State of the
To the
By Major General Ron Dardis
The Adjutant General
Good afternoon Thank you for the warm welcome!
Thank you Speaker Rants, President Lamberti
and members of the General Assembly for your kind invitation to speak to the Iowa
Assembly this afternoon.
On behalf of the men and women of the Iowa Guard, we want to thank all of you for your support over the years especially during the recent mobilization of our soldiers and airmen.
Governor Vilsack, our Commander-in-Chief, and Lt Gov Pedersen, we thank you for your support. You have been with us every step of the way, especially during our recent mobilizations. You have participated in the send-offs and welcome home ceremonies for our soldiers and airmen. You were also there to offer your deepest sympathy to our families who lost loved ones during this war on terror! We thank you for your caring leadership and strong support.
I am very honored to be with you this afternoon and present
a state of the Guard address! I am very
proud of the men and women of the Iowa Guard and always take advantage of an
opportunity to tell our team story - the Iowa Team story!
I hope at the conclusion of my presentation you will share
the same feelings as I have for our quality young men and women in uniform
today.
The vision we have in the Iowa Guard is one of being a world class team committed to excellence and to one another.
· Little did we know at the inception of this vision statement this world class team would be deployed around the world like we are today in the global war on terror.
The members of the
· Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage, and excellence in all we do
Your Iowa Guard today is being recognized as one of the top
states in this nation.
We have broken out of the pack!
I will review with you today, steps taken by the leadership team to position the Iowa Guard for future success and take us to the next level.
A special thanks to the leadership team for their hard work
and dedication and commitment to continuously improve the Iowa Guard.
We have transformed your Iowa Guard!
· We dont look like we did 5 years ago!
· We are at 100% personnel strength.
· We have new and more relevant missions.
· We have new equipment.
o Flying units army and air
We have re-engineered and reorganized your National Guard.
We have provided in your handout the locations of our units and details of our budget and its economic impact.
· These transformational efforts have resulted in an increase of $124 million in annual federal funding from 1998 levels.
· Other states are moving to this model.
·
Ellen Gordon, Homeland Security advisor to the Governor,
is providing outstanding leadership to the Homeland Security Emergency
Management department as they accomplish the homeland security initiatives for
the state of
·
Your Iowa National Guard has both a federal and state
mission. Your Iowa National Guard is the
only military organization in
Your Iowa Guard is a combat ready Guard prepared to respond to real world contingencies all over the world.
We are also prepared to respond to state emergencies and come to the aid of Iowans in a time of need. Floods, winter storms, tornadoes and homeland security missions are examples.
We also participate in community programs, become role models for our youth and make our communities a safer and better place to raise our families.
Let me share with you our commitment to excellence in the Iowa
Guard. We have had a goal of being the
strongest joint team possible (army and air Guard) for the last five years
The joint
States that come together as a joint team sharing benchmark programs, ideas and resources will be the states that lead the way and prevent loss of force structure and a reduction in federal funding.
We also have had a goal of getting the Iowa Guard to 100% of
personnel strength and also take the necessary steps to prepare the Iowa Guard
for the upcoming Federal Quadrennial Defense Review and Base Realignment and Closure
Committees.
A review of the Air National Guard.
We are clearly in an expeditionary age. We are re-engineering the flying wings to fit into the air expeditionary force.
All of these transformational efforts for the Air National
Guard have resulted in an increase in federal dollars of approximately $100
million and provided longevity and viability and more relevant missions to our
Air National Guard units.
An example of the relevancy I speak of is the 133d Test Squadron
in
o
Capability to control air war in
o What is the significance? allows for reachback capability, can provide command and control capability from remote locations. You dont have to forward deploy as many soldiers and airmen to the battlefield.
The Army National Guard:
We are redesigning the army division and transforming the army to a future force.
Allow me to review with you recent accomplishments and success enjoyed by your Iowa Guard:
Allow me to transition and comment on the war on terrorism and our Defenders of Freedom that have joined us in the chamber today. And share with you examples of commitment we have for one another.
We all can agree the events of
It changed operations in the Iowa Guard significantly! Operations will never be the same!
On that day:
· We went to Force Protection Level Delta (the highest level).
· 24 hour operations (still 24 hour force protection and alert.)
· Escorted Air Force One into Offutt Air Force Base and to D.C.
· Combat air patrol with F-16s.
We have been tasked for missions we didnt think we would be tasked for:
·
· Trained 500 member task force to respond to homeland security mission.
· 133d Test Squadron activated in place for radar contingency suite modernization.
· Security Police from 132d Fighter Wing and 185th Air Refueling Wing activated
and deployed extended for two years!
We are now experiencing the largest mobilization of the Iowa Guard since World War II. This period will go down in history as a very significant event!
Nationally, our pace of operations is 20 times greater than Desert Shield/Desert Storm and increasing.
· Deployed to 30 countries in last two years.
· This causes increased stress on our members and their families, employers and communities.
This is the biggest concern we have in
the Guard today and we must do everything we can to take care of our members
and their families.
We have outstanding family support groups, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) teams and Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army all working together to provide this support.
· I thank Mr. Mike Earley and Mr. Sam Kalainov, Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army; Mr. Jack Felderman, State Chair, ESGR, and his team for all they do for our men and women in uniform. We could not perform the mission we do without their support.
· Members of this team have joined us in the chamber today. Thank you for your support!
· Ladies and gentlemen, our family support group and our Guard families helping families are truly our heroes on the homefront. We thank them for the sacrifices they are making and for their strong support of their loved ones who are deployed. I want to thank the officers wives auxiliary, Ms. Cathy Luther, State Family Coordinator, her staff and volunteers we thank you very much for all that you do.
I personally observed one of the most remarkable events I have ever witnessed in 38 years of military service our mobilizations over the past 2 years.
·
I saw a very proud
·
They put the
Let me explain:
· Painting of equipment to desert camouflage 1200 plus pieces.
· Proper clothing.
· Proper equipment.
· Paperwork in order.
· Quality training completed.
· Briefings received by legal, ESGR and Family Readiness.
· For months and months members of the team worked endless hours (15-18 hours per day not uncommon) when Iowa soldiers arrived at the mobilization sites they spent minimum time for processing.
· Three hours required versus three days or more.
·
Youre from
·
Youre from
·
There is a special commitment to one
another for sure!
There is a special bond that exists
between members of the
· This continues today in the Iowa Guard as we uparmor our HUMVEES and trucks for deploying soldiers and continue to assist families with issues, injuries and casualties.
· As I interacted with our young soldiers and airmen I quickly realized the quality young men and women we have in the Iowa Guard today.
· They were very positive.
· They were very thankful for the extra preparation and hard work of our Guard family.
· They were prepared for a deployment for the war on terror.
· They admitted that mom and dad had some concerns.
·
They had no idea what it would be like in
Today we have approximately 3,200 soldiers and airmen deployed and preparing to deploy around the world participating in the Global War on Terror.
· 4,200 in the last 1 ½ years.
· Over 6,800 since 11 September 01.
· Unprecedented taskings for sure!
· 1st 7th in the nation for percentage of available force mobilized over last 1 ½ years.
·
Today, 78% of available force alerted and/or
mobilized as we deploy. Approximately 700 additional soldiers from 11
· The largest task force mobilization since World War II.
o We may very well be #1 in nation again.
· We need predictability! No more short alert notifications to mobilizations. Department of Defense and National Guard Bureaus goal is 25% deployed, 25% preparing for deployment and 50% in training and reconstitution for future rotations. (Department of Defense says 1 deployment every 6 years.)
Previously, I spoke about our transformational efforts that have positioned the Iowa Guard at a very high level nationally. But the real test comes during combat operations.
Today the active duty continues to ask
for
These young men and women are hometown heroes to us all!
· They have interrupted their lives they are making sacrifices!
· They have left behind what they cherish most family and friends.
· They have left one job for another to protect this country from evils of terror.
·
They are performing their mission in an
outstanding manner.
We are so proud of our young men and women in the Iowa Guard
today!
Allow me to introduce to you a representation of our Defenders
of Freedom that have been deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom (Global War
on Terror outside continental
·
These soldiers and airmen represent 2,400
members of the Iowa Team.
I ask soldiers and airmen to stand and remain standing until
I have introduced all units/members:
·
1034th Quartermaster Company (Operation Enduring
Freedom
o
Captain
Karla Pfeiffer, Commander
o
Lt
Brad Teggatz
· Company D 109th Aviation (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom) Two rotations in less than 27 months in support of the 160th SOAR (Blackhawk Down). They kept the special operations helicopters in the air during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Many forward deployed to the battlefield!
o
Major
Rob Stark
o
SFC
Garry Estabrooks
o
SSG
Michael van pelt
·
34th Operational Support Command pilots (Operation
Iraqi Freedom) Deployed for six months to
o
CW4
Ed Stettin
o
SFC
Jodi Bishop
·
1-194th Field Artillery (Operation Noble Eagle)
One year on duty providing critical asset protection in
o
CSM
Craig Berte
o
SPC
Brian Adams
·
1-133 Infantry Battalion (Sinai Peacekeeping for
6 months) Accomplished the mission with fewer soldiers than any other
previous unit. Competed against army
soldiers from
o
SSG
Michael Devereux
o
SSG
Michael McInory
·
185th
o
Captain
Donald McGhghy
o
SPC
Mark Mortenson
·
3654 Maintenance Company (Operation Enduring Freedom)
provided maintenance support in
o
SPC
Brett Bellis
o
Private
Aaron Vanrees
·
UH-60 Blackhawk pilots from Company B, 147th
Aviation (Operation Iraqi Freedom) CW4 John Prater, CW3 Brian OKeefe and CW2
Mark Bragg were unable to be with us today.
Deployed for 6 months and supported the 101st Airborne Division in
·
132d Fighter Wing (Operation Noble Eagle/Operation
Iraqi Freedom) Deployed to
o
Major
Mark Maly
o
TSgt
Doug Asher
o
Sra
Eric Randall
o
SrA Randy Warden
·
185th Air Refueling Wing (Operation Noble Eagle/Operation
Iraqi Freedom) Escorted Air Force One on 11 September 01 and deployed
security police to locations around the world.
Flew combat air patrols over Eastern Seaboard in the fall of 2001 and
deployed four times to enforce the no-fly zones over
o
SSgt
Greg Patten
o SSgt Michael Smidt
o
TSgt
Steve Streeter
·
133d Test Squadron (Operation Noble Eagle /Operation
Iraqi Freedom) Members were deployed to
o
Major
Robin Hosch, Commander
o
SMSgt
Bob Steffes
·
2168 Transportation Company (Operation Iraqi
Freedom) The 2168 Transportation Company was mobilized but due to a change in
mission, never left the
Soldiers and airmen, thank you for your outstanding
performance and for the sacrifices you made in serving your state and
nation!
You might ask why did these men and women decide to join the
Let me tell you why:
They are professionals with a sense of honor and self-respect,
and a can do attitude that will give your team the winning edge.
We have with us today some very special soldiers!
Let me introduce to you some Heroes from the
Battlefield!
They all have defended freedom very courageously:
In this case they have sacrificed and have altered their
lives forever with injuries!
o
All
five soldiers are fortunate to be alive.
o
SPC
Mentzer and SPC Lienemann
are here with us today!
o
Explain
attack
§
Emphasize professionalism
§
Quality training
§
Composure under fire get out of the kill zone
pinned down 45 minutes fire fight lasted over 4 hours
§
Saved life of B.J. Jackson in spite of their own
injuries award Purple Heart for actions taken and injuries suffered!
§
B.J. is now a double amputee and recovering from
severe burns at
§ Purple Heart presentation by TAG
Short-term goals
·
Stand and salute The Adjutant General when he
was presented Purple Heart.
·
Response to media representative This General
came here to salute B.J. and say thanks for all the sacrifices he is making so
we can enjoy the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today.
·
He stood tall and proud, proud to have served
his state and nation and proud to represent all the men and women who serve and
sacrifice.
Long-term goals
·
He wants to get back to
§
Lienemann and Mentzer attacked again while enroute
to get their Purple Hearts from the first attack.
§Commander said Thats it,
you guys are going home.
§
SPC Mentzer and SPC Lienemann, a special thanks for outstanding performance in Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
·
You are heroes to us all!
·
You are special young Americans!
·
SGT Cindy Meyer 186th Military
Police Company
o
Contracted
viral encephalitis after receiving small pox vaccination in February 2003.
§
Was very active wood working skills!
§
Today in a wheel chair, partially paralyzed,
constant headaches and in constant pain.
§
In rehab today striving for improvement.
§
She loves the army National Guard and wouldnt
do anything different today.
§
She remains very positive today.
§
She was ready and wanted to deploy!
§
We thank SGT Meyer for the sacrifices she is
making.
·
SGT Jon Sliger
1133rd Transportation Company
·
SGT
·
SGT Michael Doidge -
1133rd Transportation Company
o
All
three soldiers injured in a mortar attack on their base camp on the seventh of January.
o
Eleven
soldiers from 1133rd Transportation Company and one from 234th Signal Battalion
were wounded.
o
Soldiers
are home recovering from their injuries.
o
Attended
funeral of SPC Josh Knowles of
o
Proud
of accomplishments of 1133rd Transportation Company in
§
The unit has driven over 1.7 million miles
delivering supplies and equipment all over
§
It is said that any drivers for the 1133rd
Transportation Company can go anywhere in
§
SGT Jon Sliger, SGT Chad
Hayes, SGT Michael Doidge best of luck on your
recovery and we thank you for the sacrifices you are making and your
outstanding performance in
·
CH-47 crash on
o
SGT
Gerald Santos and SPC
o
Injuries
suffered from crash.
o
They
were on a flight northwest
o
Brief
of accident
§
Taking care of people on board.
§
§
13 soldiers died at the site.
§
17 soldiers survived.
·
CW4 Bruce smith (first combat casualty since
o
Visit
to Walter reed (SGT Santos)
§
He asked if I could help in recognizing soldiers
who aided in recovery. Again, he was concerned
about others.
§
Said General thanks for stopping by and
checking on me means a lot to me and Annie.
§
Little did he know that it meant more to me than
him - a true inspiration to all.
o
Request
Will you take a message back to the Iowa Team?
§
Thanks to all for help and support to my family
and me during our difficult times.
§
SGT Santos and SPC Baetke
you are an inspiration to us all and we thank you for your outstanding
performance in the war on terrorism.
Other than recovering from their injuries, every soldier I
have talked to wants to get back to their units and help complete the
mission. They believe they are making a
difference in
I would like to make a very special presentation to SGT Gerald
Santos, SPC Chad Baetke, SGT Jon Sliger,
SGT Chad Hayes and SGT Michael Doidge.
·
The medal of the Purple Heart!
We will do this a little differently today in the chamber.
·
I will explain the award for the soldiers.
·
We will read the citation for the individual
soldier.
·
I will pin the purple heart
on the soldiers chest.
The Purple Heart is an award you hope you never receive!
·
It is the oldest award given by the military.
·
Established by General George Washington on
·
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the
president of the
·
While clearly an individual decoration, the Purple
Heart differs from all other decorations in that an individual is not
recommended for the decoration, rather he or she is entitled to it upon
meeting the above mentioned criteria.
·
The award reflects bravery, heroism, and valor
above and beyond the call of duty it describes these soldiers tour of duty
in
·
Soldiers, you provide an incredible sense of
pride and a clear definition of what it means to be an American.
·
We thank you for your service to your state and
country and the sacrifices you are making.
·
I would ask governor Vilsack, our Commander-in-Chief,
to join me in the awards presentations.
·
Please stand for the reading of the citations.
I would like to ask all present to remember our fallen comrades
who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives as they defended this country
from the evils of terror. It is a sad
day when we lose a member of the armed forces, especially, when that person is
an Iowan. We have lost 10 Iowans since
last March, five of them are from active duty and reserve units.
·
Sgt Bradley Korthaus,
·
Gunnery SGT Jeffery Bohr, Ossian - USMC 1st Battalion,
5th regiment USMC 10 April 03 - KIA
·
Private Kenneth Nally,
·
Private Michael Deutsch,
·
Private Kurt Frosheiser,
Five soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard have made
the ultimate sacrifice in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We have presented to the families the Bronze Star
and the Purple Heart posthumously, an emotional and humbling experience!
Inscribed on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in
Not for
fame or reward,
Not for
place or for rank,
Not lured
by ambition, or goaded by necessity,
But in simple
Obedience to duty as they
understood it,
These men suffered all,
Sacrificed all,
Dared all and died.
Please join me in a moment of silence!
Our Iowa Guard members are:
Ladies and gentlemen, our young men and women in uniform
today are serving their state and nation with dignity and pride!
We thank you for allowing us to tell our story!
Thank you!