TXSG Team Wins First Place In 2009 Texas Adjutant General’s Combat Pistol Sustainment Exercise Competition
MAJ J. Michael Spraggins, PAO, TXSG TMF
2009/05/07

Camp Swift, Bastrop Texas - The Texas State Guard (TXSG) took top honors winning both the individual and the team combat pistol events on a rainy and cold weekend recently at Camp Swift. High pistol shooter was SSG Daniel Ernest, who won the competition last year. High team was 19th QRT (SFC Dzivi, SFC Sliger, SGT Pasaic, 1SGT Booth, MAJ Hobbs (19th QRT Commander). High Novice: 1LT Bornwell, 8th QRT, TXSG.

19TH QRT scores in the Individual category were: Hobbs Barry R. - 604, Sligar, Mark W. - 736, Dzivi, Daniel R. - 586, Pasalic, Admir - 527. Team score was 3141.

TXSG shooters were awarded four out of the eight coveted Governor’s Twenty tabs that were awarded. The TXSG citizen – soldiers awarded the Governor’s Twenty tab were SSG Ernest, 2LT George, 1LT Bornwell and SFC Sliger.

A total of 42 personnel participated in this year’s event. Second and third placed teams were the 136th AW TXANG.

The Texas State Guard is one of the three branches of the Texas Military Forces. However it operates a little different than the Texas Army and Air Nation Guard. The individual TXSG soldiers must pay for all, uniforms, equipment, ammunition, travel and training expenses out of their own pocket and only draw a small stipend from the State of Texas when they are activated by the Governor for State Active Duty (SAD).

The TXSG mission as a branch of the Texas Military Forces is to provide mission-ready military forces to assist State and Local authorities in times of state emergencies, with homeland security and community service through Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA). To augment the other two branches of the Texas Military Forces, the Texas Army National Guard and Texas Air National Guard as force multipliers.

Texas Maritime Regiment Swearing-In Ceremony
PO1 George Monnat Jr., PAO, 2nd BN TMAR TXSG TMF
2009/05/06

New Braunfels, Texas - As one of his first acts as Commander of the Texas Maritime Regiment (TMAR) of the Texas State Guard (TXSG), Brigadier General Robert “Duke” Bodisch swore in the two newest members of TMAR’s Second Battalion (2nd Bn). The ceremony occurred inside the 2nd Bn’s monthly drill facilities, the National Guard armory in New Braunfels, in the early afternoon. BGen Bodisch and 2nd Bn’s Commanding Officer, Commander Joe Cave swore in Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Brad Westberry and Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Miriam Lee.

SCPO(SW/AW) Brad Westberry grew up in Bulverde, Texas and joined the Navy right after high school where he spent the next twenty-six years and retired as a Senior Chief Damage Controlman. His last assignment before retirement was as the Command Senior Chief and senior DC instructor at the Center for Naval Engineering Learning Site, Ingleside, Texas. He is currently employed by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. He and his wife Pat reside in Ingleside.

PO1(SW) Miriam Lee grew up in Houston, TX and joined the Navy right after high school where she spent twenty years

retiring as a PO1 Electronic Technician. Her last assignment was as an instructor of the AN/SPS-67(V)1&3 Radar System at Center for Surface Combat Systems, Norfolk, VA. After retiring, she worked in Admiral Lotring’s staff as a Data Analyst for the Navy’s Accessions Programs in Great Lakes, IL. She relocated to Texas and is now a full time student at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, a junior, majoring in Management Information Systems.

The Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment was created on November 1st, 2007 as the maritime branch of the TXSG. It consists of retired and honorably discharged members of the United States Coast Guard, United States Marines, and United States Navy as well as non-prior-service volunteers.

The mission of TMAR is to provide the Governor of the State of Texas and the Adjutant General of Texas with, highly trained, mission-ready military personal for Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA), for operations in the maritime, littoral, and riverine environments in support of Homeland Defense and in response to man-made or natural disasters.

MAJ J. Michael Spraggins contributed to this story