the bayonet - december 2015

The Official Magazine of the Maine National Guard Vol 3 // Issue 4

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Vol 3 // Issue 1

MONTENEGRO RECEIVES NATO INVITE

MAINE ‘S SIGNAL WARRIORS

YOUR OPINION: SHOULD CERTAIN UNITS HAVE MORE TRAINING DAYS PER YEAR?

BEST IN NATION: MAINE EARNS TOP HONORS

THE HISTORY OF THE SIGNAL CORPS IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR

DIRECTOR OF THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD:ARE 39 DAYS A YEAR ENOUGH?

theBAYONET

The Acting Adjutant General

Assistant Adjutant General - Air

Assistant Adjutant General - Army

Public Affairs Officers

Managing Editor

Journalists

Contributors

Layout and Design

theBAYONETBRIG. GEN. GERARD BOLDUC

BRIG. GEN. GERARD BOLDUC

BRIG. GEN. HUGH CORBETT

MAJ. NORMAN J. STICKNEY (ARMY)MAJ. DEVIN ROBINSON (AIR)

SGT. 1ST CLASS PETER MORRISON

SGT. 1ST CLASS PETER MORRISON STAFF SGT. ANGELA PARADYSTAFF SGT. TRAVIS HILL

CHAPLAIN (COL.) ANDREW GIBSON1ST LT. JONATHAN BRATTENA.J. BALLARD

MAJ. NORMAN J. STICKNEY

The Bayonet is produced by the Citizen Soldiers / Airmen of the Maine National Guard, and is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense.

Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau, nor the Maine National Guard.

All pictures are Maine National Guard photos unless otherwise identified.

Questions and feedback:Public Affairs Office, Building 8, Camp Keyes, Augusta, ME 04333

Phone: (207) 430-5759Email: [email protected]

Online: www.me.ngb.army.mil

IntroThe Maine National Guard office of Public Affairs is pleased to present the December 2015 edition of the Bayonet Magazine.

The Bayonet is the official magazine of the Maine National Guard and is made possible by Soldier and Airmen provided content and feedback.

This edition highlights some of the incredible accomplishments made by our service members, including Top Honors for the Maine Army National Guard environmental program, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Maine’s newest facility, and Montenegro’s invitation to join NATO.

If you enjoy the content that is pro-vided in the Bayonet and would like to see more of it, please consider “liking” the Maine National Guard on Face-book (URL is provided next to Face-book logo on this page) where weekly updates and news are shared with the public.

Thank you for your continued inter-est and unwaivering support to your National Guard. Always Ready! Always There!

-Public Affairs Officer

Maj. Norman Stickney

Front Cover: Airmen conduct maintenance during a training assembly . (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Travis Hill / Released)

Back Cover: Sappers from the 251st Engineer Company conduct a tactical road march. (National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Jonathan Bratten/Released)

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https://twitter.com/mearng

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Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc, the acting Adju-

tant General for the Maine National Guard,

received a check for over ten thousand dol-

lars from Colby Football Appreciation today

at Camp Keyes, Augusta. The money will be

used for the Maine National Guard program

“Christmas Across Maine”.

Tracy Richard, the Maine Guard Family

Assistance Center coordinator, said they

were thrilled to receive the money and it

will help increase the number of military

families that they can provide assistance.

Pictured are: , Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc,

Mike Roberts, Henry Holmes, Tracy Richard

and Chaplain, Col. Andrew Gibson.

Maine National Guard Signal CorpsIn the Spanish-American War

Energy 101Understanding Energy Conservation

Susan Collins, United States senator for

Maine, Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, director

of the Army National Guard, Brig. Gen. Ge-

rard F. Bolduc, the acting Adjutant General,

Maine Army National Guard and Joseph

McDade, senior project manager, Gilbane

Building Company cut the ribbon to open

the new Maine Army National Guard Avia-

tion Readiness Center at the Bangor Inter-

national Airport Saturday, December 5.

(National Guard photos by Sgt. 1st Class

Pete Morrison / Released)

INSIDE THIS ISSUEA Message From The Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

“Field of Dreams”Engineers Build Ball Field and Community

Montenegro Receives Invite to NATOWith Maine National Guard Partnership

Airman Saves Man’s LifePuts Training to the Test

Your OpinionDo You Think National Guard Needs More Training Days?

Army National Guard Director:Are 39 Training Days Enough?

The Chaplain’s Word

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Best in the Nation Maine National Guard Wins Environmental Stewardship Award

The Bayonet Vol. 3 // Issue 4

Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today that beginning in Janu-ary 2016, all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception.

For the first time in U.S. military history, as long as they qualify and meet specific standards, the secretary said women will be able to contribute to the Defense Department mission with no barriers at all in their way.

“They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Carter added. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers, and every-thing else that was previously open only to men.”

Harnessing Women’s Skills, Perspec-tives

Even more importantly, he said, the military services will be better able to harness the skills and perspec-tives that talented women have to offer.

Though more than 111,000 posi-tions had opened to women in uniform since 2013 until today’s announcement, Carter said, about 10 percent of military positions -- nearly 220,000 -- had remained closed to women. These included infantry, armor, reconnaissance, and some special operations units, the secretary said.

Over the past three years, he added, senior civilian and military leaders across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Special Opera-tions Command have studied the integration of women into these positions.

“Last month I received their recom-mendations [and] the data, studies and surveys on which they were based regarding whether any of those remaining positions warrant a continued exemption from being opened to women,” Carter said, noting that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Socom said none of the positions warranted exemptions.

The Marine Corps asked for a partial exemption in areas that included infantry, machine gunner, fire support reconnaissance and others, he added, “[but] we are a joint force and I have decided to make a decision which applies to the entire force.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. was the Marine Corps commandant at the time, and Carter said that he and Dunford have discussed the issue many times.

“I just met with him and the other chiefs and service secretaries today, and he will be a full part of implementation,” Carter added, noting that he believes the issues raised by the Marine Corps can and will be addressed in implemen-tation.

Departmental Memorandum

In a memorandum to the secretaries of all military departments and others, Carter directed the military services to open all military occupational special-

ties to women 30 days from today -- a waiting period required by law -- and by that date to provide updated implementation plans for integrating women into the positions now open to them.

Carter said Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Paul Selva will oversee the decision’s short-term implementation, ensure there are no unintended consequences to the joint force, and periodically update Carter and Dunford.

Women will be fully integrated into combat roles deliberately and methodically, the secretary said, using seven guidelines.

Seven Guidelines

1. Implementation will be pursued with the objective of improved force effectiveness.

2. Leaders must assign tasks and jobs throughout the force based on ability, not gender.

3. Equal opportunity likely will not mean equal participation by men and women in all specialties, and there will be no quotas.

4. Studies conducted by the services and Socom indicate that on average there are physical and other differences between men and women, and implementation will take this into account.

5. The department will address the fact that some surveys suggest that some service members, men and women, will perceive that integration could damage combat effectiveness.

6. Particularly in the specialties that are newly open to women, survey data and the judgment of service leaders indicate that the performance of small teams is important.

7. The United States and some of its closest friends and allies are committed to having militaries that include men and women, but not all nations share this perspective.

Integrating Women in all Military Jobs

Implementation won’t happen overnight, Carter said.

“Fully integrating women into all military positions will make the U.S. armed forces better and stronger but there will be problems to fix and challenges to overcome,” he said. “We shouldn’t diminish that.”

The military has long prided itself on being a meritocracy, where those who serve are judged only on what they have to offer to help defend the country, Carter said.

“That’s why we have the finest fighting force the world has ever known,” he added, “and it’s one other way we will strive to ensure that the force of the future remains so, long into the future.”

the secretary of defense ASHton CARTER A MEDIA RELEASE FROM


Montenegro receives invite to NATO with Maine Guard partnership

On December 2, 2015 Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc, the acting Ad-jutant General of the Maine National Guard congratulated the nation of Montenegro on their historic invitation to join NATO.

Montenegro’s membership in NATO will contribute to Balkan and Euro-pean stability and has national and strategic level implications for the region. The State of Maine has been involved with Montenegro since 2007 under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

“Over the last nine years, many Maine National Guard soldiers and airmen have worked hard to help Montenegro achieve its goal of becoming a NATO member,” said Bolduc. “NATO accession will main-tain continued peace throughout the Balkan region, and signifies that Maine’s efforts were significant and relevant to achieve this end.”

Montenegro’s invitation into NATO is great news for the Maine National Guard. Over the last nine years many soldiers and airmen from our organization have worked hard to help Montenegro achieve its goal of becoming a NATO member.

“The partnership with Montenegro has provided tremendous profes-sional development opportunities for Maine Guardsmen,” said Maj. Paul A. Bosse, the State Partnership Program coordinator for Maine. “Helping European Command work toward national and strategic level goals is exciting for our soldiers and airmen and gives them a great new perspective.”

Montenegro and the Maine National Guard have conducted numer-ous exchange visits and trainings for Montenegrin military forces and civilian agencies. Montenegro has participated in several ISAF rotations, continued to refine its membership action plan towards NATO mem-bership through the modernization and reorganization of its military forces.

The Maine National Guard’s work with Montenegro has produced many genuine friendships between leaders in in both organizations which Bosse says illustrates why the State Partnership Program is tremen-dously successful.

“Maine has been fully committed to the partnership with our allies in Montenegro from the beginning of this journey, working toward hav-ing Montenegro as a full NATO partner,” Bolduc said. “This invitation is huge leap forward in the process and that gives us reason to celebrate today.”

Top: Members of the Maine National Guard pose with Montenegrin mili-tary forces during a State Partnership Program exchange in fall of 2015.

Bottom: Sgt. Igor Zujic and Staff Sgt. Dalibor Drobniar of Montenegro stand in front of their fellow classmates during the Warrior Leadership Course graduation. (National Guard Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Peter D. Mor-rison / Released).

Soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard’s 185th Engineer Support Company conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wisdom Middle/

High School in St. Agatha, on October 4.

The ceremony marked the completion of a three-year project begun in 2009 by Capt. H.M. Gary, then com-mander of the 185th. The unit couldn’t start the project until 2013 until all of the permits were finally approved. St. Agatha is a northern Aroostook county town with less than 800 year-round residents and is also a com-munity many Soldiers from the 185th are very familiar.

“This was an important project,” said Maj. Colleen Swanger, former commander of the 185th. “Many of the Soldiers that worked on it are from the St. John Valley and even have children in the school districts. The con-nections made with the school staff and students were highly positive for all involved.”

Swanger took charge of the project when she assumed command in 2013. She said the scope of the project was to construct a soccer field and a parking lot with an access road on a piece of land donated to the school.

The earliest estimates expected all of the work to be completed within two years, but due to the size of the field, it was re-estimated that the project would take three years to complete.“We began construction in June starting with the soc-

cer field,” said Swanger. “We spent a majority of our annual training that year clearing the field and the road of any vegetation and moving material.”

During that first year, the Soldiers faced many chal-lenges they had to overcome in order to move forward with the project. Cadet Laura Dunham, an engineer who helped track the progression, said that the field could not be cut as originally planned because of ledge found at the site. The location also had a hill on one side, so one part of the field needed to be filled dramatically in order to make it a flat surface.

In order to level the ground for the field, the second year’s plan had to change to allow for the additional time that would be needed to bring in fill material.

“During this second year, we would haul in over 187 full loads in a ten-ton dump truck, just because of the volume of material that was needed to make this field happen,” said Dunham.

“In 2015, with the help of the 262nd Engineers and the support from the surveyors, we brought the field up 20 feet on one side, leveled, graded and sealed the road,” said Dunham.

The Soldiers who worked on the project for its entire du-ration were vital to its success during three command changes.

Story by Staff Sgt. Angela Parady

ENGINEERS BUILD SOCCER FIELD & COMMUNITY


“The deep knowledge these Soldiers had of the proj-ect, the location and the construction were absolutely necessary,” Dunham said. “They were able to fill in gaps between platoon leader

changes, (and) between executive officer changes. They were able to tell us what happened and what the decision making process had been, because they had been involved and cared about the project.”

The project helped develop the relationship between the 185th and the community around St. Agatha, a location where many of the Soldiers were already active. Working closely with the administrators, the Soldiers developed partnerships with the faculty and students. For the three years that the project was being worked on, the 185th would host a “field day” where students and Soldiers could participate togeth-er in exciting and challenging events.

Capt. Nicolas Phillips became the unit’s commander earlier this year and was able to see the final comple-tion of the road and field. He said that while there were many challenges along the way, it is very rewarding to be able to see the end result of the unit’s work. Com-munity members would often stop by the project site to comment on the progress and express their grati-tude for the Soldiers. The total project took 10,000 man-hours and 14,000 equipment hours to complete, he said.

Soldiers from the 185th Engineer Support Company out of Caribou operate En-gineer equipment to build a soccer ball field for Wisdom Middle School in St. Agatha. The project took approximately three years to complete during annual training and a few drill weekends.

“By taking on the project, we saved the town of St. Agatha nearly two million dollars,” said Phillips.

Both Swanger and Phillips attended the ribbon cut-ting ceremony in October, which was well received in the local community. Phillips said that throughout the course of the project the Soldier’s individual skill capacity increased. They were able to have hands on valuable driver and operator training, they were able to problem solve on the job, and become familiar with construction equipment they may not use in their day-to-day lifestyles. As well as the on-the-job training, Phillips said that they also built valuable relationships in the community and left a positive impression on the community.

Soldiers from the 185th Engineer Support Company, and students and teachers from Wisom Middle School participate in a field day during con-struction operations. Events like these established a bond between the Soldiers, students, and faculty.


Benjamin Franklin once said, “We

tend to look more favorably upon those who owe us than upon those whom we owe.”

That sounds a bit backwards, doesn’t it?

Just one year after the astonish-ing victory over the Hessians at Trenton, on Christmas, 1776, the Continental Army, under General George Washington had been bivouacked at Valley Forge for about two weeks. Already, many of his 12,000 underfed, under-clothed, often shoeless soldiers had suffered exposure, dysen-tery, typhus, and pneumonia; by the time Spring came around, over 2,500 lay dead and hun-dreds more had deserted.

During this time, Washington im-plored the Continental Congress to feed and clothe his soldiers, but to no avail. He received, instead, inappropriate advice, criticism, and the threat of be-ing removed as Commander. In one letter, over ten pages long, Washington said, “I can assure those Gentlemen, that it is a much easier and less distressing thing, to draw Remonstrances in a comfortable room by a good fire side, than to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost & snow with out Cloaths or Blan-kets. . . . “ [sic]

Just think of the highs and lows Washington experienced from one Christmas to the next! From victory do near desolation. I imagine, for any number of reasons, we might experience

our Christmases the same way. In some years, there is plenty, in other years we lament that we cannot provide all of the gifts we want because the income has been too tight. In some years, our family can be together; in others, we are too far away to meet; in some years, we might have experienced the loss of a loved one, and their seat is so prominently empty.

How often our mood is af-fected by that which is going on around us. And, how often those things that are sad seem to over-whelm all of the good-ness that surrounds us. It is said that it takes seven compliments to overcome one negative criti-cism; I think it might be the same for every situation. As good as we might have it, all it takes is a negative or two to crush our spirit.

However, this is not what this season is about! For all the gifts that we can provide, no gift is greater than the love of God, and it is that which we celebrate now! I invite you to remember

The chaplain’s wordWashington’s travail; but to also remember that in the Spring he received reinforcements and a new trainer for his Army. I in-vite you to remember that his next battle at Monmouth while tactically a stalemate was in fact a strategic victory because the Americans forced the British to flee the field. How might have he foreseen this in the dark days

of Valley Forge?

It was only by faith and persistence

that he survived and held his scrappy army together. It was that faith that

forged our na-tion, but there is a

more important faith that forges our souls.

The faith that God in His mercy looked down upon us and rather than condemn us, loved us and forgave us.

Merry Christmas, and Happy though belated Hanukah.

Army National Guard troops go on ac-tive duty for at least 39 days a year for training and drill - but that may not be

enough for the Guard, said its director, who is contemplating the amount of training time needed by Guard Soldiers so that he may provide an answer to the Army’s chief of staff.

Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, Army National Guard director, addressed an Association of the United States Army-sponsored forum, Nov. 18. He said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley has asked the components of the Army - the active-duty force, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard - to “take a harder look at how all our compo-nents work, and how do we maintain a strong, capable, modern Army.”

Milley has asked in particular for more insight into how the Guard trains, and maintains readiness, something Kadavy said the Army National Guard is working on with the Army staff, secretariat and U.S. Army Forces Com-mand.

Included in that review, Kadavy said, is a look at the number of Combat Training Center ro-tations the Army National Guard would have. Additionally, he said, “he has challenged us to think about training days - is 39 the right number?”

Current law says 39 days of training. Kadavy said that includes two drill days a month,

plus an additional 15 days a year, for a total of 39.

But, “that’s a floor, not a ceiling. I don’t think there’s any law that prevents us [from going for more], there is some policy that prevents too much time spent using training dollars,” he said. “The Army has already made a tre-mendous investment in the brigade combat teams that do go to the Combat Training Centers [CTC] - the National Training Center [NTC] or the Joint Readiness Training Center [JRTC]. Additional days and op tempo are provided for ... additional maneuver training so we can maximize the readiness and the development of the BCT [brigade combat team] as it goes through their rotation.”

He said the Guard gets two CTC rotations a year, one at the JRTC on Fort Polk, Louisiana, and one at the NTC at Fort Irwin, California.

Kadavy said that the rules about the 39 days were based on laws written in the early 1900s, and that Milley has asked him to con-sider the relevance today of such laws, and if those laws still provide what is needed to the reserve components, based on what they are providing to the nation today.

MAINTAIN MUSCLE MEMORY

The general said that the Army National Guard has done a significant amount of “learning” as its units have geared up for

deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 14 years, and that is something he doesn’t want to lose.

“My concern is if we don’t continue to do that at some level, we will lose that muscle memory,” he said, adding that rotation periods for certain kinds of units have been reduced by 50 percent.

“We need to continue to exercise to some degree those lessons-learned, and then learn new lessons and continue to progress,” he said. “I think our Army and our nation needs us. I always believe readiness should be looked at as an investment and not simply as a measurement of cost.”

Increased time for Army National Guard train-ing, however, comes with concerns that are not there for active forces, Kadavy said.

“From the ANG [Army National Guard] perspective, usually the requirement that is the highest, that we have to always ensure that goes along with any op tempo, is pay and allowances,” he said. “For our traditional Guardsmen, funding has to be provided to bring them on duty with pay and allowances.”

For commanders who run active-duty units, pay for Soldiers is not an issue when it comes to training. Those commanders need only think about the increased operations tempo, because Title 10 Soldiers are on duty year-

Army National Guard director: Two weeks annually, weekend per month enough?

Story and Photo by Sgt. Daniel Stinson

Photo Caption: Soldiers, with the 1344th Transportation Company of the Illinois National Guard, participate in an urban warfare training exercise on Fort Irwin, Calif., during the unit's annual training in May 2010.


round, and their pay is budgeted that way. However, not so with Army National Guard Soldiers.

“When you think about doing additional field training exercises for the ANG or the Army Reserve, not only do you think

about op tempo, but also the pay and allow-ances that go along with paying for the days you utilize for either training or operational purposes,” he said.

Continued readiness and retention of lessons-learned over 14 years of conflict - to remain warfighting capable and to provide responsiveness to state governors - is just one of Kadavy’s five priorities for the Army National Guard.

RESOURCE AND MODERNIZE

The general is concerned about maintaining a resourced and modernized Army National Guard. To meet emerging challenges, he said, the Army National Guard “must be able to maintain a viable investment strategy for both equipment and facilities.”

He said there must be a balance of dollars for ensuring unit readiness and for also main-taining modernization and quality facilities for Soldiers.

Now, he said, the Army National Guard benefits from equipment from the active Army and Congress. “But modernization is fleeting,” he said.

Kadavy said he spent time in Idaho, Nov. 17, meeting with commanders and staff of Army National Guard armored brigade combat teams to discuss, among other things, their concerns about modernization and equip-ping.

“One of the things they commented on ... struck me as obvious,” he said. “Their observation is that because of the decrease in mobilizations, and the opportunities to modernize because of mobilization, that there is this ever-growing gap that they see between their active-component brothers in ABCTs [armored brigade combat teams] and where they are today. There must be a strategy to help us maintain our equipment interoperability within the Army, within the total force. This is needed to maintain mean-ingful training and ensure effective domestic response when required.”

One area that comes to mind in terms of that gap, he said, involves mission command systems and the compatibility between such systems.

“The Army, overall, is reviewing mission command systems, and is looking at the sets and kits for every one of our formations,” he said. “But we have to have a viable strategy that gets after sustaining our equipment, and investing in new equipment as we move through our readiness model.”

DEVELOP AGILE LEADERS

Kadavy also said a priority for the Army National Guard is ensuring leader develop-ment. Combat experience alone doesn’t ensure success of the Guard, he said.

But “leaders of character will,” he said. “I depend on these leaders of character to help foster a climate of trust, because we all know trust is the bedrock of our profession.”

The general said the Army National Guard “embraces the Army leader development strategy. That’s why we are developing and retaining qualified Army Guard leaders who understand our unique dual-mission within the ANG, and the nuances of the National Guard,” which includes the role of providing support to their state governors as well as the role of providing a reserve warfighting capability to the Army.

The general also pointed out that mission complexity doesn’t just exist on the battle-field. It also exists in the Guard’s domestic mission as well. He pointed to past missions inside the United States, including support to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, for instance, or National Guard support in Ferguson, Missouri, or Baltimore. The com-plexities of those missions require leaders who are as adaptive as what is required in combat, he said.

“I think you can see, as you think about the second part of the ANG’s dual mission, that adaptable, agile leaders are just as important to what we do in support of governors in time of emergencies. And this complexity, I think, is going to continue to grow as we move forward,” Kadavy said.

FULL-TIME SUPPORT

Also priorities for the Army National Guard are an increased focus on ready Soldiers and Families, which Kadavy said the Army National Guard supports by being “full members” in the Army’s Ready and Resilient Campaign, and maintaining sufficient full-time support in the Army National Guard.

Today, he said, full-time support personnel in the Army National Guard man training mis-sions, do recruiting duties, field and maintain equipment, and deliver programs.

He likened managing an Army National Guard mission within a state to how the ac-tive force might manage an installation, and how those installations generate readiness to assist units as they prepare for deploy-ments.

“Just like there are tremendous differences between installations [such as] at Fort Myer or Fort Bliss, there are similar challenges to consider for ‘Fort Virginia’ or for ‘Fort Texas,’” he said. “Each state is a little different based on the size of its end strength and the requirements of their organizations and the structure in each state.”

As on any installation, in each state there are programs and services to be managed, maintenance and services to be provided, and administration for pay, contracts and logistics. For the Guard, that is provided by full-time support. He said resourcing for full-time support for Guard personnel is at 70 percent.

Kadavy has been on the job as director of the Army National Guard for about six months now. He said he’s been working regularly with two other new senior Army leaders - Milley, and Gen. Robert B. Abrams, commander of U.S. Army Forces Command. Both of those officers came on board to their new positions in August.

“We are all working together to set condi-tions for an empowered and total Army, moving forward, encompassing all three components,” Kadavy said.

He said together, they are “extremely anx-ious” to hear the final, February 2016 report to Congress by the National Commission on the Future of the Army. The commission will make recommendations on how to modify the Army in regard to size and structure, to include the reserve components.

He said he believes in that report there will be some “lessons learned ... that we can apply to bettering our Army, and working together as all three components.”

The Maine national Guard signal

One of the most overlooked and least studied organizations in the Maine National Guard has been the Signal

Corps. Established in the late 19th century and disbanded before the First World War, the Sig-nal Corps led a short but fascinating life. They were created to meet the need for an indepen-dent group of subject matter experts in the communications devices of the day, namely, telegraph, flag signals, and light signals (he-liographs). They also experimented with a lot of new technology, such as using bicycles for transportation (they did not favor them for the roads in Maine, which were hardly smooth even in the 1890s).

In 1898, the President put out a call for vol-unteers from the National Guard for service in the war with Spain. Although there was no express call for signal corps Soldiers at first, Maine’s Signal Corps assembled with the rest of the Soldiers of the state for training. In Washington, DC, the War Department realized that the tiny Active Duty Signal Corps (eight officers, fifty enlisted men) could not handle the requirements for signal troops, and autho-rized a Volunteer Signal Corps.

On May 20, 1898, the exuberant Soldiers re-ceived the word that they were needed in Cuba. The signal detachment was to consist of two officers and forty-four privates. Telegraph operators, linemen, and electricians were re-cruited to fill the ranks of Maine’s Signal Corps. By June 11, the detachment was ready to go, armed with Springfield .45 caliber rifles as well as various types of signal equipment. They were officially designated as the 8th Company Signal Corps, Maine Volunteers on June 11.

By June 17, the detachment was in Wash-ington, DC and arrived in Tampa, Florida on June 23. They received their orders for Cuba on June 29 and were loaded on board ships by July 3, but were prevented from bringing much of their equipment with them. General Shafter had instructed that he only wanted “soldiers with guns on their shoulders” and the quartermasters at Tampa took this quite literally. The detachment was split up at this point, with two men going to serve with the 9th Company, Signal Corps, United States Vol-unteers (Ohio National Guard) in Puerto Rico. The Corps was further divided amongst the transports and warships en route to Cuba, in order for the ships to be able to “talk” to each

other using the Signalers. The main body ar-rived in Cuba on July 10, where Butler, now a temporary captain, visited the battlefield at San Juan Hill.

The U.S. forces were at that time involved in the siege of the city of Santiago and had an immediate need for establishing lines of com-munication from the front to the rear areas. As such, Captain Butler and the men of the signal detachment were kept busy laying wires and maintaining these lines in the week leading up to the Spanish surrender of Santiago on July 17. The telegraph lines were continuously getting cut, both by Cuban guerillas and U.S. troops, the latter who were evidently unaware of the lines’ importance.

The Mainers strung the wires up in trees or on poles that had to be brought from a distance. Even semaphore flags were used once for sig-naling the American fleet when showing a light would have brought enemy fire. In gen-eral, however, the mountainous terrain and dense jungle prevented visual signals from be-ing effective. The telegraph proved to be the most efficient way of conveying information.

Field Telephone Station Number 4, Near San Juan Hill, 1898 (Image courtesy U.S. Army Signal Corps)


The troops battled disease, poor food, the weather, and an inad-equate Army supply corps. Captain Butler reported that the quar-termasters refused to supply him with anything and at times he

was obliged to steal mules from them, fashioning packs out of shelter tents: “Have now on hand thirty-one good mules that I am not respon-sible for.” Mules were desperately needed as the men were scattered in little groups all over the country, and mules were the only transporta-tion that could carry food and communications supplies out to them.

The expertise brought by the Mainers was evident in how proficient they were in their tasks due to their civilian occupations. When the de-tachment arrived, they found that all the instruments and electronics at their new station had been burnt out by lightning. Sergeant George Frarey, formerly the division inspector for the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, had it all working again in a matter of hours.

Yankee ingenuity was again used when the detachment was ordered to recover a length of wire. Lacking any type of contrivance, the detach-ment built a one-wheeled device that could be hauled by a mule over the uneven terrain of Cuba. The detachment also noted that many U.S. troops seemed very ignorant of signal technology, sometimes cutting a wire and splicing it with rope, as if that would repair the damage.

August 12 brought an end to hostilities. Sickness became an issue for the detachment by September. Captain Butler on September 16 re-ported that “I have twenty-one men fit for duty but have not one that could run one hundred yards without becoming exhausted.” Disease had done what the Spanish could not. It was malaria and yellow fever that forced the U.S. troops to leave Cuba in the fall of 1898.

Before the detachment left Cuba, they were visited by General Adol-phus W. Greely, commander of the U.S. Signal Corps (also leader of the famous Greely Expedition in 1881). He assembled the detachment and thanked them for “the intelligent and efficient manner in which they had performed their duty.”

He praised the volunteers, saying that they performed as admirably as their Regular Army counterparts; more so, even, as they were just lately civilians with little military training. “The State of Maine ought to be proud of you and should be proud of the manner in which she pre-pared you for the field,” said the general. Before he left, General Greely asked to visit every sick man of the detachment, which he did, thanking each one personally.

The detachment, less those sick, arrived home in Augusta on Septem-ber 23. Three men had died of sickness in the campaign: Sergeant Fred Stuart, Private Ezra Colcord, and Private Frank Locke. It was the only unit of the National Guard of the State of Maine to serve during combat op-erations in the Spanish-American War.

The men who deployed were permitted to wear the coveted service chevron on their jacket sleeves, to indicate that they were veterans of overseas campaigns.

corps in the spanish-american war

Captain George W. Butler, Commander, 8th Company, Maine VolunteerSignal Corps (Image Courtesy Maine Memory Network)

1st. Lt. Jonathan Bratten is a contribut-ing editor of the Bayonet and serves as the Maine National Guard Historian.

He is always looking for photos, docu-ments, and stories from past and current

deployments.

Contact him at:[email protected]

Lt. Col. Richard Darveau re-ceives the guidon from Col. Dwaine Drummond, 52nd Troop Command commander, during the 133rd Engineer Battalion change of command ceremony at the Brunswick Readiness Center on Decem-ber 5, 2015. Lt. Col. Dan Curtis, pictured right, is the outgoing commander.

The passing of the guidon represents the passing of the responsibility and authority of the unit from one officer to another. Family, friends, and service members attended the time-honored ceremony to recognize the achieve-ments of Curtis and welcome back Darveau, who has served within the engineer battalion for many years.

(National Guard Photo by Sgt. Adam Simmler / Released)

Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc, the acting Adju-tant General, Maine Army National Guard, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony held in Bangor, December 5 for the new Aviation Readiness Center.

The readiness center is home to approxi-mately 180 Soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard Aviation Units.

The $23 million facility took approximately three years to build, and is comprised of 52,626 square feet designed and construct-ed to achieve U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

“We are happy to have another state of the art facility that will provide our Aviators a world class training space for all of their priority missions,” said Bolduc. “This new readiness center provides capabilities to our Aviators, while being another highly energy efficient building meeting the extraordi-nary environmental standards of the Maine Guard.”

The readiness center sustainability objec-tives included minimizing energy consump-tion and adverse effects to the natural environment, reducing material consump-tion and providing a high-quality interior environment.

The new building has an integrated design strategy that utilizes interdisciplinary solu-tions that targets reduced heating and cooling loads by first incorporating passive design measures and then selecting highly efficient building systems to meet the needs of the facility. (National Guard photos by Sgt. 1st Class Pete Morrison / Released)


The National Guard came into existence with a di-rect declaration on De-cember 13, 1636. On this date, the Massachusetts General Court in Salem, for the first time in the his-tory of the American con-tinent, established that all able-bodied men be-tween the ages of 16 and 60 were required to join the militia.

Simply stated, Citizen-Soldiers who mustered for military training could be and would be called upon to fight when needed.(National Guard Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Pete Morri-son/Released)

A view of Mount Katahdin

from a UH-60 Blackhawk

helicopter during a material

hauling mission to Baxter

State Park. The aviation units

moved over 14 tons bridg-

ing material in Baxter State

Park. This material is being

used for walking bridges

throughout the park that

help minimize damage to

wetlands by hikers on trails.

(National Guard Photo by

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jon

Campbell)

energy 101

This map above represents the facilities in the mid to the southern portion of the state

and depicts the energy use for each area. Unlike the northern portion of the state there

is natural gas in the Portland, Bangor and Lewiston. In FY 2015 natural gas was expanded

to the Augusta and the Waterville areas. Augusta and Waterville facilities are being con-

verted to natural gas and are expected to go on line in early to mid 2016. In the Bangor,

the facilities that are still burning fuel oil are scheduled to be converted to natural gas dur-

ing 2016. The Brewer Armory has just been converted in December 2015. It is anticipated

that on average the energy savings from conversion will be between 10-20% per facility.

Unlike the northern portion of the state there is natural gas in the Portland, Bangor and

Lewiston. In FY 2015 natural gas was expanded to the Augusta and the Waterville areas.

Augusta and Waterville facilities are being converted to natural gas and are expected to

go on line in early to mid 2016. In the Bangor, the facilities that are still burning fuel oil are

scheduled to be converted to natural gas during 2016. The Brewer Armory has just been

converted in December 2015. It is anticipated that on average the energy savings from

conversion will be between 10-20% per facility.

The Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) spent just under $2 million ($1,997,605) in fiscal year 2014 (October begins each fiscal year) for facility energy. This includes over 50 facilities throughout the state that total more than1.3 million square feet.

The primary energy use directive for is the Presidential Executive Order 13423, which sets the goal for the reduction of energy con-sumption by 3% per year as it relates to the fiscal year 2003 baseline.

The Maine Army National Guard has exceed-ed this goal in 2014 by reducing energy use by 5%, which equated to just over $110,000. It is estimated that 2015’s reduction will be between 3 to 5%. One important note is that 2014 was the coldest year on record since 2004 and fiscal year 2015 started off slightly colder than 2014.

The fiscal year 2014 energy reductions can be attributed to a combination of efforts to include:

• Energy audits, personnel training and awareness.

• Building automation controls based on occupancy.

• Fuel switching, i.e., fuel oil to natural

gas.

• Efficient equipment selection for new construction design, maintenance and

repair.

• Evaluation and integration of “vetted” new energy technology such as solar

photovoltaic, heat pump technology and energy recovery equipment.

Interim stop-gap energy savings measures have been instituted in some of the armor-ies. In Houlton and Sanford, the two most fuel intensive armories, a new high pressure burner technology was installed on the oil fired steam boilers prior to the FY 2014 heat-ing season. This measure saved over 8,000 gallons of fuel oil during the FY 2014 heating season which was 10% colder than the previ-ous 10 years.

inMagazine/ January, 201222

energy 101

Over the next couple of issues we will focus on the new technology and the implementation and impact to the energy use for MEARNG facilities. We will also look at how this technol-ogy could be implemented for home use such as solar, heat pumps and on-demand tankless wa-ter heaters. Stay tuned!

Below is another example of using infrared to generate energy savings. DFE personnel se-cured rigid insulation to the back of the “wood garage doors. This effort resulted in a sav-ings of approximately $2,500 in fuel oil per year. This resulted in a simple pay back of a half a year.

In the other armories energy audits were conducted and DFE maintenance personnel implemented energy conservations measures such as building envelope insulation and sealing and HVAC piping and component insulation. Below is another example of using infrared technology for energy sav-ings. The infrared picture below shows the effectiveness of insulation reducing pipe heat loss at the Belfast Armory.

The table below shows the estimated heat loss from uninsulated pipes. In general, savings are typically over 70%. This applies in general to home heating systems as well.

The thermometer above depicts the estimated savings based on temperature settings. These energy savings not only relate to a typical com-mercial setting, but can yeild savings to aresidence as well. With a few subtle changes to your heating and cooling settings, you can save money on costly energy prices.

A.J. Ballard is a Certified Energy Manager and is a contributing editor of the Bayonet. He serves as the Maine Army National Guard Energy Manager within the Directorate of Facilities Engineering.

inMagazine/ January, 2014 23

Master Sgt. Eric W. Curtis, a Maine Air National Guardsman from the 265th Combat Communications Squadron, saved the life of a complete stranger recently at a local gym.

On Oct 26th, Sgt. Curtis, an Education and Training Manager with the 265th, had just arrived at the Planet Fitness on Thomas Road in West-brook when he noticed a small crowd gathering around one of the weight lifting machines.

“I walked over to see what everyone was looking at, and I saw that a man had collapsed at the base of the machine and was gasping for air,” Sgt. Curtis said. “He was having a hard time.”

With more than 34 years of military first aid training to his credit, Sgt. Curtis and a local nurse who also happened to be present quickly took control of the situation.

“The people around him were not really trying to figure out what was happening with him,” Sgt. Curtis recalls. “I don’t know, it was probably about 15-20 seconds and I realized, alright, let’s get him out, so we pulled him out from under the machine.”

The man was large - easily over six feet tall - but Sgt. Curtis and the nurse were able to quickly move him to a clear area of the gym while others contacted 9-1-1.

“When I knelt down next to him someone handed me an AED and a pair of scissors. We cut his shirt off, and at that very moment, he stopped breathing,” Sgt. Curtis said. “I put the AED paddles on him while the nurse started doing compressions.”

The AED started went through its analyzing mode and could not detect a heartbeat. Sgt. Curtis sat back in his chair and I could tell that in his mind he was back on the floor at that gym.

“I shocked him,” Sgt. Curtis said slowly. “Then the nurse said ‘I’m tired, can you take over,’ so in that little bit of a pause when I was switching positions with her and I was just starting my first round of compressions [the AED] detected a heartbeat.”

With his heart once again beating, the man resumed breathing and Sgt. Curtis and the nurse were able to cease the chest compressions, but the man was certainly not yet out of danger.

“We couldn’t communicate with him,” Sgt. Curtis said. “He was still in a lot of trouble.”

The Fire Department is located on the opposite side of Westbrook, and a result it was several more minutes until the paramedics were able to arrive. Once on the scene, the paramedics - including an Air National Guardsman from New Hampshire - credited Sgt. Curtis and his rapid deployment of the AED as being responsible for saving the man’s life.

“Master Sgt. Curtis’ training and actions absolutely made the difference

in this person’s life,” Deputy Chief Steve Sloan of the Westbrook Fire De-partment said. “To be honest we don’t see this kind of outcome very often. It is so important to have AEDs on the scene and make sure your people are trained to use them.”

For his part, Sgt. Curtis points to the training he has received in the Maine Air National Guard for preparing him to be able to react without hesitation.

“From the time that I walked over to when he responded [to the AED] it was probably no more than 60 seconds,” Sgt. Curtis said. “It was that fast. It was definitely muscle memory.”

The commander of the 265th was quick to praise Sgt. Curtis , and stressed the value of the training in the Maine Air National Guard.

“Master Sgt. Curtis’ fast thinking and composure under pressure not only speaks volumes about his high character but validates the training we receive here in the Air National Guard,” Lt. Col. Scott said. “This event is yet another example of the value to the local communities that the presence of the Guard provides.”

Master Sgt. Eric W. Curtis (background) is overseaing training with his Air Guard unit in South Portland. Curtis was credited with saving a man’s life on October 26. 2015 thanks to his training in CPR and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

AIR GUARDSMAN PUT TRAINING TO THE TEST, SAVES MAN’S LIFEStory by Maj. Devin T. Robinson


MAINE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD EARNS“BEST IN NATION” ENVIRONMENTAL AWARd

The Maine Army National Guard’s commitment to good environ-mental stewardship was recognized as the “Best in Nation” by the National Guard Bureau’s 2015 Environmental Stewardship Award

competition.

Lt. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, director of the Army National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Gerard Bolduc, the acting Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard, were able to present the award to MEARNG’s environmental and training site staff at the Brunswick Readiness Center in front of a large audience.

All National Guard facilities are regularly evaluated for compliance with state and federal land use, waste, water quality, and air quality regula-tions by an independent auditor. The Environmental Stewardship Award competition ranks the 54 state and territorial National Guards on the basis of their overall environmental program compliance.

“This award speaks to the outstanding commitment of the Maine Na-tional Guard family that works tirelessly to be good stewards of Maine’s pristine environment,” said Bolduc.

Maine has received national environmental awards in the past, as re-cently as 2013, however this is the first “Best in Nation” level award. This singular annual award is presented to the State or territory that is deter-mined to have the best National Guard environmental program overall.

Col. Dwaine E. Drummond, Director of Facilities and Engineering for MEARNG, credits their success to the overall efforts of the entire orga-nization and to the excellent communication between MEARNG, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, National Guard Bureau, Army Corps of Engineers and other regulatory agencies.

“Our partners are many and equally dedicated to improving our soldiers’ readiness posture, while sustaining our environment,” said Drummond.

“Our program is only successful when our soldiers, civilian employees, and contractors aspire for the same goals we do. The efforts by our sol-

diers in the field, in the maintenance shops, and in the readiness centers makes all of the difference in our program.”

The award was won during a period of limited resources and increased requirements, Drummond said.

“We had two major military construction projects under construction, one in design, and one in the planning phase. Each of these projects has unique environmental considerations that take considerable time and effort to ensure we comply with our permits, minimize our footprint, and investigate all potential impacts,” said Drummond.

As a result of the budget setbacks, the MEARNG environmental team was also challenged to complete a lot of in-house plans and assess-ments that were previously contracted to highly specialized consultants.

Andrew Flint, the environmental program manager for MEARNG, said “completing projects in house with our qualified staff not only resulted in cost savings, it gives us flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing op-erational environment.”

“Rigorous self-examination is a key part of our continual improvement over the years.” Flint said. “Our annual internal, and tri-annual external compliance audits examine the entire range of potential environmental issues, [and] we are not afraid to seek unique solutions.”

Members of the Maine National Guard Environmental Team were awarded the Army Reserve Environmental Stewardship Award at the 133rd Engi-neer Battalion Readiness Center in Brunswick on Saturday December 6, 2015. The team earned the award for their exceptional performance for Environmental Compliance, Natural and Cultural Resource Management, and National Environmental Policy. Pictured from left to right are Barry Tur-cotte (background), Lt. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, Elizabeth Barton, Col. Dwaine Drummond, Andrew Flint (background), Dave Foss, and Timothy Bickford (background) along with family. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Adam Simmler). safehelpline.org|877-995-5247

Secure. Confidential. Anonymous.


MAINE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD EARNS“BEST IN NATION” ENVIRONMENTAL AWARd

safehelpline.org|877-995-5247

Secure. Confidential. Anonymous.

What are your goals?

To lead Soldiers, possibly attend an officer candidate school to become an officer in the Maine Army National Guard.

What are your future plans? A career with law enforcement, either with the State Police or FBI. I would like to earn my Emergency Medical Technician certification as well.

Why did you join the Maine Army National Guard? I have always admired Soldiers and respect their disci-pline. I have looked up to those in the military and want to be a role model to someone else. Plus, the benefits for joining the National Guard are great, I am using my GI Bill to attend college as well as the Tuition Assistance Program.

What advice do you have for someone getting ready to go to Basic Training?

“The biggest thing is to get in shape. Do a lot of run-ning, pushups, and situps because it could affect whether you graduate. Nothing is worse than going all the way through and not graduating at the end because you fail your final PT test. Some people fail by one or two pushups or situps.”

Did you know:

Private 1st Class Ramirez is involved with community service?

She works with her grandmother Shirley Rocque, who runs The Donation Center in Augusta, a non-profit that provides household goods, clothing, furniture to people in need in the Kennebec County area. Ramerez helps unload, organize and load the donations. She does a lot of the heavy lifting which greatly helps her grand-mother.

Recruit sustainment program Soldier of the quarter

Name: Sophia Ramirez

Rank: Private First Class, E-3

Military Occupational Skill: 31B, Military Police

Unit: 488th Military Police Company

Waterville, Maine

Basic Training Location: Fort Leonard Wood,

Missouri

Hometown: Augusta

High School: Cony High School

Sports & Activities: High School Softball, Junior

Trooper at Maine State Police Academy


YOUR OPINION FEEDBACK FROM THE FIELDHOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF

TRAINING DAYS FOR NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE MEMBERS?

The Bayonet took to the streets to ask a few service members what they thought of additional training days for traditional national guardsmen after Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Mil-ley has asked the components of the Army - the active-duty force, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard - to “take a harder look at how all our components work, and how do we maintain a strong, capable, modern Army.”


Sgt. Maj. Doug HayesMaine Army National Guard Current Operations NCOIC

1st. Lt. Kody PeckhamMaine Army National Guard Officer Strength Manager

Staff Sgt. Kyle PattersonMaine Air National Guard Career Counselor

The National Guard has to meet the same require-ments as Active Duty across the board on metrics like as weapons qualifications, physical fitness,

unit readiness levels and overall proficiency of the essential tasks that certain types of unit must be able to accomplish...And we can do it all on a very limited training schedule.

We already account for the possibility of “one weekend per month and 2 weeks per year” as potentially being insufficient to prepare a unit

for deployment by following the Army Force Generation model with additional training days and resources for units that are considered ‘available’ for deployment.

Unlike Active Duty forces, National Guard units are typically notified that they are sourced for a potential deployment up to a year prior. This

gives units time to properly plan, man, equip, train, and evaluate their units’ skill levels throughout the year.

We cannot lose focus on what the National Guard is and what differentiates us from our Active Duty counterparts. Yes, we are an

operational force and have had a major role in almost every conflict that the U.S. has been a part of since the Revolutionary War. But for many guard Soldiers, this is a secondary job for them. When the time comes, whether it is a natural disaster occurring stateside or a war overseas, National Guard Soldiers are going to answer the call and be the most motivated group of individuals that America could ask for. But Monday through Friday, our Soldiers are out doing their primary jobs such as Law enforcement, operating heavy equipment, com-puter networking, teaching history, firearms instructing, building houses, electrical work and plumbing, and interacting with civilians outside of the military. For the most part, the hands-on skills and levels of maturity gained here outweigh any amounts of extra training days and helps to build a more well-rounded force.

I do not believe we are now a one weekend a month, two week annual training National Guard. I have a tremendous amount of respect

for all members of the Maine National Guard for the commitment it takes to be successful. There are leaders and Soldiers at all levels that put in time during week nights to conduct training meetings, coordinate resources for upcoming training events and contacting their Soldiers to check on them in between Unit Training Assemblies.

The other part that has changed is the amount of distance learning required for both Officers and Soldiers with the addition of Structured

Self Development on top of institutional education and professional development classes.

The last 10 to 12 years our Soldiers have been training for and deploying in support of the Global War on Terror. We continue to provide

ready, trained troops for both our Federal and our State missions. Add the complexity of the overall force going through transition in many different areas such as; promotion systems, NCOERs, NCOES, Uniforms (both duty and PT), and funding con-straints just to mention a few. I have the greatest respect for our traditional Guard men and women, who manage family, life, careers and keeping up with the fast paced nature of “Our Guard”.

It seems as though on the traditional guards-man side of the house we never seemed to have enough time to accomplish our training and

our mandatory administrative duties. My worry is that if we were to add additional days, we lose what some find attractive about our organization, which is the one fufillment of military service one weekend a month, two weeks a year.

Most of our National Guard Soldiers earn a living on the civilian side of the house with employers of all sizes and trades. Adding

additional training to the schedule is asking them to sacrifice more than they initially signed up for, potentially causing a financial hardship for their families during extended training periods. Some of our Soldiers have to dip into their vacation time in their civilian careers to make additional training worth their while.

While additional training days would be beneficial to complete additional tasks and could improve the proficiency of Sol-

diers, I worry about the impact it will have on some of our traditional members.

the BA

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the bayonet - december 2015

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