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Story by Capt. Andi Hahn | Photos by Staff Sgt. Aaron Hiler/133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
The “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” took five months to plan and the Kentucky National Guard is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks “Run for the Roses”.
For decades the Kentucky National Guard has assisted the Louisville Metro Police Department and other state and local law enforcement agencies during the Kentucky Derby and Oaks festivities held in Louisville, Ky., at Churchill Downs.
“When a big event like Derby exceeds Louisville metro’s ability to respond they ask for our assistance,” said Maj. Lance Grebe, operations officer for the Kentucky National Guard. “We are never out there on our own; our teams are always partnered with a police officer,” Grebe said.
Army Spc. John R. Adkins of the Kentucky National Guard interviews Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Jim Bland about their mission during last year’s Kentucky Oaks and Derby horse races.
This year there will be 360 Kentucky National Guardsmen from the 198th Military Police Battalion, 41st Civil Support Team, 63rd Aviation Brigade, and various headquarters offices that will provide support to the Louisville Metro Police Department during the Derby festivities April 30 to May 1.
The MP Soldiers will occupy traffic control points, provide infield/gate security at Churchill Downs, provide the winner’s circle detail, transportation support and overall be a presence for command and control of security support operations alongside the LMPD.
The Kentucky National Guard has worked with local law enforcement and other agencies for numerous training events and real-world incidents such as the 2009 Winter Ice Storm and Hurricane Ike. The Kentucky Derby gives them another arena to brush up on Soldier skills and community outreach.
Army Pfc. Mark Slaughter, HHC 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, stands at the head of a line of Soldiers and Airmen of the Kentucky National Guard who formed the Kentucky Derby Winner's Circle security cordon May 2, 2009.
“It’s important to continue to build a good working relationship with the LMPD,” Grebe said. “Our Soldiers, especially the MP’s, get refresher training out of it. In the past, during state training events or real-world disasters, it’s always been a seamless transition working with the local law officials,” said Grebe.
Follow this year’s Guardsmen participating in derby festivities on our website, www.kentuckyguard.com, and our social media links.
Photos and story by Sgt. Albert D. Elliott, Unit Public Affairs Representative
Spc. Cayla Ison uses a hammer to get concrete to settle in to the forms that shape the second floor of a building at the Joint Multinational Regional Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany April 9. Ison is a “Citizen Soldier” with the 149th Vertical Engineers, Kentucky Army National Guard based in Cynthiana, KY.
Spc. James Adkins and Pfc. John Rader carefully lay the corner block for a wall at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany April 7. The JMRC serves as a regional training facility for coalition forces preparing to serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and other areas. The construction workers are assigned to the 149th Vertical Engineers, Kentucky Army National Guard based in Cynthiana, KY.
HOHENFELS, Germany (April 29, 2010)-A cold and damp morning greeted a company of Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers on their first day of duty at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels, Germany.
The “Citizen Soldiers” of the 149th Vertical Engineers Company based in Cynthiana, Ky., arrived April 4 and went right to work to complete a construction project started by the Utah National Guard.
Concrete and mortar were the main ingredients in these Soldiers tasks as they work on several construction projects that will create a regional training facility.
According to the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the project, Capt. James Davis, the project is about 75% complete and was started in 2008.
Spc. Rebecca Preston, a native of Paris, Ky., carries a bag of mortar to be mixed to be part of a building at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany April 7. Preston is an Electrician with the 149th Vertical Engineering Company, Kentucky Army National Guard based in Cynthiana, KY.
“With the partnership the JMRC has with the National Guard, it is estimated to save the U.S. Army around $6 million,” said Davis. “It provides the Guard with a great training opportunity.”
The facility is one of several training sites in Europe and recreates the environment coalition Soldiers will face as they are tasked with missions in areas like Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo.
The site could also be easily adapted to meet training needs in other regions as well.
Maj. Jason Meharg, operations officer, added the Soldier’s mission here is crucial in the completion of a facility that will be a key part of saving the lives of Soldiers as they prepare for real world missions.
It was not all work; the Soldiers where able to have two days of their three week mission to tour Germany. With the tours, the Kentuckians were able to enjoy all of the cultural experiences Germany has to offer.
Story by Maj. Dale Greer | Photos by Maj. Dale Greer and Senior Airman Max Rechel
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 28th, 2010) — The Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing has been awarded its 14th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award — an extraordinary achievement that confirms the wing’s standing as one of the most decorated organizations in the United States military, said Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini, Kentucky’s adjutant general.
The award was formally presented by Dennis M. McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, during a ceremony held April 17 at Louisville Male High School.
Wing officials believe that no other Air Guard unit has won as many Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. The North Dakota Air National Guard’s 119th Wing has 13 such honors, and the 116th Air Control Wing, a joint active-duty/Air National Guard unit based in Georgia, has 14.
The Kentucky unit’s previous honors were bestowed in 1970, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008.
“This latest award is only the most recent in a long series of honors — stretching back decades — that recognizes the 123rd Airlift Wing as one the finest units in the Air National Guard or the U.S. Air Force,” General Tonini said.
“Whether they’re deploying to Afghanistan to provide crucial airlift for Operation Enduring Freedom or delivering life-saving assistance during last year’s devastating ice storm in Kentucky, the men and women of the 123rd Airlift Wing have shown repeatedly that they are ready to answer the call to duty, any time, anywhere, and perform their mission with a level of excellence that is unsurpassed in the U.S. military.”
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award recognizes exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement. It is bestowed on the top 10 percent of all Air Force organizations each year.
The new award recognizes the 123rd Airlift Wing’s accomplishments from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2009. During those two years, the wing stepped up to perform numerous critical missions at home and abroad, deploying 759 personnel to 62 locations in 20 countries — many of them in harm’s way.
For example, about 300 Kentucky Airmen and multiple C-130 aircraft were deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, from March through May 2009 to provide key airlift support for U.S. forces engaged with the enemy in Operation Enduring Freedom.
The unit maintained an unprecedented 100 percent mission-capable rate during the deployment, never missing a single scheduled flight due to aircraft maintenance issues while completing more than 1,500 combat sorties that delivered 3,900 tons of cargo and transported 20,000 troops throughout the theater of operations.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS STORY
Story by Capt. John Stamm | Photos by Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flora and Maj. Dale Greer
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 28th, 2010) — Deployments are seldom easy. They exert substantial amounts of stress not only on the troops deploying, but also on the families and friends they leave behind.
On April 17, the Kentucky Air National Guard delivered a heart-felt “thank you” to the more than 900 men and women of the 123rd Airlift Wing who have deployed in support of combat operations since September 11, 2001.
That message, delivered during a “Hometown Heroes Salute” ceremony at Louisville Male High School, also recognized family members and key civic leaders for their support, including State Sen. David L. Williams and State Rep. Rocky Adkins.
Dennis M. McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, spoke at length during the ceremony about the essential contributions made by Guard and Reserve troops, which he called “tremendous.”
“We’ve been averaging about 140,000 members of the Guard and Reserve mobilized every day,” Secretary McCarthy told the audience of 300 Air Guardsmen, family and friends. “It’s a tremendous, tremendous contribution that the reserve components are making to the national security of our country. It has been going on for a long, long time, but we cannot continue unless we continue to have the support of our families and our employers.”
The Director of the Air National Guard sanctioned the ANG Hometown Heroes Salute program in August 2008. It provides Airmen with keepsakes in recognition of their service, including framed letters of appreciation and framed American flags. Spouses or significant others are eligible to receive engraved rosewood pen-and-pencil sets, and children receive commemorative dog tags with the HHS logo.
Each troop also receives a “Centers of Influence” medallion that they can present to whomever they choose to show gratitude for their support.
During the April 17 ceremony, Kentucky’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini, personally presented Centers of Influence awards to three civic leaders who have expressed continuous support of the Kentucky Air National Guard since 9/11: Senator Williams, Representative Adkins and Thunder Over Louisville Air Show producer Wayne Hettinger.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS STORY
Photos by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Ketterer
LEBANON, KY.—Funeral services were held for Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Randy A. Sigley Jr. April 25 at the Lebanon Baptist Church in Lebanon, Ky.
Sigley, 28, of Lebanon, died April 18, 2010 while on duty with the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 2123rd Transportation Company at the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. A member of the Kentucky Army National Guard since 2006, Sigley was in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004. He served a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Marines.
Comments at the funeral service were given by Sigley’s battalion commander, Lt. Col. Jeff Stevens of the 103rd Chemical Battalion based out of Richmond, Ky. Stevens reflected on his own observations of Sigley saying he knew he was a professional Soldier after meeting him the first time.
“You could tell just by looking at him and talking to him that he was proud to be a Soldier,” Stevens said.
Stevens also read remarks by Sigley’s company commander, Capt. John Moore, and platoon leader, 2nd Lt. Hershel Anglin, in Afghanistan who both said Sigley was an outstanding Soldier who was well-respected by his peers and other members of the unit.
Interment was held at the Lebanon National Cemetery with full military honors.
Photos by Mrs. Ana Coomer
Pilots from Kentucky National Guard's aviation branch act deceased after a simulated crash during a training exercise at Boone National Guard Center April 21 in Frankfort, Ky.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Army National Guard aviators
conducted a crash training exercise at 1:30 p.m. today at the Boone
National Guard Center in Frankfort.
The exercise simulated the crash of two helicopters, a UH-60 Blackhawk
and a OH-58 Kiowa. Teams from the Kentucky Army National Guard, Frankfort
and Franklin County fire departments respond swiftly and worked together as a team just as they would in a real world incident.
“This exercise helps our aviation Soldiers be better prepared to respond
in case of an emergency,” said Lt. Col. Mike Ferguson, director of the Army
Aviation Support Facility. “More important, it gives us the opportunity to
work with local first responders and train with them toward a common goal.”
“The inner agency coordination that went on here today goes a long way helping
us and the National Guard mitigate any sort of emergency operation in the
future,” said Mr. Jack Williams, Rescue Sergeant for Frankfort Fire & EMS.
This is not the first time the Kentucky National Guard has worked with
Frankfort and Franklin County first responders, Ferguson noted.
“We’ve been doing this for years,” he said. “We’ve developed a great
relationship with our civilian counterparts and look forward to training
with them every year.”
FRANKFORT, Ky.- A Kentucky Army National Guard Soldier has
died while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley, Jr., 28, of Richmond, was found dead in his quarters Sunday at Bagram Airbase where he was serving with the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 2123rd Transportation Company. The cause of death has not been determined and is under investigation.
“The death of Sgt. Sigley is a tremendous loss to us all,” said Capt. John Moore, commanding officer of Sigley’s unit. “His professionalism, selfless service, and devotion was contagious to all who served with him. Randy was not only a great soldier but a fantastic human being who cared deeply for his fellow brothers and sisters in arms. He was a true patriot who loved his country, state, and unit.”
“Sgt. Sigley’s family is in our thoughts and prayers as we grieve his loss,”
said Moore. “He was a fine Soldier and a Kentuckian in the true pioneer
spirit.”
A member of the Kentucky Army National Guard since 2006, Sigley served from
2000-2004 with the United States Marine Corps. He served a tour of duty in
Afghanistan with the Marines.
“The entire Kentucky National Guard is saddened by the news of Sgt. Sigley’s
death,” said Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, adjutant general for Kentucky. “We
want recognize in particular Randy’s family as they grieve for the loss of
this wonderful son and brother. They are part of our Kentucky National Guard
family and so we extend to them all of the assistance and support in our
power.”
Sigley is survived by his mother, Mrs. Rhonda L. Hardin, his stepfather,
Alton A. Hardin and his sister, Kristin Mattingly.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The family does not want to conduct interviews at this time
and are referring all media queries to this office.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Nearly 14,000 Kentucky Guard Soldiers and Airmen have been mobilized since
September 11, 2001. Sigley is the eighteenth Kentucky National Guard Soldier
to die while deployed in support of the Global War on Terror. He is the
fourth to die in Afghanistan.
Additional news links:
http://richmondregister.com/localnews/x563627673/Soldier-from-Richmond-dies-in-Afghanistan
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100420/NEWS01/4200337/1008/news01/Kentucky+soldier+found+dead+in+Afghanistan
http://www.lex18.com/news/beshear-honors-kentucky-guard-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan
http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=12343759
by 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Kentucky Air National Guard
Senior Airman Brandon Rhodes, a crew chief with the U.S. Air Force Strike Eagle Demo Team, climbs into the cockpit of an F-15 fighter jet at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., on April 15, 2010. Airman Rhodes and the rest of the Strike Eagle Demo Team are assigned to 4th Fighter Wing out of Seymor Johnson, Air Force Base, N.C. The team is in town for this weekend's Thunder Over Louisville Air Show.
4/15/2010 - KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Once again the Kentucky Air National Guard Base will be a flurry of activity this week as it plays host to a fleet of military aircraft taking part in this year’s Thunder Over Louisville celebration.
A variety of aircraft, ranging from the venerable C-130 Hercules transport to the F-15 Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet began arriving here this morning in anticipation of thrilling crowds during Saturday’s air show, which has grown to become one of the largest annual festivals in the nation.
“The Kentucky Air Guard is proud to play such an essential role in Thunder Over Louisville,” said Col. Greg Nelson, commander of the 123rd Airlift Wing here.
“This is a wonderful showcase for the aviation community and a fantastic opportunity for us to show off the professionalism of our great officers and Airmen. We always look forward to Thunder, and this year’s event promises to be first rate.”
For more photos, click here http://www.123aw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123200111
Frankfort, Ky. — Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, adjutant
general for Kentucky, pins Bowling Green native Bob D. Hayter Jr. with the
silver eagles of the rank of colonel in the Kentucky Army National Guard April 14.
Assisting Tonini is Hayter’s wife, Susan.
Hayter has been in the military for 31 years, serving 10 years as an enlisted
Soldier. In 1990-1991 he commanded the 2123rd Transportation Co. during the
Persian Gulf War. Other deployments include a humanitarian mission in
Ecuador, the Bosnia peacekeeping mission, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation
Enduring Freedom in Afganistan.
Hayter currently serves as the director of operations for the Kentucky Army
National Guard. He also works full-time as a division director for Kentucky
Department of Juvenile Justice.
Hayter is the son of Rhea and Pearl Taylor. He is the father of three
children, Matthew, Luke and Sarah.
By Roy Roberson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
Wakefield, Va., grower Henry Goodrich will take a couple of years away from farming to participate in a National Guard mission to help rebuild the agricultural industry in Afghanistan.
Henry Goodrich is also a farmer. He operates Ben Gar Farms, a 500 acre family farm that has been in his family for well over a hundred years.
Growing grain crops and peanuts in southeastern Virginia is challenging. Farming by himself since the early 1990s has been even more challenging. Leaving it for two years is off the chart, but that’s what he will be doing when he goes on active duty to be a part of an Army-sponsored agricultural mission to Afghanistan.
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to know whether I’m a farmer first and a soldier second or vice-versa,” he says.
This spring he will go on active military duty and leave with a Kentucky National Guard unit to spend about a year being both soldier and farmer.
To read the full article on Lt. Col. Goodrich, click here http://southeastfarmpress.com/peanuts/afghanistan-farming-0409/
