Approximately twenty-five of the 58 Soldiers and Airmen will head to Kunar Province to join a provincial reconstruction team - which aids Afghani leaders and civilians improve security, rebuild infrastructure and bolster efficiency of the Afghan central government.

Nearly all of the remaining ADT members will join a task force in Kabul to serve a variety of roles with a police advisory team there.
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WLC is the first step in the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES), providing basic leadership training that allows Soldiers the opportunity to acquire the leader skills, knowledge and experience needed to lead small units, and serves as the foundation for the advanced NCOES courses. Essentially, the course's purpose is to teach soldiers how to be NCOs.
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Soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are fully engaged in the Warfighter Exercise - which tests the Brigade's ability to use available units and equipment to respond to battle situations and meet different threats.

Planning for Canadian participation in the 32nd Brigade's Warfighter exercise began in January with the Wisconsin National Guard's Joint Staff. That discussion with the Canadian Army reserve led to a five-man squad from the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry taking part in a one-day military skills competition March 17 in Winnepeg, Manitoba, as well as the Warfighter exercise.
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From 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Challenge Academy staff members, cadets and parents of cadets will be available to speak with teens and parents who have an interest in the academy and to assist them with the application process. Educators, health and social services personnel, and juvenile justice officers are also welcome to visit at that time. A presentation by admissions personnel for potential candidates will begin at 5:30 p.m.
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Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Kerry Denson of Lake Mills, Wis., Brig. Gen. (Ret.) James Krueck of McFarland, Wis., Col. (Ret.) Timothy Pfrang of Sussex, Wis., and Col. (Ret.) David Schumacher of Onalaska, Wis., are the latest to join the Hall of Honor which began in 2000.

There was little doubt the number of lives affected by the four inductees as the ceremony was hosted in DMAs Witmer Hall and left standing room only.
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The Browns competed against 10 other couples in the reality show's 20th season with the intent to reconnect following Dave's recent year-long deployment to Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment in support of Operation New Dawn. They competed and more - becoming the most prolific duo in the history of the show's 20 seasons by winning eight different legs on their way to the overall victory, said host Phil Keoghan during the finale.
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All Wisconsin state government facilities are covered by the governor’s order and a 2007 amendment to the U.S. Flag Code now requires all federal facilities in Wisconsin to comply. Other government agencies, businesses and private residences with flagpoles may also honor Corporal Benjamin H. Neal by lowering their U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff during the daylight hours on May 8.
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"The fact that this take-back went up 50 percent shows a continuing need," said James Bohn, assistant special agent in charge of the Milwaukee Drug Enforcement Administration office. "As the word gets out, more people are getting on board with the initiative."
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According to Staff Sgt. Dominic Renteria, spokesperson for the 1157th, the unit is inspecting the vehicles to be used for missions, taking inventory of equipment and performing routine maintenance.

"Many are very eager to begin operations as soon as possible," Renteria said, noting that the 1157th still needs to complete its final training before officially taking over the mission.
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Panetta issued guidance April 20 withholding "initial disposition authority" from any officer who is below the O-6 - colonel or Navy captain - level and who does not hold special court-martial convening authority. In other words, unit commanders at the company or squadron level no longer have authority to decide whether to take further action in reported cases of attempted rape, forcible sodomy or sexual assault.

Capt. Kristin Boustany, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault response coordinator, said this change would hopefully increase victim confidence in the unrestricted reporting policy.
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The farm - one of three the 82nd ADT oversees - was established by the previous ADT from the Illinois National Guard. The 82nd ADT met with Mohammed Wali, the demonstration farm manager, performed quality assurance and control assessments of the farm, and identified future issues.

"I think it was a good visit," said Master Sgt. John Dietzler, a soil science specialist assigned to the 82nd ADT and project manager for the Watapur Demo Farm.
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The governor of Wyoming, along with the top military officers for the states of Wisconsin and Wyoming, witnessed first-hand the efforts National Guard Soldiers have been performing as part of their year-long deployment in support of Operation Joint Guardian, a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

"I'm here to tell you that what you are doing here really matters," said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar , adjutant general of Wisconsin. "You have brought your combat experience and leadership skills to Kosovo and what you are doing is very important."
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Sgt. Jeremy Smith, a Watertown, Wis., native with the Madison-based 54th Civil Support Team, beat out five fellow Soldiers to be named the State Soldier of the Year. Sgt. Darren Habermehl, a Muskego, Wis., native from Troop C, 1st Battalion, 105th Cavalry Regiment out of Reedsburg, Wis., won over seven other NCOs to take the State NCO of the Year title.
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These Soldiers are competing for the prestige of being the Wisconsin Army National Guard's Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Winners will advance to compete against National Guard Soldiers from six other states at the regional event in May.
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Stricker and another Madison-based PGA golfer, Jerry Kelly, conducted a similar visit in January to the Milwaukee-based 128th Air Refueling Wing to learn about the role of the Wisconsin Air National Guard. Events like these help increase understanding of the Wisconsin National Guard and its dual mission for an influential audience that might not otherwise interact with National Guard members.
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Guthrie, of Sun Prairie, successfully completed a 90-minute oral readiness review presentation and a three-hour plus computer-based exam that tested her knowledge, skills and abilities in public relations and military public affairs in joint operations to earn the certification that she's been working toward for more than a year.
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Favre spent a few hours mingling with the 1157th Soldiers, posing for pictures and signing autographs. He had an opportunity to examine a Mine Resistant Ambush Protection (MRAP vehicle on which the Soldiers were training, and asked about its fuel economy.
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"They're more than ready," 1st Sgt. Tom Krueck said last week at Camp Shelby. "They're excited - they want to get out of here and do what they're supposed to be doing."

Initially tasked with transportation and base security missions in Kuwait, the unit was reassigned to conduct convoy security missions in Afghanistan. The change in mission also meant a change in vehicles and tactics from what the unit typically trains for.

After their sendoff ceremony Feb. 4, the 1157th trained for several weeks at Camp Shelby. The 1157th was reassigned to deploy to Afghanistan as a result of reallocation of forces by the Department of Defense.
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1st Lt. Nicholas Plocar, of Sheboygan, Wis., was one of seven Army National Guard Soldiers to take part in the grueling 60-hour competition, which ended Sunday (April 15). The contest featured road marches of 15.5-miles and 14.8 miles, the Army's toughest obstacle course known as the Darby Queen, urban operations, night land navigation, water confidence course, mortar range, rifle range with moving targets, jumping out of a helicopter and swimming to shore, and skill proficiency demonstrations.
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"We are looking to educate people on the importance of this serious issue during the month of April," said Capt. Kristin Boustany, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault prevention and response coordinator. "We will be partnering with the community to present sexual violence as not just a major public health issue, but a human rights and social justice issue as well."
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Col. Fred Allen, commander of the Illinois National Guard's 1-14th ADT, encased his unit's guidon in a canvas sleeve, symbolizing the end of his unit's mission in Afghanistan and handing that mission over to Col. Darrel Feucht, commander of the 82nd ADT.

The 82nd ADT is the Wisconsin National Guard's first agribusiness development team, a National Guard initiative that leverages civilian skills crucial to improving agricultural methods.
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Hudson, a Wisconsin National Guard member assigned to Task Force Falcon, played a key role organizing the 13.1-mile march at Camp Bondsteel on March 26, complete with gravel, paved roads and large hills. He also took part in the heavy category which required participants to carry at least 35 pounds on their backs.
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"What I like to tell service members of all ranks and all branches is, you have no idea how great you can be," said Mike Hinz, vice president of driver recruiting for Schneider National. "Whether you stay in uniform or you get out and get into the corporate world, you have no idea how great you can be and how much your skills and attributes are needed."

Schneider's goal supports state and national efforts to put veterans to work. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has proclaimed 2012 the Year of the Veteran and Monday, declared April 4 as "Schneider National Hire a Hero Day, " marking Schneider's 20 years of actively recruiting current and former service members for employment.
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The goal of the inaugural Wisconsin National Guard Business Summit, held during the "Year of the Veteran" in the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wis., was to educate employers about the value military veterans can bring to their organization. The summit received significant support from the American Legion.

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, asked those in attendance to make hiring veterans a priority. He noted that U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics indicate that the national unemployment rate for veterans who served since 2001 is 50 percent higher than the national average of 8.3 percent, and that the Department of Defense recently estimated that unemployment among currently serving members of the National Guard and Federal Reserve to be more than 20 percent.
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A special committee of current and past Guard Soldiers selected retired Brig. Gen. Kerry Denson of Lake Mills, Wis., retired Brig. Gen. James Krueck of McFarland, Wis., retired Col. Timothy Pfrang of Sussex, Wis., and retired Col. David Schumacher of Onalaska, Wis., to receive one of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's highest honors for exceptional achievement and devotion to duty.

They join the ranks of 46 individuals previously inducted into the Hall of Honor.

A public induction ceremony will be held May 5 at 10 a.m. in Witmer Hall, Joint Force Headquarters in Madison.
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Cities, towns and villages in 35 counties across the state missed the legal deadline of Feb. 18 to send approximately 240 requested ballots to military and overseas voters. Consequently, overseas voters from those areas will have up to 26 additional days to return their ballots.

The extension is a result of a March 23 consent decree between the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Department of Justice viewed the failure of some municipal clerks to ship absentee ballots on time as a violation of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, but agreed to a consent decree rather than resolve the issue in court.
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All Wisconsin state government facilities are covered by the governor's order and a 2007 amendment to the U.S. Flag Code now requires all federal facilities in Wisconsin to comply. Other government agencies, businesses and private residences with flagpoles may also honor Staff Sgt. Jesse J. Grindey by lowering their U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff during the daylight hours on March 23.
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1st Lt. Andrew Adey of Minocqua, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Penttila of Inver Heights, Minn.; Spc. Israel Bursch of Blair, Wis.; Spc. Aaron Cobosco of Eau Claire, Wis.; and Spc. Zachary Pierce of High Bridge, Wis., comprised one of 13 teams in the Skill-At-Arms Competition hosted by the 38th Canadian Brigade Group. The physically demanding day began at 5:30 a.m. with teams having no idea which events they would compete in - only that the events would take place during a road march.
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Senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders met 1st Lt. April Nelson, Westby, at the La Crosse Municipal Airport; Master Sgt. Karen Dumke, Waupun, at the Dane County Regional Airport; and Sgt. Kristen Elegeert, De Pere, at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay. Sgt. Sonia Buchanan of Cottage Grove is speaking at the Special Operations Command Academic Week in Orlando, Fla., this week and will return to Wisconsin after she completes the demobilization process.

The four female Soldiers graduated the inaugural Cultural Support Training Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. last July, where they learned the basic capabilities to interact and communicate with Afghan women and children - a task deemed locally as culturally inappropriate for traditional Army special operations forces. Nelson, Dumke, Buchanan and Elegeert were among 240 females who signed up for the program. Only 106 were selected for assessment, and 59 of those attended the Cultural Support Team training.
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The Wisconsin National Guard had partnered with the state Department of Workforce Development and the state Department of Veterans Affairs previously on a series of job fairs for veterans, and publicized online resources to its members. While this partnership will continue, WERC more directly engages the client by providing a personalized experience for each service member, tailored to meet the individual needs of the service member.
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The 82nd ADT - the Wisconsin National Guard's first unit formed to help improve the agricultural techniques of Afghani farmers - has spent the past year training on individual and leadership tasks in preparation for its Afghanistan deployment. At Camp Atterbury, the unit has focused on collective training as well as weapons and improvised explosive device reaction and response training.
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Olympic gold medalist and NBA player Tom "The Hammer" Hammonds joined forces with the National Guard and local recruiters to host a day of friendly competition and to inform the college-aged students of the benefits of joining the National Guard.

The day started and ended with basketball in mind. Interwoven into this fun event was a message of patriotism and the National Guard.
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Three of the four expect to begin the weeklong demobilization process March 12 at Fort Bragg, N.C. Buchanan will be one of four Cultural Support Team Soldiers to speak at the Special Operations Command Academic Week in Orlando, Fla., March 14-18; she will demobilize after that
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"The legislation being signed today will help veterans transition to civilian life and assist them in finding good jobs," Walker said at the signing ceremony in Eau Claire. "Helping veterans find work is an important part of our Wisconsin Working package, and of the Year of the Veteran."
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The manpower reduction would amount to approximately 5 percent of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's authorized end-strength of 2,290 Airmen and must be implemented by Oct. 1.

"This announcement is sobering," said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, noting that the announced cuts were larger than anticipated and are expected to be implemented in only six months. "However, we will continue to accomplish our mission safely and effectively.
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The Wisconsin Army National Guard was named the overall winner in its category for the Army Chief of Staff Army Communities of Excellence Award - ACOE for short. Wisconsin was last named the overall winner in 2001.

The Pentagon announcement caps a series of recent top ACOE finishes by the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Last year it received the Gold First Place award as first runner up. In 2010 Wisconsin received a Silver Second Place finish - sixth in the Army National Guard. The state earned a Gold Third Place award in 2009 (fourth overall) and a Silver First Place award (fifth overall) in 2008. Wisconsin has been involved in the ACOE program since 1989.
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"This evening we welcome, not the statesmen who decide great questions of war and peace, but citizens," Obama said. "Men and women from every corner of our country, from every rank of our military, every branch of our service, who answered the call."

Bennett said seeing two Marines at the dinner who were severely wounded in Iraq reminded him of his own tour of duty there from 2005 to 2006, working with Iraqi police cadets in Mosul. He earned an Air Force Combat Action Medal for multiple engagements with Iraqi insurgents, and survived two close encounters with roadside bombs that has left him with mild traumatic brain injury.
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To qualify for this program - which is no cost to families - applicants, both male and female, must be at least 16 years and nine months old but not yet 19, have dropped out of school, been expelled, or become at least a year behind in credits. Candidates must not have been convicted of a felony and cannot be on adult parole or probation at time of entry.
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Continuing that culture from one generation to the next requires effectively communicating the value of that culture, and overcoming any generational barriers that may interfere with that message.

Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, recalled joining "pretty much a homogeneous group" of Baby Boomers as a young commander.

"We pretty much understood where each other came from - we had similar backgrounds, so we knew how to interact with each other," Anderson said. "But we are a much more diverse organization now."
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Tech. Sgt. Cristian Bennett, of Evansville, Wis., a fighter team leader who has served for nine and one-half years with the Wisconsin Air National Guard, will be one of nine National Guard members - and one of only three Air National Guard members - invited to the dinner.
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At Ease Express, the official publication of the Wisconsin National Guard, was named the National Guard's best web-based publication for the second straight year. In 2009 it took second place at the National Guard level, but advanced to take first place in the Army and Department of Defense competitions.

WisGuard Live, a command blog which launched in 2011, also took first place. Sgt. Tyler Lasure of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, took first place for his story on two Wisconsin Guard members who competed in the Boston Marathon. Tech. Sgt. James Michaels of the 128th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office was named "Outstanding New Broadcaster" in the Air National Guard, and also earned a first place for his television sports report on Capt. Jason Parks.
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An often-overlooked Air Force occupation specialty is the weather forecaster. Who hasn't anguished over a weather forecast gone wrong or at an umbrella left in a stand because the forecaster predicted sunshine?

"Mother Nature is unpredictable sometimes," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Thorn, a 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron weather observer, deployed from the Wisconsin Air National Guard's Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center.

Weather forecasting might be an imperfect science, but instead of hand-held pressure gauges that resembled Grandpa's box camera, mankind has progressed to satellites and computer systems to more accurately calculate weather trends.

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Family readiness group volunteers from the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment were presented the 2011 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award in the Hall of Heroes as the top FRG in the Army National Guard.

Edith Pond, family readiness group program manager for the 147th, said representing the Army National Guard was an incredible honor.

"To have the opportunity to receive support from our community, as well as provide support for our community has been just wonderful overall," she said, "to come together due to the sacrifices of the Soldiers of the 147th ... and to also serve in our way."
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"If you don't have an understanding of what WWE is, then you really don't understand the talent or how to utilize it," said 1st Lt. Johnny Simmons, marketing officer with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's recruiting and retention battalion.

For example, WWE Superstars such as Eve Torres and Big Show have recently made public appearances at Wisconsin Army National Guard recruiting offices - also referred to as "storefronts" - prior to live events in Milwaukee and Green Bay to draw WWE fans. Previously, WWE Superstars had met privately with National Guard members as a gesture of the corporation's support for the military.

"It will hopefully give some understanding that we're here," said Master Sgt. Gregory Backes of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's recruiting and retention battalion. "It kind of puts us on the map."
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For three specific 128th Airmen - Col. Mike Mayo, 128th vice wing commander; Senior Airman Justin Gruber, a KC-135R crew chief; and Airman 1st Class Darla Tokarski, a cargo specialist for the 128th's Small Air Terminal - the day was particularly memorable. Each in their own way had direct contact with either the president or Air Force One.
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Resilience itself has been described as the ability to bounce back from adversity, once thought an uncommon trait but now known to be learnable and teachable. The master resilience trainer program is a train-the-trainer component of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, a program launched in 2009 designed to measure and improve resilience and psychological health across five dimensions - emotional, family, social, physical and spiritual. A recent Army report indicates that Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is producing positive results.
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While the movie "Red Tails" soars across cinema screens nationwide, an earlier dramatization of the 332nd Fighter Group - the famed Tuskegee Airmen - and its battles in the skies over Europe as well as against discrimination by fellow Americans was viewed by Wisconsin National Guard members and civilian Department of Military Affairs employees Tuesday (Feb. 7). The 1995 movie "The Tuskegee Airmen" was part of a professional development session on diversity, led by Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin.

"It's interesting to see the parallels from back then and today," said Col. Julie Gerety, manpower and personnel director for the Wisconsin National Guard's Joint Staff. "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' - same kind of concept. And females in combat, same thing - let's address it after the war."
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Those were the reactions of the five Wisconsin Air National Guard members - three from Madison's 115th Fighter Wing and two from Milwaukee's 128th Air Refueling Wing - who just learned that they made the grade as the Wisconsin Air National Guard's Airmen of the Year.

This year's winners - Airman 1st Class Patrick Soderlund of the 115th FW; Tech. Sgt. Michelle Marrero of the 128th ARW; Master Sgt. Jason Kasten of the 115th FW; Senior Master Sgt. Martha Irizarry of the 115th FW and Senior Master Sgt. Craig Nienas of the 128th ARW - first were selected as Airman of the Quarter at their respective units before they could compete for the state's Airman of the Year award.
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Yama Sakura is an annual bilateral exercise involving U.S. forces and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, and is designed to strengthen military operations and build working relationships. The scenario depicts a massive military assault against Japan and the military response from Japanese and U.S. forces. This year's exercise was the largest since the Great Tohuku Earthquake in March 2011.
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Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said that since 1839 Wisconsin has sent its finest men and women to do the nation's bidding, even for unconventional missions such as agribusiness development teams.

"It's what you would expect of the Wisconsin National Guard," Dunbar said. "It's hard to take on this kind of a mission, to learn something new and try to put something together that hasn't been done all too often before, and go off to a foreign land and try to engage some of these 'soft skills' that will hopefully help develop a friendly country over time."

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Gov. Scott Walker also praised the 1157th.

Walker noted that the 1157th deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990, and supported Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005, as well as deployed to Fort Bragg in 2002 - with some serving in the Central Command area of operations - and Iraq in 2006. He recalled Wisconsin's veterans from previous wars, and said the members of the 1157th would continue their fine tradition of representing the state.
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This is the second consecutive AFOEA for the CRTC and the fourth in unit history.

"Having the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center announced as a recipient of the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award is a worthy tribute to the dedicated Airmen and civilians that are giving their very best effort each and every day," said Col. Gary Ebben, Volk Field commander.
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All Wisconsin state government facilities are covered by the governor's order and a 2007 amendment to the U.S. Flag Code now requires all federal facilities in Wisconsin to comply. Other government agencies, businesses and private residences with flagpoles may also honor 1st Lt David A. Johnson by lowering their U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff during the daylight hours on Feb. 5.
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The impact to the Wisconsin Air National Guard, if approved by Congress, would be the reduction by two of the Milwaukee-based 128th Air Refueling Wing's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers, and the Madison-based 115th Fighter Wing will retire its RC-26. The impact on manpower is unclear.

"We will continue to work with the National Guard Bureau and analyze these changes," said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin. "Our focus will remain on accomplishing our mission safely and effectively."
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According to Col. Darrel Feucht, 82nd ADT commander, the goal of the pre-deployment site survey was to get a sense from the Illinois National Guard's 1-14th ADT - the team the 82nd ADT will replace - about the day-to-day operations of the mission. That mission will be to conduct agricultural development planning, assessment and support activities to expand legal agriculture and agribusiness, services, markets, and education in order to reduce rural poverty, increase employment opportunities in agriculture service industries and improve agriculture education. The 82nd ADT also met key Afghan leaders during their visit.

This Saturday's sendoff - beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Hartford High School, 805 Cedar St., Hartford, Wis. - is ceremonial, as the 82nd ADT will not leave for Camp Atterbury, Ind., until the end of February for their final pre-mobilization training. From there the unit is expected to deploy to Afghanistan in late March.
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This is the message senior Wisconsin National Guard leaders are emphasizing to their troops following the first National Guard Bureau Virtual Diversity Conference - held completely online Jan. 18.

"Diversity is a core value of the Wisconsin National Guard and it directly affects readiness. It extends far beyond race and gender - it is about faith in the future and breaking free of stereotypical thinking," said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin. "This diversity conference sent a powerful message - our national leadership shares our core values and, by conducting it virtually, we saved significant resources by not having to travel. An excellent event."
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The Madison-based professional golfers took part in a program that allows civic leaders to observe the mission and better understand the role of the Air National Guard.

After landing, Kelly and Stricker spent time with the Airmen, who discussed their careers and deployments. Airmen carried cameras to capture the golfers' visit with the 128th.
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For the third time in six years, the 115th has been recognized with the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) - solidifying the fighter wing as one of the best Air National Guard units in the country.

This award - which recognizes the Wing's achievements from Nov 1, 2009 through Oct. 31, 2011 - speaks to the overall, and well-rounded, success of the Wing and its members. The Wing has made a significant impact on the state, nation and even across the globe during this timeframe.

Some of those accomplishment include executing 4,740 sorties equating to more than 7,000 flight hours, deploying more than 200 Airmen to 18 different countries around the globe in support of numerous U.S. led and supported contingency operations, deploying medics to Nicaragua to treat more than 6,200 patients as part of a humanitarian mission and lessening the carbon footprint in Wisconsin by embracing innovating design and technology in the realm of environmental stewardship.
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Madison native Maj. Dave Brown, Jr., an officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and his wife, Rachel, will be one of 11 couples competing against each other in a trek around the world for the ultimate prize of supreme bragging rights and one million dollars.
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The two-week exercise, based out of Naval Air Station Key West, pits the fighter wing's F-16 Fighting Falcons against Marine F-18 Hornets in simulated combat.

Airmen in nearly every aspect of flying, aircraft operations and aircraft maintenance made the trip to take advantage of the near-optimal training conditions - including the time, airspace and weather to support increased training sorties.

Roughly 50 aircrew and support Airmen from the Milwaukee-based 128th Air Refueling Wing, along with three KC-135 Stratotankers, also gained valuable training and supported the exercise by providing in-flight refueling to both the F-16's and F-18's throughout the two-week training.
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The Family Readiness Group for the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment has been named the best in the Army National Guard for 2011, and will be one of seven reserve component family readiness groups to receive a Department of Defense award in February in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.

"When I first heard about it, it blew me away," said Melanie Kleinheinz, a family readiness group volunteer. "I'm very excited because of all the work we did."

The Madison-based 147th was deployed to Iraq from September 2010 until June 2011, and was among the 50,000 U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after Operation New Dawn began in November 2010. They were responsible for all aviation operations - troop and cargo movements, medevac and attack missions - in the nine provinces of southern Iraq. While deployed, the battalion was recognized as the 2010 Army Aviation Association of America National Guard Unit of the Year.
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Hero 2 Hired (H2H), a Yellow Ribbon-funded project, is an online site that helps reserve component service members find jobs by type and location, determine which civilian jobs align with their military skills, and assess their job skills. Employers can post job openings at no cost, and can set match criteria in the job postings to identify the best candidates. Social media strategies help service members develop professional networking opportunities, and mobile device apps keep job hunters abreast of new openings.

Civilian employment is seen as a readiness factor for reserve component service members, and a critical part to remaining in service. The reserve component Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is mandated by Congress to provide employment services.
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Muncy regularly visits Air National Guard units across the country as his schedule allows, according to Chief Master Sgt. Gregory Cullen, the Wisconsin Air National Guard's top enlisted Airman.

Muncy spoke with several Airmen at the 128th, and dined with 15 Airmen during lunch at Sijan Hall. Muncy - who oversees the Air National Guard's enlisted force - said that changes are coming to the Air National Guard.
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The Armed Forces Reserve Center, the first in Wisconsin, is home to 16 units with approximately 800 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from the reserve components of the armed forces.

"The best part of this facility is that all the military units are together, it is truly a joint organization and you learn from each other," said Navy Capt. Gary Haben, commander of the Navy Reserve Component Command-Midwest. "When we are forward, we are together, so it's great to train together too."

The AFRC not only allows for communication between branches of service, but also for unique training opportunities.
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All Wisconsin state government facilities are covered by the governor’s order and a 2007 amendment to the U.S. Flag Code now requires all federal facilities in Wisconsin to comply. Other government agencies, businesses and private residences with flagpoles may also honor Staff Sgt. Joseph Altmann by lowering their U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff during the daylight hours on Jan. 6.
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Accompanied by Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos and Brig. Gen. Scott Legwold, director of the Wisconsin National Guard Joint Staff, the governor met individually with veterans and their spouses who are residents at both King and Union Grove facilities Dec. 27. He also thanked groups at both homes.

"You fought on behalf of not only our country, but stood up on behalf of our state," he said. "Our purpose for being here is to say 'thank you.'"

Walker said people often mention the professionalism and strong character of Wisconsin's men and women in uniform.

"People ask 'Where do they get that kind of courage from?'" Walker said at King. "I say, 'It's a proud part of Wisconsin's history.'" The governor drew a parallel between the courage and heroism of Wisconsin's Civil War veterans and the current generation of veterans.
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"We are grateful for the efforts the executive and legislative bodies have gone to in placing the chief of the National Guard Bureau on the Joint Chiefs of Staff," McKinley said. "We look forward to working alongside the other Joint Chiefs to provide our nation's senior leaders with a fuller picture of the nonfederalized National Guard as it serves in support of homeland defense and civil support missions."

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, praised the move.

"This decision on the part of the president and Congress reflects the critical role the National Guard plays in national defense," Dunbar said. "It is a direct result of the incredible performance of the National Guard in the last 10 years."
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