News For Your Views
Albanian
defense chief visits New Jersey Guard
From
the desk of Kryn P. Westhoven, DMAVA PAO
Several
high ranking officials from New Jersey's State Partnership
program country, Albanian, visited this week. The Albanian
Chief of Defense, Lt.
Gen. Luan Hoxha led the delegation that started
their two-day visit at the West
Trenton flight facility with an orientation
flight aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk. The following day Maj.
Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General, welcomed
the Albanian Chief of Defense before the group toured
the Homeland Security Center of Excellence.
From
the desk of 1st Lt. April Kelly, 108th ARW PAO
Recently,
the 108th Air Refueling Wing entered its third year
of participation in the North East Tanker Task Force
refueling OEF/OIF aircraft. By the conclusion of this
summer the ops tempo had doubled since we started in
July 2004. In one month, the NETTF crews flew almost
one hundred hours and offloaded 1.5 million pounds of
fuel, while one mission had our longest NETTF sortie
yet of 7.2 hours. September saw the first Coronet missions
supporting a multi-aircraft deployment. Through all of this the 108th maintainers
were able to sustain a maintenance reliability rate
in excess of 96 percent.
By Kryn
P. Westhoven, DMAVA PAO
On Sunday,
Sept. 30, Col. Stephen J. Hines was promoted to Brigadier
General in a ceremony at the Lawrenceville Armory. Maj.
Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General, and Hine's
wife Patricia pinned on the star in front of a crowd
of nearly 200 co-workers, family and friends.
After four
years in the Navy, Hines enlisted in the New Jersey
Army National Guard in October 1971. He was commissioned
as a second lieutenant upon graduation from the New
Jersey Military Academy, OCS Class 17, in July 1974,
working his way up to become the Army Guard Chief of
Staff for Joint Force Headquarters prior to his current
assignment as Deputy Commander, 42nd Infantry Division
(UEX).
TEAM NJANG
rides for Multiple Sclerosis
Riding their
bicycles 150 miles from Woodcrest PATCO Station, N.J.
through Hammonton, the Pine Barrens to the civic center
in Ocean City, N.J. and back to the starting point,
members of Team NJANG raised more than $6,000 for multiple
sclerosis research.
The ride took place Sept. 29-30 with 8,000 cyclists
participating in the ride that raised $5 million for
the cause.
Team NJANG
consisted of 15 riding members and two support staff.
Riders were:
Lt. Col. David LaTOUR, NJANG headquarters, Capt. Alessandro
Baldi, 108th ARW, Master Sgt. David Heulitt, 227th SOF,
Master Sgt. Bobbie Panger, 108th ARW, Master Sgt. Tania
Prairie, 108th ARW, Master Sgt. Kenneth Schechter,108th
ARW, Master Sgt. Michael Sylvester, 108th ARW, retired
Capt. Harry Marshall and six civilians: Ralph Baron,
George Boersig, Peter Brown, Ryan Dease, Douglas Emey,
and Erick Panger. Support
personnel were Senior Master Sgt. William Bird and Master
Sgt. Vincent Mazza, both from the 108th ARW.
Members
of 108th ARW ran in three base run
From
the desk of 1st Lt. April Kelly, 108th ARW PAO
Showing
their fleet feet, four members of the 108th Air Refueling
Wing participated in the Inaugural Joint Base Run at
Fort
Dix,
McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Air Engineering Station
Lakehurst on Sept. 29. The runners participating were Master Sgt.
Patrick Applegate, Maj. Michael Baldi, Tech. Sgt. Matthew
Johnson and Staff Sgt. Michael Klein.
Air Guard
member helps to send "scrubs" to Iraq
From
the desk of 1st Lt. April Kelly, 108th ARW PAO
Staff Sgt.
Jamal Hogan, a medial technician with the 108th Medical
Group, 108th Air Refueling Wing, successfully assisted
with a local voluntary initiative to send 500 pairs
of operating room "scrubs" to Balad Air Base, Iraq,
where he was recently deployed.
Vets Haven
has another car donation
From
the desk of Robert Sauselein, Superintendent of Veterans
Haven
The Burlington
Bristol Bridge Commission for the second consecutive
year has donated a vehicle to Veterans Haven.
They donated a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria. The staff
and residents of Veterans Have would like to take this
opportunity to thank Chairman John Comegno, Commission
Priscilla Anderson and Commissioner James Fletcher.
Counterdrug
Task Force has job openings
The Counterdrug
Task Force announces an opening in the Counterdrug support
operations. Two positions are open to any qualified
current member of the New Jersey Army and Air National
Guard. It is
a full time, Active Duty Special Work, military duty
position vacancy (Title 32). Military grade needed to
apply for the position is E2-E5 with E5 being the maximum
grade.
Members
who are selected for the job are subject to unusual
and additional duty hours. They must maintain responsibilities
to their unit of assignment to include MOSQ, attend
scheduled drills and annual training, and maintain readiness
status.
The job
consists of assisting Law Enforcement Agencies with
intelligence analysis support and developing investigations
and cases for prosecution. Activities include, inputting, reviewing and
analyzing collected information and providing legal,
paralegal and auditing assistance. Operational support
to LEAs is designed to enhance the effectiveness of
the supported agency and release law enforcement officers
for drug enforcement duties.
For more
information on how to apply for the positions, contact
Staff Sgt. Christina D. Ermi at 609-530-7166.
Scholarships
available to veterans of OIF/OEF
The Fund
for Veterans Education announced it would award up to
$1 million in undergraduate scholarships for veterans,
including National Guard and Reservists returning from
Iraq
and Afghanistan
for the spring or fall 2008 terms. The awards, which
may be renewed for the following academic year, are
intended to cover financial need not met by need-based
grants and military education benefits. The application
deadline is Monday, Oct. 15. For more information, visit:
http://www.veterans fund.org.
If you're
in college or are about to begin college, please check
out this scholarship opportunity!
Annual membership
meeting for NJNG Militia Museum
From the desk of retired Maj. Ray Rauanheimo,
NG Militia Museum of NJ Trustee and Docent
All members of the National Guard Militia
Museum of New Jersey are invited to attend the annual
general membership meeting to be held at the Lawrenceville
Museum in the armory cafeteria.
The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday,
October 21. The
meeting is scheduled to take one to two hours. A light brunch and coffee/soda will be available
for $5 per person.
Contact the Lawrenceville Museum
at 609-530-6802 if you have any questions.
The Board of
Trustees thanks all members for their continuing
support of the Museum.
School invites
military, veterans to special performance
From
the desk of Ronald Slate, Supervisor of Visual, Performing
and Practical Arts, Springfield
Public Schools
Springfield,
NJ - Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School would like
to extend an invitation to all of our service men and
women to our performance of Rogers and Hammerstein's
South Pacific on December 7 at 7 p.m. The performance
will take place at Jonathan
Dayton High
School's Halsey Hall Auditorium,
139 Mountain Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081.
The school
plans to honor our local service organizations such
as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the
Jewish War Veterans, and the Vietnam
Veterans Association along with active members of our
armed forces at this performance and would like to have
you join this celebration.
The school
has been working on character education and our students
have been researching our service people and the sacrifices
they have endured to ensure our nation's freedoms.
The students are also working with Operation
Shoebox, an organization that takes supplies, items
and letters from home and delivers them to our troops
overseas.
Students
and faculty are sure this will be a special evening
for our students, veterans and community.
AUSA conference
webcast on Army.mil
The 2007
Conference Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
will be held Oct. 8-10 in the Washington Convention
Center, Washington D.C.
The following AUSA events
will be webcast live on www.Army.mil:
Monday, Oct. 9 - Opening
Ceremony - 9:30-11:15 a.m.; the keynote speaker is Hon.
Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army
Tuesday Oct. 9, 12:30
p.m. - Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon - speaker is Gen.
George W. Casey, Jr., Army Chief of Staff
Wednesday Oct. 10 11:30
a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Sustaining Member Reception and Luncheon
- Hon.Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
Wednesday Oct. 10, 6-7
p.m. - George Catlett Marshall Memorial Reception and
George Catlett Marshall Memorial Dinner.
New rules
for recycling in Mercer County
From
the Department of Treasury, Office of Energy Savings;
the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of
Recycling; and, Joseph K. Dunleavy, DMAVA REM
Your help
is requested to support our launch of a new, simplified recycling
program for State facilities in Mercer
County.
This change will address some of the current confusion
about what gets recycled and where it should go.
It will also enable us to accurately measure and improve
our recycling performance in each facility going forward.
Starting October
1, all State facilities located within Mercer County,
and all occupants within those facilities, will be able
to combine recyclable materials into one of the
following two (2) containers, for collection. New labels
will be in place on these containers by the end of the
week:
Mixed
Paper - if you can tear it, it is considered
mixed paper (all paper, all colors, newspaper, file
folders, magazines, mail, etc.)
Bottles
and Cans - plastic or glass bottles, aluminum and
steel cans
Please do
your part to separate out the recyclable materials listed
above, from other waste you may generate in your day
to day activities. This can be as simple as keeping
a bin or box in your work space to throw all waste paper
into (paper represents the bulk of our recyclables).
You can then empty that box into the designated recycling
container from time to time, when it is convenient.
From that point, the armorer staff and vendors will
be transporting the recyclables to the proper location,
where they will be removed and processed by our new
recycling vendor.
By increasing
our recycling rate, we conserve natural resources, reduce
energy consumption, and reduce pollution. That is something
we can all be proud of and something that will deliver
a lasting benefit for generations to come.
NOTE - Corrugated
cardboard will continue to be processed as it is today,
for your facility. All cardboard is to be FLATTENED
BEFORE BEING PLACED ON THE LOADING DOCK!
Hispanic
Heritage Month: September 15 - October 15, 2006
From
the desk of Dorinda Sapp, Affirmative Action Officer
In continuing
to celebrate major accomplishments and Hispanic contributions
to military service during Hispanic Heritage Month,
this week we are recognizing Medal of Honor Recipients.
The Medal
of Honor is the highest award given to military members
for their actions that have helped form our nation's
rich history. They are honored for their acts of heroism,
for their "individual gallantry at the risk of life
above and beyond the call of duty."
The Medal
of Honor is symbolic of the heroic acts for which it
is awarded. Elements of the design represent victory,
strength, wisdom and valor.
Throughout history, Hispanic-American service
members have distinguished themselves with their gallant
actions during wartime.
World War II
Marcario Garcia; Staff Sergeant, Company
B, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division - citation received
for incident near Grosshay, Germany, Nov. 27, 1944
Jose M. Lopez; Sergeant, 23rd Infantry,
2d Infantry Division - citation received for incident
near Krinkelt, Belgium,
Dec. 17, 1944
Jose F. Valdez; Private First Class,
Company B, 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division - citation
received for incident near Rosenkrantz, France, Jan.
25, 1945
Manuel Perez, Jr.; Private First Class,
Company A 511th Parachute Infantry, 11th Airborne Division
- citation received for incident at Fort William McKinley,
Luzon, Philippine Islands,
Feb. 13, 1945
Korean War
Joseph C. Rodriguez; Sergeant (then
Pfc.), Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry
Division - citation received for incident near Munye-ri,
Korea, May 21, 1951
Rodolfo P. Hernandez; Corporal, Company
G, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team - citation
received for incident near Wontong-ni, Korea, May 31,
1951
Benito Martinez; Corporal, Company
A, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division -
citation received for incident near Satae-ri, Korea,
Sept. 6, 1952
Vietnam War
Alfred Rascon; Specialist Fourth Class,
Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion
(Airborne) 503rd Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate)
- citation received for incident in Republic of Vietnam,
March 16, 1966
Roy P. Benavidez; Master Sergeant,
Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, Republic
of Vietnam - citation received for incident West of
Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, May 2, 1968
Louis R.
Rocco; Warrant Officer (then Sergeant First Class),
Advisory Team 162, U.S. Military Assistance Command
- citation received for incident Northeast of Katum,
Republic of Vietnam, May 1970
NOTE: For more information on these and other Medal
of Honor recipients go to http://www.army.mil/cmh/moh.html.
Mailing
help for holiday overseas packages
By Karen
Jowers - Army Times Staff writer
If you want
to get holiday gifts to a service member deployed overseas
by Dec. 25, it's time to start thinking about mail deadlines.
The first
suggested deadline of Nov. 13 is for packages going
by parcel post to deployed troops and those living on
overseas installations, according to the U.S. Postal
Service. Parcel post may be the slowest option, but
it's the cheapest, too. For packages to arrive by the
start of Hanukkah, at sundown Dec. 4, they should be
mailed by Oct. 23.
You can
check the cost of mailing your package through different
avenues on the Postal Service's Web site.
Postal officials
strongly advise families to consider these deadlines
because of the volume of mail during the holiday season.
Many groups are already gearing up to send packages
to deployed troops.
Some tips
from the Postal Service:
v
Packages must be addressed to an individual service
member. Mail cannot be delivered to "any service
member." Use the member's full name, military organization
or unit and APO/FPO address.
v
Do not include the country name in any part of the address
when using an APO/FPO address.
v
Choose a box strong enough to protect its contents,
and use plenty of cushioning material such as popcorn
or newspapers.
v
Consider using the Postal Service's free Military Kit
- eight boxes of three different sizes popular for mailing
to military personnel, along with mailing labels, tape
and U.S. Customs forms. Kits can be obtained by calling
toll-free to (800) 610-8734. Choose option 1, and when
a live agent responds, ask for Care Kit 4.
v
Write the delivery and return addresses on one side
of the package.
v
Place a return address label inside the package.
If you miss
the parcel post deadline, here are your options for
getting mail to an APO/FPO address by Dec. 25 (subtract
21 days from these deadlines to ensure delivery in time
for Hanukkah):
v
Space Available Mail (SAM): Nov. 27.
v
Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL): Dec. 4, except for ZIP codes
starting with 093, which are all areas of contingency
operations. The suggested deadline for those locations
is Dec. 1.
v
Priority Mail: Dec. 11 (093 ZIP codes, Dec. 4).
v
First-class letters and cards: Dec. 11. (093 ZIP codes,
Dec. 4).
v
Express Mail Military Services: Dec. 18 (not available
to 093 ZIP codes).
Visit the
following Web site to check out mailing guidelines.
http://www.usps.com/ send/preparemailandpackages/preparingpackages.htm.
Retirement Dinners
Retirement
time for Catherine Vassil
Here is
your chance to say goodbye to Catherine Vassil of the
DMAVA Human Relations Division. Her retirement dinner
will be held Oct. 26, 5 p.m., at Mastoris Restaurant,
Bordentown.
Cost of
the dinner is $30 per person which includes the gift.
RSVP no later than Oct. 19 to Anna Marie Boutchia at
609-530-6889.
Entrees
can be decided at the restaurant and include items such
as broiled flounder, London broil, roast turkey, baked
ham and more.
The retirement
dinner for Chief Warrant Officer Five Albert G. Curving
will be held on Nov. 2 at the Lawrenceville Armory.
Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. and dinner will
be served at 7 p.m.
Cost of
the dinner is $32 per person. For more information,
to make payments and reservations, contact Maj. Denise
McCleary at 609-562-0213. Reservations must be made by Oct. 15. Dress for the evening is civilian business
attire.
For Your Calendar
Homecoming event for OIF/OEF veterans
The New
Jersey Health Care System and the Department of Veterans
Affairs will be holding their first annual Homecoming
Event on Oct.
6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Auditorium at the
East Orange Campus, 385 Tremont Ave., East Orange.
The event
will have a meet and greet with representatives of the
Vet Center,
Social Security, Dept. of Labor, DMAVA, OUTREACH, mental
health, War-related Illness and Injury OIF/OEF team
and many more community service agencies.
Tours will be available at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. of
the museum, OIF/OEF Transitional Unit and the War-Related
Illness and Injury Study Center.
Prizes and
food will be available for the whole family.
For more
information, contact Michelle Stefanelli at 973-395-1727
or Carolyn Snyder, 908-647-0180, ext. 4398.
Oktoberfest
and town hall meeting on Oct. 12
Come to
the DMAVA/JFHQ Town Hall meeting and afterwards join
in the fun at the Oktoberfest at the Lawrenceville Armory
on Oct. 12. The fest starts at noon; the mandatory town
hall meeting begins at 11:30 a.m.
For a mere
$10 admittance fee, you can enjoy a roasted pig, bratwurst
and sauerkraut, German and regular potato salads, baked
beans, strudel and assorted desserts.
To wet your whistle, beverages include O'Doul's
beer, birch beer, assorted soda and water.
Those attending are asked to contribute desserts.
The entry
fee includes a raffle ticket for two nights at the Borgota
in Atlantic City, breakfast,
dinner and comedy show tickets for two.
If personnel
chose not to attend the Oktoberfest, it will be a normal
and full workday at their regular duty station after
attending the Town hall meeting. Casual attire is acceptable
if you are attending the Oktoberfest; normal work uniform
if you are attending the Town Hall only.
If you are
interested in attending, see your department representatives. At DMAVA, see Darlene Laarz, 609-530-6992,
Karen Wallace, 609-530-6766, Dawn Espisito, 609-530-6717
or Tina Taylor, 609-530-7170; at Fort
Dix,
see Marie Durling, 609-562-0739 or Barbara Alcott, 609-562-0870;
and at HSCOE, see Kevin Hearn, 609-530-7069.
This event
is open to employees only.
Army Soldier
Show coming to New
Jersey
The 2007
U.S. Army Soldier Show is a high-energy 90-minute live
musical review showcasing the talents of active duty
Soldiers who are selected by audition from throughout
the Army. They are amateur artists who have a passion
for music, dance and performing. They come from infantry,
transportation, military police, medical, intelligence,
aviation, signal and other tactical units. The show
is assembled in six weeks, and then tours for 6 1/2
months. The most recent tour began in May 2007.
It will be in our area on three occasions.
Oct. 13 - Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.
Oct. 23 - Fort Monmouth, N.J.
Admission to all performances is free.
Check with local Morale, Recreation and Welfare or public
affairs officials for exact location, post access procedures,
and curtain times. Dates and locations are subject to
change.
Join local
motorcycle riders on a ride, Oct. 13
Like to
ride motorcycle? Here
is an opportunity to ride and support servicemembers
and their families at the same time.
Join the 3rd Annual "Support Our Troops" Motorcycle
Run on Oct. 13
(rain date of Oct. 14).
Registration
is from 10-11 a.m. at the Tri-Towne
Plaza,
Route 70, Marlton and the ride departs at 11:15 a.m.
The route is to travel the Pine Barrens to Sweetwater Casino Restaurant, Sweetwater
(Hammonton mailing address). The run will be approximately
48 miles (one way). Please come with a full tank of
gas. Cost of the ride is a donation of $15 per
rider and $5 per passenger.
Proceeds
benefit the Freedom Alliance Foundation which provide:
§
Educational scholarships to the children of America's military
heroes that have given the ultimate sacrifice.
§
For the injured in our hospitals pre-paid long-distance
phone cards, gift cards for clothing, food, toiletries,
books, and magazines.
§
Funding for family members to travel to see and encourage
their loved one.
For more
information contact John Atkinson at 856-596-9100, or
go to www.citikids.org/freedom.htm, for local run information or to the national
site - www.freedomalliance.org.
Reintegration
briefings scheduled for BSB
From
the desk of retired Command Sgt. Maj. Mike
Hughes, Family Assistance Specialist
Soldiers
and family members of Company D/250th BSB will have
their 30 day Reintegration Briefing on Oct.
14, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bordentown Armory,
1048 Route 206 South, Bordentown.
New aircraft
coming to 108th ARW; ceremony on Oct.15
Transition
and conversion have begun for 108th Air Refueling Wing
personnel. Recently members of the Maintenance Squadron
left to attend KC-135R Model School
in Grand Forks,
N.D., and in the month of October, 108th
Operations will be sending pilots to KC-135R school.
The arrival ceremony of the KC-135R
to the 108th ARW will be held on October 15, 2007 at
11 a.m. Special speakers, guests and other events
will highlight this ceremony.
Social Security
rep will visit on Oct. 17 for talk on benefits
A representative
from the Social Security Administration will be at DMAVA
Central Office on Oct.
17 in Conference Room A from 10 a.m. to noon to
give an overview of Social Security benefits, rules
and regulations and updated information regarding you
and your contribution. After the presentation a general
question and answer session will follow as well as individual
consultations.
Seating
is limited so please contact Paul Serdiuk, Training
Coordinator, at 609-530-6878 or Paul.Serdiuk@njdmava.state.nj.us to insure
your place.
ANG Dinosaurs
holding fall gathering on Oct. 24
The (NJ)
ANG Dinosaurs are holding their fall gathering of Air
National Guard retirees at Moore's
Tavern, Freehold, on Oct.
24 at 1 p.m. All
ANG retirees and current ANG employees who are soon
to be retired are invited. Army Guard retirees are welcome to attend
also. Please
RSVP to Mel Sylvester at 609-298-5970 or NuffSaidMel@aol.com or Rich
Donovan at 732-223-2051 or 732-223-4445 or DONOVAN@exit109.com. Cost of meal (drinks will be separate) with
tip will be about $25.
North Jersey AUSA chapter will hold meeting Oct. 25
The Northern
New Jersey Chapter of the Association of the United
States Army will hold their fall meeting on Oct.
25 at The Rutgers Club in New
Brunswick.
Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and the buffet
dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
The special
guests for the meeting will be Lt. Col. Peter Sandberg,
professor of Military Science, Rutgers University Army
ROTC and Cadet Lt. Col. Robert Preziosi of the Scarlet
Knight battalion. They
will host a discussion on the role and mission of the
Army RTOC and how it develops future leaders in the
U.S. Army. The chapter will also recognize 18 Rutgers
ROTC seniors, 13 of whom are in the New Jersey Army
National Guard.
Cost is
$35 per person. To
RSVP, call retired Col. Richard
F. Plechner at 732-549-1535.
The uniform of the evening is Mess Dress/Dress
Blue or civilian business attire.
Honorable Mention
Send Highlights your happenings
We want
your stuff!! Is
your unit doing some unique training?
Did someone in the New Jersey Guard receive accolades
for accomplishing something extra special? Is your unit
running a special event for the community? Does your
section of DMAVA have something they need to tell the
rest of the department? We want to know about it.
Send us
a short piece on what is happening so we can publish
it in DMAVA Highlights. Let us
know who wrote it so we can give them credit.
If there are photos, you can send those too. While we do not publish photos in Highlights, we can give them to the editor
of Guardlife and
they may be used in that publication.
When you
send in your article:
ý
Identify all people in the article with rank, first
and last names and job title or position.
ý
Spell out all acronyms.
ý
When it comes to equipment, do not just give the nomenclature,
also include the "name" of the equipment. Do not use M998 alone, HMMWV is also needed.
ý
Give us as much as possible of the meat of the story
- who, what, when, where, why and how concerning the
event.
ý
Photos need identification of people in the photo and
what is happening in the photo.
Deadline
for each week is noon Thursday and should be e-mailed
to Barbara.harbison@njdmava.state.nj.us. We do not publish flyers or Adobe files.
If a Web site is out there to give people more
information or to get a registration form, put that
in your article.
Don't be
intimidated by writing, we edit it for understanding
and grammar. Your article may look a different when
it is published as we also edit to fit the standards
of the AP Style
Guide.
Show us
your stuff!!
Guardsmen wanted to join the PTAE
The New
Jersey Army National Guard is in the process of developing
its Pre-Mobilization Assistance Element (PTAE).
The PTAE is currently looking for Traditional
Drilling Guardsmen of various MOSs for a Title 32 ADSW
(Additional Duty Special Work) tour at Fort Dix.
The purpose
of the PTAE is to provide training feedback to the supported
unit and TAG through the G-3.
The PTAE will monitor and assist unit training
and tracking of individual soldier/unit progress and
completion of pre-mobilization training tasks.
All applicants
must be eligible and submit the following:
v
Complete DA Form 1058-R with commander's signature
v
A current Retirement Point Assessment Statement
v
Meet height/weight standards along a valid APFT within
one year of ADSW start date
v
Physical Profile, DA Form 3349. Temporary profiles are not eligible.
v
Pregnancy statement (females only) within 15 days of
ADSW start date.
v
Current resume
v
Eligible to obtain a Secret security clearance.
v
Eligible to attend 15 day Observer Controller Training
(OC-T) course in Camp
Shelby,
Miss.
For more
information call Lt. Col. Walter Nall at 609-562-0321
or walter.r.nall@us.army.mil or Master Sgt. Jonny Hannigan at 609-562-0337
or jonny.hannigan@us.army.mil.
New Jersey Bar Association offers pro bono
military legal assistance
The New
Jersey Bar Association established and administers the
Military Legal Assistance Program.
This pro bono program provides assistance
to New Jersey residents who have served overseas
as active duty members of reserve components of the
armed forces after Sept. 11, 2001.
Individuals
who have been adversely affected upon their return from
deployment and cannot be represented by military lawyers
can use this program. The program currently offers assistance
to the following areas: family law, employment law,
veterans' benefits and debtor-creditor law.
The Military
Legal Assistance program will refer members of the military
who contact the state bar association to volunteers
qualified to assist them with their specific legal issues.
Volunteers who accept a case through the program
must agree to handle such case from inception to resolution
without compensation or reimbursement for expenses.
If interested
in the program, call toll free 1-888-541-1900 for referral
or visit the New Jersey State Bar Association web site
at www.njsba.com and click on the button for the Military Legal
Assistance program.
Honor Guard
program wants YOU!
Looking
for a way to serve and get some satisfaction at the
same time? The Honor Guard program is looking for members
of the Army and Air Guard to join the team to perform
honor guard duties at the funerals of veterans.
There is an initial eight hours of training for
all new enrollees, with on-going sustainment training.
As an honor guard member, you will receive a
day of pay for each day's mission, minimum of $50, and
traditional drilling Guard members receive a retirement
point for each day's duties.
If you are
interested in applying for the Honor Guard program,
call Retired Sgt. Maj. Ed Goetschius at 609-530-7090.
VA Launches
Suicide Hotline
To ensure
veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock
access to trained professionals, the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) has begun operation of a national suicide
prevention hot line for veterans. Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Jim Nicholson said: "Veterans need to know
these VA professionals are literally a phone call away.
All service members who experience the stresses of combat
can have wounds on their minds as well as their bodies.
Veterans should see mental health services as another
benefit they have earned, which the men and women of
VA are honored to provide." VA's hot line will
be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua, N.Y.
They will take toll-free calls from across the country
and work closely with local VA mental health providers
to help callers. The toll-free hot line number is 1
(800) 273-TALK (8255).
Discounts
offered for State employees
Are you
a state employee looking to save a few $$$?
Visit www.state.nj.us/personnel/discounts/index.htm and you can find a number of businesses who
offer discounts to New
Jersey state employees.
From amusement parks to fitness to computer to
phones and lots of other discounts between, you will
find many ways to save money. For more information,
please contact Cindy Leese at cindy.leese@njdmava.state.nj.us
or call 609-530-7056.
For the Families
N.J.
State
Family Readiness Council offers Family Grants Program
The New Jersey National Guard State Family Readiness
Council has expanded its Family Grants Program to include
an additional grant. There are now two levels
of Family Grants; TIER I is the $2,500 grant that has
been in place for the past couple of years. The
TIER II opens family grants to New Jersey Army and Air
National Guard non-deployed service members who were
on State Active Duty or State Missions (e.g., hurricanes,
floods, border missions) for more than 20 consecutive
days. Service members meeting these criteria are
eligible to apply for a financial hardship grant up
to $1,500. Applications are available at all New
Jersey Army and Air National Guard Family Assistance
Centers.
Military families can buy discounted Disney World
ticket by phone
Military families who are unable to travel to
a base to buy specially priced Walt
Disney World
Theme Park
tickets have a new option. Retired, Active, National
Guard, Reservist and Department of Defense personnel
are now able to purchase these specially priced tickets
over the phone. Disney Military Sales has offered
discounted tickets to military families for over 20
years. The proceeds directly support the base community
and the programs offered to the military personnel stationed
there. Discounted tickets for qualifying military families
may be purchased via mail-order by calling the Commander,
Navy Region Southwest at 619-767-6000 or Air Force Central
Ticket Program at 210-652-2855.
Program offers assistance to spouses of deployed
military
The Deployed Military Spouses Assistance Program
provides direct assistance and referrals to existing
programs for spouses of deployed military personnel
(active duty, reserve and National Guard) who face unusual
financial and emotional stress as a result of the deployments.
Applicants should contact Fawn Mutschler at 609-543-6200
ext. 325 or wocmilitarygrant@ymca-bc.org to obtain
an application. In addition to the completed application
form, applicants will also need to submit the following
documentation: LES/paystub for applicant and spouse;
statement of Financial Need (i.e. reason for applying
and how the grant will help); bill or pricing of expenditure
as well as any other supporting information the applicant
feels may be helpful. Additional information can be
found at: www.state.nj.us/dca/dow/depmilspouseasst.shtml
Sports and Entertainment
First Annual Jack Green Memorial 5K Run/Walk
The First Annual Jack Green Memorial 5K Run/Walk
will be held Sunday Oct.
21 at 8:30 a.m. at the 177th Fighter Wing, 400 Langley Road, Egg Harbor Twp, N.J.
Registration will be held from 6:30 to 8 a.m.,
in building. 229 - the Base Gym.
Pre- registration fee is $15 if postmarked by
Oct. 10. Race day fee will be $20. Please make checks
payable to: 177 Fighter Wing Chief's Council and mail
to: Master Sgt. Frank G Heath, 400
Langley Road, Egg Harbor
Twp.,
NJ 08234.
For an application or information contact Tech.
Sgt. Erica Nelson at (609) 645-6224 or Master Sgt. Frank
Heath at (609) 645-6109 or frank.heath@njatla.ang.af.mil.
This event will be open to unit members, dependents,
and individuals that would normally have access to the
base. This is not open to the general public.
Enlisted Association holding golf outing on Oct.
22
The Enlisted Association of the National Guard
of New Jersey is holding a golf outing on Oct. 22 at Gambler's Ridge Golf Club, 121 Burlington Path Road, Cream
Ridge, NJ. All proceeds from the event go to the association's
scholarships.
Registration and a continental breakfast begins
the day at 7:30 a.m. The play is two-person best ball
with a modified shotgun start at 8:45.
A donation of $90 includes greens fees, cart
and luncheon. There
will be prizes for first and second place teams for
the low gross, closest to the pin on all par 3's and
the longest drive.
For more information call Mike Amoroso at 609-562-0754.
Make checks payable to EANG-NJ (Golf) and mail to Leon
Cisek, PO Box 365, Wrightstown
NJ 08562
no later than Oct. 15.
Scholarship, Education News
HBCU
holding career fair for students
A number of organizations, including the New
Jersey Dept. of Education and the New Jersey Commission
on Higher Education, are coming together on Nov.
11 at the Trenton
War Memorial
Building
to commemorate the Malcolm Bernard Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week.
High school and community college students and
parents are invited to attend.
An Ecumenical service with the featured speaker,
Rev. Stephen Samuels will be held from 10-11:30 p.m.
A college fair with workshops will be held from
11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. More that 40 HCBUs will be represented at
the fair with information about scholarships and financial
aid, making the college decision and present and future
job market. For more information, visit the web site www.HBCU-CFNJ.com.
Free SAT/ACT Offer Extended
A group of NFL, NFL Europe, AFL, and CFL football
players have announced they are extending their sponsorship
of the SAT/ACT training to all military families.
The sponsorship allows any military person (active,
Guard, reserve, or retired) to request as many programs
as they need for the students in their lives.
There is a secure website to confirm a person's military
status before directing the user to the software order
site. Logon to::
www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/portal/page/itc/MHF/MHF_DETAIL_0?current_id=20.20.100.30.0.0.0.0.0
Programs are shipped to domestic U.S. addresses and APO
addresses. The
sponsorship covers the purchase price of $199 and the
family pays only the shipping and handling of $9.95.
American Legion offers scholarships, booklet
on their Web site
The American Legion has scholarship information
on their Web site - www.legion.org - including
the 152-page booklet, Need
a Lift, which is a complete financial aid reference
guide for veterans, family members and the American
Legion family. When
you get on the site, click on "Scholarship Information"
in the "Useful Links" block.
Association News
NGANJ group life insurance available to members
Are you covered by the NGANJ Group Life Insurance
Program? As a
member of either the Officers or the Enlisted Association,
you are entitled to enroll in your Association Life
Insurance Program. This
special program provides from $5,000 to $50,000 of Life
Insurance for you, "round the clock".
Premiums range from as little as $2 per month
and may be payroll-deducted from your drill check.
Family coverage is also available at low rates
designed for you as a member of the New Jersey Army
and Air National Guard.
Think of it!!
No aviation exclusions...No hazardous duty restrictions...No
war clauses.No checks to write. Dependent coverage includes spouses and all
children. Information
can be obtained by contacting retired CWO Jack Petrosilli
at 609-530-6843, or retired Brig. Gen. Robert S.
Dutko Sr. at 609-273-1004.
Enrollment forms can be obtained by calling retired
Col. Frank L. Carlone, Program Coordinator at 732-249-8335.
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of
New Jersey
The Enlisted Association is seeking members to
help give our state a larger voice.
The Association speaks on legislative issues
that benefit military members and families. The association
works at the Federal & State level on all important
issues. Visit the web site EANG-NJ.org, click on Become a Member for the application and find out more about what
the association does.
Veterans Information
Vet Career Connect helps military members find
jobs
Vet Career Connect is a program designed to connect
military service members with New
Jersey employers. Vet Career
Connect matches veteran's specific abilities, drives
and interests with jobs requiring those specific abilities.
Participants complete a Caliper Profile, which
is an on-line self assessment. They will receive an
Individual Developmental Guide outlining personal motivators
and areas of developmental opportunity. Participants
will then have the opportunity to place the results
of the Caliper Profile, their resume and military achievements
onto a database which will be viewed by New Jersey-based
companies who have indicated a strong interest in employing
veterans.
Vet Career Connect program is available at no
cost to service members. In order to participate in
this program, or if you have additional questions please
email or call Barbara Foos,
Project Administrator, at 609-524-1228 or bfoos@calipercorp.com.
The New Jersey State Building and Construction
Trades Council's Helmets to Hardhats Program (NJ H2H)
is designed to help transitioning military personnel,
National Guardsmen and Reservists find the careers in
the building and construction industry.
The program seeks to help military members find
a career in one of 15 affiliated trades, such as electrical
workers, carpenters and painters.
They work in cooperation with the national Helmets
to Hardhats program, adding a personal component to
the program's on-line services.
NJ H2H offers veterans preparation for successful
application to any of New Jersey's registered apprenticeship programs
in the building and construction trades. Services include
career counseling, entrance test preparation and referral
to supportive services.
For program registration and information, visit
online at www.njbctc.org/h2h or contact at 732-499-7295
or at H2H@njbctc.org.
Career Fair for service members, veterans and
spouses
All military veterans, transitioning personnel,
members of the Guard and Reserve, and military spouses
in South Jersey and Philadelphia
are invited to a career fair on the Battleship New Jersey.
RecruitMilitary will be hosting a Career Fair
in cooperation with HireVets First and the American
Legion on Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. aboard
the Battleship New Jersey on the Camden
waterfront.
For more information visit www.recruitmilitary.com.
DMAVA Veterans Outreach Campaign continues
The DMVA Veterans Outreach Campaign continues
with kiosk displays at selected malls throughout New Jersey. The schedule is as follows:
October 30*, 31, November 1 |
Brunswick Square Mall |
November 27, 28, 29 |
Quaker Bridge Mall |
January 8,9, 2008 |
Woodbridge
Center |
February 5, 6, 7 |
Moorestown Mall |
March 4*, 5, 6 |
Paramus
Park
Shopping Center |
April 1, 2, 3 |
Voorhees
Town
Center |
May 6*, 7, 8 |
Ocean County Mall |
*Medal ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. on these
dates. The kiosk
will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., July-Sept.; 10
a.m. to 8 p.m. in Oct. and Nov.
N.J. Vietnam
Veterans Memorial
N.J. Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and Vietnam Era Educational
Center's
upcoming events:
=================
Free guided tours of the Memorial are offered
on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. and 1
p.m.
Oct. 19, 8 a.m.-3:00 p.m. - "Weighing In On War,
and Why: Public Opinion and Its Influences, Vietnam
to Iraq,"
9th annual Forum on the Vietnam Era. Keynote Speaker:
Bobby Muller, Founder of Vietnam
Veterans of America.
Preregistration required.
Oct. 20, 1 p.m. - "Choppers at War: Vietnam to Iraq," a lecture by NJ Iraq
War Veteran, Lt. Col. Mark Preston, USA.
Nov. 3, 1 p.m. - The Last Ghost of War, a
film about Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange presented
by film director Janet Gardner.
Dec. 8, 1 p.m. - Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited, a
photo gallery display and book discussion by the author/photographer,
N.J. Vietnam Veteran Craig J. Barber.
====================
For further information call 1-800-648-VETS or
visit www.njvvmf.org.