Message from the Editor

 Magazine of the

Maine Army National Guard

Volume 4, Issue 1

Public Affairs Officer

MAJ Peter Rogers

Advisory Staff

BG Bill Libby

COL Robert Carmichael

CSM Mark Collins

Managing Editor

MSG Angela Blevins

Editor

SFC Carl Weiss

Writer/Photographer

SSG Joseph Desmond

Technical Advisor

CW3 Mark Houdlette

Guard ME is an unofficial quarterly

publication authorized under the

provisions of AR 360-81 and NGR 37-

78 and produced by the Public Affairs

Office, Military Bureau, Headquarters

MEARNG, Camp Keyes, Augusta, ME

04333-0033. Telephone (207) 626-

4333. Views and opinions expressed

are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army. The Adjutant

General is BG Bill Libby.

2 Guard ME

By: SFC Carl Weiss, PA

On the Cover...

112th Air Ambulance flying over Kuwait

City. Photo submitted by the 112th

Medical Company.

Volume 3 - Issue 1

Recognition of National Guard soldiers and their sacrifices to the cause of

freedom around the world is the thrust

behind a new Army National Guard

“Freedom Salute Campaign”. The program recognizes soldiers’ and their families who where activated for more than

thirty days in support of Operation

Nobel Eagle, Enduring Freedom, or Iraqi

Freedom. This includes state active

duty and Title 10 soldiers.

One of the largest recognition programs in the history of the Army National Guard, the Freedom Salute Campaign began in December 2003 and will

take place in two phases during winter

and spring of 2004. It will recognize the

17,000 soldiers, family, friends, employers, and other people and organizations

critical to the Army National Guards’

success.

Eligble soldiers will receive a “Defender of Freedom” certificate, signed

by Lieutenant General Roger C. Shultz,

Director of the Army National Guard

and Command Sergeant Major of the

Army National Guard A. Frank Lever,

III; an encased American Flag, a numbered coin and a lapel insignia. Additionally the soldiers’ spouse and children will receive items recognizing their

contrubutions as well.

It is with both excitement and relief that we, the staff at GuardME, bring you

Volume 4, Issue 1 of the magazine. Many of you will take note of the fact that

stories written about events that took place in June and July of 2003 are just now

being published. It is our intent to bring to you timely and informative articles

about the Maine Army National Guard. Circumstances beyond our control have

delayed the publication of this issue. You can be assured that the future holds the

promise of timely publication of GuardME providing current and relevant information for our Guard family. We appreciate your comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. Thank you for your patience.

Members from the 152nd Maintenance Company parade past

invited guests and dignitaries, Maine Senator Susan Collins (R)

and The Adjutant General John (Bill) Libby during the opening

ceremonies of the Defender of Freedom in Bangor. (Photo by:

SSG Joseph Desmond, PA)

Defender of Freedom

By: SSG Joseph Desmond, PA
In This Issue

Page 2 - A Message From

The Editor

Page 3 - Deployment Update

Page 4 - Operation Iraqi

Freedom

Page 5 - Update Con't &

Retirees Activity

Day

Pages 6 & 7 - AUSA

Page 8 - Traditional OCS

Page 9 - 195 Army Band

Page 10 - "OCS" & "Ambulances" continued

Page 11 - Comments from

CSM Collins

The Magazine of the Maine Army National Guard – 2004

By: SFC Carl Weiss, PA

Editor's Note: Since this story was

written, E/120th has safely returned to

Maine. We welcome them home and congratulate them on a job well done! Additionally, the tense of this story and others

within this issue of the GuardME may not

jell with the current timeframe.

Deployment Update

See 'Deployment' on Page 5

Nearly a year ago, several Army National Guard units in Maine received their

mobilization orders to deploy to the

Middle East or Afghanistan as the United

States prepared to invade Iraq. Initially,

soldiers were told to expect a 6 month rotation. The war, while relatively short in

duration, has become the preamble to

what is shaping up to be a lengthy stay in

country for the United States. US troops,

along with coalition forces from other

countries, are attempting to instill justice

and democracy, clean up the ravages of

war and help the new Iraq to be governed

by the Iraqi people.

In the days and weeks that followed

the attacks on America on 9/11, President

Bush told the American people to expect a

long fight in the war on terror. Backing up

his pledge to protect America he has ordered troops, both active and reserve, to

numerous areas around the world. The

war, subsequent occupation and continued hostilities has created a manpower

strain on soldiers worldwide. Initial estimates of six month deployments have

been stretched into 12 month tours with

more units being told to prepare to be

called up. 

 This increased op-tempo in American

military activity currently finds no less

than four Maine Army National Guard

units deployed. Additionally, Maine has

soldiers from two other units serving overseas with other National Guard units. Recently Task Force Phoenix was formed

and will be sending even more Maine

Guardsmen around the world to AfghaniFamilies and friends say goodbye to their 28 soldiers as they prepare to

depart enroute to join an Engineer Battalion in Fort Stewart, GA. (Photo

by MSG Angela Blevins, PA)
6 Guard ME Volume 4 - Issue 1

Operation Iraqi FreedomMaine Ambulances

NGB Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait

By: MSG Bob Haskell, PA NGB

ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, KUWAIT - Ron Ireland needed about as

much time as it takes a Black Hawk

helicopter’s main rotor to complete two,

maybe three, rotations at full speed to

ponder this question.

How is the second Gulf War different

from the first?

Ireland is a Chief Warrant Officer 4

and a pilot for the Maine Army National

Guard’s 112th Medical Company out of

Bangor, and he has rather unexpectedly

returned to the Persian Gulf to fly air ambulances during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The first time, a dozen years ago, he

was flying for the active Army’s 36th

Medical Detachment out of Fort Polk, La.

He returned to his native Maine after leaving the Army and joined the Army Guard

outfit in 1993 so he could keep on serving

and flying.

“The first time I came here, we

waited around for a long time for the war

to start. It ended pretty quickly, and we

left a couple of months after it was over,”

recalled Ireland of that 100-hour ground

war against the Iraqi army in February

1991.

“The last time we didn’t come to stay.

This time we have. The liberation is the

big difference.”

So it is. The 112th’s soldiers may be

there for a full year, until next March, because the Army has directed that National

Guard and Reserve units’ tours of duty be

extended to 12 months “on the ground.”

This time the well-traveled 112th is

right in the thick of things. It is said to be

the only Army Guard air ambulance company operating in Iraq and Kuwait.

Those 130 citizen-soldiers – pilots,

crew chiefs, medics and mechanics – are

an example of how much more heavily engaged National Guard units are the second time around.

The company supported Operation

Desert Storm by going to Germany to replace an active Army medical unit that

was sent to the Gulf.

Now it is the 112th’s helicopter crews,

who are flying in the combat zone. Since

early May they have seen tracer rounds

cut through the night while flying over

Iraq. They have transported injured and

burned Iraqi prisoners of war as well as

wounded and injured American and coalition soldiers. They have even landed on,

and lifted off from, a Navy hospital ship.

The Maine company, commanded by

Maj. Mark Sullivan, is based here north of

Kuwait City, but its area of responsibility

includes all of Kuwait and as far north

into Iraq as Baghdad.

That, Sullivan said, is equivalent to

the stretch between Bangor, Maine and

New York City.

Things are not, however, quite so

civilized in the Persian Gulf.

Flying over vast stretches of desert

can be challenging because the blowing

sand obscures the horizon, especially at

night when the crews must rely on night

vision goggles.

“There is no terrain definition at

night. You can fly right into the ground if

you’re not paying attention,” Ireland said.

And the tracers at night remind everyone that they are in a hostile country.

“I don’t know that anyone’s actually

been shot at, but we have seen tracers in

the vicinity,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2

Todd Lidback. “At least we haven’t had

any holes in the helicopters. That’s a

good thing.”

As of Sept. 5, the flight crews had

transported 827 patients and logged about

2,200 hours since they began flying on

May 2, the day after hostilities in Iraq were

officially declared over.

“We’re a lot busier than I thought

we’d be,” said Sullivan, who has detached

parts of his company to three different locations in Iraq. “We flew 660 hours during

15 days in May. And we’ve made about 25

landings on the Navy hospital ship that

was located at least 60 miles out in the Persian Gulf.”

After initially supporting the Marines,

the medical company now supports troops

from other countries that are part of the

coalition force that is helping the United

States try to bring stability to Iraq after the

fall of Saddam Hussein.

The 32-member maintenance section

keeps busy working on as many as four

helicopters at a time because the sand

See 'Ambulances' on page 10

Maine Army National Guard Sgt. Steve Striga tunes an engine on one of

the air ambulance helicopters that the 112th Medical Company is flying

in Iraq and Kuwait during Operating Iraqi Freedom. (Photo by Master

Sgt. Bob Haskell, National Guard Bureau)
Volume 4 - Issue 1 Guard ME 7

Retirees Activity

Day

By: SSG Joseph Desmond

 On August 23rd, 2003 the Maine

State Armory in Augusta was the site of

Retiree Activity Day. Retiree Activity

Day is an event that takes place every

year and rotates among the three northern

New England states—Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Retirees from all

branches of the military are invited to attend along with their dependants. It is a

daylong event devoted to informing and

updating retirees about changes within

the federal programs designed to work for

them. This includes changes in medical

and dental programs, when the switch

from Tricare to Medicare takes place, and

other benefits and entitlements that can

directly impact retirees and their

dependants.

Following a presentation by the

Maine State Select Honor Guard, opening

remarks were delieverd by Brigidier General (RET) Al White and The Adjutant

General, Major General Joseph Tinkham.

“We expect about a thousand retirees to

attend this years event”, said BG White.

The coordinator for this

year's event, White continued, “Benefits

change, and every federal budget proposal

can potentially impact a

retirees quality of life.

What we try to do is

bring them up to speed

on what’s happening,

what can affect them.”

 Although the intent of the day is business, there is a lot more

going on than just updating personal paper

work and getting new

I.D. cards. Renewing

acquaintances and

catching up with old

friends is a big part of it.

“The next retiree event

is going to be at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard”

said General White.

Deployment

Retirees smile for

their new photo

identification card

during Activity

Day.(Photos by

SSG Joseph

Desmond, PA)

stan, assisting with the continued training

of the Afghan National Army.

The 112th Medical Company is currently located in three separate camps in

Kuwait and Iraq. Veterans of three recent

deployments to Germany (in support of

Desert Storm), Bosnia and now the Middle

East, the soldiers of the 112th have been

evacuating both coalition and Iraqi casualties from the battlefield since this spring

and anticipate continuing missions

throughout the upcoming winter.

 Truckers of the 1136th Transportation

Company are stationed in Kuwait and

have been assisting units in theater with

their redeployment process. Ironically,

one of the units they assisted and moved

to a new area of operation turned out to

be their neighbor from down the street in

Bangor, the 112th. 

 The Air Traffic Services Company,

E/120th is stationed in Afghanistan at two

separate locations. They have been putting their Air Space Control and ATS

skills to use controlling incoming and outgoing flights in the Khandahar area.

 The 133rd Engineer Battalion has

close to a platoon of soldiers deployed to

Iraq. These soldiers have gone to augment the 878th Engineer Battalion from the

Georgia Army National Guard. Their mission has been to work and improve the

damage done to the Main Supply Routes

in Iraq. MSR's need to be kept clean of

debris from attacks and need continuous

upgrading and improvements. 

 Pilots of OSACOM have been busy

flying their C-12 King Air Beechcraft fixed

wing aircraft in Afghanistan. Hauling passengers and supplies to the units and soldiers to areas that otherwise wouldn’t be

accessable has been their specialty. 

 The ink was barely dry on the paper

authorizing the formation of Maine’s newest National Guard unit, a Military Police

Platoon in Bangor, when some of its personnel found themselves in Cuba. Working at the Guantanimo Detention Facility,

these soldiers have found themselves in

the thick of the war effort guarding prisoners. 

After years of oppressive rule by the

Taliban in Afghanistan the Afghani

people found themselves free from the old

hard line rulers but without an Army to

protect them. Task Force Phoenix is working to help fix that problem. Soldiers will

be in Afghanistan shortly to continue the

training of the Afghan National Army. 

Comprised of Maine Army National Guard

soldiers with an infantry background,

these soldiers are currently in Colorado

training and using the thin atmosphere in

the Rocky Mountains to acclimate themselves to the higher attitudes they’ll face

on their deployment.

 Not every Maine Guardsman working

in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is

deployed. A contingent of soldiers is

also working in Bangor helping to beef up

security at the Bangor Air National Guard

base. Working side by side with the Air

Guard’s Security Forces our soldiers are

part of a growing National Guard presence

both overseas and on domestic soil doing

their part to make good on the President

Bush’s promise: “To make America safe

again.”

Continued from page 3
8 Guard ME Volume 4 - Issue 1

Association of the United States

Army (AUSA)

and their families are taken care of.

AUSA has been busy lately working

issues that affect all soldiers, in particular

they have helped soldiers get a 4.1% pay

raise passed for all and a 6.5% pay raise

for mid and senior level NCO’s and mid

level officers. They have lobbied to get

more money for National Guard training

and readiness accounts, authorization for

National Guard Civil Support Teams in

each state and territory to give assistance

following terrorist attacks and have

worked to get Soldiers and Sailors Civil

Relief Act protection for Guard members

called up in state status for national homeland defense.

The association is continuing to work

hard for the National Guard soldier and

their family. Currently on their agenda for

our administration and Congress are: supporting 100% fill of full-time manning positions, funding pay raises at levels that

close the pay comparability gap between

the military and private sector by 2006,

compensating National Guardsmen for

travel to drill sites and other service related expenses. Also, supporting legislation to give National Guardsmen comparability and parity of compensation equal to

Active Component Soldiers and providing

By: SFC Carl Weiss, PA

Talk to any soldier from any era in

our modern history and their complaints

or concerns might range from not enough

chow, to poor pay as compared to the

civilian sector, long deployments that

separate them from their families, heath

care, housing issues, poor equipment,

not enough or realistic training and benefits for the soldier and their family members.

Soldiers’ complaining isn’t a new

phenomenon; in fact, soldiers have been

complaining since armies began and

likely will continue to do so long into the

future. Enter AUSA. The Association of

the United States Army has been around

since just after World War II. Formed in

1950, the mission of AUSA is to support

the Army. “We are the voice of the

Army. We support the active component, the National Guard, Army Reserve,

Department of Defense civilians, retirees

and family members. We also support

the family assistance programs.” said

Colonel Arthur R. Wickham (RET), the

Maine president of the Joshua Chamberlain chapter of AUSA.

Although AUSA is a worldwide organization, comprising over 100,000 members, the Maine chapter with just 200

members works hard within the state of

Maine supporting active Army Recruiters, Army Reservists and Army National

Guardsmen. “We are heavily involved in

recognizing the active component Recruiter of the year and the Reserve and

National Guard Recruiter of the year. Additionally, we support the MeARNG soldier and NCO of the year. We are also

involved at the high school and college

level with Junior ROTC and ROTC programs. Lately, we’ve become more involved with the Family Assistance Programs as more and more National Guard

units in Maine are being deployed.” said

Wickham.

Pay concerns and issues that affect a

soldier's quality of life are the baliwick of

AUSA. They support the soldier when

issues such as pay, TRICARE (health

care), family concerns or benefits arise.

They also work to get soldiers the best

possible equipment and training to make

our soldiers the best in the world. They

keep up to date with the changes taking

place in our Army and make sure soldiers

funding to replace aging, outdated and

unsafe facilities with new construction.

AUSA is open to all Army ranks and

all components including the Active,

Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Department of the Army civilians, Retirees,

concerned citizens and family members.

Joining the association not only helps

them continue to work for benefits for National Guard soldiers and families, but also

offers the member a plethora of benefits to

include hotel discounts, Geico auto insurance, Lifeplan group term insurance, mutual funds, eyewear discounts of up to

60% and educational loans for your entire

family.

Guardsmen and family members interested in AUSA are encouraged to go to

their website at www.ausa.org or call 800-

336-4570, ext 664. They may also write for

more information at: Association of the

United States Army 2425 Wilson Boulevard Arlington Virginia 22201.
Volume 4 - Issue 1 Guard ME 9

AUSA's Person of the Year

CSM Leonard

By: SFC Carl Weiss, PA

As a teenager in the early 1980’s, I

vividly recall Army recruiting commercials on television espousing viewers to

join the Army and “Be all that you can

be.” The Army, due to its very nature

and mission, draws tremendous numbers

of competitive young men and women

every year who strive to live up to that

old recruiting slogan by becoming the

very best soldier that they can. Those

enlisted soldiers quickly become noncommissioned officers as they are recognized for their abilities and are promoted

to the rank of sergeant. For those who

make the Army a career, many strive to

achieve the highest enlisted grade possible, Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant

Major (SGM/CSM)

A casual observer of the military,

taking note of some one who was a Sergeant Major, might assume that having

reached the pinnacle of the enlisted rank

structure a soldier may have achieved all

that is possible and might be looking forward to retirement in the near future. For

CSM John J. Leonard nothing could be

further from the truth. Leonard, a Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major

for the past 17 years, was recently

awarded the Association of the United

States Army, AUSA, (Joshua Chamberlain chapter of Maine) Person of the Year

Award for 2003.

Leonard, currently the senior enlisted advisor for the Assistant Secretary

of Defense for Reserve Affairs in Washington D.C. and the top enlisted man for

over 1.2 million service members, was

recognized for his, “Overall performance

of excellence.” Said Colonel Arthur R.

Wickham (RET) USAR. Wickham, the

Maine Chapter President of AUSA continued, “CSM Leonard is an outstanding

soldier; every single enlisted soldier can

look up to him.”

CSM Leonard’s Maine ties go all the

way back to Southwest Harbor where he

was born and raised. After a six year

tour in the Marine Corps and Marine

Corps Reserve from 1965 to 1971, including a tour in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967,

he joined the Maine Army National

Guard in 1972 where he rose from the

rank of Sergeant as a helicopter crew

chief assigned to the 112th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) to Senior Instructor at the old Maine Military Academy

(now the Regional Training Institute), to

Senior Operations Sergeant at the 52nd

Troop Command, and State CSM in 1988.

His tour as State CSM was interrupted

when he was ordered to active duty and

served in Southwest Asia as the CSM of

the 286th Supply and Service Battalion

from 1990 to 1991. Upon his return from

Desert Storm he resumed his duties as

State CSM until 1997.

After two tours of combat and a military career that has spanned the bulk of

four decades you might think retirement

would be on his mind. However, Leonard

was then tasked with the job of becoming

the CSM and Senior Enlisted Advisor for

the Army National Guard at the National

Guard Bureau in Washington D.C. He

served in this capacity for nearly four

years before assuming his current job with

the Undersecretary of Reserve Affairs.

Now 57 years old, Leonard has no plans

to slow down. “Next month I’ll become

the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Chief

of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant

General Steven Blum.”

Talking with CSM Leonard, it is obvious that he is very excited about his new

assignment. “In year’s past the Guard fell

under one command, the Reserve under

another, to include the branches of the

Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and

Coast Guard Reserve, all under different

commands. The Guard and the Reserve

components of all seven branches will

now be consolidated under one umbrella

and will allow better communication and

faster response times between the different branches in the event of a natural disaster equivalent to the Ice Storm of 1998

or a homeland security issue. It will foster

a much better and faster working relationship for our service members in different

branches than we have right now.”

Although CSM Leonard has been assigned to the Washington D.C. area for

nearly seven years, there was no shortage

of current and former Maine Army National Guard Officers and NCO's who

turned out to see him receive the AUSA

Person of the Year award. Among those

in attendance to honor Leonard were MG

(RET) Earl Adams, BG (RET) Eugene

Richardson and BG (RET) Albert White.

The State’s current Command Sergeant Major, CSM Mark J. Collins, introduced Leonard to the crowd and later reflected upon Leonard’s career. “A Sergeant Major should be the ‘Keeper of the

Standard’ that is in charge of training, administration, soldier entitlements and providing input on policy to the command.

John has had the greatest impact on my

career and was my strongest mentor

among all enlisted men I’ve worked with

over the past 30 years.” He continued, “I

count him as a friend and I know that he

helped me tremendously in my career as I

rose through the ranks.”

The Maine Army National Guard’s

Chief of Staff, Colonel Robert G.

Carmichael, was a young Captain when he

first met Leonard, then a SFC with the 112th

some 20 years ago. “CSM Leonard epitomizes everything that you would want in

the highest level Sergeant Major. He exhibits the professional skills, ethics and all

the values that we place on our soldiers.

He is equally comfortable talking to the

troops, senior officers and legislators

alike.”

Three years from now, when CSM

John J. Leonard hangs up his jump boots

and uniform for the last time, he will have

spent nearly half his career serving at the

highest enlisted level possible. After 40

plus years in uniform and 20 years as the

“Keeper of the Standard”, Leonard has indeed “Been all that he could be.”

COL (RET USAR) Arthur R. Wickham, CSM John

Leonard and CSM Mark Collins (Photo by SFC Carl

Weiss, PA)
10 Guard ME Volume 4 - Issue 1

A Visit To Officer Candidate School

By: SSG Joseph Desmond

“Leaders are not born, they are

made.” Such is the attitude of the Officer

Candidate School Cadre at Camp Rowland

Connecticut. Soldiers who have been selected as Officer Candidates must complete three grueling phases of Officer Candidate School (OCS). Camp Rowland is

phase II.

In the movie Gladiator, Russell Crowe

portrays a quiet yet confidant General of

Roman Legions who were about to wage

battle with Teutonic tribes in ancient Gaul.

As the opening scene unfolds Crowe

rides around his troops in silence. Just

prior to engaging the enemy he begins to

speak. “In three months imagine what you

will be doing and it will be so...”

Fast forward 2000 plus years, across

the Atlantic Ocean to the mostly residential seaside neighborhood of Niantic, Connecticut, nestled among this idyllic community is Camp Rowland, a National

Guard training site for future officers.

While many residents are still fast asleep,

the predawn is shattered by the booming

voices of the OCS’s

cadre as they roust

the sleeping candidates from their

bunks. Mass confusion follows as they

stumble and fumble

with their gear while

their Candidate Platoon Sergeant begins

reciting Crowe’s

opening lines from

Gladiator. In spite of

the megaphone

pressed to his lips his

voice was still quiet

and uncertain. Nonetheless he pressed

on. Confusion was

evident in the faces of both Candidates

and Cadre alike. As the Platoon Sergeant

gained confidence, and the timbre of his

voice grew more authoritative, the assembled formation grew silent and began

to intently focus on him. Moments later a

quiet chant of Maximus

...Maximus...Maximus!”

took hold among the

Company. It wasn’t

long before the entire

parade field was caught

up in the moment, and

as one they chanted

“Maximus, Maximus,

Maximus”.

Leaders are not

born they are made. The

training of our next generation of Officers is a

challenging three phase

program that takes 18

months for Officer Candidates to complete.

The first phase of a

Candidates training

takes place in their

home state as part of

their monthly drills. Although it happens in

the context of a drill

weekend, it is still a grueling phase full of

stress and confusion.

The second phase of

OCS is an intensive two

week resident course

that keeps the Candidate in a constant state

of chaos—organized

chaos. “This course is

designed to keep them [the Candidates] in

a constant state of information overload

and then require them to make decisions

in that environment. We are constantly

trying to simulate the fog of war” said

MAJ Paul Degan, “B” Company Commander of the 1st Battalion (OCS), 169th

Leadership Regiment.

“They are not supposed to win”,

added CPT Vinacco-Cummings, “It ‘s how

they handle stress and chaos. Learning

ones limitations, knowing when to delegate, and juggling tasks.”

As the Candidates learn to prioritize

the endless stream of conflicting orders

they begin to cultivate a sense of detachment, a process that a leader needs to develop in order to keep a clear head and

make the best possible decisions under

difficult circumstances.

Keeping the Candidates motivated

and functioning is a tough demanding job

that puts the Instructors to the test as

much as the Candidates. Although Candidates outnumber Cadre on the parade field

it seems like there are two instructors for

each Candidate. Constantly keeping the

friction going, the Candidates only escape

from the harassment is in the classroom or

at the chowhall.

Most of the hours in a Candidate’s

day are filled with studies that run the

gamut of infantry soldier skills. Map reading, land navigation, and basic common

soldier tasks are covered as well as Troop

Leading Procedures and the finer points

of writing an Operations Order. In short,

Candidates are saturated in Battle Focused Training.

“This is an ATRRS school so techniSee "OCS" on Page 10

Officer Candidate Steven Morin of Herman,

pays his dues to the Beastmaster. (Photo by

SSG Joseph Desmond, PA)

CPT Vinacco-Cummings (right) Cadre, matches

a cadets check list of what was accomplished

and what was not. (Photo by SSG Joseph

Desmond, PA)
Volume 4 - Issue 1 Guard ME 11

195th Army Band visits

U.S.S.Constitution

By: SSG Joseph Desmond

The era of wooden ships and iron

men enjoyed a three-hour resurrection on

Flag Day—June 14th and the 195th Army

Band was there to welcome the moment in

song. Embarking on its summer concert

tour by joining the United States Navy, albeit the 1812 version of the Navy, the

Band joined the officers, crew, and one

thousand invited guests and dignitaries

onboard the USS Constitution for the

ships annual turnaround cruise in Boston

Harbor. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world; a

living museum, and is still a commissioned

U.S. Naval vessel manned by as many as

eighty Navy officers and crew. Flying the

15 star “ensign” of 1812, and under armed

Coast Guard escort, the 2200 ton three

masted “bark” took 1000 invited guests

and dignitaries on a brief visit to the era of

wooden ships and iron men. Captain

Randall—the 67th Commanding Officer,

outfitted like his crew in authentic period

uniform, welcomed everyone aboard his

ship.

The Army Band does a lot of traveling to most of their events and this one

was no exception. A three-hour boat ride

sandwiched between two three-hour bus

rides makes for a long day. So how does

an Army Band from Maine wind up on a

200-year-old Navy Man-O-War? Well, a

little bit of luck helps. Sergent First Class

Sharon Rideout explained. “Every year

certain military units basically put some of

their events out to bid. Bands from any of

the military

services can

bid on those

concert dates

and locations. We

were very fortunate that

we were able

to celebrate

Flag Day,

which coincidently is the

Army Birthday, at such a

venue.”

Under

the direction

of Chief Warrant Officer

Four M.

Stanley

Buchanan, the

band set up

on the “spar”

deck, just forward of the

main mast, and began entertaining the embarked passengers and crew with a variety of military music until the Executive

Officer, Lieutenant William Marks signaled for everyone’s attention. For the

next several minutes both Lieutenant

Marks and Captain Randall entertained

everyone by welcoming them aboard and

giving a short presentation on the ships

history and lore. When the 195th Army

Band struck up the National Anthem, the

Star Spangled

Banner took on

another meaning

knowing this

very ship fought

in the war of 1812

where she earned

the moniker “Old

Ironsides”. As

the Constitution

cast off, armed

Coast Guard tugboats nudged the

old ship from her

pier and into her

annual threehour cruise.

The 195th

Band plays for

many audiences,

not just military. During the summer season the 195th played for county fairs,

marched in parades, and performed concerts for a variety of audiences in many

locations. In celebration of our country’s

227th birthday the Band was invited to perform at the Salvation Army Pavilion in Old

Orchard Beach. The Pavilion is a recessed

amphitheater covered with a latticework of

steel, painted green and covered with

hardwood paneling. A beautiful venue

that was matched only by the bands spectacular performance.

Led by Chief Buchanan, Bandmaster

and forty-three year veteran of the Maine

Army National Guard, the Pavilion and audience came alive with a tribute to American music. Big band swing, and jazz medleys integrated with blues and rock, a tribute to Louis Armstrong by lead trumpet

SPC Chris Walker, and an especially sensitive and melodic arrangement of America

the Beautiful brought the audience to their

feet several times.

“This was one of the best shows

we’ve ever done” said an elated SFC

Patricia Buchanan. It was hard to tell who

was happier, the audience or the band.

SPC Thurston of the 195th Band gets welcomed

aboard the U.S.S. Constitution with a boarding pass.

(Photo by SSG Joseph Desmond, PA)

The 195th Army Band plays on the Spar Deck of the

U.S.S. Constitution. (Photo by SSG Joseph Desmond,

PA)
12 Guard ME Volume 4 - Issue 1

OCS

cally the students can come from anywhere in the U.S., although most are from

the northeast” explained Captain David

Bremer. Bremer, along with his counterpart Captain Mark Dobson, is not only

Cadre for this course but is an instructor

from RTI (Regional Training Institute) at

Camp Keyes in Augusta, Maine.

For Darrell Davis of Kennebunk and

Steven Morin of Hermon, OCS has been a

new phase in their lives. Each candidate

has a similar background. Both are prior

enlisted United States Navy, Candidate

Davis an Ordinanceman and Candidate

Morin a Seabee. Both are in their mid-thirties and both have always dreamed of a

becoming an officer.

“Coming from the Navy had it’s own

set of difficulties” explained Candidate

Morin, "because the Army is almost the

complete opposite to what we did in the

Navy." "I felt like I was eighteen all over

again” added Candidate Davis “but I had

to do it as I was in a transition period in

my life.”

wreaks havoc with electrical and avionics

systems.

“We’ve replaced eight engines,” said

Staff Sgt. Don Shorey, the 112th’s senior

quality controller. “We haven’t missed a

mission yet because of a downed aircraft,

but the sand is tough on this equipment.

This is not exactly Maine.”

Shorey is an old hand at this deployment business ... as is Sullivan. They are

among 16 members of the company who

have taken part in its three major deployments – to Germany in 1990-91, to Bosnia

in 1999-2000 and now to the Persian Gulf.

It is one more sign of how the Army

Guard’s mission has changed.

“I joined this company in September

1993, because I figured it would be a weekend a month and two weeks of training a

year,” Ron Ireland recalled. “And I said,

‘Yeah, I can do that.’

Ten years later, he is back in the PerAmbulances

Continued from page 4

Continued from "OCS" on Page 8

Maine Army National Guard Sgt. Brooke Taylor, a medic in the 112th

Medical Company, watches a Black Hawk air ambulance run up before

taking off in Kuwait. (Photo by Master Sgt. Bob Haskell, National Guard

Bureau)
From the State Command Sergeant Major

CSM Mark J. Collins

Volume 3 - Issue 1 Guard ME 11

We have all been extremely busy since the tragic

events of September 11,

2001. There have been many

deployments and we continue to prepare for future

operations as the Army relies more heavily on the National Guard to accomplish

its missions. We as leaders

have become more focused

on deployment issues such

as medical readiness, family

care plans, family programs

and MOS qualification to

prepare our soldiers in the

event we are called upon to

serve our country. Now

more than ever, we need to

insure we are investing in

the future of our National

Guard by counseling and

mentoring our junior leaders.

By taking time now to properly coach and mentor our

junior leaders we are investing in the future of this great

organization and are preparing

the next generation of leaders

for the challenges that tomorrow will bring.

The Webster’s Dictionary

definition of mentor is a “wise

and trusted advisor or

teacher". Over the span of my

military career I have had several mentors. Many have since

retired, they know who they

are, and many are still in the

National Guard. Ideally a

soldier’s mentor and a

soldier’s rater would be the

same. The Army has provided

us the tools to council and

mentor our junior leaders, the

NCOER Counseling Checklist

and the NCOER. Informal

counseling can also be an effective tool in developing our

future leaders. Informal counseling is flexible and can be

done any time an opportunity

presents itself such as during

training briefs, after action reviews, or during a

break in the training.

If we use these valuable tools the way

they are intended to

be used we will be

well on our way to be

mentors for our junior leaders. I challenge each and every

rater to ensure that

every soldier whose

record is being forwarded to a promotion board has a current NCOER for the

promotion board to

review. It is all about

taking care of soldiers.

Mentoring our future

leaders will benefit everyone

involved and is an excellent

method for leaders to pass on

their experiences and share

their knowledge. When done

properly it will create a stronger organization that will develop stronger leaders who

are better prepared to face

future challenges. Let us not

waste a moment of valuable

time to prepare tomorrow’s

leaders.

BNCOC Class of 2004

By: SSG Joseph Desmond, PA

Sergeant Joseph Guimond from Ft. Fairfield of the 152FA receives his 1059— a

certificate of course completion from the RTI Course Manager, Sergeant First

Class Alex Clifford (Photo by SSG Joseph Desmond, PA)

Regional Training Institute, Camp Keyes, Augusta

graduated an unusually

small class of only seven

soldiers from Phase 1 Basic

Noncommissioned Officer

Course (BNCOC) on Sunday,

March 7th, 2004. Twenty

five of the original 32 students were put through an

accelerated active duty version of BNCOC to ensure

that they were ready to deploy with their units.
Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management

Military Bureau, Joint Forces Headquarters,

Maine Army National Guard,

Camp Keyes, Augusta, ME 04333-0033

PRST. STD

US Postage

Paid

Augusta, ME

Permit #114

Deployment 2003 - In Pictures

Photos provided by deployed soldiers

CPT Veneziano from the 112th Medical Company and

CPT Dionne from 1136th Transportation Company.

112th Medical Company training at Alhillah.

112th flying over tank "bone yard".

Sunset