GUEST

A report on your New Hampshire National Guard

Brig. Gen. Dave Mikolaities
Brig. Gen. Dave Mikolaities

As summer approaches and New Hampshire Army and Air National Guard units prepare for annual training and some of the most meaningful engagements of 2018, I want to highlight what has been a remarkable year. Underscored by a renewed sense of focus and determination, your soldiers, airmen and civilian employees have proven especially adaptable to a cascade of new and emerging requirements as we support the Mission Triad: Fight and win our nation's wars, defend the homeland, and building enduring partnerships.

I want to thank those N.H. guardsmen who found time last month to participate in Memorial Day ceremonies throughout the state and the Army's 243rd birthday celebration with Gov. Sununu especially memorable (check out drill Sgt. Peter LaFlamme's video shoutout with our RSP troops in Center Strafford at https://bit.ly/2yyJO3j). Whether you spoke at a local school, attended your town's parade or the larger events at the Veterans Home or Veterans Cemetery, remembering our fallen is indispensable to the longevity of our profession of arms. "Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it," wrote an unknown author, "it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."

I would also like to recognize Spc. Nicholas Rossetti of the 39th Army Band and Sgt. Zachary Maynard of the 160th Engineer Company for winning the 2018 NHARNG Soldier and NCO of the Year, topping a competitive field of 22 participants in April's Best Warrior Competition, which included two Canadian soldiers as well as two N.H. airmen. They more than held their own in the regional competition a month later at West Point.

Fight and win our nation's wars

The 157th Air Refueling Wing remains on course with more than $50 million of new construction at Pease Air National Guard Base in preparation of the arrival of a dozen new KC-46 airframes. Simultaneously, the wing and its active duty partner, the 64th Air Refueling Squadron, have maintained a challenging operations tempo at home and overseas. Abroad, the wing maintains a steady state of between 5 to 10 percent of their airmen deployed, their aircraft supporting combat air-refueling missions for two combatant commands in both the Middle East and Pacific Theater.

In the past two months, four soldiers from the 197th Field Artillery Brigade have deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and later this year a four-soldier contracting team from the 1986th Contingency Contracting Team will deploy there in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

During June, July and August, approximately 1,100 NHARNG soldiers – engineers, fixed and rotary-wing air crews, artillerymen, military police and infantrymen – will be in Louisiana, Poland, Columbia, the Bahamas, Michigan, New York and Vermont. These missions continue to support our training as an operational force. Additionally, eight NHARNG soldiers are serving as escort officers to eight different groups of ROTC cadets participating in cultural/foreign language exchanges in the countries of Cape Verde, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Honduras, Mozambique, Senegal, Poland and Romania.

Defend the homeland

On the domestic front, the NHNG's 12th Civil Support Team has conducted 31 different exercises and training events with local, state and federal authorities as well as another 20-plus stand-by missions to include the Super Bowl, Boston Marathon and roving patrols at Manchester airport. It has responded to two, CBRNE-related emergencies including a report of a suspicious powder in Rochester. Next month, they will be at the Hampton Beach July 4 extravaganza and later, NASCAR's Foxwood 301 at N.H. Motor Speedway.

In May, 47 airmen of the 157th Medical Group's CERFP response team (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package) and 11 airmen of the Force Support Squadron's facility search and recovery team, along with the NHARNG decontamination element, successfully validated during an external evaluation exercise. This multi-day exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod tested the team's ability to respond to real-world emergencies in support of civil authorities.

Earlier this month, more than 30 soldiers and airmen participated in Cyber Yankee – a joint, interagency, federal cyber security exercise. Participants trained to react to and defend critical networks against domestic cyber-attacks during this multi-day exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod.

Our Counterdrug Task Force has been involved in nearly 200 opioid cases and seizures and continues to be a leader in coalition building among local prevention agencies.

Build enduring partnerships

Our partnerships with El Salvador and the 5th Canadian Division continue to prosper with a range of dynamic exchanges highlighted by infantry tactics, disaster rescue techniques and improvements in security protocols. Twelve airmen from the 157th Security Forces Squadron are in El Salvador through June supporting a Beyond The Horizon humanitarian exercise. Two legal officers from the NHARNG are finishing a two-week rotation in support of the same exercise. In February, Canadian soldiers joined the Mountain Company for Operation Southbound Quest at Fort Devens, where they conducted platoon level operations focused on interoperability. That same month, three Mountain Company soldiers participated in Exercise Northern Sojourn conducting cold weather survival and defensive operations in Goose Bay, Canada.

In state, our community ambassadors, the 39th Army Band, will be on tour with its ever-popular brand of musicianship and feel good vibe.

We continue to support our veteran community as we merge the Office of Veterans Services into the Adjutant General's Department. Our primary focus is to support the six veteran services officers who handle more than 200 face-to-face meetings per month, linking veterans to service benefits. Our outreach, support and participation in local events continues to promote the Fort New Hampshire concept.

The NHNG began the year strong and is closing out on an even higher note. It's an honor to serve with such an outstanding group of professionals and be a part of a military organization so crucial to the vitality and well-being of our state and nation.

Brig. Gen. Dave Mikolaities is adjutant general of the N.H. National Guard.