August 8th, 2019

 

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 IN THIS EDITION:

Governor Cooper And The N.C. National Guard Commemorate 75th Anniversary Of Historic WWII National Guard Battle – The Battle Of Mortain Caldwell Journal 
Still time to register for the 4th Annual Sustainment Ball on the 5th of October in Greensboro NCNGA
Free Food and Budgeting Advice. Establishing Good Financial Habits: Family Budgeting NCNGA 
Tarheel Retiree Homecoming 2019 NCNGA 
Triangle to Honor Purple Heart Recipients and Gold Star Mothers with Celebratory Dinner NCNGA 
NCNGA Education Foundation: $1 / Month Campaign NCNGA 
A Family Promotion By Staff Sgt. Laura Montgomery 145th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DVIDS 
235th Air Traffic Control Squadron Stands Up in Germany DVIDS 
Hindsight is 20/20 Career Pathways Institute 
August 8th — Today in Guard History National Guard 

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Governor Cooper And The N.C. National Guard Commemorate 75th Anniversary Of Historic WWII National Guard Battle – The Battle Of Mortain Caldwell Journal 

On Tuesday, August 6 Governor Roy Cooper presented to the North Carolina National Guard a proclamation commemorating the WWII Battle of Mortain which occurred August 7-13, 1944.

On August 7, four Nazi Panzer Divisions attacked the 30th Infantry Division at Mortain and the “Heroes of Old Hickory” fought them back and the Normandy Campaign was saved.

Many believe that the Mortain victory was one of the most outstanding military achievements during the war in Europe and think it is long overdue for the 30th to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

As each day passes, more members of “Old Hickory” pass away; Citizen-Soldiers who served proudly and with distinction during World War II.

Today, the 30th Infantry Division Association, the North Carolina National Guard Association, former 30th veterans from WWII and others are urging President Trump to award the 30th Infantry Division the Presidential Unit Citation for its exemplary performance and extraordinary heroism and gallantry in action during the Battle of Mortain.

Read More…

Free Food and Budgeting Advice. Establishing Good Financial Habits: Family Budgeting NCNGA 

The Association is excited to partner with BB&T to provide you a roadmap to establishing good financial habits. The first course will be hosted on the 10th of September in Charlotte, within a 10 minute drive of the airport area. Registration is free but required for space and food ordering purposes only. Register through the NCNGA here.

Tarheel Retiree Homecoming 2019 NCNGA 

FOR: Army and Air National Guard Retirees

DATE: Friday, December 13, 2019

EVENT REGISTRATION: 0900-1000 HRS

LOCATION: Joint Force Headquarters, 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607

$15 Registration includes Mission updates, benefits seminar, various information stations, luncheon, social time, and a celebration of the National Guard’s 383rd Birthday. For registration information click here.

NCNGA Educational Foundation: $1/Month Campaign NCNGA 

You are aware of the NCNGA Educational Foundation’s fundraising efforts through the years. You’ve enjoyed our Reverse Drawings, Golf tournaments, Raffle tickets, and of course the Little Red Wagon!!

Your contributions are what makes the Educational Foundation successful. The Board of Directors would like to thank all of you for your support over the years. We recently celebrated our 50th year of operations, and since we started we have paid out almost $1.5 million in scholarships to members of the NC National Guard and their families. You can help us continue for the next 50 years with just one dollar a month!

Each year it becomes more difficult to conduct large-scale events to provide the funds necessary to operate. While our Board members participate on a 100% volunteer basis, we still have certain minimal costs to operate our office and process our annual scholarship applications and to award payments. We are asking for your assistance in sustaining our Educational Foundation.

As active or retired members of the NC National Guard Air and Army, we are asking you to consider donating just $1 each month to the NCNGA Educational Foundation. There are several ways you can donate – the easiest is to simply make a monthly commitment via our WEB site at edfoundationofncnga.org. You can also mail a check for $12 to our offices at 7410 Chapel Hill Rd/ Raleigh, NC 27607. Visit our website at www.edfoundationofncnga.org for more information.

Again, Thank you for supporting the NCNGA Educational Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.

Triangle to Honor Purple Heart Recipients and Gold Star Mothers with Celebratory Dinner NCNGA 

The public is invited to honor Purple Heart recipients, Gold Star Mothers, and the families of those Killed in Action at the first ever Triangle Purple Heart Dinner.

Organized by community volunteers with support from the North Carolina Purple Heart Foundation, the event will take place on Saturday, August 17 from 5-8 p.m. at the McKimmon Center on the campus of North Carolina State University.

“It is vitally important for our community to recognize and honor each of these individuals and their families,” said Michael Johnson, Chair of the Triangle Purple Heart Dinner. “Without their sacrifices, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have today.”

The event will commence with a gourmet plated meal prepared by Rave Catering followed by a presentation honoring Purple Heart recipients, Gold Star Mothers, and the families of those killed at war. The evening concludes with the “Walk of Honor” in which all Purple Heart recipients will be invited to walk under sabers raised by ROTC cadets from North Carolina State University.

“Without a doubt, the highlight of the evening will be the Walk of Honor,” added Johnson. “For many Purple Heart recipients, this may be the first time that they have ever been publicly thanked for their service.”

All Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star Mothers and two accompanying guests dine free of charge. To register, participants should contact Cara Coleman at tphdrspv@gmail.com.

General admission tickets are $25/person and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com. Tickets may also be obtained by becoming a sponsor. Potential sponsors should contact Paul Klikas at tphdsponsorship@gmail.com. For additional information, visit the Triangle Purple Heart Dinner’s Facebook or Event Brite pages.

A Family Promotion By Staff Sgt. Laura Montgomery 145th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DVIDS 

Members of the North Carolina Air National Guard, family, and friends gather to celebrate U.S. Air Force Maj. Claxton, 263rd Combat Communications Squadron commander, as he promotes to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel August 3, 2019 in New London, N.C.

Claxton’s immediate and extended family enjoy witnessing the appreciation of his hard work commemorated in a ceremony.

“I’m really excited; he’s worked really hard and it’s been a process as a family too, but it’s definitely been worth it and he deserves it,” said Lt. Col. Claxton’s son, Jonathan.

Claxton originally started his career in the North Carolina Air National Guard as an enlisted member in New London, and while he served a few years at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport base; his family was happy to return to the New London location and rekindle old friendships.

“We started off in Stanly County, so it was like coming home when we came back to the 263rd (Combat Communications Squadron), and it’s been fun to see Bradley as an enlisted guy here and then as an officer,” stated Claxton’s wife, Karen. “We’ve got family ties from a long time in Stanly County.”

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235th Air Traffic Control Squadron Stands Up in Germany DVIDS 

Recently, nearly 50 members of the 235th Air Traffic Control Squadron joined with members from the New Hampshire and Maine Air National Guard heading to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to assist the 1st Combat Communications Squadron, an active duty unit, with training on setting up, utilizing, and tearing down a mobile air traffic control tower and deployable tactical air navigation system.

With so many units communicating and working to train together, much information was learned and shared during the experience.

“New Hampshire’s come here before on one of their AT’s (annual training), so we got to know a little bit about them,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Bellissimo, controller for the 235th Air Traffic Controller Squadron, “Our controllers hangout with theirs and the maintenance hung out with maintenance so it was like building a team where we talked about different ideas from different places. They may have a certain way of doing something that helps us out and we may have a way of doing something that helps them out.”

While the units were assisting an active duty station, an expeditionary guard component works very differently from the active side.

“My biggest gain from this experience was the fact that I learned that, being a mobile unit with expeditionary skills, which have nothing to with your job like loading aircraft, packing pallets, and coordinating aerial ports and aircrew, a lot of those are crucial skills,” said Staff Sgt. William Lucas, radar airfield weather systems technician with the 235th Air Traffic Control Squadron. ”It’s easy to view yourself as just an air traffic controller or radar airfield weather systems technician, but that’s not the case in an expeditionary environment; you are a truck driver, you’re setting up tents, fueling generators, any number of things.”

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Hindsight is 20/20 Career Pathways Institute 

Hindsight is 20/20. North Carolina National Guard members are eligible for up to $2000 per year for tuition assistance (TA) funding in career and professional development courses. Use yours now for a successful 2020. Choose your course HERE.

This month’s featured course is Professional Certification in Digital and Social Selling. Overall employment of Digital and Social Selling agents is expected to increase by 10 percent by 2026. In this course, students will acquire a hands-on learning experience that will enable you to devise and execute an advanced digital selling strategy.

August 8th — Today in Guard History National Guard 

1944 Mortain, Normandy, France – Following the American break out from Normandy in July, 1944, the Germans decided that the only way to stop the Allied advance and push them back to the sea was to launch a massive attack in the Avranches region, about 150 miles west of Paris. To do this they moved tanks and men of the XLVII Panzer Corps into place and opened their operation on August 7th. Their main thrust, lead by the 2nd SS Panzer Division, was to cut the American line between Normandy and Brittany, forcing the two groups to fall back on different beach areas, possibly compelling at least one group to withdraw. But almost immediately the Germans were blocked by determined resistance. On Hill 317, near the village of Mortain, their advance was stopped by 700 men of North Carolina’s 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division (which also included Guard units from SC and TN). Firing at almost point-blank range their one anti-tank gun and numerous anti-tank rockets (fired from ‘bazooka’s’) the Guardsmen destroyed 40 vehicles including several heavy battle tanks. The Germans bypassed the hill leaving it surrounded. They launched repeated assaults to capture it but these were beaten back with artillery support from the Guard’s 35th Infantry Division (KS, MO, NE) and RAF air strikes on the German positions. After five days of being cut off and with the loss of nearly 300 men the 2nd Battalion was rescued by elements of the 35th Division. For it’s determined and stubborn resistance in blocking the enemy advance the 2/120th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

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