by: Sgt. 1st Class Douglas D. Stephens

​​​​​​​LINCOLN, Neb. – Six Texas National Guard Soldiers competed for a spot on the National Guard Military Competitions All Guard Marathon Team, running 26.2 miles at the 46th annual Lincoln Marathon, May 7, 2023, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Texas Army National Guard was represented by Maj. Amanda Tooke, Capt. Melinda Dominguez, Capt. Ethan McIntosh, 1^st Lt. Sarah Perez, Staff Sgt. Alicia Reagan, and Spc. Zakary Widenor.

Capt. Melinda Dominguez, Joint Forces Head Quarters, Austin, TX placed 2^nd in her age group and earned a spot on the All Guard Marathon Team after completing the 26.2 miles in 3:44:16.

Capt. Ethan McIntosh, Recruiting and Retention Command, Houston, TX placed 10^th in his age group and earned a spot on the All Guard Marathon Team after completing the 26.2 miles in 2:58:35.

More than 200 Airmen and Soldiers representing the National Guard from all 50 states, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia ran the Lincoln Marathon. This is the first time in over three decades that “all 54” were represented in the field of National Guard competitors for the marathon.

The runners on the All Guard Marathon Team will travel to other races over the next two years throughout the United States. The National Guard Military Competitions Program, which includes both a Marathon Team and an Endurance Team, exists to promote physical fitness, self-discipline and esprit de corps among National Guard members while assisting recruiting and retention efforts at each community where they compete.

The All Guard Marathon Team consists of 78 total members determined by the time trials. The top 51 males, top 21 females (including one Air Guard member per gender) and the top three runners of each gender in the over-50 Masters category.

Staff Sgt. Derek Yorek, Arkansas Army National Guard, placed first overall for the male category, and Capt. Brittany Downs, Ohio Army National Guard, placed first overall for the female category for the All Guard Marathon Team time trials. The Ohio National Guard Marathon Team was named the overall National Guard team winner of the 2023 competition.

Story and Photos by Andrew R. Smith, TMD Public Affairs

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 5, 2019 – National Guard units from Texas and Louisiana met at the Round Rock Public Safety Training Center for an emergency response training evaluation. The training of the day was a large staged incident that rated the Guard units’ response to a simulated chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contamination incident. The units had to set up and maintain contamination boundaries, perform search and extraction of crisis actors, decontaminate the actors and provide medical triage care for any injured actors.
 

The Texas-based Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Task Force took part in the training exercise and activated nearly 200 Guardsmen and more than a dozen vehicles as part of the training event.

The exercise was a combined green and white exercise, with the “green” referring to military personnel and the “white” referring to local first responders. Observers graded the National Guard units taking part in the training on the day’s response efforts. The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command sent personnel to observe and grade CBRNE Task Force’s efforts and rate its level of preparation to respond to a real-world event of a similar nature.

Due to the extensive training and requirements to set up and properly use the decontamination equipment, as well as CBRNE’s unique cooperation with local authorities and disaster response units, the unit has a very high training tempo. Guardsmen in the unit often have to devote additional time to training and certifications such as this one.

“Our unit works with a variety of local agencies,” said Maj. Bradley Smejkal, executive officer of CBRNE Task Force. “Due to these missions, all of our traditional Guardsmen have to balance the green and white mission. We do a lot of extra training including additional annual training, most of which is devoted to cooperating with and being certified by the white side.

“If you can’t protect yourself and your personnel, you’ll become an additional casualty. We are here to help, not hinder, local assets. To assist them, we bring in our own gear and train to meet the local standards.” 

The scenario utilized numerous crisis actors whose independent actions added realism and chaos to the exercise.

“I learned a lot from the exercise and the presence of the crisis actors. I saw firsthand how civilians under stress can be random and unpredictable,” said Pfc. John Albert Dearing Jr., a member of the unit. “It is important to explain any instructions clearly and keep them updated with the status of the situation.”

By the end of the first day, the task force completed all of the tasks associated with the training. However, the event had more tasks and challenges to follow over the next two days.

The combined training of Texas and Louisiana guard units alongside local responders helps to organize all assets that might respond to a disaster in FEMA region 6, which encompasses much of the southwestern United States. The training was coordinated by the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in coordination with local authorities, in preparation for potential disaster response. The 136th MEB is the brigade-level command for CBRNE Task Force.