New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

The New Jersey National Guard opened two new Family Assistance Centers this week. On Tuesday, 24 February 2004, the fourth Family Assistance Center (FAC) was opened at the National Guard Armory in Toms River. The Deputy Adjutant General, Colonel Maria Falca-Dodson, addressed the crowd of over 100 family members, soldiers, volunteers, guests, local elected officials, community representatives, veterans’ organizations, and senior members of the NJ Army and Air National Guard. Col Falca-Dodson expressed the importance of the community support for the “unsung heroes of this war on terrorism, the families left at home.” Mayor Paul Brush of Toms River pledged the support of the Town Council throughout the Unit’s deployment, and commented that “the community stands behind the Guard families during these historic times.” Chaplain (CPT) Williams will serve as the full-time FAC coordinator for Toms River, which will support several Armories within the region.

The fifth FAC was dedicated on 26 February 2004 in a ceremony held at the Morristown Armory. The Adjutant General, BG Glenn K. Rieth, welcomed the audience in the Grand Ball Room. The Morris Chapter of the Red Cross provided refreshments. Mr. Bob Riker, Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3401, presented the Family Readiness Group with a plaque adopting them and pledging their support. The Grand Lodge of NJ (Masons) presented a framed print of The Prayer at Valley Force to both Units.

On February 28th, the 177th Fighter Wing will deploy more than 100 wing members including pilots, maintenance personnel, weapons load teams, and aircraft to Nellis AFB, Nevada, to participate in Red Flag. During the two-week long exercise, the 177th will engage in combat situations. Each Red Flag exercise normally involves a variety of interdiction, attack, air superiority, defense suppression, airlift, air refueling, and reconnaissance aircraft. Since combat is no place to train aircrews, Red Flag provides a peacetime “battlefield” within which our combat air forces can train. Inside this battlefield, aircrews train to fight together, survive together, and win together. Red Flag (the 414th Combat Training Squadron) conducts war exercises (Red Flags) so that combat aircrews can train in the most realistic simulated war environment possible. Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies conducted on the vast bombing and gunnery ranges at Nellis Air Force Base. Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the Air Warfare Center and Nellis, through the 414th Combat Training Squadron.

NJ Army National Guard welcomes another Warrant Officer Flight School candidate.

CW5 Al Curving, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the NJ Army National Guard (NJARNG) and COL Paul Ciervo, State Army Aviation Officer, jointly announced the latest accession to the Warrant Officer Aviation Program.

From Specialist to WOC, Marc A. Cowe received temporary Federal recognition on February 7, 2004. Candidate Cowe will be attending Warrant Officer Candidate School in April, and then Initial Entry Rotary Wing school at Fort Rucker, Alabama after that. Marc became a Boeing 737 pilot with Continental Airlines and logged nearly 7500 hours of flight time. Marc is a 35-year-old Boston resident and flies out of Newark’s Freedom International Airport. In his application for an age waiver, he wrote, “I missed out on the privilege of serving my country. Most important, I missed out on the feeling that I have played a part in preserving our way of life for future generations.” Taking his chances on the age waiver, Mark enlisted in the New Jersey Army National Guard, completed basic training, and then went on to Motor Transport Operator training (88M Truck Driver school). In the meantime, his waiver to enter flight school was approved by the Department of the Army.

Congratulations to USPFO technician Bonnie Baker, Purchasing & Contracting Procurement Technician. Ms. Baker has successfully completed the Defense Acquisition University Course 202 (Intermediate Contracting) at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, which was conducted 2-13 February 2004.

Plans are underway for DMVA’s observance of Take Your Child to Work Day at our Lawrenceville Headquarters and the Training and Training Technology Battle Lab (T3BL), Fort Dix on April 22, 2004. The day will begin with a greeting from The Adjutant General and Deputy Adjutant General and will include tours of the Lawrenceville Headquarters, Homeland Security Center of Excellence, and T3BL. If you are interested in participating with your child, please contact Ms. Dot Counts at 609-530-6997 or by email at dot.counts@njdmava.state.nj.us not later than 15 April 2004.

NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Education Center’s upcoming event schedule.

For more information about any of these events, please call the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation office at (732) 335-0033.

28 Feb, 1 p.m. - Author Lecture by Gerald R. Gioglio, who will discuss his book, Days of Decision: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors In the Military During the Vietnam War

27 Mar, 1 p.m. -“The Hidden History of the Antiwar Movement,” an Author Lecture Series presentation by Vietnam-era Veteran H. Bruce Franklin, author of Vietnam and other American Fantasies.

USA Freedom Corps and the National Crime Prevention Council together with the U.S. Department of Justice have published United for a Stronger America: Citizen’s Preparedness Guide. The Guide covers a wide variety of topics that include how to prepare your family, home, neighborhood, workplace, and community for an emergency. Information on how to respond and report emergencies and non-emergencies is also included in the publication. It is an informative Guide and can be found at http://www.ncpc.org/cms/cms-upload/prevent/files/cover.pdf.

To help decrease the shortage of qualified auto repair technicians, a leading automotive industry group is joining forces with the U. S. military to match qualified military veterans with available jobs. “The Hire the Heroes initiative will give thousands of automobile dealers the opportunity to network with military outplacement personnel and to develop strategic relationships to ease the transition for veterans into satisfying service technician careers,” said James Willingham, chairman of Automotive Retailing Today. Veterans may take ASE certification courses through the Veterans Educational Assistance Program or with their Montgomery GI Bill, Willingham said. For more information on Hire the Heroes, soldiers may visit the ART website at www.autoretailing.org/military.

Every soldier in the Army, not just those deployed, must now wear the U.S. flag insignia on his or her utility uniform, according to a new Army rule. On February 11th, Army Chief of Staff, General Peter Schoomaker, authorized the universal adoption of the insignia as a reminder to all soldiers that the Army is at war. There’s another, more practical reason behind the new rule. It saves wear and tear on the uniform. Soldiers have until October 1, 2005 to get the insignia sewn on their uniforms. Soldiers can purchase the flags now at all Army Military Clothing Sales Stores. The flags will also be available online at http://www.aafes.com after March 1st.

Army officials have settled on a compensation plan that would give soldiers whose tours in Iraq have been involuntarily extended a tax-free bonus of up to $1,000 each month. Although some soldiers may have been deployed for longer than 12 months, only those soldiers who where listed in the Army’s January announcement of the involuntary extensions are eligible for the new compensation package. The first part of the package is an additional $200 each month in hardship duty pay, which every soldier will receive on top of the $100 in hardship pay he or she has already been earning while in Iraq. There is a $300 ceiling by law. The second part involves a choice: take another $800 in Assignment Incentive Pay each month, or take a “stabilized tour” when they return home, according to Lt Col Gerald Barrett, the Army’s Chief of Compensation.

Armory Happenings – Check to see what’s happening at an Armory near you.

27-28 Feb	High School Wrestling Tournament	Teaneck Armory
29 Feb	NASCAR Collectibles Show	Bordentown Armory
5-8 Mar	Antique Show	Morristown Armory
19-21 Mar	Motorcycle Showcase	Atlantic City Armory
19-21 Mar	Craft Show	Morristown Armory
25-28 Mar	Antique Show	Morristown Armory
28 Mar	Doll & Bear Show	Bordentown Armory

Today is Friday, 27 February 2004 and the 58th day of the year. There are 309 days left in the year. On this day…

• 1922 – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote.

• 1974 – “People” magazine was first issued by Time-Life (later known as Time-Warner).

• 1991 – U.S. President George Bush announced on live televistion that “Kuwait is liberated.”

ð Theaters in Glendale, California can show horror films only on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

ð Under the law of Mississippi, there’s no such thing as a female Peeping Tom.

ð Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.

ð In New York State, it is still illegal to shoot a rabbit from a moving trolley car.