Dthe Magazine of the Texas Military Forces

THE ISPATCHAUG 2014

TXANG’s Band of the Southwest summer tour

Contents

4 Brig. Gen. Patrick M. Hamilton - From the Top

6 147th RW ASOS train with USCG

10 6th CST partners up to help receive deadly chemicals

12 MARs-men in Texas

14 176th Engineers bring smiles to those in need

16 136th’s Band of the Southwest summer tour

22 36th ID - From Panthers to T-Patchers in TXMF History

The Texas Air National Guard’s Band of the Southwest summer

tour. (Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton)

The Cover

D

2 The DISPATCH August 2014

Contents

* The Dispatch is an authorized publication for members of the Texas Military Forces and the Department of Defense. Contents of The Dispatch are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the National Guard Bureau, or the State of Texas. * The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Office. * The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the U.S. Army or the Texas Military Forces. * Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher will refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. * Content is edited, prepared and provided by the Texas Joint Military Forces Public Affairs Office, Bldg. 10,

2200 W. 35th Street, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas. 78703.*

The Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols

GovernorGov. Rick Perry

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Joanne MacGregor

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Col. Travis Walters

Public Affairs Staff Capt. Martha Nigrelle

2nd Lt. Alicia Lacy Staff Sgt. Jennifer Atkinson

Estefania Reyes Laura Lopez

John ThibodeauMichelle McBride

Managing EditorGraphic Layout and Design

Sgt. 1st Class. Malcolm M. McClendon

Contributing Writers and Photographers The Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Office would like to thank all the contributing writers and photographers

who generously share their work with us. Without the hard work and dedication of Soldiers, Airmen, and civilians, we would not be able to tell YOUR Texas Military Forces story.

www.txmf.us 3

Contents

Many members of the Texas Military forces are unfamiliar with the Domestic Operations Task Force also called “DOMOPS”. What is it? Who

are they? What do they do? I will answer these questions and give a short history on how the Domestic Operations Task Force came to be.

Over the years leading up to the Task Force’s creation, the Texas Military Forces had responded to many hurricanes and other emergencies averaging almost 30,000 man days per year since 2001. The response effort, while effective, lacked a standing headquarters. Units who were called on to respond were always changing and Soldiers had to learn and re-learn response operations in support of civil authorities. It was quickly discovered that a permanent task force headquarters was needed.

In the fall of 2011, the Joint Staff was tasked by the Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. John F. Nichols, to devise a plan which would allow the Texas Military Forces to improve response time, maximize equipment and personnel capabilities, place various critical Domestic Operations programs on a sustainable footing, and make the best use of taxpayers’ dollars in regards to the State Active Duty (SAD) or Federal Title 32 Domestic Operations Missions. A distributed planning team was assembled and conducted a systematic planning effort to develop courses of action. After much analysis, a plan was approved. Brig. Gen. Len Smith, now Maj. Gen., spearheaded the establishment of the Domestic

The History and Composition of theDomestic Operations Task Force

Commentary byBrig. Gen. Patrick M. Hamilton

Operations Task Force as permanent force structure with subordinate, non-divisional units. The Domestic Opera-tions Task Force was established on May 21st, 2012 under the command of then Brigadier General Len Smith.

The Domestic Operations Task Force is a joint organiza-tion comprised of four subordinate units and a joint staff. In addition to the joint staff, the four units that make up the task force are the Joint Task Force 136th Maneuver

Enhancement Brigade (MEB), the 176th Engi-neer Brigade, the Joint Counter Drug Task

Force, and the Southwest Border Task Force. Each of the subordinate units

has a mission set that is specific to Domestic Operations, while also maintaining its federal, wartime mission.

One of these missions is the Home-land Response Force (HRF) Mis-

sion. The HRF Mission belongs to the Joint Task Force 136th (MEB) in

Round Rock, Texas. The HRF mission is to provide a CBRNE (chemical, biolog-

ical, radiological, nuclear, and explosive) re-sponse capability in each FEMA region that is able to

provide timely life-saving skills within the first 48 hours of a CBRNE event, and to establish, when necessary, a regional command and control structure in order to syn-chronize all State Active Duty/Title 32 CBRNE responses involving Civil Support Teams (CST), CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages (CERFP) and prepare for follow-on forces. Texas is in FEMA Region VI, which is also comprised of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,

4 The DISPATCH August 2014

From the Top

and Oklahoma. The JTF 136th (MEB)’s HRF mission is evaluated and re-certified every three years.

The 176th Engineer Brigade is assigned the All Hazards mission set and provides the Joint Task Force Headquar-ters for Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) mis-sions. TXMF are continuously supporting civilian authorities by responding to all hazards at the direction of the Gover-nor, in order to preserve the lives and property of the people of Texas. Those missions include hurricane response, ground wildfire suppression, and winter storm response to name a few. The 176th’s geographic dispersion and variety of equipment make it a perfect unit for domestic all hazards response.

The Joint Counterdrug Task Force’s mission is to assist Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the disruption of illicit drug financing, production, transportation and distri-bution, and promotes drug-free living through community-based education and prevention. The Joint Counterdrug Task Force (JCDTF) conducts opera-tions throughout the state of Texas and along the south-west border. In addition to military counterdrug opera-tions, the JCDTF also conducts civil operations to coach communities by delivering collaborative and effective strategies that create healthy citizens. Civil operations include the Texas ChalleNGe Academy, STARBASE,

Operation Crackdown, and the Joint Substance Abuse Program. The Southwest Border Mission (Operation Phalanx) is conducted by Joint Task Force Liberty, of which the Texas Military Forces has operational control. The Task Force’s mission is to conduct aerial detection and monitoring to

disrupt Transnational Criminal Organi-zations (TCOs) and Drug Trafficking Organizations in support of U.S. De-partment of Homeland Security. JTF Liberty works closely alongside the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) to provide air-centric operations and increase CBP’s capability with personnel and technology. The heli-copter used to conduct air operations along the border is the UH-72 Lakota and it is the premier Law Enforcement Agency support aircraft within the National Guard. The National Guard is a key partner in the Department of Defense’s efforts on border security, and our operations on the border have led to the seizure of over 75,000lbs of illegal narcotics and the apprehension of over 61,000 undocumented aliens since 2012.

As we move into hurricane and wildfire season and as ac-tivity along the southwest border is picking up, there is no question that the Domestic Operations Task Force is ready to respond at a moment’s notice. The Soldiers and Air-men of the Domestic Operations Task Force are “Texans Defending Texas.” - FROM THE TOP

www.txmf.us 5

From the Top

Partners in Rescue

GALVESTON STATE PARK, TEXAS - Preparedness is key.

With the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane season underway, the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron tested their re-sponse capabilities in a joint hurricane response exercise with the wing’s RC-26 aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Eurocopter HH-65 Dauphin June 7, 2014, at Galveston State Park.

The squadron’s Tactical Air Control Party members, which include Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, along with the use of the RC-26 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and the HH-65, were able to self-assess their combined ability to respond to post-storm recovery, evacuate victims and perform sling load operations to provide resupply to responders on the ground.

With the TACPs and JTACs’ expeditionary expertise, the RC-26’s ISR capabilities, and the inclusion of the Coast Guard, both elements of the operational team and the Coast Guard provided a critical component in emergen-cy response.

“We proved that we can seamlessly speak with and work with our DOD partners to accomplish a potential pro-longed search and rescue mission in the Houston area,” said Coast Guard Lt. Jeremy Loeb, assistant operations officer and pilot. “As a helicopter crew, we also benefited from landing on unfamiliar and unimproved terrain and conducting external load operations. These are mis-sions that we must constantly practice so we’re ready to

respond whenever we’re called to do so.”

TACPs have a broad range of skills that are applied in domestic response or in combat. The combat airmen are usually on the ground, tasked to advise Army ground commanders on the best use of air power to put bombs on target, in addition to air space de-confliction, es-tablishing drop and landing zones, and setting up and maintaining radio communications.

However, in domestic response, they use those skills to save lives and provide support to those on the ground by establishing landing zones and pinpointing locations for aircraft to find victims or emergency responders needing assistance, resupply or evacuation.

“What I like about the JTACs, particularly the ones we work with at the 147th ASOS, is that they are elite prob-lem solvers,” Dowd said. “They are smart, resourceful, nimble and fit, and possess a well-trained, accomplished ability to use our platform as a tool to solve problems no matter how capable we are or what equipment we have working at their disposal.”

With the implementation of the RC-26 in domestic re-sponse, it provides key leaders and decision makers with real-time, up-to-the-minute updates via a full motion video feed of the scene or disaster area to facilitate quick and decisive decision-making.

The TACPs, RC-26 aircraft, Army National Guard, Texas Task-Force 1 and the Texas Department of Public Safety employed their “eyes in the sky” capability earlier this

Story and Photos by2nd Lt. Alicia Lacy147th Reconnaissance WingPublic Affairs Office

Tactical Air Control Party members with the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron,

147th Reconnaissance Wing working with a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Dauphin

to perform sling load operations during a resupply exercise June 7, 2014,

6 The DISPATCH August 2014

Partnerships

What I like about the JTACs, particularly the ones we work

with at the 147th ASOS, is that they are elite problem solvers.”“

www.txmf.us 7

Partnerships

we want to ensure we’re at the top of our game should a storm approach the Gulf Coast and the Houston area.”“

8 The DISPATCH August 2014

Partnerships

year in a state, interagency search and rescue exercise at Canyon Lake.A success noted from that exercise included the use of the ISR aircraft to provide individuals working in the air operations center with the video feed in the simplest form through a basic Internet connection.

To build on their success at Canyon Lake to develop their combined response capabilities, the ASOS and RC-26 incorporated a JTAC rider.

The JTAC rider was able to speak to his own JTACs on the ground to take over the duties as air warden to de-conflict other aircraft in the airspace, proving to be a valuable addition by allowing the operators on the ground to be focused on the problem and not airspace de-confliction, Dowd said.

The inclusion of the Coast Guard helped them receive well-needed training and an opportunity to practice the skill sets necessary for emergency response.

“We enjoy the close partnership we at Air Station Houston have with the Texas Air National Guard’s 147th ASOS,” Loeb said. “We hope to never have to use this training, but we want to ensure we’re at the top of our game should a storm approach the Gulf Coast and the Houston area.”

Additionally, the exercise helped refine some of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for the TACPs and JTACs to be effective if called to respond to an emergen-cy situation.

“I think it is important for us to develop efficiencies between the battlefield and the disaster area so that a military service member can provide viable, rewarding solution tools to the citizens of our homeland while reinforcing readiness since the end products are one in the same,” Dowd said. “I envision an elite, self-contained

manned, unmanned, ASOS triad in the 147th Recon-naissance Wing that is deployable anywhere – at home or abroad – at a moment’s notice and able to get elite problem solvers on top of any problem to rapidly deliver our fellow Americans from harm.” - 147th RW PAO

Tactical Air Control Party members with the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron, 147th Reconnaissance Wing working with a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Dauphin, MH-65 to perform sling load operations during a resupply exercise June 7, 2014.

Click to follow the 147th RW on Facebook

www.txmf.us 9

Partnerships

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS - The Texas National Guard’s 6th Civil Support Team took part recently

in an historic, multi-agency effort to remove potentially hazardous chemicals from Syria.

The operation, conducted July 9, 2014, saw the arrival of the Norwegian Maritime Vessel Taiko carrying Priority 2 industrial chemicals from the Syrian arsenal at the Port of Port Arthur, for release to the Veolia Environmental Services, also in Port Arthur. It was the culmination of months of preparation and inter-agency coordination that saw the CST working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and local first responders.

“Typically, the team responds to support local agencies after an incident has occurred,” said Lt. Col. William Phillips, commander for the 6th CST, Texas Army Na-tional Guard. “However, in this case, the team was able to provide critical information and recommendations to the operation’s unified command during the planning process. This helped refine and coordinate the overall multi-agency effort that produced an incident-free oper-ation.”

The chemicals, which are considered to be fairly com-

helping keep the world safe

Story byMaj. Geoffrey Powell

6th Civil Support Team

Members of TXNG’s 6th Civil Support Team team up with civil authorities to help remove chemical weapons from Syria

Multiple federal, state and local agencies worked together to ensure chemicals from Syria, which are a precursor to chemical weapons, were safely brought into Port Arthur, Texas, for destruction at the Veolia facility Wednesday, July 9, 2014. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick.)

10 The DISPATCH August 2014

Partnerships

mon with legitimate manufacturing uses, were taken from the Port of Port Arthur by truck to Veolia Environ-mental Services for destruction as part of an internation-al agreement to remove Syria’s chemical weapons and their components.

“The containers were safely transferred from the Norwe-gian vessel to our facility without incident,” said Mitch Osborne, the president and CEO of Veolia. “We could not have accomplished [the mission] without the pro-fessionalism and expertise that this team and all of our CHEMSTROY partners displayed from start to finish.”

Planning for the ship’s arrival began months ago when Veolia’s Port Arthur facility was selected by the Orga-nization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to incinerate several tons of industrial chemicals stockpiled by the Syrian regime. The unified command, consisting of federal, state and local agencies, ensured the safety of local citizens and protection of the environment during transportation of the chemicals to Port Arthur by ship and subsequent movement to Veolia. Working in concert with their civil partner, the 6th CST provided predic-tive modeling and air quality monitoring at the Port of Port Arthur and along the Hazardous Materials route to Veolia.

“The 6th CST’s participation and effort in this oper-ation,” said Phillips, “was absolutely in line with the intent that serves as the basis for the CST program, the [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] Enter-prise, and Defense Support to Civil Authorities.”

Additional CST members performed all point and area-wide air quality and radiation monitoring for each chemical container as they were removed from the ship before shipment to the Veolia facility. Coordination of continuous air monitoring by the 6th CST, the Environ-mental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality along the Hazardous Materials route ensured the Unified Command’s objective to safe-guard the citizens and environment of Port Arthur.

“The event action plan for this operation took months to put together and ended with fantastic results,” said U.S. Coast Guard Chief Bob Stegall, United States Coast Guard Chief of contingency planning/force readiness. “We planned for the worst and hoped, and received, the best results.” - 6th CST UPAR

www.txmf.us 11

Partnerships

Although they’re not from outer space, the Texas State Guard MARS Detachment

is definitely reaching out across the atmosphere to bring people closer together.

Older military members may remem-ber MARS, the Military Auxiliary Ra-dio System, as a way to keep in touch with family while stationed in Viet-nam, or other far-flung posts around the world. The concept was, and is, fairly simple - a volunteer “ham” radio operator, using a phone patch switching station, receives a request via high-frequency radio to connect someone to a standard phone line.

Although “MARSgrams” saw peak use during the 1960s and 70s, the technology has weathered the ensu-ing decades well, and with the tech-nology’s relative simplicity, the MARS program is making a comeback.

MARS-men in Texas

TXMF keeps people in touchStory and photo by

Staff Sgt. Jennifer AtkinsonTexas Military Forces

Public Affairs Office

(U.S. National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Atkinson)

12 The DISPATCH August 2014

Around Texas

Since the basic infrastructure used, radio towers and phone lines, are already up and running, using MARS doesn’t cost the military anything past purchasing switching stations and other high-frequency equipment.

Recognizing how valuable this type of communication is during disasters, the Texas State Guard stood up a spe-cial MARS detachment in 2008. Prior to that, TXSG members supported other parts of the Texas Military Forc-es for short periods in low-risk areas using personal equipment.

“Texas Army MARS has approxi-mately 120 members across the state, many retired or ex-military,” said retired Col. Brian Attaway, director of communications for the Texas Mili-tary Forces. Each volunteer holds a Federal Communication Commission amateur radio license, and an Army MARS license issued by Army MARS headquarters in Arizona.

Currently, 32 members of Texas Army MARS are also members of the TXSG MARS Detachment and have completed the required background checks, and hold a TXSG identifica-tion card as a ”Warrant Officer One,” denoting their technical expertise in HF radio operations, particularly the most difficult zero to 500-mile com-munications range, said Attaway.

TXSG MARS high-frequency teams deploy into disaster areas, providing long-range voice and Internet email through a worldwide network of radio “gateway” stations connected to the Internet. The gateway stations are located away from the disaster, relieving some of the load on possi-

bly fragile infrastructure. Satellites, which carry most of the normal day-to-day communications load for modern society may not work be-cause of damage in affected areas.

Texas Army MARS teams were deployed in state active duty status for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008 and for Hurricane Alex in 2010. MARS detachment members have participated in all state hurricane and disaster exercises since in 2009.

The Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command at Fort Hua-chuca, Arizona, is responsible for the Army MARS Program, focusing on providing contingency commu-nications support to the Army and Department of Defense. The com-mand also provides support to civil authorities, said Paul English, Army MARS program manager.

While most of the 1,300 Army MARS stations are in the United States, manned by volunteers in their homes, there are also many over-seas, English said. Government-run MARS stations at both the state and federal level include the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Admin-istration.

While the main mission of MARS is contingency communications, English said that it still can and does provide phone patches for soldiers and units. In fact, Army MARS is working with the National Guard Bureau to expand this phone-patch capability.

The phone-patch test has been very

successful in Texas, seeing slow and steady growth from 2008 to 2014.

Proving the usefulness of the MARS program, a ham operator known by his designator AC7NA, shared in a very special phone patch.

The patch request originated on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific, asking to connect to a sailor’s home in Min-nesota to check on his pregnant wife. After learning she had been admitted to the hospital in labor, a ham oper-ator in Minnesota tracked down the phone number to labor and delivery, connecting the sailor and his wife in time for the birth of his daughter.

“It was pretty emotional for me to lis-ten to the newborn baby crying in the background, the cheers on both ends of the conversation, and the gratitude expressed by the couple to the ham who made this connection possible,” wrote AC7NA, also known as Brian, discussing the phone patch capability on an Internet ham radio forum.

“I have HF phone patch capability, and I’m ready to use it if the oppor-tunity presents itself,” he wrote. “The equipment is cheap and could defi-nitely make a difference in someone’s life!” - DISPATCH

www.txmf.us 13

Around Texas

NAVAL AIR STATION Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas - The Air National Guard’s foremost Band of the Southwest, 531st Air Force Band and

its 35 musicians start their summer tour through Arkan-sas and Louisiana June 25, 2014.

“The mission of the Air National Guard Band Program is telling the story of the men and women who serve our country,” said Lt. Col. Eric Patterson, commander, 531st Air Force Band. “We do that through a patriotic selection of music.”

The performances included nine separate venues to eager audiences, traveling from locations as far as North-ern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas.

“Around the 4th of July is a time for us to remind people, not just how great the country is, but about the foun-dation of young men and women who volunteered to serve,” said Patterson. “Remember those that are making our freedom possible.”

The Band of the Southwest begun their tour at Barks-dale AFB, Louisiana on June 25, with a special perfor-mance from their six-person rock band named Airlift.

Story and photos byMaster Sgt. Charles Hatton136th Airlift Wing Public affairs Office

14 The DISPATCH August 2014

Around the Nation

The Air National Guard’s Band of the Southwest performs for a live audience.

(Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton)

www.txmf.us 15

Around the Nation

The Band of the Southwest finished up their summer tour with a performance at the Pops on the River Securi-ty Amphitheater during the July 4th celebration in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“We try to reconnect people with the patriotism that is already in their heart, so tunes like ‘God Bless America’ and ‘God Bless the USA’ are meant to invite the audi-ence to sing along and participate with the band,” said Patterson.

The Band of the Southwest belongs to the Texas Air Na-tional Guard, but Air Guard policy calls out a multi-state responsibility that stretches from Arizona to Arkansas.

During the tour the band served as the Air National Guard Band of Louisiana and also the Air National Guard Band of Arkansas, said Patterson. He stated that they’re going to those states and telling the Air Guard story as ambassadors through music.

All members of the band are traditional Guardsmen per-forming in over fifty performances annually, spanning the globe. They provide a wide range of musical support for official active duty, Guard, and Reserve unit military functions.

16 The DISPATCH August 2014

Around the Nation

The Air National Guard’s Band of the Southwest perform at Oaklawn Racetrack, Hot Springs,

Arkansas, July 3, 2014. (Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton)

www.txmf.us 17

Around the Nation

Patterson said that as musicians we’re trying to remind audiences of the volunteer citizen soldier. We’re trying to remind the audience that the back bone of the military is the volunteer notion of service.

“Every generation faces its own challenges. We remind the audience that America will rise above them every time. The music has away of empowering people to have an optimistic outlook that we live in an excellent country and we’re going to win.” - 136th RW PAO

Click to follow the 136th AW on Facebook

18 The DISPATCH August 2014

Around the Nation

The Texas Air National Guard’s Band of the Southwest performs at various locations throughout the southern U.S. during the month of July, 2014. (Air National Guard

photo by Master Sgt. Charles Hatton)

www.txmf.us 19

Around the Nation

Guatemala is one of three host nations that participate in this joint effort.

“We received visits from the may-or, as well as a class of engineering students from the college who had assisted in previous rotations. The children, teachers, and local busi-ness owners were all great to be around and talk with,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Amanda J. Keith, construction engineer chief for the company.

Engineer soldiers were assigned to support Task Force Oso, which served some of the most remote and underdeveloped parts of Guatemala.

LEWISVILLE, Texas - A group of 68 Texas Army National Guard soldiers from the 236th

Engineer Company, 111th Engineer Battalion, 176th Engineer Brigade traveled to Guatemala to provide much-needed engineering improve-ments to area schools located near Zacapa, Guatemala, May 17-31, 2014.

“Our mission was to partner with Guatemalan soldiers and commu-nity members to construct school facilities at three separate locations,” said Capt. Derek L. Dunham, com-mander, 236th Engineer Company, 111th Engineer Battalion, 176th Engi-neer Brigade, and native of Pearland, Texas.

DELIVERING

“The partnership served as valuable training for both U.S. and Guate-malan soldiers, while providing an array of engineer projects to meet the needs of the schools and com-munities,” said Dunham. The two-week deployment training was part of a broader effort known as Beyond the Horizon. Beyond the Horizon 2014 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored endeavor, which is in partnership with U.S. Army South acting as the executive agent overseeing this mission. The primary focus is to couple soldiers with foreign militaries through a spectrum of humanitarian exercises.

SMILESStory and photos byCapt. Maria Mengrove176th Engineer BrigadeUnit Public Affairs Representative

Engineers from the 176th Engineer Brigade help improve schools in Guatemala

20 The DISPATCH August 2014

Around the World

In addition, Texas engineers had the opportunity to exchange knowledge and work alongside the Guatemalan military and local citizens.

“The morale and support of every-one involved was very high. The local population greeted Soldiers each morning with waves, high-fives, and even hugs,” said Dunham. “Our work and efforts were greatly appre-ciated, and the entire community made that very clear.”

Soldiers completed an array of con-struction improvements to the three designated sites. Some of the high-lighted engineering construction tasks included constructing a soccer

field and building a playground at one of the locations. Soldiers also worked developing a cooking station with an overhead cover to help pre-pare meals for local school children.

“As far as who it benefited, I believe it’s two-fold,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jus-tin S. Lacroix, platoon sergeant with the company. “It helps the Guatema-lan people, specifically the children, with a place of safety as well as a place to learn. It also gives the Amer-ican soldier the opportunity to put their skills and training into action.” - 176th Eng. UPAR

Photos: Texas Army National Guard Soldiers from 236th Eng. Co., 111th Eng. Battalion, 176th Eng. Brigade help make much needed improvements at various

locations around Guatemala May 17-31, 2014.(U.S. National Guard courtesy photos)

Click to follow the 176th Eng. on Facebook

www.txmf.us 21

Around the World

A historical compilation byLt. Col. Enrique Villarreal

August marks the Centenary of the First World War and the 97th anniversary of the formation of the 36th Division. To honor these two occasions this article will briefly highlight the road to war, the

formation of the 36th and the symbols associated with the 36th Division during its early days in the First World War.

From Panthers to Arrowheads

22 The DISPATCH August 2014

History

Maj. Gen.

Edwin

St. Jo

hn Gr

eble

On June 28, 1914, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofie triggered a sequence of events that propelled Europe into the First World War,

on July 28, 1914. Initially, the United States’ did not directly intervene. Over the next three years, several events pressured President Wilson to support American involvement and on April 6, 1917, the United States Congress declared war on Germany.

The US needed to mobilize and train a large army in a short time. In response to this need, President Wilson signed into law the National Defense Act, on June 3, 1916, giving him the power to federalize the National Guard and deploy them overseas. Texas and Okla-homa were among the first mobilized and ordered to Camp Bowie, located just west of Fort Worth, in the Arlington Heights Addition, with the first units arriving on 26 July 1917.

The War Department federalized the entire National Guard on August 5, 1917. Texas and Oklahoma formally began organizing the Divi-sion on August 23, 1917 when the first Commanding General, newly promoted Major General Edwin St John Greble, assumed command of the Guard Regiments with his first task, to organize the regiments into a single Division.

The organization of the various National Guard units into a division was not an easy task, first, many radical changes were necessary to make the units conform to a new Tables of Organization. The division was composed of two infantry bri-gades, of four regiments and one field artillery brigade, of three regiments; second, there were certain inharmonious elements thrown together in the new organization.

The Division Commander and his staff were of the Regular Army, and at that time Regular Army and National Guard officers did not respect each other. Finally, the National Guard Soldiers of Texas and Oklahoma had each cherished the hope of being the nucleus for a separate division, and each opposed, the amalgamation.

In order to promote unity, MG Greble authorized the adoption of a divisional nickname and motto. Most people

today know the 36th Division as the Arrowhead division, the “T-Patchers” and the Lone Star

or Texas Division. However, during this period, the shoulder sleeve insignia did

not exist and during the division’s early beginnings, it was known as the Panther Division in honor of Fort Worth, the Division’s hometown.

The origin of the Panther mascot began in the last quarter of the nineteenth

century, when Fort Worth was still a cow town. During this period, it was customary

for most cities to adopt a nickname based on their location or the scene of some notable event or

accomplishment. The adoption of the “Panther City” as Fort Worth’s name stems from local tradition.

During the post-reconstruction period, many disillusioned Confederates came to Texas in search of new beginnings. Com-merce grew in Fort Worth, along with its population. However, Fort Worth was hit by economic disaster from a nationwide depression. A mass exodus brought the population of Fort Worth from 4,000 to less than 1,000. This, combined with a hard winter that dealt a blow to the cattle industry, turned Fort Worth into a virtual ghost town.

www.txmf.us 23

History

Gen. Pershing awarding T-Patcher WWI

At the time, Bob Cowart, a correspondent for the Dallas newspaper, The Weekly Herald, furnished the story that gave Fort Worth its nickname, “Panther City.” In fun, Cowart wrote to the editor of The Herald, that he had been to a meeting in Fort Worth, recently, and “things were so quiet, he had seen a panther asleep on Main Street, undisturbed by the rush of men or the hum of trade.” The reference to this jest was based on an actual event, recalled by Howard Peak.

“One spring morning while…feeding the horses and milking the cows, I was called by an old, frantic Baptist preacher, named Fitzger-ald… ‘Howard, come here quick, I want to show you something’. I was shown …the outline of what he imagined was a ‘panther’ in the dusty roadway, tracing the indenture of the cat’s claws. To mark the spot, Parson Fitzgerald drove down a stake where the panther had laid down.’’

Amused rather than offended by the editorial letter, Fort Worth embraced the panther as its mascot. The town was by common consent christened “Pantherville.” The intended insult became an enduring symbol of the city’s strength. Every one named everything “Panther.” There were “panther” stores, “panther” meat markets, “panther” saloons. The editor of the ‘Fort Worth Democrat’ had a new masthead engraved, for the paper, with a panther lying in front of the bluff and the motto “Where the Panther Laid Down.” In addition to adopting the Fort Worth mascot, the 36th Division devised an appropriate motto, “Acheronta, Repugnante, Vincemus.”

Acheronta is a derivative of Acheron River, in northwestern Greece. In ancient Greek mythology, the Acheron River was the

river of pain, and was one of five tributaries that flowed into the river Styx, which led to the Greek underworld of Hades. Repugnante is a derivative of the Latin word Repugno, which has several meanings, mainly: to fight against, oppose, resist or to be incompatible. Vincemus, another Latin word, which means, “We shall conquer.”

The full translation, of the adopted motto, is “We shall conquer even though hell opposes us” or in spite of hell. The

phrase is comparable to the colloquial phrase that became popular in the U.S., during the

early 1900’s, which was “In Spite of Hell or High Water,” commonly known today

as, “Come hell or high water.” The first citation of the phrase appeared in 1915, although, as is often the case with colloquial phrases, it was probably in use for quite a while

before that date. The origin of the phrase most likely came from the days

of cattle drives, when fording a river at “high water” was a risky proposition.

Along with the motto, the division created a proto-type of a distinctive unit insignia or DUI, which consisted

of a Panther, with paw extended ringed with the unit name and the Latin motto written upon a scroll. The insignia appeared throughout the division on letterheads, placards and lapel pins. Unfortunately, after the war the men of the 36th Division were discharged from the Army and out of the service, unlike today when Guard Soldiers are returned to their respective states. As a result, the Panther emblem was never officially submitted and recognized, by the Army Institute of Heraldry.

After of nearly a year of training at Camp Bowie, the division received its orders to deploy to France. Beginning in April 1918,

24 The DISPATCH August 2014

HIstory

the division loaded onto trains to New Jersey and by July began to arrive in France. The Division, after training in theater, would see it first and only action in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, in October 1918, near the small French village of St. Etienne. The Division’s suffered 2,601 casualties during the campaign, earning 2 Medals of Honor and 30 Distinguished Service Crosses.

By the end October, the Division was relieved from the front lines and shortly afterwards, the Armistice was signed, ending the Great War. It was during this time that the familiar shoulder sleeve insignia or combat patch of the 36th Division would emerge.

The Army combat patch first ap-peared in the Civil War. However, the practice of wearing patches ceased after the war but brought back on October 18, 1918 in a memorandum from the Office of the Chief of Staff, Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF). It ordered, “Each Division (to) adopt and procure immediately some distinctive cloth design which will be worn … on the left arm… and in order that there may be no duplication approval of design will be made by telegram from these Headquarters.”

According to R. Wright Armstrong, an enlisted Soldier in the Division stated that a committee of Division members originally recommended a patch, which consisted of a shield with a star in the middle, surrounded by a wreath of bluebonnets and mis-tletoe, the state flowers for Texas and Oklahoma. In the middle of the star was the number “36.” They amended the design, replacing the star with a bust of an Indian head. The AEF Headquarters rejected the design because of its

similarities with the 2nd Division’s patch. The original design of the 2nd Division’s patch originated in March 1918, predating the arrival of the 36th in France by about four months. During the Meuse Argonne campaign, the 72nd Brigade of the 36th relieved a brigade from the 2nd Division. It may have been during this period that Soldiers of the 36th may have seen the emblem and prompted their initial design, for the 36th.

Nevertheless, the shoulder sleeve in-signia approved for the 36th Infantry Division on 12 November 1918, was a flint Indian arrowhead, pointed down, of French horizon blue, centered on the arrowhead an olive drab block “T”. The flint arrowhead represented the State of Oklahoma (once the Indi-an Territory), and the “T” for Texas.

One feature of the patch, not men-tioned in the description, is the color of the arrow. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the Division was assigned to the 4th French Army whose uniform

color was “French Horizon Blue” and it was this material, along with the olive

drab American uniform that the patch design originated.

In addition to the T-Patch other recommendations for the divisional patch were developed. These included a square patch with the red letter L with a star, for Lone Star and the red lettering to represent the Native Americans of Oklahoma. Today, the T-Patch is one of the most recognized shoulder sleeve insignias in the Army. Its service in the Second World War and Global War on Terrorism has added to the Division’s rich history and traditions established during the First World War and the Soldiers of the 36th Infantry Division continue to serve proudly. - DISPATCH HISTORY

www.txmf.us 25

History

Visit your Texas Military Forces on the web• Blog Articles• Helpful Links• Command Messages• Downloadable Dispatch

www.txmf.us