By: Andrew Smith, TMD Public Affairs

AUSTIN, TX -- Representatives from several government agencies and four drone companies gathered for a drone demonstration on September 15th, 2020 at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas.

In recent years, drones have become popular as a low cost and low maintenance alternative for many missions which would have required manned aircraft. The ease of use brought by drones came with some security concerns as well, since many of these drones were built in China. The foreign nature of these drones does not comply with Federal Trade Commission government procurement practices that require half of the components of a drone purchased by the government be made in the United States.

In addition, the mapping capabilities and remote nature of the drones aroused security concerns. Due to these concerns, drone manufactures are now developing drones that are built in the United States using domestic components.

The Texas Military Department hosted the event to facilitate acquisitions of drones built to U.S. government standards in coordination with the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit. Using video conferencing, representatives from the developers explained the specifications of their company’s drones. Working drones were also flown in a series of short demos, and some prospective buyers even took the controls.

“This event is a great opportunity to take look at all the different systems made by US-based companies that are now approved by the secretary of defense and can be deployed in real-world missions without a waiver,” said Maj. Alexander Goldberg. Maj. Goldberg serves as the director for TMDX, Texas Military Department’s innovation unit, which organized the event. “The problem we were trying to solve, was that in any of our natural disasters our Texas Guardsmen are on the front line, whether it is COVID, or fires, floods and anything in between. To be able to take these small unmanned aircraft systems that are much cheaper than helicopters and actually have high-resolution cameras to do search and rescue on the front lines is a game-changer. And to have our first responders and agency partners here to get feedback and collaborate.” 

At the conclusion of this event the attendees will analyze what is most effective and mission-capable for all parties involved. Agencies will then award innovation research contracts to the individual companies, so these projects can eventually be scaled into DOD-wide programs of record.

“We are looking for technologies that can real-time data back to leaders so they can make decisions,” said Capt. Meredith Zinni, intelligence officer assigned to the Texas Air National Guard. “We need to be able to make decisions ins real-time, we are fighting lag time of hours of things happening in the field, and when decision-makers are seeing the information."

While contracts have yet to be awarded to the companies building the drones, the ability of the Texas Military Department to facilitate this even in the midst of COVID restrictions is a testament to the Guard’s ability to adapt and overcome in a variety of complex environments.

Story by MSG Michael Leslie, Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force is continuing to provide substance use awareness and prevention efforts to youth throughout the year, but during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Red Ribbon Week, they raise the bar, literally.

Counterdrug flew a military LUH-72 Lakota helicopter with DEA agents and a brand new eagle mascot to two Central Texas schools to kickoff Red Ribbon Week to spread substance use awareness and prevention.

“It was an amazing event and it is so important for young students to receive drug free messages,” said Amber Newby a project coordinator for the Blanco Coalition of Awareness, Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use. “The earlier they learn and the more often they hear the message and get the education, the more likely that it will sink in.”

For some schools, relaying a drug free message to younger students can be a struggle, but with partnerships of the DEA, the National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Blanco CoAPT, and Blanco and Bowie Elementary schools, the message was high-impact and well received.

“We loved seeing all of our student's reactions to the helicopter, the unity in all of the forces, and the message of the presentation,” said Blanco Elementary counselor Mindy Lay. “As the school counselor, delivering appropriate and effective messages for Red Ribbon Week can sometimes be a struggle - but this year, I think our campus nailed it!”

Counterdrug even debuted their very own mascot, Enney the Eagle, named in honor of one of the program’s first leaders who worked to create the National Guard’s law enforcement support program more than 30 years ago.

“We thought the eagle mascot was one of the best parts of the Red Ribbon event,” said Selena Dillon, a student at Bowie Elementary School in San Marcos, Texas. “We really loved the eagle, and continued to talk about it afterwards.”

The whole purpose of the event was for DEA to explain how Red Ribbon Week began and highlight substance use awareness with the ultimate goal of prevention, as students get older and possibly subjected to drugs.

“The DEA talks about the history of how Red Ribbon was started,” said Sgt. Dillon, “but the students also learn about the wide variety of dangerous drugs, to include prescription drugs, alcohol and the dangers of underage drinking, and tobacco and vapes.”

The DEA began the Red Ribbon Week initiative to honor a fallen undercover agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, when a drug cartel kidnapped, tortured and murdered him in Mexico in 1985.

“The DEA's substance abuse message was powerful and very age appropriate,” said Lay. “It was definitely an experience that many of us will not forget!”

Many students talked about wanting to join the military, so the Red Ribbon message showed how their choices could affect their futures.

“I want to be a Marine Corps pilot, study aerospace engineering at the University of Texas, and go on to be an astronaut,” said Dillon. “The DEA agents talked about how drugs will mess up children career goals.”

Reaching out to students at a young age is critical for developing better habits and teaching better decision making as they grow.

“I think that kids sometimes have a difficult time think ahead about how a bad decision now can have long term bad consequences down the road,” said Sgt. Blake Dillon, a Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force Drug Demand Reduction Outreach operator. “This is where we were able to talk to the students about how important it is to remain drug free if they wish to pursue these careers.”

A key focus for the Texas Military Department is building partnerships between state, local and federal civil authorities to better serve the Texas community.

“This is where our program, DDRO, is able to have one of the biggest impacts, to facilitate and coordinate bring these partnerships together,” said Sgt. Dillon. “I think that the partnership between these organizations will have a lasting impact of drug prevention in the community.”

Being in a small city, word spreads fast and many were talking what they saw and what they heard, even if they were not there.

“The impact of this event was definitely greater than just with those present at Blanco Elementary School,” said Lay. “This surprise event has stirred some good discussions in our community.”

At Bowie Elementary in San Marcos, a special reunion happened when Sgt. Dillon arrived in style with his daughter, a student at the school, ready to greet him with open arms.

“I have been in the military for a while,” said Dillon, “and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would have the type of influence that I would to have a helicopter go to my daughter’s school and have her watch me get off the helicopter.

“It has a positive influence on my daughter, which in turn allows her to grow into a leader among her pears and speak out and spread the message that drugs are not okay.”

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force hosted its 3rd Annual Red Ribbon 5k Run/Walk virtually Oct. 23, 2020 throughout the state.

The virtual event allowed task force members and other service members from around Texas to participate even with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down group gatherings.

“Our annual Red Ribbon 5k run/walk is a great event to help spread substance use awareness,” said Lt. Col. Erika Besser, the Texas Counterdrug Task Force Coordinator.

Service members from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to Brownsville, from Houston to El Paso sent in their results to show support of the Red Ribbon campaign.

More than 85 people registered for the event posting their times, whether they ran on a treadmill or outside in pouring rain. The fastest time was by Capt. Timothy Ross logging 18 minutes and 23 seconds.

“Even during the pandemic and even if it has to be virtual,” said Besser, “this shows we are still actively working to do our part to "Protect Texas! Stop Drugs!"

The Red Ribbon campaign is in honor of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was tragically kidnapped, tortured and murdered by a cartel in 1985.

Story by Charles E. Spirtos, Texas Military Department Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas – Aviators from the Texas Army National Guard conducted a familiarization flight with agency partners aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on October 6, 2020.

This flight brought four Chinooks to Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base in order to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities to Naval personnel stationed at that facility.

The familiarization flight marked the beginning of a partnership between leadership of NAS Fort Worth JRB; Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and the Texas Military Department.

Commander Allen Grimes, Executive Officer for NAS JRB Fort Worth, said that the Chinook familiarization flight has provided him with a concrete view into the Texas Army National Guard’s aviation mission set, and into what operations may look like the Texas Guard’s hangars are incorporated into the JRB.

The Sailors who participated in the flight were also impacted positively by the experience.

“I was actually very impressed with the capabilities of the Chinook. The low flying, maneuvering through the woods definitely made me feel as if I was on a mission in a movie scene. It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic Safety Equipment First Class (AW/SW) Bianca Henderson.

This partnership also supports the Adjutant General of Texas’ intent on modernizing the Texas National Guard’s aviation hangar assets. The Texas Army National Guard has been working closely with the leadership of NAS JRB FTW and NAVFAC for over three years to acquire two additional hangars intended to house CH-47 Chinooks.

The hangers include a ramp space which will allow the Texas Guard to establish a rotary wing operations and maintenance capability at the JRB.

“Moving to JRB for the Texas Army National Guard Chinooks means quicker access to training areas, [increased] ability to depart and return under more challenging weather condition, and less restrictive airspace,” said Lt. Col. Chris D. Hanna, 449th Aviation Support Battalion commander.

In addition to providing the Texas Guard with much needed hangar space, the initiative will allow partnerships to grow between the Army aviators of the Texas National Guard, and the Naval Aviation community.

Nurturing this partnership will benefit both services as they work to meet the intent of the National Defense Strategy which relies on “Joint Force military advantages enabling U.S. interagency counterparts to advance U.S. influence and interests.”

Once the two hangars are procured, the CFMO will engage in a nearly $6 million renovation project to expand the hangar depth in order to allow the Chinook’s to comfortably fit. The construction project will also entail adding administrative and support facilities at the hangars in order to facilitate increased operations.

“We anticipate receiving the official licenses for the property before the end of 2020,” said Brian Stevens, the director of planning and programming for the Texas Military Department’s Construction and Facilities Management Office.

“The most important outcome from this event is the partnership that we are building to ensure we will successfully integrate the TXARNG facilities, aviation mission and personnel into the NAS JRB FTW Community."

Story by Charles E. Spirtos, Texas Military Department Public Affairs

AUSTIN, Texas— The Texas Army National Guard graduated twenty-four students from the University of Texas Project Management Certificate Program, October 7, 2020, during a ceremony at Camp Mabry in Austin.

Maj. Gen. Greg Chaney, Texas Military Department Deputy Adjutant General – Army, presented the graduates with certificates to recognize this significant achievement. The twenty-four Soldiers came from across the state to enhance their skillsets through the use of the Army Credentialing Assistance Program.

Students underwent a rigorous 60-hour course of instruction as well as over 750 pages of reading material and were taught by Col. (ret.) Garry Patterson, a former Texas National Guard officer who now serves as an educational consultant for the University of Texas at Austin Center for Professional Education.

The course usually focuses on corporate project management, but this particular version was engineered specifically for the Soldiers to give relevant examples to projects they would encounter in their military careers.

The Project Management Certificate Program is intended to enhance Soldiers’ project management skills through globally recognized processes and a proven framework for leading and directing projects and teams. The program is industry-driven and takes Soldiers through the essential processes in a logical and sequential way to prepare them to move up in their careers.

With their graduation from this program, the 24 Soldiers are eligible to apply to sit for the PMP certification exam, using their remaining credentialing assistance funds. Once certified, these citizen-Soldiers will be able to successfully manage teams and projects across the Texas Guard, as well as in their civilian jobs.

The Army Credentialing Assistance Program was established in 2019 to provide service members with increased opportunities to expand their skills and experiences, enhancing their ability serve in a multi-domain warfare environment.

The program directly contributes to supporting Soldiers’ professional development, retaining quality Soldiers, and preparing Soldiers for meaningful employment upon transition from military service.

“The credentialing assistance program is an additional tool for Soldiers to develop themselves in technical and practical skills, much like the tuition assistance helps students achieve their educational development goals,” said Mary Lantz, Texas Military Department education services specialist.

“We ensured rigorous COVID-19 mitigation procedures were in place,” such as enforced social distancing, mask requirements, and daily temperature checks,” said Lantz. “It was very nice that in the middle of a COVID-19 environment, we were able to provide some normalcy in a classroom setting where the Soldiers could gain new skills as well as build their networks.”

The benefit from the Credentialing Assistance Program is two-fold – providing service members with tangible skills for their military specialties within the Guard, while also bolstering their ability to perform in civilian careers as well.

The program extends beyond simply funding coursework. The funding is comprehensive and provides every Soldier $4,000 every year said Lantz. These funds can be used for course work earned towards a certification, books and supplies, as well as certification and examination fees.

The program is flexible and allows Soldiers to guide their own learning path through the use of a website called Army COOL, which contains a catalogue of all possible credentialing opportunities and the associated requirements. This system affords Soldiers the flexibility to independently work.

However, in the case of the Project Management Professional program, Lantz explained that the Texas Military Department coordinated the coursework directly with the University of Texas so that all twenty-four students could participate together.

“The Soldiers learned the logic behind project management,” said Patterson. “They performed extremely well.”

Story and photos by MSgt Lynn Means, 136th Airlift Wing, Texas Air National Guard

“We knew we were in a crisis.”

When the water supply of a southern Texas city became tainted and unsafe to drink, the Texas Military Department responded sending Army National Guardsmen to ensure residents had access to a supply of life sustaining water.

“Back in September, a little boy lost his life due to a brain eating amoeba,” said Bryan Sidebottom, deputy emergency manager for Lake Charles, Texas. “We were trying to figure out what happened, so we posted a water advisory. We told everyone the water was not consumable, and to use it only to flush the toilet.”

City officials were faced with the dilemma of ensuring residents had safe water to drink. Without the free flow of clean water to houses, it was going to be an enormous task.

“We didn’t have enough manpower in the city to hand out water bottles while we continued to provide city services,” said Sidebottom. “It’s a big task, so we requested the Guard.

“Initially we had a ‘do-not-use’ advisory for the city water, then it became a boil water advisory. This meant you could drink it after you boil the water.”

But this wasn’t the best solution, explained Sidebottom, because the elevated chlorine levels used to disinfect the system were still a great concern for residents.

“We wanted to ensure every citizen felt they were being taken care of,” said Sidebottom. “It’s been a very arduous task, but thankfully the Guard came to our aid.”

Thirty-one Army National Guardsmen arrived early September 27, 2020, to quench Lake Jackson residents’ thirst. For nearly two weeks, the team handed out cases of water, talked to residents, and welcomed the opportunity to give service before self.

“Today we handed out 4,400 cases, hitting a little over one million water bottles since we started,” said Private 1st Class Markel Locks, a Texas Army National Guardsman assigned to the team. “Seeing people smile when we gave them water, it meant the world to us.

“It’s the reason I joined -- I wanted to help people.”

Locks said he was struck with the depth of this situation when the team had to move hotels because they couldn’t shower.

“We were a little scared,” said Locks. “Water is a part of life.”

But the outpouring of gratitude from residents had a positive reaction on the Citizen Soldiers.

“We all love being here,” said Locks. “Every four cars or so, we got cookies, candies, we got to look at all kinds of dogs - it was beautiful! I really love this town! I’ve been thinking about moving here.”

However, the mission was not without risk.

Several days into the mission, one Guardsman began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

“We had a Soldier experiencing symptoms and started asking about COVID,” said Army Capt. Juan Guerrero, 449th Aviation Support Battalion ammunition officer and officer in charge of the mission. “We took him to the hospital, then quarantined him at the hotel. Two days later, his test results came back positive.”

The team was taken off mission and waited in isolation to see if anyone else tested positive. The Texas Military Department immediately mustered a Quick Response Force to fill the mission’s needs.

“Within six hours’ notice, the QRF was out here,” said Guerrero. “It was really awesome. Next morning at 7 o’clock, they started [distributing water to residents], and kept it up for two days until we got our tests back."

The rest of the team was relieved to receive all negative results.

“We were ready to get back to work,” said Guerrero. “The city of Lake Jackson was a great host. They made sure we had hot meals and no need to eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). They really boosted our morale.”

Sidebottom explained the residents’ show of gratitude for the Citizen Soldiers who came to distribute water to their city.

“One resident wrote she could see everyone was happy to do what they were doing, and she could see that through their smiling eyes,” said Sidebottom, grinning behind his own mask.

He paused for a moment while his eyes welled up and he stood a little taller.

“She said it brought tears to her eyes to see their service,” he said. “I love that … it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.”

Sidebottom said it takes a special person to serve.

“They’re very high-spirited. They’re motivated. They understand the cause, and they’re always ready to serve."

They are Texans serving Texas.

Story by Airman 1st Class Laura Weaver, 136th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
 

NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas - “Riddle me this: It feels as hard as a rock, but it can spread like jelly,” said Texas Air National Guard Maj. Adrienne Saint, Logistics Readiness Officer at the 136th Airlift Wing (136 AW). “It’s not edible, but it can eat you.”

The answer?

Saint has a five-year life-changing story to embody the answer: breast cancer.

Saint’s journey began in December 2015 when she went to a primary care physician at Fort Belvoir, Va., to get a routine mammogram. At the time, Saint, 45, was serving her 15th year in the Air Force on an Active Duty tour at the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va.

One month later, Saint completed her tour and was back to her normal routine at home in Fort Worth, Texas. She just started a new job at the 136 AW Inspector General’s (IG) office, bought a new house and was awaiting a promotion. She had all but forgotten her appointment until she received a voicemail from Fort Belvoir informing her that her images were “distorted” along with a letter suggesting she seek a follow-up appointment.

It was May 2016 before Saint reached out to make an appointment with her local primary care physician, just shortly before she discovered a lump herself for the first time. When her doctor referred her for another mammogram, Saint shared the message she had received from Fort Belvoir with the nurses.

“My original thought was they didn’t do the mammogram right and my images were just messed up,” said Saint. “And they said, ‘No, that means something is wrong with you… You’re distorted.’”

After the second mammogram came an ultrasound, and then finally the diagnosis: breast cancer.

“Time stood still for a minute,” said Saint. “Those are words you don’t expect to hear. When the doctor left, the nurse kept saying, ‘It’s okay. You can cry. You can breathe.’ But I was just frozen.”

“I had nobody,” continued Saint. “I didn’t know anybody that had ever had breast cancer. I had no support. Once I left the facility, I barely made it to my car. I felt so weak, and I just sat in my car because I couldn’t even drive home.”

Soon after the initial discussion, Saint’s biopsy came back positive confirming the doctor’s diagnosis. She had been keeping her struggle a secret, but she finally began to break the news to her friends and family in August 2016.

“I had my new house, my new job, my grandma passed, and I even had this massive promotion party at work,” said Saint. “So all of this was going on while I’m trying to face this, and nobody knew.”

She also knew it was time to say something to her coworkers. The task, however, wasn’t so simple for her. The 136 IG was a team of all males.

“They were shocked when they found out, but they were understanding,” said Saint. “They all have wives, and some of them have daughters, so I think they had a lot of compassion. But I think as long as I put it out of sight and out of mind, it was out of sight and out of mind for others too.”

The stage-2 cancer was a mutated estrogen hormone that had developed into a slow-growing mass called an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC). After exploring her options with her doctor, Saint opted to have a full bilateral mastectomy that September, followed by four reconstructive surgeries spanning over the next 18 months.

“After five major surgeries in 18 months, I can truly say I’m a rebuilt 1974 Ford Pinto made in Texas,” said Saint.

After her first surgery — the mastectomy — Saint found comfort in simply getting back into a sense of normalcy.

“When I left the hospital that day, I wore a new pair of heels,” said Saint. “Ironically, I don’t like the color pink, but to celebrate, I bought a pair of burgundy-colored heels with a t-shirt that said ’drunk off my t**s,’ and that’s what I wore out of the hospital with my hair and makeup done. And every day after that during my recovery, I got up, I brushed my hair, and I put on my makeup before I left my room. My mom kind of laughed at me and said, ‘What are you doing?’ and I said, ‘Why not? This is my normalcy. I can’t do anything else, but if I look in the mirror and look good, then that makes me feel good.’”

While the mastectomy was successful, a complete recovery didn’t happen overnight. It was a lengthy process for the new Air Force major as she worked to overcome not only the obvious physical challenges, but also her internal struggles as she progressed through the reconstructive surgeries.

“The pain doesn’t stop,” said Saint. “It’s a long term thing: the numbness from the lymph nodes being removed, the swelling that comes along with it, the loss of my body parts, and having something foreign put in my body that’s not natural or real. I felt like my womanhood was taken away from me, and it felt like a loss of control of a lot of things. The recovery was hard because of the pain, but I think what was harder was not being able to do anything for myself. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t even lift. I’ve lived on my own for 20 years, and it was hard to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t even get my own glass of water.”

In between her surgeries, Saint pushed herself by immersing herself in her job. Though her male coworkers in IG were supportive, she was determined not to fall behind and tried to keep a heavy workload as much as she could.

“I was working with all males, and I felt like I had something to prove,” said Saint. “I was trying to prove to everyone that just because this happened, I could still work harder. There was the guilt of leaving work and the fear of getting behind. So I buried myself in my work. I was on leave for so long in between every surgery, and I kept telling myself, ‘I’m in the military and I have to get back to my job.’ Instead of healing, I was trying to rush back to work. But it’s a mourning process, and those are things I didn’t realize at first.”

Saint’s friends and coworkers at the 136 AW recognized her struggle and made efforts to be there for her as much as they could. Several of them were able to bring her lunch during her recovery and check on her at home. The wing commander and Saint’s supervisor visited her at the hospital during one of her surgeries. The Force Support Squadron Airmen even brought over Long John Silver’s because she was craving it.

Saint’s network of friends across the country also found ways to help from afar.

“A lot of my friends are in different states, partly because I’m in the military and partly because I’m originally from California. There are a lot of connections I’ve made throughout the years, and we’ve all stayed in touch. One of my girlfriends in California was able to contact my closest friends through an email I sent previously, and she set up a meal plan for me. I had no idea, but when I got home from the hospital, everyone had signed up to cover two weeks of my meals. My friends from other states ordered from a delivery service, and my local friends brought something over.”

Saint’s last surgery was in March 2018. She just hit her four-year mark of being cancer-free in September of this year. The most emotional part for Saint now is reflecting on how far she’s come since the beginning of her journey. As her bright eyes welled up with tears, Saint had a piece of advice for the past version of herself who felt so alone and exhausted in her battle.
 

“I would tell her it’s okay to take time off and heal,” she said. “Everybody kept telling me, ‘You’ve got this’ and ‘You’re strong.’ I felt like I couldn’t feel, and I harbored so many emotions because I was trying to be strong. But it’s okay to feel, and it’s okay to be weak.”

This is also the advice Saint gives to those who reach out to her when their loved ones are going through similar situations.

“The words of advice I give to those people are to let them feel,” said Saint. “If they’re angry, if they’re sad … just support whatever they are feeling and let them feel that. It’s human nature that when someone comes to you with a problem, you want to relate. But it’s important to be a good listener and to let that person talk.”

Though Saint initially kept her struggle a secret, she is now outspoken about her battle with breast cancer in an effort to be a voice of encouragement and support for others who need it.

“The reason I’m willing to share my story is not because I’m asking for sympathy or attention, but because maybe, if I can be brave enough to speak out, this might be my blessing to the next person,” said Saint. “I believe my breast cancer was to be part of some greater good.”

The answer to Saint’s initial riddle is just two small words that don’t express with justice the war stories of Saint and thousands of other women who have or are currently struggling with breast cancer. But her story illustrates a counter to the riddle of breast cancer with two other powerful words: hope and resiliency.

“We’re stronger for it in the end,” said Saint. “It’s our story. Embrace the scars because we have to live with it, and we can beautify it because everyone’s a little bit bent. We’re not broken — we’re all just a little bit bent.”

Story by Sgt. Christina Clardy, 36th Infantry Division Public Affairs

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 22, 2020) – The Headquarters of the 36th Infantry Division is slated to deploy to the Middle East this fall, and has been rigorously training and preparing for the past two years. Despite their hectic training schedule for the mobilization, many division headquarters Soldiers chose to volunteer for COVID-19 response efforts and the civil disturbance missions.

This year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated more than 3,800 service members from the Texas National Guard with elements of both Texas’ Air National Guard and Army National Guard for two separate crises. The first activation came on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic; Joint Task Force 176 set up over 150 sites where they administered over 530,000 tests. Service members assisted with the states’ decontamination efforts of nursing homes as well as delivered over 7,000 pallets of protective equipment to civilian-run testing sites across the state. The second activation came two-months later while the COVID efforts continued.

Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., civil unrest rocked many cities throughout the nation. Texas was no exception and the threat of unrest brought about a second wave of Guardsmen activations. Service members answered the call to support local and state law enforcement and assist in the protection of people and critical infrastructure necessary to the well-being of local communities.

COVID-19 RESPONSE

“I was in the process of transferring over to the 36th Infantry Division for the mobilization when my company contacted me looking for volunteers for the COVID support mission back in March,” said Texas Army National Guard 1st Lt. Juan Bonilla, an infantryman formerly from Texas’ 2nd Battalion of the 142nd Infantry Regiment. “The COVID-19 mission brought on a new kind of mission complexity within a state mission that, as far as I know, we have not encountered so far in our history -- definitely not at this widespread level.”

Bonilla worked in the Joint Operations Cell for the JTF 176 COVID-19 Response mission and got a small glimpse of the many moving parts that must synchronize to handle the magnitude of the state response.

“The hardest part of that mission was learning about all the different sections and parts within the mission, and how they moved and communicated to accomplish the mission as a whole,” said Bonilla about the comparison between the COVID-19 Response and the 36th Inf. Div. Headquarters’ upcoming mobilization. “And now, as the Division Headquarters moves forward with our mobilization, I have really started to see the complexities that go into the movements and operations from a higher headquarters down both in state operations and federal operations overseas.”

Bonilla says he’s looking forward to deploying after serving during part of the COVID-19 crisis this summer; to him, being a Texas National Guardsman is all about service.

“I want to learn as much as I can in order to use that knowledge to help our unit’s federal mission while deployed forward and when we return during our future state support missions,” he said. “I have great pride in my country and in my state. Our motto, ‘Texans serving Texans’ is a big thing for me.”

CIVIL DISTURBANCE RESPONSE

“I was having dinner with my family when I got an email informing me that I was activated for the state’s civil disturbance response,” said Texas Army National Guard Sgt. Eric Chacon, an Army medic formerly from Fort Worth’s 3rd Battalion of the 144th Infantry Regiment. “I reported to Camp Mabry that first week of June and we were issued our protective gear before heading down to Camp Swift for our civil disturbance training.”

All Texas Guardsmen activated for the civil disturbance mission spent 3 to 4 days training in crowd response tactics and non-lethal methods. 

“Our civil disturbance training was focused on things like non-lethal training: how to protect yourself and others; how to react or not react to certain threats or taunts; and practice in maintaining our professional manner and bearing when faced with civilians in groups that are in riots or potential riots,” Chacon explained.

The Texas Army National Guard sent Soldiers to more than a dozen areas around the state to support local law enforcement where large protests were happening or where rioting was an ongoing threat. Chacon’s group was sent to guard the State Capitol building grounds in downtown Austin.

“What is really interesting about the Guard to me, is that even though we are military, we are still civilians - we wear both hats,” said Chacon, a native of El Paso. “I feel that with our roots as Texan civilians and our ability to go out in a uniform as a trained force is important because we are a neutral force,” said Chacon. “We aren’t there to choose a side. We are there to protect everyone in general, regardless of which side or which group.”
Chacon, like many 36th Inf. Div. Headquarters Soldiers, spent the spring and summer away from their families supporting the COVID-19 and civil disturbance missions before rolling straight into their mandatory deployment training.

“There was so much to do and so much training we needed to go through to be prepared to deploy [overseas],” he said. “Since activating for the civil disturbance response mission, I have gone straight to my medic refresher course; then into deployment training where we run through our Soldier skills such as weapons qualifications, communications, squad tactics and military vehicle training; and immediately into a support role to assist with preparing and helping my unit pack up for the deployment.”

Even with so much going on at home in their state, Bonilla and Chacon reflect the focus that the 36th Inf. Div. Headquarters maintains as their deployment date fast approaches.

“I’m looking forward to networking with new people during this deployment,” said Chacon. The sense of service and care I have gained through the Guard really helps me connect and communicate with people better. I want to be able to take that forward with us as we deploy, and improve it for when we return home and continue to care for and serve our fellow Texans.

By WO1 David Brown

Mesquite, TX - Members of the Texas State Guard (TXSG) are prepared to deploy on short notice when civilian officials request assistance.  Sometimes, the call to assist fellow Texans doesn’t come with a formal request, as a group of Texas State Guard soldiers from the 3rd Brigade discovered, en route to help Hurricane Laura evacuees. 

Before sunrise on the wet morning of September 2nd, five Guardsmen from the 3rd Brigade were traveling to an assignment at a hurricane shelter hub in Mesquite, east of Dallas.  As their van slipped through the light morning traffic of I-635 east of Dallas, CPT Lawrence Norotsky saw something ahead. Traffic was suddenly slowing and cars were veering across lanes to avoid a large obstacle. Norotsky directed the van’s driver, SFC Steven Lozano to pull over to a safe location.  

Scattered across the left three lanes of the highway was an SUV, parts of the bodywork mashed, one door ripped from its frame, bits of glass and plastic all around.  Not far behind it was a badly damaged four-door sedan, steam rising from its mangled front end, leaking fluids of some sort.  The car’s airbags had inflated around its driver.  The driver had managed to get out of his vehicle; his lower lip was bleeding, and he was complaining of chest pains.  

The young woman driving the SUV had managed to get out of her vehicle as well, but neither driver was safe. “On our arrival”, Norotsky says, “the witnesses and vehicle occupants were moving in and out of dangerous traffic. 

The Guard members’ training kicked in.  Texans who take the oath of the Texas State Guard, one of the three branches of the Texas Military Department, not only commit themselves to ongoing emergency and disaster management education, but often bring in years of real-world experience and specialized skills.  

Norotsky, who in civilian life is the Assistant Fire Chief of the Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department, unofficially assumed the role of Incident Commander.  Making a 360-degree assessment of the situation, he directed Lozano, PV2 Ruben Garza of Harlingen, and PFC Michael Ward of San Angelo to begin directing traffic away from the accident scene.  Norotsky approached the occupants of the apparent crash to perform triage, directing CPL Matthew Kotara to do a detailed examination of the 76-year-old driver of the sedan. 

Kotara, a trained Emergency Medical Technician, says he needed to ensure the driver of the sedan did not have life threatening injuries.  “The biggest concern for me, because the airbags deployed, and because of his age, was to make sure that he did not have a flail chest, collapsed lungs, any type of puncture wounds or signs of a concussion,” said the TXSG Medical Unit veteran.  “He was bruised and disoriented, but (there were) no signs of life-threatening problems or injuries.”  Kotara remained with the driver to comfort him and to ready a report for first responders who would eventually arrive at the scene.  

Norotsky had determined that there were no fuel leaks or apparent fire hazards, but the weather conditions and the traffic on the multi-lane highway still posed considerable risks to life. Lozano, Garza and Ward directed occupants of the vehicles involved and witnesses downstream from the wrecked cars to the median, creating an effective safety buffer and getting pedestrians out of the way of traffic. “Our uniforms gave us the perceived authority to take charge and bring order to the chaos,” Norotsky said, crediting the TXSG’s required Incident Command Training and the Guard’s military structure for effectively reducing further dangers and removing any sense of panic. 

Soon, an off-duty police officer pulled up on-scene and provided the TXSG team with flares.  Norotsky turned over Incident Command to the first arriving Fire Engine Company Officer, providing a full report. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the incident. 

Lozano, whose civilian job is with the Border Patrol, credits the diverse backgrounds of all involved as having made the unassigned mission-within-a-mission a success. “I truly believe all Guardsmen...bring with us a wealth of knowledge and experience from our lives outside the Guard.” This advantage is one reason TXSG recruiters are always on the lookout for Texans with a variety of skills and career specialties ranging from law enforcement to information technology, science, engineering, education, medicine, construction and more.

Although the TXSG may be best known for their decades of providing relief during major emergencies like Hurricane Harvey - and, more recently, Hurricane Laura, - troops never ‘let their guard down’. While routine traffic accidents seldom get much media attention, the incident along I-635 serves as an important reminder that the Guard’s mission as “Texans serving Texas” never sleeps. 

Several Texans in potential danger received quick, expert assistance on that rainy morning of September 2nd, 2020. Just another day of service for the members of the 3rd Brigade, Texas State Guard.  

AUSTIN, TEXAS, Aug. 26, 2020 — On August 24, the U.S. State of Texas and the Arab Republic of Egypt took the first step in forming a long-term partnership under the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program. At the historic Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, Secretary of State for Texas Ruth R. Hughs; the Adjutant General of the State of Texas, Major General Tracy R. Norris; and Egypt’s Defense Attaché to the United States Major General Abdelraouf A. Moussa affirmed their intent to form a long-term partnership between the Texas National Guard and the Egyptian Military.

At the event, Major General Tracy R. Norris highlighted past and future cooperation: "The Texas Military Department is proud to play a key role in the overall U.S.-Egypt relationship. From the Texas National Guard's continued participation in Exercise Bright Star - a decades-running, multilateral defense exercise, to Texas National Guard units supporting the MFO's mission in Sinai, Texas is a key player in the military partnership between our two countries. The formal establishment of our partnership through the State Partnership Program codifies and makes official a relationship between our militaries that has been in the making for decades."

In conjunction with the signing in Texas, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen noted that the U.S. military relationship with Egypt has been a foundation of the U.S.-Egypt strategic partnership for more than forty years. "Defense cooperation with Egypt is a cornerstone of our strategic partnership, spanning counterterrorism, border security, and joint training and planning to address complex geopolitical challenges."

Egypt’s Defense Attaché Major General Moussa and other Egyptian officials also toured Texas military facilities and observed operations at the U.S.-Mexico border. A formal signing ceremony of the State Partnership program is scheduled for later this year in Cairo, at which time Egypt will have the opportunity to showcase its military capabilities for visiting U.S. officials. This long-term partnership will benefit both Texas and Egypt through the conduct of exchanges and exercises in the areas of C-130 and F-16 flight maneuver and maintenance, cyber defense, logistics, special forces, homeland security response preparedness, military support to civilian authorities, and humanitarian and disaster assistance response.

While the Egypt-Texas partnership is the latest partnership, the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program has been successfully building relationships for over 25 years, and now includes partnerships with 84 nations around the globe. These programs link a unique component of the Department of Defense - a U.S. state's National Guard - with the armed forces or equivalent of a partner country in a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship.

For more information about the State Partnership Program, please visit: https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/J-5/International-Affairs-Division/State-Partnership-Program/