Commentary by TXMF Staff

ROUND ROCK, Texas (June 17, 2015) – On Saturday, June 20, 2015, Col. Scott Mac Leod will assume command of the Texas National Guard’s Joint Task Force 136 (Maneuver Enhancement Brigade) from Col. Lee Schnell at a ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Round Rock Armed Forces Reserve Center in Round Rock, Texas.

Mac Leod, of Austin, received his commission in 1992 from the Texas State Military Academy.       He is a career Infantry Officer, and has served in numerous key assignments, including as the Commander of Company A, 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry Regiment, the Tiger Team Deputy Brigade S1, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, commander for the 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry Regiment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, deputy commander of the 136th Regional Training Institute for the Texas Army National Guard, and most recently, the Chief of Staff for Domestic Operations. Awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Iraqi Campaign Medal - 2nd award, and many others.

Mac Leod graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 1994. In 2003, he graduated from the National Graduate School with a Master of Science in Quality Systems Management.  He received his master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in June 2012, and is also a graduate of the War College's Advanced Strategic Arts Program.

Schnell, also of Austin, has served as brigade commander since October 2011 and retires after almost 40 years of distinguished service. During his tenure as commander of the Minuteman Brigade, Schnell was instrumental in the second-phase development and validation of the unit’s Homeland Response Force mission, part of the Department of Defense’s consequence management enterprise. Most recently, the brigade completed an emergency response Special Focus Exercise in April throughout central Texas, working alongside civil authorities and first responders.

As the new Joint Task Force commander, Mac Leod will be responsible for continuing the ready-state of the HRF mission for FEMA Region VI, while also ensuring the unit’s traditional wartime mission requirements are met. Additionally, he will work to execute the vision of an organization that facilitates the Texas Military Forces mission, partnering affirmatively with our agency partners and the surrounding community.

Joint Task Force 136 (Maneuver Enhancement Brigade) is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, and boasts units throughout the Lone Star State, from Laredo to Dallas and El Paso to Fulton.

Story by: Staff Sgt. Michael Beck

129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Posted: June 17, 2015

CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo. – National Guard Soldiers perform combat airdrop training at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., as a part of the 31st Golden Coyote training exercise hosted by the South Dakota National Guard, June 6-20.

The Texas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), is performing four jump missions during the exercise.

“Our first jump was challenging,” said Spc. Susana Olalde, a cook with the 143rd’s Forward Support Company. “We jump with all of our gear, which is pretty heavy.”

These airborne Soldiers carry their full gear which includes their weapon, kevlar and up to a 100-pound rucksack while jumping out of an aircraft.

A few of the Soldiers made their first jump outside of Airborne School

“I was a little nervous on my first jump,” said 1st Sgt. Jose Gilberto Del Bosque, of the 143rd’s Forward Support Company, who made his first jump this exercise at 46 years old. “It turned out fine once I focused on what I was doing and did what the jump masters told me to do.”

The 143rd will be utilizing a range of aircraft this year as a part of their operations.

“Our deployment jump used two C-17 and five C-130 Air Force aircraft,” said Lt. Col. Max Krupp, commander of 1-143rd Infantry.

The airborne unit not only conducts operations during the day but they also jump at night.

“We conduct operations in hours of limited visibility to leverage our night vision capabilities and increase stealth,” said Krupp.

The 143rd’s final jump during Golden Coyote will be the beginning of the full-scale cumulating training event, and will consist of three C-130 aircraft delivering a 150-man strike force to assault multiple objectives. The unit expects to perform a total of 720 individual jumps during this year’s exercise.

High-resolution photos are available at www.flickr.com/southdakotanationalguard

Maj. Sergio L. Tristan Speaks about social media engagement throughout the Texas Military Forces. TAG Talks are a series of unique presentations put together by students in The Adjutant General's Executive Leadership Development Program offering the perspective of future Senior leaders of the Texas Military Forces.

Story by: Capt. Martha Nigrelle

Posted: June 8, 2015

AUSTIN, Texas - Members of the Texas Military Forces gathered with representatives of seven Native American tribes in an annual tribal consultation conference to discuss the preservation and protection of historic resources located on Texas military lands, May 19-20, 2015 in Austin.

The Texas Military Forces work one-on-one with tribes who trace their historic roots to Texas, for any period of time, in an effort to record both Texas military history and Texas tribal history for future generations.

“We have to maintain the history of the place that we live,” said Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols, the adjutant general of Texas. “We are a part of this history. By preserving Texas history, we preserve our history too.”

The Texas Military Forces operates five training sites across the state, covering approximately 30,000 acres of land. These 30,000 acres have had numerous residents in the past 8,000 years – different tribes, different people and now, the Texas Guard. It is this fact that forged a unique relationship between the military and a diverse group of Native American tribes.

In the 1990s, the Texas military began consulting with Tribal representatives in order to identify artifacts and locations of significance.

Today, representatives from the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, Caddo Tribe, Comanche Nation, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Kiowa Tribe, Mescalero Apache Tribe, Tonkawa Tribe, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma regularly meet with Texas military officials to discuss efforts being made to preserve both their heritage and ancient Texas history.

It’s a partnership that has forged a mutual respect and friendship.

“When they come to visit the tribes, they learn tribal traditions and tribal customs – this makes the relationship good,” said Charles Coleman, Thlopthlocco tribal representative and a recognized elder amongst the group, speaking of the guardsmen and Texas Military Forces representatives he works with one on one. “It all boils down to the personal relationships – them learning from us, us learning from them.”

This year’s conference opened when Nichols welcomed tribal representatives back to Austin and Coleman presented Nichols with a gift from his tribe, thanking Nichols for the efforts the Texas military takes in understanding Texan tribal history.

“It’s important to us, because it’s important to you,” said Nichols.

The conference continued with presentations from both the military and the tribal representatives present, focusing on upcoming renovations scheduled for training sites, current archaeological projects, improving access to artifacts and records from the military for tribal representatives and addressing any concerns on ways to improve the partnership and the preservation process.

During this time, training site commanders were recognized for their dedication to each training area.

“That’s their little piece of heaven and they want to take care of it,” said Lt. Col. Jamey Creek, commander, Training Centers Garrison Command, Texas Military Forces. “We want our training sites sustainable for many years.”

Cultural sensitivity training is a part of what all service members using the training grounds must go through said Creek. This is to help ensure that historical artifacts and sites found on military training grounds are taken care of appropriately.

As this topic continued, Nichols recommended that future training plans incorporate tribal partners in the planning and development of these classes. This idea was met with enthusiasm from both groups as a possibility for the future.

“It’s nice to be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone who you know cares about your concerns,” said Coleman. “We can use our resources and the National Guard can use their resources. It’s important that we look at the same thing.”

As the conference drew to a close, old friends and new friends said their goodbyes and reflected on the ties that bind – preserving a shared history for future generations to learn from.

“Artifacts need to come out of the shed,” said Coleman, “And into the head of the youth of America."

LT. Col. David Burger, Director International Affairs, Texas Military Forces, talks about the Leadership Development Program in his TAG Talk at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, April 2, 2015
 

Story by:  1st Lt. Ernesto C. Garcia

Posted:   June 3, 2015

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas State Guard paid tribute to the fallen soldiers on Memorial Day at  the Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery in Pflugerville, Texas, May 25, 2015.  At the request of the Capital City VFW Post 8787, located in Austin, Texas, soldiers of the 2nd Regiment, Texas State Guard, participated in the VFW Memorial Day ceremony. One soldier from the 2nd Regiment, Sgt. Maj. Morris Hickman, had the honor to play taps.

When members of VFW Post 8787 needed assistance with their 2015 Memorial Day Celebration, they turned to their own VFW bugler, Hickman, to see if the Texas State Guard was available. Hickman has been playing the bugle since 1966 since his service with the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1968 where he worked in communications and as a diver.

The 2nd Regiment was honored to help with the ceremony. The soldiers presented the colors, served as an honor guard, assisted various military organizations that placed wreaths around the cemetery, and the fired three volley salute. The last part of the ceremony was when Sgt.Maj. Hickman played taps.
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The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of about 1.9 million members.  The VFW advocates for U.S. veterans, by working to ensure that veterans and their loved ones are recognized for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our great nation.

Since 1868, Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) is the federal holiday that honors soldiers who have died in military service to the United States.

Courtesy story: 211th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by:  Sgt. Jeff Daniel

Posted: June 2, 2015

COMANDO DE INGENIEROS DE LA FUERZ ARMADA, El Salvador - A strange voice comes from ship 191 not often heard on this Salvadoran field covered in green grass. The ship is a UH-60 Black Hawk that belongs to the Texas National Guard and the voice has an unusual accent, sort of a different twang -- a British twang. 

Sgt. Omar Anwar, a crew chief with Charlie Company, 1-108th Air Assault out of Austin, Texas, is originally from London, England, and has lived in the U.S. for eight years. His story, he claims, is full of romance and scandal.

He, along with is unit, are here to support Beyond the Horizon 2015 in El Salvador by providing casualty evacuation support and site surveys. CASEVAC support is the means of picking up an injured person and transporting them to a medical facility for care. 

But how did a British citizen find his way to Texas and then El Salvador in the first place. Let’s go back almost a decade, to the beginning.

He was originally part of a military cadet exchange program between the U.S. and Great Britain. As the story goes, he met a female soldier from the Texas National Guard. He later returned to Texas, enlisted in the National Guard and by the end of his basic training was a citizen.

“Initially it worked out great. There was a point when I asked myself why did I do this, because that little romance ended in divorce,” said Anwar. “I am lucky enough to have a fiancé now. But at the time it was a little rough.”

“I only got interested in being a pilot when I came to the United States,” said Anwar. “The original reason I wanted to join the U.S. military was to become a pilot.”

“I wanted to fly Black Hawks more than any other airframe,” said Anwar. “I figured the best way to get a foot in the door was to actually work on the aircraft and then go to flight school.”

He is currently past the age to go to flight school.

As his story continues, when he enlisted he chose to be a Black Hawk maintainer. 

“I was actually working in a maintenance company. I got to do a couple of flights and I was picked to move into a flight company from there, I progressed to become a crew chief.”

I love the versatility of the Black Hawk, Anwar said proudly, referring to the fact they can perform different types of missions from medevac to combat to insertion and extraction.

“I love doing hoist missions,” said Anwar. “I really enjoy sitting on the edge of the aircraft with the doors open sending a medic down to be able to actually help someone, and rescue them and bring them up to the aircraft.”

His responsibilities as a crew chief include maintenance and readiness of the Black Hawk, and to make sure that any occupants are safely protected.

Anwar is expressingly proud of his job and his unit.

“In a million years I never thought I would I be working one of these things, let alone get to fly around in one,” said Anwar.

“The best part my job is the flying,” said Anwar. “Also I just love knowing that I can tell people that I am a crew chief.”

Story: Courtesy of the Texas Military Forces Museum Staff

Posted: June 1, 2015

TEMPLE, Texas - The Texas Military Forces Museum’s Living History Detachment deployed 21 of its members to Temple to take part in the annual Central Texas Air Show, May 2-3, 2015.  

Although the museum’s reenactors usually focus on the history of Texas Volunteer Regiments in the Civil War or the 36th Infantry Division in World War II, every year at the air show they turn their focus to the war in Vietnam.  

For the Detachment, this was an opportunity to honor the men and women who served in Vietnam.

“We want to give ourselves and the public the chance to say thank you to all of those who answered their nation’s call and did their duty in Southeast Asia fifty years ago,” said Jeff Hunt, director of the Texas Military Forces Museum and commander of its living history detachment.  

After setting up an authentic Vietnam-era military encampment, the museum’s volunteers helped the thousands of people, attending the air show, better understand the service American troops had in Southeast Asia during the 1960s.  

Displays of weapons, equipment, period magazines, manuals, radios and even tape recorders are big attractions. Among the most popular items on exhibit are the M60 Machine Gun and M79 Grenade Launcher.  

“Veterans love to see the weaponry they carried during that war,” said Hunt. “You can see the excitement on their faces and the thrill when we let them hold one of the firearms. Certainly, the sights, sounds and feel of these historic objects bring back a flood of memories.”

Some of these memories are good and some are painful.  

“It isn’t uncommon to see a vet tear up as he interacts with us,” Hunt said.  “A few become so emotional they can only shake their head and smile at us before they walk away.  Many more take the time to tell stories of their time ‘in country’ or combat. As historians, we love hearing those stories.  We take what the veterans tell us and incorporate it into what we tell the general public.  Those stories make us better and more accurate interpreters of this important piece of our past.”

John Eli is the resident expert on the Vietnam War for the museum’s living history detachment. He served as an infantryman in the 25th Infantry Division in 1968 – at the height of the Tet Offensive.  Wounded in action and awarded the Purple Heart, Eli saw a lot of combat and often acted as a “tunnel rat” for his unit.  

A part of the museum’s living history team for more than 5 years, Mr. Eli shared his personnel history – including photos and mementoes he brought home from his service – with those who stop by the museum’s living history encampment.  Very often he finds himself speaking to a fellow Vietnam veteran. 

“You can certainly see the bond all the men who served in Vietnam have,” said Hunt.  “It doesn’t matter if they weren’t in the same unit or even if they weren’t in the country at the same time, they are brothers.” 

Having an authentic Vietnam veteran in their ranks is a special thing for the museum’s volunteers. 

“John is a great guy and a great historian,” said Hunt. “We are so incredibly lucky and honored to have him as part of our unit.  He has taught all of us more about the war than we could learn from reading 1,000 books.”

The most popular event of the detachment’s events at the air show was the Vietnam War-era air assault reenactment.  

Wearing the correct uniforms and equipment from the era and carrying actual weapons modified to fire blanks, the volunteers boarded a Huey helicopter and flew into “battle.” The scenario is the rescue of a downed helicopter crew being pursued by a group of Viet Cong guerrillas. 

With air show caliber pyrotechnics going off in the background, a Cobra gunship and an observation aircraft zooming overhead, the reenactors raced out of the helicopter as it touched the ground. A second “lift” brought in reinforcements as the rival forces exchanged fire.  At the end of the scenario a “wounded” crewman is carried on a stretcher to the Huey as it lands to conduct a medical aerial evacuation. 

The action only lasted for a handful of minutes.  It is all very dramatic, but the reenactors know that it is a mere shadow of the real thing. 

“There are no real bullets zipping through the air, little real danger,” said Hunt. “We know that we are all coming out of the scenario in one piece and that at the end of the weekend we are going home to the comforts of our daily lives and families.  That is certainly something the real combat veterans could not say or even count on.”  

That reality didn’t make the demonstration any less interesting or educational for the public. But reflecting on how truly dangerous what they just reenacted was in real life gives the museum’s living historians a deeper understanding and affinity for the men who did it on the actual battlegrounds of fifty years ago.  

“It truly dives home the risks they faced,” said Hunt. “The courage, skill and professionalism they embodied - it makes it unquestionably certain that all of the men and women who fought in that war are real heroes.”

As the nation moves through the coming years of the fiftieth anniversary of the Vietnam War, the Texas Military Forces Museum plans on doing more programs focused on that time period.  

“We want to help our fellow citizens learn the true history – not the mythology – of the Vietnam War,” Hunt said. “We want to help the veterans reflect and perhaps heal some of their lingering, painful, memories.  We want them to understand that their war was just one battle in the much bigger Cold War and that what they did helped us win that bigger war.  We want to let the veterans of Indo China know that they are our heroes every bit as much as the veterans of World War II or Korea of the War on Terror are our heroes.”  

The Texas Military Forces Museum is the official museum of the Texas Army and Air National Guard.  The museum’s Living History Detachment routinely puts on programs for visitors highlighting the role of The United States Armed Forces in American history from the War of 1812 through the Vietnam War.