Eighth-grader attends presidential inauguration - The Monitor On-Line

Eighth-grader attends
presidential inauguration
SPC. JONATHAN W. THOMAS
16th MPAD
A Nolan Richardson Middle School
student with ties to Fort Bliss was chosen
to attend the inauguration of
President Barack Obama in Washington,
D.C., last month.
Demry Mebane, an eighth-grader and
son of retired Sgt. Maj. Michelle
Mebane, was selected to attend the event
by the Junior Presidential Youth
Inaugural Conference for his outstanding
grades and student leadership.
Demry said he witnessed history at
Obama’s inauguration.
“It felt exciting to actually see the
president,” said Demry.
In addition to attending Obama’s
inaugural address, Demry went to the
Gala Inaugural Ball and witnessed
speeches from former political leaders.
He attended a speech on global warming
given by former Vice President and
Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore.
“Al Gore was a very good speaker,
and his speech was interesting,” said
Demry.
Demry met former Secretary of State
Colin Powell at the conference as well.
The Monitor • February 12, 2009 • 11
SPC. JONATHAN W. THOMAS
Demry Mebane, an eighth-grader at Nolan Richardson Middle School who
attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington,
D.C., last month, studies in the school library.
“[Colin Powell] is a very good speaker,
and I’m grateful for him being there,”
said Demry.
Demry also attended a speech by Erik
Weihenmayer, author of the book Touch
the Top of the World: A Blind Man’s
Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye
Can See. He said he was grateful for all
the speakers who visited the conference.
An alumnus of the 2005 conference held
by the JPYIC, Demry met with fellow
alumni from across the United States.
Demry said it was great to see the
children with whom he attended the previous
conference, but the best part was
that is gave him a chance to be on his
own, away from home.
Demry’s trip to the inaugural address
earned him praise both at home and in
school. His mother said she is proud of
him for showing his leadership skills at
such a young age.
“It’s exiting when you can see a
young man get excited about our government,”
said Mason Gray, assistant
principal at Nolan Richardson Middle
School.
“It’s a privilege for us to have
[Demry] in our school,” said Gray.

12 • The Monitor • February 12, 2009
NCO shares career experiences with Soldiers
WILSON A. RIVERA
Sgt. Taivaleoaana S. Toleafoa, 1st Battalion,
36th Infantry Regiment, reviews an op order
before instructing his Soldiers.
WILSON A. RIVERA
Monitor Staff
Preparation for one Soldier to attend the
Noncommissioned Officer Academy here took more
effort than reading a book or working on physical fitness;
it took three years as a sergeant in charge of leading
other Soldiers.
Sgt. Taivaleoaana S. Toleafoa, a 1st Battalion, 36th
Infantry Regiment infantryman, became an NCO three
years ago while serving under the 4th Brigade Combat
Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division in Fort
Richardson, Alaska.
Raised in a rough family, Toleafoa joined the Army.
Immature early in his career, he credits the Army for
teaching him to think as an adult and learn to calm
down.
Toleafoa has spent all his military in the U.S.
infantry. In his nine years he has been on four combat
deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of his
qualifications include Airborne, Pathfinder, Ranger
and combatives training.
“In my career with the military I’ve learned that the
right thing is hard to complete, but it’s the best way to
do things,” said Toleafoa. “Doing the right thing is
very hard to do, but I rather do the hard-right than the
easy-wrong.”
As an infantryman, Toleafoa’s line of work is to
“rough people up and go out to the field and deal with
the enemy all the time.” Everything he does as an NCO
impacts his leadership and the way his Soldiers look at
him and how they react, he said.
“Some of the most important things as an NCO are
helping Soldiers who are dealing with stress, training
stress, and not being able to voice their opinions,”
Toleafoa said.
Thinking back to when he was a Soldier himself,
before becoming an NCO, Toleafoa said he knows
often the same situations his Soldiers are going
through and that they sometimes feel NCOs don’t care
about their issues. He deals with their issues as if he
still was in their shoes.
4
Mattress Less
Yarbrough
★
FREE LAYAWAY
Full Mattress $ 159
Starting at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Queen Mattress $ 199
Starting at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
King Mattress
Starting at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Located Inside
Wal-Mart Parking Lot
I-10
“[NCOs], that’s the core of the Army right there,”
he said. “Being an NCO is the core of the Army, that’s
the strength of the military, and it feels like pretty
much you’re the father, you’re the mother, you’re the
brother, and you’re the sister for your Soldiers.”
With most situations dealing with his Soldiers,
Toleafoa tries to de-escalate any issue he can solve at
his level of leadership. Soldiers don’t have to be his
own to be able to seek his guidance, he said. He looks
forward to listening to Soldiers, even the ones not
under his command.
“All I know is, all NCO should be leaders,” said
Toleafoa. Once you become a NCO, all Soldiers look
up to you. When a sergeant speaks, when an NCO
speaks, he speaks for the Army.”
Toleafoa always thought infantryman were the
world. While attending the Warrior Leader Course he
met other Soldiers with different military occupational
specialties. There are a lot of good jobs that support
everything that needs to happen in order for infantrymen
to do their job, he said.
“I need the supply guys to be on top of their job so
I can have the equipment and the supplies that I need
for when I roll out for my missions,” he said. “I need
the [explosive ordnance specialists] if I encounter an
[improvised explosive device].
WLC trained Toleafoa to become a better leader, he
said. Also, he learned how things work in the military.
NCOs have a better understanding of where each person
fits into military and how everything works together,
he said.
Becoming a combat medic is an idea for Toleafoa
because he said he is great at multitasking and also has
an understanding of how the infantry works.
“I was in Iraq, and if a medic is on top of his game
and his work, it pretty much helps out the whole environment.
If I’m the combat medic with them and
somebody goes down, I know where I belong, what
my job is and where I need to be.”
FUTON WITH PAD
$169.95
TWIN/TWIN BUNKBED
$149.95
Comforter Sets Available
Dinettes starting at $199
We Special Order Ashley Furniture
Sold in sets only. Ask for details.
Pictures for illustration only.
$ 249
10705 Gateway West, #104
El Paso, TX 79935
(915) 629-9191
Mon.-Sat. 10-7; Sun. 12-4

2-43 ADA Soldiers perform multiple missions in Afghanistan
SGT. ALEXANDER BURNETT
11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan –
Four deployed Soldiers assigned to a
Fort Bliss battalion were recognized by
the commander of their higher brigade
when he visited the unit last month to
conduct a town hall meeting and address
the battalion’s questions and concerns.
Col. Joseph DeAntona, commander of
the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade,
awarded Spcs. Elyse Elshenawey and
Robert Maggard and Sgts. Claude
Blereau and Sean McDougal – each of
them assigned to E Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 43rd ADA – with the new
brigade coin “in recognition of their outstanding
performance during the deployment,”
said DeAntona.
The Soldiers’ questions during the
town hall meeting ranged from the timeliness
of their return to Fort Bliss to the
future of the “Imperial” Brigade and its
missions.
The Soldiers perform several missions
throughout multiple forward operating
bases in Afghanistan. The battery operates
and maintains both Sentinel radar
and Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment
FOX PLAZA
SHOPPING CENTER
5559 Alameda
& Paisano
For More
Information, Call
915-779-8424
Dance Contest
w/DJ Ivan
Every Sunday
El Paso’s Greatest
Swap Meet
FOOD, FUN &
BARGAINS!
EL PASO’S #1 FLEA MARKET
MORE THAN 300 BOOTHS EVERY SUNDAY
Find that Special Someone the perfect gift
at the Plaza Shops or the Mercado Mall
SGT. ALEXANDER BURNETT
Sgt. Claude Blereau, a medic with E Battery, 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense
Artillery, takes a look around through a night-vision scope mounted on his
weapon while on a mounted patrol around Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
cameras. The Sentinel provides an air
picture for screening by all friendly
forces in theater while the RAID camera
PLAZA SHOPS!
30 Specialty Shops
Open Daily 10am-6pm
MERCADO MALL
50 Outlet Shops
Under One Roof
Open Daily 10am to 6pm
provides a bird’s-eye view of the base
and its surroundings, said McDougal, an
air defense early-warning noncommis-
The Monitor • February 12, 2009 • 13
sioned officer with E Btry.
The battery also uses basic Soldier-ing
skills to operate two quick-reaction-force
teams and maintain a patrol element in
the vicinity of Bagram. The teams look
for vehicle-borne and standard improvised
explosive devices, said 1st Lt.
Raymond Stith, platoon and patrol leader
for E Btry.
“For a lot of the Soldiers who work in
the QRF teams and the patrol teams, it’s
not uncommon for them to get less than
seven hours of sleep in a 36-hour period,”
said Stith.
The Soldiers of E Btry. celebrated the
one-year mark of their deployment on
New Year’s Eve, and they have approximately
four months remaining before
returning home.
“I am very impressed and proud of the
way Echo Battery is performing in
Afghanistan,” said DeAntona.
“They are executing several complex
missions with very little oversight. They
truly represent all that is good about our
Army: junior leaders empowered to execute
dangerous missions, oftentimes with
little more than commander’s intent.”

14 • The Monitor • February 12, 2009
Bliss Soldier
represents
leadership during
‘Year of the NCO’
RON DURAND
Fort Bliss Public Affairs
“Every Soldier is charged with a mission
in the Army. That mission is definitely
‘success,’ whether it’s the war in
Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, or basically
just coming to work every day.”
Those are the words of Sgt. 1st Class
Robert A. Edwards, a Fort Bliss Soldier
and the executive assistant for the post
command sergeant
major, who said he
tries to personify
what it means to be
noncommissioned
officer in the U.S.
Army.
Edwards’ Army
career began with
basic training at Fort
Leonard Wood, Mo.,
in January 1989. He
Sgt. 1st Class
Robert A.
Edwards
said one of his initial goals was to eventually
become an NCO. Climbing up the
NCO chain was a great personal accomplishment,
he said.
Edwards said he used to watch his
NCOs in basic training and noticed the
way they “took charge of all the Soldiers
like him.” It was then he realized he
wanted to provide that same leadership
over his own Soldiers one day, he said.
Becoming a sergeant took many years
but was one of the most important
moments of Edwards’ career, he said.
“This was the time where I truly
became a leader – once you pin on that
first chevron [the rank insignia for a sergeant].”
Being promoted to staff sergeant was
another great achievement, Edwards
said. When becoming a staff sergeant,
NCOs must become more flexible in
leading their Soldiers and conducting
themselves, he said.
“You have to be more flexible [with
each promotion], because it is more of a
responsibility and you never know what
type of mission you’re going to get or
what type of task you’re going to do,”
said Edwards.
Another highlight for Edwards was
when he became a member of Fort Bliss’
Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. The club
really exemplifies leadership in one’s
military career and in all walks of life, he
said.
Membership in the SAMC is open to
active-duty servicemembers, preferably
noncommissioned officers, from the rank
of corporal to sergeant first class.
Edwards is the president of the chapter
here.
“The process [of becoming president]
took a lot of time and dedication, but I
finally achieved that goal, which completes
one of my top goals in my NCO
career,” said Edwards.
Edwards also commented on the historic
aspect of President Barack Obama’s
inauguration last month. He said he
thinks the president will initially focus on
the U.S. economy and the country’s relationship
with foreign allies.
“It is a very exciting and historic time,
being that his is the first black president
of the United States,” said Edwards.
Commenting on the strengths of
NCOs, Edwards quoted Sgt. Maj. of the
Army Kenneth O. Preston, saying,
“NCOs are the glue that holds the Army
together.
“Up to this point, everything in my
career has been good so far, and there is
nothing I would change,” said Preston.
Put Your Career
on Course at Fort Bliss.
Master of Arts
Counseling
Health Administration
Human Resources Development
Information Technology Management
Management and Leadership
Master of Business Administration
NOW REGISTERING FOR CLASSES
Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX
915-562-4400 or 915-568-8063
SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI
GENEVA • LEIDEN • LONDON • VIENNA
www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
(312) 263-0456
Computer
Lab
Bldg. 641
Mon-Thurs • 1:30 to 10 pm
Friday • 12:30 to 6 pm
Sat & Sun • Noon to 5 pm
ATTENTION
Are you a graduate, current or
future student of the ADA
Captains Career course or
Sergeants Major Academy?
Webster offers a Master of Arts
Degree especially for you.
Successful completion of
“CCC” or USASMA” can earn
you up to 15 sh or 9 sh Credit.
Contact us at 568-8063 or
562-4400
for more information.
Webster University admits students of any
race, creed, color, age, sex, nondisqualifying
handicap or national ethnic origin. Webster
University is regionally accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission and a member
of the North Central Association. Webster
University of St. Louis, Missouri offers these
programs through its extended campuses.

Role-players add layer of realism to mission-readiness exercise
CAPT. TAMARA GONZALES
11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
The addition of costumed Soldiers
acting as opposing forces made one air
defense artillery battalion’s missionreadiness
exercise far more realistic,
said a brigade operations sergeant major
who acted as the OPFOR leader.
“You get better one-on-one interaction
and evaluations, and the Soldiers
being trained can better understand
since they are participating in the
event,” said Sgt. Maj. Albert VanStory,
assigned to 11th Air Defense Artillery
Brigade, whose character was named
“Fahdi al-Quarish.”
The five-day MRE was held Feb. 2
through Friday at Tobin Wells Training
Center and was conducted by Soldiers
assigned to 1st Battalion, 43rd ADA.
The rest of the OPFOR – comprised
of Soldiers assigned to the 286th Signal
Company – filled the roles of a variety
of third-country nationals, ranging from
Iraqi civilians to Puerto Rican and
Chinese. They were also dressed in a
variety of clothing and spoke in their
respective foreign languages.
“TCNs don’t necessarily mean
Iraqis; they could be from any country
besides the United States,” said Staff
Sgt. Patrick D. Poor, the 11th ADA
OPOR coordinator.
As the OPFOR approached the bat-
PHOTOS BY CAPT. TAMARA GONZALES
While playing the role of third-country naionals, from left, Spcs. Jose
Santiago and Zachary Powell, and Pfc. Troy Cunningham search through a
trash can, looking for information useful to them.
talion’s tactical operations center, the
defended area came alive with activity.
The unit’s quick-reaction force began
providing additional security to the
perimeter while the noncommissioned
officer in charge, Staff Sgt. Tim Long,
began instructing Soldiers on how to
ensure the highest level of security.
At the same time, the guards on top
of the TOC began relaying information
to the guards, who then contacted the
TOC itself. As the OPFOR walked
toward the main security entrance, they
shouted that they wanted to help
Americans, offered them cigarettes and
began talking about their goats.
Long promptly asked al-Quarish for
his identification card. Each OPFOR
role-player also had his or her own identification
card, complete with a fictional
name. For added realism, some of the
ID cards were not signed or were missing
photo identification.
The Soldiers needed to ensure the
TCNs requesting access to their site
were on TCN access rosters, had the
appropriate identification with required
information, and were only allowed in
areas where they are authorized, said
Poor.
As Long continued to question al-
Quarish, three other OPFOR role-players
began searching through a friendlyforces
trash can looking for any useful
information. Other TCNs attempted to
gain entry to military tactical vehicles.
“It is important for Soldiers to understand,
when they go to other countries,
how [the native citizens] work, why
they behave the way they do, and to
understand the culture in order to avoid
unnecessary incidents,” said Staff Sgt.
The Monitor • February 12, 2009 • 15
Sgt. Maj. Albert VanStory bends to
place several pieces of identification
on the ground near the main entry
control point of 1st Battalion, 43rd
Air Defense Artillery’s tactical operations
center, as directed by the site’s
security noncommissioned officer in
charge.
Thomas Ruhland, a member of the
OPFOR.
The friendly forces responded immediately
by requesting the men to stop
searching through the trash and attempting
to enter the vehicles. Finally the
TCNs walked away, leaving the friendly
forces to continue with their missions.
“This was very realistic training and
set to a very high standard, especially
with the operations sergeant major, a lot
of higher involvement and the [observer-controllers],”
said Long.

16 • The Monitor • February 12, 2009
69th ADA honors FRG
members for supporting
Soldiers, families
PFC. MARIA L. ASENBRENER
69th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
FORT HOOD, Texas – Soldiers, family members,
family readiness group volunteers and family readiness
support assistants gathered for dinner Jan. 22 at
the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade’s dining facility
to thank families and volunteers for supporting the
unit.
The dinner gave the brigade’s commander and command
sergeant major the chance to acknowledge the
family readiness volunteers for their hard work and
dedication in strengthening the readiness of family
members and Soldiers.
Soldiers perform their mission better if they know
their loved ones at home are being taken care of, said
Command Sgt. Maj. Tedd J. Pritchard, 60th ADA Bde.
command sergeant major. As well as providing information
to family members, the FRG can organize
social events and act as a support system while their
Soldiers are away, he said. The activities and information
from the FRG help to build Soldier and family
cohesion and boost morale among troops and family
members, added Pritchard.
“The commander and I are committed to building
stronger families in the ‘Lightning’ Brigade,” said
Pritchard.
A Soldier’s family is just as important as the
Soldier, said Pritchard. It is imperative that Soldiers
receive the support of their families in order to be successful
in their work, he added.
It is important for families to be involved and
informed about their Soldier’s unit, said Col. Joseph
PFC. MARIA L. ASENBRENER
Command Sgt. Maj. Tedd J. Pritchard, right, command sergeant major of the 69th Air Defense
Artillery Brigade, hands a token of appreciation to the family member of a Soldier at a Jan. 22 appreciation
dinner for the brigade’s family members and family readiness volunteers.
M. Fischetti, the brigade’s commander. The welfare of
Soldiers and their families is paramount, he added.
The commander and command sergeant major said
they both understand the vital role families and FRGs
play within the unit.
The FRG is a program that revolves around the
commander’s intent to build strong families within the
unit, said Melodie Proffitt, the FRSA for 2nd Battalion,
1st ADA Regiment.
The FRG assists the commander to help make families
self-sufficient, said Susan Ulsamer, the FRSA for
69th ADA. They also attempt to make the transition
into a Soldier’s deployment as easy as possible for the
family, she added.

The Monitor • February 12, 2009 • 17

18 • The Monitor • February 12, 2009
Col. James M. Baunchalk, William Beaumont Army Medical Center
commander, will host a ceremony Feb. 19, to celebrate Black History
Month on Fort Bliss. The commander extends an invitation to all in the
Fort Bliss community to attend the celebration in Soldier Hall, Bldg. 2.
The guest speaker is Chaplain (Col.) Clark L. McGriff, U.S. Army Training
and Doctrine Command. Other events include music, poetry reading,
interpretative dance and ethnic food tasting. The U.S. Army theme is
The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas.

The Monitor • February 12, 2009 • 19

20 • The Monitor • February 12, 2009
Chaplain’s office provides adventure, assistance, service
STAFF SGT. CHRISTINA J. TURNIPSEED
1st HBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
Jan. 23, a group of 49 people consisting of 1st
Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division,
Soldiers and family members journeyed more than 750
feet underground through the caves of Carlsbad, N.M.,
clicking pictures of huge, pointy stalactites hanging
from the cave ceilings and cone-like stalagmites protruding
from the floors.
Transportation and coordination were provided by
the brigade chaplain’s department. Each person had
only to purchase lunch and a ticket for $6.
This is just one of the affordable adventures provided
by the 1-1 brigade chaplain’s department.
Other trips this year include quarterly Soldier
retreats – the next one is scheduled for Thursday
through Feb. 21 at Bonita Park in Ruidoso, N.M., with
skiing at the Ski Apache resort. The chaplain’s office
will provide the lodging, meals and transportation. The
Soldiers will need to pay for their own lift tickets and
ski rentals.
“We also plan to conduct day trips like the one we
just had to Carlsbad Caverns. These will be scheduled
as the battle rhythm allows,” said Sgt. Randy Pass,
brigade chaplain assistant.
Enjoyable, affordable trips like Carlsbad are important
to Chaplain (Maj.) Henry D. McCain, 1-1’s
brigade chaplain.
“I feel that Soldiers should visit their country’s natural
treasures and that they should see the wholesome
activities offered by their communities,” said McCain.
“The trips allow the Soldiers to see that their unit ministry
teams are caring and approachable. I think it is an
opportunity to build the brigade team and to afford
Soldiers the opportunity to make new friends through
wholesome interactions.”
McCain believes people of all faiths and those who
don’t profess any faith can still enjoy the trips, services
and programs provide by the chaplain’s office.
“I have visited or lived in multiple locations and
countries. I had a Muslim maid and babysitter in
West 587-7323 East 629-8774
Las Cruces 575-532-9005
5811 N Mesa, El Paso
1757 George Dieter, El Paso
3050 N. Roadrunner Pkwy, Las Cruces
SYLVAN SKILLS
ASSESSMENT $75!
SAVINGS OF $100!
ASK ABOUT OUR
MILITARY DISCOUNTS!
Turkey,” said McCain. “We in the chaplaincy are here
to afford believers and unbelievers their constitutional
right to worship, [or] not to worship, how and where
they desire. These trips are to improve marriages and
to improve Soldiers’ understanding of stress and development
of superior coping skills.”
To assist Soldiers, the chaplain’s office also offers
many different tools for the emotional and mental help
of 1-1 Soldiers.
“We provide pre-marital counseling, couples marriage
counseling, family counseling, financial counseling,
spiritual counseling and guidance, [and] behavioral
counseling, and our offices offer a safe and secure
area for Soldiers to discuss any matters that they feel
compelled to talk about,” said Pass. “All of our counseling
sessions and meetings are confidential. We also
refer Soldiers and families to other Army agencies,
[like] ASAP, Community Mental Health Service, family
life counselors, local food pantries and monetary
assistance organizations for follow-up, consultation, or
in- or outpatient treatment. The list of helping agencies
on and around Fort Bliss is too numerous to list here.”
Marriage retreats are planned once a quarter with
the next one scheduled for Feb. 27 through March 1.
The retreat will be held at The Lodge in Cloudcroft,
N.M., for 26 married Soldiers, said Pass. The chaplain’s
office will pay for the lodging, food and the
watch care.
Pass also said the marriage retreat will include training
seminars, marriage enrichment literature, and a
“Renewal of Vows” ceremony, complete with a wedding
cake.
The Chaplain’s Department also offers:
• Bible study, which includes lunch, led by
Chaplain (Capt.) Matthew Shirkey, 1st Battalion, 36th
Infantry Regiment, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Monday at Bldg. 20145’s conference room;
• Bible study sponsored by McCain at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday in Room 4202;
• Sunday worship service at the “Ready First”
DFAC at 10 a.m.; and
www.sylvanlearning.com
STAFF SGT. CHRISTINA J. TURNIPSEED
Chaplain (Maj.) Henry D. McCain, brigade chaplain
for 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, gives a group of 1-1 Soldiers
and their families instructions before releasing
them to explore the caverns of Carlsbad, N.M.
•Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training on a
regular basis.
The chaplain’s department at 1st HBCT, 1st AD,
offers trips, assistance and religious services to help
the command complete its mission.
“We help Soldiers deal with grief, stresses to their
relationships, support in crisis and in the field environment,”
said McCain. “We have the support of the command
teams and that makes our jobs easier. We are
short-handed, but we are committed to taking care of
Soldiers 365 days a year.”