NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for February 15, 2018

February 15, 2018

 

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NCNGA Convention and NCNG Military Ball NCNGA

This year’s events are scheduled to be the just as great as the beautiful views in our host city of Asheville. Register today to attend our largest event of the year and join your friends for fun and fellowship.

The events are over the weekend of March 17th & 18th. With increases in attendance, we have expanded our accommodations to include Four Seasons by Sheraton (22 Woodfin Street in Asheville) (828) 253-1851. They will honor our per diem rates ($107 + tax) if you mention that you are attending our Convention. We look forward to seeing you…

Register Here.

NCNGA Educational Foundation Golf Tournament NCNGA

Golfing in the mountains in March? Oh Yeah!! The NCNGA Educational Foundation Fundraising Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, March 16th at the Broadmoor Golf Links in Fletcher, NC – Shotgun Start at 9:00 AM.

Entry Fee $75 per person which includes cart and green fees, all prizes (Longest Drive Front and Back Nine, Closest to the Hole on Par 3’s, Hole in One on Par 3’s, Putting Contest at Conclusion of Round, Door Prizes) and Driving Range prior to round. Mulligans can be purchased for $5.00 (3 for $10.00). Money from the Mulligans is added to donations for the NCNGA Educational Foundation. Putting Contest is $10.00 with the Prize a 50/50 split the pot with the balance added to the donations to the NCNGA Educational Foundation for College Scholarships for the Guard and their families.

SO…. Put your team together or sign up individually and be placed on a team. To register as a team, please submit all four entry forms together along with checks totaling $300.00. Entry forms can be found in the Tarheel Guardsman or contact the NCNGAEF office at 919-851-3990 ext. 5 or edfoundation@ncnga.org

For additional information, contact Terry Westbrook at 919-601-0447

NC National Guard to rename Belmont Readiness Center for fallen soldier FOX46 

The North Carolina National Guard plans to rename their Readiness Center this week for fallen solider 1st Lt. Leevi Barnard, who was killed while serving in Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk will join dignitaries from across North Carolina to dedicate N.C. National Guard’s Belmont Readiness Center as the “1st Lt. Leevi K. Barnard Readiness Center” this Thursday.

The dedication honors 1st Lt. Leevi Barnard, who was a member of the N.C. Guard’s 1-252nd Combined Arms Battalion. Barnard died from wounds suffered when his unit came under attack near Baghdad, Iraq on May 21, 2009.

Growing up in Mount Airy, Barnard’s military career started when he was in high school participating in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp. While at UNC-Charlotte he was an active member of Kappa Sigma.

In 2007, Barnard graduated from UNC-Charlotte’s Reserve Officer Training Program as a commissioned officer with a Baccalaureate degree in Political Science.

Read More…

Trump’s 2019 Budget Includes 2.6% Raise, Modest Force Size Boost Military.com 

The Defense Department’s budget request for 2019 released Monday called for a 2.6 percent military pay raise, a modest increase in the end strengths of the services, and major rebuilding programs aimed at retaining the U.S. edge over China and Russia.

Pentagon Comptroller David Norquist said the 2.6 percent pay increase proposal for fiscal 2019 would boost the pay of a staff sergeant by $1,169 next year.

The 2.6 percent increase would come on top of the 2.4 percent increase for 2018 authorized in December by President Donald Trump by executive order.

In addition, the DoD “expects moderate and manageable increases in pay will continue in the near term and will match the growth in private-sector wages,” the budget documents said.

There was some initial confusion on the proposed increases in the end strengths of the services because of the congressional delays in the approval of funding, but it appeared that the Pentagon was recommending an overall boost in the size of the force of more than 17,000 — almost all of it for active-duty personnel.

Read More…

National Guard kicks off PATRIOT South 2018 exercise Army.mil 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the United States experienced a historic year in terms of natural disasters in 2017. A natural disaster can strike any time and in any area within the nation. To prepare for this reality, approximately 1,000 personnel from federal, state and local entities are coming together for a Domestic Operations (DOMOPS) training exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) at the Combined Arms Combat Training Facility (CACTF) at Camp Shelby, Miss., with some operations taking place at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), Miss., from Feb. 12 — 15, 2018.

The exercise, referred to as PATRIOT South 2018, will focus on increasing the ability of local, state and federal organizations to coordinate and work together in response to a natural or man-made emergency. PATRIOT South 2018 will test the combined entities’ abilities to respond during natural disasters using simulated emergency scenarios.

“It’s a critical integration of our civilian and military entities to help save lives on the home front in response to a domestic, natural disaster or a man-made disaster,” said Lt. Col. Ashley Nickloes, Deputy Director for PATRIOT South 2018.

The exercise allows National Guard members who normally work on wartime tasks to receive critical training working on domestic operation tasks. Additionally, Guard members will gain experience working side-by-side with various civilian and state entities.

Read More…

7 U.S. Army soldiers proud to represent at Olympics Ft Hood Herald 

The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is seeing the largest contingent of U.S. athletes ever at a Winter Olympics with more 244 athletes (135 men, 109 women) representing our great nation.

Among them are seven soldiers who are not only representing our nation, but the U.S. Army. Four are bobsledders and three are lugers, and as I write this, they have not yet competed. I do, however, look forward to seeing them shine.

In honor of these outstanding soldiers, I’d like to introduce them so you’ll know who to look for during the games.

Read More…

Valentine’s Day, the Army way: For these Soldiers, love is the greatest weapon Army.mil
For many couples, Valentine’s Day is more than just a lighthearted holiday and a chance to exchange chocolates and flowers — it’s an opportunity to celebrate the joy and sacrifice that are inherent in enduring love.

Military couples understand this perhaps more than most, given that they have to navigate the challenges that training, assignments, and deployments have on relationships. Here, Army.mil highlights three stories from the past year that represent the steadfast bond between Army Soldiers and their loved ones.

It’s easy to underestimate the enormous amount of work and dedication it takes to complete the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at a top-tier university. Cadets have to complete all required Army training to become officers while at the same time meeting the demands of their academic majors. Finishing with a rank and a degree is a huge accomplishment.

Read More…

Help Support our NC National Guard Members! NCNGA 

Support our North Carolina National Guard members by participating in our 57th Annual NCNGA Convention as a vendor or sponsor (March 17th – 18th). Gain great exposure for your services, products and company by participating in our largest event of the year. Click here for more details…

Participating organizations include:

  • Companies offering products and services for military contracts
  • Nonprofits interested in recruiting membership
  • Organizations looking to market products and services directly to individuals and their families
  • Colleges and Universities looking to offer higher educational opportunities
  • Businesses looking to hire Soldiers and Airmen transitioning to civilian jobs
  • Organizations wanting to support our military here in North Carolina

NC Guard 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team Prepares For XCTC DVIDS
A dry-fire exercise means that no ammunition is used, however, soldiers conduct all training safely as though live rounds are being shot.

“In this phase we are going through dry-run Bradley gunnery qualification tables,” said Master Sgt. William Scharinger, 1-252nd Armor Regiment Master Gunner. “During next drill we will conduct live fire exercises.”

Bradleys are armored personnel carriers designed to transport troops while providing covering fire.

A Bradley crew is a three soldier team consisting of a Bradley commander, a gunner and a driver. Crew tasks include disassembling and assembling a M240L Light Machine Gun, and a M242 Bushmaster, 25 millimeter, chain-driven autocannon. Crews also work together to destroy targets in a simulated combat exercise.

“There are so many different elements that come into play and it is important to create cohesion between the various groups,” Scharinger said.

In the near future, these crews will join with the rest of the 30th ABCT to attend XCTC training in Fort Bliss, Texas.
Read More…

Dale Beatty, Who Lost His Legs but Helped Hundreds of Veterans, Dies Military.com
Dale Beatty, an Army veteran from Statesville who lost both legs beneath the knees in Iraq and devoted his life to helping other vets, died unexpectedly Monday at age 39, his nonprofit organization said Monday.

“It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of our beloved Co-Founder, Dale Beatty,” Purple Heart Homes said on Facebook and Twitter. “None of the family, staff, or friends were prepared for this great loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dale’s wife and family.”

No cause of death has been released, and Purple Heart Homes said arrangements for Beatty’s service are still being arranged.

Beatty and John Gallina, also from Statesville, were wounded when a mine detonated through the floor of their Humvee in northern Iraq in 2004. Gallina suffered brain trauma. The two friends were in high school when they enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard in 1996.

They founded Purple Heart Homes in 2008 because many injured veterans need new homes when they return from conflicts, Beatty and Gallina told the Observer in 2009. Others need improvements to their homes, especially as the veterans age and can’t do the repairs themselves. But too often the vets get no aid, they said.

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February — Today in Guard History National Guard 

1898 Havana Harbor, Cuba – The USS Maine explodes, killing 260 American sailors. The reason for this explosion is still questioned today, though most experts now feel it was an accident. Cuba was a Spanish colony, with rebels fighting to win their independence from colonial rule. Many Americans supported the Cubans in their goal of freedom. The Maine was sent as a ‘good will’ gesture by the U.S. toward Spain. When it suddenly blew up in a Spanish controlled port the newspapers of the day blamed the Spanish for sabotaging the ship. The outcry for revenge finally led America to declare war against Spain on April 25th. In the next few months nearly 200,000 men would flock to the ‘colors’; 170,000 of them drawn from uniformed volunteer militia units, the predecessors of the National Guard. Many of these men served in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines. Thousands would die (almost all from disease) while some, like Teddy Roosevelt, would gain national exposure. All contributed to making America a world power.

Read More…

The Weekly Guardsman


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Craig Lloyd, Executive Director, NCNGA, 919-851-3390, ext. 4 | Contact
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