1 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

118TH MPAD LEAVES FOR GUANTANAMO BAY IN CUBA

VOL. 16, ISSUE 2

one On 0Ne with

lamB

INTERVIEW WITH 

TENNESSEE 

GUARDSMEN AND 

world class

wrestler

MATT LAMB

THE VOLUNTEER STATE

guard

magazine

pg 8
2 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

8 ONE ON 1 WITH SPC MATT LAMB

We Talk To Tennessee Guardsmen And World Class Wrestler 

SPC Matt Lamb About Wrestling, Life And His PT Test.

13 HOOPS FOR HEROES

Hoops for Heroes Honors Tennessee National Guard Officer.

14 DESTINATION: CUBA

Soldiers from the MPAD leave for deployment to Cuba.

16 EDUCATING OUR AIRMEN

Wing Command Chief Explores Fresh Options for Education.

18 WHAT’S THAT PATCH MEAN? 

The Symbolism and History of the Four Current Army Shoulder 

Sleeve Insignia (SSI) in Tennessee.

23 HONORING VETERANS

Members of the TNNG Visit Local Senior Living Community.

24 ONE TEAM ONE FLIGHT

Medevac Training Brings Soldiers and Airmen Together.

30 BOOK REVIEW

MAJ Haas Gives his Review of In the Presence of Soldiers.

31 NGATN CONFERENCE

The 87th Annual NGATN General Conference in Murfreesboro.

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

MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS

CW4 NICK ATWOOD

MAJ DARRIN HAAS 

CHIEF MASTER SGT. DAVID FREELAND

MASTER SGT. ROBIN BROWN

MASTER SGT. KENDRA OWENBY

SSG WILLIAM JONES

STAFF SGT. BEN MELLON

NATIONAL PARK RANGER WILLIAM JAYNES

MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS 

CW4 NICK ATWOOD

LTC JOE HOLLISTER

MAJ DARRIN HAAS 

SSG WILLIAM JONES

STAFF SGT. BEN MELLON

AIRMAN 1ST CLASS ANTHONY AGOSTI

VSG

CONTENTS
3 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2
4

RESCUE TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Staff Sgt. Rodney Smith, of the 118th Civil Engineering Squadron 

at Joint Base Berry Field, Nashville, Tenn., was one of several Airmen who attended 

pole and bucket truck rescue training at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., in January. 

PROVIDED BY: CHIEF MASTER SGT. DAVID FREELAND

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
5 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL

Allison Cripps, a member of the Tennessee National Guard Youth Action Council 

shares her unique story with members of the association at the National Guard Association of Tennessee conference on Mar. 12, 2016 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

PHOTO BY: J9 FAMILY READINESS

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
6 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

CW4 CHERRY RETIRES

Brig. Gen. Tommy Baker presents the Meritorious Service Medal to Chief Warrant 

Officer 4 Don Cherry on the day of his retirement. Mr. Cherry is retiring with nearly 40 

years of service to the Tennessee Army National Guard.

PHOTO BY: SSG WILLIAM JONES

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
7

HOIST TRAINING

In March, members of the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-230th Tactical Assault 

Battalion and 134th Air Refueling Wing Aircrew Flight Equipment conduct hoist training from a UH-60 Blackhawk at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn. 

PHOTO BY: MASTER. SGT. KENDRA OWENBY

T E N N E S S E E 

SNAPSHOT
8 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

lamB

SPC MATTHEW LAMB

ALL ARMY WRESTLING PROGRAM

DOB: JUNE 25, 1973

HEIGHT: 6’4”

WEIGHT: 280 LBS

ONEON1

Spc. maTtHew
9

interview by ssg william jones 

W E T A L K T O T E N N E S S E E 

G U A R D S M E N A N D W O R L D 

C L A S S W R E S T L E R S P C M A T T 

L A M B A B O U T W R E S T L I N G , 

LIFE AND HIS PT TEST.

What is your current role in the National Guard?

I’m a 92A, Automated Logistical Specialist, with the 776th Supply 

Maintenance Company in Elizabethton, Tennessee. I am attached 

to the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program at Ft. Carson, Colo.

How has your military life changed since joining the 

team?

It hasn’t really changed. I was on the All-Navy team prior to being on 

the All-Army team. It’s different being in the Army in the World Class 

Athlete Program. The coaching staff is a little more professional as 

far as what we do and how we conduct ourselves and what we attempt to do for the Army for the overall mission. It’s different than 

being in my regular unit in Elizabethton, Tenn. Our days are practice, 

travel to a lot of competitions, a lot of travel, a lot of working out. But 

at the end of the day, we’re all still Soldiers. 
10 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Describe what a typical week is like. 

A typical week is a training week. Practice is at 9 a.m. on Monday. Typically, I would go to the gym on my own at 5 or 6 and 

do some cardio. We’ll have a 9 o’clock practice that will typically last two, or two and a half hours. It’s nonstop from the 

warm-up and to the workouts itself. The coaches dictate that 

depending upon where we’re at with competition. The further 

out we are, the more volume we’ll do such as live wrestling, 

drilling or speed drills. We do time dummy throws, all different 

kinds of things. Then we’ll have practice again in the afternoon. 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday are about the same with 

lifting sessions put in with guidance of a strength and conditioning coordinator. Wednesdays we’ll have one practice. That’s 

kind of a recovery day afterwards and then on the weekend we 

come in on our own. We have a huge sauna, we all kind of hang 

out and sweat a bunch of weight off. 

What is it like to wrestle Soldiers who are younger 

than you? 

It’s interesting. I feel like I serve a kind of mentoring role and 

what I’m expected to do is win. When you’re a part of the World 

Class Athlete Program, and the All-Army Wresting Program, to 

stay on the team you have to win. You have to perform. But with 

the younger guys, I think a lot of times they are astounded that 

I am still doing what I am doing at my age. They make jokes 

and they crack at me. But at the end of the day, we’re a family. 

I think the biggest role I play is how to do what we do and conduct yourself professionally. Just be a good role model for the 

younger Soldiers as for how you do things, how you perform. 

What do your parents think about your present career. 

My dad is prior Navy. He was an air traffic controller. He’s proud. 

He’s down in Jacksonville, Fla., and he’s a Virginia boy originally. He likes to watch. He’s not able to travel to the competitions 

and that kind of stinks. It’s kind of cool for him to see me do this, 

especially at my age. I think he just sits back and enjoys it. 

Is there a friction or camaraderie between you and 

your dad [who was in the Navy]? 

I’m prior service Navy. So the Navy was my first home. There’s 

no friction. We all served the same country. We’re all under one 

flag. I was asked by some of my friends, “Hey Army-Navy game 

is coming up. Who are you rooting for?” And unfortunately, my 

answer for some people out there is Navy. It will always be 

Navy. My step-dad was a Marine, my mom and dad were both 

Navy, I was Navy. That’s my first home. But I am very happy, 

very proud for the National Guard, for the Army to be my home 

now. It’s a great opportunity. I enjoy the people that I work and 

serve with currently. I’m looking forward to coming back to Tennessee and serving with my fellow Tennessee National Guard 

Soldiers. So I don’t think there’s any friction. At times it’s just 

fun. Just getting after each other.

Specialist Matthew Lamb, 92A 

(Automated Logistical Specialist)

776th Supply Maintenance Company, 

Tennessee Army National Guard, Elizabethton, Tennessee

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program 

at Ft. Carson, Colo.

ONEON1
11

Lamb performs a Dummy Throw 

during a Training Session.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? 

Retired, hopefully! That’s why I came in the Guard to pursue an AGR position whether it be recruiting or as a 92A, 

logistics. I’d like to come back to Tennessee. Serve the 

Tennessee Guard for ten more years and do my retirement. Then possibly coach at some school and maybe 

do some logistics in the civilian sector once I’ve done my 

time in the Guard. 

How would you sell the Army National Guard 

to someone in high school? 

The first thing that comes to mind when I see a news report and they talk about kids going to college... I remember myself what I was 18 and I didn’t know what I wanted 

to do. My parents weren’t going to pay for college. I probably would have flunked out. You have a lot of kids that 

don’t have a direction. They don’t know what they want to 

do and instead of going to college and racking up debt, I 

think going into the military is a viable option for a lot of our 

young men and women. I’m personally a fan of two years 

conscript service. I don’t think our country will ever go to 

that, but the National Guard offers a unique opportunity 

to our young men and women. It’s not active duty so you 

don’t have to leave home. You leave for basic and AIT, 

but you get a job skill, you get access to the GI Bill, you 

have tuition assistance programs -- whether it be federal 

or state. For kids who have already gone to college and 

racked up some college debt, the Guard has repayment 

programs. To me it’s a no brainer. It’s very little to sacrifice 

for what you get in return. Even for someone such as myself, I’m out with WCAP right now, but I’m taking classes 

on-line with AMU. It’s a no brainer. It’s free. It doesn’t cost 

me a dime. I think the educational components, especially 

now, are way better than they were in the 90s. For most 

kids, if you don’t know what you want to do and you need 

some kind of direction, you know the National Guard is a 

great opportunity because you get to serve back home in 

your own community. That’s a pretty special thing that I 

don’t think people understand. We need to do a better job 

of communicating that and what we have to offer. You can 

still serve and do what you do in your community. 

What do you think of your team’s and your own 

performance in Korea?

You know in Korea they don’t know what the games are. 

It was interesting. I qualified for the very first world cham-
12 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

pionship military games in 1995 and I didn’t realize it was the 

first ever that until this year. It’s a world level competition. Most 

countries, their athletes are in the military. I don’t know whether 

they are actually in the military or they just slap a uniform on 

them and send them over to competition like that, but it’s unique 

in that for our military... you have to be in the service to compete 

for the U.S. The guidelines for active duty, reserve, whatever their countries, it’s not like that. My quarter final match was 

against the Olympic silver medalist from the London games in 

2012. That tells you what kind of competition was there. Of the 

wrestlers that competed, myself and Harry Lester were the only 

two to place. Harry got a silver medal and I placed fifth at 130 

kilos for Greco. We were the only two placers, but again it’s 

not an easy competition. There were multiple world champions. There was at least one Olympic gold medalist. It’s definitely not a gimme. But it was a great experience, we stayed 

in Moungyoung, which is basically South Korea’s West Point. 

So we got to interact with students from the ROK Academy 

(Republic of Korea Academy). It was a great experience. It’s 

awesome to see the different services from the various countries all come together. This experience was different from my 

first one because our athlete’s village had all types of sports. 

So we were able to interact with modern pentathaletes, even 

volleyball. And all the other countries are right there. It’s really 

a unique experience. Similar to the Olympic games, but with a 

military spin on it. 

How did you do on your last PT test? 

270... 280. I do pretty good for a 42 year-old. 

What are you getting ready to do next as far as 

wrestling goes?

We’ve got the Olympic trials in April in Iowa City. I qualified via 

the Olympics trial qualifier in Vegas in December. I also took 

the silver medal in the Dave Schultz Memorial in January and 

by winning the Armed Forces... whoever won the Armed Forces 

title in each respective weight class qualified for the Olympic 

trials so there are three different ways that I qualified for that 

tournament. But we’ll be getting ready for the next month and 

a half and then we’ll go to Iowa City and hopefully we get some 

guys on the Olympic team and get WCAP represented. 

INTERVIEW BY SSG WILLIAM JONES

Lamb in Korea. He placed fifth at the 

1996 Final Olympic Trials for Greco-Roman wrestling.

ONEON1
13

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee National Guard Officer, Lt. Col. Corey Scates was 

honored during a men’s semifinals session 

of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) basketball tournament. The game was held at 

Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville on March 4, 2016. Scates was selected 

by The University of Tennessee at Martin 

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as its 

“Hoops for Heroes” ambassador this year.

 When asked to comment on his selection 

as this year’s representative, Scates said,

“This is truly an honor, to not only serve my 

country, but also being honored by my alma

mater and representing UTM at the OVC 

tournament.”

 Scates, a Union City native, joined the 

Tennessee Army National Guard in 1989 

and was later commissioned as a second 

lieutenant in June of 1994. He has deployed 

twice since commissioning, once in 2005-

06 to Afghanistan in support of Operation 

Enduring Freedom and again in 2009-10 to 

Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 Scates is a member of the 194th Engineer 

Brigade headquartered in Jackson, Tenn., 

where he serves as a design engineer. Later 

this year, he will serve as lead construction 

manager on a six month overseas deployment training mission to strengthen United

States partnerships with our NATO allies. 

In this capacity, he will supervise construction projects across four countries in Europe 

while working with our NATO allies and 

with the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

 When not on duty with the Tennessee 

Army National Guard, Scates serves as an 

assistant athletic trainer for Skyhawk Athletics at UT Martin. He has held this position since September 2014 and in this role 

he works directly with the women’s basketball and baseball programs. He graduated 

from UT Martin in 1995 with a bachelor of 

science in education with a concentration 

in fitness management and minor in sports 

medicine.

 Currently in its sixth year, the OVC SAAC 

representatives created the “Hoops for Heroes” initiative as a way to honor military 

men and women in OVC communities. The 

honorees received a two-night hotel stay in 

Nashville, up to four tickets to Friday and

Saturday’s tournament sessions along with 

gas and meal cards. - CW4 NICK ATWOOD

Hoops for Heroes Honors Tennessee National Guard Officer

HOOPS FOR 

HEROES

Honorees of “Hoops for Heroes” are recognized at halftime during the Ohio Valley 

Conference basketball tournament held 

in Nashville. Scates is pictured far right. 

(Courtesy Photo)

RECOGNITION
14 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Soldiers from the 118th 

Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD) leave for 

a year-long deployment to 

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

CUBA

D E STI N ATI O N :

by ltc joe hollister
15

Soldiers from the 118th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 

said goodbye to family and friends during a ceremony at 

the Hall of Flags, Joint Forces Headquarters, Tennessee 

National Guard on February 16, 2016. The first stop along 

their journey is Fort Hood, Texas, where they will undergo final training before continuing on to the United States 

Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay. “Considering the ongoing 

national discussion we read and hear about in Cuba, this 

should make for a historic deployment for the unit and for 

the state of Tennessee”, said Maj. John Parks, 118th MPAD 

commander. Parks went on to say, “We are honored to be 

chosen at this time and place in history and are prepared 

to accomplish this significant mission.” The 118th MPAD is 

a uniquely designed unit that provides direct Public Affairs 

support to units deployed in support of Army, joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational operations. 

This is the first Tennessee Army National Guard unit to deploy to the U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay.

Below: (Front row) SSG Lila Walker, SGT Chelsea Garcia, SFC Mike Winters, 

MAJ (Commander) John Parks, SGT Sarah Kirby, SGT Natasha Price, SGT 

Shannon Ball, SGT Misty Francis, (Back row) SGT Matthew Tarpley, 1LT(P) 

Harold Williams, SFC John Waderker, SGT Jim Boyd, SFC Walter VanOchten, 

SGT Matthew Young, SSG Mathieu Perry
16 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

By Airman 1st Class Anthony Agosti ^ The new Command Chief Master Sergeant of Joint Base Berry Field 

in Nashville has a firm goal in mind of wanting to expand education 

options for Airmen. Command Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin M. Williams was promoted to his current position at the 118th Wing on Dec. 

5, 2015. Despite his new role, he still believes his core duty is the same.

 “My area of responsibility had to broaden, But the basic job is still 

taking care of Airmen.” said Williams, formerly the Wing First Sergeant. 

 Williams feels that he can best help Airmen on base by increasing 

their available education options. One of the ways he wants to do this is 

to improve the teaching and support in the Airman Leadership School.

 “We like to get new instructors, the young ones who really excelled 

in ALS, and try to mentor them to be instructors,” said Williams. “You 

New Wing Command Chief Explores

Fresh Options for Airman Education

EDUCATING OUR

AIRMEN

g EDUCATION
17

have a better connection if you just graduated from the school and 

excelled in it.” Williams also wants to increase the class options that 

count toward earning a Community College of the Air Force degree.

 “Last year we had a rapport with Nashville State Community College, I want to reconnect with them and make sure that’s still the case,” 

said Williams. “That should give us more opportunities for young Airmen to get their CCAF degrees.”

 Williams is also looking into bringing an NCO Academy to Berry 

Field so that Airmen don’t have to travel to other bases to receive their 

schooling.

 “We have to see if we have the infrastructure in place to support an 

NCOA,” said Williams. “The deliberate development plan is to make 

our guys competitive, that’s why I’m trying to bring that course here.”

 Williams also believes that to make young Airmen more competitive, they have to be adequately trained to take over the jobs of their 

superiors. “We cannot afford for senior management in organizations 

to hoard all the knowledge,” said Williams. “We should be constantly 

training our replacements.”

 The reason Williams is focusing so much on education is simple; 

to take care of Airmen, help them grow, and achieve mission success.

 “It’s really back to the basics, making sure that Airmen are properly 

trained, maintaining deliberate development, and making sure that we 

keep the standards and expectations,” he said. “That’s the overall mission success right there.”

Command Chief Master Sgt. Williams in his Berry Field office, Jan. 10, 2016.
18 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

A Soldier’s patch lets others know what unit 

they’re in, where they’re from, and it gives hints 

as to what they do. It allows others to understand 

their mission and who their peers are while often 

telling a story about their history and culture. Officially referred to as a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia 

(SSI), the patch hasn’t always been an integral 

part of a Soldier’s uniform. It wasn’t until World 

War I that the U.S. Army authorized commanders to give their units distinctive nicknames and 

insignias to help identify unit equipment and 

baggage as well as foster esprit-de-corps. By the 

end of the war, shoulder patches were authorized. From World War I to today, the Tennessee National Guard has officially had nine SSIs 

to represent various commands over the years. 

But today we have four that embody the history 

and mission of Tennessee. 

what’s that

mean? patch

HERALDRY

BY MAJ DARRIN HAAS
19

Symbolism: The hickory tree refers to Andrew Jackson 

who was known as “Old Hickory” because of his toughness as a fighter. The three white stars which appear on 

the state flag alludes to the three grand divisions or areas of the State: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and 

West Tennessee. The white and red twists of the wreath 

refer to the English origin of the original settlers.

30TH TROOP

COMMAND (jfhq)

The three stars, which also appear on the state flag shown 

above, allude to the three grand divisions of the State.

The hickory tree refers to President 

Andrew Jackson’s toughness as a fighter 

“Tough as old hickory.”

History: The oldest and longest running SSI still used by the Tennessee National Guard, the original design was approved for the 

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment for the Tennessee 

Army National Guard on May 29, 1950. It was amended to add 

symbolism to the design on April 1, 1974, and then redesignated 

on December 30, 1983, for Headquarters, State Area Command. 

On April 2, 2009, it was redesignated again to represent the Joint 

Forces Headquarters 30th Troop Command.

HERALDRY
20 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Symbolism: Scarlet and white are the colors of 

the Corps of Engineers, and a castle turret alludes 

to the branch insignia. Scarlet, white, blue, and 

three stars refer to the State Flag of Tennessee. 

Three stars are also on the Tennessee Army National Guard crest, and are used to denote the 

unit’s allocation. The saltire and turret symbolize 

the overall mission of the organization. 

194th engineer

brigade

History: Originally approved on January 30, 

1974, the patch was designed for the 194th 

Engineer Brigade when it was established in 

Nashville in 1973 following the deactivation 

of the 30th Armored Division. In 1996, the 

unit headquarters was moved to its current 

location in Jackson where it resides today. The castle turret alludes to the branch insignia.

HERALDRY
21

Symbolism: Red and buff are the colors traditionally used by Sustainment units. Red, white, and 

blue are the national colors and also the colors of 

the Tennessee State Flag. The chevron suggests 

support, the mission of the Brigade. The sword, 

pointing up, symbolizes military readiness. The 

three stars allude to the three grand divisions of 

the state of Tennessee.

230th 

sustainment

brigade

History: The newest SSI in the Tennessee Army National Guard, it was 

developed and approved on January 11, 2007. The new SSI and the 

230th Sustainment Brigade replaced the 196th Field Artillery Brigade 

that was also headquartered in Chattanooga.

The sword, 

pointing up, 

symbolizes 

military 

readiness.

Three stars represent the three divisions of the state of Tennessee.

HERALDRY
22 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

*Look for the next issue of the Volunteer State Guard as we explore the history 

of the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and the past patches that Tennessee Guardsmen have worn since World War I. 

Symbolism: The green background with three stars refers to 

the hickory tree crest of the Tennessee Army National Guard. 

The wavy blue three-armed partition represents the coming 

together of the Holston and the French Broad Rivers to form 

the beginning of the Tennessee River in Knoxville, where the 

Regiment’s headquarters in located. 

278th armored

Cavalry regiment

HERALDRY

History: The current SSI was authorized for the 278th Armored Cavalry 

Regiment on August 19, 1977. It was 

originally approved for the 278th 

Infantry Brigade on March 19, 1974, 

following the deactivation of the 30th 

Armored Division. The wavy blue three-armed partition represents the coming 

together of the Holston and the French Broad Rivers to form 

the beginning of the Tennessee River.
23

LEBANON, Tenn. - Several members of 

the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard 

visited the Elmcroft Senior Living community in Lebanon, Tenn for their “Hug A GI 

Day” on Mar. 4, 2016. Five former service 

members are residents at Elmcroft, and several are spouses of Veterans. 

 “Most of the residents we visited served 

during World War II and it is a real honor 

for those of us now serving to say thank you 

to these members of the Greatest Generation,” said Master Sgt. Robin Brown of the 

118th Security Forces Squadron.

 “Hug A GI Day” was organized by Ms. 

Amy Barrenger, Activities Director at Elmcroft and hopes to make it an annual event.

“We are very proud of our Veterans and our 

Veteran spouses,” said Barrenger. “It’s just a 

way that we can show them, and our current 

military members, how much we appreciate 

their service.”

 “I’ve seen first-hand how the professionals 

at Elmcroft go about their day to day services 

with the residents. It is truly a community 

atmosphere where each resident has their 

own comfortable apartment, and are able 

to interact on numerous levels,” said Randy 

Harris, Director of Joint Public Affairs for 

the Tennessee Military Department. “We 

are humbled and very honored to be able to 

spend some time with these true American 

heroes.” - MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS

Members of the 

Tennessee National Guard Visit 

Local Senior Living Community for “Hug A GI 

Day.”

HONORING 

VETERANS

CW3 David Scott talks with former Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Dorothy Ruth during the 

Tennessee National Guard’s “Hug A GI” Day at Elmcroft Senior Living in Lebanon.

(Photo by Maj. (Ret) Randy Harris)

VETERANS
24 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

COMBINED FORCE
25 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Medevac Training Brings Soldiers and Airmen Together as 

One Force to Rescue Wounded 

Behind Enemy Lines.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY: STAFF SGT. BEN MELLON

VIDEO BY: MASTER SGT. KENDRA OWENBY
26 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

LOUISVILLE, Tenn. - Soldiers and Airmen from the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard recently combined forces to conduct Aircrew Survival and Evasion Training and Extraction/ Evacuation 

Training simultaneously March 6, 2016 at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tenn.

 Members of the 134th Air Refueling Wing and 151st Air Refueling Squadron were able to combine their annual survival training with the 1-230th Tactical Assault Battalion‘s Det. 1, Co. C, 1-169th 

Aviation Regiment’s Medevac hoist extraction training on their newly acquired UH-60 Blackhawk 

helicopters to complete mission training requirements.

 “This is a joint-force training mission for the evacuation of wounded aircrew behind enemy lines,” 

said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Cross, an Air Crew Flight Equipment Specialist for the 134th ARW. “Our flight 

crew doesn’t make their living on the ground. They make their living in the sky and once they are on 

the ground they become survivors. This training is to make sure that they are survivors.”

 The 1-169th Aviation Regiment recently transitioned to a new mission involving the UH-60 Blackhawk. Lots of training is involved in receiving a new aircraft and this particular training gave pilots and 

crew chiefs the ability to conduct hoist training for Medevac personnel.

 “The mission is designed to respond as a first-up crew on Medevac duty with a Combat Search and 

Rescue (CSAR) mission. A call will come down requesting Medevac/CSAR for a downed aircrew. 

The first-up crew has 15 minutes to be off the ground and responding to the mission,” said Sgt. 1st 

Members of the 1-169th Det. 

1, Co. C. Aviation Regiment 

(Medevac) and 151st Air 

Refueling Squadron simulate evacuation of wounded 

aircrew at McGhee Tyson Air 

National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tenn. (Photo by Staff 

Sgt. Ben Mellon)

COMBINED FORCE
27 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Class Tracy Banta, Standardization instructor AASF#2 / Det. NCOIC, Det. 1, Co. 

C, 1-169th AVN Regt.(Medevac). “We have trained with Air Force units in the past 

and it builds great cohesion between the units. It gives the services a chance to blend 

and see what each other has to offer.”

 The Tennessee Air and Army National Guard are closely related to one another as 

a whole, however, there are differences in the way they operate. This makes it much 

more valuable for both branches to be able to participate in training events such as 

these.

 “It’s important for both of our missions for us to train together because you never 

know when the need may arise for a response,” said Cross, “If you have worked with 

another branch of service and see how they work and respond to you, it takes the 

guess work out of what to do if the situation arises.”

 Training missions like these have proven effective in the past and continue to 

strengthen America’s fighting forces. Dedicated Soldiers and Airmen coming together as one force to complete the mission embodies the spirit of the Tennessee 

National Guard - “Volunteers” coming together when the need arises to protect and 

defend America. - STAFF SGT. BEN MELLON

ONE TEAM ONE FLIGHT

Video by Master Sgt. Kendra Owenby

A harness is secured during 

hoist extraction training. (Photo 

by Staff Sgt. Ben Mellon)
28 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

ALCOA, Tenn. - The type of medical helicopter that normally flies into Knoxville’s Ft. 

Sanders Regional Hospital heliport is a UT Lifestar bird, but yesterday the heliport was 

reminiscent of a scene from MASH. 

 A HH-60 Blackhawk assigned to the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-169 Medevac 

unit landed at Fort Sander’s after rescuing a 66 year old man suffering from a critical 

medical condition from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

 At approximately 5:00 p.m., Flight Paramedics Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Banta and Staff Sgt. 

Giovanni Dezuani were lowered from the helicopter, reached the man who is diabetic 

and suffering from hypertension, stabilized him and rode with him as they were hoisted 

more than 200 feet into the hovering helicopter. SSG Dezuani and Sgt. 1st Class Banta 

continued to treat and stabilize the patient, who was responsive but weak, as they flew 

from the Mount Cammerer tower area to Fort Sander’s Regional Hospital. 

 “We knew it was crucial that we reached the patient as soon as possible, because of the 

medical threat and the remote area where he was located,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 

COMBINED FORCE

*A Note from the Editor-In-Chief,

While we were preparing to publish this issue of the Volunteer State Guard 

magazine, our pilots and Paramedics from the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion’s Det. 1, Co. C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment, showcased in the previous 

article, conducted a real-life rescue using the tactics and techniques they were 

training for. 

The following story was added after initial publication of the magazine through 

the expertise and flexibility of our Senior Editor Rob Pennington, and is a classic 

example of why the realistic training we do on a daily basis is vital to mission 

success.

A “Job Well Done” goes out to the pilots, Paramedics and crew of Co. C, 1-169th 

Aviation.

RDH

SMOKY MOUNTAIN RESCUE

addendum:
29 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

Tennessee Army National 

Guard Staff Sgt. Doug Edmisten operates the hoist 

bringing Flight Paramedic 

Staff Sgt. Giovanni Dezuani 

and a critically ill hiker out of 

the Great Smoky Mountains 

National Park. (Photo by 

National Park Ranger William 

Jaynes)

Brad Hutsell, pilot in command of the HH-60. “When the National Park Service called 

us, we knew that time was essential.” 

 “The Medevac unit has only been at McGhee Tyson for a few months”, said Maj. Gen. 

Max Haston, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. “We moved part of them from Smyrna just 

to address missions such as this after losing the OH-58D Kiowa Warriors due to the 

redesign of Army Aviation. It’s very fulfilling that these outstanding Soldiers are fully 

operational in such a short time on an entirely new aircraft.” 

 Assisting in the mission were Guard pilot CW2 Keith Bowery, and crew chief Staff 

Sgt. Doug Edmisten, who operated the hoist bringing both Flight Paramedics and the 

patient onboard for treatment and transport. 

 The 1-169th is based at Joint Base McGhee Tyson in Alcoa as part of the Guard’s newly 

formed 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion. The battalion also has Blackhawks based 

in Nashville and Jackson. - MAJ (RET) RANDY HARRIS
30 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

As the Tennessee National Guard begins one 

of the largest domestic training exercises in 

its history – Tennessee Maneuvers 2016 – it is 

imperative that we look back and study its inspiration and how it relates to today. Lessons 

learned and a greater understanding of issues 

and challenges that occurred during the original Tennessee Maneuvers, held from 1941 to 

1944, would benefit all those participating in 

the exercises this summer. There is no other 

book that better describes what happened than 

Woody McMillin’s In the Presence of Soldiers: 

The 2nd Army Maneuvers & Other World War 

II Activities in Tennessee, the first comprehensive study of its type.

 Published in 2010 and using countless primary sources and exhaustive research, McMillin crafts a narrative that looks at all seven major combat exercises that occurred throughout 

Middle Tennessee to train active-duty Soldiers 

for combat in Europe. He argues that the Tennessee Maneuvers were critical in the training 

and development of U.S. Soldiers to be victorious against the Axis powers.

 The Maneuvers hardened Soldiers for combat, 

taught them how to conduct combined-armed 

warfare, adjust to different terrain in various 

weather conditions, and allowed leadership an 

opportunity to evaluate the performance of officers and non-commissioned officers to see if 

they were suited for combat leadership roles. 

Roughly 850,000 Soldiers from 25 divisions, 

where all but three would see combat in Germany, battled through 21 Tennessee counties 

during the Maneuvers.

 McMillin begins his work with background leading up to the American involvement in World War II 

and follows it with the first maneuvers held by Maj. 

Gen. George S. Patton in June 1941. Utilizing the 

2nd Armored Division near Manchester, Tenn., Patton used the exercise to validate his newly developed 

armored doctrine that he based on Nathan Bedford 

Forrest’s cavalry tactics from the Civil War. During 

the exercise he soundly defeated the opposing forces, 

proving that large-scale armored fighting based on 

Forrest’s tactics was possible and successful. Middle 

Tennessee was used because the terrain so closely 

resembled France, Belgium and Germany, the very 

countries the Soldiers were preparing to fight in. 

 Following that, McMillin presents a detailed account of the next six exercises and how the maneuvers were conducted. He examines the maneuver 

space, logistical problems, billeting and entertainment issues, and how the exercises themselves were 

conducted. The influx of Soldiers in very realistic 

simulated combat greatly impacted the life of Tennessee residents, which McMillin examines in great 

detail. He also honors the loss of more than 250 Soldiers and civilians killed during the exercises. 

 Throughout his work, McMillin touches on various aspects and levels of training as well as the 

changes that the event made to Tennessee culture. 

As a complete look at the largest training exercises 

ever conducted in Tennessee, I highly recommend 

this work to all Soldiers participating in the 2016 

Tennessee Maneuvers and anyone interested in the 

history of Middle Tennessee and the history of the 

U.S. Army in World War II.

- MAJ DARRIN HAAS

IN THE PRESENCE

OF SOLDIERS 

In the Presence 

of Soldiers: 

The 2nd Army Maneuvers 

& Other World War II Activities in Tennessee.

By Woody McMillin. 

Horton Heights Press, 

2010. 

BOOK REVIEW

MAJ Haas Gives us his Review of:
31

The 87th Annual NGATN General Conference held 10-13 

March 2016 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

NGATN CONFERENCE

ASSOCIATION

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is presented a barrel top branded with the 

Tennessee Military Department logo.

LTC James Reed speaks at the business session of the NGATN conference.

Above: United States Senator for Tennessee Lamar Alexander speaking to the association.

Below: An Airman presents the U.S. Air Force 

flag at opening ceremonies of the conference.

Photos by TNNG Public Affairs Office
32 VOLUNTEER STATE GUARD VOL. 16 / ISSUE 2

RESERVE YOUR

LICENSE PLATE

TODAY!

tnmilitary.org/license-plate-request.html

Beginning in 2014, Tennessee Army and Air 

Guard Officer personnel requesting a license 

plate must order your plate(s) online NO LATER 

THAN 15 MAY 2016.

The request form can be found at 

tnmilitary.org/license-plate-request.html.

The information will be submitted to the State of 

Tennessee for production of plates. Those failing 

to meet the 15 May 2016 deadline will not get a 

specially numbered Officer plate in September.

All questions should be directed to the Joint 

Public Affairs Office, Tennessee Military Department at 615-313-0633.

GO HERE

Scan the QR Code above, to go 

directly to the license plate request 

form.