Photo By Staff Sgt. Taylyn White | Private 1st Class Tewakeedah Martin, 856th Military Police Company wheeled vehicle...... read more read more
More than 3,200 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen took to the field at Sloan Park Stadium, for the 2023 Arizona National Guard Muster this morning, to proudly assemble before Arizona’s Governor Katie Hobbs and Major General Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, Adjutant General of Arizona and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, as their family members and community supporters looked on.
The Muster is a time-honored tradition dating back to 1636 when America’s first colonial militia assembled in Salem, Massachusetts. The purpose of this year’s event was to provide the Governor and the Adjutant General an opportunity to review the assembled Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen and to acknowledge their dedicated service. It also provided the Arizona public with a unique chance to witness a historic military tradition. The muster featured ceremonial pageantry, formal remarks from the governor and adjutant general, and a flyover from a 161st Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135 Stratotanker and 162nd Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons. There were also remarks from distinguished representatives of Arizona’s two State Partnership countries, the Sultanate of Oman, and Kazakhstan.
“Today's muster highlights the agility, strength, and readiness of the Arizona National Guard,” said Major General Muehlenbeck. “It provides an opportunity to honor the dedicated service of our soldiers and airmen, while also celebrating the enduring support from our families, friends, employers, communities, and international partners. Today, we unite as a diverse team, proud of our service, our state, and our nation.”
The Navajo Nation has a distinct history of honorable service in the U.S. Armed Forces most notably with the actions of the world-renowned Navajo Code Talkers. Their native language is credited with helping the Allies’ achieve victory during WWII, and, today, this tradition continued with Private 1st Class Tewakeedah Martin, 856th Military Police Company, wheeled vehicle mechanic, singing the national anthem, opening the ceremony portion of the muster.
“It’s a great honor [to sing the national anthem],” she said. “I never thought I’d do something like this, while also representing the Navajo people. The history of military service has always been very honored and respected on the reservation. We carry our service with pride. My service is very dear to me - it’s personal.”
After the formation was dismissed, service members and their families, and other attendees, joined together for an afternoon exposition that featured family activities, military static displays, food, entertainment, and exhibits; with contributions from the local community, the Arizona National Guard and other vendors.
“This is a great event because it brings military families and civilians together,” said Sgt. Judypa Murzyn, 108th Army Band, saxophone player. “It’s building communities, and that’s what we need. I’m very proud to be part of it.”
This is the third muster Arizona has put on. The previous musters took place in 2014 and 2018. For additional photos and videos visit https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?q=%23azmuster23&view=grid
| Date Taken: | 12.03.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.03.2023 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 458993 |
| Location: | MESA, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 2,623 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Arizona National Guard Muster 2023, by MSgt Michael Matkin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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