NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for June 14, 2018
June 14, 2018
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145th Airlift Wing Welcomes New Commander and Makes History ANG 145th Airlift Wing
The North Carolina Air National Guard makes history during a Change of Command Ceremony by welcoming the first female commander of the 145th Airlift Wing, Col. Bryony Terrell. Regardless of gender, Terrell is the perfect fit to command a unit of nearly 1,300 Airmen as they complete a transition to the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
Terrell, a third generation Airman, is a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft pilot, and has been in the service for 20 years. Terrell’s grandfather was in the Army Air Corps, and her father served as a rescue pilot in Vietnam.
“I’m excited to be here in North Carolina, this is a great opportunity. I hope I am an example to other women who have career desires and goals. My focus is on the conversion and the strategic mission with the C-17,” said Terrell.
The outgoing commander, Col. Michael Gerock, highlighted why Terrell is right for the position and said, “I’ve known her for several years, and she has the skill set and aptitude to continue making this wing a great place. Especially now, during the conversion phase, she has a lot of the knowledge and expertise to make this work and support Charlotte as we move forward.”
Although, being the first female commander of the 145th Airlift Wing is a historical event, the more prominent focus is that Terrell brings valued experience with airframe transitions from her last command with the 167th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Martinsburg, W.Va.
“To me it doesn’t matter whether she’s a man or a woman. Yes it’s a great side note that she’s the first female 145th Airlift Wing commander, but I think we need the right person, in the right place, at the right time, and she fits all those bills. She’s going to be great, based upon her knowledge and skill sets, not her gender,” said Gerock.
U.S. Polish march to remember prisoners of war DVIDS
The Polish army’s 4071st Company, 11th Battalion invited U.S. Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to march with them in Zagan, Poland, June 7, 2018. The 1st ABCT is deployed to Poland and is stationed in Zagan participating in Atlantic Resolve, an enduring training exercise between NATO and U.S. forces.
“It builds rapport and interoperability with Polish forces,” said HHC 1st Sgt. Andrew Odell.
Nearly 30 Polish and U.S. Soldiers gathered outside the headquarters building for the morning 10-kilometer march. Polish leaders inspected their troops Beryl rifles, woodland camouflage uniforms and their packs loaded with 25 pounds of gear and water.
A Safety Down Day was mandated by the Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Dave Goldfein, in the wake of a recent string of aerial mishaps including the WC-130 Cargo aircraft from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard that crashed in Georgia early May, and included the fatalities of all service members on board. The North Carolina Air National Guard suffered it’s own tragedy in the summer of 2012 when a C-130 Hercules crashed while on assignment to assist fighting the wildfires engulfing South Dakota, resulting in the loss of four North Carolina Guardsmen.
“Safety means a lot of different things. It doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around flying. The reason I asked everyone here today is to open it up to the group level and ask what does safety mean to you? You matter, each one of you matter to this wing, to your group, to your squadrons, and to each other; we cannot do this mission without you. We all know that what’s transpiring with the transition makes things challenging, but also more rewarding, and the vigilance for raising that for safety is something we all need to be thinking about,” said Commander, 145th Operations Group, Col. Miles K. Harkey.
Army National Guard officer candidates kick off Phase One of leadership training Army.mil
National Guard officer candidates from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and South Carolina began Phase One of their leadership training at McCrady Training Center June 2, 2018.
Over 80 officer candidates convened in formation on the field behind South Carolina’s Palmetto Military Academy, ready to prove their commitment to becoming commissioned Army officers. The air filled with multi-colored smoke and the skirl of bagpipes as they awaited their first introduction to the platoon trainers and instructor cadre who would be responsible for developing their leadership skills and testing their mental agility during the first phase of Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Saturday evening’s initiation ceremony, referred to as “gate closing,” marked the beginning of an intense two-week training period where the officer candidates are tested on their ability to lead others, think on their feet, perform drill and ceremony and acquire a foundation in Army leadership education, while being placed under stressful conditions.
Phase one of OCS is a combination of classroom learning and field training. The classroom curriculum introduces candidates to concepts of leadership and team development, Army Training Management Systems, Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Army Profession and Military Ethics, among others. Candidates must pass three written exams to move on to the next phase.
June — Today in Guard History National Guard
1775 Philadelphia, PA – The Continental Congress authorized the creation of the United States Army when the militia army surrounding the British army in Boston is created into the “Continental Army.” The same day Congress authorized ten rifle companies, six from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland and two from Virginia (including one from present day West Virginia) for Continental service. On June 22nd the Pennsylvania allotment is increased to eight companies and organized into a separate rifle battalion, the senior Continental Army battalion. Every year the Army celebrates its “birthday” on this date, making it the oldest continuous federal agency in the nation.
3rd NCNG Educational Foundation Cruise for Charity NCNGEF
The North Carolina National Guard Education Foundation is holding it’s 3rd Cruise for Charity! Royal Carribean will set sail on their Adventure Of the Seas cruise on January 19, from Ft. Lauderdale. Cabins start at $709, with a $250/person deposit. Some of the proceeds from each cabin will go to the NCNG Education Foundation.
Click below to register, or email rbliley@cruiseplanners.com for questions.
Prices are per person, double occupancy, based on availability and subject to change without notice.
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