 “It is essential to see that the buildings 

are placed properly and in the right location with proper materials to make sure the 

structure isn’t put where there is or will be a 

water issue,” said Clark.

 They come in small groups with the skill 

set to be independent, quick thinkers and 

proficient in problem solving, he added.

 There are 14 total technical engineers in 

the brigade. With completing 17-day annual training rotations here for Resolute Castle 

15, the survey team has to be able to shoot, 

move and communicate with one another in 

a team of two for each rotation.

 “They go back out to the field and do a final drawing of the ‘as built’ so they can mark 

lines, roads, and buildings for the landowner as a record of where everything is,” said 

Clark.

 Spc. Justin Cobb, a technical engineer with 

774th Survey and Design Detachment is a 

surveyor in his civilian career with Southern Consulting out of Dickson, Tennessee, 

and applies what he knows from his civilian 

career to complete military assignments accurately.

 Wind speeds can throw off the instruments and tools, said Cobb. Problem solving is key to completing a successful mission 

when surveying.

 “Participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve helps to strengthen bonds between the 

nations,” said Cobb. “I hope to see more 

progress coming from Resolute Castle in the 

future.”

 Sgt. David Parham, a native of Germantown, Tennessee, has been a technical engineer for nine years in the Tennessee Army 

National Guard. 

 “A sharp mind is most important skill for 

our job,” said Parham, a technical engineer 

with 774th Survey and Design Detachment. 

 The sole mission as surveyors is to support base development for the training sites, 

he said.

 “It is a wonderful partnership working 

with multinational countries,” said Parham. 

“It gives a chance for us to sharpen our skill 

set, while helping a partnering nation to develop their infrastructure within a military 

scope.” - SGT SHANNON BALL

Sgt. David Parham and Spc. Justin Cobb 

with the 194th Engineer Brigade support 

base development for training sites in 

Novo Selo Training Area located in Eastern Bulgaria on August 27, 2015. (Photos by SGT Shannon Ball)
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 30

NOVO SELO, Bulgaria - While being escorted to our destination, the terrain sends 

reminders of my home front in Eastern Tennessee with gently rolling plains in between 

mountains to my left and right. As locals 

finish plowing rows of sunflower fields, we 

enter into a quaint city.

 Capt. David Lyle, project officer of Resolute Castle 15, and 1st Sgt. Stephen Prather, operations noncommissioned officer 

in charge of Resolute Castle 15, travel into 

Sliven, Bulgaria, on August 24 to purchase 

the materials needed for the construction 

projects in support of Operation Atlantic 

Resolve (OAR). 

 “The language barrier is sometimes difficult, but we try to overcome that,” said 

Prather. 

 Lyle and Prather, both of the 194th Engineer Brigade of the Tennessee Army National Guard, have been in Bulgaria since 

May 2015 as part of OAR working with local companies to develop relationships and 

to purchase large quantities of construction 

materials.

 “Buying materials from local vendors gives 

us a chance to interact with the citizens and 

build relationships with them,” said Prather. 

“It lets the civilians know we are here to try 

to help and better their community.”

 We travel to several different communities 

to buy materials in order to complete projects, said Lyle.

 Many of the locals are happy to work with 

us because they know we are here to help, 

said Prather.

 “I think it is a good experience as well 

for us to get out and experience how the local citizens live and work in Bulgaria,” said 

Prather. - SGT SHANNON BALL

BULGARIAN COMMUNITY

Tenn. Guardsmen help boost Bulgarian Communities.

BUILDING STRONG 

RELATIONSHIPS

1st Sgt. Stephen Prather, 

operations noncommissioned officer in charge 

of Resolve Castle 15, 

shops for building materials in Sliven, Bulgaria 

on August 24, 2015 for 

construction projects at 

Novo Selo Training Area 

as a part of Operation 

Atlantic Resolve. (Photos 

by SGT Shannon Ball)

Capt. David Lyle, project officer of Resolute Castle 15, uses hand signals to emphasize the size of steel materials needed for construction projects with an employee 

in Yambol, Bulgaria on August 24, 2015. Language barriers make the purchasing 

process difficult but soldiers learn to overcome the obstacle. 
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 3 1

 Find out more information at www.ngaus.org

September 10 - 13, 2015 Nashville, Tenn.
VSG MAGAZINE VOL.15 | ISSUE 4 32