Posts From December, 2013

During this joyous time of the year

During this joyous time of the year, I would like to wish a Merry Christmas to each of you, your families and friends. 
Over the past year each of you has stood ready to serve fellow Texans at a moment's notice. 
Thank you for your service to Texas. I am looking forward to a great 2014 and hope you are too!

Tony Rodriguez
MG, TXSG
Commanding

Soldiers from the 19th Regiment delivered toys

Group Photo with two large containers full of toysSoldiers from 19th Regiment delivered toys raised during ‘Young Heroes of the Guard’ toy drive this past weekend to two children’s hospitals, Medical City Children’s and Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Genesis shelter was also provided toys for children from homes of domestic abuse. TXSG troops were able to deliver some toys and a smile to others during their visit. The toy drive was headed by Chaplain Vick and 2LT Adam Mosser.

Rhueben Towne of the Texas State Guards 5th Air Wing

Group Photo with a large amount of toys in boxes“We just wanted to make Christmas a little brighter for the children who have to be in the hospital” said Staff Sargent Rhueben Towne of the Texas State Guards 5th Air Wing. Several other cities throughout Texas have done the toy drive for the Young Heroes of the Guard in the past few years and we thought it was time to add Houston. We put out boxes around the city and Houstonians donated as they usually do. We chose Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital as the recipient. The hospital provides toys at Christmas, birthdays, after difficult procedures and several other parties, so they have a year round need. Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital also has several playrooms which are stocked with games and toys.

Thursday December 19th members of the 5th Air wing and the Houston MRG delivered over 730 toys to the hospital. They were greeted by Richard Weir the Director, Facility Operations of Child Life Department. Staff members also said it was the largest single donation Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has received to date. The TX State Guard toy program has expanded statewide and has brought comfort to the smallest Texans at this important time of year.

The 4th Air Wing of the Texas State Guard made a visit to the hospital to hand out donated toys

ABILENE, Texas -
Christmas came early for several sick kids at Hendrick Children's Hospital Thursday.

"Unfortunately we’re in the hospital so it doesn't quite feel like home," said Olivia Brigham whose daughter is at Hendrick Children’s Hospital.

The 4th Air Wing of the Texas State Guard made a visit to the hospital to hand out donated gifts.

The event is called "Young Heroes of the Guard" and this is the first year Hendrick Children's Hospital has been included in it.

"It was surprising, I didn't know. It was very exciting. We went in there and there were so many friendly faces and presents and our daughter was just so elated and so excited to pick out her presents," said Brigham.

"It's a pleasure just to watch these kids come in and they're just having a good time and that's just a good feeling," said First Lt. Don Howe of the 4th Air Wing.

The goal is to leave a year's worth of toys behind at every hospital they visit. Where do the toys come from?

"The toys came from all the men and women of the different Air Support Groups and the 4th Air Wing and they bought these and they donated them," said Howe.

This year the 4th Air Wing visited more than 900 hospital beds around Texas with one goal in mind.

"For them to have a Merry Christmas," Howe said.

"It makes it feel a little bit more like home," said Brigham.

To donate toys to the Young Heroes of the Guard mail them to 2200 W. 35th Street, Building 32, Austin, TX 78763

WATCH THE VIDEO

Texas State Guard HQ delivered 1,500 toys

Group Photo of TXSG Personnel and Hospital staffA few days before Christmas, members of the Texas State Guard HQ delivered 1,500 toys to Dell Children's Hospital in Austin. This was the third year that the group collected for this hospital and it was the largest delivery so far. SGT John Gately of the J6 section headed up the drive supported by COL Joe Jelinski, TXSG CSM Bell and MSG Lightfoot.

SGT Gately has been collecting toys for this drive for the last 4 years. He started with the 19th Regiment and their toy drive at Dallas Children's hospital and when he transferred to HQ, he continued the work to benefit a hospital in Austin. During the last 4 toy drives, SGT Gately has collected almost 4,000 toys. When asked why he is so passionate about this effort he stated; " when I was 6 years old, I broke my leg. When he got out of the hospital, his parents had gotten him a stuffed teddy bear, and he remembers how happy it made him. Now he wants to help bring the same joy to other children."

This year he had a special helper. His son PFC Jacob Gately helped him with the toy collection and he's hoping the "addiction" catches on for him, too.

Texas Counterdrug Task Force cracks down on local drug haven

Tech Sgt. Carl White Jr., 147th Civil Engineers, 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard, uses the heavy 45,000 pound Komarsu excavator to crunch rubble from a destroyed house into smaller pieces ready to be transported to a local landfill, Harlingen, Texas, Dec. 16, 2013.
Tech Sgt. Carl White Jr., 147th Civil Engineers, 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard, uses the heavy 45,000 pound Komarsu excavator to crunch rubble from a destroyed house into smaller pieces ready to be transported to a local landfill, Harlingen, Texas, Dec. 16, 2013. The house, identified by local law enforcement as being used for illicit drug activity contained gang graffiti painted on many walls. Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force's Operation Crackdown destroys drug havens in partnership with city officials and law enforcement agencies. (Army National Guard photo by Ken Walker, Texas Joint Counter Drug Task Force Public Affairs Office).

 Courtesy story

 
 HARLINGEN, Texas – Chants of "Knock it Down, Knock it Down!" reverberated through a small Harlingen neighborhood in  mid-December as the Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force's Operation Crackdown demolished another abandoned and  unsafe structure. The house was known as a drug haven to the local Harlingen Police Department. The structure was  less than half a mile from the Sam Houston Elementary School.

 Operation Crackdown is a program in which Texas Military Forces (TXMF) soldiers and airmen demolish structures  associated with the drug trade. To date, the program has demolished close to 1,350 structures, varying from frame  houses, to an abandoned warehouse, to a 40,000 sq./ft. former nursing home. 

 The task force is responsible for the coordination and organization of all Crackdown missions; they partner with cities  across the state to help reduce drug use and other illegal activities.

 Thirty-five fifth-grade students, from Sam Houston Elementary School gave a clear and unmistakable, "knock it down"  command, ordering Texas Air Guard Tech. Sgt. Carl White Jr. to destroy the building.

 Without hesitation, White smiled and gave a nod to the students as he slowly raised the boom and positioned the bucket  over the roof of the small wood structure that just five years earlier had been called home to an elderly man. 

 The massive 45,000-pound excavator roared as its bucket cut through the wooden structure as easily as a hot knife  through butter. First the roof collapsed then White folded the walls onto the structure as if he was giving an advanced  origami demonstration. The structure collapsed into a pile of rubble and dust in under five minutes.

 As dust rose up and debris settled to the ground, the children raised the hands and yelled with excitement, "cool," "this  rocks" and "Wow, did you see that?”

 Sam Houston Elementary School assistant principal Faustino Villanueva said the children's participation throughout the day  helps them understand their involvement in the community. 

 "It's good because the children look up to the National Guard and service members in the armed forces,” Villanueva said.  “They see [the service members] and feel proud, confident and secure.”

 Fifth grade teacher, Odilia Moreno, said some structures close to the elementary school were unsafe and she worried  her school children would one day be injured if they were to explore the abandoned and dilapidated structures.

 Members of the Operation Crackdown team are personally selected for their heavy equipment operator skills, knowledge  and experience. SGT Chris Mejia, 342nd Engineering Company, has assisted with Operation Crack for several years as a  heavy equipment transport driver.

"This is our third mission in Harlingen. We love coming to Harlingen because the city has done all of the necessary preparation and welcomes us. During our missions in 2011 and 2012, we [tore down] 55 Harlingen structures. We plan on demolishing around 30 structures at 15 locations this trip," Mejia said.

Each mission requires up to a year to plan, coordinate and receive clearances for all the legal requirements to be completed. Each structure is required to undergo several safety and hazardous materials inspections and then receive written permission from the owners prior to demolition.

City Code Enforcement Manager Elida Mendoza said one of the time consuming parts is tracking down the legal owner and receiving their written permission. Many of the houses have not been lived in for several years, family members move away and the properties became abandoned.

Once abandoned, the former homes can quickly become a place where drug users, drug dealers and gang members use them as a place to get high, execute drug transactions and participate in other illegal activities.

Mayor Chris Boswell also expressed support for Operation Crackdown.

"The partnership with the Texas National Guard has proven to be a successful tool in beautifying our community and fighting crime," the mayor said. "This partnership, along with the excellent job of our police department, has been a key factor in the significant reduction in crime we have experienced during the past two years."

Harlingen Police Department Commander Miryam Anderson explained the police often deal with repeat calls for service to structures which are used for drug activity and criminal mischief.

"This resource [Operation Crackdown] helps police in reducing crime. This is a win, win situation for all. Our neighbors have been telling us how pleased they are with what the Texas Military Forces, the Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force and Operation Crackdown are doing," Anderson said.

Col. Suzanne Adkinson, commander of the Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force, said the program is beneficial to local communities, as well as to service members. 

"Operation Crackdown enhances military readiness by allowing Air and Army National Guardsmen members to utilize their equipment in a 'real world' mission. This improves readiness for Texas Military Forces soldiers and airmen, while enhancing the public safety of citizens and their children by supporting communities in the demolition of structures used by the drug trade," Adkinson said. 

Texas State Guard held a change of command and retirement

Story by: LTC Cendy Antley

LUBBOCK, Texas - On December 14, 2013, the 2nd Battalion, 39th Regiment, Texas State Guard held a change of command and retirement. LTC Jeremy Franklin left command after three years to assume the Executive Officer position for the regiment. CPT Philip Mammen assumed command of the 2nd Battalion after holding the Personnel and Administration Officer slot for the past 6 years. SGM Michael Parton was also retired during the ceremony. He was laterally promoted to Command Sergeant Major and well as received the Texas Superior Service Medal for his 48 combined years of service to our state and country.

Change of Command
Change of Command
CSM Parton
CSM Parton

 

4th Regiment holds Young Heroes of the Guard Toy Drive

Story by: CW2 Janet Schmelzer, PAO, 4th Regiment
 
Posted: 10-DEC-13

Toy Drive PosterFORT WORTH, TX--The 4th Regiment is holding its fifth Young Heroes of the Texas State Guard Toy Drive on December 14 to patients at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth.
 
The Texas State Guard is honored to provide community service support for this toy drive.  This event is another way to give back to the community and live up to our motto "Texans Serving Texans."  This is one of the most rewarding community service events for the TXSG because we are helping children and  parents at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth to have a brighter and happier holiday season.
 
Collection boxes have been placed around the DFW metroplex and the good people of DFW have donated the toys. 

Texas Military Forces respond to winter storm

Soldiers from the 236th Engineer Company, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard, head out to help fellow Texans during Winter Storm Cleon on Dec. 6, 2013.
Soldiers from the 236th Engineer Company, 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard, head out to help fellow Texans during Winter Storm Cleon on Dec. 6, 2013. More than 50 Texas National Guard soldiers were mobilized to assist with search and rescue operations and aid stranded motorists. The soldiers helped local, state, and federal agencies clear more than 100 stuck semi-trucks and helped thousands more Texans get moving. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer D. Atkinson/Released)

Story by: Staff Sgt. Jennifer Atkinson

 

 DENISON, Texas – Citizen-soldiers with the 176th Engineer Brigade, Texas Army National Guard, provided support to  state and local officials during Winter Storm Cleon, as named by the National Weather Service, in north Texas, Dec. 5-9,  2013.

 At the request of Gov. Rick Perry, about 50 members of the Grand Prairie-based brigade suited up in cold-weather gear  and headed out in Humvees and Light Medium Tactical Vehicles (LMTVs) to help preposition state assets as the storm  approached. Soldiers were stationed along the major highways here, as well as in Wichita Falls.

 In fact, preliminary reports from the Texas Military Forces Joint Operations Center indicate the deployed soldiers aided  more than 120 stranded vehicles, conducted more than 225 welfare checks and assisted with the setup of a Red Cross  Shelter in Valley View, near Wichita Falls.

 “We had a great response when the call went out,” said 2nd Lt. Clayton Harrison, an engineer with the brigade’s  Lewisville-based 236th Engineering Company. “We were ready to move out less than 12 hours after we got notified that  we'd be responding to this storm.”

 Although no one was quite certain what the storm would bring, Harrison said he and his soldiers were in contact with the  Texas Department of Public Safety.

 “According to DPS, we'll assist in vehicle recovery, especially if they end up shutting down the highway,” he said.

 On Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, when the storm had come and gone, the real scope of the job ahead was revealed to Harrison  and his Soldiers. Although the storm had not dropped much snow on the area, it was the ice underneath that proved to be  the biggest challenge for those on the highways.

 “We're from Boise, and thought this would be no big deal,” said Jonathan Bilger, a pulled over motorist who was passing  through to visit family. “We get the snow all the time, but the ice, that's harder to deal with. We're just sliding around like a  hockey puck.”

 With traffic flow a top priority, members of the Texas Military Forces conducted 24 hour a day operations monitoring and  assisting citizens along Highways 75, 82, 380 and Interstate 35 near Denison. Simultaneously, personnel from the 840th  Engineer Company monitored flow on the icy and slushy roadways of Highways 281, 181, Interstate 35 East and West,  and I-20, near Weatherford and Denton. 

“Those guys are great,” Bilger said, as he gestured toward several of the soldiers hooking up chains to tow a stranded 18-wheeler. “They're out here, helping out, when most of us are just trying to figure out how to get home fastest.”

This view was also shared by the soldiers’ leadership as well.

“These men and women are the epitome of what the Texas Military Forces stands for,” said Col. Patrick Hamilton, commander of domestic operations for the Texas Military Forces. “These Citizen-soldiers volunteered their time, at a moment's notice, to serve their fellow citizens during a time of need.”

“It's situations like this that show the caliber of our service members and their ‘Always Ready, Always There’ mentality,” Hamilton said.