New Mexico Minuteman - Spring 2012 - Keep Trees

New Mexico National Guard honored at
Military & Veterans’ Day at State Legislature
By Joseph Vigil
Public Affairs Specialist, New Mexico National Guard
New Mexico National Guardsmen, reservists and veterans were
honored at the 2012 Military & Veterans’ Day at the Legislature
Feb. 6, 2012, at the State Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe.
Military & Veterans’ Day at the State Legislature is the day during
the Legislative session presented by the New Mexico Department
of Veterans’ Services and the New Mexico Department of Military
Affairs to honor the veterans of every generation and their families.
It is an opportunity for all veterans and those still serving, their
families, and anyone with an interest in military or veterans’ issues
to attend the Legislative session and meet other veterans and military
personnel, and to meet and discuss any of their concerns with
their legislators.
Veterans’ Services Secretary Timothy Hale introduced Gov.
Susana Martinez as the keynote speaker and said, “She knows
what it is to be a mother of a veteran and knows what it is to walk
in our shoes.”
“It is a great pleasure to honor those who have served our
country,” Martinez said. “It is because of your service that we are
a free country, free to make our own laws, and we remain the envy
of the world because of this freedom; and we owe it all to our
military service members.”
Martinez urged the Legislature to vote on several bills that will
assist veterans in New Mexico and to expand the defi nition of a
veteran to include National Guard Soldiers who have served a
minimum of six years; men and women who have been on call
and helped citizens across the state, such as during last winter’s
deep freeze and last summer’s wildfi res, plus assisting citizens in
other states recover from the aftermath of hurricanes and other
disasters.
Martinez recognized senators and representatives who have
served in the military and also recognized Brig. Gen. Judy Griego,
2 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Spring 2012
the fi rst woman in the history of the New Mexico National Guard to
be promoted to this rank.
Martinez concluded by thanking military service members for
being here for us and keeping us safe at home and abroad. She
also thanked the unsung heroes, the families, for their sacrifi ces.
“They are the ones that stay behind, and we are grateful for the
things they do here at home that allow Soldiers to fi ght for our
freedom,” said Martinez.
Maj. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya, the Adjutant General, acknowledged
what a great team the governor, the Legislature and the
New Mexico National Guard are. “Your citizen Soldiers have done
some great things over the past ten years, and it is all because it’s
a team effort,” said Montoya. “Deployed Soldiers and Airmen have
accomplished great things from Afghanistan to Iraq, Guantanamo
Bay to Central America. Truck drivers drove millions of miles in
Iraq, and they didn’t know if they were going to lose their lives,
but they never failed their mission. They also knew that our state
Legislature paid for their life insurance.”
Montoya said that when the Air Guard started their new mission,
they knew state government was behind them and recently
learned that we were the only state that didn’t take a hit in the last
round of budget cuts.
“Infantry and MPs from the Las Cruces, Roswell and Hobbs
areas deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and fought with special
equipment that no one else had because you made sure they had
the best. And when they came home, you made sure they had
free hunting and fi shing licenses so they could relax and become
citizens again,” said Montoya.
“Our medevac unit is saving Marines’ lives every day in Afghanistan,
and they will come home in April when they complete their
mission to a new aviation center,” praised Montoya. “Soldiers
deploying to Sinai will come home to new and improved
armories in Las Cruces and Farmington.”
Montoya said he could not thank the governor and
the State Legislature enough for what they have done
and said, “I can’t be any prouder of who I represent.”