The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn, Governor of Nevadaepubs.nsla.nv.gov/statepubs/epubs/470325-2005-2006.pdf · The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn, Governor of Nevada Capitol Building Carson

The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn, Governor of NevadaCapitol BuildingCarson City, Nevada 89701

Dear Governor Guinn,

I am pleased to present you with the Nevada Office of the Military biennialreport for 2006. This publication provides details of the many significant achieve-ments of the Nevada Air and Army National Guard during the last two years andfinancial numbers for fiscal years 2005 and 2006. It also provides insight to theorganization of the Office of the Military and outlines the goals of the NevadaNational Guard pursuant to the state constitution.

Recently the Nevada National Guard participated in a ceremony that markedthe fifth anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Certainly since thatdate the perception of the National Guard within the state and nation has contin-ued to evolve. Where once the National Guard may have been looked upon as areserve military component, the Guard is now regarded as a technically and tacti-cally proficient fighting force fully capable of seam-lessly serving alongside its active-duty brethren. Oursoldiers and airmen continue to experience the appre-ciation of the Nevada Guard by the state’s citizens asNevada’s Guardsmen continue to serve side-by-sidewith active-duty personnel on military operationsaround the world.

The Nevada National Guard experienced both tri-umphant and disappointing moments during the pasttwo years. The Nevada National Guard leadership hadthe pleasure of welcoming hundreds of our aimenand soldiers home from worldwide deployments butalso had the sorrowful task of burying our first threeArmy Guard combat casualties since World War IIwith the deaths of Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, Sgt. Patrick Stewart andSpc. Anthony Cometa.

The Nevada Air Guard felt the pressure of having our C-130 aircraft appearon the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure list and then thesubsequent sense of relief when the commission voted to keep the aircraft inReno.

Despite trying times, I am proud of the accomplishments of the NevadaGuard during the past two years. I assure you and the people of Nevada theNational Guard pledges to fulfill our commitment to the citizens of the SilverState and the nation in the same conscientious and professional manner we’vemaintained for nearly 150 years.

Sincerely,

Cynthia N. KirklandBrigadier General, Nevada Military DepartmentThe Adjutant General

Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn,

center, flanked by Brig. Gen. Cindy

Kirkland, left, and Tim Tetz,

Nevada Veterans Services director,

pause to commemorate the fifth

anniversay of the 9/11 events with

a wreath ceremony in Carson City

on Sept. 11, 2006.

BRIGADIER GENERAL

CYNTHIA N. KIRKLAND

At a Glance Page 4Worldwide Deployments Page 6Air Guard Overview Page 10Army Guard Overview Page 18National Guard Programs Page 26Federal Expenditures Page 32Economic Impact Page 34Construction Report Page 35Environmental Report Page 35Nevada Guard History Page 36Leadership Page 38Reference Page 42In Memorium Page 44

Table of Contents

Photo Illustration by 1st Lt. Derek Imig

� Provide military readiness with a professional,fully trained and equipped force capable of respond-ing to federal and state mission requirements

� Recruit and retain highly motivated peoplereflecting the diversity of local communities

� Obtain new and relevant missions for the NevadaAir and Army National Guard with an emphasis onsouthern Nevada

� Continue and improve a culture of safety, trustfor leadership and continual improvement

� Maintain a positive and cooperative relationshipwith our local communities

Soldiers from the Nevada Army Guard’s 1864th

Transportation Company stop to pray before beginning a

mission in Iraq in the summer of 2005.

Nevada National GuardMission Statement

The Nevada Office of the Military has two mis-sions, one federal and one state. The federal missionis to provide trained and ready units to respond to fed-eral mobilizations as directed by Congress or thePresident. Additionally, both the Army and Air providedaily support to the nation through airlift missions,counterdrug activities and numerous ground supporttaskings.

The state mission is to provide a regulated militiafor the state of Nevada in support of the state consti-tution and the Governor’s office. The state missionentails protecting the lives and property of the public,both residents and visitors, during times of emer-gency, disaster or disorder. It also adds value to ourNevada communities through local National Guardactivities, programs and events.

Goals

State of Nevada, Office of the Military

2460 Fairview Drive,Carson City, Nevada 89701

775.887.7252

In accordance with Nevada Revised Statute 412.052 (2)

2 Nevada National Guard Biennial Report

Nevada Air Guard joins Predator missionDetachment 1 of the Nevada Air National Guard flies andmaintains more than 50 MQ-1 and MQ-9 Predatorunmanned aerial vehicles. Based at Creech Air ForceBase in southern Nevada, the unit performs missionsacross the globe, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan.The MQ-1 can fly at an altitude up to 25,000 feet andcarries AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The MQ-9 flies up to50,000 feet and carries laser-guided, global-positioningsystem bombs and inertial-navigation system bombs.

For information on Detachment 1, turn to Page 16.

www.nevadaguard.com 3

While much has changed since thecreation of America’s first citizen-sol-dier regiments in 1636, a number of theNational Guard’s important characteris-tics have remained constant. TheNational Guard has maintained itsunique status as both a federal and stateforce.

Unlike their active and reservecounterparts, the soldiers and airmen ofthe Army and Air National Guard canbe called on to serve two different mas-ters: their state governors and the com-mander-in-chief, the President of theUnited States.

As a federal reserve in the first lineof defense, the National Guard providesready units for mobilization in time ofwar and national emergencies.Guardsmen play an increasingly impor-tant role in national defense, with some100,000 of them deployed overseas in44 countries, including Iraq, where theymade up more than one-third of the U.S.forces in 2005.

As a state force, it provides for theprotection of life and property and pre-serves peace, order and public safety.National Guard soldiers and airmenserve as their state militias, available atthe request of their governors in theevent of emergencies, insurrections,attacks or acts of nature, such as themultiple hurricanes in Louisiana andTexas in 2005.

This dual status is rooted in Article1, Section 8 of the Constitution, whichstates that “Congress shall have thepower ... To provide for organizing,arming, and disciplining, the Militia, andfor governing such part of them as maybe employed in the service of theUnited States, reserving to the Statesrespectively, the appointment of theofficers, and the authority of training theMilitia according to the discipline pre-scribed by Congress.”

Soldiers and airmen in the Guardswear an oath to protect and defend notjust the Constitution of the UnitedStates, but also of the state in which theyserve.

In peacetime, the Guard is com-manded by the governors of the respec-tive states and territories (the District ofColumbia National Guard is command-ed directly by the President).

The National Guard assists civilleaders during natural disasters, stateemergencies and civil unrest. Civil laws,particularly the Posse Comitatus act of1878, limit the use of federal troops (toinclude federal reserve components likethe Army Reserve and the Air ForceReserve) to enforce the law.

The National Guard, when acting inits capacity as State troops, does not fallunder these restrictions and thus canaugment civil authorities in maintaining

law and order.When ordered to active duty for

mobilization or called into federal serv-ice for emergencies, units of the Guardare under the control of the appropriateservice secretary. The militia clausereserves the appointment of officersand the authority of training the militia(according to Congressionally pre-scribed standards) to the states.

In 1903, Congress officially desig-nated the organized militia as theNational Guard and established proce-dures for training and equipping theGuard to active duty military standards.The 2004 National DefenseAuthorization Act amended Title 32,United States Code, Section 325 to makeit possible for a National Guard officerto be in command of federal and state(National Guard Title 32 and StateActive Duty) forces simultaneously. �

The National Guard’s balancing act

Citizen soldiers, airmen maintain dual status whileserving state governors as well as the president

Sgt. Kyle Geller of the 72nd Military Police Company assists civilians in New

Orleans, La., as they head for safety and embark on helicopter flights out of the

convention center area in September 2005. Because of its unique ability to

respond to both military and civilian contingencies, the National Guard is often the

first organization summoned by officials to respond to catastrophes or civil distur-

bances.

The Nevada National Guard is oneof the 54 members (50 states, three ter-ritories and the District of Columbia) ofthe United States’ National Guard, anintegral part of this nation’s reserveforces.

The Nevada Office of the Militaryprovides military organization for theNevada National Guard, which is com-prised of the both the state’s ArmyGuard and Air Guard.

The Nevada National Guard is theorganized military force of the state,except when ordered into federal serv-ice. Under the National Defense Act, theArmy and Air National Guard arereserve components of the UnitedStates Army and Air Force.

The state’s Guard may also beordered by the governor to serve thestate by protecting persons or propertyfrom either man-made or natural disas-ters and suppressing or preventing riot,insurrection, invasion or violence.

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the Nevada National Guardand appoints the adjutant general. SinceJune 2005, Brig. Gen. Cynthia Kirklandhas served as Nevada’s adjutant generalunder Gov. Kenny Guinn. Kirklandbecame Nevada’s 28th adjutant generalin June 2005 upon the retirement ofMaj. Gen. Giles Vanderhoof.

Under the direction of the gover-nor, the adjutant general is responsiblefor the supervision of all matters per-taining to the administration, discipline,mobilization, organization and trainingof the Nevada National Guard.

The United States Property andFiscal Officer during 2005-06 was Col.Louis Cabrera. As USPFO for Nevada,Cabrera is responsible for the oversightof federal resources in the possession ofthe Nevada National Guard.

At the conclusion of fiscal year2006, Brig. Gen. Francis “Frank”

Gonzales and Brig. Gen. Mike Gullihurwere the assistant adjutants general forthe Army and Air Guard respectively.Assistant adjutants general Brig. Gen.Lawrence Cerfoglio and Brig. Gen.Randall Sayre retired in 2006.

Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch was thedirector of the joint staff and Col. FelixCastagnola was the chief of staff of theArmy Guard. The chief of staff of theAir Guard was Lt. Col. Jim Cumings.

The total number of National

Guard airmen and soldiers in the UnitedStates at the end of fiscal year 2006 was451,948. This number included 346,288Army Guard soldiers and 105,660 AirGuard airmen.

On Sept. 30, 2006, the NevadaNational Guard was comprised of 2,474soldiers and 1,125 airmen totaling 3,599members. That figure denotes anincrease of 533 members since Sept. 30,2004, and marks an all-time high fortotal Nevada Guard soldiers and airmen.The 17 percent increase in personnelduring the past two years reflectsNevada as one of the fastest-growing ofthe Guard states and territories.

In terms of total National Guardmembers, Nevada now ranks 45thamong the states and territories, up from47th in 2004. States with comparablenumbers of personnel include: Montana(3,518), Alaska (3,732) and Vermont(3,628).

Staff reports at the conclusion ofthe fiscal year revealed that the NevadaArmy Guard stood at 108 percent of its


At a Glance

Nevada Guard ready for state, federal service

Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn (left) receives a commemorative coin for his sup-

port of Company D, 113th Aviation from unit commander Maj. Roger Capps (cen-

ter) and 1st Sgt. Bryan Soule on Sept. 27, 2006, in Carson City.

National GuardStrength by State

1. Texas 20,0762. California 20,0193. Pennsylvania 18,5124. Ohio 15,32944. Vermont 3,62845. Nevada 3,59946. Montana 3,51852. Guam 1,20553. Virgin Islands 769


Army National Guard Facilities

Carson CityElkoElyFallonHendersonLas VegasReno/SteadWinnemurenoccaYerington

Army Aviation Facilities

Las VegasReno/Stead

Air National Guard Facilities

Indian SpringsLas VegasReno

Nevada Guard Headquarters

Carson City

federally authorized manning (2,292 sol-diers). The Nevada Air Guard reported102 percent of its authorized manning(1,101 airmen).

In fact, with its 102 percent ofauthorized airmen, the Nevada AirGuard had one of the highest strengthlevels in the entire Air National Guard inOctober 2006.

At the conclusion of fiscal year2006, about 250 Nevada soldiers and air-men remained deployed in southwestAsia. The majority of these were sol-diers in the 593rd TransportationCompany and 1-221st Cavalry. The sol-diers currently deployed with 1-221stCavalry are all volunteers who are assist-ing the Wisconsin Army Guard’s 121stField Artillery Battalion on security mis-sion in Iraq.

Traditional guardsmen in theNevada National Guard train one week-end per month and 15 days a year intheir respective military career fields.Nevada’s traditional guardsmen are sup-ported by 474 full-time federal techni-cians, state employees and 314 ActiveGuard and Reserve personnel stationedat various locations around the state.

Nevada’s Army Guard is comprised

of six major commands: Joint ForcesHeadquarter, 991st Troop Command,992nd Troop Command, 422nd SignalBattalion, 1-221st Cavalry Squadron andthe 421st Regional Training Institute.

The assistant adjutant general forthe Army ensures mission accomplish-ment and adherence to Dept. ofDefense, U.S. Army, National GuardBureau and state military policies withthe support of an active componentArmy advisor and the Nevada National

Guard’s chief of staff.The Nevada Air National Guard

includes the 152nd Airlift Wing and152nd Intelligence Squadron in Renoand Detachment 1 in Las Vegas as wellas personnel assigned to Joint ForceHeadquarters in Carson City.

The primary mission of the NevadaAir National Guard is to provide cargoand personnel transportation, aerialreconnaissance and imagery analysisfrom a variety of camera and satellitesystems located throughout the world.

Overall, the Nevada National Guardmaintains a presence in eight of thestate’s 17 counties. Nevada’s ArmyGuard units occupy 11 armories andfacilities dispersed throughout the state;the Air National Guard occupies a 64-acre site on the southwest corner of theReno-Tahoe International Airport inReno and maintains its detachment onNellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas andat Creech Air Force Base in IndianSprings. About 65 Nevada Guard air-men work at the southern-Nevadadetachment that began operation in2005.

The 92nd Civil Support Team forWeapons of Mass Destruction, a jointforce unit comprised of 22 soldiers andairmen that is headquartered in LasVegas, began operation in late 2004 andpromises to be an important resourceand asset to the state should a domesticchemical, biological or nuclear eventoccur.

Although the Nevada Office of theMilitary remains focused on the needs ofthe state in the future, it retains its his-torical precedent of the citizen-soldier –committed to meeting the needs of thecommunity, state and nation. �

The image of the State of Nevada was

carried worldwide the past two years,

seen here on the shoulder of an 1864th

Transportation Company truck driver.

Photo by 1st Lt. Derek Imig

The Nevada National Guardgrew by 17 percent duringthe past two years.


Worldwide DeploymentsExtend for Nevada Guard

The Nevada National Guard currently playsa more pivotal role in the layered defenseof our nation and state than at any time in

the state’s history. It’s involved in a full spectrum ofoperations ranging from the war on terrorism, home-land defense, foreign partnerships, state security andnatural disaster relief missions.

Most of the Nevada National Guard’s wartimedeployments have been in support of OperationsEnduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. OperationEnduring Freedom is defined as operations performedin support of the United States’ war on global terror-ism. Operation Iraqi Freedom includes military oper-

ations assisting the Iraqi people to create conditionsfor a transition to a representative self-government.

Some unclassified Air Guard missions supportingthose operations included several hundred personnelspecialists, logistics specialists, aircraft maintenanceforces, aerial port specialists, air crew and intelligencespecialists deploying several times over the biennium,to Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates andUzbekistan.

The unit performed airlift, air drop, intelligencegathering and analysis from multiple types of mannedand unmanned aircraft as well as numerous supportoperations.

U.S Senator Harry Reid (in civilain clothes) visits the 1864th during the unit’s deployment. Courtesy Capt. Neil Oscarson

A Nevada Air Guard

C-130 drops flares

over southern Iraq

during deployment.

Courtesy Chief Master Sgt.

John Graves

Deployment logs revealed that dur-ing the past two years, Nevada Guardairmen completed 30,277 mandayswhile deployed in support ofOperations Iraqi and EnduringFreedom. Those days included 20,999days spent in Southwest Asia. In com-parison, Nevada airmen were deployed40,177 days in 2003-2004.

Numerous airmen deployed multi-ple times as the Nevada Air Guard con-tinuously supported the SouthwestAsian operations for more than oneyear.

By October 2006, only a handful ofAir Guardsmen were deployed overseas,but the 152nd Airlift Wing and 152ndIntelligence Squadron expect to per-form missions in Southwest Asia duringthe winter of 2007.

Six Army Guard units deployed tocombat theaters during the past twoyears. Two units, the 593rdTransportation Company and the 1-221st Cavalry, remain in Iraq in October2006.

The 593rd Transportation


1. 1-221st Cavalry Squadron2. 1864thTransportation Co.3. 1864thTransportation Co.4. 152nd Airlift Wing5. 152nd Airlift Wing6. 152nd Airlift Wing7. 152nd Airlift Wing8. 152nd Airlift Wing9. 152nd Airlift Wing10. 152nd Intelligence Squadron11. 152nd Intelligence Squadron12. 152nd Intelligence Squadron13. 152nd Intelligence Squadron14. 152nd Intelligence Squadron15. Joint Force Headquarters16. Joint Force Headquarters17. D. Company, 113th Aviation18. D. Company, 113th Aviation19. Detachment 1, Nev. ANG20. Detachment 1, Nev. ANG

Nevada National Guard

Southwest Asia Duty

Home was far away for the deployed

airmen serving at Ali Air Base in

Iraq. The Nevada Air Guard’s 152nd

Airlift Wing maintained a rotation of

about 40 airmen at the base for the

majority of 2005.

Nevada Guard DeploymentsArmy 2005-06

Unit Soldiers Location/Duration593rd TC 150 Iraq

(Deployed July 2006-Dec. 2007)1-221 Cav 100 Iraq

(Deployed May 2006-Oct. 2007)Various 35 Various

(Demobilization dates vary in 2007)1-221 Cav 424 Fort Irwin

(Deployed Aug. 2004-May 2006)Co. D, 113th 100 Afghanistan

(Deployed Jan. 2005-March 2006)1864thTC 157 Kuwait, Iraq

(Deployed Aug. 2004-Oct. 2005)Det. 45, OSA 6 SW Asia

(Deployed March 2005-Oct. 2005)321st Signal 90 Kuwait, Iraq

(Deployed March 2004-March 2005)126th Med 15 Fort Carson, Colo.

(Deployed Jan. 2004-July 2005)

Air 2005-06Duty Site Year Total Man DaysContinental U.S. 2005 1,820International 2005 5,852Southwest Asia 2005 11,312

Continental U.S. 2006 166International 2006 1,440Southwest Asia 2006 9,687

Courtesy Chief Master Sgt. John Graves

Company is deployed to Iraq carrying out transportation mis-sions across the nation driving medium range trucks haulingdry goods and liquids with about 150 soldiers. The unit is setto return home in the fall of 2007.

Also, approximately 100 soldiers of the 1-221st CavalrySquadron are deployed to Iraq assisting in providing convoysecurity for the Wisconsin Army Guard.

With the deployment of those two units, Nevada NationalGuard statistics reveal:

� 1,850 Nevada Army Guard soldiers have mobilized insupport of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom since2001.

� More than 900 of those have deployed abroad into awar theater and are now considered combat veterans.

� Nine of the Nevada Army Guard’s 14 deployableunits, or 64 percent, have deployed since 2001.

Four units completed long-term international deploymentmissions during the biennium.

Providing communications between Kuwait and Iraq,about 90 soldiers of the 321st Signal Company returned homein March 2005 after spending more than a year abroad.

Concurrently in 2004 and 2005, the 1864thTransportation Company’s primary mission was to providetransportation support for movement of dry cargo, ammuni-tion and equipment by truck throughout Iraq and Kuwait.Nearly 175 soldiers served in the 1864th overseas.

During its deployment, the 1864th completed 220 combatmissions and covered 3.5 million miles on the roads of Kuwaitand Iraq. The unit reported being attacked by insurgents 63times and its soldiers were shot at 25 times.

The unit, named the 1864th because 1864 was the yearNevada became a state, appropriately arrived home from itsdeployment on Nevada Day 2005. The 1864th was comprisedof soldiers from Las Vegas, Henderson, Ely, Winnemucca,Elko, Reno, Sparks, and Dayton, making it one of the mostdiverse units ever deployed from Nevada.

Spc. Anthony Cometa of the 1864th died in a vehicle acci-dent in June 2005 while on a mission in Iraq.

In 2005, six soldiers from Detachment 45, OperationalSupport Airlift returned home after serving six months inKuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. The small unit spent their timeshuttling equipment and passengers between several locationsthroughout Southwest Asia, often on small, unimproved run-ways on the military’s C-12 Huron jet.


Soldiers and airmen from the Nevada Army Guard’s 72nd

Military Police and the Nevada Air Guard’s 152nd Security

Forces Squadron patrol the street in front of the convention

center in New Orleans just days after Hurricane Katrina.

Staff Sgt. Jesse Filsinger of the Nevada Army Guard’s

Medical Detachment assists with the medical evacuation and

triage of injured New Orleans citizens at the Louis Armstrong

International Airport on Sept. 3, 2005.

Also in Afghanistan, about 60 sol-diers from Company D, 113th Aviationdeployed to fly cargo and service mem-bers around the nation in CH-47 heli-copters. While there, the devastatingOct. 2005 Kashmir earthquake divertedsome of their aircraft and crew to per-form humanitarian relief missions inPakistan.

Chief Warrant Officer John Flynnand Sgt. Patrick Stewart of Co. D wereamong five soldiers who died when thehelicopter they were traveling in wasshot down in Afghanistan on Sept. 25,2005.

Two major domestic Army Guarddeployments also concluded in 2005-2006. The 126th Medical Company’sdeployment to Fort Carson, Colo. toprovide medical evacuation capabilitiesto that training location concluded inJuly 2005 and 1/221st Cavalry’s two-yearmission to provide opposition forces atthe National Training Center at FortIrwin, Calif., concluded in May 2006.The cavalry deployment included morethan 400 soldiers.

Other overseas deployments includ-ed Air Guard C-130 Coronet Oak mis-sions to the Caribbean and SouthAmerica, Air Guard participation inintelligence exercise Cope Tiger inThailand, and Air Guard security forceparticipation in detainee transportationmissions into and out of GuantanamoBay, Cuba. Other Army Guard interna-tional deployments included communi-cations and medical missions to theBalkans, Sarajevo and Kosovo.

There were also numerous smallerdeployments during the biennium. Thelocations of these deployments read likea travel atlas with duty sites in placessuch as Antarctica, Djibouti, Ecuador,Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain andTurkey.

In terms of domestic missions, aspart of the National Guard homelandsecurity mission, Battle BornGuardsmen deployed to Arizona andCalifornia supporting Operation JumpStart along the U.S./Mexico border.

Civil engineers from the Nevada Airand Army Guard along with vehicle

maintenance specialists from the ArmyGuard repaired fences, roads and sever-al types of vehicles supporting the U. S.Border Service. Army Guard helicoptersalso deployed to assist.

The Nevada National Guard quick-ly reacted to Hurricane Katrina and wasamong the first to reach Louisiana withpersonnel and equipment. AfterHurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29,2005, security forces and medical per-sonnel from the Army and Air Guardwere dispatched by Aug. 31.

Nevada’s medical team was the firstmilitary medical unit to reach the LouisArmstrong Airport and assist with triageof injured New Orleans’ residents.Nevada’s security force, a combinedteam from the 72nd Military Police Co.and 152nd Security Forces Squadron,was the unit that swept through andrestored order to the Superdome andconvention center. The Nevada Guardalso deployed intelligence-gatheringplatforms used to help map flood reces-sion and communications vehicles toLouisiana, Mississippi and Texas. �


� Airmen from the 152nd Airlift Wing and

152nd Intelligence Squadron gather on the

final day of their deployment in 2006 in Iraq to

mark the take-off of the last sortie mission

they would perform during the squadron’s

year-long mission in the combat theater.

�A Nevada Army Guard Chinnook performs

sling-load operations in Afghanistan in 2005,

carrying supplies to foward-stationed troops.

A Chinook helicopter can carry more than 12

tons of supplies and equipment.

Photos courtesy 152nd Airlift Wing and CW3 Dan Walters


Air Guard Overview

Air operations remain...

In FullFlight

keeping a close eye on the homefront while deployed across the globe. It can entail watchingout for the family of someone who’s serving in Southwest Asia, being ready for gubernatorialcall-up for emergencies in the Silver State, or sharing upcoming deployment timelines with acivilian employer.

Every member of the Nevada Air Guard is responsible for checking the six of their fellow service-men and in the past two fiscal years there has been plenty of opportunity to do so.

The Global War on Terrorism is less a new reality for the High Rollers than a common way of life.Ongoing support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom means everyone in the Nevada Air Guardis not only prepared to, but expects to deploy on a regular basis. Simultaneous support to domestic mis-sions shows the flexibility and responsiveness of the Guard in the Battle Born state.

In the last two fiscal years, Nevada’s complement of intelligence and airlift support assisted mili-tary missions around the world and saw Guardsmen meeting contingency requirements on six conti-nents. Numerous airmen also deployed domestically in support of major campaigns including theHurricane Katrina disaster relief effort in Louisiana and Mississippi and U.S./Mexico border security

A Nevada Air Guard C-130

prepares for take-off in

Afghanistan.

Courtesy Chief Master Sgt. John Graves

To “check six” in aviation terms means to constantlykeep en eye out for what may be approaching your aircraft from

the rear. For the airmen of the Nevada Air National Guard it also means


for Operation Jump Start.Comprised of one flying wing, an intelligence squadron, a

headquarters and a Las Vegas-based detachment, the NevadaAir Guard was assigned 1,125 airmen at the conclusion of fis-cal year 2006, 102 percent of its end-strength authorization.That over-strength number reflects a command willing to dowhat it takes to keep people motivated and qualified. It alsoreflects individual Guardsmen’s determination to serve theirstate and nation, even with the potential of numerous deploy-ments away from family, friends and civilian employers.

Each December the Nevada Air National Guard namesthe winners of competitions for outstanding airmen in fourrank categories. The recipients of the 2005 awards includedStaff Sgt. Lorenzo Nichols, honored as the Nevada ANGAirman of the Year, Staff Sgt. Joe Brown as the Non-commis-sioned Officer of the Year, Master Sgt. Greg Bartlett as theSenior Non-commissioned Officer of the Year and 1st Sgt.Kelly Cavins as 1st Sgt. of the Year. Results for the 2006awards were not available at press time.

152nd Operations GroupThe 152nd Operations Group is the flying unit of the

Nevada Air National Guard. It consists of highly visible AirForce occupations including pilots, navigators, loadmastersand flight engineers. The 150-member group includes the192nd Airlift Squadron and the 152nd Operations SupportFlight and the airmen sustained an unrelenting pace in supportof the ongoing efforts in Operations Iraqi and EnduringFreedom during the past two years.

The 152nd airmen perform a variety of missions includ-ing the worldwide transportation and airdrop of cargo. Theoperations support flight schedules all missions assigned to

the 192nd Airlift Squadron and handles a majority of the AirForce, National Guard Bureau and Federal AeronauticalAdministration paperwork tracking flight hours and flightpaths. The unit possesses eight C-130 H model aircraft.

From October 2004 until June 2006, the Nevada AirNational Guard continued to fly combat missions in its fleetof C-130 aircraft with nonstop rotations to air bases in Kuwaitand Iraq. Tasked by U.S. Central Command to fly intra-theaterairlift missions, the unit moved thousands of pounds ofequipment and hundreds of troops from supply points to for-ward bases within the combat zone.

In a joint effort with the Utah Air National Guard, the192nd Airlift Squadron sent a C-130 with flyers and maintain-ers to Uzbekistan to support the coalition forces fighting inAfghanistan.

From July through October 2005, the Nevada AirNational Guard was also the lead unit for Operation CoronetOak in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The squadron deployed up tofour airplanes at a time for two week tours, flying airlift andgeneral theater support for U.S. Southern Command. In acombined squadron with other Air National Guard units, theHigh Rollers flew missions to austere airfields in theCaribbean to the far reaches of the South American continent.

The Air Mobility Command Inspector General came toReno in June of 2005 for the last event of the 152ndOperations Group’s Operational Readiness Inspection. Thiswas the unit’s first ORI since transitioning to the C-130Hercules aircraft in 1995, though the deployment and flyingphases of the ORI had been successfully completed morerecently. The evaluators also rated the High Rollers’ ability tosurvive and operate in a chemical warfare environment.

� A Nevada Air Guard C-130 Hercules prepares to touch down in Iraq.

� Capt. Hillary Smith pilots a Nevada C-130 en route to Iraq.

Photos courtesy 152nd Airlift Wing


In an ongoing effort to modernizeits aircraft, the Nevada Air Nationalinstalled two new major equipmentupgrades to its C-130 fleet. The 192ndwas one of the first Air National Guardunits to install the AN/APN-241 digitalLow Power Color Radar, which replaceda 1950’s vintage navigation radar. Forthe first time, the pilots and the naviga-tor can use a high resolution radarscreen with multiple modes to do nightand all-weather airdrops, enhance air-craft collision avoidance, or dodgesevere weather and turbulence.

The High Rollers were also the firstC-130 unit to field a new missile defensesystem known as the Large AircraftInfrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM).The LAIRCM greatly increases aircraftsurvivability against man-portableinfrared surface-to-air missiles whichhave been frequently used in Iraq andAfghanistan against U.S. transport air-craft.

In late summer of 2005 the unit wascalled to transport Nevada NationalGuard medical and security forces toLouisiana to assist in the wake ofHurricane Katrina. What began as a typ-ical personnel airlift quickly turned intosomething very different. Believing theywere going to simply drop off the med-ical and security Guard members at theairport and fly home, the flight crew sawa need and chose to fill it. They volun-teered to transport about 70 evacueeswho needed medical attention fromNew Orleans to Houston. Time on theground in Louisiana was nil as the crewquickly and professionally reconfiguredthe aircraft and 70 people were flown tosafety as a result of the Nevada NationalGuard.

As of June of 2006, all 152ndOperations Group personnel returnedto Reno and to demobilize. The flyingunit anticipates taking advantage of thefirst few months of fiscal year 2007 tocatch up on training requirements andupdating aircrew currencies.

152nd Mission Support Group

In today’s expeditionary, rapid reac-tion, contingency-based Air Force, the152nd Mission Support Group includesthe full spectrum of home station andcontingency location functions. Athome in Reno, the focus of the groupincludes local training, the ability todeploy quickly throughout the globe,and the care of airmen followingdeployments. At contingency locations,primary functions include crisis actions,load planning, communications andinformation, en route visibility, recep-tion, base/tent city preparation, muni-tions site planning and expeditionarycombat support.

Several squadrons and flights makeup the support group. They include the152nd Security Forces Squadron, the152nd Civil Engineering Squadron, the152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron,the 152nd Communications Flight, the152nd Aerial Port Flight, the 152ndMission Support Flight, and the 152ndServices Flight.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, and the subse-quent invasion of Iraq, every squadronand flight within the group has beenaffected. The primary focus for thegroup has been training and equippingthe airmen for deployment rotations.

Members of the group havedeployed to locations in Afghanistan,Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Spain,Cuba, Turkey, Antarctica and Ecuador.Many members remain involuntarilymobilized and continually deploy on arotation cycle in support of OperationIraqi Freedom.

The security forces squadron’s air-men continue to deploy supporting theGlobal War on Terrorism. Thesquadron’s primary deployed missionhas been serving as the security elementduring official detainee movement inIraq. In addition, several members havebeen selected to assist in the detaineemission, transporting detained personsfrom Europe and Asia to GuantanamoBay, Cuba, and most recently, transport-ing those released from U.S. custodyback to their home nations.

Domestically, the squadron wascalled on to assist in the wake ofHurricane Katrina. A few dozen securi-ty airmen, along with Nevada ArmyGuard military police, deployed quicklyto help secure the city of New Orleans.Facing immediate deployment to a loca-tion with no running water, no electrici-ty and little in the way of communica-tion or transportation, the airmen wereable to assist local law enforcement andprovide a secure environment for thecitizens of New Orleans. Today, thesquadron provides security forces andmeasures in accordance with homelandsecurity guidance and base defense.

The 152nd Civil EngineeringSquadron serves as a construction bat-talion for the Air Guard and includes 92airmen skilled in trades such as engineer-ing, plumbing, electrical, water treatmentand waste management, and fire opera-tions. The squadron is responsible forthe Air Guard’s facility engineeringneeds throughout the year.

The squadron was deployed fortraining in the summer of 2006 to a sitein Florida for the Silver Flag exercise inpreparation for an upcoming deploy-

Courtesy 152nd Civil Engineer Squadron

Firefighters of the 152nd Civil

Engineering Squadron perform chemi-

cal decontamination procedures during

the Silver Flag exercise at Eglin Air

Force Base in Florida in 2006.


ment call to Southwest Asia. Thesquadron received training in areas suchas weapons handling, convoy security,and other mission essential tasks. In latesummer of 2006 the unit was also calledto the U.S. Mexico border for OperationJump Start, assisting the U.S. BorderProtection Service in building new roadsand maintaining fence lines.

The 152nd Logistics ReadinessSquadron’s 108 members provided over-all direction for base logistics processesrelated to vehicles, cargo movement,passenger movement, personal property,supplies, equipment, deployment plan-ning and operations, fuels, and logisticsplans. Several members of LRS wereinvoluntarily mobilized for more than ayear and continue to support and deployin each rotation to Southwest Asia.

The 152nd Aerial Port Flight’s 64Guardsmen have the primary mission ofensuring effective utilization of loadingfacilities and equipment to maintainscheduled movement of aircraft loads.The flight’s expertise was valuable intraining many members of the logisticsreadiness squadron and intelligencesquadron in convoy duties and protec-tion prior to their deployments toremote and hostile locations.

Many aerial port members continueto be involuntarily mobilized for twoyears, conducting 120-day rotations tovarious locations in Southwest Asia.

There are 43 members in the 152ndCommunications Flight, including infor-mation and mission system and audiovi-sual airmen. The flight ensures networkintegrity through system monitoring andestablishing firewalls. The communica-tions flight has been extremely busy sup-porting the major construction projectson base as well as keeping up with thecurrent technology and security require-ments.

The 152nd Mission Support Flightconsists of 26 members with the pri-mary function of acting as the state’smilitary personnel office. This flight

plans and directs military personnel,education and training activities for thewing. Several members of the flight havebeen deployed to locations in Kuwaitand Antarctica and three members havemobilized to support the deploymentand redeployment of hundreds ofNevada Air Guardsmen.

The 152nd Services Flight encom-passes five career fields in its wide rangeof services, including: food service,morale, welfare and recreation,Honor/Color Guard, lodging, laundryand mortuary affairs. The flight includes19 airmen and serves about 400 meals

each day on a typical drill weekend. Theservices flight has also supporteddeployments to Southwest Asia andassisted a number of organizationsincluding the Boy Scouts of America,Girl Scouts of America and the Civil AirPatrol. The flight also provided foodservices for personnel fighting northernNevada fires.

152nd Medical Group

On Aug. 31, 2005, one day after thehurricane’s landfall in New Orleans andwithin 24 hours of notification, twelvemembers of the 152nd Medical Groupin conjunction with 11 members of theNevada Army Guard responded to theLouis Armstrong International Airportto assist with emergency medical care inthe disaster arena. The airport had beendesignated as the evacuation site for the

city of New Orleans. The joint Armyand Air Force emergency medical teamwas the first military medical unit toarrive at the airport.

The airmen and soldiers arrived tofind the entire facility without electricity,running water or sanitation facilities.The airport was inundated with tens ofthousands of displaced persons, manywith severe, life-threatening injuries andillnesses. Without typical airportground support, the joint medical teamunloaded the complete C-130 aircraft ofpersonal equipment, provisions, waterand medical supplies and established a

billet in a concourse of the facility. Theteam immediately joined with FEMADisaster Medical Assistance Teams intreating thousands of patients aroundthe clock for the next three days.

A second contingent of 37 NevadaAir and Army Guard members joinedthe team September 2, bringing physi-cians, nurses and medics plus publichealth, bioenvironmental engineeringand veterinary services. Over 10 days theteam treated patients, assisted in evalua-tion and correction of bioenvironmentaland public health issues including waterquality, rescue camp sanitation and foodpreparation. A veterinary aid stationtreated dozens of injured and displacedanimals from the storm. With thearrival and engagement of the activeduty Army and Air Force units, the team

Courtesy 152nd Medical Group

Members of the

152nd Medical Group

evaluate a mock

patient during an

Ability To Survive and

Operate exercise in

2006. An ATSO meas-

ures the base

squadrons’ ability to

continue their mis-

sions while exposed to

chemical attack.


was released to return home.The 152nd Medical Group was also

the lead medical unit at the 2005 PatriotEast joint Army, Air Force and multina-tional forces mass casualty and disastertraining exercise. During the two-weekdeployment to Volk Field, Wisc., thefirst seven days were devoted to familiar-ization and training with theExpeditionary Medical Support unit(EMEDS), a deployable surgical andemergency medical facility. Other train-ing included triage, emergency medicalcare, air and ground evacuation and safe-ty, chemical warfare and patient decont-amination, communications and forceprotection.

The second week culminated withthe continuous 96-hour mass casualtytraining event. Thirty-three scenarioswere generated with 274 moulagedpatients displaying various injuries,including chemical warfare agent expo-sure, and brought to the EMEDS viaground and air travel for triage, initialcare and stabilization. Patients werethen entered into the Air Force theaterevacuation system. Sixty-three U.S. and52 Canadian and Dutch medics partici-pated in the expeditionary medical train-ing.

Three members of the medicalgroup were deployed to Southwest Asiain support of the Air Force expedi-tionary requirements for OperationsIraqi and Enduring Freedom. Threemembers were also deployed to the U.S.Southern Command in support ofCoronet Oak.

Several of the squadron’s airmenwere recognized with major awards.

Maj. (Dr.) Scott Shepherd receivedthe Air Force Commendation medalfrom the wing commander at Ali AlSalem Air Base, Kuwait for his outstand-ing service while deployed there in sup-port of Iraqi Freedom. Shepherd wasthe only flight surgeon available to sup-port the entire wing flying program afterhis reserve counterpart had to be evacu-

ated from the base for a medical emer-gency.

Lt. Col. Zola Ferguson received theAssociation of Military Surgeons of theUnited States Physician Assistant of theYear award for 2004. Ferguson deployedto Baghdad in the emergency depart-ment of the EMEDS trauma center.

Chief Master Sgt. Ken Grayreceived the Association of MilitarySurgeons of the United States SeniorNCO of the Year award for 2004. Grayalso deployed to Baghdad and was thesenior NCO in charge of the treatmentfacility there.

Master Sgt. Jenelle Kimsey receivedthe 152nd Airlift Wing Commander’sAward of Excellence for her outstand-ing contributions in bringing the dentalsection to compliance with a strict newAir Force dental monitoring program.She also received the 152nd MedicalGroup Commander’s Member of theYear award for 2005.

The group completed the AirForce’s five-year health services inspec-tion requirement in August 2006 receiv-ing a score of 93 placing it in the “excel-

lent” category. The Nevada unit is rec-ognized as one of the top medical unitsin the Air Force and the Air NationalGuard.

152nd Maintenance Group

The 152nd Maintenance Groupcomprised of the 152nd MaintenanceSquadron and the 152nd MaintenanceOperations Flight works tirelessly toensure the wing’s eight C-130s are capa-ble of fulfilling its varied missionsaround the world when called upon.Over the course of the past two years, ithas been called upon numerous timesand has provided outstanding support athome and abroad even while maintain-ing a fleet that has seen several modifica-tions and enhancements.

During this period, half of thewing’s fleet was modified with LAIRCM,or Large Aircraft InfraredCountermeasure defensive system. Alsoduring this period, all eight of the unit’saircraft were fitted with the RN-242color radar system. Additionally, themaintenance group saw one aircraft gothrough a programmed depot mainte-nance activity and continued its

Master Sgt. Mark Gonzales of the 152nd Maintenance Group stabilizes a C-130

engine as it was being changed out at Ali Base in Iraq.

Courtesy 152nd Maintenance Squadron


� An Eagle Vision antenna searches for a satellite connection allowing it to download imagery from a commercial remote sensing satellite.

�Airmen from the 152nd Intelligence Squadron erect a USC-60 antenna capable of transmitting and receiving voice signals across the globe.

Photos courtesy 152nd Communications Squadron

isochronal inspection cycle on each air-craft while at home.

Even with the numerous modifica-tion activities performed on and off sta-tion at depot and with contract fieldteams, the maintenance group’s commit-ment to the unit and its missions wasevident in the support it provided withaircraft deployed throughout the world.Maintainers and operators supportedU.S. Southern Command as the lead unitfor three Coronet Oak deployment rota-tions with two aircraft deployed to SouthAmerica.

A group of approximately 30 main-tenance personnel and operators alsodeployed to Southwest Asia on several60-day rotations and provided supportof Operations Iraqi Freedom andEnduring Freedom. Additionally, theunit provided aircraft for numerousTheater Air Component Commandertaskings supporting medical evacuationmissions to and from California, Alaskaand other stateside missions.

Also of significance during thisperiod was the maintenance group’s suc-cessful participation with the operationsgroup in an Air Force Ability to Surviveand Operate inspection. Preparationsand exercises began in March 2005 cul-minating in the actual inspection in June2005 at the Regional Public SafetyTraining Center in Reno. The efforts ofnearly 70 maintenance personnel and 30operations personnel resulted in the

unit receiving an “excellent” rating bythe Air Force Inspector General team aswell as receiving a “best seen to date”rating in reference to equipment harden-ing.

The excellent rating was important,but more important was the fact thattrue High Roller spirit was displayed asthe inspection came only two weeksafter the announcement that the 152ndAirlift wing had been listed for realign-ment on the 2005 Base Realignment andClosure list.

The wing was ultimately removedfrom the BRAC list and has seen itsgroup grow larger in both northern andsouthern Nevada with professionalmaintenance personnel providing sup-port to C-130 H and the MQ-1 PredatorUnmanned Aerial Vehicle.

The 152nd Maintenance Group willcontinue its history of pride and profes-sionalism as it works to provide out-standing aircraft to the Air NationalGuard and to the United States AirForce.

152nd Intel SquadronThe 152nd Intelligence Squadron is

overseen by Air Combat Command andprovides imagery intelligence, surveil-lance, and reconnaissance products totheater commanders and emergencyresponders under the command of theGovernor of the State of Nevada. Theunit’s capabilities span the spectrumfrom high intensity combat operations

to humanitarian relief operations.It is comprised of three imagery

flights that collect, exploit, and dissemi-nate timely and actionable multi-formatimagery intelligence for delivery to endusers in both hard- and soft-copy. Thesquadron is comprised of 102 airmensupporting the Deployable Transit-Cased System, Scathe View and EagleVision.

On Nov. 11, 2004, the squadrondeployed Scathe View to southern Iraqin support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Scathe View consists of an RQ-1Predator sensor turret hard-mounted toa modified C-130. The turret is con-trolled by two onboard airborne imageryanalysts from a sensor control worksta-tion.

The analysts can link full motionvideo directly to ground units as well ascommunicate with the forces via secureradios. The system was tasked to providefull motion video in support of groundforces for a 120-day deployment.Despite older and less capable optics,the deployment exceeded theater expec-tations, leading to a personal requestfrom Gen. John Jumper, Chief of Staffof the Air Force, for Scathe View tomaintain a sustained presence in theater.

In September 2005, the unitembarked on a one-year, maximumeffort deployment rotating people andequipment in and out of Southerst Asia.Scathe View once again proved its value


by providing real-time, full-motionvideo feeds directly to friendly groundtroops engaged with enemy forces. Thevideo feeds were transmitted fromScathe View aircraft directly to theengaged ground forces via the RemotelyOperated Video Enhanced Receiver(ROVER), allowing the friendly forcesto see the numbers and locations of theenemy forces. Due to deterioration ofthe aging systems, equipment failures ledto a deployment halt after nine monthsof sustained operations and the unitreturned home to reconstitute, re-equip,and incorporate up-graded sensors.

In addition to supporting theateroperations, a Scathe View system wasalso deployed to Louis ArmstrongInternational Airport in Louisiana tosupport the Hurricane Katrina reliefeffort. During a two-week deployment,Scathe View flew missions in supportfor 82nd Airborne Division patrols uti-lizing ROVER feeds to search forstranded civilians. Scathe View infraredimagery was also instrumental in moni-toring the levees and pump stations dur-ing the hours of darkness, eliminatingthe need to send ground forces intopotentially hazardous areas in the dark.The support provided was translatedinto an $18 million plus-up for a robustcommunications capability to allow theaircraft to broadcast its video signal toground-receive stations outside the hur-ricane damaged areas.

The remaining 152nd IntelligenceSquadron flights were equally engagedduring this two-year period. TheDeployable Transit-Cased System is avideo processing capability that enabledthe unit to process Predator full-motionvideo from the Iraqi theater all from thesafety and comfort of Reno. Thesquadron became the first Air NationalGuard squadron to support Predatortheater missions from home station viasatellite operations. The unit will contin-ue this operation for the foreseeablefuture.

Last but not least, the squadron’sEagle Vision flight became the firstANG commercial satellite imagery col-lection and dissemination capability todeploy to Thailand in support ofExercise Cope Tiger 2006 held at KoratAir Base. The flight provided timely,large-scale imagery photo maps andenlargement of the various ranges uti-lized by more than 300 airmen from theRoyal Thai and Royal Singaporean AirForces as well as U.S. Pacific Commandmission planners.

The successful deployment resultedin an invitation to return to Cope Tiger2007 to provide exercise support to allparticipants.

The flight also provided support toHurricane Katrina by augmenting theEagle Vision in South Carolina. Twosquadron members were integral tobuilding hydrographic photo maps ofNew Orleans. The color-coded mapsgraphically displayed water depthsthroughout the city and were used toroute supply convoys over passablestreets. The first graphic produced wassent to Washington D.C. and was used ina Presidential briefing to show the waterlevels and extent of the flooding follow-ing the levee breach.

Courtesy 152nd

Intelligence Squadron

Detachment 1

Over the past two years,Detachment 1 has progressed from atotal force initiative combining activeduty Air Force and Nevada Guard to alarge portion of MQ-1 Predator trainingand combat operational capabilities atNellis and Creech Air Force Bases.

The detachment started with its firstNevada Guardsman in March 2004, hir-ing a C-130 pilot from Reno to train inthe Predator Unmanned Aircraft withthe United States Air Warfare Center.Since then, the unit has hired and trainedmore than 60 pilots, intelligence person-nel, sensor operators, Predator mainte-nance personnel, command supportstaff, aggressor pilots and aggressormaintenance personnel.

Aggressors replicate the enemy andtheir potential actions during trainingactivities and the Guardsmen assigned asaggressors also teach threat capabilitiesof the enemy. The detachment also hastwo traditional Guard pilots detailed tothe 53rd Wing to support special com-partmentalized security clearance brief-ings for Guardsmen on temporary dutyat Nellis in support of tests and othermissions.

The impact of the unit in support of

Airmen of the

152nd Intelligence

Squadron load

the Scathe View

workstation onto

a C-130. The sys-

tem allows the air-

craft to gather

video of ground

operations and

immediately send

it to military com-

manders on the

ground around

the world.


the Nevada federal mission is large and growing daily. Theadvantages Nevada Guardsmen bring include longevity, profi-ciency and a high level of training that has resulted in a highpercentage of Nevadans attaining supervisory positions.

Tech. Sgt. Chris Jenkins identified a dangerous problem inthe Predator control software that was overlooked duringdevelopmental testing. Fixing it prevented a probable loss ofaircraft. He has responsibility as the unit's suitability flightchief. Several Guardsmen were selected to perform aircraftacceptance inspections on aircraft being delivered from themanufacturer.

Staff Sgt. Aaron Sackett discovered damaged landing gearon an aircraft about to be flown to Creech and this discoveryprevented a landing mishap.

Sgt. Marco Trejo developed a complete maintenance train-ing plan used to train California Guardsmen on the Predatorsystem and three of the unit's airmen were selected to trainCalifornia's initial maintenance team.

The detachment also has a high volunteerism rate for sup-porting the Global War on Terror. Eight maintainers volun-teered and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, providing gener-ation and maintenance of the entire Predator system includingaircraft, satellite links and ground control stations.

The operations side of Detachment 1 had a similar impacton Predator training capacity and combat capability. The 15Predator pilots assigned to Detachment 1 provide an equiva-lent of 40 percent of the pilot manning in the Predator FlyingTraining Unit, which graduates 120 Predator crews each year.

Nevada aircrews are detailed across the active duty 57thOperations Group where they can best support the detach-ment and Air Guard missions.

Many are in leadership positions from shop chiefs to theassistant operations officer. Maj. Robert Cera was selected toinvestigate the loss of more than 150 computer systems overthe past two years and Maj. Roderick Ricard was chosen as asquadron commander’s representative for an exhaustive unitcompliance inspection.

The pilots, sensor operators and mission coordinators inthe Nevada unit have also been heavily involved in the federalmission, volunteering more than 2,800 man-days of federalservice executing Predator combat support missions.

The unit’s crews have been responsible for locating, mark-ing and killing enemy snipers, finding and destroying weaponscaches in Afghan caves, supporting numerous raids, troops-in-contact situations and combat search and rescue operations.Combined, Nevada Air Guard Predator pilots have flownmore than 2,500 Predator hours.

Two Detachment 1 sensor operators also volunteered todeploy to Iraq to augment Reno’s 152nd Airlift Wing during itsScathe View mission, providing more than 500 flight hours ofreal-time video and photos to coalition ground commandersand battle staffs.

The detachment also provided volunteers in support ofthe New Year's Eve security mission in Las Vegas in 2004 and2005 by providing a liaison with Nellis commanders for baseusage and support. �

The Nevada Air Guard was dealt astartling and potentially calamitous blowby the Department of Defense’s BaseRealignment and Closure Commissionin May 2005 when it announced theHigh Rollers were earmarked for per-sonnel reductions and the base’s C-130cargo aircraft were set to be reassignedelsewhere.

As the geographically seventhlargest state, Nevada depends heavily onthe timely, reliable transport the C-130Hercules provide. Doing away with theaircraft, along with the Air Guard’s fire-fighting, supply, fuels, and operationspersonnel would have hampered thestate’s ability to respond with critical per-sonnel in support of homeland security,homeland defense and other contin-

gency operations.It didn’t take long for the state’s cit-

izens, first responders and elected offi-cials at all levels to voice their disagree-ment with the Department of Defense’sproposal affecting portions of the

Nevada Air Guard.Thousands sent letters to the inde-

pendent BRAC commissioners high-lighting the importance of the 152ndAirlift Wing. Sen. Harry Reid,Congressman Jim Gibbons and severalstate legislators assisted in emphasizinghow vital the Air Guard is to the state’ssecurity. Gov. Kenny Guinn also madean impassioned plea for reconsiderationbefore members of the commissionduring a meeting in New Mexico.

After three months of continuallobbying to save the Nevada Air Guardin its entirety, the Nevada Air Guard wasspared in August 2005 when the BRACcommision voted against theDepartment of Defense’s proposed rec-ommendations for the High Rollers. �

BRAC Air Guard recommendations voted down

A Nevada Air Guard C-130 sits among

the tons of supplies it carried to

Louisiana. The BRAC commission’s

decision allowed the Nevada Air Guard

to retain its emergency supply trans-

portation capability.


Army Guard:

World in

MotionA Nevada Army Guard Chinnook drops off infantry soldiers in Afghanistan. Courtesy CW3 Dan Walters

In nearly every military contingencysituation around the globe during thepast two years – whether internationalsites such as Iraq, Afghanistan ordomestic locations including NewOrleans or the Mexican border—Nevada Army National Guardsmenwere on the scene.

More than 1,200 of the ArmyGuard’s soldiers were deployed duringthe biennium. At press time, the totalnumber of deployed soldiers was downto 250, but the ongoing situations in Iraqand Afghanistan as well as an increasedNational Guard presence at the Mexicanborder almost certainly point towardmore deployments in the near future.

Each year, the Nevada Army Guardhonors its soldiers who excel in theirknowledge of military subjects, leader-ship, Army programs and current events.

The following soldiers were recognizedfor their achievements during the pasttwo years. The Soldiers of the Year wereSpec. Jake Boholst (2004) and Sgt.Katheryn Anderson (2005). The Non-commissioned Officers of the Year wereSgt. Sandra Flores (2004) and Staff Sgt.Harry Schroeder (2005). 1st. Sgts. DarrylKeithly and Jared Kopacki received the1st. Sgt. of the Year Award for 2004 and2005 respectively.

992nd Troop Command

The 992nd Troop Command isheadquartered in Las Vegas and the bat-talion includes the 72nd Military PoliceCompany, the 1864th and 593rdTransportation Companies, the 777thEngineer Utility Company and a head-quarters element. All of the battalion’sdeployable units have served in the com-

bat theater in support of OperationsEnduring and Iraqi Freedom.

The 1864th Medium TransportationCompany provides a fully trained forcecapable of conducting a wide range oftransportation support activities. Theunit deployed 150 soldiers in November2004 in support of Operation IraqiFreedom throughout Iraq and Kuwait.Through October 2005 the unit per-formed very successful long-haul truck-ing and convoy escort missions. Soldiersgained hundreds of thousands of milesof real life combat experience and theunit was designated as the first trans-portation unit to have an organic convoyescort platoon assigned to them. Anadditional mission for this platoon arosein May 2005 when higher headquartersidentified the 1864th as the organizationto test the concept of an entire platoon

Nevada soldiers respond globally to call to duty

Army Guard Overview


dedicated solely to providing convoy-escort platforms to sup-port the Iraqi express theater containment mission.

The organic convoy escort platform soldiers were taskednot only with the security of the 1864th convoy missions butalso with external security of other units and transportationconvoy missions throughout Iraq. Information garnered dur-ing this test will affect the force structure of transportationunits in the future.

The unit unfortunately endured one combat loss duringthe deployment. Spec. Anthony Cometa was killed June 16,2005, in an M-1114 rollover just north of the Kuwaiti borderwhile on convoy operations returning from BaghdadInternational Airport. Cometa was posthumously awarded theBronze Star Medal and the State of Nevada Legion of MeritMedal. Nonetheless, during this time of Operation IraqiFreedom, the 1864th had one of the lowest casualty ratios ofany unit.

The 1864th was able to successfully complete its missiondespite the fact enemy actions occurred on 64 of the 315 mis-sions, including small arms fire, improvised explosive devicesand mortars. All told, the Guardsmen drove 1.6 million miles.Unit awards included a Purple Heart Medal, seven Bronze StarMedals, 15 Meritorious Service Medals, 135 ArmyCommendation Medals (one with Valor), 25 ArmyAchievement Medals, 125 Drivers Badges, 15 MechanicsBadges, 14 coins of valor and 92 Combat Action Badges.

The 593rd Transportation Company (Petroleum, Oil andLubricants) is headquartered in Reno and has detachments inWinnemucca and Elko. At the time of this publication the unitis deployed to Iraq conducting combat logistical patrolsthroughout the entire theater. The unit should return inautumn 2007. As the state shares two transportation units withmany of the same technical capabilities, about two dozen sol-diers from the 1864th volunteered to deploy a second time toIraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

The 72nd Military Police Company is the only militarypolice company in the state of Nevada and was originallyformed in 1967. It’s been busy ever since.

From February to November 2003, the 72nd’s missionwas to secure the land formerly known as the Abu Ghraibprison and set up and operate an enemy prisoner of war/crim-inal internee facility. While in Iraq, the unit withstood numer-ous rocket-propelled grenade attacks, improvised explosivedevice convoy attacks, small arms fire, and hundreds of mor-tar attacks. The unit endured 45 consecutive days of mortarattacks during June and July of 2003.

In 2004 and 2005, the 72nd Military Police Company par-ticipated in state activations providing security and supporteda quick-reaction force in Clark County. The unit is highlytrained in non-lethal weapons and ammunitions and has seven

Department of Defense-trained, non-lethal weapons instruc-tors. The unit provides the primary instructors to all NevadaArmy National Guard units in civil disturbance training.

In September 2005, the 72nd Military Police Companydeployed for support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.Along with the Nevada Air Guard’s 152nd Security ForcesSquadron, the unit was the primary security element at theMorial Convention Center in New Orleans responsible for therecovery and evacuation efforts of more than 30,000 displacedcivilians. The unit members were awarded the FederalHumanitarian Service Medal and the State of LouisianaEmergency Medal.

In October 2005, the 72nd Military Police Company con-ducted annual training over the course of six weeks atVincenza, Italy. The unit conducted law and order and areasecurity operations there. Unit members were awarded the

Courtesy 1st Lt. Derek Imig

1st Lt. Derek Imig surveys a convoy in Iraq as the 1864th

Transportation Company prepares to move out for yet anoth-

er mission to transport supplies and goods in the combat

theater during the summer of 2005.


overseas training ribbon.The 72nd Military Police Company

is undergoing a fundamental changefrom an enemy prisoner of war unit to acombat support military police compa-ny. This change increases the unit size to170 Guardsmen.

The 777th, nicknamed the Triple 7,provides construction, excavation, andsurveying support operations. Organic

to the unit are electricians, plumbers,carpenters, masonry specialists, andheavy equipment operators, all utilizedduring its previous SW Asia deployment.The unit is also equipped with forklifts,road graders, dump trucks, compactionrollers and all-terrain backhoes.

In March 2005, the 777th deployedto Germany for an extended annualtraining period. While there the unit

built gazebos and concrete walkways inmock Afghani and Iraqi townships at theCombat Maneuver Training Center inHohenfels.

In October 2005, the unit plannedand built a new concrete foundationwith proper drainage for the guardhouseat the Clark County Armory and sur-veyed a one-mile running track forSouthern Nevada Guardsmen. Prior to

All of Nevada was relieved to see Company D, 113th Aviation conclude its arduous deployment to Afghanistan in March 2006.

Clockwise from top, the company waits in formation as the Army Aviation Support Facility hangar door opens to reveal hun-

dreds of family and friends eager to welcome the unit home. Chief Warrant Officer Steve Nielsen received a big embrace

from his wife Jeannette when the soldiers were finally reunited with their families and friends.


the end of 2005 the Triple 7 replacedmultiple broken and unsafe sidewalks atthe Henderson Armory.

In the spring of 2006 the unitrestored electrical power to several keystorage facilities at the HendersonArmory and rebuilt the armory’s stairsto the elevated motor pool. A fewmonths later, in order to support theCalifornia National Guard’s EngineerTask Force along the international bor-der with Mexico, the 777th deployed toSan Diego for its 2006 annual training.

During its two-week assignment, theunit’s heavy equipment section conduct-ed earth leveling, backfilling and trench-ing operations. The unit’s carpenters,masonry specialists, plumbers and elec-tricians completed drain system rein-forcement, underground pipe re-routingand electrical conduit sweeps for lightpole installation.

991st Troop Command

The 991st Troop Command head-quarters is located in Reno and the bat-talion includes the 150th MaintenanceCompany, the 1/69th Press CampHeadquarters, Detachment 1, C.Company 168th General Support

Aviation Battalion (MEDEVAC),1/189th Aviation Company and theHeadquarters and HeadquartersDetachment.

The 150th has supported numerousstate missions including the annual NewYear’s Eve exercise in Las Vegas. The150th has the “on the street” mission toconduct site surveillance of locationsdetermined as potential terrorist targetsin the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

The unit conducted its annual train-ing in numerous locations in the state ofArizona in a highly visible training envi-ronment supporting Operation JumpStart performing vehicle maintenancefor military and U.S. Border ProtectionService.

Working a non-traditional 21 days ofannual training, the unit worked manylong hours establishing themselves asthe very first maintenance company inthe United States to support the robustborder patrol mission.

During the three week trainingevent the unit successfully improved theState of Arizona’s overall border patrolfleet readiness rate by nearly 20 percent.

Their efforts were recognized by the

Secretary of the Department ofHomeland Defense, the commander ofthe Arizona National Guard, and per-sonally by the Governor of Arizona andthe Governor of the State of Sonora inMexico.

The 1/69th Press CampHeadquarters performed vital publicaffairs missions for the state of Nevadaincluding media escort duties during theannual New Year’s Eve exercise andserving as the primary conduit for allpress and media relations for the JointThunder exercise in South Dakota. The1/69th will convert to the 106th PublicAffairs Detachment in 2007 and willassume a broader role as it prepares forfuture missions.

Detachment 1, C Company, 168thGeneral Support Aviation Battalion isundergoing significant changes in itsstructure with the introduction of newbattalion doctrine for all aviation units.Although it was previously calledDetachment 1, 126th Aviation, the unithas been renamed and continues thesame medical-evacuation mission andworld-class support. One of the mostversatile and deployed units in the state

� The 321st Signal Company

was deployed for more than

one year assisting in commu-

nications and security mis-

sions.

� Staff Sgt. Chris Moreland

worked at night with paint

shipped in from the United

States to complete a huge

mural for the soldiers of the

321st.

Photos courtesy Maj. Wilson DaSilva


of Nevada, the unit was also called uponto perform real-world MEDEVAC sup-port to the New Year’s exercise in LasVegas. During the summers of 2005 and2006 it was also a pivotal player in thestate continual firefighting missions andperformed numerous firefighting dutiesthroughout northeastern and northwest-ern Nevada.

D Company, 113th Aviation spentapproximately three months at themobilization site of Fort Sill, Okla. anda full year deployed to Afghanistan insupport of Operation EnduringFreedom. The unit was ordered toactive duty in January 2005 and deployednearly 250 citizen soldiers from Nevada,Oregon and Washington, flying CH-47Chinook helicopters.

While the unit was based inKandahar, most of the soldiers support-ed logistical and maneuver operationsthroughout the country. These soldierssupported forward operating bases inevery part of the nation. The citizen sol-diers of Company D served with dis-tinction in several key support roles andplayed an instrumental role in furtheringthe efforts of freedom during a veryimportant rebuilding time for the people

of Afghanistan.Many of the unit’s missions were in

direct support of coalition forces as theywere engaged in direct combat. The unitwas faced with the dangers of dailycombat and on Sept. 25, 2005, experi-enced its first and only losses of lifewhen Mustang 22 was shot down byanti-American forces and five soldierswere killed. Of the five two, ChiefWarrant Officer Three John Flynn andSergeant Patrick Stewart, were from theState of Nevada. (See Page 44.)

The loss of these five soldiers didn’tdeter the unit from completing itswartime mission and returning to con-tinue its statside missions.

After its return in March 2006, theunit was awarded the Department of theArmy Deployment Excellence award forexceeding the standard in all areas relat-ed to the logistics of deploying a largeunit into a combat theater.

Since redeploying home the unit hasbeen actively engaged in yearly summerfirefighting missions throughout thestate. The unit is called to duty duringnearly every major fire in northernNevada to perform water bucket drops.

During 2005 and 2006, the units

assigned to the 991st Troop Commandexecuted a variety of challenging andsuccessful annual training events,deployments and mobilizations, andreal-world support to the citizens ofNevada. During all of these events theHeadquarters and HeadquartersDetachment, 991st Troop Command,was instrumental in ensuring the successof its subordinate units’ missions.

1-221st Cavalry

During 2004-2006, 1-221st Cavalryspent 22 months mobilized anddeployed to Fort Irwin, Calif., where itformed the core of the NationalTraining Center’s Opposing Force(OPFOR) training brigade combatteams from across the nation deployingto Iraq in both low- and high-intensitycombat operations.

While deployed to Fort Irwin, theWildhorse squadron helped train 11brigade combat teams, three Marine bat-talions, two Navy SEAL teams andnumerous pilots from the U.S. Navy’s3rd Fleet. In all the 1-221st Cavalryplayed a strategic role in training morethan 75,000 soldiers, sailors, andMarines.

As the National Training Center’s

�Capt. Randy Lau briefs his soldiers on what he wants to accomplish on

the gunnery range during tank gunnery practice in May 2005 at Fort Irwin.

�Sgt. Leon Paradis, dressed in insurgent garb, conducts a medical

evalution of his ‘insurgent’ comrade during opposition forces training.


elite OPFOR, the cavalry’s war-fightingtactical competence was showcased inevery rotation, including high- and low-intensity full spectrum operationsagainst numerous brigade combat teamsin urban combat, orchestrating hun-dreds of indirect fire attacks, sophisticat-ed ambushes, and armored tank andimprovised explosive device attacks.

On one occasion, the Wildhorsesquadron deployed to Fort Carson,Colo., in the middle of the winter totrain the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regimentduring its home station mission rehears-al exercise. If a new enemy technique orprocedure was seen on the battlefield ofIraq, the 1-221st Cavalry was adaptiveenough to execute it on the NTC battle-field almost immediately.

The 1-221st Cavalry transformedrole play at the NTC and set the stan-dard for fidelity and realism for rotation-al units, allowing them to employ theirnon-kinetic shaping assets to includehuman intelligence teams, public affairsand humanitarian relief.

While deployed at Fort Irwin,squadron troopers drove military vehi-cles more than 200,000 miles betweenFort Irwin and Nevada without a singleaccident.

The performance of 1-221 is wellknown at all levels of the Army and the

Secretary of Defense and it was one ofthe few units extended to nearly twoyears of active duty due to its superiorperformance and strategic importance inOperation Iraqi Freedom and theGlobal War on Terrorism.

At end of mission at the NationalTraining Center in May 2006, 105Wildhorse soldiers volunteered for con-tinued active duty service and deploy-ment to Iraq with a Multiple-LaunchedRocket System unit from Wisconsin. Atthe time of this publication those sol-diers are still in Iraq.

Since 2001, Wildhorse soldiers havebeen continually mobilized anddeployed in support of homeland secu-rity and the Global War on Terrorism,performing airport and airbase securitymissions, training American fightingmen and women for deployment to Iraqand Afghanistan, and conducting securi-ty force operations in Iraq.

The squadron’s focus for post-mobilization operations is to transitionto an armored reconnaissance squadron

Before the soldiers from the 593rd Transportation Company departed in July 2006 (below), they completed the first live-fire

and simulated improvised explosive device convoy training ever conducted by the Nevada Army National Guard.


as part of the esteemed 11th ArmoredCavalry Regiment and to prepare forfuture deployment as part of a heavyseparate brigade combat team.

422nd Signal Battalion

Over the past two years, the 422ndSignal Battalion has trained to deployworldwide as a composite signal battal-ion providing command and control,personnel, administrative and logisticalsupport for up to five signal companies.The battalion has units based in Renoand Las Vegas.

In September 2006, the battaliontransformed to an Integrated TheaterSignal Battalion (ITSB). As an ITSB, theorganization engineers, installs, operatesand maintains up to three major and 12extension command, control, communi-cations, computers, and informationtechnology nodes in support of thecombatant commanders (up to 16 bat-talion size command posts), army com-manders, or joint task forces across thebattle space.

At the time of this publication, the422nd is the only National Guard ITSBwest of the Mississippi River and willacquire subordinate units in Arizona andAlabama.

The 422nd Signal Battalion con-ducted annual training in June 2006 totrain and prepare soldiers for the transi-tion to an ITSB. The battalion deployedto Hawthorne in support of OperationGrecian Firebolt and installed a networkconsisting of troposcatter and satellitesystems. The training exercise gave thebattalion an opportunity to becomefamiliarized with its new equipment.

The 422nd ITSB will consist of aheadquarters company and C Companylocated in Nevada, A Company inArizona, and B Company in Alabama.Thirty soldiers from the future ACompany attended annual training withthe battalion.

In addition to training for the ITSBtransformation, the 422nd has beeninvolved in providing aid to state emer-

gencies.Over New Year’s 2004-2005, north-

ern Nevada experienced one of its worstsnowstorms in more than 50 years. Theheavy snowfall left many roads danger-ous and almost impassable. In response,members of the 422nd Signal Battalionalong with several other NevadaNational Guardsmen were called up forstate active duty. Humvees and driverswere provided to local authorities toconduct surveys of all the weather-relat-ed damage. Nevada Guardsmen alsoprovided assistance to citizens who weretrapped on icy roads or who couldn’t getout of their homes.

Members of the 422nd SignalBattalion were called up once again forstate active duty in June 2006 to supportforest fire containment in northernNevada. Operating from Carson CityHigh School, Guardsmen from the422nd along with other Nevada Guardunits provided transportation, supplies,and personnel to help contain the SierraTahoe Complex Fire that burned morethan 7,000 acres.

During hurricane season in 2005, 25battalion soldiers deployed to Louisianato assist with security operations. When

the battalion asked for volunteers, these25 citizen-soldiers quickly packed theirgear and deployed to New Orleans toassist during the national disaster.

The battalion took top honors inthe state and regional 2006 Philip A.Connelly Army Food Service competi-tion for the third time in six years (2001,2003 and 2006). In November 2006,the battalion will once again compete forthe national title. The battalion took sec-ond place honors in the 2001 and 2003national competition.

In March 2004, the 321st SignalCompany deployed to Kuwait and Iraqin support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The 321st arrived in Kuwait and imme-diately began providing inter-theatrecommunications. After six months ofhighly successful signal missions, com-mercialization was pushed through by7th Signal Command and the 321stbecame security specialists.

The unit provided security at CampBuehring for a month and then movedto Doha in Kuwait City. Additionally, asmall detachment went to CampNaviStar directly on the border ofKuwait and Iraq to help provide securi-ty. From November 2004 until departurein March 2005, the 321st provided secu-rity on busses transporting soldiers sup-porting OIF to and from their leaveflights.

Since returning from deployment,the unit has participated in numeroustraining exercises including GrecianFirebolt in June 2006. The unit contin-ues to train and remains ready for anymission during the signal battalion’stransformation.

During the past two years, the 440thSignal Company has been training tostand up as Charlie Company as part ofthe 422nd Integrated Theater SignalBattalion. With this transformationcomes new high-tech positions, equip-ment and communications capability.

The 440th trained alongside theactive duty Army in April 2005 duringthe 11th Signal Brigade field training

1st Lt. Dan Thielen, center, keeps a

close eye on officer candidates during

training in the Valley of Fire near Las

Vegas in May 2005. The Regional

Training Institute graduated 10 2nd Lts.

from the demanding Officer Candidate

School the past two years.

in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Eight months later the 440th fieldedthe first tactical satellites in the National Guard inventory.These satellites have the capability of providing the AdjutantGeneral and task force commanders in Nevada with a securemeans of voice and data communications during special secu-rity events or emergencies within the state.

In order to maintain technical and tactical proficiency, thecommunications equipment is used at every opportunity. InJune 2006, multiple satellites, switches, and data packages weredeployed during annualtraining in Hawthorne. Thenetwork included voice,data, video teleconferencingand helicopter video down-link and demonstrated toNational Guard leadershipthe indispensable tacticalcommunications assets con-tained within the battalion.

More than 40 soldiersfrom the unit have volun-teered during the past twoyears to augment other unitsdeploying in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.The 440th was tasked in2005 and 2006 over the NewYear’s Eve holiday to assist the police departments in southernNevada and the Transportation Security Administration tosecure the terminals and perimeter of McCarran InternationalAirport in Las Vegas.

In August 2005 the unit deployed a platoon to NewOrleans to help with security operations after HurricaneKatrina ravaged the city.

421st Regional Training Institute

With classes conducted in both Reno and Las Vegas, the421st Regional Training Institute (RTI) provides leadershipand military occupational specialty and skill courses for theNevada Army Guard and the Total Army School System.

At the Stead Training Center in Reno, the RTI can provideconcurrent classroom training for about 120 students in sixclassrooms, including 20 in a distance learning station featur-ing computer stations and video teleconferencing capability.The center can also house approximately 200 soldiers in thebarracks and the dining facility can feed 100 people an hour.Bivouac and soldier common task training can be conductedon the center’s 360 acres of training land.

The Officer Candidate School program at the RTI pro-duced five new officers in 2005 and five in 2006. The 18-month OCS program includes about 30 staff and faculty. The

demanding program has an attrition rate of about 50 percent,so only the best students make it through.

In 2005, OCS graduates were: 2nd Lt. Marshall Brink, 2ndLt. Charles Dickinson, 2nd Lt. Rommel Ferrer and 2nd Lt.Richard Jordan. The five new officers commissioned in 2006were 2nd Lt. Daniel Barraza, 2nd Lt. Michael Bordallo, 2nd Lt.Dennis Flynn, 2nd Lt. David Jennings and 2nd Lt. LuisMuruato.

Various non-commissioned officer courses are also con-ducted for professionaldevelopment within theenlisted ranks. Starting in2007, the RTI will offer 31BBasic Military Police and88M Motor TransportOperator courses. The BasicNon-Commissioned OfficerCourse continues to thrivewith 55 graduates in 2005and 63 graduates in 2006.Additional courses beingoffered for 2007 includeSmall Group InstructorTraining, Total ArmyInstructor Training,Company Level Pre-Command Course, Recruit

Sustainment, Non-Prior Service Personnel Training, and anupdated Combat Lifesaver Course.

In fiscal years 2005 and 2006, the 421st RTI graduated643 students from all courses offered.

Army Guard, Joint Force Headquarters

Joint Force Headquarters located in Carson City providestraining, administrative and logistical support to all units ofthe Nevada Army Guard. Joint Force Headquarters has sup-ported operations for more than 10 soldier readiness process-ing events and six mobilizations during the past two years. Theprocessing prepares individuals administratively and medicallyto ensure unit readiness for mobilizations. The unit also sup-ported operations and training in the state and around thecountry to include providing forces in support of HurricaneKatrina in Fall 2005 and the unit provided support for floodsin the Reno area at the beginning of 2006.

With about 50 medical and dental specialists, the NevadaArmy Guard’s Medical Detachment works closely with stateheadquarters to ensure all of Nevada’s soldiers are physicallyprepared for deployment.

The detachment proved its mettle in 2005 as it was amongthe first militay units on scene to provide medical evaluationsand triage for the citizens of Louisiana. �


Courtesy Lt. Col. Brenda Griffith

Medical Detachment soldiers help military pilots unload casual-

ties at Armstrong Airport following Hurricane Katrina.


National Guard Programs

The Nevada Counterdrug TaskForce is comprised of 66 full-time Armyand Air National Guard soldiers and air-men operating out of facilities at thePlumb Lane Armory in Reno, the AirNational Guard Base in Reno and theStead and North Las Vegas airports.

Task force operations are dividedinto four functional missions: theAviation Security and SupportDetachment (formerly theReconnaissance and InterdictionDetachment, or RAID) flying five OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, drug demandreduction, investigative support, andimagery/camera support programs.

The NVCDTF operates off a base-line budget of approximately $1.5 mil-lion provided by the Department ofDefense. Substantial additional fundinghas been provided by Nevada’sCongressional Representatives inWashington D.C. in the form of annualCongressional plus-up.

These additional funds over the pastsix years allowed the NVCDTF to growinto an entity capable of supportingstate requirements of counterdrug oper-ations, state emergencies and homelanddefense.

The NVCDTF performs as the taskforce aviation command duringOperation Vigilant Sentinel, the annualLas Vegas New Year’s Eve event, pro-viding and coordinating multiple avia-tion assets to support the needs of LasVegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentSWAT, patrol and aviation departments.

In this capacity, the counterdrugtask force provides real-time situationalawareness via video downlink from thehelicopters to all involved major civilianand military commands, some located asfar away as Carson City.

Throughout the entire eventNVCDTF facilities are utilized as thetactical operations center for the entireaviation piece of Operation Vigilant

Sentinel.In September 2005, NVCDTF

deployed in support of the HurricaneKatrina relief effort in New Orleans andNVCDTF was charged with commandand control of the reconnaissance taskforce comprised of up to sixteen aircraftfrom eight different states.

Due to the extensive video down-link and reconnaissance experience, theNVCDTF has been charged to spear-head the state’s imagery initiative.

This initiative will help link videocollection systems from various militaryairborne imagery collectors and allowthem to send wireless images, text andvoice communications to civilian andmilitary officials up to 80 miles.

Additionally the system will be com-patible with military and commercialsatellites and other communication

devices.The security and support detach-

ment, during normal day-to-day count-er- narcotic operations supporting lawenforcement agencies, flew 1,076 heli-copter hours and seized marijuana val-ued at $866 million along with nearly $9million in other drugs during fiscal year2005.

For fiscal year 2006, the unit flew1,017 hours and seized about 450,000marijuana plants in support of Office ofNational Drug Control Policy’s marijua-na eradication initiative.

Nevada Counterdrug’s drug demandreduction program is first rate and willrepresent the National DDR Programfor the second consecutive year at thePentagon for the Dee’s Red RibbonWeek.

The unit employs 11 Guard mem-bers who teach an integrated curriculumfocusing on gateway drugs, drug effectsand life skills to early teenage studentsthroughout the state.

Through the efforts of theseGuardsmen, the Nevada DDR programis integrated annually into 22 schoolsand six community-based organizations.

These soldiers and airmen are alsointegral to the success and future ofProject S.O.A.R. (Seeking Opportunitiesand Accepting Responsibilities), whichoffers four week-long resident campswith follow-on education and counsel-ing for juvenile misdemeanor offenderscurrently involved with the ClarkCounty Juvenile Justice Service.

This program graduated 201 stu-dents in the last two years. The drugdemand reduction team is also heavilyinvolved with a similar program inWashoe County called ProjectWalkabout.

This program is an annual nine-week, military-style camp that has grad-uated 67 students during the past twoyears. �

Counterdrug Task Force responsibilities expand

2006 Seizure ReportItem ValueCurrency $10,251,891Property $606,600Vehicles $472,985Weapons $18,720Cocaine $6,831,464Ecstacy $65,560Heroin $238,571Methamphetamine $4,007,216Marijuana-Cultivated $10,579,150Processed $2,295,902


The bulk of the activity in theNevada National Guard InternationalAffairs office focuses on its StatePartnership Program that links theNevada National Guard with its partnercountry, Turkmenistan, for the purposeof supporting the security cooperationobjectives of the U.S. Central CommandCombatant Commander.

The program’s goals reflect anevolving international affairs mission forthe National Guard using the uniquecivil-military nature of the Guard tointeract with both active and reserveforces of foreign countries.

The partners actively participate in ahost of engagement activities rangingfrom bilateral familiarization and train-ing events, exercises, fellowship-styleinternships, and civic leader visits. Allactivities are coordinated through thetheater combatant commander, the U.S.Ambassador’s country teams, and otheragencies as appropriate, to ensureNational Guard support is tailored tomeet both U.S. and host country objec-tives.

In early 1993 in order to avoid send-ing a provocative signal to the RussianFederation by assigning active dutytroops to staff the military liaison teamsin the Baltic nations of Latvia, Estoniaand Lithuania, the U.S. EuropeanCommand Combatant Commanderchose to staff the liaison teams withReserve Component personnel. TheNational Guard Bureau counter-pro-posed that Guard members do the joband the SPP was born. The programthus began as a bilateral military-to-mili-tary contact program to engage thecountries of central and eastern Europeand is a direct outgrowth of the U.S.European Command’s Joint ContactTeam Program.

The value of Nevada’s SPP is itsability to focus its attention on a singlecountry, Turkmenistan, in support of

U.S. government policies. This concen-trated focus allows development of longterm personal relationships and a mech-anism to catalyze support from outsidethe DoD, complementing U.S. (foreign)policy.

The Nevada SPP continues to flour-ish as the government of Turkmenistandemonstrates genuine interest in thepartnership. As objectives are satisfied,minimal additional resources arerequired to execute each engagementand National Guard core engagementcompetencies, particularly military sup-port to civil authority are heavily incor-porated with Turkmenistan’s Ministry ofDefense.

In fiscal year 2005 there were nineplanned information exchanges withTurkmenistan covering topics includingcounter-narcotics, search and rescue,hazardous materials, counter-terrorism,

fire response and agriculture.In fiscal year 2006 the Nevada

National Guard celebrated its 10thanniversary with Turkmenistan and theoccasion was marked with the first visitby The Adjutant General, Brig. Gen.Cynthia Kirkland, to Ashgabat,Turkmenistan’s capital city.

Additionally, the partnership hasgrown to 15 planned exchanges, advanc-ing most of the 2005 exchanges. Also in2006 the Nevada Guard hosted aTurkmen delegation in conjunction withPatriot East, a large NATO medicalexercise in Volk Field, Wis.

Another particularly successfulexchange was a counter-narcotics high-way interdiction exchange inTurkmenistan where drug search tech-niques and procedures of the NevadaHighway Patrol were demonstrated.

Nevada National Guard’s SPP pro-gram is also the project lead in buildingseveral security checkpoints along high-ways crossing into Turkmenistan fromIran and Afghanistan. The ribbon cut-ting ceremony for completion of thefirst checkpoint bordering Iran isplanned for November 2006. �

Turkmenistan, Nevada continue close partnership

TurkmenistanPopulation: 4.86 million peopleArea: Total 488,100 sq. km.(Slightly larger than California)

Border countries: Afghanistan,Iran, Kazakhstan, UzbekistanClimate: Subtropical desertNatural resources: Petroleum,natural gas, coal, sulfur, saltMedian age: 22 yearsLife expectancy: 62 yearsEthnic groups: Turkmen 85%,Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, Other 6%Religion: Muslim 89%, EasternOrthodox 9%, Other 2%

The Nevada National Guard and the

Turkmenistan government worked in

conjunction on the construction of a

major Turkmen border crossing facility

near Iran. The project is set to be com-

pleted in November 2006.



One of the main differencesbetween Department of Defense mili-tary entities and the National Guard isthe Guard’s commitment to the state inwhich it resides. One way the NevadaNational Guard supports and protectsits local communities is through the92nd Civil Support Team (CST) forWeapons of Mass Destruction.

The unit is capable of supportingcivil authorities at domestic chemical,biological, radiological, or nuclear orexplosive (CBRNE) sites by identifyingpossible chemical, biological, radiologi-cal or nuclear agents or substances,assessing current and projected conse-quences, advising on response measures,and assisting with appropriate requestsfor additional support.

The CST is federally funded,equipped, and trained but falls under thecommand and control of the state gov-ernor. The team is based in Las Vegasand consists of 22 highly skilled, full-time Army and Air NationalGuardsmen.

The unit is broken down into sixsmaller sections: command, operations,communications, administration andlogistics, medical and survey.

The CST is trained and equipped toprovide technical capability to “reachback” to other experts who can assistthe incident commander.

The team can also rapidly deploy toa suspected or actual terrorist attack,conduct reconnaissance to determinethe effects of the attack, provide situa-tional understanding, technical consulta-tion to local authorities on the effects ofthe attack to help minimize impact, andfacilitate follow-on additional militarysupport through civilian requests forassistance.

Standing up in 2004, the CST spentthe first year hiring all personnel, con-ducting 800-1,200 hours of individualtraining, acquiring and moving into a

new facility, and receiving and makingmission ready all new equipment.

In April 2005, the CST traveled toFt. Leonard Wood, Missouri for initialcollective lanes training.

The initial training was a resoundingsuccess as evidenced when the evalua-tors from the 5th U.S. Army stated theunit was already performing better thanmany of the existing certified teams.

The CST’s first year culminated withan external evaluation in August 2005 atthe UNLV Thomas and Mack Center.The CST passed all areas evaluated andcompleted the last of its certificationrequirements. The CST readiness levelwas upgraded to the highest category inSeptember 2005 and remains there todate.

The unit has also completed morethan 15,000 hours of individual training,in addition to their military professionaldevelopment schools, from the NationalFire Academy, the Defense NuclearWeapons School, FEMA, and theDepartment of Energy.

The CST also frequently rolled outon internal exercises to practiceresponding to a CBRNE incident.

In the fall of 2005, the CST sentpersonnel and equipment to Louisianaand Texas in response to HurricanesKatrina and Rita. In Texas, the teamestablished a communications site forthe Texas National Guard. In Louisiana,CST personnel searched for and identi-fied thousands of unmarked containersto ensure hazardous containers wereproperly marked and mitigated.

The National Guard'sStandardization Evaluation andAssessment Team visited in February2006 to evaluate the CST.

Throughout the last two years, theCST took every opportunity offered towork with first responders, the ClarkCounty Health Department, and theFBI.

In November 2005, the CST partic-ipated in the Noble Responder Exercisein Sparks. This was the first opportunitythe CST had to work in northernNevada and was a fruitful experience.

One of the most common CST mis-sions is to cover Department ofDefense designated special securityevents. For New Year’s 2006, the CSTpartnered closely with Las Vegas Metroto help ensure the public’s safety.

During the Miss America Pageant inJanuary 2006 and the Busch and NextelNASCAR races in March 2006, the teamoperated jointly with LV Metro, ClarkCounty Fire, Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms, and the FBI toensure the public’s safety.

In August 2006, the CST deployedto Hawaii to participate in a DefenseThreat Reduction Agency improvisednuclear device exercise.

In September 2006, the 92nd CivilSupport Team participated in anothermajor reinforcing exercise in LosAngeles and San Diego. �

Civil Support Team personnel, equipment in place

Capt. Greg Venvertloh of the Civil

Support Team analyzes a chemical sam-

ple in the unit’s portable laboratory dur-

ing an excercise in Sparks in 2005.


The Nevada National GuardFamily Programs Office promotes fami-ly readiness though improved communi-cation, education and the establishmentof a mutual support network betweenmilitary and family members.

All National Guard units in Nevadahave an established family support net-work and as deployments across theglobe crop up, the office is always pre-pared to help.

The office is managed by one full-time technician and one full-time AirGuard Wing Coordinator. In addition,the Nevada National Guard currentlyemploys nine contractors in the FamilyPrograms office including a deploymentyouth specialist as well as Army and AirGuard volunteers.

Focused on the development offamily support groups, the staff initiateda unit visitation schedule to promote theprogram and to encourage family partic-ipation in the support groups. The goalis to improve readiness in regard to fam-ily care plans, identification cards, enroll-ment in the Real-Time AutomatedPersonnel Identification System and

additional military educational informa-tion.

Nevada currently has two FamilyEducation Resource Centers equippedwith Defense Enrollment EligibilityReporting enrollment and identificationcard abilities. The centers are staffed bycontractors trained to provide essentialservices and referral assistance to sol-diers, families, family readiness groups,retirees and rear detachments of

deployed units. The centers are availableto all military members. More than 3,000military members and their familiesmake contact with the centers eachmonth.

Knowing a strong Guard familyincludes every member, the FamilyPrograms Office sponsors a youth pro-gram for children. The Family Programsoffice recently established a partnershipwith 4-H of Nevada and the Boys andGirls Club of Nevada. Last year, youthprograms hosted a Safe HalloweenNight, Easter Egg Hunt and DiscoverYouth Adventures camp.

The camp is a week-long eventoffering leadership skills, kayaking, skitsand environmental studies in the SierraNevada Mountains. More than 3,000Guard family members have participat-ed in Family Programs activities duringthe past two years.

In addition, the Family ProgramsOffice hosts readiness training, pre-deployment briefings and volunteertraining. The office also sponsors socialtrips and a Retiree Appreciation Dayeach October. �

Administered, operated and partially funded by theNational Guard, Nevada is one of 27 states participating inProject ChalleNGe, a residential program that provides co-edparticipants ages 16-18 educational and social skills needed forfuture success and employment potential. The program, pri-marily for at-risk youth in danger of failing to complete thiersecondary education, includes a five-month long residentialphase conducted in a military atmosphere followed by oneyear of post-residential mentoring. In recent years, Nevadaparticipants have attended Project ChalleNGe along withArizona students at the Arizona Project ChalleNGe site locat-ed in Queen Creek, Ariz.

There is a minimal, nominal cost to the student and nomilitary obligation to students who enroll in the program.

Students enrolled in the program follow a rigorous andchallenging daily schedule that begins at 5 a.m. and includesphysical training, academic work and personal development

courses. The key core curriculum of the program allows manyparticipants to earn their General Education Developmentdiploma and learn job skills that lead to a career. Course top-ics include life-coping skills, educational excellence, job skillstraining, responsible citizenship, leadership, health andhygiene, community service and physical fitness. Weekends aredevoted to field trips and community service projects.Students wear a uniform during the course and adhere to rigidcodes of conduct, standards of appearance and program reg-ulations.

About 30 Nevada students graduated from the programduring 2005 and 2006, bringing the total number of Nevadastudents who have graduated from the program since itsinception in 1993 to about 200.

About 78 percent of these graduates have earned theirGEDs and about half have either gone on to college or enlist-ed into the military. �

Family Programs Office offers support network

Project ChalleNGe aims for educational success

Campers at the Purple Camp hosted by

the Family Programs Office enjoyed

activities such as equestrian rides.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Frank Marquez



The National Committee for Employer Support of theGuard and Reserve (ESGR) is a program designed to adviseGuard and Reserve members and their civilian employersabout their rights and obligations under the Uniform ServicesEmployment and Reemployment Rights Act.

The Nevada committee is made up of volunteers fromthroughout the state, including businessmen and women,retirees and active Guard and Reserve members, and one full-time employee in Carson City. Promoting public and privateunderstanding of the Guard and Reserve, the Nevada ESGRcommittee receives requests for information and assistancefrom both Guard/Reservists and their employers.

The committee also encourages Guard and Reserve mem-bers to request Department of Defense certificates of appre-ciation to recognize the members’ employers as patriots.

A variety of awards are presented each year by the statecommittee recognizing the state’s top employers. Chosenfrom employers nominated by their military employee, severalare selected for recognition with the “State Chairman’sAward.”

The employer selected as the top employer in the statewho went above and beyond the requirements established bylaw receives the Pro Patria Award, meaning “For The Nation”in Latin.

National recognition of select employers who supporttheir Guard and Reserve employees are annually presentedThe Secretary of Defense Freedom Award, the most presti-gious award in the nation and limited to 15 recipients. 2006marked the first time a Nevada employer received the award

and in fact Nevada walked away with two awards.In addition to receiving the 2005 Pro Patria award, the Las

Vegas based MGM Mirage Corporation was one of twoNevada companies who received the 2006 Secretary ofDefense Freedom Award. The Northern Nevada municipalitySun Valley General Improvement District is the other Nevadaemployer that received the award September 21, 2006, inWashington, D.C. �

Nevada employers receive national recognition

Gov. Kenny Guinn signed Nevada’s ESGR Five-Star

Statement of Support in Carson City on Sept. 27, 2006, in

Carson City. On hand for the historic signing were (left to

right): Maria Zaldivar-Vaught, Nevada ESGR Executive

Director, Brig. Gen. Cynthia Kirkland, Guinn, John Runner II,

ESGR Program Support Manager and Dr. Dixie Sue

Allsbrook, ESGR State Chairwoman.

Photo by Richard Johnston/Office of the Governor

Honor Guard events, operations at all-time high

Sgt. Ari Morales folds the

U.S, flag at the funeral of

state senator Jake Jacobsen.

The Nevada National Guard HonorGuard remains one of the busiest sections ofthe organization. The Army Honor Guardclosed 2006 with an all-time high of 566funeral missions performed statewide. Thatnumber was 222 more than the 344 funeralservices the honor guard participated in dur-ing 2005.

Five-hundred and fifteen funeral missionswere conducted in the southern region and 51funeral missions were conducted in the north-ern region. In total, the Nevada State ArmyHonor Guard participated in 640 ceremoniesduring fiscal year 2006.

The Nevada Air Guard’s honor guard wasjust as busy during the last two fiscal years.

The 16-member team performed more than100 events during the biennium, presentingthe national and state colors at funerals, natu-ralization ceremonies, athletic events, confer-ences and festivals throughout northernNevada.

It is estimated the Nevada State ArmyHonor Guard will participate in over 670funeral missions statewide in 2007.

In addition to the funeral missions, theNevada State Honor Guard also participatedin 74 color guard missions statewide.

This was a slight decrease in numberscompared to the previous two years as thecolor guard focused more of its resources onmilitary funeral honors. �


Although national stories in themedia have portrayed the military havinga difficult time meeting recruiting goals,the Nevada National Guard has arobust, successful recruiting programthat consistently meets and exceedsnationally- and locally-set goals forrecruiting and retention of Battle Bornsoldiers and airmen.

To retain and attract high-quality air-men and soldiers, the Army and AirNational Guard often offer federally-funded cash bonuses for new enlisteesand troops re-enlisting in critically-manned career fields. The bonuses areopen to troops who enlist or reenlist forthe maximum extension or enlistmentperiod and meet other criteria.

Additionally, with combat opera-tions ongoing, the demand for somecareer fields has increased exponentially.In many cases a new soldier can receiveup to a $20,000 enlistment bonus in theArmy Guard; the Air Guard increasedthe enlistment/re-enlistment bonus to$15,000 for a six year contract and a

$7,000 bonus for a three year contract.In the Nevada Army National

Guard, 157 initial enlistees earned $1.91million in bonuses and 85 re-enlisteesreceived $1.2 million during fiscal year2005. In 2006, $4.4 million was splitamong 286 initial enlistees in the ArmyGuard and 127 reenlisting soldiers havereceived $1.7 million.

The Nevada Army Guard recorded

506 enlistments in 2005, giving it morethan 100 percent of its authorizedstrength.

Those positive numbers continuedthrough 2006 and the Army Guard isnow at 108 percent of its authorizedstrength.

The Nevada Air Guard enlisted 128new members and met 100 percent ofits goal for 2005 and it enlisted 118 newmembers in 2006 and was at 118 percentof its goal at the conclusion of the fiscalyear. The Nevada Air Guard ended fiscalyear 2005 at 96 percent of its manninggoal and that number rose to 104 per-cent by the end of 2006.

The Nevada Air Guard Recruitingand Retention Team also opened uptheir first off-base office in Reno. Theoffice made it easier for recruits to meetwith and talk to an Air Guard recruiterwith out having to go through the secu-rity measures required for on baseaccess. The Nevada Air Guard distrib-uted $300,000 in incentives and studentloan repayment assistance in 2005. �

The Office of the Adjutant General manages several edu-cational benefits and services for members of the NevadaNational Guard. The Guard’s education services offices alsoassist members with career guidance and education counsel-ing, free college entry exams, college course credit exams,graduate level exams, free national certification tests and freeCLEP tests for military spouses.

In October 2005, the state legislature signed into law a 100percent tuition waiver program for eligible Guard members.During the 2004-2005 terms (including a trial portion beforethe bill became law) the program served more than 600 Guardmembers.

Over the four-semester biennial dozens of Guard mem-bers have obtained associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.According to Nevada National Guard recruiting officials,about 85 percent of recruits and interstate transfers considerfederal and state tuition assistance programs a major influencein their decision to either join or remain in the NationalGuard.

During fiscal years 2005 and 2006, the GI Bill offered Air

and Army Guard members who enlisted for six years morethan $3,500 each year for college course work, industrialapprenticeships, advanced flight training and/or correspon-ding study programs. Hundreds of Nevada National Guardmembers take advantage of the GI Bill each month.

The GI Bill Kicker program boosted the monthly GI Billpayments by up to as much as $350 for eligible Guard mem-bers based on the priority of the member’s unit or the demandof the member’s military occupational specialty.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Administrationadded a new Mobilization GI Bill for Soldiers and Airmanwho have been deployed or called to active duty. A Reservemember who serves on active duty and has been called up fordeployment on or after September 11, 2001 for at least a 90day contingency/deployment is eligible. The new program isknown as Reserve Educational Assistance Program.

Additionally, the Nevada Air Guard base is a satellite sitefor the Community College of the Air Force, an associate-level degree program offering university transferable credits toall undergraduate airmen. �

Recruiting bonuses lead to improved totals

Elko Mayor Mike Franzoia hops onto the

recruiting Climbing Wall during the Elko

Armory open house in November 2005.

Education services office promotes lifelong learning


The Air National Guard Directorate administers the per-sonnel, facilities, training and equipment budgets for the AirNational Guard. It maintains an aircraft and equipment inven-tory valued at more than $33 billion. The Air and ArmyNational Guard combined receive about 4.4 percent of thenational-defense $401.7 billion budget. The 2005 budget forthe entire Air National Guard was $7.1 billion and it increasedto $7.2 billion in 2006. Of that amount, about $2.55 billionwent to personnel accounts (including monies for military payand training).

Of that national budget, $73.8 million went to the Nevada

Air Guard in 2006. Expenses in 2006 were up nearly $14 mil-lion from 2005; much of that increase can be attributed to thesupport of the Global War on Terrorism.

Hundreds of High Rollers have been mobilized andwhether the airmen deploy internationally or domestically tosustain an increased operations tempo, the deployments resultin cost increases for the Air Guard. Some costs are borne bythe state, specifically custodial and utilities, but most areabsorbed by federal entities. Other factors included a nearly $6million increase in property maintenance, security and utilitiesand a $2 million increase in fuel costs. �

Air Guard pay and allowances near $50 million


The Army National Guard Directorate operates in a sim-ilar manner to the Air Guard Directorate and administers thepersonnel, facilities, training and equipment budgets for theArmy National Guard. The Air and Army National Guardcombined receive about 4.4 percent of the national-defense$401.7 billion budget. The 2005 budget for the entire ArmyNational Guard was $10.6 billion and it increased to $11.2 bil-lion in 2006. Of that amount, about $5.9 billion went to per-sonnel accounts (including monies for military pay and train-ing) in 2006. The operations and maintenance budget for theArmy National Guard was $4.51 billion in 2006.

Out of the national budget in 2006, $66.6 million went tothe Nevada Army Guard in 2006.

Expenses in 2006 were up about $3 million from 2005;much of that increase is attributed to a nearly $5 millionincrease in pay and allowances for Army Guard soldiers. Thisincrease in pay expenditure can be attributed primarily to thenumerical growth of soldiers in the Nevada Army Guard.These pay expenditures are commensurate with the overallgrowth in numbers of Battle Born soldiers.

Nevada Army Guard recruiting had a banner year in 2006.The state received authorization to increase the overall end-strength of the entire organization each of the last two fiscalyears. New units and more soldiers in the state likely meansmore resources will be at the governor’s disposal and a resultmay be an increased federally-funded budget. �

Nevada Army Guard outlays exceed $66 million


Economic Impact

Numbers reflecting totalmilitary pay and expendituresreveal that the NevadaNational Guard provided theSilver State more than $270million in dollar influx overthe past two years.

The economic impactinformation on this pagereflects the Nevada Office ofthe Military’s actual expendi-tures (both state and federal)in each of Nevada’s countieswith a National Guard pres-ence.

Influx estimates arebased on the percentage oftotal National Guard airmenand soldiers drilling in eachrespective county.

The following is a shortoverview on the type of mili-tary pay drawn by the airmenand soldiers in the NevadaNational Guard:

Traditional NationalGuard Pay - TraditionalArmy and Air Guard trainingusually entails one weekendper month and 15 days peryear. One weekend tour ofdrills represents a total offour drills. In addition tothese minimum requirements,traditional airmen and sol-diers frequently participate inadditional training days in apay status and sometimes in avolunteer status. TheNational Guard Bureau fed-erally funds all of these days.

Technician Pay - Full-time military technicians ofthe Air and Army NationalGuard receive this pay. These

positions are funded by theDepartments of the Armyand Air Force and are allocat-ed by the National GuardBureau.

Technicians work an 80-hour pay period (every twoweeks) and also participate inweekend and annual training,in addition to the many

deployments with which theirunit is tasked.

Active Guard andReserve Pay -Army and AirGuard members who per-form and receive orders forfull-time National Guardduty in excess of 179 consec-utive days are called ActiveGuard and Reserve members.

The federal governmentfunds all of their pay andallowances. These soldiersand airmen work an 80-hourpay period and also partici-pate in all weekend and annu-al training, in addition todeployments. Complete paytables can be viewed atwww.militaryalmanac.com. �

Economic

influx tops

$270 million


Construction and Environmental Reports

The Nevada National Guard contin-ues to update and modernize its facili-ties. Over the past several years, newconstruction and refurbished buildingsallowed the Nevada Guard to streamlineand grow into a better, more efficientforce.

New construction at the Air Guardbase in Reno has rerouted roads,revamped buildings more than 50 yearsold and allowed airmen to communicateacross the globe quickly, securely andeffectively.

On the Army Guard side, a brandnew readiness center is set to open in thespring of 2007 in southwest Las Vegas.The new facility will help alleviateencroachment issues at the HendersonArmory and allow Nevada to bring new

units to one of the fastest growing met-ropolitan cities in the country.

The improved and increased num-bers of facilities proves to be a bargainfor Nevadans. All of the Air Guard’sand many of the Army Guard’s

upgrades and new construction are 100percent federally funded.

The new readiness center in south-ern Nevada is a 75 percent/25 percentsplit with the federal government pick-ing up the majority of the tab. �

Three areas of environmental importance have influencedthe focus of the Army environmental program during 2005and 2006.

In the north, the continuing efforts at the Swan LakeNature Study Area adjacent to the Stead Training Site haveseen improvement in controlling invasive plants on Guardproperty. The program of mowing, spraying, and seedingresulted in the recovery of about four acres of native grass outof a 24 acre Whitetop infestation. Future plans on adjacentCounty land calls for the use of goats for weed abatement inwet areas where equipment and spraying is not feasible.Washoe County Parks and Recreation Department has extend-ed the wetland boardwalk several hundred yards into the heartof the Swan Lake bird viewing area.

The Audubon Society designation of Swan Lake as anImportant Bird Area in 2006 recognized the areas unique fea-tures as a high desert wetlands with over 130 species ofmigrating birds. The wet 2005 and 2006 winters resulted in theexpansion of free standing water from less than 200 acres toabout 800 acres in the spring of 2006.

In southern Nevada, development of the new Las Vegas

Readiness Center, located off Blue Diamond Road and thecontinuing development at the Floyd Edsall Training Centerresulted in high profile projects. The new Readiness Center isscheduled for substantial completion in the spring of 2007.Prior to approvals from various agencies, surveys for haz-ardous materials, threatened and endangered species and anEnvironmental Assessment were completed. A 5,000-gallonwater truck was also obtained and greatly improves dust con-trol when ever construction or vehicle activity disturbs nativesoil.

An External Environmental Safety Occupational HealthCompliance Assessment Management Program was conduct-ed in April 2006. The Nevada Air Guard base did well withseveral positive findings. The Air Guard continues to worktowards closure of Environmental Restoration Program sitesin partnership with the Nevada Division of EnvironmentalProtection. Waste minimization and pollution preventionefforts continue to show exceptional results with overall wastegeneration numbers reduced by 25 percent compared to pastbase activities. (Complete environmental report availableupon request.) �

New facilitiesfor both Air,Army Guard

Environmental offices progress on several fronts


Nevada National Guard History

The history of the Nevada National Guard within thestate continues to be a popular topic. In fact, the history ofthe Nevada National Guard was predominantly featured bythe Nevada State Library and Archives during NevadaArchives Week 2006. “Homeland Security 1936” was thetheme of archives week and photos from Army Guard train-ing in 1936 comprised the bulk of the featured historical arti-cles.

Unfortunately, 2005 will be remembered as a sad chapterin Nevada National Guard history asthe organization suffered its first threeArmy combat deaths since World WarII with the loss of Spc. AnthonyCometa, Sgt. Patrick Stewart andChief Warrant Officer John Flynn.

According to the Nevada StateLibrary and Archives department,the previous killed-in-action deathexperienced by the Nevada ArmyNational Guard was Sept. 21,1944, when Corp. Fitch Rowely lost hislife while fighting on the ground in Holland. He was a sol-dier in the airborne infantry and had fought at Normandy.Nine Nevada Guardsmen were killed during World War II.Lt. Frank Salazar of the Nevada Air Guard was shot down incombat over Korea on Dec. 31, 1952.

The Nevada National Guard can trace its history back to1861. After the Comstock Lode’s heyday, Nevada’s popula-tion declined, making it difficult for the National Guard toraise and maintain local companies. At the turn of the centu-

ry, the entire Nevada National Guard consisted of two poor-ly equipped Virginia City companies. These units were con-sidered social organizations suited only for parades and otherceremonies.

In 1906, the Nevada National Guard suffered the humili-ation of being disbanded after federal inspections revealedthe state’s guard fell far short of federal requirements. Forthe next 20 years, Nevada was the only state in the Unionwithout a guard. In lieu of National Guard troops, PresidentTheodore Roosevelt was forced to send active-duty troops to

Goldfield in 1907 to quell a labor disturbance.Even without an effectiveguard, though, Nevadansresponded enthusiastically tocalls for troops during the con-flicts of the era. During theSpanish-American War, Nevadaraised companies A through F ofthe 1st Battalion, Nevada InfantryVolunteers, and Troops A and Mof the Nevada Volunteer Cavalry.Troop M, also known as “Torrey’sRough Riders,” mustered out of

Florida on Oct. 24, 1898. Troop A mustered out of SanFrancisco on Nov. 6, 1898, and arrived in Manila,Philippines, on Dec. 6, 1898, and returned from duty in 1899after being stationed at Cavite and seeing action against theSpanish Army.

From 1912-1914, several communities attempted toorganize guard units through popular subscription, beginning

All of the photos in this section were taken during Winnemucca Company F, 116th Engineers’ annual training at Camp

Merriman near San Luis Obispo, Calif., in 1936. The photos were discovered in the Winnemucca Armory in a scrapbook and

forwarded to the Nevada State Historical Records Board and displayed during Nevada Archives Week 2006.

Casualties marked sad chapter in Guard history


with Lovelock and followed by Reno, Fallon, andWinnemucca. In 1914, the Nevada National Guard was reor-ganized; however, once again the legislature did not appropri-ate funds. As a result, the units were never inspected for fed-eral recognition and were never formally inducted into theservice of either the state or the nation.

Through the efforts of Governor Fred Balzar, theNevada National Guard was finally reformed with the mus-tering of the 40th Military Police Company at Reno, a part ofthe 40th National Guard Division, in 1928.

As during World War I, Nevadans enlisted and were con-scripted into the military during World War II. However, inWorld War II, some soldiers were able to serve in the state’sguard. Many Nevadans served with the 121st SeparateBattalion of Coast (AA) Artillery. The battalion was orderedinto federal service on June 23, 1941, and was sent to CampHahn, Calif., for training, where it lost its NevadaNational Guard organizational identity.The battalion was thenassigned to the West CoastDefense System and providedanti-aircraft defense for LosAngeles. Some of the battalion’scomponents saw action in thePacific Theater in the RyukyusCampaign.

Following World War II, theNational Guard was not reorgan-ized until all National Guard units inthe United States were released fromactive federal service on Feb. 6, 1946.

The reorganization of the Nevada National Guard com-menced on July 1, 1946, with Nevada receiving an offer of astate headquarters, headquarters detachment, an ArmoredCavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and an army band unit.However, reminiscent of troubles earlier in the century, the1947 state legislature failed to appropriate the necessaryfunds to support the state’s designated national guard units.

Finally, on Nov. 13, 1947, the citizens of Winnemuccadonated the necessary funds to begin recruiting members toform and man the National Guard. There was a favorableresponse to enlistment efforts and the guard grew rapidly.

The Nevada National Guard expanded with the creationof the Nevada Air National Guard following the NationalSecurity Act of 1947. The Nevada Air National Guard wasbased out of the Reno Air Force Base (Stead) and it original-ly flew P-51D Mustang fighters. The unit was activated dur-ing the Korean conflict from March 1951 through December1952.

On Dec. 15, 1967, the Nevada Army National Guard

was converted, reorganized, and redesignated as the 3dSquadron, 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment. For the firsttime since 1889, a cavalry unit returned to Nevada. The 3dSquadron consisted of a headquarters in Reno, with units inElko, Winnemucca, Yerington, Hawthorne, Las Vegas andHenderson. The 72nd Military Police Company was alsoformed with units in Ely and Fallon.

During 1968-69, the Nevada Air Guard – then flyingRF-101 Voodoo aircraft – was activated during the PuebloCrisis following North Korea’s seizure of the USS Pueblo.During the crisis, Nevada airmen served in Korea, Japan,Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and 18 bases within theUnited States.

Although a major operation conducted by the Army dur-ing Vietnam was designated “Nevada Eagle” and resulted in

59 enemy casualties, no NevadaArmy Guard units weredeployed to Vietnam. Nevadadid lose 143 of its active-com-ponent soldiers, airmen andsailors during the VietnamWar.

The Nevada Air Guardserved in Bahrain duringOperation DesertStorm/Desert Shield dur-ing 1990-91 and flew more

than 350 combat missions inthe RF-4C Phantom II. The RF-4C aircraft

assigned to the state were the last dedicated tactical recon-naissance aircraft in the Air Force inventory when they wereretired on Sept. 27, 1995.

The Army Guard’s 72nd Military Police Company alsodeployed to Operations Desert Shield and Storm to performprisoner of war operations.

Since 1995, the Nevada Air National Guard has flown C-130H Hercules transport aircraft. The C-130 is an all-weath-er, four-engine turbo-prop aircraft that allows Nevada’s152nd Airlift Wing to carry out its primary wartime missionof providing rapid airlift deliveries of cargo and troops.

Today, the Nevada National Guard has more than 3,500airmen and soldiers in its ranks. The Army Guard includesfive battalions and the Air Guard entails one flying wing, anintelligence squadron and detachment.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Nevada National Guard hasbeen among the top five states in percentages of airmen andsoldiers deployed in support of the global War on Terrorismand Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the past five years, theNevada National Guard has deployed soldiers and airmen tocountries including Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. �

38 Nevada National Guard 2006 Biennial Report

The Adjutant General

Brig. Gen. Cynthia Kirkland becameThe Adjutant General for the State ofNevada on June 11, 2005, following theretirement of Maj. Gen. GilesVanderhoof.

As adjutant general, Kirkland is themilitary chief of staff to the governorand is responsible for both the federaland state missions of the NevadaNational Guard. She now commandsmore than 3,500 members of theNevada Air and Army National Guard.

Kirkland was born in California in1953 and graduated from high school in1972. After serving an active duty enlist-ment in the Navy from 1973-1977, shemoved to Reno and subsequentlyreceived a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of Nevada, Reno.

She enlisted in the Nevada AirNational Guard in 1982 and wasassigned to the 192nd ReconnaissanceSquadron as an airfield managementtechnician. She was commisioned as a2nd. Lt. in 1986 and became a full-timetechnician in December 1988 after selec-

tion as the 152nd CommunicationsFlight commander. In 1995, she wasassigned as the State Public AffairsOfficer for the State of Nevada.

In 2000, she was selected byVanderhoof to serve as the Air GuardChief of Staff. She served in that posi-tion until October 2003, when she wasselected to fill the position as the JointChief of Staff for the newly organizedJoint Headquarters.

In her previous position as standingJoint Force Headquarters chief of staff,Kirkland was the principle managementliaison between the National GuardBureau and the Nevada AdjutantGeneral and all assigned NevadaNational Guard components and units.Directed by the National Guard Bureau,she oversaw and ensured the implemen-tation of the Nevada Guard Joint ForceHeadquarters structure in 2003. �

Brig. Gen. Cynthia Kirkland discusses the training at Fort Irwin, Calif., with 1st. Lt.

Christian Wilson at Tiefort City, one of the mock insurgent cities used for training

soldiers for a variety of scenarios before their deployment to a combat theater.

Brigadier General

Cynthia KirklandThe Adjutant General

Col. Louis CabreraUnited States Property and Fiscal Officer

Col. Louis Cabrera has been the UnitedStates Property and Fiscal Officer forNevada since Sept. 1998. As the USPFO forNevada, he is accountable and responsiblefor all federal resources in the possession ofthe National Guard within the state.

An armor officer, Cabrera received hiscommission after completing OfficerCandidate School at the Nevada MilitaryAcademy in 1972. Since then, he has servedin a variety of positions including platoonleader, company commander, and chief ofstaff.

Cabrera graduated from WoodrowWilson High School in Los Angeles in 1968and he subsequently graduated from theUniversity of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelorof science degree in 1981 and a master’s ofbusiness administration degree in 1992.

Adjutants General of NevadaGeneral H.P. Russell 1862-1864Brigadier General John Cradlebaugh 1865-1867C.N. Notware, Secretary of State 1867-1870James D. Minor, Secretary of State 1871-1874Brigadier General Jewett William Adams 1875-1883Brigadier General Charles E. Laughton 1883-1886Henry C. Davis, Lieutenant Governor 1887-1889Samuel Chubbucks, Lieutenant Governor 1889Frank Bell, Lieutenant Governor 1889-1890Brigadier General Charles Henry Galusha 1890General Joseph Poujade 1891-1895Brigadier General Charles Henry Galusha 1895-1898Brigadier General George W. Cowing 1898Brigadier General James R. Judge 1898-1903Lineal Allen, Lieutenant Governor 1903-1906Denver S. Dickerson, Lt. Governor 1907-1911Brigadier General Gilbert C. Ross 1911-1915Brigadier General Maurice J. Sullivan 1915-1926Brigadier General Jay H. White 1927-1947Brigadier General Marlowe M. Merrick 1947Major General James A. May 1947-1967Major General Addison A. Millard 1967Major General Floyd L. Edsall 1967-1979Major General William F. Engel 1979-1983Brigadier General Robert J. Dwyer 1983-1986Major General Drennan A. Clark 1986-2000Major General Giles Vanderhoof 2000-2005

United States Property and Fiscal OfficersLieutenant Michael E. Norton, ARNG 1946-1953Colonel Earl A. Edmonds, ANG 1953-1975Colonel Willis L. Garreston, ARNG 1975-1985Colonel Charles W. Fulkerson, ARNG 1985-1991Colonel Giles E. Vanderhoof, ANG 1991-1995Colonel Robert J. Hayes, ARNG 1995-1998Colonel Louis A. Cabrera, ARNG 1998-

Col. Louis Cabrera, seen here at the

reopening ceremony of the Elko Armory

in 2005, has been Nevada’s USPFO offi-

cer since 1998.


Joint Force Leadership

Brigadier General

Robert FitchJoint Staff Director

Joint Staff consolidationimproves responsiveness

In 2002 the National Guard nationwidebegan consolidating into 54 Joint ForceHeadquarters, one for each U.S. state, ter-ritory and the District of Columbia. The con-solidation was implemented to ensure theNational Guard is more responsive to thewide-ranging missions within the states andwith the goal of allowing headquarters per-sonnel to provide services, administrationsand command to multi-service forces.

In Nevada, the consolidation hasallowed a higher degree of cooperationamong the Nevada Army and Air Guard, aswell as other military services. The head-quarters is broken down into eight function-al areas, augmented by a command and spe-cial staff.

The J-1 Personnel section is involved inall aspects of manpower management forthe approximately 650 full-time NationalGuard staff.

The J-2 Intelligence section is theoffice that advises the adjutant general onall intelligence functions including foreignintelligence, intelligence policy, programsand special security operations.

The J-3 Operations section providesthe capability to exercise command andcontrol over all assigned, attached, or oper-ationally aligned forces responsible forhomeland defense within Nevada, and sup-port civil authority with capabilities andforces for homeland security and domesticemergencies.

The J-4 Logistics directorate is com-posed of the surface maintenance, logisticsmanagement and facilities managementbranches.

The J-5 Strategic Plans section over-sees future plans and policies for the jointforce headquarters. The section is responsi-ble for strategic planning for current andfuture military strategies, developing jointintegration plans, and action plans.

The J-6 Communications section pro-vides day-to-day communications includingtelephone, Internet, communication securi-ty, teleconferencing, data processing, dis-tance learning and mail services.

The J-7 Doctrine, Training andExercises section encompasses training,unit readiness and mobilization. The sectionis responsible for monitoring unit trainingplans to meet both wartime and domesticmission requirements.

The J-8 Resource section is in chargeof resource management. It providesresource planning, capabilities-based analy-sis, and overall program requirements andvalidation. �

The Adjutant General and Joint Force CommanderBrig. Gen. Cynthia Kirkland

Director of the Joint StaffBrig. Gen. Robert Fitch

Director of Personnel, J-1Col. David Cantrell

Director of Intelligence, J-2Col. Frank Landes

Director of Operations, J-3Col. Craig Wroblewski

Director of Logistics, J-4Col. Alan Butson

Director of Strategic Plans, J-5Col. Robert Webb

Director of Communications, J-6Lt. Col. Peter Menicucci

Director of Doctrine, Training and Exercises, J-7

Col. Michael Carlson

Director of Resources, J-8Col. Terry Sullivan

Judge Advocate GeneralLt. Col. Richard Blower

State ChaplainLt. Col. William Rohrer

State Counterdrug OfficerLt. Col. Kim LaBrie

State Public Affairs OfficerCapt. April Conway

Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch became theNevada National Guard’s Director ofthe Joint Staff in June 2005. In his posi-tion, Fitch is the principle managementliaison between the Adjutant Generaland all assigned Nevada National Guardcomponents and units.

Fitch was born in Boise, Idaho in1950 and graduated from Reno HighSchool in 1968. He enlisted in theNevada Air National Guard in 1969 andbecame a commissioned officer in 1982.Fitch graduated from the University ofNevada, Reno, with a bachelor’s degreein Business Administration with anempahsis in accounting in 1974. His mil-itary education includes the completionof Squadron Officer School (1991), AirCommand and Staff College (1996) andAir War College (2002).

One of the highlights of his earlycareer came when Fitch was selected torepresent the Nevada National Guardand Nevada in the initial consultationstalks with Turkmenistan, Nevada’s sister

country in the National Guard’s StatePartnership Program (see Page 27).

His involvement helped pave theway for the partnership that Nevadaenjoys today. Another highlight occurredwhen he was awarded the MeritoriousService Medal for his service duringOperations Desert Shield/Storm. �

Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch, Director of the

Joint Staff, oversees the eight functional

areas of the Nevada National Guard’s

joint staff including intelligence,

operations, logistics and training.

Joint Force Headquarters Staff

Air Guard Leadership


Air Guard Senior Staff

Commander, Air Guard, and AssistantAdjutant General Brig. Gen. Michael Gullihur

State Command Chief Command Chief Master Sgt. John Ternau

Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Jim Cumings

State Air Surgeon Col. Richard Newbold

152nd Airlift WingCol. Jonathan ProehlCommand Chief Master Sgt. Raymond Lake

152nd Maintenance GroupCol. Steve HansonChief Master Sgt. Alan Delsanto

152nd Medical GroupCol. Jack SchnurrChief Master Sgt. Kenneth Gray

152nd Mission Support GroupCol. Gary TurnerChief Master Sgt. David Chin

152nd Operations GroupCol. Michael WilliamsChief Master Sgt. Robin Mocabee

Detachment 1, Nevada Air National GuardLt. Col. Stephen SikesSenior Master Sgt. Ray McCollum

152nd Intelligence SquadronLt. Col. Les GonzalezChief Master Sgt. Rick Scurry

Brigadier General

Michael Gullihur

Assistant Adjutant General,Commander, Air Guard In May 2005, Chief Master Sgt. John

Ternau was selected as the seventhCommand Chief Master Sgt. in the his-tory of the Nevada Air National Guard.

Ternau enlisted in the Nevada AirNational Guard in1969 and wasassigned to theconsolidated air-craft maintenancesquadron as anaircraft navigationsystems mechan-ic. In November1970 he wasoffered a full-timeposition as a Navigation SystemsRepairman.

In 1975 he was selected as theNavigation Shop supervisor for thenewly-acquired RF-4C. During the next20 years, Ternau was promoted numer-ous times and served as the communica-tions navigation supervisor, radar super-visor and sensor supervisor until hiscommand chief selection. He has beenthe senior enlisted airman on severaldeployments to Panama and Italy. �

John Ternau

Command Chief Master

Sergeant John Ternau

State Command Chief

Brig. Gen. Michael D. Gullihur is thecommander of the Nevada Air NationalGuard.

In his position, Gullihur overseesand manages the duties and activities ofthe more than 1,100 airmen in theNevada Air Guard encompassing the152nd Airlift Wing, the 152ndIntelligence Squadron, Detachment 1 insouthern Nevada, and HeadquartersNevada Air National Guard in CarsonCity.

Gullihur was born in Reno in 1949.He graduated from Earl Wooster HighSchool and has a Bachelor of ScienceDegree from Regents College of NewYork. Militarily, he has completed bothAir Command and Staff College and AirWar College.

Gullihur enlisted in the Nevada AirNational Guard in 1967. During his nineyears as an enlisted airman, he attainedthe rank of technical sergeant. In 1976he was commissioned and in 1977 heattended Undergraduate Pilot Trainingat Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi,and graduated with honors. His flying

career has included operations in the T-37, T-38, RF-4C, C-12J, C-26 and the C-130 aircraft. He has served as an instruc-tor, evaluator, and maintenance checkflight pilot in all unit-assigned aircraft.He is a graduate of the RF-4 FighterWeapons School, the C-130 AdvancedTactical Training course and has accruedover 6,100 hours of flight time, includ-ing 25 combat missions duringOperation Desert Storm. �

Brig. Gen. Michael Gullihur became the

commander of the Nevada Air National

Guard in June 2006.

Cols. Richard Newbold (left) and Jack

Schnurr oversee medical triage opera-

tion in New Orleans in 2005.

Courtesy 152nd Medical Group


Brig. Gen. Francis “Frank” P.Gonzales serves as the commander ofthe Nevada Army National Guard. Inhis position, Gonzales oversees andguides the training and readiness activi-ties for all units assigned to the NevadaArmy Guard.

Gonzales became the commander inJune 2006. He was previously the deputycommander of the Nevada Army Guardand the brigade commander for theBattle Born Brigade (Troop Command)in Las Vegas from 1996-99.

He has also served as the battalioncommander for the 121st ChemicalBattalion in Elko and he was the com-mander of the 150th Heavy EquipmentMaintenance Company in Carson City.

In February 2006, Gonzales con-cluded a deployment in Iraq where heserved as the Gulf Region DivisionProject and Contracting Office Chief ofStaff and Security in the InternationalZone forward operating base.

As chief of staff, Gonzales oversawcontractors working on 3,400 projectsworth $18.4 billion and he was also

responsible for the 2,700 soldiers, air-men, Marines, and sailors employedacross the combat zone contributing tothe reconstruction of Iraq.

In his civilian occupation, Gonzalesis the operations executive for theNevada Power Company in Las Vegas.In his current position, he is responsiblefor the transmission and distribution ofthe energy that powers the lights ofNevada's most-populated city. �

Brigadier General

Frank Gonzales

Assistant Adjutant General,Commander, Army Guard

Command Sgt. Maj.

Stephen Sitton

State Command Sgt. Major

Brig. Gen. Frank Gonzales became the

Commander of the Nevada Army Guard

in June 2006.

Command Sgt. Major Stephen A.Sitton became the Command SergeantMajor of the State of Nevada on Jan. 6,1997. Prior to his assignment as the StateCommand Sergeant Major, he was thecommand sergeant major for the 422ndSignal Battalion in Reno.

Sitton was born in 1955 in Tulare,Calif. He has an Associate Degree fromTruckee MeadowsC o m m u n i t yCollege in Reno.His variousa s s i g n m e n t sinclude fieldswitchboard oper-ator, supply ser-geant, aviationmaintenance sec-tion chief, avia-tion platoon sergeant, detachment ser-geant and first sergeant.

He was assigned as the commandsergeant major for Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 1/113thAviation in May 1995. He transferred tothe 422nd Signal Battalion as its com-mand sergeant major in June 1996. �

Stephen Sitton

Army Guard Senior Staff Commander Army Guard,Assistant Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Frank Gonzales

Deputy Commander, Army Col. Robert Herbert

State Command Sgt. Major Sgt. Maj. Stephen Sitton

Chief of Staff Col. Felix Castagnola

Deputy Chief of Staff, Training and OperationsCol. Michael Carlson

Director of ArmyPersonnelLt. Col. Johnny Isaak

Director of Army LogisticsCol. Alan Butson

Director of Army Information ManagementLt. Col. Peter Mennicucci

State ChaplainLt. Col. William Rohrer

State SurgeonLt. Col. Andrew Cameron

State Aviation OfficerLt. Col. Robert Harington

Army Public Affairs OfficerLt. Col. Marcy Gower

Judge Advocate GeneralMaj. Lawrence Irwin

Army Dental OfficerCapt. Joyce Anacker

991st Troop CommandLt. Col. Robert HaringtonCommand Sgt. Maj. John Hefner

992nd Troop CommandLt. Col. Jeffrey MarkCommand Sgt. Maj. Greg Cook

1-221st Cavalry SquadronLt. Col. John CunninghamCommand Sgt. Maj. Robert Reid

Medical DetachmentLt. Col. Andrew Cameron1st. Sgt. Catherine Summers

422nd Signal BattalionLt. Col. Peter MeniccucciCommand Sgt. Maj.Kelly Cusinelli

1/421st Regional TrainingInstituteLt. Col. Zachary DoserCommand Sgt. Maj.Darryl Keithly

Joint Force Headquarters,ArmyMaj. Chris Patterson1st Sgt. Mark Rogers

Chief of SafetyCommand Sgt. Maj.Harry HouseSgt. Elexia Casteel

Army Guard Leadership

Primary Nevada Guard Equipment


The Nevada Army Guard maintains60 M1A1 tanks at three western loca-tions. About 30 of those tanks remain atFort Irwin, Calif., for training purposesand the remainder of the tanks are atClark County Armory and the YeringtonArmory. The M1A1 is the backbone ofthe armored forces and its purpose is tosuccessfully attack and destroy anyopposing armored fighting vehicle in theworld while providing protection for itscrew in a combat environment. �

The Nevada Air Guard has eight C-130 Hercules cargo planes in its posses-sion. The C-130 has been the NevadaAir Guard’s primary aircraft since 1995,when the Nevada Air Guard transitionedfrom RF-4Cs.

Using its aft loading ramp and doorthe C-130 can accommodate a wide vari-ety of oversized cargo, including utilityhelicopters and six-wheeled armoredvehicles to standard palletized cargo andmilitary personnel. In an aerial deliveryrole, it can air drop loads up to 42,000pounds or use its high-flotation landinggear to land and deliver cargo on rough,dirt strips.

The flexible design of the Herculesenables it to be configured for many dif-ferent missions, allowing for one aircraftto perform the role of many. Much ofthe special mission equipment added tothe Hercules is removable allowing theaircraft to revert back to its cargo deliv-ery role if desired. Additionally, the C-

130 can be rapidly reconfigured for thevarious types of cargo such as palletizedequipment, floor loaded material, airdrop platforms, container delivery sys-tem bundles, vehicles and personnel oraeromedical evacuation. �

C-130 Cargo Aircraft

CH-47, UH-60,

OH-58 Helicopters

M1A1 Abrams Tanks

M915 Truck Tractors

A Nevada Air Guard C-130 cruises over

Nevada’s scenic Lake Tahoe.

A Nevada Army Guard M1A1 searches

for simulated enemy at Fort Irwin, Calif.

The 593rd Transportation Company in

Elko displays its M915 tractors in 2005.

The Army Guard’s 593rd and1864th Transportation Companies oper-ate 60 M915A3 truck tractors. The 593rdusually uses its truck tractors in conjunc-tion with its M967A2 5000-gallon fueltrailers. The now-deployed 593rd did nottake its 60 trucks into the combat the-ater; they remain in Nevada available forstate missions. �

At the conclusion of fiscal year2006, the Nevada Army Guard was inpossession of 16 helicopters. Six wereCH-47 Chinooks, six were UH-60Blackhawks and four were OH-58Kiowa observational aircraft.

CH-47D – Staffed by crews fromCompany D, 113th Aviation, the CH-47can operate at night and in nearly allweather conditions.

The Chinook can accommodate awide variety of internal payloads, includ-ing vehicles, artillery pieces, up to 44troops, or 24 litters plus two medicalattendants. The aircraft can carry up to26,000 pounds externally, including largebuckets of water used for fire fighting.

UH-60 – Det. 1, 126th MedicalCompany operates four types ofBlackhawks among its six aircraft.

The unit has three UH-60Ls, one

UH-60A, one UH-60L modified to be afire-fighting specialized aircraft, and oneHH-60L that is medical evacuation spe-cific.

OH-58 – The Aviation Support andSecurity unit has four observational hel-icopters based in Reno and Las Vegas.The OH-58 comes from a family of“scout” observation helicopters manu-factured by Bell Helicopter Textron andeach can carry four passengers. TheOH-58’s primary missions are recon-naissance, surveillance, and intelligencegathering. The aircraft are often used insupport of civilian law enforcement. �

A Nevada Army Guard CH-47 Chinook

flies at sunset in Afghanistan.

Nevada National Guard Facilities

Joint FacilitiesOffice of the Adjutant General2460 Fairview Drive Carson City, NV 89701775.887.7302Joint Force Headquarters, 150th Maintenance Co., Nevada Air Guard Headquarters

Air Guard FacilitiesNevada Air National Guard152nd Airlift Wing,152nd Intelligence Squadron1776 National Guard WayReno, NV 89502-4494775.788.4500

Nevada Air National GuardState Headquarters, NVANG2460 Fairview DriveCarson City, NV 89701775.887.7235

Nevada Air National GuardDetachment 1, NVANG4370 N. Washington Blvd.Nellis AFB, NV 89191702.404.2392

Army Guard FacilitiesArmy Aviation Support Facility20,000 Army Aviation DriveReno, NV 89506775.971.6097D Co., 113th Aviation, Det. 1, 126th Aviation Medical Co.

Civil Support Team Facility4511 W. Cheyenne Ave. Suite 700Las Vegas, NV 89032702.643.4271

Floyd Edsel Training Facility(Clark County Armory)6400 N. Range Road Las Vegas, NV 89115702.632.0519992nd Troop Command; HHT, B, C and DTroops, 1/221st Cavalry; Det. 1, 421st Regional Training Institute

Elko Armory1375 13th StreetElko, NV 89801775.778.3003Det. 2, 593rd Transportation Company

Ely ArmoryMill Ave. and Mill St.P.O. Box 1028 Ely, NV 89301702.632.0592Det. 1, 72nd Military Police Company

Fallon Armory895 E. Richard Street Fallon, NV 89406775.423.3050Det 1, HHT, 1/221 Cavalry

Henderson Armory151 E. Horizon Ridge ParkwayHenderson, NV 89002702.567.45801864th Transportation Co., 72nd Military Police Co., 777th Team Engineer Utilities Team

OSA C-12 Fixed Wing Facility20,000 Army Aviation DriveReno, NV 89506775.972.2748Det. 45, OSA

Plumb Lane (Reno) Armory685 E. Plumb Lane Reno, NV 89502775.348.5120JFHQ Medical Detachment, Counterdrug Headquarters,Recruiting and Retention Offices

Stead Training Site4600 Alpha Avenue Reno, NV 89506775.677.5214421st Regional Training Institute

United States Property and Fiscal Office2452 Fairview DriveCarson City, NV 89701775.887.7802Joint Force Headquarters,Finance and Contracting, Army Guard Warehouse

Harry Reid Training Facility(Washoe County Armory)19980 Army Aviation Drive Reno, NV 89506775.971.6031991st Troop Command, 422nd Signal Battalion, 593rd Truck Company

Winnemucca Armory735 W. 4th Street Winnemucca, NV 89445775.625.8280Det 1, 593rd Truck Company

Yerington Armory14 Joe Parr Way Yerington, NV 89447775.463.6201A Troop, 1/221st Cavalry

The Ely Armory is one of the most remote armories in the contiguous United

States, located 188 miles from its nearest neighbor, the Elko Armory, and 320

miles from the state headquarters in Carson City. The Ely Armory, built in 1959, is

located on Mill St. and houses Detachment 1 of the 72nd Military Police Company.



In Memorium

One day after his 21st birthday onJune 16, 2005, Spc. Anthony S. Cometaof the 1864th Transportation Companybecame the Nevada Army Guard’s firstdirect casualty as a result of OperationIraqi Freedom. He died in a vehicle acci-dent while on amission providingescort protectionin Iraq about 10miles north of theKuwaiti border.

During his 11months in south-west Asia, Cometahad participatedin 16 missions intoIraq and he had driven more than 13,000miles in the region.

Cometa was a native of Rochester,N.Y. and had moved to the Las Vegasarea in 1999. He graduated fromSilverado High in 2002 and enlisted inthe Nevada Army Guard in 2003.

Cometa was recognized as anaccomplished musician and he often col-laborated with other soldiers to produceoriginal digital music. His guitar wasalways in safe hands and it was alwaysproperly tuned. �

Chief Warrant Officer John M.Flynn, 36, became a casualty in theGlobal War on Terrorism on Sept. 25,2005, when the Chinook helicopter hewas piloting was shot down by hostilefire about 180 miles southwest of Kabul,Afghanistan. Fourother soldiers alsodied in the attack,including fellowNevada guards-man Sgt. PatrickStewart.

Flynn, a resi-dent of Sparks,graduated fromReno High in 1988 and he enlisted thesame year in the Nevada Army Guard.He completed warrant officer school in1992 and subsequently became aninstructor pilot. He recorded more than1,700 hours of flight time and was a vet-eran of numerous domestic deploy-ments including firefighting missions.

Flynn, who was also a civilian con-tractor, was married and had two youngchildren.

He attended Summit ChristianChurch in Sparks and he enjoyed dirtbiking and water skiing. �

Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, 35, was thechief flight engineer on Company D’sChinook helicopter that was shot downby hostile fire on Sept. 25, 2006, about180 miles southwest of Kabul,Afghanistan.

Four other soldiers, including fellowNevada guards-man John Flynn,were killed in thecrash.

Stewart was aNevada native andgraduated fromWashoe High in1989. He subse-quently enlisted inthe Army and served abroad duringOperation Desert Storm and in Korea.

After completing his active dutystint in 1996, Stewart moved to Ohiowhere he owned a construction compa-ny with his brother.

He returned to Nevada in 2001 andenlisted in the Nevada Army Guard in2002.

Stewart married his wife Roberta onNov. 22, 2003, in an outdoor ceremonyin the Virginia Highlands. He andRoberta resided in Fernley. �

Spc. Anthony S. Cometa

1864th Transportation Co.

CW4 John M. Flynn

Co. D, 113th Aviation Co.

Sgt. Patrick Stewart

Co. D, 113th Aviation Co.

Anthony CometaPatrick Stewart

John Flynn

2006 Nevada National Guard Biennial Report produced byNevada Office of the Military Public Affairs Office

2460 Fairview DriveCarson City, Nevada

775.887.7252

State Public Affairs Officer: Capt. April ConwayPublic Affairs Specialist: Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka

Contributors: Capt. Shawn Bromley, 1st. Lt. Derek Imig, Tech. Sgt. Roy Harvey, Master Sgt. Brenda Henry,Rick Linares, Jeff Kintop (Nevada State Archives).

All photos by Conway and Studenicka unless otherwise noted.Additional copies available upon request or view www.nevadaguard.com online.

Documents

The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn, Governor of Nevadaepubs.nsla.nv.gov/statepubs/epubs/470325-2005-2006.pdf · The Honorable Kenny C. Guinn, Governor of Nevada Capitol Building Carson