Photo By Staff Sgt. Randall Carey | Maj. Gen. Harry Feucht, assistant adjutant general for Air, Maj. Gen. Matthew Kambic,...... read more read more
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The country is currently going through changes. Successes have been made and hard times have been endured. New leadership is in place and administrative, as well as infrastructural, transformations are under way. The future, while uncertain, is full of potential.
The Ohio National Guard's senior commanders leadership symposium-conducted on Feb. 28 at Defense Supply Center, Columbus-followed by the 2009 Ohio National Guard Association Winter Dinner Dance at Villa Milano later that evening served as a venue to discuss the state of the Ohio National Guard, its successes, and its future.
Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, Ohio adjutant general, gave a diagnosis of the Ohio National Guard at the commanders call similar to that of the general state of the nation.
Wayt highlighted the potential of the Ohio National Guard, its success, and its achievements over the past year.
Wayt stressed leadership and communication as keys to continued success. He said early on that the country's National Guards have, by default, become an operational force. Wayt expanded on the relevance of this by stating that as a result of this changed role, "we're not a once a month National Guard anymore." To succeed in this, increasingly demanding, operational environment, Wayt said, successful and sustained communication between Guard members and their first line leaders is crucial. This type of direct and active leadership necessarily affects the readiness of the National Guard, he said.
The focus on leadership was fitting for the occasion, as the commanders call was also the setting for the change of responsibility from retiring Ohio Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. William Gilliam to Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Whatmough, who will replace Gilliam later this spring. Upon leaving his position as the senior enlisted soldier in the Ohio Army National Guard, Gilliam said that he couldn't be more proud, and that he'll miss the leadership of junior and mid-career noncommissioned officers the most.
"It truly is hard to be humble," Gilliam said, "when you're the number one National Guard in the nation."
Gen. Craig R. McKinley, newly appointed National Guard Bureau chief, shared similar sentiments. McKinley could not be in attendance, but delivered a video statement from overseas. McKinley thanked Ohio National Guard members for their service and emphasized the need for "jointness" between Air and Army elements in order to perform at full capacity. McKinley went on to congratulate the Ohio National Guard on its extraordinary achievements in personnel strength.
Praise however, did not end there. Several Soldiers and Airmen in attendance were either recognized, presented awards or medals, or accepted awards on the behalf of subordinate Soldiers or Airmen. Lt. Col. Chip Tansill, Ohio Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Wesley A. Smith, Ohio Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention superintendent, were recognized for the having leading Recruit Sustainment
(Army) and Guard Recruiting Assistance programs, respectively.
Later in the evening, select Soldiers, Airmen and their families donned formal attire to welcome Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and retired U.S. Rep. David L. Hobson (R-Springfield) of Ohio's 7th district. Guard members and family members enjoyed dinner and music from the Ohio Army National Guard's 122nd Army Band. While the event was primarily to honor Hobson, the Ohio National Guard received nearly as much recognition from the speakers, including Hobson himself.
Strickland thanked Ohio National Guard members and their families for their commitment, recognizing that they are "doing more, more often." Strickland touted the Ohio National Guard's ability to respond to any contingency, and added to McKinley's congratulatory words in respect to the Ohio National Guard reaching as high 2,200 Soldiers and Airmen above authorized personnel strength numbers.
Wayt then talked about Hobson and his efforts in keeping the Ohio National Guard the fighting force that it is. Wayt recognized Hobson's congressional efforts in keeping the Springfield Air National Guard Base open on three occasions, as well as keeping the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus. Wayt also described the establishment of the DSCC Ambulatory Care Clinic and Ohio National Guard members' receipt of new equipment in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan as the result of Hobson's work. In reference to Hobson's resolute efforts to enhance the readiness of the Ohio National Guard, Wayt called him "a man of action."
Hobson took the podium as a retired congressman, but also as a former Airman.
Having, himself, come home from overseas to be welcomed by no one, Hobson said he made up his mind to show up when Ohio's Soldiers and Airmen left for deployments and later came home. Hobson said that, as a congressman, he found out how wonderful the Ohio National Guard Family is, and that he wanted to get the message out. Hobson said he wanted to take care of those coming back from conflicts, and that's exactly what he did.
"There is no National Guard in the country, as good as you are, serving today," Hobson said.
The congressman was presented with several gifts to recognize his service to the Ohio National Guard, one of which, was a painting to be hung in a future National Guard facility that will bear his name.
The future of the Ohio National Guard is uncertain. The challenges ahead are yet to be known. However, Maj. Gen. Matthew L. Kambic, Ohio's assistant adjutant general for Army, articulated one certainty very well.
"We will continue to be a great, dynamic, well-led, citizen-soldier organization," Kambic said, "and continue to maintain the capability to meet the full spectrum of our requirements."
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2009 09:27 |
| Story ID: | 31960 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 421 |
| Downloads: | 342 |
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