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From the Adjutant General

Guard ME Guard ME Guard ME Guard ME Guard ME

The Magazine of the Maine Army National Guard

Summer 2001

Public Affairs Officer MAJ Eldon Hardwick

EditorsSFC Class Angela Blevins

MSG Daniel Fortin

Staff SSG Carl Weiss

Technical SupportCW3 Mark Houdlette

Advisory Staff BG Bill Libby

COL Mark Gilbert

CSM Mark CollinsVisit this publication on our website at:

www.me.ngb.army.mil

Guard ME is an unofficial quarterlypublication authorized under the provi-sions of AR 360-81 and NGR 37-78and produced by the Public Affairs Of-fice, Military Bureau, HeadquartersMEARNG, Camp Keyes, Augusta, ME04333-0033. Telephone (207) 626-4335. Views and opinions expressedare not necessarily those of the De-partment of the Army. The AdjutantGeneral is MG Joseph E. Tinkham, II.

MG Joseph E. Tinkham, II

2 Guard ME Summer 2001

More Than Just a Soldier

On the Cover...

In June I took the opportunity totravel to Fort Benning, Georgia semi-anonymously with a close friend to at-tend his son’s graduation from an Infan-

try combined BCT/AIT program.While I have had occasion over the past few years to observe new soldiersundergoing training, this was the first

basic training graduation I have at-tended since my own in February 1967,at Fort Dix, New Jersey. This is not anold “war story”, there’s a lesson here,so bear with me.

My BCT graduation experiencewas at the height of the Vietnam War when upwards of 40,000 men a monthwere being drafted and basic trainingwas being conducted at over a dozen

posts around the Country.Soldiers were being turned out with

assembly lined precision by what wecalled, somewhat less than affection-ately, the “Big Green Machine”. Wetrained six days a week back then andgraduation was pretty much a trainingschedule event on the eighth Saturdayof basic.

We had a parade, as I recall, with a pass in review and a not particularlymemorable address by someone I can’tremember. I also seem to recall seeing afew family members of trainees whodrove in from their homes close to FortDix.

Immediately following graduationwe shipped out to our respective ad-vanced individual training programs.This was the Army way in 1967.

This is not the Army way in 2001.Graduation at Fort Benning was anevent extending over two days with the

primary focus being on the graduatingtrainees’ family.

On the day preceding the actualgraduation, families, with invitations inhand, followed the many signs postedeverywhere directing them to the com-

pany area of their soon to be graduate.

Here they were greeted and ushered intoa large room for a briefing by the battal-ion and company commander and wereintroduced to each drill sergeant. Therewere literally hundreds of family mem-

bers in attendance.A turning “blue” ceremony (it’s an

infantry rite of passage) followed in thecompany area where the families sawtheir soldiers for the first time.

The next day there were well over athousand family and friends present toobserve the graduation of two compa-nies on the parade field. A very impres-

sive infantry firepower demonstration preceded the graduates’ entry onto thefield.

The graduating companies wereformed and the soldiers were addressed

by the only officer having the Medal of Honor still on active duty. The cer-emony concluded with a pass in reviewled by the Fort Benning Army Band. Iwas not the only one totally impressed.

There is a lesson here that theArmy, at least the Infantry, seems tohave learned, and it’s one which wewould be wise to also acknowledge.

The Army has recognized that it has re-cruited more than just a soldier. It hasrecruited the soldier’s family as well.

They appear to realize that it’s not just the Army who has an interest in thesuccessful service of this new soldier.This interest is multiplied by the moth-ers and fathers and others who alsocare, those willing to partner with theArmy to ensure the young soldier’s suc-cess.

We too need to form a partnershipwith our younger Guard members’ fam-ily. When Jack or Jill joins the MaineArmy National Guard, I am certain it ismost often a family supported decision.Why don’t we develop an early rela-tionship with the new soldier’s family?

We have geography on our side.Our soldiers and their families are localand are our neighbors. A partnership of this type could greatly complementeach stakeholder’s efforts to help our soldier, their son or daughter, over rough spots of Guard duty, school andnew independence.

Let’s try it.

The 'Root-Rake' mounted on a D7 dozer goes about its work in Madison, Maine.(Photo by: Dan Fortin, PA)



In This Issue

Page 2 – Comments from theAdjutant General

Page 3 – Operation GoldenThunder

Page 4 – 133rd Engineer Company

Page 5 – 120th Aviation

Page 6 – Guard Crew meetsspecial constructionneeds

Page 7 – Not just another dayin the office

Page 8 – Quality Soldiers inthe Maine Guard

Page 9 – Operation GoldenThunder (continued)

P age 10 – 286th Service &Supply BattalionHistory

Page 11 - Comments fromCSM Collins

The Magazine of the Maine Army National Guard – Summer 2001

Engineers invadeBuffalo CountryBy: SFC Angela Blevins, PA

Deep within the Black Hills of SouthDakota, during July 9 through 21 st, over 6000 troops were involved in OperationGolden Thunder, the largest military eventknown. Not just the National Guard, butthe Army Reserves and active duty sol-diers, too, gathered to train. Among theunits from across the United States, wasMaine’s 240th Engineer Group.

In the fall of 1999, the unit Com-mander Col. Frank Toderico and Staff Of-ficer 3 (S3) Lt. Col. Leslie Swartz attendeda commander’s conference. They wereasked if their unit would like the opportu-nity to field command and control other engineering units. These units wouldwork primarily for Custer State Park andthe Black Hills National Forest on different

engineering projects.

“This is the first time in a lot of yearsthat we have had the whole unit tacticallydeployed,” said Swartz. In preparation for the trip, the conex’s (large containers)were packed and the vehicles prepared.This unit usually trains for a mission over-seas, packing for ship transportation. Alesson learned by the 240 th was that their equipment needed to be on site, in thestate of South Dakota, within a short pe-riod of time. This required a differenttransportation method and meantreconfiguring their packing.

To get their equipment to South Da-kota required "the South Dakota Army Na-tional Guard" to send 10 tractor-trailer rigsfrom the 88 th Troop Command to Maine.They picked up our vehicles and broughtthem back to South Dakota. They were onthe ground only 2 hours in Augusta when

See 'Buffalo Country' page 9

The 240th Engineer Group's survey section, assisted by the 52nd Eng. Company B,Oregon, surveyors, prepare to set control points for sonar tubes.(Photo by: SFC

Angela Blevins, PA, MeARNG)




National Guard Training Saves Towns Big MoneyWhen the Guard first came onto the

project site they were faced with a daunt-ing task. In front of them lay 26 acres of open land covered with approximately2000 tree stumps. Those stumps had to

be completely removed.According to 1LT Robert Berry, Hori-

zontal Platoon Leader for Company C,133d Engineer Company, Maine Army Na-tional Guard that’s when the citizen-sol-diers rolled up their sleeves and went towork. “We went out and rented a ‘rootrake’ which fits on the front of a D7 dozer.The rake literally sifts through the dirt androots leaving the dirt behind and pullingout the stumps. In a matter of an hour andone-half we had a roadway down themiddle of this field.”

Over a two-week period, Maine Guardmembers of the Engineer Battalion weretasked with the ‘grubbing and stumping’

portion of a construction project for a mul-tiple ball field complex for the town of Madison. They also were tasked with asimilar project for the town of Falmouth.Both projects involved the removal of stumps, the removal of existing top-soiland clay, and the ini-

tial grading to sub-grade levels of severalathletic fields and

parking lots.A storage, pole

barn and a foot bridgeis also being con-structed as part of theMadison project. Anelement of CharlieCompany was alsotasked with the con-struction of a conces-sion stand and accessroad improvement for the town of China.

Skip Varney, Di-rector of Parks andRecreation for thetown of Falmouth saidthat having the Guarddo this project hassaved the town agreat deal of money. “ Having the Guarddo this project has saved the town be-tween $150,000 to $200,000. I definitelywould solicit their help again.”

Varney went on to say that the tricki-est portion of the planning came with try-

By: MSG Dan Fortin, PA

Engineers Benefit Local Towns

The Pole Barn being constructed at the Madison, Maine project site. (Photo by: MSG DanFortin, PA, MeARNG)

Dozer doing work around site. (Photo By: MSG Dan Fortin, PA, MeARNG)

ing to match the Guard’s training needswith what he wanted to get done. “ Withthe assistance of the officers and enlisted

personnel of the Battalion, I had to takeinto consideration what I wanted to get

done and match that up with what theGuard needed to accomplish in their train-ing plan this year. That is why we de-cided to abandon the vertical projects atthis time and concentrate on the horizon-tal portion of phase 1C at the Falmouth

Community Parks Project. They have got-ten a lot more done than I expected theywould. Their level of expertise is higher than I expected.”

The Engineer Battalion, as part of their Annual Training, regu-

larly participates in these com-munity construction projects.These projects are part of theInnovative Readiness Train-ing Program or IRT.

Under this program Guardunits such as the 133d, per-form community projects suchas those in Madison, Chinaand Falmouth, Maine savingthese towns money while atthe same time receiving top-notch training. To qualify for the IRT program the projectsmust meet the engineer’s tacti-cal training requirements,along with their MOS or con-struction skill training needs.

According to BattalionCommander, LTC Jim Moun-tain, the Battalion regularlysaves Maine towns $500,000on an annual basis.

The engineers work on these projectsduring drill weekends or on Annual Train-ing. Typical projects include the con-struction of roads, athletic fields, runwayexpansions, bridges, buildings, and build-ing renovations.



Summer 2001 Guard ME 5

Throughout our nation’s history, wehave often maintained a rather smallstanding army during peacetime. As ten-sions have escalated around the globeand the United States inevitably found it-self on the brink of war, various meanshave been used to assemble the troopsnecessary to go off to war. Whether young men and women joined the armedforces due to patriotism, the desire to doone’s part or were drafted, building up theArmy has been accomplished time andagain as the need arose.

After World War II, the United Statesfound itself embroiled in a struggle for su-

perpower supremacy with the former So-viet Union that lasted for nearly 50 years.

This struggle was known as the Cold War.The collapse of the Soviet Union andWARSAW pact, effectively ended theCold War, and has led to a great reductionin the number of armed forces the UnitedStates maintained. The modern day

buzzword for reducing the armed forces isdownsizing. This downsizing has resultedin a reduction of the number of active

By: SSG Carl Weiss, PA

Guard Joins Forces with Active Armyduty soldiers and an increased role for the

Nation’s Reservists and National Guards-men.

In July of 2000, the active Army con-tinued this recent trend with the decisionto reduce the size of XVIII’s Corp, head-quartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.The decision from FORSCOM was toeliminate the Corp’s Air Traffic Services,located at Fort Drum, home of the 10 th

Mountain Division. Enter the MaineArmy National Guard. Utilizing a new con-cept known as Multi-Component Inte-grated Unit, or Multi-Comp for short, ac-tive duty units are integrated with reservecomponent units. The Multi-Comp con-cept looks at the readiness posture of

both Active Army and the Reserve units

involved. Integrating the two units allowsservices to be provided to both compo-nents, while at the same time, accomplish-ing the needed downsizing.

In the case of the 120 th Air Traffic Ser-vices, ATS, 59 Air Traffic Controller, ATC,

positions held by soldiers stationed atEcho Company in Fort Drum were elimi-nated. Alpha Company at Fort Bragg

transferred 22 of its 59 positions to FortDrum. Twenty-two positions from theMeARNG’s 120 th Aviation Company weresent to Fort Bragg to recoup their losses.This new Multi Comp unit has its head-quarters located in Bangor, Maine and isnow called E/120 th ATS. It is manned en-tirely by Maine Army National Guard mem-

bers and supports the Maine Army Na-tional Guard and its Air Traffic needs. Adetachment from Echo Company is nowstationed at Fort Drum, New York and isknown as E/120 th ATS (Det.). This detach-ment is manned by active duty Army sol-diers and supports the 10 th Mountain Divi-sion.

The end result is the military has ful-filled its need to downsize part of the

Corps. The ATS soldiers have been reor-ganized at three locations to ensure that proper air traffic coverage continues. Ad-ditionally, active duty soldiers and tradi-tional, two day a month Army NationalGuardsmen, are depending upon eachother to accomplish their mission.

Maine Army Guard's Coins of Excellence

240th Engineer Group

The Adjutant General, his Commandersand the Command Sergeant Majors nowhave a coin that they can give in recogniz-ing their soldiers or individuals who ex-hibit exceptional performance in supportof the Maine Army National Guard.

This honorary coin has a prominent unitcrest, with brilliant colors on one side andthe Maine State seal on the other. Havinga thickness of 1/8 inch and 1-1/2 inches indiameter, each coin is significant in sizeand is prominent in the hand of the re-ceiver.

133d Engineer Bn.

152d Field Artillery

52d Troop Command

286th Pet. Supply Bn.

Command Group

Front of Coins

See 'Guard Joins Forces' page 8




Guard Crew meets State'sSpecial Construction NeedsBy: MSG Dan Fortin, PA

Gutting a 50,000 square-foot ware-house in Caribou, Maine and converting itinto a first-class Army National Guard Ar-mory is no easy task. Under the watchfuleye of 1st Sgt. Phil Ceaser, project

NCOIC(non-commisioned officer incharge), his Active Duty Special Work (ADSW) crew performed the miraculous.

His eight-soldier crew, made up of Maine Army National Guard members fromall the engineer companies in Maineworked on the project for nearly fivemonths. During that time, they con-structed an arms room complete with a

concrete safe, male and female latrines, anew kitchen facility, new heating and air-conditioning systems, two new drill floors,a supply room, a medical examinationroom, and a new Distance Learning Cen-ter.

According to 1st Sgt. Caeser the work was a good training experience. “ Severalsoldiers in my crew are not MOS (MiltaryOccupational Skill) qualified in carpentry.So while we worked, we enhanced their 51Bravo skills. At the project, we had akitchen and several latrines to construct.That involved a lot of ceramic floor tile

and bathroom wall tiles to install. Thatwas good training for us.”

Maine taxpayers benefit a great dealin having these soldiers do the upgrade.Even though half of the cost for the re-model was funded with Federal dollars, theState’s portion was reduced by the citizen-soldiers. “The State of Maine benefits intwo ways,” Caeser stated. “ First, becausewe don’t have the same overhead as a pri-vate contractor would have on a projectthis size, we can do it for a lot less money.Second, the state ends up with better trained soldiers. A project like this givesme the opportunity to offer extended train-ing and Annual Training Periods to the

soldiers involved.”The crew stays together year-roundworking on any job the State needs doneand in which they have the necessaryskills. Over the past several years, thecrew has worked on several armory roof replacements, earth work and a parking lotat the AFRC (Armed Forces Reserve Cen-ter) in Bangor, and stone and masonrywork at the Blaine Memorial in Augusta toname a few.

The refurbished armory will be thenew home for the Headquarters Battery of the 152 nd Field Artillery.

Sgt. Anthony Margin, a member of the 1136 th Transportation Company, Detachment 1 in Sanford, Maine, cuts strapping to finish the ceiling in the shower stalls at theSolman Building in Caribou. (Photo by: MSG Dan Fortin, PA, MeARNG)

During the early part of 2000, theMaine Army National Guard receivedan unexpected gift: a beer warehouse.No the National Guard is not gettinginto the beverage business, but in atime when business prospects inAroostook County looked bleak andthe Guard Armory in Caribou neededmajor repairs, it became an interestingprospect.

The 50,000 square-foot beer ware-house was the long-time home forSolman Distributors in Caribou. In1999, Solman merged with Maine Dis-tributors in Bangor, Maine. Thatmerger left no need for the warehouse.

“That’s when we remembered ourlongtime relationship with the MaineArmy National Guard,” said ScottSolman, the son of the previous ownerand present partner at Maine Distribu-tors. “ We decided that instead of let-ting the building set for a longtimeempty that we would donate it to theNational Guard.” By accepting the

building, the Guard received a 1 mil-lion dollar piece of property for noth-ing.

The building, once it has beencompletely refurbished, will be thenew home of Headquarters Battery,152 nd Field Artillery Battalion. Accord-ing to Battalion Commander Lt. Col.Fred Umphrey, the new facilities willserve the Battalion well. “ The newarmory is three times the size of ourold armory. The new facility has twodrill floors and a Distance LearningCenter. The two drill floors will allowus to keep our Operations Centersetup and operational all the time.The Distance Learning Center willalso allow us to train our soldiers on-location for MOS qualification, NCOcourses and conduct our statewide, bat-talion meetings. This will save theGuard a great deal of time andmoney.” Umphrey went on to say thatthe new facility will allow the battal-ion to conduct all required physicals atone location for additional savings.With the additional space, the battal-ion will be able to conduct year-roundtraining indoors.

Solman WarehouseProject




Not Just Another Day at the OfficeMaine’s Guard members come from

varied civilian backgrounds. Some are bankers, some are accountants, others aretruck drivers. They are a dedicated groupof citizen - soldiers possessing a greatdeal of pride in their country and in them-selves. In fact Winston Churchill oncesaid, “The Reservist is twice the citizen.”However, being a citizen-soldier can some-times bring conflict with ones employer.

No one understands that better thanthe soldiers in charge of running theMaine Army Guard’s, 133 rd Engineer Bat-talion. Every year, during their two-week Annual Training Period, the Battalion setsaside one day and invites their soldier’s

bosses out for a day on the job site. This

year’s event was especially appropriatesince on February 9, Maine’s Governor Angus King signed a Proclamation thatdesignated 2001 as the, “Year of the Em-

ployer”.Earlier this year, letters were sent out

inviting all nominated employers to jointhe engineers for Employer Support of theGuard and Reserve (ESGR) day at theSkowhegan Fairgrounds. Twenty-five

By: MSG Dan Fortin, PA

employers came looking forward to whatthey might see and learn.

Cliff Nadeau, a front-line supervisor at Bath Iron Works who attended, thinkshaving this type of day is a good idea. “ Ifeel we should support the Guard for whatthey do for us. I remember when the IceStorm and the Gulf War took place. I hadan employee who took part in both. Some-times its difficult for us to know what myemployees go through when they are onduty. This will definitely help me under-

stand what the Guard is all about.”The day started out with a briefing by

the Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. JimMountain. He described the makeup andthe mission of the Battalion and the pur-

pose of the community projects the engi-neers often do such as the one they wereabout to see in Madison, Maine. He alsostressed that these types of projects ben-efit both the local communities in savedconstruction dollars and the NationalGuard in providing quality training.

The employers were then taken to the project site where they were given a dem-onstration of the new Palletized LoadingSystem (PLS) vehicle and a tour of the

project site. This year the Battalion wastasked in constructing a series of athleticfields and parking lots on a 26-acre site inMadison and several ball fields with anadjacent parking in Falmouth, Maine.

The participants were then treated tosome good old army chow.

Once lunch concluded, the group wastaken to the Norridgewock Airport for thehighlight of the day. A Maine Army Na-tional Guard Blackhawk helicopter, fromthe 112 th Air Ambulance Company awaitedto take all employers for a fly over of the

project sites.Dan Labbe, a maintenance supervisor

for Prime Tanning in Berwick, Mainethought the ride was great. “I’ve never done that before. It was awesome.” Labbewent on to say that the day gave him a

better understanding of his employee’srole in the Guard. “This has definitelychanged my outlook. I used to think thathe was just going off for a two week vaca-tion. Now I know better.”

ESGR day attendees get a first-hand demonstration of the new Concrete Mixer Module. (All Photos by: MSG Dan Fortin, PA, MeARNG)

Spc. Brooke Taylor a medic on board of a Maine Army National Guard Blackhawk,insures that all employers are secure prior to their flight over the project sites. Spc.Taylor is a member of the 112 th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), Maine Army National Guard in Bangor.




Quality Soldiers in the Maine Guard

'Guard Joins Forces'

Continued from page 5 The 120 th ATS Company, MeARNG in

Bangor has the responsibility to provideair traffic support for the Maine Army Na-tional Guard. Whether the unit is going tothe field to conduct training, an exercise or to war for the real thing, the job remainsthe same. According to Staff SergeantDavid A. Mooney, facility chief with the120 th, “We are responsible to control air traffic patterns, assign runways, monitor the wind, weather changes and condi-tions. We guide the pilots while they arein our airspace. Our job is to make sure

they land safely.”

Mooney continued, “Once we arriveon site, we become mobile. We deploywith a HUMVEE and do a site selectionand try to determine where we expect tohave aircraft coming in from. We try todetermine what we need to do to be ableto face the aircraft at all times. We needvisibility to see the area they are landingin and we need to monitor the traffic inand out always facing the traffic.”

In many respects the mission of the120 th ATS parallels that of their civiliancounterparts who guide air traffic atAmerica’s busy airports. Mooney added,“We have a lot of the same training as the

folks who have gone through the Federal

Aviation Administration, FAA, training.Although the military trains at FortRucker, Alabama and civilians attend theFAA school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,much of the training is exactly the same.Some of our troops have even attendedthe FAA schools.” Despite doing, ‘thesame basic job’; out in the field however,the differences become evident. “In com-

bat, we do look for an existing runway andairport over making our own. We obvi-ously prefer to use existing facilities. How-ever, we do have that ability, and we al-ways send the lead vehicle forward withthe mobile tower brought up later.”

When the conventional measurementof organizational success is taken it usu-ally includes some elaborate system of identifying key tasks and processes, as-signing numerical values to those tasks/

processes and evaluating degree of achievement and assessing a score.Rather autocratic and objective in mostcases. However, the true measurement of organization success is its people sincethey are the ultimate determinant of thatnumerical score. And by every measure of its people the Maine Army National Guardis at the top of the game. The “people” Irefer to herein are all categories that sup-

port the success of the Maine Army Na-tional Guard. The danger of the conven-

tional measurement methodology is thefailure to recognize the human element.This article is about and for the iden-

tification of individual excellence in theMaine Army National Guard which is theabsolute reason for the organizational ex-cellence we enjoy.

The National Guard Bureau (NGB),our resource and policy provider, has de-veloped a system of organizational mea-surement which is titled “State Perfor-mance Indicators Reporting System”(SPIRS). SPIRS is a relatively new systemthat identifies 25 key functions states per-form and assesses numerical value toachieving the established goals. The re-sults of the first two reporting periodshave revealed Maine as one of the topfive states of the 54 reportable states, ter-ritories and district. This is no small ac-complishment and one in which EVERY

person in or supporting the Maine Army National Guard ought to be proud since itwas the collective efforts of individualswho allowed for such achievement. Theresults are more than numerical assess-

ments but establish credibility within the NGB, which allows our state to “stretch”its organizational influence. In short it is a

“force multiplier” which postures us for greater support from NGB because wehave proven our ability to manage and ex-ecute effectively and efficiently.

Having set the stage with our organi-zational standing let me refocus on the in-dividual. As with most organizations (pri-vate and government) there seems to be aselect few who continually set the bench-mark for others to emulate. The MaineArmy National Guard is not exceptional inthat regard with one exception I contend,and the facts support, that we have an in-ordinate number of benchmark settersamong our people. As example, over thelast 12 months or so we have left a trail of excellence examples at the individual levelthat ANY organization would be enviousof.

The following is a list of examples of that individual success. Space restrictionsdo not allow for the inclusion of individualnames, additionally there would be the in-evitable omission which would be unfair:

A survey of some 35 new soldiersrevealed that 80% are going on to collegeand of those 40% were National Honor So-ciety Members.

A Maine Army National Guard Of-ficer was recognized as the DistinguishedGraduate of the Command and GeneralStaff College by receiving the GeneralJohn J. Pershing Award.

Members of the Weapons of MassDestruction-Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) consistently maintained the highestcollective average score ever achieved atthe National Fire Academy conductedHazardous Material Courses.

Students attending the demandingAutomated Field Artillery Tactical Data

System (AFATDS) training all receivedfirst time go’s, established a class averageof 93% with three soldiers achieving

100%. The MEARNG Head Nurse was se-lected as the Maine Nurse Practitioner of the year.

Two recent graduates of the verychallenging Warrant Officer CandidateCourse were recognized as DistinguishedHonor Graduates.

Three returnees for the PrimaryLeadership Development (PLDC) Coursewere recognized as Distinguished Honor Graduates with two additionally receivingthe leadership award.

Three members of the STARC (StateArea Command) Staff recently achievedtheir Masters Degrees.

The only Maine Air National Guardmember of the WMD-CST recently wasthe first Air Force member to graduatefrom the Army BattleStaff NCO Courseand had the highest APFT score of hisclass (295 at 52 years of age).

As you can see by the above list wehave some very exceptional people in our organization but this is only a samplingsince there are many more which have not

been pointed out here. Take the time tofind out who they are in your organizationand congratulate them and thank them for making our organization a National Bench-mark Setter.

Many systems have been developedand much money has been made over thelast decade defining excellence. UsingHollywood terms such as “Quality Assur-ance” and “Total Quality Management”.However, no matter how you package itmeasure it or embrace it, there is one over-riding factor which absolutely determinesexcellence and that is people and their per-formance.

By: Col. Mark Gilbert, Chief of Staff




they started back for South Dakota,” said

Lt. Col. Swartz. The equipment was avail-able when the unit arrived in the woods of the Black Hills State Park.

This annual training period was a lotdifferent from any previous training periodfor this unit. They were thousands of miles from home, at a high altitude of 5383feet (same as Mount Katahdin) and theyalso had to adhere to testing of their mili-tary skills and reactions as a unit. As inthe following scenario: Imagine darknesssurrounding two soldiers, while guardingtheir gate and perimeter, when two armedcivilians, speaking in a foreign language,appeared in front of them asking for foodand water. What would you do?

This activity was part of an activeArmy - TAMS (Training AssessmentModel System) evaluation, and this was

just one test, in a succession of four thatthe unit successfully passed. Evaluator,Lt. Col. Russel, from the 1 st Cavalry, FortHood, Texas, appraised the unit on its re-actions to the challenges. Russel said,“This is a highly motivated group of sol-diers from Maine, which is good to seefrom the active duty side.” He providedvery positive information about the evalu-ation to everyone involved.

These situations tested the soldiers

military skills and knowledge, and eachsituation was followed by an after actionreview (AAR). “Every soldier that was in-volved in the activity was in the AAR. In-stead of just ignoring that it happened,

240th Group lends Expertise to Engineers'Buffalo Country'Continued from page 3

Spc. Clayton Soule, mess section, mixes coleslaw for the night dinner (Photo by: SFC Angela Blevins, PA, MeARNG)

Operations Sgt. Maj. Robert Higgins explains to SGT Lambert what isrequired for surveying at a Boy Scout construction site. (Photo by: SFC

Angela Blevins, PA, MeARNG)

everyone was in-volved,” said Sgt.Lambert, from sur-veying. It provided

another tool, in de-veloping assess-ments while involv-ing every soldier.

The mission of the 240 th Group wasto provide commandand control of units

below them, bothvertical and horizon-tal engineering

projects. This re-quired a high levelof logistics andgood communica-tion in several direc-tions. From thehigher headquarters,the 109 th Engineer Brigade from SouthDakota handed outthe missions to thedesignated subordi-nate units. Thosesubordinate unitswere: the 52 nd Engi-neer Battalion, withCompany A, an ac-tive duty unit, Com-

pany B, a National Guard unit from Port-land, Or-egon, andCompanyC, anArmy Re-serve unitfrom FortC a r s o n ,Colorado,and the842 nd En-g i n e e r Companyf r o m

South Da-kota.Com-

pany B re-ceived am i s s i o nto build a

pole barnin Custer,

SD and a Youth Center in Hill City, SD,while C Company was reconstructing a

bridge within the ranching industry andthe 842 nd Engineer Company, repaired arunway in Sturgis, SD. All of the soldiers

have endured through high altitude accla-mation, equivalent to that of MountKatahdin, lightening storms almost daily,the heat and buffalo interactions.

And for an example of this, when the52nd Engineer Company, from Oregon ar-rived, they did the usual task of securingtheir perimeter by setting up concertinafencing. But what the unit didn’t realizewas that the buffalo roam freely in herdsand might get trapped in it. The Custer Park officials told them to take it down.

Morale is high, being a long distancefrom Maine, Sgt. Maj.Robert Higgins said:“The soldiers’ are highly charged and

very enthusiastic, even in these challeng-ing times.”Lt. Col. Swartz said, “This has been a

very positive experience. For the first timein several years we were in the field tacti-cally, and having the opportunity to work as an engineering headquarters and com-mand and control for other engineeringunits.”




The 286th

Supply and Service Battal-ion was truly a fixture in the structure of the Maine Army National Guard, proudlyserving community and country for thirtyyears - in peace and in war. The unit’s

participation in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm affirmed the validity of theArmy’s Total Force Policy for rapidly ex-

panding the standing army through mobi-lization of its reserve units and individualswhen needed. This was a proud unit,which honored its motto of “Valor, Verac-ity and Virtue”. No vignette as brief asthis can hope to do justice to the thirtyyear history of the 286 th Supply and Ser-vice Battalion. Nonetheless, a usefuloverview of the battalion’s historical high-lights, unit lineage, and wartime service is

provided.

Historical Setting .

The 286 th Supply and Service Battal-ion was first organized as such on Decem-

ber 31, 1967. By the end of that same year,the United States had committed 500,000ground troops to the war in Vietnam andsuffered 9,353 service members killed dur-ing the preceding twelve months. In the

previous summer, Israeli armed forcesstormed the Golan Heights to defeat of Syria, Jordan and Egypt in the Six-DayWar. This was the historic setting intowhich the 286 th Supply and Service Battal-ion began its service to the nation - a ser-vice that continued for thirty years untilits inactivation in 1997. During that time,the unit provided invaluable service to thecitizens of Maine and played a significantrole in support of Operations DesertShield and Desert Storm.

Unit Lineage .

The lineage of the 286 th Supply andService Battalion dates back to August 19,1952, when it was first organized as the181 st Signal Radar Maintenance Unit, TypeC, Maine Army National Guard. Followingthe unit’s formal redesignation as Head-quarters and Headquarters Company, 286 th

Supply and Service Battalion (GS)(Fwd) in1967, a subsequent reorganization becameeffective June 1, 1968. This action, as di-rected in General Order #11, dated May 27,1968 reorganized units from the 20th Ar-mor Battalion’s, Battery F, Aviation, andthe 142d Ordnance Company.

By: Col. Roland M. Lapointe

The 286 th Supply and Service BattalionThirty Years of Service to Community and Country

Desert Shield/Desert Storm .

On November 17, 1990 the battalionwas mobilized for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Following mobilization, theunit performed duties in Southwest Asiafrom December 6, 1990 to May 10, 1991.During this period, the 286 th Supply andService Battalion was assigned to the 159 th

Corps Support Group, 2d Corps SupportCommand, VII U.S. Corps. While in theGulf, the 286 th provided combat servicessupport to the 1 st Infantry Division as wellas other divisional and non-divisional

units operating in its area of operations.During the period in which the 286 th Sup- ply and Service Battalion conducted op-erations, it provided a significant amountof combat service support to its customer

units. This support played a key role inthe ability of the 1 st Infantry Division to

execute the primary attack in the VIICorp’s area of operations. The unit wasreleased from active duty on 4 June 1991.After the Storm, following the redeploy-ment to home station, the battalion re-sumed command and control of its peace-time subordinate units on 1 August 1991.

Past Commanders .

Throughout its history, the unit oper-ated under the leadership of fourteen bat-talion commanders. Interestingly enough,the majority of the commanders were tradi-tional guardsmen, including LTC Haleywho commanded the unit during its mobi-lization. This is yet another affirmation of the National Guard’s heritage as an orga-nization of citizen soldiers.

Folding the Colors.

The 286 th Supply and Service Battal-ion was officially inactivated on October 1, 1997, following a ceremony conductedat the Augusta Armory on September 6 of that year. In order to preserve the lineageand honors of HHD, 286 th Supply and Ser-vice Battalion, the unit was consolidated

with Battery A, 1st

Battalion, 152d Field Ar-tillery located in Waterville, Maine. To-day, that lineage rests with the 286 th QMBattalion (POL) stationed at the ArmedForces Reserve Center in Bangor, Maine.

The 286th Supply and Service's final formation before leaving for Desert Storm, at Gardner,Maine November 1990. (Photo by MEARNG)



From the State Command Sergeant Major

CSM Mark J. Collins

Looking to the Maine Army National Guard Soldier

What aspect of the Maine Army National Guard has influenced yourdecision to remain in the organization?

SSG Rita TompkinsCo. C, 133d Engineer Bn.

PFC Kristoffer Tardiff Co. C, 133d Engineer Bn.

MSG Don G. Mixer Commo Chief, HHD STARC

SPC Valarie CollinsHSC, 133d Engineer Bn.

11Summer 2001 Guard ME

Drills and Annual Training Periods get me outside. Mycivilian job doesn't.

I enjoy the pay, benefits and the opportunity to break away

from my regular routine. Myweekly job with the Guard is alot different than what I do at annual training or drills.

Drills and Annual Training provides me with a good change of pace. It gets me out of the city.

I enjoy being a member of the Guard, I like the benefitsand the people and the com-missary and insurance arenice, too

Noncommissioned Of-ficers (NCOs) have the awe-some responsibility of look-ing out for the welfare and

well being of our nation’ssons and daughters. It’s aresponsibility we should nottake lightly nor allow any-one else to take away. Tak-ing care of soldiers is NCO

business and it is an honor and a privilege to do so.While there are variousleadership styles and man-agement methods, leadersshould never lose sight of the fact that we are dealingdaily with human beings.We have a unique opportu-nity everyday to make a

positive impact in the livesof others. Do not waste it.Look for ways to make adifference. One responsibil-ity that NCOs must take

very seriously is providing fair and honest evaluations to our soldiers. The Noncommis-sioned Officer Evaluation Re-

port (NCO-ER) is a permanent part of an NCO’s officialrecord. It is the single mostimportant document in an

NCO’s file and is a primaryfactor in determining an

NCO’s eligibility for promo-tions, assignments, andschools.

Therefore, the overallquality of the NCOER is of ut-most concern, both in sub-stance and format.

We must keep in mindthat the NCO-ER is designedto strengthen the capability of the NCO Corps by reempha-sizing basic soldier responsi-

bilities and our Army values.This criterion highlights per-formance oriented counseling,

while ensuring the best-qualified sol-diers are identifiedfor positions of in-

creased responsibil-ity and promotion.We must ensure

that we conduct ef-fective counseling,mentoring and train-ing of our NCOs. Atruly effective NCOis an NCO that hashis replacement al-ready trained.

The NCO-ER provides The Army National Guard aninvaluable manage-ment tool to deter-mine the true capability of our most valuable resource, our soldiers. Overall, our use of the NCO-ER has very muchimproved in recent years. As

NCO-ERs Important Reasponsibility

we enter this rating season,let us take our responsibilityas NCOs seriously. Treateach report as if it were your own.

Documents

US Army: guardmesum01