he T Militiaman - Iowa National Guard Summer.pdfRSP provides benefits for Soliders/Guard by Spc. Michael Kelly Gold Star Museum insert 11 1st Regiment of Iowa African Regiment History

TTTT Thehehehe he

Militiaman

2nd BCTat Annual Training

Contents

IMA/RTI celebrates50th anniversaryby Capt. Jamie Davis

4

6

14

Iowa Soldier/Educator fetedby Spc. Alica Dill

The Iowa Militiaman Summer 2007

16

18

Iowan becomes US citizen

M1

20

The IowaMilitiaman

Summer 2007

The AdjutantGeneral

Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis

Public AffairsOfficer

Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood

Commanding OfficerMaj. Matt Carver

Print OfficerCapt. Jamie Davis

Editor Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden

StaffCapt. Melanie Meyer

Sgt. 1st Class Paul RieksSgt. 1st Class Sara Maniscalco

Sgt. Matthew McArthurSpc. Michael Kelly

The Iowa Militiaman is an unoffi-cial publication authorized under theprovisions of AR 360-81. It is pub-lished by the Public Affairs Office,Camp Dodge, and is printed four timesannually.

The news and opinions expressedin this publication are not necessarilythose of the Adjutant General of Iowa,or the Department of the Army.

Address all submissions to:The Iowa MilitiamanPublic Affairs Office

Camp Dodge7105 NW 70th Ave.

Johnston, IA 50131-1824or E-mail:

[email protected]

RSP provides benefitsfor Soliders/Guardby Spc. Michael Kelly

Gold Star Museum insert

11

1st Regiment of IowaAfrican Regiment Historyby CW4 (Ret.) David Snook

2

2nd BCT Annual Training

8

by Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden

On the cover: Approximately 900, 2nd

Brigade Combat Team Soldiers found theopportunity for practical, live-fire exercisesduring annual training at Camp Ripley, Minn.Here, Engineers of Company A, 2nd Battalion,34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion put theirskills to work, blowing up simulated mortartubes and rockets during a cache demoliton.(Iowa National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st ClassPaul Rieks).

133rd has plenty of experienceby Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood

Warrant Officer Corpsboasts long historyby CW4 (Ret.) Wesley Bender

Maj. Gen.Ron Dardis,

The Adjutant General


TAGSends

As fall rapidly approaches, these are trulyexceptional and exciting times. This is themost significant period of time in the historyof the Iowa National Guard and will be re-corded as such in the annals of history.

Thank you for your extraordinary service toyour country and for the incredible sacrificesyou and your families are making each andevery day. You are truly, great Americans, andI am honored to have the opportunity to servewith you.

This year, the Iowa National Guard theme is“Mission Focused – Warrior Ready,” reflect-ing our organizational and individual prioritiesfor the next year. We must always remember,we are a “mission focused”organization. Everything wedo must support and enablethe Iowa National Guard toaccomplish whatever mis-sion we are given.

“Warrior Ready” reflectsour individual priorities forour Soldiers and Airmen.As leaders, we have an obli-gation to make sure ourWarriors are ready to dowhat we ask of them. It alsomeans, that in order for aWarrior to be ready, we mustensure his or her family,employer, and communityare ready as well. Readi-ness must be our number one priority.

The bottom line is this: Everything we do toresource, train and prepare our Warriors mustfit within this theme. If something doesn’t, thenit isn’t a priority.

But, what does it mean to be a “Warrior?”Each service lives by a creed, and I think it’simportant to periodically stop and remind our-selves what it means to be an American Soldieror Airman. We are Soldiers and Airmen first,but Warriors always. I expect each and everyone of you to live and lead by these creeds.

In the National Guard, we have three primarymissions: 1) Federal; 2) State; and 3) Commu-nity. Each mission is equally important andinterconnected with the others. The resourceswe receive for our federal mission enable us tomaximize our response to our state mission,which in turn strengthens our ability to improveand support our communities.

Let there be no mistake; our federal mission

is our primary mission. This mission has be-come increasingly important in the Global Waron Terror, as the Reserve Component hastransitioned from a strategic reserve to anoperational force. This is not going to changein the foreseeable future, as we will continue tosource units in support of the warfight.

And we yet face new challenges on an almostdaily basis.

We continue to be engaged in a very fiscally-constrained environment. We’re fighting theGlobal War on Terror on 3.6 percent of theGross Domestic Product (GDP). This is stag-gering when compared to previous conflicts:World War II, at 38 percent of the GDP; the

Korean War, at greaterthan 14 percent; and Viet-nam was fought at 10 per-cent.

Since 1968, the GDPhas grown by over 300 per-cent. However, the De-fense budget has onlygrown by 68 percent. Since1984, procurement andRDT&E accounts percent-age of the Army budgetdeclined from 31 percentto 17.5 percent (a similarfigure, within the AirForce). In order to make upfor this, we cut people toleverage money for mod-

ernization, recapitalizing the force on the backsof the Soldiers and Airmen serving today.

Everyone within the Iowa National Guardmust stay engaged on issues affecting the orga-nization. Know your reps within the ESGR, beinvolved with your unit’s family readiness pro-gram and be involved within your communities.

Encourage your Soldiers and Airmen to getinvolved. Give something back to their com-munities and above all, tell their stories. They,more than anyone else, have the credibility totalk about and share what they have seen inservice to their state and nation.

Our Soldiers and Airmen return from de-ployments more experienced, more matureand more focused. They have tremendous sto-

TAG Sendscontinued on page 18

We must prepare our Warriors


Story and photosby Capt. Jamie Davis

In July 2007, the Iowa Army NationalGuard’s Regional Training Institute (RTI) turns50 years old and the pictures which line thehalls speak of the evolution of the program.

From the very first 8x10 black and whitephoto, you get an indication of the program’sorigins. Forty young, Caucasian, male, secondlieutenants stare back with a determined lookof hope and promise in their eyes.

A quick scan of the remaining pictures tellsthe rest of the story. Each is of Soldiers, al-though they each sport different uniforms fromdifferent eras. The last RTI graduating class,represented by an 8x10, color, glossy photo,shows a class of racially diverse, mixed-genderSoldiers, showcasing officers of assorted ages,hopes and dreams.

The RTI program itself has evolved over theyears. Many think of the RTI as training byofficers – for officers. Those days, along withthe black and white photos, are long gone.

Today, the RTI is the “School House of theGuard.”

In 1957, following World War II and theKorean War, therewas a shortage ofArmy officers. Eachstate was delegated toproduce officers tofill their ranks. TheIowa Military Acad-emy, as it was thenknown, came into ex-istence.

While it’s seenmany changes over theyears, the mission hasremained the same:Production of futureleaders. Iowa’s Of-ficer CandidateSchool has the samemission and trainingprogram as what is of-fered at Ft. Benning,Ga.

The current RTI

Commander, Col. Ron Albrecht, who assumedcommand in June 2006, has witnessed theevolution first-hand.

“The process has and will continue to morph.It mirrors the wants and needs of the Army andwe intend to stay current in addressing thoseneeds,” said Albrecht.

“The RTI is part of the team. We train Sol-diers to fill the leadership vacancies and iden-tify Soldiers to be future leaders. But, it isn’tjust dedicated to training officers. It is now aleadership school and has been evolving intomore of a career-path training program,”Albrecht added.

Iowa took the lead with its Non-Commis-sioned Officer training. NCO Educational Sys-tem courses, such as the Basic NCO Course,and Advanced NCO Course are offered, alongwith OCS and the second class of WarrantOfficer Candidate School is now underway.

Due to a shortage of Warrant Officers thesame concept was applied – take the sameprogram and teach it locally, thereby produc-ing tomorrow’s leaders. The second WOCSclass graduated 15 Warrant Officers, whereasin the past, Iowa sent only one or two Soldiersper year to out-of-state locations to completetheir training.

Clearly, the program has paid dividends.They plan on assuming a larger role in Mili-

tary Occupational Specialty (MOS) qualifica-tion and leadership roles, and are getting moreproactive in taking care of Soldier’s needs.

Recently, they’ve added MOS qualificationschools, such as Motor Transport Operator(88M), Health Care Specialist (68W) Sustain-

Iowa Military Academy/185thRegional Training Institutioncelebrates 50th anniversary

A walk through theRTI photo gallerystirs manymemories of pastclasses.

The process has and willcontinue to morph.

It mirrors the wants and needsof the Army and we intend

to stay current in addressingthose needs.”

Col. Ron AlbrechtRTI Commander


ment, and Cavalry Scout (19D) schools, withthe hope of adding more MOS Qualificationcourses in the future.

They also offer Combat Lifesaver, TotalArmy Instructor Training, Instructor for SmallGroup Training, Company Level Pre-CommandCourse, and State-level Pre-Mobilization Evalu-ation courses.

Instructor Capt. Chad Cook has been withthe RTI for a year-and-a-half, while Capt. An-drea Mayer has taught for two-and-a-half years.

“Iowa is networking to take care of the IowaNational Guard Soldiers and helping Soldiersfind the right program that fits their leadershipneeds,” said Mayer.

Growth does come with its challenges. Themilitary’s current operations tempo has taken atoll on recruitment and the RTI itself losesstaff members due to deployments. Also, manycommands are more selective these days as towho they submit for the schools.

Another challenge faced by the RTI, is thefact they are rapidly outgrowing the facilitiesthey currently have. Many other schools atCamp Dodge and other programs are compet-ing for those same resources.

“Resource management and command andcontrol does pose a challenge for the RTI butthese are welcome challenges, as we continueto provide leadership opportunities for theGuard,” said Cook.

Another achievement the RTI is proud of isthe overall leadership courses that have beenoffered.

In July 2007, the RTI celebrated 50 years oftraining future leaders. And not just officers –but rather, officers, warrant officers, seniorNCOs, NCOs and those looking for MOS

schools – have all benefited and as a result, theArmy itself has benefited from the RTI.

Looking forward from its inception, no onehad an inkling of what the RTI would become.However, in looking back today, the RTI hashad a tremendous impact on the history of theIowa National Guard.

“It’s important to recognize those who havegone before us, gone through the process andhonor the foresight they had. It’s an opportu-nity for us to pay tribute,” said Albrecht.

No one knows what the next 50 years willbring, but each year, another class photo will beadded to the wall as new leaders are broughtinto the ranks through the RTI program.

Each photo will feature different faces anddifferent races, but each will continue to sharethe same look of determination, hope and prom-ise, that these future leaders will bring to thestate of Iowa.

Whether it’s in theclassroom, or inthe field, RegionalTraining Institutioninstructors provideinnovative trainingfor the bestSoldiers - officersand enlisted - thatIowa has to offer.Through its unique,comprehensivetraining programs,RTI helps Soldiersfind the rightprogram that fitstheir leadershipneeds.


Page 4A

Not youraverage workday

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I abso-lutely and entirely renounce and abjure allallegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince,potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom orwhich I have heretofore been a subject orcitizen;…”

by Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden(Editor’s Note: The 1st Battalion, 133rd

Infantry returned home to Iowa July 25).When his year-long deployment to Iraq with

the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Division be-gan, 29-year old Spc. Aly Diasse was one ofapproximately a dozen foreign-born Soldiersserving in the Iowa National Guard, who are notU.S. citizens.

An integral part of the unit’s Company B,Diasse has always put mission accomplish-ment and the safety of his fellow Soldiers first.However, from his very first day in America,Diasse has dreamed of becoming a U.S. citizen.

On Nov. 12, Diasse, along with more than 40other servicemembers, was honored with justthat privilege, as they took the Oath of Alle-giance at the Sustainer Theater, Logistical Sup-port Area Anaconda, near Balad, Iraq.

According to Dr. Emilio T. Gonzalez, direc-tor of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Ser-vices, who was present at the ceremony, thou-sands of immigrant troops are making extraor-dinary sacrifices for their adopted country.

“These men and women have pledged todefend with their lives, liberties they have yet

to secure for themselves,” Gonzalez said. “Thereis no more fitting way for a grateful nation toshow its appreciation, than through grantingqualified military servicemembers U.S. citi-zenship as soon as possible.”

“You came from Africa to Asia, from Eu-rope to South America. But today in Iraq – acountry struggling for its own freedom – youare all Americans,” said Brig. Gen. Michael J.Terry, 13th Sustainment Command (Expedi-tionary), during the keynote address.

For Diasse, a happy-go lucky guy who en-joys life and prides himself on keeping a posi-tive attitude, that always-present smile spreadeven bigger that day.

“I am very glad about becoming a U.S. citi-zen,” Diasse said. “Being a U.S. citizen is agreat feeling and it gives me a better opportu-nity for my future.”

“…That I will support and defend theConstitution and laws of the United States ofAmerica against all enemies, foreign anddomestic;…”

Originally from the West African country ofSenegal, Diasse arrived in Iowa in May 2001,shortly after completing high school. He laterobtained a visa from the U.S. Embassy inCameroon. Diasse had a cousin who had livedin Iowa and after discussing school possibili-ties with him, he decided to put his roots downin Iowa City.

While he came to Iowa to continue his edu-cation, money proved to be an issue. In themeantime, Diasse continued to support andimprove himself.

He went to work for Plastic Products Com-pany, an injection molding plastic factory atWest Branch. He met Ronni, his next doorneighbor, who would soon become his wife. Itwasn’t long before their daughter, Amy, wasborn.

It was then that Diasse decided to look intothe Iowa Army National Guard.

“…That I will perform noncombatant ser-vice in the Armed Forces of the United Stateswhen required by the law;…”

Sgt. 1st Class Mark Edwards, an Iowa Na-tional Guard recruiter in Iowa City, remembersthe day Diasse first walked into the Dubuque

Iowa Soldier realizes dream,earns U.S. citizenship in Iraq

Spc. Aly Diassetakes part in theOath of Allegianceas he becomes aU.S. citizen duringhis naturalizationceremony at LSAAnaconda, Iraq.(US Army photo bySgt. 1st ClassGregory Murray)


Street armory. Besides his infectious smile,Edwards was struck by the young man’s focus.

“As recruiters, we talk to people everyday,”Edwards said. “Most people are afraid to makea commitment today, especially with a wargoing on and 24/7 coverage of the Iraq war onTV and in the media. A lot of people will say,‘Not right now, maybe later.’”

Diasse simply walked in and said, ‘I want tojoin the National Guard.’

“I think it speaks very highly of his character.Even with all the media coverage, he wanted tohelp his family. He knew there was a chance hecould deploy, and he still joined. Even thoughhe wasn’t a U.S. citizen, he was willing to enlist,despite the possibility of deploying.”

Following basic training, Diasse graduatedfrom Advanced Individual Training at FortBenning, Ga., as an 11B, or Infantryman.Edwards made the trip and was present for hisgraduation.

Edwards felt his commitment to this youngman was by no means over. One of Diasse’sgoals, and the thing he talked the most about,was achieving U.S. citizenship. While it’s some-what easier to get U.S. citizenship throughmilitary service, it’s by no means a decisivefactor.

So, Diasse and Edwards made frequent tripswest on Interstate 80 to Camp Dodge to workwith the Judge Advocate General, or staff attor-ney, on the U.S. citizenship application pro-cess. Unfortunately, shortly after the processbegan, Diasse’s unit was called up for deploy-ment.

“…That I will perform work of nationalimportance under civilian direction whenrequired by the law;…”

On Oct. 7, 2005, Diasse and approximately650 other Iowa Army National Guard Soldiersfrom the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, mobi-lized to Camp Shelby, Miss. for training. Theunit had previously been mobilized in supportof Operation Desert Spring from Sept. 2000 toFeb. 2001, providing security for U.S. militaryassets in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and was alsomobilized for the Multinational Force Observermission in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt fromMay 2003 to Jan. 2004.

The unit’s primary mission since arriving inIraq in May 2006 has been providing convoysecurity throughout the country.

A driver/gunner, versatile in any position,Diasse quickly went about his tasks, complet-ing more than 40 missions and logging ap-

proximately 18,500 miles of combat logisticalpatrols.

“Diasse would do whatever is asked of him,and he always gives a lot of effort in everythinghe does,” said 2nd Lt. Kent Greiner, his 1stplatoon, Bravo Company platoon leader. “Younever have to ask him twice on any tasks.

“He has a positive attitude, is always readywith a smile, and never sits a mission out,”Greiner said.

And through it all, he continued to focus onhis personal mission, taking classes, undergo-ing naturalization interviews and completinghis coursework, culminating in the Iraq cer-emony.

And when he returns to U.S. soil, he’ll nowenjoy all the rights and responsibilities of aU.S. citizen. Meanwhile, he’s looking towardhis family’s future.

“When I get back, my plan is to go back toschool, get an education and find a good job.”

He said he’d like to work for the City ofIowa City if possible, but hasn’t ruled out be-coming an airplane mechanic, either.

And, he wants to continue in the Iowa Na-tional Guard.

“I love the Army life and I think I will reen-list. I chose to be an 11B because I love theinfantry.

“I’m very glad of being a soldier and beingable to give my family and my daughter free-dom. I have learned a lot more in the last twoyears, than I have in my whole life. I thinkeverybody should be a soldier at least once intheir life, and see how much better a person youcan be,” Diasse said.

“…And that I take this obligation freelywithout any mental reservation or purpose ofevasion; so help me God.”

One of Iowa’snewest U.S.citizens enjoyscake with fellow133rd InfantrySoldiers.


By Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood1/34 BCT Public Affairs

(Editor’s Note: The 1st Battalion, 133rdInfantry returned home to Iowa July 25).

CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq – There is certainlyno lack of experience in the 1st Battalion, 133rd

Infantry Iowa Army National Guard Soldiersstationed here.

There are 10 Guardsmen with more than 25years of service. They include Chief WarrantOfficer Stephen Swisher of Council Bluffs,and Staff Sgt. Stephen Johnson of Dubuque,who have 30 and 29 years of service; and 1st Sgt.Thomas Newton of Waterloo, Sgt. 1st ClassJames Plambeck of Persia, Sgt. 1st Class JoelLaird of Des Moines, and Sgt. 1st Class DonaldGilbert of Waverly, who each have more than27 years of service.

This marks the first deployment for Swisher,Plambeck, Laird and Gilbert.

“I never dreamt I would stay in this long,”Swisher, the battalion’s maintenance techni-cian, said with several laughs.

The 47-year old Swisher, a married father ofthree, enlisted in the Guard Dec. 1, 1976 at age

133rd Infantry

Division

has no lack

of experienced

Iowans


16. His parents had to sign a waiver for him toenlist. He said the supervisor of the furniturestore he worked in and a Guard member advisedhim to join the Guard.

Swisher was a noncommissioned officerfrom 1981 until 1999, earning the rank ofmaster sergeant in 1992. He became a warrantofficer in 1999 and has worked as a full-timetechnician for the last 28 years at the CouncilBluffs field maintenance shop, one of morethan 10 in the state.

Becoming a warrant officer was one of hisgoals before leaving the Guard. “I did what I saidI wanted to do,” he said. “It feels like onehelluva accomplishment. I’ve done my best.”

Following this deployment, he said he wantsto “drive on” for at least another year.

“It all depends on the technician program,”he said. “If it has something good to offer, I’llprobably stick around.”

Johnson, 55, who served in the Army from1969 until 1972, has to “stick around.” Heextended his enlistment for six years in 2004after more than 20 years in the Guard (all inCompany A, based in Dubuque).

He said he joined the Army as an engineerduring the Vietnam War to “do something forhis country” and at the same time earn moneyfor college with the G.I. Bill.

He was very close to being sent to Vietnaminstead of South Korea. While at Fort Huachuca,Ariz., 25 engineers left for Vietnam the firstmonth. In the second month, 23 Soldiers leftfor Vietnam as he and another Soldier weredeployed to South Korea.

Johnson, a married father of two, joined theGuard in 1984 on a one-year trial program.

He said he enjoys the Guard because he isable to do something different. When not de-ployed (this was his third), he is in his 30th yearas a revenue agent for the Iowa Department ofRevenue.

During his Guard career, Johnson has workedin several fields, including administrative andsupply. Here, he is the battalion’s liaison forconvoy operations between several Army units.

“It was nice to get away from my civilian joba little bit and do something different,” one ofhis reasons for staying in the Guard. “I just likedoing it. To me it was a stress relief from myregular job.”

Johnson’s relatives also like serving in themilitary. His cousin served 27 years in the 82nd

Airborne Division, his father served aboard aLanding Ship, Tank during the D-Day invasionat Normandy, France, in World War II, and hiscousin is a major in the Iowa National Guard.

Laird, 44, also has strong family ties with themilitary. His father was a full-time Guard re-cruiter.

Laird, the motor pool maintenance controlNCO, definitely made his father proud. Hespent two years in the Guard from 1979-81,served in the Marines from 1982 until 1990and re-joined the Guard in 1990.

Laird, a married father of five, said the rea-son for re-joining the Guard was because hehad several years of service in and wanted “tocome back in and do what I could.”

His father passed away in 1989. “I figured ifhe gave his life for the military, so can I.”

When he returns home, he plans to pursuethe heating and air conditioning business hestarted before deploying. If this doesn’t panout, he said, he’ll attempt to secure a full-timeGuard position.

Newton, 45, and Gilbert, 49, don’t have toworry about finding work as full-time Guards-men. They have worked at the same Iowa main-tenance shop for more than 20 years. Both alsojoined the Guard in 1979.

Newton, a married father of three, said hejoined the Guard’s maintenance field upon theadvice of the manager of the hotel he worked at.

“I just enjoyed doing it. Actually, I figured Iwould be here for the long haul,” he said.

His future plans are to attend the sergeants’major academy. He said he will stay in theGuard until he is 60 years old if he can.

This could be true for Gilbert too, a marriedfather of four, who said he’ll stay in the Guarduntil “they can’t retain me any more.”

He joined the Guard because his friends didand he wanted to “give back to the community.”

He’s enjoyed the Guard because he enjoyshis job, which he said can be a rarity in thecivilian workplace.

Plambeck, a motor sergeant, likes his Guardjob as well. The married father of two hasworked as a full-time technician at the sameshop as Swisher for the last 19 years.

“Once I was a technician, I was more or lessdevoted to (the Guard),” he said.

He said he originally joined the Guard in1979 for a $1,200 enlistment bonus. “If not forbeing a full-time technician, I would have re-tired at 24 years,” he said.

Two of his brothers have retired from theGuard after several years of service and hisnephew, also a sergeant first class, is servingwith the battalion here.

The other Soldiers with more than 25 yearsare 1st Sgt. Steven DeBoer, Sgt. John Rick, StaffSgt. Walter Tapp and Sgt. Michael Sticker.


Briefs

New TSP number arrivingBe on the lookout in late fall for a mailing

from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with yournew TSP account number. This accountnumber will replace your Social Securitynumber as your primary ID for your TSPaccount. You will need to use your accountnumber when filing TSP forms. You will useit with your TSP password when entering theAccount Access section of the TSP Web siteand will use it with your TSP PersonalIdentification Number (PIN) to gain accessto your account through the Thrift Line.

And, if you send TSP loan payments fromyour own funds, you will need to includeyour account number on the loan coupon thataccompanies your check or provide it to youron-line bill-paying service if you have one.

Substituting this randomly selectedaccount number for your Social Securitynumber will make your TSP transactionsmore secure. The TSP is doing all it can toprotect the security of your personalinformation. The rest is up to you. Be carefulgiving out your account number, and don’twrite it down where it can be seen by otherswho should not have access to it.

Interest reduction programWith the Iowa Student Loan Armed Forces

Interest Reduction Program, interest onprivate student loans will be reduced to zeropercent for up to 24 months if a borrower wasdeployed, is currently deployed, or becomesdeployed between Sept. 11, 2001 and Dec.31, 2008, or has a non-defaulted private loanowned (or serviced) by Iowa Student Loan, orhas completed payment on such a loan duringthe eligibility period.

Iowa Student Loan is obligated to issue a1099-C form for borrowers reporting areduction of indebtedness of $600 or more.Borrowers, or a representative, spouse orparent, should call Iowa Student Loan at1-(800)-243-7552. A copy of their militaryorders confirming eligible service isrequired.

Suicide prevention weekSept. 9-15 has been established as National

Suicide Prevention Week. The Department ofDefense theme this year, is “SuicidePrevention: Moving Forward with Educationand Training.”

The Army Center for Health Promotion

and Preventive Medicine has developedsuicide prevention training based on actualsuicide event reports, including vignettes andother interactive lessons, which will beprovided in September.

Statistics show almost 50 percent moreArmy National Guard Soldiers havecommitted suicide this year than at the sametime last year. Every suicide is a preventabletragedy for Soldiers, family members andcommunities.

New airline gate proceduresThe Transportation Security Administra-

tion has issued a directive pertaining to mili-tary passengers at U.S. airports. Accordingto Security Directive 1544-01-10w, familiesof military members may be granted accessto sterile concourse areas to escort theirmilitary passenger to the departure gate or tomeet a military passenger’s inbound arrival atthe gate.

The family member can go to the airlinecheck-in desk the military member is flyingon and receive a pass to go to the gate. Theywill still be required to have a pass and aphoto ID to get through the security check-point for that gate.

Imminent danger pay changesAccording to the Department of Defense,

these locations will no longer be classifiedimminent danger pay zones: Angola, Georgia,Sierra Leone, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia,and Macedonia.

To ensure members are compensatedappropriately, increases in hardship duty-location pay (HDP-L) for Angola, Georgia,and Sierra Leone are increased from $100 to$150 a month. Macedonia is increased from$0 to $100 a month.

All of the above changes are effectiveNov. 1, 2007.

Hardship duty-location is compensationpaid in designated hardship duty locations(i.e. areas where quality of life is substan-tially below that most members in the U.S.generally experience). Factors consideredinclude physical environment, living condi-tions, and personal security.

Imminent danger pay is compensation paidat the rate of $225 a month for duty in aforeign area in which the member was sub-ject to the threat of physical harm or immi-nent danger on the basis of civil insurrection,civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions.

Vol. No. 4 Sunmer 2007 Issue No. 3

Gold Star Military Museum Summer 2007

M1

The armories of Iowa

Remembering the coliseumsby Mary JonesEnvironmental Section

Throughout Iowa history,National Guard armorieswere located in many typesof buildings. Communitypride went a long way in de-termining how fine a hallhoused a unit, and many cit-ies erected massive struc-tures that were used not onlyfor its National Guard com-panies, but also for commu-nity gatherings of all sorts.

One of the finest types ofthese buildings were “TheColiseums,” and a half dozenor so were built to houseGuard units throughout thestate. Although several ofthese still survive, there are three Iowa National GuardColiseums which exist only in memory.

The Clinton Coliseum101-109 4th AvenueClinton, Iowa

The Clinton Coliseum was built as the Battery A, 1st FieldArtillery Armory, in 1914. The building was designed byarchitects John Morrell and Sons, who also designed manyother Clinton landmarks.

During the 1930s, part of the building was convertedinto the Modernistic Ballroom. “The Mod,” as it was knownto the locals, was host to bands conducted by Artie Shaw,Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk.

Guard units used portions of the Coliseum until 1951.Throughout this time the building’s owners continued tohire dance bands – now of the rock n’ roll variety - until aChristmas Eve fire destroyed the building in 1958.

Clinton Coliseum

ColiseumsContinued on page M4

We are most thankful for three donations receivedat Retiree Day 2007. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) James Anderson,of Cedar Falls, donated a World War I (Trench Art)75mm artillery shell. He also donated a 105mmartillery Fleshett pack from the Vietnam War. What wasan infantryman doing with this stuff?

Another donation was an excellent set of World WarII Class A uniforms from Master Sgt. (Ret.) Mike Halpin,from Marion.

The third donation was a rare Model 1910 Haversackand Pack carrier from Capt. (Ret.) Wayne Calhoon, fromSpencer. This was an item that some Guardsmen andMarines used in early WWII.

Recent donationspresented to the museum


M2

by Col (Ret) Russell V. BierlDirector, Iowa Gold Star Museum

Before their recent meeting at Camp Dodge’s Gold StarMilitary Museum, the last time Capt. Aloysius TRolfes andStaff Sgt. Henry G. Hull saw each other was October 1945.

Rolfes had served as commander of Company E, 165th

Infantry, and Hull was the Mortar platoon sergeant duringthe World War II island campaign of the 27th InfantryDivision. They trained together in Hawaii, made the inva-sion on Yellow Beach at Makin and fought together atSaipan, Tinian, and Okinawa from September 1943 to Oc-tober 1945. They also were together on the first plane thedivision sent into Japan for occupation duty.

Col. (Ret.) Rolfes was drafted into the Army from LeMars, Iowa in 1942 and initially trained at Camp Barkley,Calif. He was chosen to attend Officers Candidate Schooland following graduation at Ft. Benning, Ga., 2nd Lt. Rolfeswas assigned to the 27th Infantry Division stationed atSchofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Al fondly remembers his first Company Commander,Capt. Ben Ryan of the 27th Division, New York NationalGuard. Ryan suggested Rolfes attend the Ranger School atSchofield Barracks and Al considered that suggestion adirect order. Rolfes successfully completed the Rangertraining and also served as a trainer.

Rolfes first served as a platoon leader with Co. E, andseveral Pacific island campaigns later, was assigned ascommander and promoted to captain. Ryan was wounded onSaipan and told Rolfes he would look up his parents back inIowa. Al says Ryan kept his word, treating them to a night inDes Moines, according to a letter Al’s mother sent him. Shesaid they were very happy to visit with Ryan and hear abouttheir son.

Rolfes remembers wellgoing ashore on YellowBeach at Makin. When thefront ramp of the landingcraft dropped, he was throwninto the water. His Soldiersfollowed and stepped offinto water up to their chest.The crew that was manningthe landing craft were allkilled by machine gun fireand “I thought we were allgoners,” said Rolfes.

“Sgt. Hull, who was on ourmortar team, provided ouronly fire support. They werereally good at adjusting theirfire. They could drop theround right on the enemyafter the first couplerounds,” recalls Rolfes.

Hull first served as an

ammunition bearer and rose up through the ranks to staffsergeant.

Hull remembers they were not ready for the snipers onMakin Island. He said, “The Japs tied themselves into thetops of coconut trees and fired on our men. We soon fixedthem with 20 rounds fired into the tree top from a BrowningAutomatic Rifle.”

Following the Makin Island campaign, the 27th Divisionreturned to Schofield Barracks to refit and retrain beforeheading off to Saipan and Tinian. Rolfes recalls they wereoriginally supposed to assault Tinian Island, but the Japa-nese forces on Saipan were stronger than expected. Illumi-nation was provided by Navy ships and the Division used thatlight with effect to kill some 2,500 Japanese moving ontheir flank in a Banzai attack.

After the Saipan/Tinian campaign, the Division moved tothe New Hebrides Island group for rest and retraining prior

165th Infantry Reg., 27th Div. Soldiers reunited

Capt. Aloysius T. Rolfes Staff Sgt. Henry G. Hull

Former Capt. Al Rolfes (right) and Staff Sgt. Henry Hull hold a copy of the 27th

Infantry Division history. They fought in Company E, 165th Infantry Battalion,27th Infantry Division, on Makin, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa, as well asserving on occupation duty in Japan.


M3

to assaulting Okinawa. Rolfes remembers the Okinawacampaign as very hard fought, the final island before Ameri-can forces would attack the home islands of Japan.

During the battle for Okinawa, Company E was down to38 men from the 182 assigned when they were pulled off theline one morning, provided hot food, and 140 replacements.They were sent back in the late afternoon with the replace-ments, having no training time to integrate the men for acombat environment.

Once Okinawa was secure, Rolfes recalls the excitementwhen the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Whenthe Japanese surrendered, Rolfes said Co. E was the firstunit of the division to land by air on Japan and he was amazedat the lack of hostility by the Japanese. He recalls that all themen received 30 Yen. Rolfes went on to say that “theirexperience on Japan was favorable.”

Rolfes declined to stay on active duty, choosing to returnhome to LeMars and the farm. He married, began farmingwith his father, joined the Iowa National Guard in 1947 andbecame commander of Company K, 133rd Infantry inLeMars. Rolfes went on to a full-time career with the IowaNational Guard, eventually becoming Chief of Staff. Rolfesretired in 1985, with 39 years of service.

“Looking back at my experience, I consider myself trulyblessed,” Rolfes adds. “I lost a lot of friends. There wereplenty of good guys who didn’t make it out of there alive. Iwas never wounded,” he said, “but I came close plenty oftimes though.”

Rolfes lives in Des Moines, while Hull is fromChillicothe, Mo. They found each other through a newsstory on Iowa Public Television.

Iowa Gold StarMilitary Museum

7105 NW 70th Ave. Johnston, Iowa 50131-1824

(515)-252-4531

www.IowaNationalGuard.com

Museum E-mail contact:[email protected]

Museum hoursOpen Mon – Fri, 8 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.Open Saturday 9 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.

Retiree Coffee everyWednesday morning at 9 a.m.

The Governor has signed the appropriations bill whichincludes funding for the construction of an addition to theIowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge.

The Museum will receive $1 million in July 2007, withan additional $3 million to be received over the course ofthe next two years (2008-2009), after further approval bythe legislature and governor. Senators Daryl Beall, SteveWarnstadt, Matt McCoy, and Jack Kibbie, and Representa-tives Dennis Cohoon and Wes Whitead were very instru-mental in seeing this bill pass the legislature.

Funding is from the State of Iowa, Transportation, Infra-structure, and Capitals Appropriation budget.

All veterans need to give a special thank you to thesepeople when you see them. Also a special thanks to BobHolliday and the rest of the Museum Board for their effort

in working with the state legislature to get this appropria-tion through.

We hope to have architectural plans for the 23,600-square foot addition approved by the first of the year.

Stand by for more updates on this museum expansion.

Great news on Gold Star Museum expansion

The Gold Star Museum was again open for the MemorialDay Holiday as a special site to remember our fallenSoldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen.

For the second year in a row, the Memorial Day openhouse at the museum was a roaring success. We had ap-proximately 1,300 people attend the event which includedthe Van & Bonnie WHO radio show broadcast from theMuseum.

A standard Army Breakfast of “Stuff on a Shingle,” Armycoffee, as well as “Bug Juice” was provided to all visitorswho attended the open house.

Memorial Day open house

A Model 1918, World War I U.S. Army LibertyTruck. Pictured are Staff Sgt. Daryl Heldt from CoG, 1/334 BSB and two WWI re-enactors in perioduniforms. The truck will be exhibited in the newaddition.


M4

Des MoinesColiseumLocust Street andDes Moines RiverDes Moines, Iowa

This riverfront Coliseum,built about 1907, was usedby a number of NationalGuard units, including Com-panies A and B, 55th Regi-ment, the 56th RegimentBand, and the Sanitary De-tachment, 3rd Regiment. By1923 Companies C and D,1st Bn., 168th Regiment, hadmoved to this site as well.

The Des Moines Coli-seum burned in 1949.

Ottumwa MemorialColiseumand Armory100 Church StreetOttumwa, Iowa

The 1934 Ottumwa Me-morial Coliseum was builtfor both community eventsand for Troop E, 2nd Squad-ron, 113th Cavalry use. Itwas designed by architectGeorge M. Kerns.

The Coliseum included ariding hall, blacksmith shopand stables on the groundlevel. The main floor housedan auditorium and stage, andincluded an orchestra pit anda balcony. The balcony levelalso housed supply roomsand offices.

The building was used un-til at least 1953 by Battery Cof the 113th Anti-AircraftArtillery Battalion. It wasused by the community longafter the Guard left the site.In 2004, after preservation-ists’ efforts to save it wereexhausted, it was demol-ished for the constructionof a new civic center.

ColiseumsContinued

from page M1

Des Moines Coliseum

Ottumwa Memorial Coliseum

Coliseum main floor and stage During demolition


by Spc. Alicia DillCommand Sgt. Major Chris Myers, of the

1st Battalion, 168th Infantry, spends drill week-ends as a Soldier in the Iowa National Guard.But in his civilian job, he leads a much youngertroops. As principal of Cedar Rapids’ GarfieldElementary School, Myers is making a differ-ence among his students and fellow educators.

A former first grade teacher, Myers wasselected by his associates to receive the 2006Iowa Principal of the Year Award from theNational Association of Elementary SchoolPrincipals. Recognition for Myers’ outstand-ing leadership wasn’t finished, as he was alsoselected as the National Distinguished Princi-pal for the State of Iowa at the national level.

He relates his achievement in the classroomand leadership as principal to his learning expe-riences in the Army.

“Soldiers are no different than students inthe fact that they have things they need and aneducation to gain. The only difference is thesetting the education occurs in,” said Myers,who began his Iowa National Guard career in1983.

“In the Soldiers’ world, a lack of educationcan lead to death. In the education world, a lackof education can lead to an academic death.Neither one of these is pleasant,” he said.

With almost 25 years in educating Soldiersand students, Myers has learned to adapt to anysituation either position has put forth.

“The experience of going through the mili-tary and being yelled at by numerous people atmany levels, prepares one quite well for deal-ing with those unhappy parents that come intoyour building now and again,” he said.

“In addition, learning about leadership in themilitary helps one learn how to deal with manytypes of learning, that one leadership styledoesn’t fit them all. Education also teachesyou to apply your patience and ability to adaptto situations for use in the military.”

One such situation occurred in May 2004,when he deployed to Afghanistan. Serving asoperations sergeant major, Myers went beyond

the expectations of his position, and with thehelp of Sac City students and teachers, gavesomething back to the people of Afghanistan.

After meeting with a local principal in Af-ghanistan, Myers had a list of basic schoolsupplies the students needed; paper, pencilsand pens. He got in touch with the interimschool principal where he worked to see if adonation project was feasible.

“One thing led to another and soon the chil-dren in Sac City were gathering supplies for theschool. Businesses in Sac City donated moneyfor shipping the supplies and individuals do-nated money for the same,” he said. “Childrenraided closets and desks for everything theycould and begged parents to buy more. When itwas completed, they had enough supplies to filla pickup truck to overflowing,” he said.

One subject that makes Iowans proud,is the quality of public education.

Taxpayers across the state expecttheir tax money to prepare students

for whatever life may bring.Whether it’s pride or expectationsthat drive Iowa educators to excel,

one Soldier/elementary schoolprincipal takes both to the classroom.

Iowa Soldier/educatorrecognized as NationalDistinguished Principal

Command Sgt.Maj. Chris Myers,1st Battalion, 168thInfantry, is recog-nized as the 2006Iowa Principal ofthe Year, as well asthe National Dis-tinguished Principalfor the State ofIowa, by theNational Associa-tion of ElementarySchool Principals.(Contributed photo)


Through the ranksby State Command Sgt. Maj. Doyle Norris

For this issue, I would liketo discuss the improved En-listed Promotion System forthe Iowa Army National Guard.Probably the highest profileprogram this Headquarters ad-ministrates is the Enlisted Pro-motion System.

After all, what Soldierdoesn’t look forward to get-ting promoted?

However, there are severalrequirements which must bemet just to get your recordbefore the promotion board, and then there isthe board itself.

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnelrealized how important this program was andhired a full time Enlisted Promotion Managerfor the State. Sgt. 1st Class Teresa Conradi, whowas selected, has been one busy Soldier.

This was also the year we went to an auto-mated board process. No more 20l files; ev-erything is done from your electronic file andeven the scoring is electronic thanks to theState Information Management section.

Once the panel members became familiarwith the electronic process, the acceptancewas almost unanimous. The promotion lists arenow available from any RCAS computer andthe lists are updated almost daily.

Remember, to be eligible for promotion tothe next higher grade, you must meet the timein grade and time in service requirements. Youmust have completed all phases of NCOES foryour current rank and of course, not be flaggedfor adverse action.

The boards for promotion to sergeant major,first/master sergeant and sergeant first classwill be conducted in November 2007 and theboards for staff sergeant and sergeant will beheld in February 2008.

You should be looking for your NGB Form4100 (Administrative Promotion Points) soon.Also, take time to have someone in your NCOSupport Channel explain the different declina-tions available to you before you sign yourNGB Form 4100.

Each year I see there is confusion on the

declinations and what theymean, so don’t be afraid to askfor assistance.

My final request is for eachSoldier to monitor the list andknow where they stand on thelist. We found 38 Soldiers whowere left off the original listand the Headquarters conducteda stand-by advisory board and asupplemental board to add thoseSoldiers who should have beenon the list in the first place.

These boards are conductedon a quarterly basis.

If you have a question about why your recordwas not looked at, first, ask your NCO SupportChannel. Your platoon sergeant, as well as yourfirst sergeant, probably have the answer foryou.

But, in case of an oversight, the fastest wayto get added to any upcoming board is to letyour NCOs know the situation. Your BattalionCommand Sergeant Major also has insight tothe process and can work any issue that needsattention.

Our new State Enlisted Personnel Manager,Sgt. Maj. Renee Blodgett, Conradi and I standready to correct any deficiency that is broughtto our attention.

We have improved this process by leaps andbounds. I have more confidence in this systemthan I have had since becoming the SeniorEnlisted Advisor to the State.

Our Soldiers are doing great and wonderfulthings all around the world. It is incumbentupon the senior leadership of the State to re-ward such an outstanding display of profes-sionalism and dedication by ensuring our bestSoldiers are promoted.

Remember, you are not promoted for whatyou have done in the past, you are promoted forwhat you will do in the future. Providing theextra responsibility that goes along with theextra rank will enable the Soldiers of the IowaArmy National Guard to reach even loftierheights.

We are proud Iowans and we are profes-sional Soldiers!


From theEducation Office

First and foremost, the Education ServicesOfficer, Capt. Don Enright, begins a year-longdeployment with the 1st Battalion, 194th FieldArtillery to Kosovo. Enright will serve as theBattalion S-1, Personnel Officer. There havebeen many changes to improve the availabilityof the Education Office for Iowans – new websites have been added, with more personnelgetting out to units. You can thank Enright forthat; his passion in education has been greatlyappreciated. Thank you and good luck!!

So, you may ask, who is going to be the newEducation Services Officer? Well, the IowaNational Guard would like to welcome home1st Lt. David Mitchell. Before leaving for his15-month deployment to Afghanistan, Mitchellserved as Guidance Counselor. Mitchell is ex-cited about being back in the Education Office.

The online application for the National GuardAssistance Program (NGEAP) has been a greatsuccess. Soldiers/Airmen can now enter anemail address when the application is sent tothe State Tuition Assistance manager, so anemail response is returned when the applica-tion is received. When logging ontowww.iowanationalguard.com, under the “ArmyEducation” tab, Soldiers can find the latest infoon all the education programs we offer.

There are links to tuition assistance applica-tions, updated rates for GI Bill payments (everyOctober), current bonus MOS information, aswell as Frequently Asked Questions. If Sol-diers still have questions , they may contact theESO office at [email protected].

The Army National Guard Federal TuitionAssistance (ARNG-FTA) has a new website,www.nationalguardbenefits.com. The onlineapplication has many improvements, includinga statement of understanding for Soldiers toreview and approve, functions with drop-downmenus and radial buttons, and an easier to un-derstand layout.

Since this is a first-come, first-served pro-gram, Soldiers should apply online at least 30days prior to their course start date. ActiveGuard and Reserve Soldiers attending, or want-ing to attend college, need to contact the RockIsland Arsenal at (309) 782-2065 to sign up forFederal Tuition Assistance and use the“GoArmyEd” web site.

Soldiers can also find out here if they’reeligible for Reserve Education Assistance Pro-gram (REAP) Chapter 1607. The NGB issuesan Eligibility for Mobilized Soldiers (EMS)document providing information to help those

who have been deployed. Ch 1607 is a VA-administered benefit, used much like the Ch.1606 GI Bill.

In the GI Bill arena, Reservists may use it forcollege, on-the-job training, appreniceships,correspondence courses or flight training. If aSoldier is in school, they must contact the VAcertifying official at their college or univer-sity. Once the paperwork has been sent to theirRegional VA, it takes 10-12 weeks to processthe claim, so start the process early.

Out with the old, in with the new

If you are applying for Ch. 1606 and needyour Notice of Basic Eligibility, it’s found inyour iPERMS Soldier file. When applying forCh 1607 (for those deployed), submit yourmobilization orders and DD 214 to the VAcertifying offical at your college. If the Soldierhas a kicker, it will also need to be submitted.All documents can be found in iPERMS. Forthose applying for programs other than col-lege, contact the VA or visit www.gibill.va.gov.

Another important piece is the Information,Management and Reporting Center, or iMARC.This online database, managed by NGB, is thedatabase of record for all education and incen-tive programs. The ESO tracks all bonuses(enlistment and re-enlistment), GI Bill ben-efits, Student Loan Repayment and ARNG-FTA using this system. Unit Readiness NCOs,Admin NCOs, First Sergeants, and OICs cangain access by applying for a login and pass-word at https://minuteman.ngb.army.mil..

The biggest change to iMARC has been theupgrade of the GI Bill tab. Units can now see ifa soldier has used Ch. 1606, Ch. 1607, Ch. 30and kicker, all in one tab.

From online applications to updatedwebsites, these improvements have allowed usto help more Soldiers in a shorter amount oftime and get more information in front of moreSoldiers. Our goal is to continually improveour processes to become more efficient andfind new ways to take care of our soldiers.


Story and photosby Spc. Michael Kelly

Standing in ranks at attention, this group ofmostly18-year-olds could fit in well with anyArmy unit preparing for physical training. Theystand quiet, tall and perfectly motionless, asthey wait to hear from their sergeants.

However, these young men and women haveyet to attend basic training. They are part of theRecruit Sustainment Program (RSP), whichthe Army National Guard uses to help prepareyoung recruits for the rigors of basic training.

With all the mental, physical, and emotionalstress recruits encounter during basic training,who couldn’t benefit from preparatory trainingprior to basic? That is where the RSP comes in.

According to Sgt. Eric Wendt, a Company Dcadre member from Shelby, Iowa, RSP is de-signed to give recruits a feel for military struc-ture before attending basic training. The goal ofthe RSP program, which began in February2005, is to make basic training easier by iden-tifying problems recruits may have and correctthem prior to their ship-out date.

The program also benefits recruits by givingthem an idea of what to expect and help themadapt to the changes they will experience. A

National Guard benefit is a lower attrition rateof recruits failing basic, with a 20 percentlower attrition rate than the active duty Army.

Recently, RSP Soldiers were put throughtheir paces at the Council Bluffs National Guardarmory. During this particular weekend, thecadre and RSP participants were preparing fortheir consolidated weekend at Camp Dodge,involving all the other RSP programs fromaround the state.

Other Iowa RSP locations include CampDodge (Company A), Waterloo (Company B),Fairfield (Company C), LeMars (Company E),Algona (Company F), and Clinton (CompanyG).

Saturday morning starts much the same asany other National Guard drill – the recruitsform up for muster and receive the plan of theday. The difference, however, is instead ofwearing BDU’s, or ACU’s, these recruits areall dressed in PT uniforms with the exceptionof a few in civilian attire sprinkled in.

Following the morning formation, the re-cruits participate in a modified Army PhysicalFitness Test; one minute of pushups, one minuteof sit-ups, and a one-mile run.

Once PT is over, the recruits meet with the

RSP provides beneiftsfor Soldiers, Iowa Guard

Recruit Sustain-ment ProgramSoldiers turn theirfull attention todonning protectivemasks as part ofNBC training.


Chaplain’sCornerThe most interesting sunrise service that I

ever attended took place in, of all places, Tikrit,Iraq. As Deputy Division Chaplain for the 42nd

Infantry Division, at Forward Operation BaseDanger, it was my job to plan and carry out theservice.

I arranged for the 42nd Wind Band (whoplayed for our Protestant services) to play. Thedirector of the gospel choir was happy to bringher group down and sing a special number. I hadwritten a short play about the angel who rolledaway the stone, that a female major and I per-formed.

But, there were two other things that reallymade the service memorable for me. One wasthat we met at the ruins of a large sixth centuryChristian church. The other was that one of ourinterpreters, a Caldean Christian named Mrs.David, spoke Aramic.

After all the singing, the reading of the scrip-tures and the play, the last thing of the morningwas when our interpreter said the Lord’s Prayerin Aramic and then one of our Chaplains led usin saying the Lord’s Prayer in English.

Just as Mrs. David finished the Lord’s Prayerin the original language of our Lord, the sunappeared over the top of the church ruins. Isuddenly felt connected, not only with my broth-ers and sisters in the Lord who gathered therewith me, but also with the Christians who hadworshipped the same Lord in that location over14 centuries ago.

cadre to ensure all their individual paperwork isin order before they are broken down into smallgroups. They then cycle through several sta-tions where they receive training and instruc-tion in military skills throughout the day.

Over the course of a weekend, these recruitsreceive extensive instruction in skills such asdrill and ceremony; military customs and cour-tesies; the operation and cleaning of the M-16A2 rifle; map reading; and Nuclear, Biologi-cal and Chemical warfare. Some of the classesare entirely lecture-based instruction, whileothers are distinctively hands-on.

For example, in the map reading class, train-ing involves theoretical instruction, while theNBC classroom provides recruits the opportu-nity to don their protective masks and learn justhow messy the charcoal in the Mission Ori-ented Protective Posture (MOPP) suits can be.

Throughout the classes, recruits are atten-tive and enthusiastic, asking various questions.They are universal in their praise of how theprogram helps prepare them for basic training,as well as becoming better Soldiers.

Princeton Hervey, 18, from Missouri Val-ley, enlisted as an 11B Infantryman. He said theprogram helped him by “Giving me a taste ofwhat is to come. It begins to instill some of thediscipline I’ll be expected to have in basictraining.”

According to Brian Anderson, also 18 and afuture Infantryman from Shelby, “In addition tothe discipline and Soldier skills we’re intro-duced to, the physical training helps to get usready for PT in basic training and gives us anidea of what to expect.”

Jennifer Mordock, a 17 year old fromCreston, echoed Anderson’s words.

“The RSP program gets us prepared for basictraining by instilling discipline, teaching ussoldier skills, and getting us is shape throughPT,” she said.

An interestingsunrise service

RSP participantstake part in amodified PT test,with one minute ofpushups, sit-upsand a one-mile run.

by Chaplain (Col.) Jim LuderIowa State Chaplain

16The Iowa Militiaman Summer 2007

by CW4 (Ret.) Wesley BenderOfficially, the Army Warrant Officer Corps

birthday is July 9, 1918, when Congress estab-lished the Army Mine Planter Service as part ofthe Coastal Artillery.

At that time, most of the Iowa NationalGuard was deployed to Deming, N.M. and the168th Infantry Regiment deployed to Europewith the 42nd “Rainbow” Division during WorldWar I.

The early history of the Warrant OfficerCorps and the U. S. Army Bands coincide intime. It was felt Army bands required expertswho could lead instrumental musical groups insupport of military functions. Gen. John “Black-jack” Pershing, Commander of all Allied Expe-ditionary Forces in Europe during WWI, dis-

covered the band music of France and GreatBritain was greatly superior to that of the U.S.He believed bands were essential to troopmorale and in 1920, implemented an intenseprogram to improve the Army Band Program.

Pershing knew, to have a great band was tohave a leader who could achieve the desiredresults. The band leader’s duty had to includeconducting techniques, music theory and hav-ing knowledge of harmony, range, and charac-teristics of instruments.

These Warrant Officer Band Leader’s tal-ents had to provide everything included intoday’s Warrant Officer definition.

The Act of 1920 expanded use of warrantofficers, authorizing appointment of warrantofficers in band-leading activities, plus cleri-cal and administrative experts. The Iowa Adju-tant General’s reports for the first two decadesafterwards show 12 different Iowa WarrantOfficer band leaders, the first being Leslie LeoSchmidt, Band Leader for the 133rd Infantry’sBand in Fairfield. He was appointed Nov. 25,1922.

On Dec. 12, 1922, Cleveland Dayton was ap-pointed Warrant Officer Band Leader for the113th Calvary Band. There was a band for eachregiment; the 133rd Infantry (Fairfield), 113th

Calvary (Ottumwa), 168th Infantry (CouncilBluffs), and 185th Field Artillery (Boone).

At no time during the 1920’s and 1930’s,were Warrant Officers serving in any othercapacity in the Iowa National Guard.

All Iowa National Guard units deployed dur-ing WWII - the bands included - and IowaNational Guard units did not return until late1945. The Act of 1941 provided many provi-sions for today’s Warrant Officer rank. Mostof the 40 occupational areas were incorporatedinto the structure.

The first “Tables of Organization and Equip-ment” (TOEs), after the war, assigned strengthstatewide at 37 Army and five Army Air CorpsWarrant Officers. The first Iowa Transporta-tion, Personnel, Supply, Communication, andOrdnance Warrant Officers were appointed in1946-48. Engineer, Foodservice, Finance,Medical, and other Warrant Officers were ap-pointed in the years that followed.

In 1947, after the US Air Force became a

Warrant Officer Corpsboasts long history

More than 100WOC graduatestake part in theirswearing-inceremony at theWar Memorial indownton Indian-apolis, Ind.(Contributed photo)


branch of the service, Army Aviation becameseriously interested in the helicopter when airrescue, during WWII, alerted the Army to itsgreat potential.

The Army TOEs, published in 1950, showedpositions that called for Warrant Officer Heli-copter Pilots. The Army did begin the incep-tion of the Warrant Officer Flight Program in1955 and the first class of two Warrants and 17Warrant Officer Candidates (WOCs) gradu-ated in April of that year. The Army trainingbase used was Camp Rucker, Ala.

In October 1955, the Army expanded. Theprogram was transferred to Camp Wolters,Texas. Iowa Warrant Officer pilots trained thereand went on to advanced flight training at FortRucker. The first Warrant Officer helicopterpilots were assigned to the Waterloo-based1063rd Transportation Company.

After studying personnel files, it was dis-covered the first Warrant Officer helicopterpilot was WO1 Max John Oltman, appointedOct. 28, 1959. During WWII, he was an ArmyAir Corp Flight Officer and on Aug. 4, 1944,became a pilot.

The Iowa National Guard continued to growand by 1970, the assigned Warrant Officerstrength was 92. Later in the 1970s Iowa Adju-tant General, Maj. Gen. Joe May, appointedJean Nelson the first female Warrant Officer.

Army National Guard Warrant Officers wereintegrated into the Army’s professional devel-opment program in 1978 and in 1984, the ArmyChief of Staff chartered the Total WarrantOfficer Study Group (TWOS). This was thefirst Department of the Army–level compre-hensive study of Warrant Officer Managementfrom pre-appointment to retirement.

The establishment of the (other than avia-tion) WOC School was the direct result fromrecommendations of the TWOS. CW4 LouisCavros is the first Iowa National Guard, non-aviation candidate, to graduate from an ArmyWOC School, held at Aberdeen ProvingGrounds, Md,, in 1987.

The culmination of TWOS was the passageof the Warrant Officer Management Act(WOMA) in 1992. Provisions of the new lawincluded the grade of CW5, conditional ap-pointment to WO1 upon completion of WOCSchool, and establishment of a Warrant Of-ficer Career Center at Ft. Rucker. GeraldKlinkefus was Iowa’s first CW5, pinned in May1993.

The Army Training and Leader DevelopmentPlan (ATLDP) released in 2002, makes funda-mental changes for the Warrant Officer Corps,

completing recommendations made by theTWOS study. These provisions represent themost significant changes within the WarrantOfficer Corps since the inception in July 1918.

Included are Warrant Officer recruiters(Iowa’s is CW3 Dennis Hall), a CommandChief Warrant Officer and the WOC Schoolunderwent a complete transformation.

These changes ensure Soldiers becomingwarrant officers have skills relevant to an Armyat war. WOC School is no longer just “BasicTraining on Steroids,” to quote the February2006 Army White Paper.

Changes include pilot programs to conductWOC Schools at 13 different states RegionalTraining Institutes (RTIs). Iowa ‘s first WOCSclass had 12 Candidates training at CampDodge’s 185th RTI. In September 2006, thecandidates completed their training at CampAtterbury, Ind. and were appointed Iowa’s new-est warrant officers.

The Iowa Army National Guard appointedthen-CW4 Julia Mosman to replace retiredCW5 Billy Foley as Iowa’s second CommandChief Warrant Officer. Mosman became thefirst female CW5 upon her promotion, April20, 2006.

Since 1922, Iowa Soldiers who possess theknowledge and skills have received authorityfrom the Secretary of the Army to be a leaderand technical expert. The Army Warrant Of-ficer, no matter what specialty, should read theduties of the Army Bandmaster. That incred-ible duty position is an example of what Pershinghad in mind when he wanted a leader and aexpert.

That legacy is what all Warrant Officerscarry today.

Recent graduatesof the first RegionalTraining InstitutionWarrant OfficerCandidate schoolpose followingcompletion of their10-month course.(Contributed photo)


It’s been three years in the planning, butapproximately 900, 2nd Brigade Combat Teamand 734th Regional Support Group Soldiersfinally found the opportunity for practical, live-fire exercises during annual training at CampRipley, Minn.

A mere 10-hour convoy drive from Iowa’sCamp Dodge, Camp Ripley, located in the north-western tier of Minnesota, allows Soldiers tocompress two weeks of intense, hands-on train-ing into realistic, real-world scenarios.

With 62 ranges and 80 training areas scat-tered across an 18-mile by six-mile trainingsite, including an impact area large enough tolob a Volkswagon, there is more than enoughroom to deploy an entire brigade combat team.

“During this annual training exercise, ourgoal is to replicate a deployment experienceevery step along the way, from beginning toend, and to reinforce how we train and fight asa brigade combat team,” said Col. Tim Orr,commander, 2nd BCT. “The Brigade will over-see and support battalion training through itsBrigade Support Battalion and Brigade SpecialTroops Battalion.

Annual Training provides realistic,real-world training for 2nd BCT

ries and experiences to share and are tremen-dous role models for the young people in ourcommunities. They served with distinction andare looking for ways to continue making adifference.

A ready, responsive joint force is, as always,our most critical asset. Ultimately, our readi-ness is measured not only by our ability toprovide trained and equipped forces and adap-tive leaders committed to excellence and do-ing what’s right, both globally and here at home,but by continuing the Iowa National Guard’slegacy of selfless service and sacrifice, andmaking a difference every day to meettomorrow’s challenges.

“We expect and are prepared for challengesduring this exercise. We must learn how tooperate as a brigade combat team, with a newforce structure, new equipment and new doc-trine. We must figure out how to properlycommunicate, how to support each other and tofight effectively as a brigade,” he said.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Ihns,platoon sergeant, Company C, 1st Battalion,168th Infantry, the training provided at the Mili-tary Operations in Urban Terrain site, provedinvaluable.

“All our Soldiers need to be fundamentallysound,” said Ihns. “For a lot of these guys, thisis their first opportunity to have such intensivetraining.”

“I love it,” said Spc. Andrew Wenman, a Co.C infantryman. “This training is a challenge, butworth the effort, because overseas, this is thenumber one battlefield,” he said.

“Getting back to basics is always a goodthing,” said Sgt. Maj. Carroll Tungesvik, 734thRSG sergeant major, completing his 33rd AT atCamp Ripley. “Soldiers are never too old tolearn something new.”

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Members of the 1stSquadron, 113thCavalry, fire mortartubes, as 734th

Regional SupportGroup Soldiersperform rearsecurity duringannual training atCamp Ripley,Minn. (Photos bySgt. 1st Class PaulRieks and Sgt. 1stClass Chris Silver)

IowaNationalGuardHistory


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by CW4 (Ret.) David L. SnookIowa’s heroic contribution to the Union vic-

tory in the Civil War is well-documented. TheState furnished 48 infantry regiments, ninecavalry regiments, and four artillery batteriesfor the Union war effort. Approximately 76,000Iowa soldiers served, and 27 received Con-gressional Medals of Honor. and 13,000 died.

However, one unique organization frequentlyoverlooked in Iowa’s Civil War achievementsis the First Volunteer Infantry Regiment ofAfrican Descent. This can be attributed to theregiment eventually being redesignated the 60thRegiment U.S. Colored Troops.

Six of the Regiment’s 10 companies andapproximately 700 of its 1,153 personnel werefree black men from Iowa. The rest of theRegiment, which included numerous escapedslaves, was recruited in Missouri.

On May 22, 1863, the War Department is-sued General Order No. 143, which estab-lished the Bureau of Colored Troops. Fifteenstates, including Iowa, raised black volunteerregiments. By 1865, over 180,000 black Sol-diers and Sailors had served the Union cause.

The response of Iowa’s African Americanpopulation to this call to arms was truly over-whelming. In 1863, Iowa’s entire black popu-lation numbered around 1,500. From this num-ber, over 700 black men volunteered for ser-vice, representing almost every man of Africandescent in the State who was capable of mili-tary service. (Dyer, Frederick H., Compen-dium of the War of Rebellion, 1908, p. 1733).

Approximately a third of the First Iowa Af-rican Infantry Regiment gave Keokuk or LeeCounty as their place of residence. Othershailed from Davenport, Des Moines, Newton,Iowa City, and Keosauqua. (Morris, WilliamS., “Black Iowans in Defense of the Nation” inOutside In: African American History in Iowa,State Historical Society of Iowa, 2001)

Alexander Clark of Muscatine was initiallyappointed as the Regiment’s sergeant majorbut failed the physical because of an old leginjury. Nevertheless, when the Regiment wasofficially organized July 27, 1863, “Clark wason hand to present the Regiment with its na-tional banner, sewn by the black women ofKeokuk and Muscatine.” (Morris, p. 97)

For the majority of its service, the Regimentperformed garrison duty at Helena, Ark. TheRegiment did engage in one major battle, theBattle of Wallace’s Ferry in July 1864. Aportion of the regiment, organized as a 360-

man reconnaissance force, encountered agreatly superior Confederate force under thecommand of Gen. Jo Shelby.

In a fierce four-hour battle, the men of the60th Regiment endured alternating artillery sal-vos and infantry charges. Seven members of theforce were killed, including the commander,Adjutant Theodore W. Pratt of Keokuk.

Just before what might have been the finalConfederate charge, a 15th Illinois Cavalry de-tachment broke through the rebel encircle-ment and opened up a route for withdrawal.

“Gathering up their dead and wounded, the(men of the 60th) now began a retreat, stub-bornly yielding, inch by inch, each foot ofground, until night threw a mantle of darknessover the scene and the Confederates ceasedtheir firing.” (Dykstra, Robert R., Bright Radi-cal Star: Black Freedom and White Supremacyon the Hawkeye Frontier, Harvard UniversityPress, 1993, pp. 197-198)

The white commander of the black artillerybattery attached to the 60th Regiment filed thefollowing after-action report:

“During the whole fight the colored menstood up to their duty like veterans, and owingto their strong arms and cool heads, backed byfearless daring alone that I was able to get awaywith either of my guns. They marched 18 miles,fought five hours, against three to one, andwere as eager at the end as at the beginning forthe fight. Never did men, under such circum-stances, show greater pluck or daring.”

While there were no Medal of Honor recipi-ents in the First Iowa Infantry of African De-scent, Iowa did become home to one blackwinner of the nation’s highest award for com-bat bravery. James D. Garner of Yorktown, Va.enlisted in the 2nd North Carolina ColoredInfantry, which was redesignated the 36th Infan-try Regiment, U. S. Colored Troops in 1864.

After the war, Gardner moved to Ottumwa,Iowa. In September 1905, he was buried in anunmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery. On July4, 1994, “a monument was erected in his honorby the Medal of Honor Historical Society, incooperation with the Wapello County Histori-cal Society, the Ottumwa Civil War Roundtable,and the Ottumwa Cemetery Trustees.”

(Note: Volume V of the Roster and Recordof Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellionincludes the names of all the soldiers whoserved in the First Iowa African Infantry. Thisvaluable resource is located in the Iowa GoldStar Military Museum located on Camp Dodge.)

1st Regiment of Iowa African Infantry

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Documents

he T Militiaman - Iowa National Guard Summer.pdfRSP provides benefits for Soliders/Guard by Spc. Michael Kelly Gold Star Museum insert 11 1st Regiment of Iowa African Regiment History