Story by: Staff Sgt. Daniel Griego

Posted: February 26, 2010

Scientist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell once said, "great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds." For the military public affairs practitioners of Texas, Chile, The Czech Republic, Puerto Rico and various U.S. states, this cooperation came in the form of the annual Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Conference.

Held Feb. 23-24, this international event presented a remarkable opportunity for military experts to share their experiences and values with each other in an open workshop environment. 

"Communication is what we do," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda E. Moncada, Public Affairs Chief for the State Public Affairs Office. "The importance of doing that right cannot be overstated. Coming together this week with other communicators from other states and other countries gave us the opportunity to hone our skills and benchmark those ideas that have worked for others."

Activities for the two-day conference included public affairs presentations from the representatives, future mission planning, and discussions on the role of public affairs in military operations. Sharing creative briefings and video projects, the participants all learned new things about their international brethren. 

"What I find interesting," said Capt. Jan ŠULC, public affairs officer for the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, "is that you are able to make the message serious but you can deal it in a funny way that's perfect. You will find the audience this way."

It wasn't all classroom discussion, as day two offered attendees a special tour of the Texas Military Forces Joint Operations Center via two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. 

Throughout the conference, all participants came to learn they had more in common in their military roles than they initially thought.

"The most important for me," said ŠULC, "is we are working on the same issues and we find similar challenges. You need to deal with internal public. You need to show how we are here for the public."

"Our job, our mission, is to help them," said Lt. Col. Pablo Müller Barberia, public affairs officer for the Department of Communications - Army, in Santiago, Chile. "We give peace, security and defense."

The conference, which capitalizes on the State Partnership Program pairing Texas and the Czech Republic in 1993 and Texas with Chile in May of 2009, reinforces the established strong bonds of training and cooperation.

In their almost 17 years of partnership, Texas and the Czech Republic have shared host duties, training opportunities and troop commitments in such exercises as medical certifications, combat instruction and F-16 aircraft demonstrations. 

In addition to the Czech and Chilean dignitaries, the conference also boasted a representative from the Puerto Rican Army National Guard.

"I get to network with more public affairs professionals in my field," said Staff Sgt. Luis E. Orengo, Operations NCO for the 113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Orengo also serves as the public affairs specialist for the Puerto Rican National Guard, working directly for the Adjutant General of Puerto Rico.

"I'm very glad," said Orengo. "Having this kind of experience that bonds us together gives us also the freedom of mind to do our stuff and you have somebody to rely on. If I have a problem now, I have the confidence to call Col. Meehan or anybody here."

Beyond attending the conference as a public affairs practitioner, Orengo also served as translator for the Chilean team.

Attendees, during their week-long stay in the country, also got the opportunity to explore central and south Texas, visiting Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio.

"It's a good experience for me," said Müller. "This my first time in Austin; it's a great city."

"First time for me not only in Texas, but also the U.S.A.," said ŠULC. "It was really beneficial for me."

Having enjoyed the journey and contacts made, our international partners look forward to sending their peers and comrades to future goodwill events.

"I think that it will also be important for my colleagues," said ŠULC, "to have the chance to come next time."

With fresh contacts made and old friendships renewed, this year's conference successfully sustained the benevolent relationships that will only continue to grow.

"We were delighted to welcome our State Partnership Program partners from Chile and the Czech Republic," said Moncada, "and hope that they enjoyed themselves as much as we did."

One of the TXSG’s own is in Haiti on a civilian (non-TXSG) mission
MAJ Michael Spraggins, PAO TXSG
2010/02/18

Chaplain/Major Fair TXSG Chaplain, of Brownwood, Texas is in Haiti on a civilian mission known as “The Hope for Haiti Medical Mission” which is comprised of medical personnel from the Brownwood area.

Chaplain Fair said “his TXSG training and the real world experience when activated with the TXSG in his role as Chaplain during Hurricanes IKE and DOLLY, helped prepare him for this mission in Haiti”.

The Chaplain further indicated after seeing the destruction and suffering, he feels that Texas is blessed with having a dedicated group like the TXSG who stand ready assist their fellow Texans in time of need.

The military personnel of the TXSG give of their time, money and yes sweat to train and train hard to be prepared to live up to the TXSG motto “Texans Serving Texas”.

An article Chaplain Fair authored for the America Psychotherapy Association magazine can be accessed by clicking here.

Toy Drive Brings Christmas To Children's Hospital 
CPL Jason Marshburn
2010/01/30
On Saturday, 12 December 2009 Texas State Guard troops from multiple units and commands arrived at area children's hospitals to distribute toys for the first "Young Hero's Of The Guard" toy drive.

Conceived by COL Gerald Lemons, commander of the 4th Civil Affairs Regiment, the drive benefited sick and injured children enduring long term hospitalizations over the Christmas season. Over 2,000 toys were collected from over 40 locations around north Texas! The toys were then distributed to the Dallas-Fort Worth area children's hospitals: Cook Children's Hospital (Fort Worth), Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (Dallas), and Our Children's House at Baylor (Dallas).

"Our original goal was to collect 500 toys." said LTC Jerald Garner, Chaplain of the 4th Civil Affairs Regiment. Troops from the 4th Regiment distributed 336 toys at Cook's and left another 140.

Later that afternoon, at Ridgemar shopping center, Chaplain (1LT) David Fish, 2nd BN Chaplain, very ceremoniously gave 250 toys to the United States Marine Corps Reserve "Toys for Tots" program. On Wednesday, December 16th, 250 toys were given to the Grand Prairie Police Department, with 2LT Rob Davis and CPL Jon David Wells representing the 4th Regiment.

The 19th Civil Affairs Regiment handed out toys at Our Children's House at Baylor and the 4th Air Wing handed out toys at Shriner's Children's Hospital.

PO1 Gish Awarded Texas Medal of Merit and Junior Enlisted of the Year for 2009
MAJ Michael Spraggins, TXSG PAO
2009/12/21

During the 2009 TXSG Holiday Dinner, Petty Officer First Class Michelle Gish had the unique distinction of being awarded the 2009 Junior Enlisted Member of the Year Award, as well as the Texas Medal of Merit for lifesaving actions during Hurricane Ike in 2008.

PO1 Michelle Gish began proudly serving the citizens of Texas as a member of the Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment, (TMAR) 2nd Battalion-Delta Company in 2006. Currently she is tasked as an Intelligence Specialist, Delta Co. training instructor and recruiting assistant. PO1 Gish began her career with TMAR as a squad leader in Initial Entry Training and graduating Honor Cadet in 2007. Ms. Gish is a member of SGAUS member and has earned her Basic MEMS badge. She graduated Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Training, awarded the Texas Medal of Merit, and Junior Enlisted of the Year in 2009. Her deployments include Hurricane Gustav and Ike in the summer of 2008.

A proud native Texas, she was born in Victoria, Texas and graduated from Gladewater High School in 1982. Ms. Gish’s chosen profession of service to the citizens of Texas began in 1983 as a Police Telecommunications Operator and awarded the State of Texas 911 Commission’s Public Safety Telecommunications Operator of the year on Sept. 11, 1989 and Austin ISD Police Chief’s Award of Excellence in 2004. Obtaining her Peace Officer Commission in 1990, her assignments have included a School Resource Officer for 10 years where she taught the Junior Police Academy curriculum and served as cheerleading coach for two National Qualifier teams. In 1994 and 1995, Ms. Gish also served honorably as an Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of Sunset Valley before returning to law enforcement as a Travis County Deputy Constable. She is presently with the Austin Police Department’s Special Operations-Airport Division. Ms. Gish is actively pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with minor emphasis in Psychology at Texas State University, maintaining a GPA of 3.67 and membership in Phi Theta Kappa. Ms. Gish has a total of 26 years as a field training officer in her various professional capacities and currently holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, an Instructor Certification, Special Investigator for Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Certification and a Mental Health Officer Certification through TCLEOSE. Ms. Gish is the wife of APD Sergeant Terry Gish, proud mother of TMAR’s SN Samantha Gish and daughter of Mike and CAPT Deana Lynne Abernathey, USNR.

Texas State Guard delivers to Santa Cop
Editor, Grand Prairie Reporter
2009/12/17

Members of the Guard donated 300 toys to Santa Cop.Members of the Texas State Guard helped the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Santa Cop make sure underprivileged families in Grand Prairie have a merry Christmas. The Guard delivered more than 300 toys Wednesday at the Grand Prairie Police Headquarters.

After hearing last week’s plea from Santa Cop for donations to fill this year’s request for assistance, talk radio station KLIF Program Director Steve Nicholl contacted the Texas State Guard to see if there were extra toys to share from its Christmas toy program, Young Heroes of the Guard.

Lieutenant Robert Davis, spokesman for the Texas State Guard, said members worked hard and collected more than 2,200 toys for the Scottish Rite Hospital, Our Children’s House and Cook’s Children Hospital.

“We were blessed enough to have more to give, more than those hospitals could really take and keep” Lt. Davis said. “So, we are here in Grand Prairie to help in their time of need.”

While loading the Guard’s donations, Bob Allen of Grand Prairie arrived with a SUV load of toys and a $500 check from the West End Charities of Dallas. He said the charity heard of Santa Cop’s problem and the West End had some extra it could donate.

Officer Mark Calvert said with the donations from the Texas State Guard and the West End Charities, “It’s going to put us over the top.”

He added that toys not distributed this year will be stored to “give us a start for next year” or could be used to help families should a disaster occur during the next year.

Debra Willis, Santa Spot coordinator, said thanks to the media getting the word out about the group’s problem, they now have enough hams and turkeys to provide a Christmas meal for each of the families.

This year’s distribution of the toys and food is December 17.

Original article formerly on the Grand Prairie Reporter web site.

8th Civil Affairs Regiment, Texas State Guard, provides Support to Wings Over Houston Air Show
1LT Joseph Conte, 8th Regiment Public Affairs, Texas State Guard
2009/11/04

ELLINGTON FIELD, HOUSTON, TX - Over 100 Soldiers of the 8th Civil Affairs Regiment, Texas State Guard, helped make the 25th Annual Wings Over Houston Air Show a success on Saturday Oct. 31 and Sunday Nov. 1 at Ellington Field in Houston, TX.

The Wings Over Houston Air Show draws approximately 50,000 visitors annually, and is organized as a celebration of patriotism and an educational event that provides community entertainment, aviation awareness, and military recruiting opportunities.

The 8th Civil Affairs Regiment Headquarters, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Battalion, Quick Reaction Team Detachment, and C4I Detachment soldiers devoted over 3,000 man-hours to its mission of gate access control, flight line crowd control, and crowd control during air show performances.

Members of the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade, Houston Group, provided medical support to the 8th Regiment during air show operations.

The Highlights of the 25th Annual Wings Over Houston Air Show featured the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team, U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet Tactical Demo Team, USMC AV-8 Harrier, USAF F-15E Strike Eagle, USAF A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, USAF C-17 Globemaster III Demo, C-47 and C-17 Transport Heritage Flight, Air Force Heritage Flight, U.S. Coast Guard HH-65C Dauphin Helicopter Demo, Commemorative Air Force Tora! Tora! Tora! WWII Airpower Demo, the Horsemen P-51 Mustang Formation Team and many others.

The show’s security coordinator, Chris Hendon, said he was very impressed with the 8th Regiment’s handling of the visitors during the air show performances. The 8th Regiment’s assistance will be requested at next year’s show, Hendon said.

This is the 23rd Wings Over Houston Air Show the 8th Regiment has participated in.

Members of the public also expressed thanks to 8th Regiment soldiers for their patriotism and service to the State and to the Country.

The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces (TXMF), reporting to The Texas Adjutant General, Major General Jose S. Mayorga, located at Texas Military Forces HQ, Camp Mabry (Austin), Texas. The Commander in Chief of the Texas Military Forces is the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry. The other two branches are the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) and the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG).

The Mission of the Texas State Guard is to provide highly trained soldiers for Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) by providing ready military forces during State Emergences to assist State and local authorities in homeland security, community service and with medical services.

Story by Sgt. Jennifer Atkinson

CAMP SWIFT, Texas- The sounds of local bands, helicopters and children's laughter rose up into a bright blue sky as the military and local communities came together during the 3rd Annual Oktoberfest here at Camp Swift on Saturday, Oct. 17. Highlights of the event included military demonstrations, local vendors, musicians, children's activities and the Volksmarch, a non-competitive distance walk through the woods in the Camp Swift training areas.

During the opening ceremonies, Texas Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Jose S. Mayorga welcomed the citizens of the surrounding cities, as well as Soldiers and families. Stressing the close relationship the residents of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville have with the Soldiers training at Camp Swift, Mayorga stated it simply and clearly, "we are part of the community and the community is part of us."

Bastrop Mayor Terry Orr made it clear the city of Bastrop supports the Texas Military Forces. We have "been endeavoring to become known as a 'soldier-friendly town'," said Orr, by working with Camp Swift and the local chamber of commerce to welcome the local military presence. 

Highlighting some of the equipment Texas Military Forces use during both peace- and war-time operations, Soldiers from the 143rd Long Range Surveillance Detachment performed an airborne demonstration, jumping from Texas Army National Guard Chinook helicopters. After two Apache attack helicopters did a low-altitude fly-by, more Soldiers from the 143rd LRS, completed an "air assault" to deliver a walking stick to General Mayorga, kicking off the annual Volksmarch. 

For some, this was the closest they had ever been to the helicopters. "This is great," said Shandra Wilcox, an Austin resident. Her seven-year-old son, Jaris, "is helicopter-crazy," said Wilcox. For Jaris, the "chance to see [the helicopters] up close was just a great thing for him and all he could talk about on the way here." 

Supporting the local community and the military in a slightly different fashion, the animals from the Capital of Texas Zoo in Cedar Creek attracted adults and kids alike. Mo, the camel, was a striking sight under the oak trees and many children bravely held out pellets of feed in their hands to feed him. "This is a labor of love," said Carl Smith, Mo's handler. The zoo comes out every year to support the military "because it's a great organization." 

For others, the chance to take a look at a bit of history, both in the Texas Military Forces museum displays and in Camp Swift itself, was a big draw. "My uncle was in the Army in Vietnam," said Lorena Marquez, "but he lives in California and I never really got to see the stuff he used, so it's neat to be able to look at all the old equipment and think that he might have used some of it."

"I can remember coming out here at Swift for training, years ago," said Max Nelson, a Texas National Guard veteran. "I don't remember having this much fun, though," he said, "since I think it was raining the last time I was out here."

Vendors and informational booths lined the walkways, distributing both products and information.

"This is way more stuff available for Soldiers and their families than when I was in," said Mr. Nelson. "I learned more walking around here today than I thought I would."

"We understand the strength our Soldiers provide," said Mayor Marc Holm, from the city of Elgin. "We are very proud to partner with the military personnel at Camp Swift," he said. "We are a family and we want to make sure we all have the same closeness and respect for each other. We know it's going to be a great annual event."

Story by Officer Candidate Micah Barnes

CAMP SWIFT, Texas - The children laughed and cheered from the hayride as they rode past the military demonstrations. Parents held them close as the simulated artillery rounds fired into oblivion while Soldiers rappelled from dizzying heights. For more than an hour, patrons enjoyed a relaxing journey through operations and exercises by the Texas Army National Guard at this year's Oktoberfest at Camp Swift, near Bastrop Texas.

The hayride event, hosted by the 1st Battalion, 136th Regional Training Institute Combat Arms Unit, located on Camp Swift, featured battle simulations, ghillie suits, and exciting freefalls. A new highlight of Oktoberfest, the ride catered well to the youngest of attendees at this year's third annual festival.

The Combat Arms Unit had four different presentations for the attendees, which showed some commonly rehearsed operations from rappelling to reacting to contact in a war-like environment. Staff Sgt. Justin Fusik, a Laredo native, said of the event, "I have been in the Guard for the past five years and I believe this is a great way to showcase all of our day to day operations." Each lane showed the functionality of a different branch of the Texas Army National Guard: Infantry, Field Artillery, Cavalry, and Military Police.

Fusik comments on the reasoning behind focusing on these four branches. "Seeing theses four branches at Oktoberfest does two things: one, it helps make the festival a blast and it also helps the public associate a face with the Texas National Guard."

The field artillery segment of this intense exhibit showed how quickly the unit's fire team could dismount, coordinate, load and fire the M119 howitzer. To the amazement of the audience, the fire crew team was able to accomplish all tasks in less than two minutes. After the applause settled from the crowd, a practical application brought to light the reality as to why the team needs to be so highly and effectively proficient at their jobs. Soldiers in combat depend on the team to send fire support when they are in a tough situation.

Next in the excursion, the cavalry scouts displayed their covert abilities as they hid in a field no larger than a basketball court. For the next seven minutes, parents and children alike attempted to view through binoculars and their naked eyes for these well-trained Soldiers. Samuel Levi Weyand, a Georgetown native and cadet of the Georgetown High School Junior Regiment Officer Training Course said of the iteration, "Those scouts were superb, we could not even find the one that was ten feet away from the trailer!" Out of the nine soldiers placed in the field, hayriders discovered only three, and only because the scouts were in their Army Combat Uniform without additional camouflage. Further, to the surprise of these onlookers, they completely missed the Humvee and Bradley Fighting Vehicle that were out in the field as well.

Later in the ride, the battalion simulated a convoy operation returning home to a "forward observation base," passing an abandoned housing complex and encountering a roadside bomb. This explosion initiated an enemy ambush attack on the unsuspecting Soldiers, stopping the vehicles and forcing the Soldiers out of their Humvees. Once in their defensive positions, they engaged the enemy with a massive firefight. Before vehicle team bounded around the building, they threw smoke canisters into the battlefield to conceal their advancement. 

Within mere minutes of the threat's initial ambush, the U.S. troops suppressed and detained the enemy. This Military Police scenario, demonstrated the mental and physical agility to defend and eradicate an unknown yet fortified enemy through basic battle drills, such as room clearing. 

"I never knew this is the kind of thing you could expect do if you were an MP. I thought only infantrymen did those things," said David Rosebaun, a Georgetown native and member of his high school JROTC unit.

The final stop of the hayride brings its riders to a towering edifice, where the long descent has only one way down. The infantrymen of the combat arms unit gave the audience a detailed look into what it takes to rappel off structures of any size. From the standard, more traditional techniques to the intense Aussie jump, the viewers remained mystified throughout the twenty-minute demonstration. The Soldiers also showed the difficulty of rappelling with an eighty-five pound rucksack strapped to one's back along with how to stop an out of control jumper. 

By the end of the hayride, Oktoberfest participants cheered wildly and called for more from the combat arms unit teams. The demonstrators serviced the crowd with an enlightening look at the Texas Army National Guard and the training necessary to overcome any obstacle thrown in it's path. This fan favorite will surely grow as a new staple of Bastrop's annual festival.

Story by Staff Sgt. Daniel Griego

CAMP SWIFT, Texas -- Revived in Germany as an official sport in the 1960s, the centuries-old tradition of the volksmarch celebrates the new harvest and champions community fitness. Translated as "the people's walk," the volksmarch welcomed all groups of people to come together and celebrate health and life together as a unified population. The neighboring towns of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville could, in turn, think of no better way to collectively celebrate their Oktoberfest than with this iconic tradition.

The flagship event of Camp Swift's annual Oktoberfest, the volksmarch offers participants the opportunity to enjoy nature, new neighbors and fitness together with routes that tour the training areas of the military installation. 

"There are three routes," said Chief Warrant Officer James W. Hampton, Oktoberfest project officer. "We have a one mile route for the kids, a 5K and a 10K."

The trails opened up directly following the opening ceremony of this year's third annual festival. Texas Adjutant General Jose S. Mayorga kicked off the event by receiving the ceremonial walking stick from the preceding Airborne/Air Assault demonstration. With staff in hand, he marched directly to the start point of the trail and began his trek around the camp, with more than a hundred walkers following behind him.

"The volksmarch itself has been something that the entire Texas Military Forces has put on," said Hampton. "It's not competitive, it's just for fitness."

Participants enjoyed the sharper routes of this year's march after Camp Swift's recent renovations.

"This is her second time," Army Sgt. Angela L. Descant said of her daughter after completing the kid's trail. "It's better than it was when she came the first time."

"Last year they came out here and actually cut all these trails," said Hampton of the new hiking routes at the camp.

Many walkers enjoyed the exercise, despite some lagging in pace. "There were a lot more people walking in front of us," said Jose M. Hernandez, 6.

This year's march also featured the "Tag My Kid" program, wherein children wear pins identifying them as Oktoberfest attendees with their parent's phone number written on the back side in the event they become separated.

"It's good, especially when you have one who wants to run around in the woods or crawl in holes," said Descant. 

For fitness or for community, the tradition of the volksmarch calls to mind the rich history of fall festivals and our German heritage.

"There's a big German community in Texas and in the military," said Hampton. "We're using this event to draw together the local areas of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville and bring them out here to Camp Swift and help offer a better relationship."