Austin, Texas

05.19.2017

Story by: Sgt. Elizabeth Pena

Texas Military Department

Memorial Day is a federal holiday to remember those that have died while serving. For most people this means a day off work and a good reason to fire up the grill and spend time with friends and family.

For the Texas National Guard’s Military Funeral Honors Team, Memorial Day comes every day — only barbecue is not included. 

“We are there at the moment when the family suffers the loss of their loved one who has passed away,” said Jim Levine Jr., Military Funeral Honors State Coordinator. “We are the last living representation of the military. It’s us honoring their service every day.”

This long-standing military custom dates back to World War I, and until recently, services were only provided when manpower was available. In 2001, the National Defense Authorization Act passed a law that mandated the United States Armed Forces provide the rendering of honors in a military funeral for any eligible veteran.

“All family members want military funeral honors, they want to see that flag being folded and the sound of the trumpet, that is closure for the family,” said Ricky Williams, memorial affairs coordinator, at Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

The family member or next-of-kin of the veteran must request honors through their funeral director. The funeral director then contacts the appropriate military service to arrange for the funeral honors detail.

Most Texas veteran memorial requests are processed through the casualty assistance office of Fort Sam.

“We cover everyone from Buda to Mexico and Beaumont to El Paso, active duty, reserves and National Guard,” said Williams. “We average 2,250 services a year.”

Williams assigns the services to Military Funeral Honor teams based on their component, area of responsibility and availability. In instances where active duty teams are over tasked, Texas guardsmen can honor any veteran in Texas.

“We depend on the Texas National Guard to help us make the family happy by coming out and performing funeral honors because we don’t have the manpower without them,” said Williams.

Recently, the team conducted a joint memorial service to honor a veteran from the Tuskegee Air Force.

“We did a joint service for a Tuskegee Airmen from WWII with the Air Force,” said Levine. “Since he was a pilot in the Tuskegee Air Force, we were able to do that with him. The Air Force did the flag folding we did the firing party, it was a great deal.”

The Texas Honor Guard has approximately 14 full-time Soldiers and 25 traditional Guardsmen. Regardless of the veteran’s military branch, Texas Guardsmen treat every service with honor and respect.

“It’s an honor for me to do this,” said Texas Army National Guard Sgt. Jonathan Strother, assistant team leader for Military Funeral Honors. “Whether they served in Vietnam, WWII or whatever era that they served, we want to leave a lasting impression of our sincerity and appreciation for their veterans services.”

Strother joined the team in 2011 as a bugler and worked his way up to an assistant team lead. He is the first Texas Guardsmen to perform nearly 1,900 services.

His leadership role allows him to instill his knowledge and expertise to incoming Soldiers.

“What I tell the young Soldiers coming in is be professional, this is not an easy job, we are on call seven days a week and we don’t usually get weekends off,” said Strother. “It is a very stressful job dealing with death and the families, but it is a very rewarding in the same sense.”

Through the military funeral honors program, Texas Guardsmen are able to share their passion of providing the family one last military honor.

“The family sometimes doesn’t see the honor behind their veterans’ service, they just know that he/she sacrifices; they are gone a lot and they deploy a lot,” said Levine. “But when they see our guys at the funeral, doing the flag folding, presenting the flag, playing the taps, we are honoring their service so therefore, for the family we are honoring their sacrifice.” 

As you celebrate your Memorial Day this year, please take a moment to remember those that have given their lives for our freedom, and their families still here.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

05.19.2017

Video by James Buehler and Malcolm McClendon

Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center

In Ft Bliss El Paso, Texas, stands a course for Air Force Security Forces. Here you will find the only female instructor for the sniper course. Here is James Buehler with the story, that shows no favoritism.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

05.16.2017

Video by Tech. Sgt. Mindy Bloem 

149th Fighter Wing (Texas Air National Guard)

Coronet Cactus is an annual training event that takes members of the 149th Fighter Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, to Tucson, Arizona to participate in an simulated deployment exercise.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, TX, UNITED STATES

05.15.2017

Story by Sgt. Mark Otte 

Texas Military Department  

AUSTIN, Texas--The Texas Military Department, May 10, 2017, hosted its annual interagency Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept drill at Camp Mabry in Austin.

Each year the Texas Military Department Domestic Operations Task Force invites its emergency-response partners from around the state to Camp Mabry for a walk through of the interagency-plan to integrate the TMD’s assets into a hurricane response, should one hit Texas. During the drill representatives of each agency described their responsibilities at each phase of the 120-hour statewide response to a fictional hurricane's looming landfall, this time in Houston. 

Representatives from around a dozen agencies attended the forum, including Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Task Force 1, the Texas Army and Air National Guard as well as officials from local agencies.

"Revising our plan, sharing lessons learned, implementing new tools and refining our processes helps maintain a relevant and ready force," said Maj. Matthew Combs, J7 Director for the Texas Military Department. "Working with our partners establishes a relationship that builds trust and reliability, ensuring that the citizens of our great state have the best when they need it the most."

Part of the Texas Military Department's hurricane response is to quickly transform its standing battle-ready units into smaller more efficient groups that can more effectively address the needs of Texas citizens in a time of crisis. These Mission Ready Packages can rapidly be dispersed around the state when requested by local entities. Packages include equipment, like aviation assets, that make life-saving rescues possible in locations that might not have been, using only local equipment.

The Texas Military Department has developed these Mission Ready Packages through its ongoing operations around the state.

"I am often asked why we use Mission Ready Packages instead of sending the entire military units," said Maj. Gen John F. Nichols, The Adjutant General for Texas. "Over the past 13 years, with over 586,000 man-days across 230 different support missions, we have learned that an entire unit organized for military operations is not always the most efficient or effective for a domestic response."

One of the major obstacles that officials sought to address was the explosive growth around Houston. Because of that growth, more high-water rescue assets may be needed to rescue the additional citizens living in newly developed areas. Planners at the meeting said that the Texas Military Department has the equipment needed to perform the rescues, but that maintaining current maps of those areas at a high risk of flooding should be a priority.

The drill is just one step in the state's ongoing commitment to hurricane response preparedness. Prior to May’s event a tabletop exercise was completed, and in June a full-scale statewide response to another fictitious hurricane will be the final dress rehearsal before the 2017 hurricane season gets into full swing.

The last major hurricane strike in Texas was in 2008 when hurricane Ike, a category 2 hurricane, made landfall in Galveston. Then Governor, Rick Perry, authorized 7500 troops to be mobilized to the area in response to that storm.

Story by: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Malana Nall, Texas State Guard

Warrant Officer Jack Snow and Sgt. Earl Woolbright, 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment, Texas State Guard, were deep in a conversation about their recent ground search and recovery training and the importance of being prepared for an emergency or disaster as they headed home from drill on Interstate 35 south of Hillsboro, Texas, April 17, 2017.  

Then they saw the motorcycle accident.  Emergency personnel had not yet arrived, so Snow and Woolbright pulled over and got to work rendering medical aid and support to the two injured riders.  

“Those who were at the accident scene saw two Texas State Guardsmen rendering aid which is what they are trained to do in an emergency or disaster.  Snow and Woolbright represent the best of the Guard,” stated Maj. Ted Prescott, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment.  

Woolbright, who is the Assistant Fire Chief for Dallas County Fire/Rescue and an emergency medical technician, took charge of the scene.  He began assessing one victim, who was having difficulty breathing, seemed confused, had broken legs. Snow, who is a twenty-five year law enforcement veteran and deputy of Johnson County, attended to the other victim who showed signs of trauma to the head and hand. They attended to the victims until Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and emergency personnel arrived.

“Sgt. Woolbright was instrumental in providing emergency assistance at the scene.  He performed his duties professionally and calmly.  He provided important patient information to the emergency responders,” stated Snow.

Both credit the emergency training that they have received from the Texas State Guard and their law enforcement professions.  

“I have been an EMT/Firefighter for 27 years. My training and service in the Texas State Guard keeps my skills sharp and provides me with another opportunity to serve others.  I am honored to be a member of the Texas State Guard,” stated Woolbright.

Snow agreed.  “My training in the Texas State Guard for emergency situations and my law enforcement background give me the skills and knowledge that allowed me to assist the victims of this accident just as I would do in any other emergency or disaster,” commented Snow.

Woolbright and Snow received the Texas State Guard Meritorious Service Ribbon from Brig. Gen. Howard Palmer, Commander, Army Component, during a ceremony held at Camp Maxey, Paris, Texas, May 6, 2017.

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

05.05.2017

Story by Maj. Ray McCulloch 

102nd Information Operations Battalion  

Members of the Texas Army National Guard and Air National Guard participated in a major network defense exercise at Camp Williams in Utah from April 17 to May 5, 2017.

Members of the Texas Army National Guard’s 102nd Information Operations Battalion and the Texas Air National Guard’s 273rd Information Operations Squadron participated in Exercise Cyber Shield 17, the Army National Guard’s premier cyber defense exercise.

The exercise, which included members of the National Guard from 44 states and territories, the U.S. Army Reserve, state and federal government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private industry, was designed to enhance participants’ ability to respond to cyber incidents.

Cyber Shield 17 kicked off with a week of training and preparation that culminated in a scenario-based cyber roleplay during the second week. This was the sixth iteration of the exercise.

Participants were broken up into several groups, or “cells,” for the exercise.

Red Cell members simulated hostile hackers attempting to compromise a computer network, while members of the Blue Cell attempted to defend their networks against the Red Cell’s attacks. The Gold Cell supported the Blue Cell members with coaching and mentorship, while White Cell members evaluated the Blue Cell’s performance.

Members of the 102nd IO Battalion served on the blue and red teams. Other battalion Soldiers provided network management to support the exercise and served in the fusion center. According to a Department of Homeland Security handout, fusion centers are owned by state and local governments and operate with federal support. Their mission is to “provide multidisciplinary expertise and situational awareness to inform decision making at all levels of government.”

Red team members, such as Sgt. 1st Class Jon Wachter, play the role of adversary hackers or the opposing forces. In IT, that would be someone hacking into the network.

“Our main job is to train the blue team,” Wachter stated. That training included exploiting vulnerabilities to pivot or maneuver through their networks.

“We find gaps in their systems in order to exploit vulnerabilities and establish a stronger foothold into the IT terrain to ultimately gain control of systems, networks, or infrastructure,” Wachter said. “We try not to hamstring them so that there is some learning value for the blue team.”

For example, Wachter and his team took control of the administrative password, which would have completely shut down the training for the Blue Team. After an hour, they gave the Blue Team their password back so they could reestablish control of their networks.

Wachter was a team member assigned to the Indiana Red Team. He played the part of a hacker and an insider threat to Indiana’s IT infrastructure. His team stole fictitious personal identifiable information, defaced websites and attempted to disrupt business processes. In general, they created havoc on the network and systems used by the Indiana Blue Team and their mission partners.

“I wasn’t expecting them to bring so much skill to the table; they had a lot of talent here. It was definitely challenging for me, us,” he said. “They actually have a lot of people on this team who do this for their civilian careers as well, so they had a huge advantage!”

Wachter also stated that this exercise helped him network with a variety of very intelligent individuals and learn from their skills and experiences. “I was also able to observe the Blue Team and take away tips, techniques and procedures from them. That was the big lesson for me,” he said.

On the other side of the exercise were the Blue Teams. Blue Teams are state-affiliated National Guard and mission partners who must react to a cyber incident in the exercise. Ultimately, they are charged with expelling the adversary Red Team from their network.

For Texas, this included Staff Sgt. Brian Jones. Jones is an intelligence analyst from the 102nd IO Battalion attached to the Texas Cyber Protection Team for this exercise. He provided embedded intelligence support to the Blue Team operators, including predictive analysis, intelligence summaries and disseminated information on known threats passed from the fusion cell.

“Cyber Shield 17 is a training exercise developed to enhance the skills of the Blue Team in order to defend the operational environment – or the friendly networks – from the adversary’s cyberattacks,” said Jones.

According to Jones, information flow was the most difficult task. That included between governmental agencies at the state and national levels, as well as between Army National Guard, Air National Guard and civilian mission partners. Understanding how intelligence flows between components of the Texas National Guard was an integral part to the success of the Texas Blue Team.

This was an excellent opportunity for them to experience the reality of communications shortfalls between mission partners, the National Guard and the U.S. government agencies according to Jones. “It’s definitely a challenge, but we are working through it really well.”

The provided training facilitated the Blue Team’s ability to identify indicators of compromise in the network. Indicators are “observables” that there may be an intrusion in the system – like malware, phishing or unauthorized access.

“This exercise was a great opportunity to work with multiple [mission partners] in a group effort of incident response to take back a compromised network that we have been called in to defend,” Jones emphasized.

Mission partners that participated in Cyber Shield this year included federal agencies such as the FBI and DHS, state departments of justice, as well as private companies such as Microsoft, Lockheed Martin and Monsanto. The Army and Air National Guards – in coordination with federal agencies – worked with civilian mission partners to resolve issues on their networks. 

The lessons learned here are vitally important moving forward to defend state infrastructure and networks from cyber threats, cyberattacks and other cyber incidents. “What we learn here makes us more effective communicators in the future. I’ve learned so much from this exercise,” Jones said.

UT, UNITED STATES

04.27.2017

Photo by: Sgt. Michael Giles

100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

“It’s the best job in the military,” Capt. Joshua Montgomery, a member of an Air National Guard team that tests cyber defense elements, enthused. “We get to break things. We get to go and do all of the things that would send you to jail in the real world. It’s fantastic.”

Montgomery is not a criminal, but he plays one for the Guard. As a member of the 177th Information Aggressor Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, Montgomery tests cyber defense capabilities by attempting to hack into sensitive information systems. 

“The idea of an information aggressor squadron is to understand the tactics that real-world adversaries—like hackers and corporate espionage agents—use,” Montgomery explained. He then uses that understanding to find network vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Montgomery is preparing to put his hacking skills to use as a member of the Red Cell during Cyber Shield 17, a cyber defense exercise being held at Camp Williams, Utah, April 24 to May 5, 2017.

Cyber Shield 17 is a National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve event that begins with a week of training and preparation and culminates in a scenario-based cyber role-play. It is the sixth iteration of the exercise, which began in 2012, and trains members the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and Army Reserve, as well as civilians who work in law enforcement, intelligence and information technologies. 

Participants belong to one of several cells. Red Cell members, such as Montgomery, play the role of adversary hackers. Members of the Blue Cell attempt to defend against the Red Cell’s attacks. Members of the Gold Cell support the Blue Cell with coaching and mentorship, while White Cell members evaluate the Blue Cell’s performance.

As Red Cell members prepare to break into Blue Cell systems, their opposite numbers prepare for an experience that Blue Cell leader Maj. Kevin T. Mamula predicts will push them to their limits. 

“The blue teams will be challenged to their breaking points by design,” said Mamula, who also works as the cyber network defense team lead for Ohio. “They will be stressed and frustrated and mad. But they will come out as a much more effective team.”

Exercise participants emphasized that the threat that cyber attacks pose make this kind of challenging training crucial.

“Cyber threats are real,” said Capt. Joshua Hull, from the Nebraska Joint Force Headquarters, who serves as assistant leader for the Nebraska Blue Team in Cyber Shield 17. “They are already all around us, and they affect every aspect of our daily interactions.”

Hull said he is confident that his team will be able to succeed in warding off the Red Cell attacks thanks to effective collaboration he has observed among his comrades.

“We have very good team cohesion,” Hull said. “We have a very good flow of information and we’ve pulled our best and brightest. They have a good understanding of how network operations work.”

As Blue Cell fights an uphill battle in the cyber terrain, they will have the Gold Cell’s support. Lt. Col. Brad Rhodes, Gold Cell leader and commander of the Colorado Army National Guard’s Cyber Protection Team 174, said his team will provide struggling Blue Cell members with coaching and mentorship to help them learn and succeed.

“Our goal is that when the blue teams walk out of the door, they are feeling better about themselves and are more successful than when they first got here,” Rhodes said.

Red Cell leader Air National Guard Maj. Michael Ehrstein, who supervises the 177th Information Aggressor Squadron, said that Cyber Shield 17 fosters a learning environment by putting people of different backgrounds and levels of skill together. 

“People who’ve never done this before get one-on-one dedicated interactions with individuals who’ve been doing this 15-plus years,” Ehrstein said. “We are able to bring together experts from DoD, the government and the civilian world in one place and share that diverse perspective on cyberspace.”

“I’m very excited about being on a red team,” said Flo R. Bayer, a security analyst with the State of Wisconsin Department of Enterprise Technologies. “To see how hackers do things, their methodologies, will help me be better at defending the networks.” 

“You don’t get an opportunity to learn from a group of people like this often, to apply this skill set often,” said Adam Hellmers, an electrical engineer with Radiance Technologies. “It’s a chance to develop higher skills and to further enhance your own self, your company’s self and the national interests.” 

“The 2017 Cyber Shield exercise is far and away the best exercise I have ever encountered in my career,” Montgomery said. “It’s well organized; it’s well put together. And the teams, both red and blue, have made significant progress in securing DOD systems.”

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

04.23.2017

Story by: Spc. Christina Clardy

Texas Military Department

AUSTIN, Texas -- Friends and families attended the annual Texas Military Department Open House and American Heroes Air Show at Camp Mabry in Austin, April 22-23, 2017. 

A major focus this year is the living history aspect as this year marks the 75th Anniversary of the United States' entry into World War II and the 100th Anniversary of the 36th Infantry Division. 

The event hosted numerous living history groups and re-enactment units from the Civil War to World War II, including a re-enactment group of 36th ID Soldiers. In the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, the World War II groups joined together to create a large, simulated battle scene for spectators. As the German Army dug into their trenches, their tank and personnel track- carrier patrol came under fire. An assault force of U.S. Soldiers ambushed the patrol and pushed forward to capture the German line. The crowd-pleasing show featured simulated tank, artillery and grenade pyrotechnic simulators and blank-cartridge gunfire.

Shane Meyers, a 36th ID World War II re-enactor with Company G, believes that while re-enacting is fun, he sees it as an important way to give back and remember history.

"This gives us an opportunity to catch a glimpse of what it was like in combat in previous wars," said Meyers, who is also currently a staff sergeant in the modern-day 36th ID of the Texas Army National Guard. "Keeping the history alive is our way of honoring those who served and those who sacrificed everything for us."

The Texas Military Forces Museum, which is dedicated to gathering, protecting and sharing the history of the military forces in Texas, also supports the Co. G, 36th Inf. Div. re-enactment group. Located on Camp Mabry, the museum hosts a battle re-enactment for the TMD Open House and American Heroes Air Show every year. 

Members of the 4th and 6th Texas Infantry Regiment Civil War re-enactment group are also dedicated to preserving the history of Texas and it's military forces.

"Everything is bigger in Texas, including the history of the military forces of Texas," said Quartermaster Sgt. Bobby Moore, a re-enactor with Company K of the 6th Texas Inf. Reg. "And if you don't remember history, you lose it."

The history of the 36th ID spans over a hundred years. Born July 18, 1917, Texas and Oklahoma National Guard units were merged together in reaction to the U.S. entering World War I. The historic T-Patch unit insignia was created with a "T" for Texas on an infantry blue Arrowhead representing Oklahoma. 

They arrived in Europe in July 1918 and were involved in major operations in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The T-Patchers were mobilized again, this time in 1940 for World War II, and spearheaded the Allied Forces assault landing in Salerno, Italy on Sept. 9, 1943. The 36th ID was the first American division to land on the European continent. The division was instrumental in pushing the Axis-aligned Italian Army up through the Italian Peninsula liberating cities such as Cassino, Salerno, Velletri and Rome along the way. During World War II, 14 members of the T-Patch division were awarded the Medal of Honor for their courageous actions.

After returning to U.S. after World War II, the 36th ID was permanently attached under the Texas Army National Guard. Since then, the unit has been serving the people of Texas by responding to domestic emergencies, mobilizing in support of national and overseas combat operations, and participating in joint partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to include disaster relief and response, emergency preparedness, counterdrug efforts, reconstruction missions and security assistance on some aspects of border security.

The 36th ID continues to participate in military and community activities throughout the state to celebrate and honor the 100-year history of the division throughout 2017.

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES

04.23.2017

Story by: Sgt. Mark Otte

Texas Military Department

AUSTIN, Texas - Anyone who has ever traveled Austin’s MOPAC highway has inevitably become mired in the bumper-to- bumper traffic and hoped for a hero to rescue them. And then there it is; the imposing F-4 Phantom fighter jet, pointed toward downtown, nose up and about to take flight.

The aircraft, a welcome and interesting change of scenery for morning commuters and kids strapped in their car seats, is part of Camp Mabry's static aviation display, which may be the most recognizable part of the installation, but only begins to tell the post's story.

Initially, the space was little more than an 85-acre campsite, donated in 1892 by local citizens, at the urging of its future namesake, Brigadier General Woodford H. Mabry; in an attempt to professionalize the Texas Volunteer Guard. The new plot of land provided a place for those Soldiers to train for two weeks in the summer time.

During those weeks the community would make the trip out to the country to watch the mock battles and demonstrations the Soldiers would conduct. Those public displays are a tradition that continues today.

"You have to remember they didn't have TV, radio or internet," said Jeff Hunt, Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum. "So people going out to see military dress parades, drills and demonstrations, that was a form of entertainment."

As Austin has grown around the camp, so have the events hosted for the community. The Annual Texas Military Department Open House and American Heroes’ Airshow draws thousands to the post for battle re-enactments and helicopter demonstrations. The event also hosts local police, fire and rescue organizations.

The now 375-acre site that houses the Texas Military Department continues to serve the community that surrounds it. From Boy Scout campouts, 5K road races or historic-themed galas, Central Texans have shared the space since its inception in the 1800s. Lt. Col. Paul Mancuso, Camp Mabry Garrison Commander, said that while the open house is the largest public draw to the post, Mabry welcomes a host of other local organizations throughout the year.

"Because we have this beautiful facility, we have the ability to allow some nonprofits to come and do fund raisers and host events," Mancuso said. "It allows us to support those organizations that are in our local community, and lets our neighbors come out and see how beautiful Mabry is."

In 1992 the post converted a building designed as a mess hall in 1918 into the Texas Military Forces Museum. The almost 26,000 square feet of display space now house relics that date back to 1823 all the way to the present. Each item on display is used to help tell the story of the Texas military forces to youngsters and veterans a like.

Camp Mabry is an open installation so the community can come enjoy the 1-mile track or the catch-and-release fishing pond. Currently in the planning stages, the post will soon add a 5-mile hike-and-bike trail, with the help of Boy Scout Troop 1407.

"We will help clear the brush and make the trail," said Tyler Broz, a scout with the troop. "We will provide as much of the labor as we can."

For over 100 years Camp Mabry has supported both the soldiers of Texas and the community that supports them. The collective history of the post and those around it, provide an interesting lesson for both the those in uniform and those that call Texas home.