Robert D. Gaylor NCO Academy recognized by Texas Military Forces
Chief Master Sgt. Norm King, TXMF Public Affairs
2009/02/27

Brig. Gen. Bob Cheeseman, the Texas State Guard Air Division Commander, recently presented the Texas Meritorious Unit Award to Chief Master Sgt. Albert McGowan, Robert D. Gaylor NCO Academy Commandant, and his instructors.

Academy instructors and staff have supported the Airmen and Soldiers of the Texas State Guard by voluntarily offering both an NCO and Senior NCO Professional Development Course of Instruction since 2002. The courses, presented each summer, are a comprehensive and professional program tailored to the needs of the Texas State Guard NCO Corps.

The courses include an advanced reading list requirement and four full days of instruction over two intense weekends. More than 200 Texas State Guard NCOs have been trained in the last seven years.

This professional training has paid great dividends in advancing the NCO Corps of the Texas State Guard helping them to more easily interface with their counterparts in the Texas Army and Air National Guard. The training provided to the Texas State Guard has been a voluntary, community service effort by the academy’s faculty on their off-duty time and at no cost to the Texas State Guard or the Air Force.

Soldiers to Use GPS Next Hurricane Season
Ashlea Sigman
2009/02/07

GPS devices are becoming more and more common. Now, the Texas Military will be using them after a disaster.

The 2nd Battalion, 8th regiment of the Texas State Guard, based in Bryan, trained at Lick Creek Park in College Station Saturday.

Working with a program developed by the Columbia Geospatial Center, the soldiers learned how to better respond after natural disasters, using GPS.

“Like downed power line or injured personnel or hazardous waste and when we’re done making all of our points, we can upload it to a computer and then print it on a map so emergency responders can see exact spots where the problem areas are,” said Lt. Joseph Ferguson.

The technology was used by a small group after Hurricane Ike, and will be more widely used this coming hurricane season.

click to read more...