March 8, 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. Registration will close on March 15, 2018 at 11pm. There will not be any on-site registration so hurry and register while there is still time.

The events are over the weekend of March 17th & 18th. With increases in attendance, we have expanded our accommodations to include Four Points 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. You can also book a room for the overflow hotel for the convention.

On-site Spa is available…….Serenity awaits at Adelaide Spa. Treatments and services include facials, massages, body treatments, and more. Escape the every day and give your body the nourishment it deserves. Please call the Spa directly at 828-575-2196 for availability and pricing.

North Carolina National Guard Armory Transfers to the Town of Woodland DVIDS 

The North Carolina Army National Guard transferred the Woodland Armory during an informal event to the Town of Woodland on February 28th, 2018. This transition is a part of the Installation Strategic Action Plan where the North Carolina National Guard is consolidating its facility footprint throughout the state into larger, multi-unit facilities based on demographic shifts in population centers over the last few decades and larger, upgraded Army equipment.

Kenneth Manuel, Mayor for the Town of Woodland was present to accept the keys to the building. “Today is really special, the relationship with National Guard goes back to 1961 and they have gone the extra mile to get this building in great condition for this transfer of ownership,” said Manuel.

The North Carolina National Guard has stood ready to protect the lives and property of the citizens of North Carolina for generations. The transfer to the town of Woodland will not end the commitment to serving the state in times of need and disaster. The North Carolina National Guard will maintain a presence and relationships within the community, as well as remain postured to respond when needed.

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211th National Guard consolidates in East Flat Rock BlueRidgeNow 

The 211th North Carolina National Guard Unit is now stationed solely out of the armory in East Flat Rock, a move in the National Guard’s continuing efforts to cut costs and consolidate resources, according to Lt. Col. Rodney Newton.

The 211th was formerly split nearly half and half between the armory in East Flat Rock and the armory in Clyde, but will now be based out of the East Flat Rock Armory only.

It’s part of an ongoing effort of the National Guard to consolidate and cut costs, Newton said.

About 150 military police men and women will be working on weekends at the East Flat Rock Armory, he said. The facility in Clyde will eventually be turned over to Haywood County, likely around the end of April.

The move won’t change the operations at the East Flat Rock Armory, Newton added.

He called it a “smart decision to consolidate into one building,” with the ability to stagger weekends and all use the same facilities.

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Army recognizes environmental successes Army 

Each year the Army accepts nominations in nine categories and selects those installations and organizations who have excelled in program management, technical merit, supporting the military mission, transferring lessons learned and involving installation personnel, residents and local community in their environmental program.

The Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards Program winners recognized for their successes during fiscal years 2016-2017 are:

Hawaii Army National Guard – Natural Resources Conservation, Small Installation — for their efforts in reducing invasive species and returning land for Army use.

Pennsylvania Army National Guard Fort Indiantown Gap’s Natural Resources Conservation Team – Natural Resources Conservation, Individual/Team — for endangered species and habitat protection, while protecting the Army’s ability to train.

Fort Hood – Environmental Quality, Non-industrial Installation — for reducing waste, ensuring environmental compliance, implementing an effective environmental management system, promoting community relations, and streamlining environmental analyses.

Fort Hood’s Qualified Recycle Program – Environmental Quality, Individual/Team — for improvements in their program that increased capacity, made recycling easier, increased community partnerships and enabled them to collect more than 25 million pounds of recyclables which generated more than $2.5 million during the award period.

Fighters from across military gather for Bragg tournament JDNews 

Sgt. Zachary Morro began sizing up his fellow soldiers almost as soon as he arrived at Fort Bragg.

A soldier from the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, Morro hopes to bring home bragging rights after this week’s Fort Bragg Combatives Tournament Invitational.

“I’m looking at what my competition possibly could be,” Morro said. “I’m definitely expecting some good competition.”

The tournament, expected to include upwards of 300 fighters from eight weight classes, is the largest of its kind in the military and a de facto Army championship.

This year’s competitors hail from across the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard with teams competing on behalf of Fort Bragg; Fort Drum, New York; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fort Carson; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; the Guam National Guard; Pennsylvania National Guard; North Carolina National Guard and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Staff Sgt. Trampus Sandidge, this year’s tournament director, said the event is the closest the Army comes to a championship in combatives, which is similar to mixed martial arts but designed to help soldiers fight hand-to-hand in close quarters scenarios.

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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

National Guard honors Maysville native JDNews 

State National Guard’s Edenton Readiness Center was renamed Sunday as the Sgt. Jeremy Hardison Center.

The dedication honors Hardison, who was a member of the N.C. National Guard’s 514th Military Police Company. On Oct. 1, 2012, while on a dismounted patrol in Khowst City, Afghanistan, an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated near his patrol. Hardison succumbed to his wounds at the scene.

“Today, we say thank you to Sgt. Hardison’s family for their sacrifice. We honor him by dedicating this building to serve as a lasting symbol,” N.C. National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Jesse Visconti said. “His memory will be carried on throughout the generations of soldiers who train here to support our state in times of disaster, and to fight overseas for the freedoms Sgt. Hardison paid the ultimate price to protect. The United States, the United States Army, the state of North Carolina and the men and women who serve in the National Guard are forever grateful for Sgt. Hardison’s sacrifice.”

Paul Gradus, with the N.C. National Guard Survivor Outreach Service, said the Tar Heel state’s 26 service personnel who were killed in combat will be honored in the same way. Starting in November, the National Guard began renaming its facilities in honor of those fallen soldiers and will continue with this solemn duty until the end of the year in December. March is National Guard Heritage Month in North Carolina.

Brig. Gen. Allen Boyette spoke from the heart about Hardison’s sacrifice to honor a creed that values duty and honor during his tour of service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

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Study: Private Docs Lacking in Care for Vets NGAUS 

A study found physicians in the private sector are often unable to provide for the unique needs of military veterans even as Congress continues efforts to push more former military members to them.

Rand Corp. released a study last week that looked at medical providers in New York state and determined they “know little about the military or veterans, are not routinely screening for conditions common among veterans, and are unfamiliar with [the Department of Veterans Affairs],” according to Military Times.

The publication points out that the House and Senate are both working on bills that would allow veterans to more easily bypass the VA health-care system and receive treatment from private-sector providers at government expense.

This is not new. Last year, about one-third of medical appointments for veterans were outside the Veterans Health Administration. But lawmakers are trying to increase that number.

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March — Today in Guard History National Guard 

1962 NATO Airbases, Europe – Several Air Guard tactical fighter squadrons take part in large multi-national wargames in West Germany. In response to the Soviet Union’s construction of the Berlin Wall, a total of 31 Guard squadrons were mobilized in October 1961. Twelve of these (all armed with jet fighters) were deployed to France, West Germany and Spain soon after being mobilized. Vast improvements in the Air Guard’s readiness after the Korean War proved its value when, unlike the 1950-1951 mobilization, which took many months to upgrade Guard equipment and training before unit deployment, the units in 1961 arrived in Europe within weeks of mobilization, ready to fight if necessary. As tensions eased between the two super powers, the Air Guard squadrons began returning home, with the last units released from active duty on August 31, 1962.

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