Photo By Sgt. Anna Churco | Spc. Ashley Peralta, a combat medic specialist with the 108th Area Support Medical...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard achieved excellence during 2017 through successful responses to natural disasters in our Homeland, deepening our Partnerships throughout the government, in our communities and with our allies, and adding to the strength of our Warfight around the world.
Key highlights include the extraordinary support provided by Pennsylvania National Guard members to areas affected by the record 2017 hurricane season, the participation of approximately 2,800 guard members in other domestic operations including snow storms and the 58th presidential inauguration.
Other highlights of 2017 include nearly 1,100 Pennsylvania National Guard members deployed throughout the world in support of multiple operations, participation in training events throughout the nation and around the world to enhance the readiness of our force and interoperability with our partners, all while supporting our Soldiers’ and Airmen’s civilian and family lives.
Domestic Operations
As part of our core function to protect the Homeland, approximately 2,800 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard participated in a variety of domestic operations, including supporting the 58th presidential inauguration, responding to record snowfalls, and assisting in the recovery from a devastating hurricane season in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
About 2,000 Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania National Guard supported the 58th Presidential Inauguration 18-21 January 2017, with approximately 1,000 in the Washington, D.C area.
The Pennsylvania Guardsmen performed a number of critical missions, including traffic and crowd management, Chemical-Biological-Radiological incident response, aviation lift support, and response to civil disturbance.
More than 650 members of both the Pennsylvania Air and Army National Guard were placed on state active duty to support Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency directed missions throughout the state during Winter Storm Stella from March 13-15.
“This response illustrates the dynamic dual-status role of the Guard,” said Brig. Gen. Tony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general. “At the direction of the governor, we are able to provide assistance to our communities during critical weather incidents like this one.”
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s readiness to respond in an emergency was put to the test in our response to the record 2017 hurricane season in which Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria devastated areas of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
More than 200 Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania National Guard mobilized to operate communications equipment, fly and maintain helicopters, and provide transportation and logistics support as part of the relief effort for areas affected by Hurricane Harvey in September.
Nearly 100 Soldiers with the 213th Regional Support Group provided joint reception, staging, onward movement and integration, and transportation of generators, food, water and other desperately needed supplies to Texas.
Six Airmen from the 193rd Special Operations Wing operated a JISCC, a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability trailer which provides connectivity via satellite and high frequency radio to assist communications between first responders, state and federal agencies. Approximately 40 other Airmen with the 193rd SOW, based at Harrisburg International Airport, facilitated the flights to Texas for those not traveling by convoy.
More than 40 Pennsylvania National Guard members and four CH-47 Chinook helicopters responded to Hurricane Irma in Florida. Two CH-47 Chinooks and crew members previously used in Hurricane Harvey response efforts in Texas were repositioned to be used in the Hurricane Irma response.
The Pennsylvania National Guard sent 18 Soldiers and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Oct. 23 to Puerto Rico to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Their mission was to facilitate timely employment of aviation resources.
Approximately 20 Soldiers with the 108th Area Support Medical Company, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, provided medical aide to more than 1,000 residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands from Oct. 13 to Nov. 15.
In addition to facilitating flights out of Harrisburg, the 193rd Special Operations Wing sent 15 C-130 maintainers to Georgia, two FEMA liaison officers and one logistics officers to National Guard Bureau, joined by a logistician from the 171st Air Refueling Wing to support the relief efforts.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Worley, the command sergeant major of the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, went to the Virgin Islands as a senior enlisted advisor to the Adjutant General of the Virgin Islands, Brig. Gen. (VI) Deborah Howell. Worley has civilian expertise in emergency response, and in his civilian capacity, is chief of police for Fort Indiantown Gap Police.
Members of the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (PA-HART) saved a hunter with life-threatening injuries in Blair County Nov. 22. This was the first in-state PA-HART rescue mission, although the Pennsylvania National Guard has done other military-only hoist rescues during domestic emergencies. The unique capabilities of the team's aircraft, a Pennsylvania National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk piloted by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Keith Hogan and Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Menoher, configured with a medevac package including a hoist, was ideal for this scenario.
More than 20 members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard supported four Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) directed missions in northwestern Pennsylvania during the record snowfall of Dec. 25-26.
Pennsylvania National Guard members are always on duty at the Pennsylvania National Guard’s joint emergency operations center. The center maintains continuous communications with National Guard Bureau and PEMA in order to anticipate future requirements that could be assigned to Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.
Warfight
As part of its federal mission, nearly 1,100 Pennsylvania National Guard personnel deployed throughout the world in 2017 in support of multiple operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and missions in support of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Air Force Special Operations Command and NATO.
Nearly 1,000 members of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s three wings deployed in 2017 to 20 U.S. states and 23 countries around the world.
Soldiers from the 628th Financial Management Support Detachment, 728th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, deployed to locations in Iraq and Kuwait in Feb. 2017, to provide pay support and disbursements to Soldiers deployed to Soldiers deployed in those countries.
Approximately two dozen Soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, were honored in a ceremony Aug. 23 as they deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
More than 50 Airmen from the 193rd Special Operations Wing deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, part of the unit’s EC-130J Commando Solo mission.
Training
Logistics specialists from the 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard participated in U.S. European Command's exercise Austere Challenge 2017 in Feb. in Grafenwoehr, Germany, a computer-assisted global command-and-control exercise, which focused on European security.
Eighteen members of the Pennsylvania National Guard from Joint Force Headquarters and the 112th Cyberspace Operations Squadron joined more than 800 other participants at Camp Williams, Utah, for Exercise Cyber Shield 17, the National Guard’s premier cyber defense training event in April while other members of the Pennsylvania National Guard honed their emergency response skills at Operation Ardent Sentry in April.
Six Soldiers from the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard provided support to the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany during Combined Resolve VIII May 24 to June 12, 2017.
More than 200 National Guardsmen participated in the first Air Assault Course offered at Fort Indiantown Gap and facilitated by members of the Pennsylvania National Guard July 10-21, 2017. Army Air Assault School is a 10-day course designed to prepare Soldiers for insertion, evacuation, and pathfinder missions that require the use of multipurpose transportation and assault helicopters. Fort Indiantown Gap also hosted the Pathfinder and Rappel Mater courses at Fort Indiantown gap in July.
More than 50 members of both the Pennsylvania Air and Army National Guard supported Keystone 6, hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services along with other partners August 14-16 at Fort Indiantown Gap, which exercised and evaluated various processes for developing a common operating picture to support decision making within the Pennsylvania National Guard and for tasking and coordinating Guard resources in support of civil authorities for a mass care and sheltering event such as a natural disaster.
Approximately 4,500 service members from the Army and Air National Guards, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army Reserves participated in Warfighter 18-1 at Fort Indiantown Gap from mid-September to mid-October.
Approximately 500 Soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division spent 2017 training in preparation to deploy to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
Fort Indiantown Gap hosted dozens of additional exercises which ensure the readiness of the Pa. National Guard and the readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces as whole by hosting training for service members from throughout the active and reserve components, as well as law enforcement.
Strengthening Partnerships
Nearly 300 Pennsylvania National Guard members participated in nearly 50 engagements as part of the State Partnership Program with Lithuania. These events support U.S. allies and align with the strategic objectives and partnerships of the Department of Defense.
More than 30 Soldiers and Airmen took part in Saber Knight, a Dane-led command post exercise from May 27 to June 4.
An additional several dozen Pennsylvania Guard members participated in Saber Strike 17, which promotes regional stability and security, while strengthening partner capabilities and fostering trust, in June at Adazi Military Base, Latvia.
Fort Indiantown Gap hosted approximately 40 Soldiers from Lithuania’s land forces reserve component June 11-21, while approximately 40 Soldiers from the Pa. National Guard traveled to Lithuania for Exercise Iron Wolf 17 for the annual platoon exchange, part of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s State Partnership Program.
Gov. Tom Wolf welcomed Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis June 5 at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg to discuss Pennsylvania's partnership with Lithuania through the National Guard's State Partnership Program and items related to expanded cooperation between Lithuania’s military and ministries.
"Next year the Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuania will be celebrating 25 years of an extremely successful partnership through the National Guard's State Partnership," said Gov. Wolf. "While our military partnership continues to set the bar nationally, it is only logical we look for additional ways to use this relationship to further benefit both Pennsylvania and Lithuania in other arenas."
More than 600 service members, veterans, and civilians participated in the sixth annual March for the Fallen September 26, 2017 at Fort Indiantown Gap. The event is held annually to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and to support and build a community for those they left behind.
Pennsylvania National Guardsmen participate in the Pittsburgh Veteran’s Day Parade and Steel City Salutes the Troops celebration, a military open-house for the public to see military equipment and personnel from local units as well as historical vehicles and reenactments, Nov. 11, 2017 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Point State Park. The event is a celebration to honor Veterans while showcasing the region’s rich military history and presence.
In addition to the State Partnership program and the events listed above, the Pa. National Guard continues to cooperate with our state agency partners, local governments and organizations. In 2017 we participated in more than 70 community events, cementing our relationship to the people of Pennsylvania.
Achievements and Milestones
Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s environmental office at Fort Indiantown Gap received two national awards this fall, an honorable mention for their sustainability team at the 2017 DoD Environmental Security Awards and a third place win at the 2017 Army National Guard Environmental Security Awards for their natural resources team.
The DoD award was presented after the team won at both the National Guard Bureau level and the U.S. Army levels. The national resources team won for its efforts with the Army Compatible Use Buffer program here, as well as maintaining the installation's habitat and wildlife. Their efforts with the regal fritillary butterfly, a rare species, were commended as well.
More than 50 community supporters gathered at a local unit’s former armory on June 26, 2017 to dedicate a plaque in honor of the unit’s 100th anniversary of its activation.
On July 15, 1917 the Carlisle, Pennsylvania unit, Company G, 8th Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, was activated into federal service for World War I. Following train-up at the local fairgrounds, the unit departed Carlisle on September 10, 1917. First for Camp Hancock in Georgia, and then via ship to France, where on July 7, 1918 they saw their first action. Today’s unit 1st Battalion 108th Field Artillery Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard is still stationed in Carlisle in a newer armory.
Col. Doug Etter, a chaplain assigned to Joint Force Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard, received the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, the third highest honor that a civilian can receive from the U.S. Army, awarded Oct. 20 by the surgeon general of the U.S. Army for his work on a book promoting reintegration and resilience skills.
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard hosted iterations of Fitness Improvement Training Program Plus during the summer at Fort Indiantown Gap. FIT-P+ is a commander recommended, 148 hour course. During the 15-day course, participants attend classes and training events geared towards building a healthier lifestyle, resiliency, and reinforcing the Warrior Ethos and Army core competencies.
Between Aug. 17 and Aug. 23, the 171st Air Refueling Wing underwent its routine Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection (NORI). A NORI is a four day performance-based readiness evaluation used to assess and identify any areas for improvement while certifying a unit as a Nuclear-Support Unit. Units are required to demonstrate their nuclear operational capabilities in a time-constrained environment. It focuses on three major graded areas comprised of generating aircraft, response to crisis, and mobilizing personnel and cargo to deployed locations. Nuclear Deterrence is the primary mission of the 171st Air Refueling Wing.
In 2017, the Pennsylvania National Guard served the Commonwealth and the United States with pride and distinction. Every Guard member can be sure their efforts during the past year have set this organization up for continued success in 2018.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Lt. Col. Angela King-Sweigart (717)861-8829, or e-mail ng.pa.paarng.list.ftig-pao@mail.mil
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2018 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 266983 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 372 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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