Maj. Scott P. Nicholas speaks about the importance of the manned space exploration for the continuation of the human race. 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: Maj. Randall Stillinger

Posted: July 28, 2015

SAN ANTONIO - The Purple Hearts of two fallen World War II Soldiers were returned during a patriotic ceremony on July 24 at a local health care and rehabilitation center.

The lost medals, which were recovered by the non-profit organization Purple Hearts Reunited (PHR), were presented to the family of one of the fallen, and then turned over to the commanding general of the 36th Infantry Division.

The first medal, which was posthumously awarded to Pfc. James Thomas Hull, was presented to retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Cecil Hull, his last surviving brother and a recipient of the Purple Heart himself.

Pfc. Hull was born Jan. 24, 1919, to Rufus and Pocahontas “Honto” Johnson Hull in Moulton, Texas. He enlisted on November 25, 1940 and served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. 

After months of final preparation in North Africa, the 36th conducted the first amphibious assault by an American division in the European theater near Salerno, Italy on Sept. 9, 1943. The 3-141st sustained heavy casualties during the beach assault and landing. Among those killed in action that day was a young Pfc. Hull.

Reuniting the Purple Heart

Several years ago, a Highland, Calif. resident discovered the medal while cleaning out a home and contacted retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Paul C. Pfeifer, a member of the local American Legion post. In June the post reached out to PHR, and within a few hours they had located the Hull family in San Antonio.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Mitchell Bell and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dennis Hensley, members of the PHR Valor Guard, traveled to San Antonio to present the medal during the emotional ceremony. Hull’s wife of 69 years, Sophie, spoke on behalf of her ailing husband.

“I can’t express my feelings for all that you’ve done,” she said. “This means so much to us and I know what it means to him. Thank you for all of this.”

To preserve the medal, the family donated it to the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard. Division Commander, Maj. Gen. Lester Simpson, received the medal from Hull and will display it at the division headquarters in Austin, where it will be honored and protected by current and future Soldiers. 

“I’m happy to be here to accept the medal that represents your brother’s service and sacrifice, and appreciate the work that Purple Hearts Reunited does to get these back to the families,” Simpson said. “We’re certainly happy to have these medals back home.” 

A Second Medal Comes Home

Bell also presented a second Purple Heart to Simpson during the ceremony at the Pecan Valley Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. The medal belonged to Pvt. Joseph Eugene "Gene" Bone, who was born August 19, 1920 in Taylor County, Georgia to Joseph Jackson and Eva Fannie Mott Bone. 

Pvt. Bone enlisted on April 28, 1943 and served with the 143rd Infantry Regiment, another unit within the 36th Infantry Division. He had survived the amphibious landing at Salerno and fought to capture the village of San Pietro despite strong enemy resistance and severe winter weather. He sacrificed his life on February 7, 1944 as the division attempted to secure a bridgehead across the Rapido River and is buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.

In January 2014, veteran Gariel Burchett contacted the Military Order of the Purple Heart after finding the medal while cleaning out his mother-in-law’s home. Since Pvt. Bone's family is no longer living, the Burchett family requested that the medal be delivered to an appropriate place where it can be viewed by others. The medal will be placed on the wall in the division headquarters next to the one belonging to Pfc. Hull along with stories that tell of their service and sacrifice.

“We’re working very hard to get our young Soldiers interested in the history and legacy of the division,” Simpson said. “Our headquarters is a great place for these Purple Hearts so they can see and read about those who have sacrificed and died in defense of our country.”

“These men joined the same unit and fought in the battle of Salerno. Pfc. Hull gave his life on that beach while attacking the Germans. Pvt. Bone survived another four months and died while fighting to cross a river,” Bell said. “They sacrificed in the final act of their military career. They died in service to their country.”

Purple Hearts Reunited

Purple Hearts Reunited was created in 2012 by Army Capt. Zachariah Fike, who was wounded during combat in Afghanistan. The non-profit organization, which relies on grants and donations to continue the mission, has returned over 150 lost or stolen medals and artifacts to family members or museums. The return of these two medals was sponsored by a grant from the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation. Framing of the medals was generously donated by Village Frame Shoppe & Gallery in St. Albans, Vermont.

The return of these medals actually makes a total of three 36th Infantry Division Purple Hearts that have been delivered within a week. The medal belonging to Pvt. Berlin E. Small was also returned to his family in Brainbridge Island, Wash.

“The return of three medals to the same division within a week is definitely historic from a PHR perspective. I would like to think that these guys have been orchestrating these efforts together from up above,” Fike said. “I truly appreciate everyone's effort on this project.”

Story by:  Sgt. Elizabeth Peña
 
 Posted: July 19, 2015

HOUSTON — Friends and family of the Texas National Guard’s 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion gathered at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, July 18, 2015, to give their final blessings as the unit prepares to depart for Kuwait and surrounding areas for a nine-month deployment. The farewell ceremony, hosted by the Houston Astros, took place just before game two of their Lone Star Series against the Texas Rangers.

“This is the first time the Texas National Guard has been sponsored by a Major League association,” said Lt. Col. Tanya Trout, commander of the 136th ESB. “We have over a third of our Soldiers that have never been deployed before, so to be able to send them off like this is tremendous.”

The 136th ESB is a Houston-based signal battalion that belongs to Joint Task Force 136 (Maneuver Enhancement Brigade), headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. During their deployment, the unit will be responsible for providing voice and network capabilities to other military assets across seven countries, including Kuwait, Jordan, The United Arab Eremites, and Egypt. 

The battalion is made up of approximately 300 Soldiers from the Texas and Alabama National Guards and will fall under the regular Army’s 160th Strategic Signal Brigade while overseas.

The ceremony featured the casing of the battalion colors, an Army tradition that is used to demonstrate an organization moving to a new theater of operations. The colors, which represent the 136th ESB’s mission and lineage, are carried wherever the unit goes and are kept safe by the senior enlisted member. In this case, that responsibility falls to the battalion command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Collins. 

Although this is the first deployment for the 136th ESB, many of the Soldiers are experienced combat veterans. 

“My biggest challenge is being back and forth from my son,” said Sgt. Darin Goodwin of C Company, 136th ESB. “He’s about a year old so he is kind of understanding but kind of upset that daddy keeps leaving and coming back. My wife is military so we have a good understanding of everything. This is what I love. It’s what we do.”

The unit recently completed training at Camp Swift, Texas, where they refreshed their basic Soldier fundamentals including land navigation, combat drills, and convoy operations. 

“Over the last few weeks when we did the pre-mobilization training we really got to bond on a more day to day, 24/7 basis, and I’m inspired by all of them,” said Trout. “Each and every individual sacrifice they make, how quick to learn and how motivated as you can see today.”

Next is the last stage of their training at Fort Hood, Texas, which focuses on their signal mission and ensures they have the latest equipment and skills for the modern battlefield. 

“We are always ready to be on the move, it’s a part of our training,” said Spc. Raven Lewis, a logistics coordinator for the 136th ESB. “We make sure that we remain proactive in case we have to go support someone else.”

This ceremony gives Soldiers one last opportunity to give their give their loved ones final hugs and kisses before stepping on the plane for the middle east.

“It’s pretty cool to have the support from back home,” said Lewis. “Not only do you have your family with you but you have your support from people that live in the general area that want to see you return safely with the troops.”

AUSTIN, Texas (July 1, 2015) – Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols, The Adjutant General of Texas is pleased to announce that Ms. Shelia B. Taylor has been selected to serve as the State Human Resources Director for the Texas Military Department, effective April 1, 2015.

“I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been selected as the new State Director of Human Resources,” said Taylor. “I look forward to continued service in my new role as part of the TMD team; and--with the help and support of dedicated staff- I will do my best to maintain the vote of confidence indicated by giving me this opportunity.”

Taylor joined the agency in March 2011 as Legal Counsel. Prior to that she served as the Deputy Chief and Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) (gubernatorial appointment by former Governors George W. Bush and Rick Perry), Legal Counsel with the Disaster Recovery Division at the Texas Department of Rural Affairs, Administrative Law Judge and Assistant Director of Hearings for the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Assistant District Attorney for Travis County District Attorney's Office.

As the Human Resources Director, her role will involve the management, supervision, coordination and oversight of all aspects of human resources activities, including, but not limited to: personnel administration (recruitment, selection, classification, performance management; staff development, employee benefits; and employee relations, etc.); ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal laws and policies, as well as agency policies. Additionally, she will provide direction, guidance, and assistance to agency staff and supervisors on issues, rules, and regulations related to human resources; develop policies and procedures and other guidance; assist in the coordination and management of the agency's defense on administrative actions and litigation such as proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and unemployment claims before the Texas Workforce Commission. Taylor will also review the results of special investigations, internal audits, research studies and forecasts, to provide direction and guidance; maintain a working knowledge of changes in employment law and legislation that affect (or may potentially impact) agency operations.

Taylor received a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Criminal Justice from Southern Methodist University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. She has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since October 1981. She is the recipient of the Victor J. Rosskopf Award, awarded by the National Association of the Administrative Law Judiciary for significant contributions made in the field of administrative adjudication.

Story by: Master Sgt. Daniel Griego

Posted: July 2, 2015

CAMP SWIFT, Texas – For three weeks from June 21 to July 11, more than 200 men and women of the Texas Army National Guard’s 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion conduct pre-mobilization training at Camp Swift in Bastrop, Texas. This training, which focuses on basic warrior skills common to all Soldiers, prepares the troops for their upcoming deployment to Kuwait and surrounding countries.

“It’s good to have a foundation; it’s good to sharpen up all our skills,” said Spc. Dilan Goodwin, a network operator with C Company, 136th ESB. “You never know when you’re going to need it in combat.”

This training period is the first of two preparatory rounds for the battalion, with the second happening later this month at Fort Hood where they’ll train on their signal mission. Once at Fort Hood, the headquarters company and C Company will be joined by A Company from the Alabama National Guard. 

“The ESB is a communications battalion, so what we’re going to be doing is providing backbone communications,” said Chief Warrant Officer Wade Vrtis, a network technician with HHC, 136th ESB. “We’re also going to be running help desks and technical control facilities.”

The organization’s primary objective overseas will be to provide network and voice capabilities to the main elements located throughout seven countries, including Kuwait, Jordan, The United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. 

“It’s a very big mission, very important,” said Vrtis. “It feels like we have something to give and something to provide.”

The training here at Camp Swift focuses on the Soldiers’ traditional Army skills, from weapons familiarization and land navigation to react to contact drills and decontamination.

“The training that we have is very important in case things happen out of your control,” said Vrtis. “But mostly the mission is going to be communication mission, and these guys are pretty good when it comes to communications.”

This will be the first deployment for the signal battalion, which has been around for about six years and falls under the Texas National Guard’s Joint Task Force 136 (Maneuver Enhancement Brigade). For the deployment, the battalion will fall under the 160th Strategic Signal Brigade, the outfit responsible for providing the United States Central Command and Third United State Army with enterprise communications capabilities. 

“We’re also expeditionary, so that means that we’re not afraid to be in a tactical environment,” said 1st Lt. Jouhee Han, the 136th ESB Battle Captain. “So we can set up just about anywhere.”

The Texas Guardsmen will serve for approximately nine months overseas for this deployment. 

“I’m really honored to work with the Soldiers I’m working with,” said Han, “and I’m really honored to be a part of the battalion. I feel that this mission is very important.”

The farewell ceremony for the 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion will take place July 18th at Houston’s Minute Maid Park before the Houston Astros square off against the Texas Rangers. This event marks the first time for a deployment ceremony in Texas to take place at a major sporting event.