New Mexico Minuteman - Summer 2012

Governor
Susana Martinez
Bob Ulin
Publisher
Justin Ritter
Graphic Designer
Public Affairs Officer
Col. Michael Montoya
The Adjutant General
Brig. Gen.
John D. Bledsoe, Jr.
Editor
Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs NCO
Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt
Contributors
150th Fighter Wing Public
Information Office
2251 Air Guard Rd. SE
KAFB, N.M. 87117
Public Information Officer
Capt. Brian Raphael
200th Public Affairs Detachment
47 Bataan Blvd.
Santa Fe, N.M. 87508
Commander
Capt. Teresa Martin
ON THE COVER:
Brig. Gen. John D.
Bledsoe, Jr. Welcomes
Home Soldiers from
Company C, 1-171st
Aviation who completed
a yearlong deployment
in Afghanistan.
Photo by: Joseph Vigil
Marie Lundstrom
Editor
Darrell George
Advertising Sales
Contact Information:
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www.AQPpublishing.com
NationalGuardSales@AQPpublishing.com
Published by AQP Publishing, Inc., a private fi rm in
no way connected with the New Mexico Department of
Military Affairs, or the New Mexico National Guard, under
written contract with the New Mexico Department of Military
Affairs. This New Mexico National Guard magazine
is an authorized publication for employees and military
members of the New Mexico Department of Military
Affairs. Contents of this publication are not necessarily
the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the state of New
Mexico, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense
or the New Mexico National Guard.
The appearance of advertising in this publication,
including inserts or supplements, does not constitute
endorsement by the state of New Mexico, DoD, the New
Mexico National Guard or AQP Publishing, Inc. of the products
or services advertised.
Summer 2012
C O N T E N T S
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Bledsoe becomes Acting Adjutant General of New Mexico
www.nm.ngb.army.mil
A message from your SCSM
Maj. Gen. Kenny Montoya steps down as Adjutant General of New Mexico
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Buhl retires, heads out to his favorite fishing hole
New Mexico’s best Soldiers compete for top titles 5▼
Company C, 1-171st Aviation Soldiers return to new Army Aviation Support Facility 7▼
Fishburn promoted to colonel, earns eagle wings to go with his aviation wings ▼
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Womble, Former KFOR Chief of Staff, earns Full Bird Rank 8▼
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Nava earns promotion to colonel, takes over G3 ▼
New Mexico employers honored at the 2012 Employer Support Freedom Awards
NMNG Soldier, NCO sweep 1st Theater Sustainment Command Soldier and NCO of the Year
Enlisted Association of the NMNG holds state conference, elects new president
USBATT, COLBATT complete level 1 combatives certification
150th Security Forces Squadron Team takes TAG Challenge crown
NMNG Medevac Soldiers return home after yearlong deployment in Afghanistan
Bataan veterans honored on 70th anniversary of surrender
Youngberg becomes first female HH-60 helicopter pilot, Quintana is first female C-130 navigator
The 150th FW starts new era with first female aircrew member
The New Mexico National Guard served with distinction in World War I
150th anniversary of historic Civil War battle celebrated
News Briefs
Eleven graduate from 88M Reclassification Course
NMNG runners finish strong in Lincoln Marathon; two make All Guard team
Bataan Military Academy cadets train with CTU Soldiers
Firearms training: Embrace new techniques for accurate marksmanship
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Everything advertised in this publication shall be made
available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard
to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital
status, physical handicap, political affi liation or any other
non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by
the Offi ce of Public Affairs, Joint Forces Headquarters –
New Mexico. All photographs and graphic devices are
copyrighted to the New Mexico National Guard Public
Affairs Offi ce unless otherwise indicated.
All submissions should pertain to the New Mexico
National Guard and are subject to editing. Contributions
and reader comments should be sent to:
joseph.leonard.vigil@us.army.mil
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 1
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New Mexico National Guard
Bledsoe becomes Acting Adjutant General
of New Mexico
Brig. Gen. John D. Bledsoe, Jr. is the Acting Adjutant
General of the New Mexico National Guard. As Adjutant
General, he commands the Army and Air National Guard
and serves as the commander of the State Defense Force.
In addition to his federal duties, Bledsoe serves as military
chief of staff to the governor and is the governor’s principal
advisor on military affairs. He is also president of the State
Armory Board and provides oversight for the New Mexico
Civil Air Patrol. He previously served as the Chief of the Joint
Force Headquarters, New Mexico National Guard.
Bledsoe began his military career as an Airman at Basic
in 1970 and progressed to Staff Sergeant in 1974. He was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from
the Academy of Military Science in 1977. After a tour as
a traditional Guardsman Fuels Offi cer, he attended Undergraduate
Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base and was
awarded his wings in 1979. He was assigned to the 150 th
Tactical Fighter Wing fl ying A-7’s and fl ew as a Pilot, Instructor
Pilot, and Standardization-Evaluation Flight Evaluator in
the A-7. Bledsoe was selected to attend Fighter Weapons
School in 1984, and in 1985 he was assigned to the 162 nd
Tactical Fighter Training Wing as an Instructor Pilot. In 1988
Bledsoe was assigned again to the 150 th as an Instructor
Pilot and Flight Evaluator where he served in a number of
positions including Chief of Plans, Chief of Safety, Operations
Offi cer, Squadron Commander of the 188 th Fighter
Squadron, Operations Group Commander, Vice Wing
Commander and Wing Commander.
Bledsoe has fl own combat sorties over Bosnia, Northern
Iraq and Southern Iraq and has participated in exercises and
missions in Europe, Singapore, Chile, Alaska, Guam and Korea. He
has fl own Operation Noble Eagle sorties from Kirtland AFB, N.M.,
Atlantic City, N.J., Denver, Colo., and Riverside, Calif. Bledsoe is a
Command Pilot with more than 4,900 hours of fi ghter time.
Bledsoe commanded the New Mexico Air National Guard’s
150 th Fighter Wing, served as the New Mexico Director of Air
Operations, Chief of the Joint Staff and Assistant Adjutant General
for Air before becoming the Acting Adjutant General.
Bledsoe graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the
University of Arizona in 1975. He is also a graduate of Squadron Offi -
cers School, Air Command and Staff College and Air War College.
His major awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service
Medal (1 device); Aerial Achievement Medal; Air Force Commendation
Medal (1 device); AF Outstanding Unit Award (3 devices);
Combat Readiness Medal (10 devices); Air Reserve Forces Meritorious
Service Medal (2 devices); National Defense Service Medal
2 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
(1 device); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1 device); Global
War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; AF
Longevity Service (7 devices); Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1
“M” device (3 devices); Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
(1 device); Air Force Training Ribbon (1 device).
Bledsoe’s other achievements include Distinguished Graduate,
F-16 Transition Course, Luke AFB, Ariz., 1992; team leader,
Air National Guard air-to-ground shootoff; Gunsmoke team leader
1991 and 1993; 150 th Fighter Wing ORI Project Offi cer,1995;
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve “Spirit of Volunteerism
Award”; Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
“Seven Seals Award”; Western Pacifi c Airspace and Ranges cochairman;
co-captain, University of Arizona football; All-Western
Athletic Conference Football, 2 nd team for two years; football
coach – Defensive Coordinator for undefeated state champion
team, Eldorado High School, 1980.

New Mexico offers some great outdoor recreation opportunities.
Hiking the mountains, biking, white water rafting, camping,
fi shing, or a mud festival may be in your summer plans. This is a
great time to go out and explore New Mexico with your family and
friends and see all of its wonders.
When you decide on your adventure, please remember some
basic Adair safety tips. Most importantly, always go with a buddy
and never venture alone. Being lost in the mountains can be overwhelming
if you are alone. Adventuring out with a buddy reduces
risks and stress while building camaraderie. Your buddy may also
prevent you from making bad decisions.
It is also very important to watch how much alcohol you consume.
Please drink in moderation if that becomes a part of your
festivities. Alcohol abuse is the single biggest reason for indiscipline,
accidents, and other serious incidents – all of which have
very negative impacts on lives, careers, and families. Don’t let this
happen to you! We are ambassadors for those who wear the uniform,
and we must conduct ourselves as such. Enjoy yourself, but
drink responsibly. You’ll be glad you did!
Adair talks
summer safety
My last few suggestions are easy to
do, will greatly enhance your summer
enjoyment, and might save your life.
While riding motorcycles, always
wear an approved helmet, gloves, eye
protection and protective clothing.
Maj. Gen. Kenny Montoya
steps down as Adjutant General
of New Mexico
By Press Offi ce of Gov. Susana Martinez
SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez
announced April 11 that Maj. Gen. Kenny
Montoya had resigned his position as
Adjutant General of New Mexico. Montoya
has served as the highest offi cer in the
New Mexico National Guard since 2003.
“I appreciate Gen. Montoya’s dedication
and service to New Mexico,” said Martinez.
“For nearly a decade, he has been
a strong leader for the men and women
of the New Mexico National Guard. Gen.
Montoya’s tenure as Adjutant General is a
testament to the unmatched bravery and
commitment demonstrated by New Mexico’s
Soldiers.”
“It has been my sincere honor to serve
as Adjutant General of New Mexico for
the last nine years,” Montoya said. “It was
important for me to have the opportunity to
see so many of our deployed Guardsmen
return safely to New Mexico during the past
15 months. Although I have enjoyed working
with Gov. Martinez, I genuinely believe
that the governor should be free to select
an Adjutant General of her own choosing. I
believe New Mexico’s best days are ahead
of us, and I look forward to serving my
country and my state in a new role.”
Martinez has asked Sen. Bill Payne, a
former rear admiral in the United States
Navy, to head the search for New Mexico’s
next Adjutant General. Air National Guard
Brig. Gen John D. Bledsoe, Jr. will serve as
Acting Adjutant General.
State Command Sgt.
Maj. Kenneth Adair
Protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun – use sunscreen.
The short and long term dangers of overexposure to the
sun can ruin your day and your life. Keep hydrated, drink several
liters of water every day and even more if you are participating in
physical activities like running, hiking or swimming.
In addition, ensure that someone in your family knows
where you are going so if something happens, they know where
to start searching.
The Land of Enchantment is an awesome place and we should
all enjoy outdoor activities with our family and friends. But remember,
there’s one thing we can never replace and that’s the life of an
Airman or Soldier. Safety Always!
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 3

Buhl retires, heads out to his
favorite fi shing hole
By Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
He’s gone fi shing. That is where you will
fi nd Chief Warrant Offi cer 4 Art Buhl these
days after celebrating the completion of a
distinguished military career with family,
friends and fellow Soldiers at a retirement
ceremony held in his honor at the Regional
Training Institute, Santa Fe, followed by a
retirement dinner at the Mountain View
Club, Kirtland Air Force Base, on April 27.
Buhl’s record of selfl ess service spans over
a 32-year career in which he last served as
the state plans and policy offi cer in G-4,
Logistics, with additional duties as the state
fi nancial liability of property loss manager.
Buhl lives and breathes the warrant offi -
cer creed. He always sets a good example
for others to emulate, and his loyalty, integrity
and humbleness will be missed.
“Over the years Chief Buhl has developed
a lot of expertise,” said Brig. Gen. Juan
Griego, Land Component Commander. “His
attitude has always been that of ‘what can
we do to support the troops?’”
“Chief went downrange to Iraq a few
years back with the 515th Combat Support
Sustainment Battalion to provide logistical
support in theater,” Griego said. “That was
an opportunity that Chief did not hesitate
to volunteer for, and he did a super job of
taking care of our Soldiers.”
“Chief Buhl is a true professional who
never had time for silliness; he is all about
taking care of the Soldiers and doing the
mission that we needed to do,” said Col.
Ken Nava, commander of the 515th CSSB
while deployed. “It was an honor serving
with you, Art, and I hope you have the best
retirement.”
Buhl entered military service on Nov. 12,
1980, with Service Battery, 2nd Battalion,
130th Field Artillery, Kansas Army National
Guard, as a 63B wheel vehicle/generator
mechanic. He later transferred to the New
Mexico Army National Guard in September
1983, and was assigned to the RCAT
Detachment, 2nd Battalion (SP), 200th
ADA, where he was a radio operator.
Buhl was selected for the AGR program
March 12, 1984, and was assigned to Bravo
4 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
Battery, 5th Battalion (Roland), 200th ADA
where he worked as a Roland system
mechanic. In 1986 Buhl was reassigned to
HHD, 5th BN (Roland), as a Roland maintenance
instructor.
In December 1986, Buhl was selected
to be a Hawk System Maintenance Technician
with the 7th BN (Hawk) 200th ADA,
and attended the warrant offi cer candidate
course in 1987 at Fort Sill, Okla. Buhl
attended the Hawk Systems maintenance
technician course, later that same year at
Fort Bliss, Texas, and graduated as a warrant
offi cer 1 in September 1988.
Buhl was reassigned to the JFHQ as a
property book offi cer March 1995. He took
over a program that needed much improvement
and turned it into one that ranked
fourth in the nation.
He volunteered for OIF in April 2008
and was assigned to the 515th CSSB as a
supply system technician. The 515th was
deployed to Iraq in July 2009, and redeployed
to home station in May 2010. Buhl
was released from the 515th CSSB in August
2010 and resumed his duties with the JFHQ
as a member of the NMARNG G-4 property
book team and was soon reassigned to his
current position in the G-4.
“Today was the most moving moment in
my life,” said Buhl about being honored for
his career. “I was overwhelmed with the love
and support shown to me by my colleagues
and fellow Soldiers that I have been truly
blessed to work with; and I will remember
this day for the rest of my life.”
Buhl plans to take it easy and build a
few fl y rods and work on the “honey do” list
around the house. He also plans to catch
up on time that he missed while away from
his loving wife, the former Susan Bundrick.
“I can’t tell you enough about all the love
and support she has given me throughout
my career,” Buhl said.
Susan said she will be making the Chief’s
to-do list, which will be lengthy and detailed.
They want to start traveling with a driving
trip to Civil War sites and to visit relatives on
the East Coast. They will also be going on
a cruise to Alaska, which has always been
on Buhl’s wish list. He also plans to do lots
of fi shing.
“How they honored my husband today
was truly overwhelming,” said Susan.
Susan said that when Art was going to
deploy, she thought she would help all the
families and that is how she started family
programs. “I got close to all these Soldiers
and their families. They mean so much to us
that I can’t even put it into words.”
“Susan has done so much for our troops
and our state on the family support side,”
said State Command Sgt. Maj. Ken Adair.
“You have kept families together with your
support, and that’s selfl ess service.”
Buhl said the most memorable moment
of his career happened while serving as the
maintenance offi cer of the fi rst Hawk missile
fi ring. “I am standing behind the wall, and I
see it go off, and she just fl ew. It was classifi
ed as a perfect launch,” said Buhl proudly.
“And without the Soldiers that worked for
me, it would have never come about. I was
just kind of the guider; they knew what to
do. I am honored to have worked with Col.
(Brian) Baca on that.”
Before heading out to his favorite fi shing
hole, Buhl was presented with the Meritorious
Service Medal, New Mexico Distinguished
Service Medal, NGB certifi cate of
service, appreciation letter from former TAG
Maj. Gen Kenny Montoya, and certifi cate
of appreciation from the governor of New
Mexico. He also received a brevet promotion
to the rank of chief warrant offi cer 5.
Reaching the rank of chief warrant offi cer 5
is the culmination point and ultimate goal of
the entire warrant offi cer corps.

New Mexico’s best Soldiers
compete for top titles
Twelve Soldiers from National Guard
units across New Mexico competed for the
titles of Soldier and NCO of the Year March
3-4 in Santa Fe. The winners earn the honor
of representing New Mexico in the regional
competition in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Competitions push individuals to test
their knowledge or physical strength,
but very few contests test a participant in
such a grueling manner as the Soldier of
the Year competition. This challenge pits
the best Soldiers from across the state to
prove they are worthy of representing the
entire New Mexico National Guard in a
regional competition.
Two categories within the competition
identify one Soldier of the Year and one
Noncommissioned Offi cer of the Year.
Spc. John A. Sanchez of the 720th Transportation
Company won the competition
against three other competitors in the
junior enlisted category to clinch the Soldier
of the Year title. Sgt. 1st Class Maurice
Gomez, operations noncommissioned offi -
cer at the 93rd Brigade Troop Command,
bested seven other non-commissioned
offi cers to earn NCO of the Year.
The competition is made up of a series
of challenges where Soldiers compete
against one another within the two groups.
The challenges include a land navigation
course, a four-mile ruck march, an Army
physical fi tness test, a demonstration of
Army knowledge in front of a board of
state sergeants major, plus several other
challenges which test Soldier skills and
knowledge. Most of the events are timed
and take place one right after another over
the course of two days.
Sanchez, the winner of the junior enlisted
category composed of Soldiers in the rank
of specialist and below, is 47 years old and
on his second stint in the National Guard.
Despite his age, he said the most diffi cult
part of the competition was facing the sergeants
major at the board and re-learning
weapons and communications systems.
“They had a sack full of the different
weapons systems with the pieces out in
front of you, and those skills are perishable.
I hadn’t worked with them for over
two years, but I stood there for a bit and
By Spc. John A. Montoya
200th Public Affairs Det.
put them together,” said Sanchez. “We
didn’t even have [radios] or SINGARS
when I was in the last time. We had those
old radios with knobs.”
Sanchez’s sponsor, fellow 720th Soldier,
Sgt. Lee Cuellar, said Sanchez’s age was
no impediment to his success in the competition
and, if anything, it helped him.
“The age and maturity can be a very
positive and strong thing to have,” said
Cuellar.
Cuellar helped Sanchez overcome the
areas in which he was weaker, such as
the board.
Cuellar said, “I knew I had to get him
prepared mentally more than physically,
because he was nervous, not having been
to a board before.”
The winner of the NCO Soldier of the
Year award, Gomez, outperformed the
tough competition by staying in the top
three spots in every event, and even then,
his victory was still narrow, Gomez said. He
said his competitors pushed him to win.
“It takes the best to bring out the best,”
said Gomez.
He also said he had little time to train for
the competition, but his ability to keep his
wits and tap into his accumulated memory
helped him win.
“Experience, being able to remain
naturally calm and downplay everything
helped me out,” said Gomez.
Gomez’s sponsor, Master Sgt. Christopher
Sanchez, the 93rd Brigade’s readiness
noncommissioned offi cer said Gomez’s
experience and knowledge
helped him win.
“The most
important thing
is just time and
experience. You
pick up a lot
of stuff when
you’re around,
at our rank, sergeants major and other
people, so you discuss a lot of things and
pick it up,” said Sanchez.
Overall the competition was close,
especially in the noncommissioned offi -
cer group, and it was also well run and
organized, thanks to the 515th Regional
Training Institute and the Combat Training
Unit, said Command Sgt. Maj. James M.
Rivera, 93rd Brigade command sergeant
major. He also said they would make sure
to set up the Soldiers for success in their
next competition.
“We’re going to give Sgt. 1st Class
Gomez and Spc. Sanchez all the support
and time they need to train up for regionals,
so they can be as mentally and physically
prepared as they need to be,” Rivera said.
Both Soldiers can physically compete
against younger competitors, which gives
the NMNG some trump cards against the
competition in regionals. These cards
come in the form of the Soldier’s wisdom,
knowledge and experience, which can’t
be acquired overnight. Both of these
Soldiers have worked hard to earn, and
rightly deserve the titles of Soldier and
NCO of the Year for the New Mexico
National Guard.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 5

6 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012

NMNG celebrates ribbon cutting of the new Army Aviation Support
Facility with returning Company C, 1-171st Aviation Soldiers
By Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
Soldiers of Company C, 1-171st Aviation celebrated
their offi cial welcome home April 27 in the new Army
Aviation Support Facility at 7001 Huey Road, Santa Fe.
It was only fi tting to host the ribbon cutting ceremony for
the new AASF in conjunction with the Soldiers’ return.
The state-of-the-art facility, which will be the new home
for aviation maintenance and other support elements,
will also serve as a temporary home for the returning
unit while the old AASF is transformed into their new
readiness center.
The new $37 million facility, which features a
77,000-square-foot hangar with an additional 15,000
square feet of cold storage, broke ground in August
2010 and was completed in March 2012, just in time for
Company C’s return.
Capt. Wilbert Archuleta, who served as the project
manager for the Army National Guard, was the liaison
between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the contractor and
National Guard Bureau. “We made sure the government was
getting the best product and the best price for their dollars,”
Archuleta said.
The AASF, which achieved a silver rating for Leadership in
Energy and Environment Design from the U.S. Green Building
Council, is positioned to qualify for a gold rating. The LEED gold
rating will take six weeks to validate the data and certify. A gold
rating signifi es that a building has more systems that are more
energy effi cient and provide cost savings for electricity, gas, and
water usage.
The systems in place are high tech and are above and beyond
the standards for an LEED silver building. Some of the LEED gold
features of the facility include the use of recycled materials and
motion sensors for light and temperature controls in individual
offi ces to use less energy. For example, light sensors may be
programmed to shut off fi ve minutes after somebody walks out
of the room and will turn back on when it senses motion again in
the offi ce.
Light fi xtures are T-8s instead of the T-12s normally found in
buildings. There is also a DDC smart control system with sensors
that read the outside light coming in and adjusts the light and
temperature inside the room to keep it at the optimal regulated
temperature.
Recycled materials found in the steel, concrete, masonry, ceiling
tiles and other materials were used to construct the facility. The
fl oors are polished concrete which contain recycled materials and
help keep the building cooler. The insulation on the walls is also
thicker than usual.
The facility also features a concrete apron (fl ight line) with an
expected life cycle of 50 to 60 years. The project was originally
postured for asphalt, but through foresight and planning, an “additional
bid item” for concrete was approved in the base bid. More
than 455,000 square feet of concrete was used in the project.
Other great features of the AASF include a storm water pond,
high tech surveillance in and outside of the building, a new guard
house with monitoring cameras, and a sophisticated high expansion
foam system for fi re suppression in the hangar area. The
hangar features 60-foot, hydraulic-driven mega doors.
“It was a great team that put all this together,” said Archuleta.
“The project would not have come to fruition without the Corps
of Engineers, PCL Construction, our Aviators, the Department
of Military Affairs, CFMO staff, Facilities Maintenance, National
Guard Bureau and the subsidiaries like the City of Santa Fe
Water Department, Construction Industries, PNM, and all the
subcontractors.”
According to Archuleta, 75 to 80 percent of the subcontractors
were from New Mexico, and they did great quality work while
keeping local people employed and helping the local economy.
The end result is for the user. The facility gives the Aviators the
ability to do maintenance inside, out of the elements, which really
helps protect the aircraft and prolong the life of the Black Hawks.
Cold Storage can house up to three Black Hawks and the main
hangar can hold up to four Black Hawks and one C 12.
Additionally, in case of emergencies, personnel can stage out
of that building with all its tremendous capabilities. It has a 500,000
KVA back-up generator that can power the building for quite some
time if we are faced with a power loss from the grid.
There is also a 12,000-gallon above-ground storage tank for
JP8 fuel for the aircraft. You never know when we will have such
an emergency, said Archuleta, but we have that backup and don’t
have to count on anyone else. “We have our own power and our
own fuel to be sustainable for quite some time.”
The new readiness center work began June 1st and will be
a total renovation of the hangar and the actual building itself,
according to Dan Selph, CFMO master planner.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 7

Fishburn promoted to colonel, earns eagle wings to go with his aviation wings
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt, Public Affairs NCO
Family, friends, fellow Soldiers and Airmen gathered at the
Regional Training Institute in Santa Fe to witness Lt. Col. John Fishburn’s
promotion to the rank of colonel. Fishburn was pinned by
his wife Lara, his mother Wanda, son Steven and nephew Daniel.
“I never saw this day coming. Yet now I’m surrounded by so many
friends and my family celebrating the occasion,” Fishburn said.
Maj. Gen. Kenny Montoya praised Fishburn and offered words
of encouragement. “John, you have done such an awesome job
in your position for so long, and I feel that not many others could
have done as well as you. You’ve been part of assuring that in
the past 31 years, aviation has been accident free, and we all can
say thank you for that.”
Montoya told Fishburn that he has defi nitely treated the organization
as if it were his very own family, which we all know he holds
high above all. “Both families will always be here for you, as you’ve
been for them,” said Montoya.
Montoya also thanked Fishburn’s mother and family for keeping
him humble and low to the ground all this time.
A humble Fishburn was quick to pass on the praise to his crew.
“I have the best pilots, crew chiefs, mechanics and personnel
– better than anyone could ask for,” said Fishburn. “I know that
every single one of them is more than capable in their position of
assignment, and with the return of Charlie Company, my aviation
By Spc. John A. Montoya, Photojournalist, 200th Public Affairs Detachment
Thomas Womble, an offi cer with over 31 years in
the Army and the National Guard, was promoted to the
rank of colonel on March 4 at the headquarters complex
in Santa Fe. Womble has been an offi cer since
1991 and before that he was an enlisted Soldier.
He is currently the Training Center Manager in Santa
Fe as well as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Property
and Fiscal Offi ce in Santa Fe. Some of the highlights
of Womble’s career include participating in Operation
Jump Start, Operation Clear Skies and most recently
as Kosovo Forces 14’s chief of staff.
Womble conducts himself with professionalism and
is well respected by his senior offi cers, peers and Soldiers
who have worked under him.
“He’s a very sincere person to work with, he’s
honest in his actions, truthful in his words and he commands
respect from those around him,” said Spc. Jude
Gabaldon, a Soldier with 126th Military Police Company.
Gabaldon was Womble’s driver and assistant in Kosovo.
“He’s an amazing example of what an offi cer should be.”
Brig. Gen. Juan L. Griego, New Mexico National Guard Land
Forces Commander, said, “This promotion today recognizes his
8 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
family keeps getting stronger and stronger, and full of honor.”
Fishburn thanked his leadership for showing him the correct path
and always ensuring that he was taught to choose the “hard right”
and never the “easy wrong.” He also thanked them for trusting in
him with this new rank and having the faith in his capabilities.
“The best part about being one of the old timers is that now I get
to share and give all of my information and experience to the next
generation,” Fishburn said. “Being the state aviation and safety
offi cer is just half of the title; the rest is making sure that I give back
everything I can to a family that has given me so much.”
Womble, Former KFOR Chief of Staff, earns Full Bird Rank
contribution to the organization and more importantly that he’ll
continue towards bigger and better things to make the New Mexico
National Guard even better.”

Nava earns promotion to colonel, takes over G3
By Joseph Vigil, Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
Family, friends and fellow Soldiers
packed the Regional Training Institute
in Santa Fe to witness the promotion
and pinning of Col. Kenneth
Nava on Sunday, May 7. Nava was
pinned by his wife Dawn, son Aaron
and daughter Ariana.
“It is important to me that this
happened on drill weekend so that
my family as well as my friends and
Guard family – my brothers and
sisters of the New Mexico National
Guard – could be here,” said Nava.
Bataan veteran Ernest Montoya
was also present. “Ernest is my
battle buddy from the 515th and
every chance I get, I like to spend
some time with him,” Nava said.
“It’s amazing how much I can glean
from a 15-minute conversation with
him about things that are pertinent
to us right now.”
Brig. Gen. Paul Pena said that
the future of the organization is in
good hands along with the legacy of our
Bataan heritage. “Ken has earned the rank
through his sacrifi ces, performing tough
jobs during the last few years while we
have been at war. So wear it proudly, Ken,”
said Pena.
“I am really proud of the things you
have accomplished, especially your battalion
command in Iraq where you served a
yearlong combat tour that we are all proud
of,” said Brig. Gen. John D. Bledsoe, Jr.,
the Adjutant General.
Bledsoe went on to thank the Nava
family for the support they have shown Ken
throughout his career. “The tour he did over
there was not an easy one for you, and you
certainly paid the price,” said Bledsoe.
Nava gave great thanks to his wife
Dawn and family for their sacrifi ces and
loving support. He also told his friends and
family members how much he appreciated
them helping Dawn and the children with
things around the Nava home while he was
deployed.
Nava thanked the leadership of the New
Mexico National Guard for their trust and
the opportunity to serve the organization
at this level.
“Most of all, I would like to thank the
Soldiers, the bunch that deployed with me,
the bunch that I have served with, served
for, and served alongside, “said Nava.
“This promotion is because of the work
you have done and helped accomplish
during my career.”
With the new rank comes new responsibility.
Nava will lead the G3 Plans and Training
staff and says he is looking forward to
serving the organization at this level. “I am
here to serve the organization, so whatever
it is you need from me, you will get 100
percent.”
Nava said that when he started his
career, he never had aspirations to get to
where he is right now. “My aspirations were
to get to where my Grandpa Nava was, a
lieutenant colonel.”
Nava joined the military as an 18-yearold
at the invitation of his grandfather. He
was a retired Guardsman who took the
younger Nava down to the recruiter and
thought it would be something good. “As
I went to my basic, AIT and offi cer candidate
school, I found I really had a knack
for it, and it was something I was called
to do.”
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Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 9

New Mexico employers honored at the
2012 Employer Support Freedom Awards;
three fi nalists chosen to represent state at national level
By Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
New Mexico Employer Support of
the Guard and Reserve honored all its
employers and selected three employers
to represent New Mexico in national
competition this summer at the 2012
Secretary of Defense Employer Support
Freedom Awards. Sandia National
Laboratories, New Mexico State Police
and Don Gorman Electric were named
fi nalists in the large, public sector, and
small employer categories respectively
at a ceremony April 19, 2012, at the
New Mexico National Guard Wyoming
Armory in Albuquerque.
The Freedom Award is the Department
of Defense’s highest recognition
for employers supporting members of
the Guard and Reserve.
“It is truly unique to recognize those
who employ and support courageous
men and women in uniform who protect
our country and the freedoms
we hold dear,” said New Mexico Gov.
Susana Martinez. “As civilian employers,
these nominees have gone above
and beyond what is required by law
and serve as an example for all of us
to follow.”
Statewide, 27 New Mexico Guard
and Reserve members nominated
employers who were honored at the
ceremony for their support for the Guard
and Reserves. Nationally, the Department
of Defense agency received
3,236 nominations.
Guard and Reserve members, or
family members acting on their behalf,
nominated their civilian employers for
the Freedom Award during the 12-week
nomination season. Guard and Reserve
members, who stand ready to serve whenever
our nation needs them, often put their
civilian lives on hold when they answer the
call to duty. Supportive employers provide
a tremendous amount of stability and
peace of mind to these citizen warriors and
their families, enabling them to continue
their dedicated service to our country.
10 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
“Guardsmen and Reservists continue
to receive outstanding support from their
employers,” said ESGR national chair
James G. Rebholz. “America’s employers
have not wavered in their commitment to
these citizen warriors.”
“Guardsmen and Reservists are out
doing things that matter for our freedoms,
and they are also there when disaster
strikes,” said Albuquerque Mayor Richard
Berry. “They are there when someone
needs a hand, and we see every story
after story after story about something
that makes America great which is tied
to the Guard and Reserves.”
Berry thanked employers for their
support of those who wear the uniform
and their families. “This democracy
thing is a team sport, and it takes all of
us working together,” he said.
Almost one-half of the U.S. Military is
composed of the Guard and Reserve,
and while most employers proudly
support their military employees, Freedom
Award recipients go above and
beyond what is required by law. Last
year’s recipients were nominated for
superior acts of support including driving
a deployed employee’s children to
school, replacing a military employee’s
broken family refrigerator while he was
serving abroad, and working overtime to
cover a service member’s shifts so he
could take part in military training.
“I was truly touched by some of these
selfl ess actions that were performed by
individuals in these companies, often
sacrifi cing their personal lives in order to
make the extra effort that is often needed
when a family member or friend is away
on duty,” said Governor Martinez.
“We have a great group of professionals
that can operate at half the cost
and do the job as well or better; but we
could not exist without our employers,
from the small mom and pops to our
large employers,” said Brig. Gen. John
D. Bledsoe, Jr., Adjutant General of the
New Mexico National Guard. “We realize
that training and drill weekends put stress
on you as business people running your
organizations and we understand how hard
it is, so we thank you for your patience with
our Guardsmen and Reservists.”
The Freedom Award was instituted in
1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize
exceptional support from the employer
community. In the years since, 160 employers
have been honored with the award.

NMNG Soldier, NCO sweep
1st Theater Sustainment Command Soldier and NCO of the year
By Staff Sgt. Suzanna Y. Dominguez, 1-200th Infantry Battalion
After a grueling three-day competition that challenged Soldiers’ institutional
knowledge and physical fi tness, two New Mexico National Guard
Soldiers were declared the best of the best. Spc. Bryan Haworth and Staff
Sgt. Jeremy Jackson, both members of the 1-200th Infantry Battalion,
were named the 1st Theater Sustainment Command Soldier and Noncommissioned
Offi cer of the Year during an awards presentation April 27,
2012, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
“I’m incredibly proud of the dedication they put into studying and
training,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Rich Greene, Task Force Sinai Command
sergeant major. “They represented Task Force Sinai and the
1-200th incredibly well.”
The competitors were measured against their peers in the desert surrounding
Camp Buehring, Kuwait. They competed in nine events that
tested their knowledge and ability to perform a broad range of Army
skills, including physical fi tness, land navigation, M-16 and M-9 weapons
qualifi cations, 10-mile ruck march, IED detection, CBRN (chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear) testing, fi rst aid, building clearance
and a formal appearance board in which they were individually evaluated
by a panel of sergeants major.
Both Soldiers agreed that the most challenging part of the competition
was the appearance board.
“There were a lot of questions and pressure,” said Haworth.
“It was hard doing it after all the physical activities,” added Jackson.
The board was held on the fi rst day of the competition to test their
general knowledge, along with an APFT and ruck march to test the
competitors’ physical fi tness. Both NMNG Soldiers dominated the ruck
march, fi nishing fi rst and second overall; and despite their apprehension,
they outperformed their peers during the board.
Greene said the other competitors and spectators seemed to be in
awe of Jackson and Haworth’s performance throughout the day.
Day two of the competition tested the competitors’ “Soldier skills,”
encompassing land navigation and weapons qualifi cation.
“For the weapons qualifi cation, we used an M-16 with iron sights
instead of the M-4, which has been my usual assigned weapon. It was a
nice change of pace for me,” said Haworth.
The third and fi nal day of the competition evaluated the Soldiers on
how well they lead in real life scenarios such as a chemical attack, medical
emergencies and urban operations.
“They trained hard, performed well and made those of us that were
watching very proud,” said Greene.
Both Soldiers will travel back to Kuwait to compete in the Army Central
Command Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition.
“I am excited for the next board,” said Jackson. “If someone is
going to beat me, they are going to have to beat me. I’m not going to
give it away.”
Haworth and Jackson are currently deployed in support of the Multinational
Force and Observers mission in Sinai, Egypt. This 30-year-old
mission was created to supervise the implementation of the security
provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and to employ best
efforts to prevent any violation of its terms.
Sgt. Jeremy Jackson,
1-200th Infantry Battalion
Spc. Bryan Haworth,
1-200th Infantry Battalion
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 11

12 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012

Enlisted Association of the
New Mexico National Guard
holds state conference, elects new president
By Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Mallary
HHC, 111th MEB, NMNG
The Enlisted Association of the New
Mexico National Guard held its 39th annual
state conference April 20-21 at Kirtland Air
Force Base. During the general meeting,
Senior Master Sgt. James Gorman was
elected as state president. Gorman, who
was vice president, succeeded Senior
Master Sgt. Gerard Garcia, who declined to
run for a second term. Retired Army Guard
Master Sgt. Theresa Victor, a past state
president, was elected treasurer to replace
Air Guard Master Sgt. Vanessa Rios.
The 101 voting members present also
elected Staff Sgt. Tony Olmos and Sgt.
DeAndre Smith, both Army Guard members,
as delegates to the national convention
of the Enlisted Association of the
National Guard of the United States. The
national conference is scheduled to be
held Aug. 26-29 in Long Beach, Calif.
Families, force structure, leadership
changes and the relevance of the enlisted
association were common themes among
speakers.
“Your family is important,” said Col.
Timothy Paul, acting deputy adjutant general
(Army). “Take care of your family. Take
care of your Soldiers’ families.”
Addressing Maj. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya’s
recent resignation as the Adjutant
General of New Mexico, Paul told the
audience that the Guard will persevere.
“We know who we are. We know our standards,”
he said.
Col. Andrew Salas, acting assistant
adjutant general (Air), also stressed the
need for family care as well as fl exibility
for all Guard members, including the Air
Guard as it transitions from a fi ghter wing
into multiple roles. “Your duties in uniform
to the citizens of New Mexico and the
United States are more critical than ever,”
said Salas. “It takes everybody. It takes
enlisted, offi cers, and spouses.”
As the New Mexico National Guard
awaits new leadership and braces for possible
reductions in force structure, both
the green and blue sides of the room
are enjoying substantial manning and
missions right now. “Our numbers are at a
four-year high,” said State Command Sgt.
Major Kenneth Adair of the Army Guard.
“Soldiers are staying in boots.”
Despite the loss of the fi ghter wing,
State Command Chief Master Sgt. Thomas
Sanchez said that the Air Guard is adapting
to new roles in intelligence, special
operations, and construction while assuming
responsibilities formerly held by activeduty
counterparts. “We used to be just in
the 150th (Tactical Fighter Wing) area. Now
we start in the 150th area and go all the
way to Carlisle (Boulevard). We’re doing
some fantastic things,” said Sanchez.
Sgt. Maj. Abel Villesca, the Army Guard’s
operations sergeant major, illustrated the
importance of the association to the future
of the Guard. Villesca explained that the
Army is considering scrapping the current
Army Force Generation model and returning
to a three-tiered pooling system for its
units. Should the Guard be relegated to the
sustainment pool, Villesca warned, funding
and equipment will dwindle. He proposed
that the legislative arm of the enlisted
association lobby Congress in favor of
ARFORGEN, which “keeps Guard units in
the rotation and gets resources to us.”
As talk of an impending drawdown continues,
Secretary Timothy Hale told attendees
at the evening banquet that his state
Department of Veterans’ Services staff will
focus on helping create job opportunities
for affected veterans between ages of 19 to
31 (the most vulnerable). Hale said that the
department will also assist entrepreneurial
veterans to work for themselves.
The location for next year’s conference
– as well as the hosting unit – has yet to be
determined.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 13

USBATT, COLBATT complete level 1
combatives certifi cation
Story and photos by Sgt. Eric J. Martinez, journalist, 1-200th Infantry Battalion
The United States Battalion Soldiers
have been participating in U.S. Army level 1
combatives training since arriving at South
Camp in support of the Multinational Force
and Observers mission in Sinai, Egypt.
Seven Colombian Battalion soldiers joined
the 1-200th Infantry Battalion Soldiers
during their certifi cation course May 7-10,
2012, at Herb’s Gym on South Camp.
As a part of the 40-hour block of
instruction, participants learn and are
tested on basic takedowns, positioning
and submissions.
“The class is an introduction to the
basic fi ghting style of the Modern Army
Combatives program,” said Staff Sgt. Luke
Triviz, medic, 1-200th Infantry Battalion.
“It teaches them how to win at hand-tohand
combat, how to close the distance
between themselves and the enemy, and
how to safely train to maintain an understanding
of these principles.”
Triviz, a combatives level 4 certifi ed
instructor worked with a level 2 qualifi ed
instructor, Spc. Arturo Cobos, infantryman,
Company A., 1-200th Infantry Battalion, to
translate his instructions into Spanish so
the COLBATT Soldiers could better understand
the techniques.
“With Staff Sergeant Triviz’s knowledge
of the course, all I had to do was translate
what he was showing them. Our Spanish
dialects are very similar and everything
translated very clear to them,” said Cobos.
“Cobos didn’t just translate, he knew
and understood all of the moves,” said
1st Cpl. Marco Garcia, operations noncommissioned
offi cer, COLBATT 96. “It
would have been very diffi cult if we had a
COLBATT translator that hadn’t taken the
course before.”
Whether the COLBATT soldiers were
practicing clenches or perfecting throws
and arm bars from the mount or guard,
the one thing that wore the class out was
the muscle memory and conditioning
warm-up drills.
“They were concerned about their sore
14 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
necks,” said Cobos. “Most of the warmup
and strengthening moves in the class
are intended to build muscle memory in
your core or strengthen weaker muscles
like the neck.”
“The class was only four days long, but
it was very hard physically,” said Garcia.
“We were sore, and it was demanding,
but we all volunteered for the course and
could not pay attention to the pain.”
Cobos said the COLBATT soldiers had
never trained as extensively in close quarters
combat prior to taking the course. It
was a completely new training experience
for them.
“From what they learned in the class,
they should be able to implement the
techniques into training that will help the
other Colombian soldiers learn as well,”
said Triviz.
“In Colombia, it is very diffi cult to take
these kind of courses,” said Garcia. “We
focus on squad level tactics and other
more traditional combat training.”
Everyone involved expressed greatly
that they would like to see cross-contingent
training like this in the future.
“We were glad to share our training
with the Colombian soldiers. In the future,
hopefully they can share some of their
training with us as well,” said Cobos. “It
was a very exciting experience for them,
and they learned a lot.”
“It is very important that we continue to
conduct training of this type; it strengthened
the relationship between USBATT
and COLBATT,” said Garcia.
At the end of the course, the students
were asked by Triviz and Cobos to perform
and verbalize the drills that they had
learned throughout the four days. They
had to show an understanding of the
moves to gain their certifi cation.
“We all took the test to prove we knew
the moves and techniques taught to us,”
said Garcia. “I feel confi dent that we can
share what we learned with our battalion
and continue to train.”
The 1-200th Infantry Battalion is currently
deployed as part of MFO 56, a
30-year-old mission, and is aiming to
achieve 80 percent combatives level 1
qualifi cation throughout the battalion
before redeployment.

150th Security Forces Squadron
Team takes TAG Challenge crown
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt, Public Affairs NCO
The New Mexico National Guard held
the Spring TAG Challenge at Kirtland Air
Force Base’s 150th Fighter Wing, Albuquerque,
on Sunday, April 15, 2012. Teams
of Soldiers and Airmen from throughout the
state participated in a day fi lled with physical
fi tness and endurance competition.
The 150th Security Forces Squadron
Team 1 used their home fi eld advantage
and placed fi rst in two out of three events
to secure the TAG Challenge crown. The
Army Guard’s 515th Regiment, Regional
Training Institute, followed in second place,
and Joint Forces Headquarters took third.
State Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Adair
and State Command Chief Master Sgt.
Thomas Sanchez presented the awards.
This TAG Challenge incorporated a
couple of new standards. Each team is
now required to have a minimum of six
participants and a minimum of one female
participant per team.
The standard Army Physical Fitness
Test kicked off the Challenge events with
a brisk start at 8 a.m. All participants
performed the Army physical fi tness test in
ACUs/ABUs and running shoes. The pushup
and sit-up events were held in the 150th
Fighter Wing hangar. Staff Sgt. Josephine
Montoya from Team A, 515th Combat Service
Support Battalion, took 1st place for
the female individual APFT with a score of
353. The men’s 1st place individual award
was earned by 1st Sgt. Mark Musgrave,
Joint Forces Headquarters, with an APFT
score of 351. The 126th Military Police
Company won the team event with an
APFT average score of 293. JFHQ fi nished
second with an average of 292.
The 5K ruck march event immediately
followed the APFT. The rucksacks were initially
weighed to verify the standard weight
of 35 pounds. Teams were informed that
this was a timed team event where teams’
times are dependent on the last individual
crossing the fi nish line. This event was
anticipated with mixed feelings from some
competitors for many reasons, one being
the march being so short that this event
would be more of a “ruck run” so that
whichever team could run the entire 5 kilometers
would be the victor. Additionally,
not every individual had to carry their rucksack
the entire time. Team members could
cross-load among themselves during the
event as long as they started and fi nished
the event with their prescribed rucksack.
Many teams started at a jog with team
members yelling directions and motivating
one another to start strong so they could
fi nish strong. A mere 30 minutes later, the
teams were already reappearing, and the
lead teams were very apparent. The 150th
Security Forces Team 1 fi nished fi rst with a
time of 33:01 shortly followed by the 515th
RTI and the 515th CSSB Team A.
The last event was a rigorous team
relay race. Orange cones spaced 100
meters apart were set on an empty dirt lot
where members from every team would
face a dash with an assortment of different
military equipment while using body
armor as a baton to begin and end each
member’s turn.
“Missing prairie dog holes while moving
through soft dirt with a 40-pound water
can in each hand, while wearing individual
body armor and sprinting is no easy task,”
said Sgt. Joseph Alfaro from the Medical
Detachment team.
The relay held a surprise for most where
“times should have been tracked to the
tenth of a second rather than the second,”
explained Command Sgt. Maj. Abel Villesca
later in the award ceremony since
there were two ties in two separate places
for this event. The dominant 150th Security
Forces Team 1 earned their second fi rst
place fi nish of the day as they tied with
Company A, 1-200th Infantry, in this event
with a blazing time of 2:42. The 150th
Security Forces Team 2 fi nished second
with a time of 2:48, followed by the second
tie for third place between JFHQ and 515th
Battalion Team 1, with a time of 2:56.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 15

New Mexico National Guard medevac
Soldiers return home after yearlong
deployment in Afghanistan
Story and photos by Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
SANTA FE – “The best part about going
off to war is coming home.” Those are the
words of Lt. Col. Christopher Holland, commander
of Company C, 1-171st Aviation
Regiment, as he addressed family, friends
and fellow Soldiers, who packed into the new
Army Aviation Support Facility to welcome
home and honor the Soldiers of Company
C, who returned from a yearlong deployment
in Afghanistan April 27. The Yellow
Ribbon ceremony was held in conjunction
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new
Army Aviation Support Facility. The facility,
which will be the new home for Aviation
Maintenance and other support elements,
will also serve as a temporary home for the
returning unit while the old AASF is transformed
into their new readiness center.
16 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
The day was dedicated to paying tribute
to the men and women who did an amazing
job in combat and also recognized the
great sacrifi ce that the deployed Soldiers’
families had to endure. “The families are
truly the heroes of this deployment; the
accomplishments of the unit could not
have been possible without their selfl ess
support. They are the reason all of us can
do our jobs,” said Maj. Daniel Purcell, who
served as master of ceremonies.
Company C Soldiers fi rst arrived back
in the U.S. at Fort Hood, Texas, in the early
hours of April 19. They were welcomed
home there by senior leadership of the
New Mexico National Guard and spent a
few days there demobilizing.
The Soldiers touched down on their
native New Mexico soil on the morning
of April 25, where they were greeted with
cheers of joy and hugs from their families,
friends, fellow Soldiers and well wishers at
Cutter Aviation, Albuquerque.
Charlie Company, a medical evacuation
unit who fl ies UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters
to transport injured personnel from
the site of injury to higher levels of medical
care, was activated for active duty service
on April 21, 2011. The unit transported
fellow Soldiers, Marines, allied forces and
injured civilians in need of medical attention
in Afghanistan. They fl ew 1,452 medevac
missions, transported more than 1,800
patients off the battlefi eld, logged more
than 4,000 fl ight hours and maintained
17 Black Hawks during their tenure in

Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Brig. Gen. John D. Bledsoe, Jr.,
Adjutant General, remarked about how
humbling it is to stand in front of these
warriors. “It takes great courage to fl y
and to crew one of these machines in
combat and do the job you need to do to
save lives of fellow combatants under hostile
conditions,” said Bledsoe. “You have
no idea the amount of courage, training
and tenacity it takes to do this job, and I
have the utmost respect and admiration
for what you have done.”
While the unit experienced many challenges
and enjoyed many successes, they
also experienced the loss of one fellow Soldier,
Sgt. Pernell Herrera, who passed away
due to a heart attack in Helmand Province
on Dec. 31, 2011. Herrera was honored
along with his family at the ceremony. “I am
sure I speak for every member of Charlie
Company when I say that it was an honor
and a privilege to serve with Pernell,” said
Holland to the Herrera family.
Charlie Company joined with two
detachments from Minnesota and Arizona
and trained hard at Fort Hood. Of the
109 Soldiers, 65 were from New Mexico,
21 from Minnesota and 23 from Arizona.
They were validated for their mission
in less than two months and arrived in
Afghanistan June 24, 2011. Their mission
was complex and involved a
total team effort to be successful.
Crew chiefs, fl ight operations
personnel, fl ight medics,
supply and admin personnel,
and the pilots went beyond the call of duty
to save lives on the battlefi eld every day.
According to Holland, they were split
up into fi ve forward support medical platoons
with three helicopters assigned to
each platoon. They picked up two more
helicopters when they got to Afghanistan,
where they found themselves in Helmand
Province in the southwestern part of the
country. They began combat medevac
operations immediately. Most of the forces
there are U.S. Marines and British. Charlie
Company was the only U.S. Army Aviation
unit in Helmand Province, but they quickly
found that the Marines and Brits appreciated
what they did for them.
Helmand Province, a vast desert with a
river running through the middle of it, produces
more opium than any other place on
earth. The opium funds the Taliban insurgency.
It is a Taliban stronghold, and that
meant Charlie Company was going to be
busy. They knew before they left they were
going to a dangerous place.
“Last summer at Fort Hood, I told the
Soldiers that we were about to become the
tip of the spear of Army medevac,” said
Holland. “And we were the tip. Of the two
dozen or so medevac companies in the
Active Army and National Guard, none fl ew
more missions or combat missions than
we fl ew during those 10 months.”
The 1,452 medevac missions, averaging
about fi ve missions per day, didn’t
come in even intervals. Some days they
fl ew 15 missions; other days, none. More
than 50 percent were classifi ed as urgent,
requiring them to launch and be wheels up
in the air within 15 minutes of getting the
call, plus needing to deliver the patient to
a fi eld hospital within one hour of receiving
the call. These standards applied to every
mission they fl ew at every location regardless
of time of day or night the mission
came down. “We met that standard 99.9
percent of the time,” said Holland. “While it
seemed like we were always shorthanded,
everyone pulled their weight.”
They also fl ew hundreds of other missions
for internal logistics, resupply and
training.
The 4,000 hours of fl ight time also represented
a lot of helicopter maintenance.
Typically four manhours of maintenance
are needed for every hour of fl ight time,
equating to roughly 16,000 hours of maintenance.
Under normal conditions, Charlie
Company maintenance would fall under
a battalion maintenance company known
there as Delta Company, but because of
where Charlie Company was assigned,
the crew chiefs had no support from Delta
Company, so the unit had to complete
all maintenance itself throughout their
deployment. The maintenance performed
by this unit is unparallel for any aviation
organization.
“I knew that helicopter maintenance was
going to make us or break us,” said Holland.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 17

“I had some concerns because we had
about 25 less mechanics than we expected
to have. We were geographically isolated
from our maintenance support company by
about 80 miles. This meant we needed to be
a lot more self-suffi cient than the other fl ight
companies in our battalion, most of which
were co-located with the maintenance support
company.”
Aircraft maintenance turned out to be a
big success story. They always had enough
helicopters to maintain all the lines of
medevac coverage that they were required
to maintain at the four different locations.
“This was primarily due to the tireless
efforts and skills of our helicopter crew
chiefs and our maintenance supervisors,”
said Holland. “When people ask me what
was the key to our success, I tell them
NCOs made it happen.”
That success also led to Sgt. Clifford
Aughe being named the Army Aviation
Association of America NCO of the Year for
2011.
The communications and fl ight operations
specialists monitored the radios and
computers and alerted the medevac crews
when it was time to launch a mission.
Charlie Comapny ran medevac operations
24 hours a day, seven days a week, with
no breaks for 10 months. Holland said the
“ops and commo” specialists had to be,
and were, on their game every second
of every day. They safely and fl awlessly
launched more than 2,000 fl ight missions,
including the 1,452 medevac missions.
Low visibility, high winds, low illumination
at night, unimproved landing sites and
enemy fi re made fl ight conditions extremely
dangerous for the pilots. In many cases,
the fi rst time a pilot saw a particular landing
site was when that pilot was on approach
to landing at night with no moonlight. But
the greatest fl ight hazard was the blowing
talcum-powdery, moon-like dust. The
dust was so fi ne the helicopter rotor wash
turned it into a huge dust cloud that made it
very diffi cult, sometimes impossible, to see
the ground or anything else outside the
cockpit. This was especially problematic
during the last seconds on an approach
to landing, the most critical time in any
fl ight. Such “brown-out” conditions were
very hazardous, but over time, the crews
became quite skilled at taking off and landing
in the thick, blowing dust. The crews
18 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
earned a reputation with the
Marines for their fl ying skills
and their commitment to the
wounded men and women on
the ground. Charlie Company
air crews always navigated
the helicopters to the landing
site and always lifted the
patient out and back to the
medical treatment facility.
The fl ight medics are the
fi rst responders who provide
in-fl ight medical treatment to
the wounded Marines in the
back of the helicopters. Many of the missions
involved gunshot wounds, blast injuries,
amputations, and sometimes multiple
amputations. More than anyone else, fl ight
medics saw the ugliness of war, experienced
the horror of war up close and personal,
day-in and day-out and for months
on end. “I wish I could tell you that we never
lost a patient, but what I can tell you is that
those fl ight medics gave 100 percent to the
patients they treated,” Holland said. “They
gave the absolute best medical care possible
under the circumstances.”
Holland described a medevac mission in
which the aircrew picked up a Marine who
had been impaled in the upper thigh and
torso by an unexploded, rocket-propelled
grenade. That crew, pilots Capt. Kevin
Doo and Chief Warrant Offi cer 2 Jeffery
Paulson, crew chief Sgt. Robert Hardisty;
and fl ight medic Spc. Mark Edens, initially
thought they were there to rescue a 3-yearold
Afghan girl who had suffered a gunshot
wound. After landing, the landing zone
controller came over the radio with a loud,
frantic voice, “the patient has unintelligible
unexploded ordnance!” The patient was no
longer the girl, but the Marine who had a
rocket propelled grenade embedded in his
leg extending to his lower abdomen. They
could have refused the mission at that
point; it wasn’t the mission that they were
called in for. “No one, myself included,
would have faulted them for refusing to
bring the Marine with an unexploded grenade
in his leg and torso on board that
helicopter,” said Holland.
The crew took a quick vote among themselves,
and everyone immediately agreed
that they were going to take the Marine on
board. In doing so, they risked their own
lives. If that grenade had detonated in fl ight,
then almost certainly the crew and the aircraft
would have been lost. Holland later spoke
with the nurse who treated the Marine at the
medical treatment facility; he said there was
no doubt in his mind that the Marine would
have not survived had the aircrew decided
not to take him on the helicopter.
On another mission, one of the medics,
Sgt. Heath Petty, was lowered by a hoist
from a helicopter into a minefi eld where
two mines had detonated that very day, so
the helicopter was unable to land. Staff Sgt.
Jason Bowen, hoist operator, lowered Petty
into the minefi eld on two separate occasions
that day. On the ground, Petty treated
the two wounded Marines who were then
hoisted into the helicopter and evacuated.
Both of those Marines had lost limbs, and
their injuries were such that they couldn’t
wait for mine clearing vehicles to clear a
path into that minefi eld. The actions of the
Charlie Company crew that day probably
saved the lives of both Marines.
The missions described are only two
of the 1,452 medevac missions that were
executed by the unit. There are many more
missions demonstrating the Soldiers’ professionalism,
skill and valor.
“The U.S. Army teaches its Soldiers at
basic training not to leave a fallen comrade
on the battlefi eld, and that’s the commitment
the Army makes to its Soldiers,” Holland
said. “The Marine Corps makes the
same commitment to its Marines. That’s
also a solemn promise that we made when
we came to Helmand Province 10 months
ago. We kept that promise.”
Holland and 1st Sgt. Charles Bouyer
untied and removed the yellow ribbon to
symbolize the Soldiers coming home to
their loved ones. Mission complete! Charlie
Company, your duty is done.

Bataan veterans honored on
70th anniversary of surrender
By Spc. John A. Montoya, 200th Public Affairs Detachment
Photos by Joseph Vigil, Public Affairs Specialist
On April 9, 70 years after the U.S. ordered the surrender of
American Soldiers fi ghting on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines,
Guardsmen and members of the public attended an annual
ceremony in Santa Fe honoring the Bataan veterans. Eight Bataan
veterans were present, and several family members were also in
attendance to represent their loved ones who served in Bataan.
The Governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, was present
and spoke to each of the veterans thanking them for their service.
As Martinez addressed the audience, she described the horrors
New Mexico Guardsmen in the 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery
battalions suffered under the hands of their Japanese tormentors.
“Following the fall of the Bataan Peninsula, on April 9, 1942, the
U.S. ordered the surrender to the Japanese, and instantly more
than 75,000 U.S. and Philippine Soldiers became prisoners of
war,” said Martinez. “The POWs were forced to make a 65-mile
trek with no food or water to confi nement camps throughout the
Philippines. Thirsty and exhausted, those who attempted to steal
a sip of water from roadside streams or collapsed along the way
were killed on the spot by their Japanese captors.”
Lt. Col. Tony Leal, commander of the 515th Combat Sustainment
Support Battalion, presented the governor with a plaque for
her part in honoring the veterans.
“I remember asking you to please touch our fl ag, before you
went into our [tactical operations center],” said Leal of previously
meeting the governor, and you asked, “Why do you want me to
touch your fl ag?”
“That fl ag represents the Battling Bastards of Bataan, our
legacy,” said Leal. With a big smile on her face,
Martinez said, ‘I want to know all about it.’”
The fl ag of surrender was also fl own over the
Bataan monument in Santa Fe during the ceremony.
The monument was built at Logan Heights,
Fort Bliss, Texas by the men of 200th Coastal Artillery
before they deployed to the Philippines. After
the surrender, the monument was moved, brick
by brick, to Santa Fe. In 1953, it was moved again
from the executive mansion to its current location
outside the legislative roundhouse.
In addition to honoring the Bataan veterans
outside the steps of the Capitol roundhouse, with
an honor guard and the 44th Army Band playing
for the ceremony, the Mendenhall Theater addition
to the Bataan Military Museum in Santa Fe
was offi cially opened soon after the offi cial Bataan
Memorial Services were concluded.
On this 70th anniversary of the Bataan surrender,
the memory of Bataan remains strong in
the spirits and minds of the Soldiers who carry on the legacy of
those Soldiers who survived.
“The Battle of Bataan and the role played by New Mexico Soldiers
during World War II have heavily infl uenced how the Soldiers
and Airmen of today’s National Guard function, perhaps more
than any other event in the New Mexico National Guard’s history,”
said Martinez. “It is more than just a story of heroism, patriotism,
bravery and strength. It is a story that defi nes the most basic elements
of who New Mexico Soldiers are, how they think and what
enables them to achieve what many would think impossible.”
On the 70th anniversary of the surrender of Bataan, New Mexico
Guardsmen and the people of New Mexico honored the sacrifi ce
of their ancestors, a sacrifi ce that served to protect our current
freedoms and way of life, and which has become an important
part of the state’s military legacy.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 19

150th females reach new heights:
Youngberg becomes first female HH-60 helicopter pilot,
Quintana is first female C-130 navigator
By Master Sgt. Paula Aragon, 150th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Offi ce
It is a fi rst for the 150th Fighter Wing and
two female Airmen. Maj. Danielle Youngberg
becomes the wing’s fi rst female HH-60 helicopter
pilot, and Capt. Carmela Quintana is
the fi rst female C-130 navigator.
Both women have been highly trained
and love what they do. This is an experience
few of us will ever know. The intricacies
of the airframes they fl y and their differences
are extreme at best. But they do
have a common thread – these aircraft are
used for personnel recovery. Both offi cers
will be instructors training others to perform
these same missions.
The newest member in the Operations
Group, Youngberg has spent the last 10
years as a helicopter pilot. Her prior duty
was with the 58th SOW. Prior to Youngberg,
the NMANG has never had female
pilots, so this TFI has opened new doors
for women who currently fl y and other
women who may want to become pilots.
Youngberg’s career started at Fort Rucker,
Ala., where all future Air Force helicopter
pilots go to unit pilot training. Her fi rst day
was in the seat of a UH-1H “Huey.” Trainees
tried to fl y the helicopter but soon realized
how hard it was to keep the nose from turning,
the rotor from tipping and the helicopter
from climbing all at once. They soon were
taught how to properly fl y the Huey.
Youngberg’s words of wisdom to aspiring
future pilots, “Give it a shot and believe
in you. Most people have the ability to fl y,
and making mistakes is just part of the process.
It’s how you handle those mistakes
and what you learn from them that will see
you through.”
Flying the HH-60 has taken her many
places in the world doing various missions.
She has fl own medevacs in Iraq and
Afghanistan, fl own civil rescue missions
for Iceland, and participated in large fl ying
training exercises in the U.S. and in Europe.
She has supported the Beirut Embassy and
is trained to land a helicopter on naval ships
and to pull people out of the ocean.
The least interesting part of the job is
20 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
the paperwork involved in these missions,
but as she said, “It’s the best desk job in
the world.”
After being on active duty for the past
10 years, she is looking forward to being a
traditional Guardsman. She will be able to
be a mom to her two children and still be
able to make a lasting contribution to our
state and country. She says, “I can help at
my son’s school one day and be out teaching
a young kid how to land a helicopter on
a mountaintop the next. What other job lets
you do that?”
Capt. Carmela Quintana began her career
with the NMANG as an enlisted person working
in Supply. She is a native New Mexican
whose passion for the military stems from
her father, Peter Quintana, a retired chief
warrant offi cer 4 with the NMARNG. She
attributes her success to the support system
of family and friends. Earning her wings is
not only a refl ection of her dedication but
is the direct result, she says, of her support
system helping her along the way.
She left New Mexico in 1999 to follow
her heart. Her career as a navigator began
in Reno, Nev., with the “High Rollers.”
Quintana said it was diffi cult to leave
her family and friends to begin training as
a navigator but said, “I would do it all over
again – no regrets.”
Her time spent with the “High Rollers”
turned out to be the best time of her
life. Quintana says the Reno ANG is an
extremely tight knit community, and they
were just downright fun. Everyone in Ops
fl ew with passion, and this translated to
members that were always there to help if
you needed it. She says with conviction,
“My navigator brothers were the best, and
I was very lucky to have such a diverse
group to learn from.”
All of this culminated in a passion for
fl ying. Her time in the C130-H2 will allow
her to bring a wealth of knowledge to the
150th Ops areas of the HC-130.
In the time she fl ew, she was part of a crew
who successfully completed an austere dirt
strip landing on top of a mountain that they
wanted to use for future survival training.
For her, “It was a rush!” PJs, Navy Seals,
Marine Recon, and Army Green Berets were
just some of the guys “thrown out” during
her many personnel airdrops. She has seen
most of the U.S. and fl own cargo all over
the world. She has more than 100 combat
hours in support of OIF, which in her words
was “an amazing experience.”
Quintana says it was an honor to fl y
combat-wounded veterans home to all different
parts of the country. She wants to tell
her son Dillon and future female fl yers and
aircrew, “No matter what your dreams are,
you can accomplish anything. In life, passion,
persistence and a lot of dedication
can take you where you want to go.”
As for the future, she sees herself as an
instructor navigator with the NMANG.
She will tell you she isn’t sure why she
wanted to fl y but that she just wanted to be
in the plane. After taking private pilot lessons,
she said, “Heck yeah!” And the rest
is history.

The 150th FW starts
new era with fi rst
female aircrew member
By Tech. Sgt. Kathee Mullins
150th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Airman 1st Class Araceli Salas is the 150th
Fighter Wing’s fi rst female crew member. She
recently completed the C-130 Flight Engineer
School to achieve that distinction.
“I always knew I would go into the (National)
Guard, since I was about 4 or 5 years old. I
have a strong connection with the Guard,”
Salas said.
Salas joined the 150th Fight Wing as an F-16
crew chief almost two and a half years ago when
the future of the 150th mission was unsure, but
she was sure she wanted to be a part of that
new mission, no matter what it was.
Salas‘ chosen fi eld has a training period
that lasts well over a year to become certifi
ed, and she is only one of 43 enlisted and 32
offi cers to complete crew training at several
stations including San Antonio, Texas, Pensacola,
Fla., and Little Rock, Ark., before completing
her fi nal on-the-job training at Kirtland
Air Force Base.
One of fi ve siblings, Salas was focused at an
early age. She was fun-loving, but in a responsible
way. “She now has her private and commercial
pilot’s licenses and is instrument and
multiengine rated – all achieved by the time she
turned 19 years old,” said Col. Andrew Salas,
her father and a long-time Guard member.
“I eventually want to become a pilot and get
my commission,” says Salas. “When I joined,
I was almost done with my associate degree
and my pilot‘s license. I felt it was a good way
to get my feet wet (joining the enlisted force). I
had heard a lot of talk about offi cers not being
able to relate to enlisted. I felt this was a way for
me to be able to overcome that by becoming
enlisted fi rst.”
Salas says she has always liked the Guard,
loves the life style; her ultimate goal is to be fulltime
Guard. “I have had a strong connection
with the Guard my whole life. My mom, Martha,
was in supply and my dad, well you know my
dad – he‘s always been in the Guard.”
Joining the unit as a crew chief was just
one step Salas felt would give her a better
understanding of the technical aspects of how
the plane operates and assist her fi nal goal of
fl ying for the 150th Fighter Wing and its proud
heritage.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 21

22 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
The New Mexico National
Guard served with distinction
in World War I
By Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Mallary
NMNG Bataan Memorial Museum
Admittedly, we in the New Mexico
National Guard do not always keep up
with our own history. We know that the
National Guard as a whole has participated
in every one of our nation’s wars,
but we did not know that the New Mexico
National Guard deployed units to combat
in World War I. As retired Col. Ezequiel
Ortiz, former command historian, wrote:
“Mobilization for World War I found the
New Mexico National Guard ready for the
upcoming struggle.”
At the time, New Mexico had been a
state for a mere fi ve years. According to
the City of Albuquerque’s offi cial website,
“World War I marked the fi rst signifi cant
test of New Mexicans after statehood.”
New Mexico’s 1st Infantry Regiment was
released from federal service less than
three weeks before being called up again.
Consequently, the Soldiers were in a high
state of readiness from their service on the
Mexican border. The regiment was sent
to Camp Kearny, Calif., and assigned to
the 40th Division alongside other National
Guard units from Arizona, California, Colorado
and Utah.
Reorganization and re-missioning
occurred then as today. The regiment’s
units were transformed into the 143rd and
144th Machine Gun Battalions as well as
the 115th Military Police Battalion. Once
the 40th Division arrived in La Guerche,
France, it was itself re-designated as the
6th Depot Division, according to “Order of
Battle – American Forces – World War I” by
Jeffrey Weaver. The division then assumed
responsibility for training replacements for
other divisions, guarding prisoners of war,
and providing ambulance services, says
the Albuquerque website article.
One of the New Mexico units, which
was designated as Company A, 1st Infantry
Regiment, when mobilized, became
Company A, 143rd Machine Gun Battalion,
in California. This same unit would
later become the now-defunct 642nd
M-1917 155 mm howitzer.
Photo: Courtesy of City of Albuquerque offi cial website,
http://www.cabq.gov
Maintenance Company of the New Mexico
Army National Guard, according to the U.S.
Army Center of Military History. The 642nd
would see combat again – in Iraq – before
it was disbanded.
Another New Mexico National Guard
unit, Battery A of the 1st New Mexico Field
Artillery, would make a name for itself in
France. Renamed as Battery A, 146th Field
Artillery Regiment, and assigned to the 66th
Field Artillery Brigade of the 41st Infantry
Division, (the Albuquerque website article
reads), the battery fought at Chateau-Thierry,
St. Mihiel and in the Argonne Forest.
Battery A was commended personally by
Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the
American Expeditionary Force. The unit
fi red more than 14,000 rounds in combat,
surpassing all other U.S. heavy mobile
artillery batteries.
Their commander, Lt. Col. Charles
DeBremond, was posthumously awarded
the Distinguished Service Medal after he
died from poison gas wounds. It was in
his honor that the National Guard’s DeBremond
Training Site in Roswell was named.
As the sources above point out, not only
did members of the New Mexico National
Guard serve in World War I, they served
with distinction.
Editor’s Note: The book, “History –
National Guard of New Mexico: 1606-1963”
was also used as a source for this article.

150th anniversary of historic Civil War battle celebrated;
Battle of Glorieta Pass known to many as the Gettysburg of the West
By Maj. Adam Morgan
Historian, Colorado National Guard
March 28, 2012, fell upon a sunny
Wednesday in the historic city of Santa Fe,
New Mexico. While many rushed to work
via the traffi c-riddled Cerrillos and St. Francis
roads, a small contingent of Colorado
and New Mexico National Guardsmen
paused to refl ect on a very little known, yet
crucial battle of the Civil War. As the 101st
Army Band of the Colorado Army National
Guard played “American Anthem,” the
national anthem and Civil War tunes, several
civilians, Airmen, and Soldiers listened
to remarks from historians, chaplains, and
leaders memorializing the 150th Anniversary
of the heroic efforts of two small
armies determining the future of the West
and of America.
It all began just over 150 years ago with
a Confederate plan for Western conquest.
Brig. Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley’s plan to
dominate the western portion of the continent
had Texas Confederates marching
from Texas through New Mexico, Colorado
and Dakota Territories and establishing a
western front. The coal, gold, and mineral
reserves nestled beneath the Rocky Mountains
would then fi nance a march eastward
to fl ank Union forces and link up with Confederate
Forces in Virginia. Extending the
concept of slavery to the mining industry
could produce unimaginable wealth. Control
of the West Coast would pique the military
interest of Europe and perhaps Asia,
while establishing trade with countries on
those continents.
Operating in the cold month of February,
Sibley’s brigade would travel up the west
bank of the Rio Grande, along which many
Union forts were aligned. His idea was to
pack lightly and resupply at each captured
fort. Speed was paramount in order to gain
the most ground before the Union could
discover their intent. Sibley had spent a
signifi cant portion of his career at posts
along the Rio Grande and at Fort Union, so
he knew the environment well.
Sibley’s lack of decisive and immediate
action allowed reports of the Texans’ northward
movement to reach Denver, and before
long, Col. John Slough and the unproven
First Colorado Volunteers were ordered
from their newly formed Camp Weld in
south Denver to Fort Union, N.M., in order
to stop the rebel advance. Marching southward
through the Colorado countryside, the
Volunteers made upward of 40 miles a day
in near-blizzard conditions, reaching Fort
Union several days before Sibley’s Texans.
Hardly taking the time to rest, the Colorado
“Pikes Peakers” immediately began
to exhibit the type of initiative and ambition
that would come to defi ne them in
this and several future campaigns. Slough
took command of Fort Union and sent Maj.
John Chivington, with three companies of
foot Soldiers and one mounted company,
on a reconnaissance mission to locate Sibley’s
advancing men.
While camped for the night in Bernal
Springs, N.M., a security detachment from
the mounted company captured a small
contingent of Sibley’s scouts – including two
Coloradans who had changed sides. These
scouts provided enough information on the
whereabouts and intentions of the rebel
force for Chivington to initiate movement.
Over the next three days, March 26-28,
1862, several Colorado units and individuals
distinguished themselves. On the 26th,
a few companies of sharpshooters took to
the high ground offered by Apache Canyon,
and after hundreds of well aimed shots
covering a devastating cavalry charge, the
counterattacking rebels retreated. After a
day of consolidation and reorganization on
both sides, the First Colorado displayed a
“bend but not break” defensive action, in
which the Colorado Soldiers ceded most
of the fi eld to the Texans over the course of
an entire hard day’s fi ght.
Meanwhile, Chivington maneuvered
a 400-man force through the steep terrain
and surprised the Texan supply train,
destroyed it, and freed several Union prisoners
while capturing Confederate ones.
This lethal strike turned out to be the decisive
action, as it crippled the Texans. At
the end of the day, the Texans were forced
to take a long, disastrous journey back to
Texas, facing starvation the entire way.
Painting (Above): Roy Anderson, artist; Courtesy of Pecos National Historical Park, National Park Service
A century and a half later, these amazing
feats of human and military capabilities
were remembered. At the Santa Fe National
Cemetery, Colorado and New Mexico
National Guardsmen folded Civil War era
and current American fl ags and presented
them to relevant representatives of the
Soldiers who fought in that battle. A fl yover
by the 120th Fighter Squadron punctuated
a fi tting ceremony honoring the Civil War
dead buried in the cemetery, known or
unknown. A recital of a poem called “Dash
Between the Dates” gave credence to the
purpose and the meaning behind the sacrifi
ces made by the Soldiers who didn’t go
home with their comrades:
Dash Between the Dates
Grave side services were over now.
Everyone had left and I was alone.
I began to read the names and dates
Chiseled here and there on every stone.
The name showed whether it was Mom or Dad,
Or daughter or baby son.
The dates were different, the amount the same,
There were two dates on every one.
It was then that I noticed something
Just a simple line.
It was the dash between the dates,
And placed there, it stood for time.
All at once it dawned on me,
How important that little line!
The dates placed there belong to God,
But the line is yours and mine.
It’s God who gives this precious life,
And it’s He who takes away;
But the line between He gives to us
To do with what we may.
We know He’s written the fi rst date down
Of each and every one;
And we’re sure the hands will write again,
For the last date has to come.
The hands will write the last date down
Quite soon, perhaps, for some;
But upon the line between my dates and yours,
I trust He’d write, “Well done, well done!”
–Anonymous
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 23

NEWS BRIEFS
New Mexico Magazine
launches Subscriptions
for Soldiers program
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt,
Public Affairs NCO
Governor Susana Martinez and
New Mexico Magazine editor-in-chief
Dave Herndon visited with New Mexico
National Guard Soldiers to discuss the
Subscriptions for Soldiers program at
the Wyoming Armory, Albuquerque, on
April 27.
New Mexico Magazine had made a
huge impact on Col. Amanda Conley, a
medical provider deployed to Iraq with
the 160th Field Artillery, 45th Infantry
Brigade, Okla. Conley described how
she had already been in country for
some time when she happened upon a
November issue of the magazine.
“Opening the magazine was an
instant mood changer,” said Conley.
“Seeing all the pictures of New Mexican
culture, food and the sites around the
state reminded me of home and felt as
if it were right in front of me.”
After her experience with the magazine,
she shared it with others. Conley
soon found them cutting the pages
from the magazine and hanging them
on the walls of their living quarters.
These events moved Conley to write
a letter to the magazine, which caught
the attention of longtime subscriber Gary
Rinaldi. The retired veteran, who resides
in California, then contacted Janet Dick,
circulation director of the magazine.
They offered a gift subscription of the
magazine to Conley. Thus, the idea of
Subscriptions for Soldiers was born.
“The magazine celebrates the best
the state has to offer, and Subscriptions
24 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
for Soldiers is a great example of that,”
explained Herndon. “I’m proud of the
impact we created together on the lives
of those who have made the sacrifi ce
for our country and our beautiful state.
If we can uplift the spirits of those in a
place so cold as we did for Col. Conley,
we should do that for every New Mexican
serving.”
The program, new to most civilians
and Soldiers, is already in full production.
Those who wish to donate can
visit nmmagazine.com to begin their
Subscription for a Soldier at the rate of
$12 for 12 issues. The option to donate
to a Soldier whose name and address
are already known can be fi lled in on
the submission form at the site. Those
who do not know a deployed Soldier,
but still wish to donate, can fi ll out
the same submission form and be
matched to a Soldier anonymously so
as not to violate operational security
for those deployed.
HHC, 111th MEB Soldiers
provide water to Lybrook
By Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Mallary
HHC, 111th MEB, NMNG
When Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 111th Maneuver
Enhancement Brigade, received a state
active duty mission to provide water to
the community of Lybrook, N.M., Spc.
Sarah Carlin and Spc. Brandon Waquiu
volunteered. This duo ensured that
residents had access to clean drinking
water May 1-8.
The Soldiers initially transported a
400-gallon water trailer to the village after
the local well became disabled. They set
up the trailer at Counselor Chapter and
then made daily trips to check the water
level and quality – refi lling it as needed –
and to service the equipment.
During the mission, Carlin and
Waquiu arrived on site one morning to
fi nd a handwritten note slipped into the
window of the truck used to move the
trailer. Signed by resident Cheyanna
Moore, the paper read, “Thank you so
much for helping the community with
water. We really needed it. Keep doing
an amazing job.” Moore punctuated
her thanks with a happy face.
Both Carlin and Waquiu said that the
note boosted their morale. “It’s nice to
be acknowledged,” said Carlin.
Lybrook is approximately 35 miles
northwest of Cuba, N.M., on Highway
550. Carlin and Waquiu, both
combat veterans, commuted from the
Rio Rancho Armory to complete their
mission.
Spc. Brandon Waquiu, left, and Spc. Sarah Carlin check the water level and condition in a
400-gallon trailer May 6. The duo completed a state active duty water-haul mission to the community
of Lybrook, N.M., May 1-8, after the village well became inoperable. When they arrived
one morning to service the equipment, they found a handwritten thank you note left by one of
the residents. Both Soldiers are assigned to HHC, 111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Mallary, HHC, 111th MEB, NMNG

Cochiti Elementary
students visit Onate
Complex solar farm
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt,
Public Affairs NCO
Capt. Wilbert Archuleta and Maj.
Michelle Jaramillo welcomed students
from Cochiti Elementary School to the
Onate Complex, Santa Fe, May 4, to
further their research on “alternative
energy” and its environmental and
cost-effective benefi ts.
The group, comprising 35 fourth
and fi fth graders and their teachers,
Brian Rood and Mara Mattison, contacted
Archuleta at the design and
projects management department to
express interest in a class fi eld trip to
the solar farm. Archuleta jumped at the
opportunity.
“These young minds are so impressionable,
and we at the Guard must
make the most of opportunities like this
to help pave the path for the children’s
futures,” Archuleta said. “We want for
them to see our environmentally friendly
means of energy. What they see and
learn now will help them be more environmentally
conscious later in life.”
The tour began at the solar farm
where Jaramillo and Archuleta described
its power, capabilities and functions
used for the Onate Complex. They also
explained how the New Mexico National
Guard also uses power from the wind
turbine to power the complex’s Guard
shack. They also visited the solar tubes
at the Regional Training Institute which
conserve light energy, and power the
automatic hand dryers. The tour concluded
at the hydrogen cells near the
U.S. Property & Fiscal Offi ce which are
used for emergency operations.
NMNG hosts
chaplain school
Lt. Col. William Farrell led New Mexico
National Guard chaplains through a
weeklong chaplain school March 19-23
at the Regional Training Institute, Santa
Fe. The 2012 training theme called for
chaplains to be Soldier-focused, spiritually
based and systems integrated.
Post traumatic stress disorder, which
affects many warriors returning home,
was discussed in depth.
“A chaplain is someone who really
cares. They do God’s work,” said Farrell.
“It is our job to train them to be
faith-based and help provide inner
strength.”
Brig. Gen. Judy Griego, Chief of the
Joint Staff, who directs programs for
Soldiers and their families, said that
many Soldiers returning from deployments
are facing new challenges and
different types of stress while reintegrating
into family and society. “We need
you to be there for our Soldiers during
their diffi cult times,” Griego said.
“With any stress-fi lled environment
(war, prison, personal trauma, etc.),
the ghosts of the past are revisited and
may cause psychological and spiritual
wars to rage in the individual,” said
Capt. Ricardo Russo. “Pharmaceuticals
are a ‘temporary fi x’ in the healing
process, as one must readjust his/her
life to the spiritual call that is asked of
each of us.”
Lt. Col. Peter Bauer said we must
encourage and assist the warrior to
de-pollute the mind, body, and spirit of
combat experience. “Family and society
must begin to accept that the warrior is
not the same,” says Bauer. “There are
many different situations such as survivor
guilt, grief for loss of fellow Soldiers,
relationship loss, divorce, death or
dealing with evils of war that a Soldier
may be experiencing.”
Dr. Kent Dresher, a PTSD expert
and researcher, suggests purifi cation
and cleansing works well for the warrior.
Prayer, Native American sweat
lodge, tai chi, yoga, art therapy, music,
NEWS BRIEFS
community service volunteering, meditation,
and acupuncture are just a few
ideas that a warrior may have an interest
in that could help.
Dresher says don’t overwhelm the
warrior. Welcome and remind them that
we are here for them and then listen
without prejudice. “Soul healing takes
time, and patience is needed,” he said.
OCS Class 55-12 hosts
Dining In
The Bataan Dinner and Offi cer
Candidate School Class 55-12 Dining
In was held April 15 at the Regional
Training Institute, Santa Fe.
The formal military ceremony was
held to foster camaraderie and esprit
de corps. Etiquette, of course, requires
diners to know what’s appropriate at
any given time, following established
protocols.
After the president of the mess
declared the meal “tasty and fi t for
human consumption,” toasts were concluded,
and the fl oor was opened to the
levying of fi nes. No Dining In would be
complete without a few “violations of
the mess” resulting in fi nes and trips to
the grog bowl.
Retired Brig. Gen. Jack Fox delivered
the Dining In address, defi ning
what Warrior Spirit meant to him and
cited examples of the Warrior Spirit that
resonates through our proud history
and heritage.
After hearing petitions from the offi -
cer candidates of Class 55-12, Brig.
Gen. Paul Pena granted them “senior
status.”
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 25

Eleven graduate from 88M Reclassifi cation Course
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt, Public Affairs NCO
The 515th Regional Training Institute
graduated 11 students from the 88M10
Motor Transport Operator Reclassifi cation
Course on April 27, 2012. Class 004-12
Soldiers from New Mexico, Texas, Colorado
and Nevada were honored by family,
friends and fellow Soldiers as well as Lt. Col.
Jamison Herrera, 515th RTI commander;
Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Aragon,
commandant; and special guest speaker
Command Sgt. Maj. Simon Sanchez, command
sergeant major of the 515th Combat
Sustainment Support Battalion.
“Being a motor transport operator is
one of the lifelines of the military,” said
Sanchez, while speaking about his experience
when deployed to Iraq. Sanchez
summed it all up and emphasized to the
graduating class and all motor transport
operators this message, “Safety is number
one at all times. It is everyone’s responsibility;
down to the lowest private. You will
NMNG runners fi nish strong
in Lincoln Marathon;
two make All Guard team
The New Mexico National Guard Marathon Team participated in
the 2012 National Guard Marathon in Lincoln, Neb., May 6. Running
for Team New Mexico were Capt. Brian Pilgrim, Chief Warrant
Offi cer Four Jesse Espinoza, Warrant Offi cer One Darrick Coriz
and Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Bartnick.
Race morning started off cool and wet after an early morning
rain, but the sun was in full force by the 13-mile mark.
Everyone on the team completed the 26.2 mile race and represented
the state well. Leading the team was Bartnick, with a
time of 3:07:54. He was followed by Coriz who fi nished the race in
3:11:31. Both runners qualifi ed for the All Guard Marathon Team
because of their excellent fi nishing times, so they will travel the
country running half and full marathons while representing the
National Guard.
Pilgrim and Espinoza also completed the race with strong times
but did not qualify for the All Guard team this year.
The Lincoln Marathon caps off several months of training and
hundreds of miles running for each member of the marathon team;
their dedication and hard work paid off as they did a superb job
representing the New Mexico National Guard.
26 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Garcia (NMARNG) was
awarded Honor Graduate of class 004-12.
never complete your mission if your truck
is damaged.”
Class leaders, Sgt. Anthony Veltri, New
Mexico Army National Guard, and Sgt.
Bernice Atkinson, Nevada Army National
Guard, were awarded plaques for outstanding
leadership; and Sgt. 1st Class
Aaron Garcia, New Mexico Army National
Guard, was awarded honor graduate of
class 004-12.
Sgt. 1st Class Ivan Barros and class
004-12 presented the course manager and
cadre members with a plaque of appreciation
and dedication for a ‘job well done’ at
the ceremony’s end.
“I enjoyed the hands-on training, the
many miles and hours of driving, and the
dedication from the cadre that helped each
of us gain the proper experience needed
to feel confi dent in ourselves as new 88M
motor transport operators,” said Staff Sgt.
Christopher Chapman, 515th Regional
Training Institute.
The 2012 New Mexico National Guard Marathon Team: Chief Warrant Four
Jesse Espinoza, Capt. Brian Pilgrim, Warrant Offi cer One Darrick Coriz
and Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Bartnick.

Bataan Military
Academy cadets
train with CTU Soldiers
By Staff Sgt. Rob Gwilt, Public Affairs NCO
Bataan Military Academy cadets from Albuquerque took
part in training events at the Onate Complex in Santa Fe, May
4, 2012. The day was full of training events such as rappelling,
the obstacle course and the EST 2000 weapons simulator.
The twelve young high schoolers started their morning
hearing an inspirational speech from State Command Sgt.
Maj. Kenneth Adair, who spoke with the cadets about the
seven Army Values. Adair briefl y covered each value and
stopped on one in particular, Personal Courage.
“Today is about fun and safety, but also about making sure
that each and every one of you possess the personal courage
to rappel from that tower, then to overcome all of those
obstacles,” Adair said. “Always have the personal courage to
believe in yourself, and anything is then possible. Any and all
of your dreams are achievable as long as you possess that
personal courage in yourself to make them happen.”
Following Adair’s inspiring words, the cadets marched to
the towers where the Combat Training Unit had rappelling harnesses,
gloves and helmets ready to go for them. After safety
briefs and instruction, the cadets began with the slant walls,
then moved to the tower. After every descent, Master Sgt.
Jesus Holguin of the CTU gave the cadets new instructions
covering more advanced forms of rappelling such as “Turn &
Burn” and “Spiderman.”
Next, the obstacle course proved to be more challenging
than what the young cadets anticipated. Beginning as a race,
cadets fi nished one obstacle and went on to the next, realizing
that just fi nishing was the true race to win. With camaraderie
and perseverance, the cadets fi nished each obstacle cheering
each other on and helping each other where permitted.
Bataan Military Academy recruiter, Staff Sgt. Ashley Azzalina
said, “It’s fun days like these that are the best recruiter above
all. I use my recruiting tools such as
tuition assistance, the Montgomery GI
Bill and service to country, but none of
those compare to a day of coming out
here, getting dirty, and having fun. The
fun things like shooting, blowing stuff
up, rappelling, testing yourself and
your buddies are things we as Soldiers
already enjoy, so when young people
get the chance to do the same, they’re
hooked every time.”
The cadets concluded their training
on the EST 2000 where they
received brief preliminary marksmanship
instruction and began fi ring the
replicated M-4 carbine and M-16
rifl es. After zeroing the weapons,
cadets then moved into shooting
scenarios with moving targets and
were allowed to fi re the EST 2000’s
M-2 .50-caliber machine gun, M-240B
machine gun and AT-4 replicas.
Summer 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 27

FIREARMS TRAINING:
Embrace new techniques for accurate marksmanship
By Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Williams
Combat Training Unit 2-515th RTI
Firearms training should be conducted
as often as possible in order to give our
Soldiers the best chance of surviving a
deadly encounter. Small arms qualifi cations
once or twice a year is not adequate
weapons training for Soldiers who will be
expected to engage the enemy, especially
in a strictly governed rules of engagement
environment. Auditory exclusion and tunnel
vision are unfriendly visitors that a Soldier
must ward off during deadly confl ict. To
avoid these physiological responses to
fear, physical fi tness and realistic training
under stressful conditions must be a pivotal
part of a Soldier’s training regime.
Body Position and Grip:
Embrace new techniques for
accurate marksmanship.
Fundamentals are critical, and maintaining
a steady base is the foundation for
accurate shots, both stationary and on the
move. Your feet should be approximately
shoulder width apart, and the foot on your
primary shooting side needs to be about
a half step to the rear. Slightly bend your
knees while being careful not to overexaggerate
the bend; otherwise, you will rapidly
induce fatigue. Lean into the weapon,
and apply only about 30 percent of the
rearward pressure to the pistol grip. Now,
take your other hand and reach forward on
the fore grip about two-thirds of the way
toward the front sight post. Wrap your
hand around the fore grip and place your
thumb across the top, perpendicular to the
front sight post. Apply the other 70 percent
of rearward pressure with that hand while
slightly canting your torso in support of
your forward grip. [A note of caution here
is to not turn your torso so much that you
give up the protective quality of your ballistic
protection plates by exposing your
side to the enemy.] This shooting form will
increase the stability of your muzzle, much
like a tripod stabilizes a machine gun. By
28 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Summer 2012
reaching farther forward on the
rifl e, you minimize the barrel
movement from recoil and
target transition. Finally, keep
your head level and shoot with
both eyes open. This will help
you mitigate tunnel vision by
opening up your peripheral
vision and maintaining a solid
equilibrium, especially while
engaging on the move.
Shooting On The Move:
Walking the slack line.
When engaging on the move, you still
need to practice employing a steady base.
This means that that both feet should be in
contact with the ground when you squeeze
the trigger. Speed will come with time and
practice. You should remain conscious of
your accuracy and be careful not to move
faster than you can accurately engage
your target. Many people I have trained
have the tendency to waddle when learning
how to shoot on the move. This is a
result of keeping your feet spread apart
due to overconcentration on coordinating
sight picture and foot work. Simply put one
foot in front of the other while walking heel
to toe as if you were walking on a slack line
or tight rope. Use your knees to absorb the
shock and only move from the waist down.
It’s like walking with a cup that is fi lled to
the rim with hot coffee while trying not to
spill any on your hand. This technique will
be slow going at fi rst, but as you become
more comfortable moving this way, your
speed will naturally increase. Don’t fi ght it,
just get used to it.
Range Success:
Drills to develop speed and accuracy.
Begin shooting these drills from a stationary
position at the 7-meter line until
you are able to rapidly and accurately
engage the heads of each target. When
you are comfortable with this, move to the
10-meter line and walk to the 3-meter line
while engaging the targets to the body.
As speed and accuracy increase on the
move, you should challenge yourself to do
the same while placing your rounds into
the head of the target.