®

www.bliss.army.mil Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community April 24, 2008

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

FORT BLISS
Friday Saturday Sunday

Sunny Sunny Sunny

Hi 84, Lo 56 Hi 89, Lo 58 Hi 75, Lo 53

BAGHDAD, IRAQ
Friday Saturday Sunday

Sunny, hot! Mostly Sunny Partly cloudy

Hi 105, Lo 74 Hi 106, Lo 74 Hi 106 Lo 76

Adopt-a-Highway MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE

Page 39

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Training prepares 102nd Cav. for mobilization

Commandants discuss
NCOES transformation -
Page 6
Patch ceremony officiates
50th IBCT - Page 8
Bliss event promises
prosperous future endeavors
- Page 14
Youth fishing tournament
‘lures’ 300-plus anglers -
Page 41
Post-wide Yard Sale
Saturday • 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
Biggs, Beaumont, Logan Heights,
Hayes, and 801 housing
Tell me a story
Page 42
CONTENTS
Commentary..................2
News .............................3
Spotlight......................22
Timeline.......................34
Homefront ...................39
Healthbeat ...................50
Off Duty .......................56
Go Youth .....................63
Sports..........................64
Sgt. Joseph Genovese, front, and Pfc. Neftali Maldonado, both from B Troop, 102nd Cavalry Battalion, 50th
IBCT, practice tactics on movement through urban terrain at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn. For more on this
story, see Page 5.
IMCOM commander visits
Three-star general discusses base growth, family readiness
JEAN OFFUTT
Fort Bliss Public Affairs Officer
The commanding general of
Installation Management Command vis-
ited Fort Bliss April 15 and had a lot to
say about Soldiers and families, quality
of life and transformation.
“I am delighted to be here,” said Lt.
Gen. Robert Wilson. “I love coming
back to Fort Bliss – or ‘Team Bliss,’ as
they call it – to see the Soldiers, civil-
ians and their families.”
Wilson went on to talk about
Soldiers’ incredible contributions to
“the greatest change the Army has gone
through since WWII.”
“We are reshaping our Army, moving
one-third of our Army around the
United States, returning Soldiers and
family members from overseas, grow-
ing the Army by 74,000 (by 2013), and
converting the Army to a modular force
DIETER JESTER
while at war, so it is an incredible feat.”
Lt. Gen. Robert Wilson, commanding general of Installation Management
Wilson said today’s servicemembers
Command, discusses ongoing base transformation projects during an April
are “the greatest Soldiers, the best- 15 visit to Fort Bliss.
trained Soldiers in the world.” He also
recognized the civilians and communi- ergy of activity and change. The amount In a comment regarding facilities,
ties supporting Soldiers and their fami- of military construction going on is Wilson talked about the entire inventory
lies in this endeavor. incredible – you see cranes every of facilities and ongoing transformation
“Fort Bliss is at the center of where, you see transformation in front of improving Fort Bliss facilities to
change,” he said. “As I look at Fort of you, and there is a tremendous meet Army standards, and said the
Bliss and the Greater White Sands amount of effort to make sure we get it
Missile Range complex, there is a syn- right for Soldiers and families.” See IMCOM, Page 3
2 • The Monitor • April 24, 2008

Beginning 5 a.m. Monday,

Fort Bliss will re-implement Advice taken:
the 100 percent identification
requirement at all access
control points. This action is
intended to enhance the safety
Experience, mentorship can prevent
and security of Fort Bliss and
also to prepare the installation motorcycle accidents from happening
for future technology improvements at the the road or forgetting to put the kickstand
WILSON A. RIVERA
access control points. down.
Troop Talk

Monitor Staff
This change requires all vehicle occupants to You can learn a lot from friends and
Yes, I ride a motorcycle – a bike, scooter,
present a valid form of government- or state- mentors who have been riding for a long time.
cruiser, sportbike or whatever you wish to call
issued photo identification to access the Learning to avoid an accident can mean the
it. No matter what words you use to describe
installation. Drivers in possession of a military- difference between a hospital stop and a
it, it is a simple machine on two wheels.
affiliated identification will no longer be month-long stay or even worse.
There’s nothing like feeling hot wind
authorized to vouch for other vehicle occupants. Think when considering buying that bike. I
blowing on your face on a desert highway
Minors under the age of 18 are not required started off on a used bike to make sure I
during the night of a full moon. The closest I
to provide identification, as long as they are wanted to dish out the cash. From riding a
could probably come to explaining the feeling
accompanied by an adult and are not operating sportbike to buying the cruiser I’ve had my
is that it is like being the passenger of a car
the vehicle. All other existing access control eye on over the years, I believe mentoring is
and sticking your head out the window.
requirements remain unchanged and in effect. what helped me most of all, before buying a
Motorcycles are cheap to buy and provide
Although there is no anticipation that this larger-engine bike.
the thrill of speed you get from an expensive
requirement will significantly impact wait times Traveling to places like Truth or
sports car. So, when you have a young Soldier
at access control points, it is advised that you Consequences, N.M., Austin and Washington
craving that thrill, it is feasible for them to
give yourself additional time during your state, I decided that the 1,700cc bike was
buy a bike.
commute if you are accessing the installation perfect for me. I understood its power, too. A
More and more Soldiers and civilians are
during high-volume times. slight twist of the throttle would propel me 10
looking into alternate means of transportation
now that gas prices are reaching $4 a gallon. mph faster in seconds than any of the
Motorcycle dealerships don’t require a previous bikes I’d ridden.
buyer to demonstrate proof of a motorcycle- Take the advice, find a mentor, hear their
endorsed driver’s license in order to sell one, stories and learn about motorcycles before
so if you have the cash, you get the ride. buying one. With more experience and
Maj. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg knowledge, could we have less accidents and
And it’s not always young Soldiers. Older
Fort Bliss Commanding General fatalities? I think so.
Soldiers throughout their military careers may
wish to become a road warrior after years of
regulation and authority. They buy the leather Web sites of interest
The Monitor www.fbmonitor.com
jackets and matching helmets to go with the Fort Bliss www.bliss.army.mil
bike they purchased as a pre-retirement gift. William Beaumont Army Medical Center
www.wbamc.amedd.army.mil
Whenever the “motorcycle” topic comes Department of the Army www.army.mil
up, the first thought that comes to mind is the Department of Defense www.defenselink.mil
motorcyclist becoming an organ donor. Young DoD news about the war on terrorism
www.defendamerica.mil
or old, time and experience benefit the rider Defense Finance Accounting Service www.dod.mil/dfas
in the long run. Army Knowledge Online www.us.army.mil
Civilian Personnel Online www.cpol.army.mil
After riding more than 40,000 miles for Thrift Savings Plan www.tsp.gov
five years, I still don’t consider myself an Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
www.defenselink.mil/brac
expert. Somewhat experienced, maybe. I’ve Fort Bliss MWR www.blissmwr.com
ridden with many mentorsDWI and learned from
Statistics for FY08 Armed Forces Vacation Club www.afvclub.com
mistakes others have made, like hitting dirt on www.army.mil/growthearmy

2008 DWIs by brigade/unit

% of Bliss
Unit Unit Strength Population % of Total DWI DWIs
11th BDE 3665 24% 15.00% 9
5/1 AD 1152 8% 15.00% 9
31st BDE 1762 12% 6.67% 4
4/1 AD 4183 27% 36.67% 22
6th BDE 1591 10% 13.33% 8
Active Installation Watch Card
Do observe and report: Any possible compromise of sensitive
Garrison 1221 8% 5.00% 3
Unusual or suspicious activity or
suspected surveillance.
information. USASMA 563 4% 3.33% 2
Do not:
Unusual questions or requests for Discuss any aspect of military operations WBAMC 1096 7% 5.00% 3
information relating to capabilities, or planning.
limitations or operational information. Talk about military capabilities or TOTALS 15233 60
Unusual vehicles operating in or around limitations.
1
the installation. Discuss force protection measures,
Unusual phone calls, messages or e- capabilities or posture.
mails.
Unusual contacts on or off post.
Disclose any information related to unit
deployments.
The Monitor is going green and now being
Unusual aerial activity near or around the
installation.
Report all suspicious activity by calling printed on 100% recycled material.
568-2115 or 568-2116.

The Monitor is an unofficial publication authorized by AR 360-1 and printed each Thursday in the interest of the Fort Bliss
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Publisher/Commanding General.....................................................................................................Maj. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg
Garrison Commander...........................................................................................................................................Col. Robert T. Burns
Public Affairs Officer..............................................................................................................................................................Jean Offutt
Managing Editor ...............................................................................................................................................................Jim Gonzales
Editor....................................................................................................................................................................................Dustin Perry
Homefront Editor...............................................................................................................................................................Virginia Reza
Photography/Off Duty Editor ......................................................................................................................................Wilson A. Rivera
Staff Writer .......................................................................................................................................................................Daniela Vestal
32nd AAMDC.........................................................................................................................................................Spc. Rachael Estes
.......................................................................................................................................................................Spc. Cassandra Villezcas
31st ADA Bde..................................................................................................................................................1st Lt. Rodney Johnson
11th ADA Bde............................................................................................................................................Sgt. Jonathan Montgomery
4th BCT, 1st AD.............................................................................................................................................Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sipp
.............................................................................................................................................................................Staff Sgt. Paula Taylor
...................................................................................................................................................................................Spc. Bradley Clark
WBAMC .....................................................................................................................................................................Clarence Davis III
USASMA..........................................................................................................................................................Master Sgt. Eric Pilgrim
JTF-North.................................................................................................................................................................Armando Carrasco
Submit articles to monitor@conus.army.mil.
Homefront
News
El Paso Relief Center provides
IMCOM
Healthbeat
Continued from Page 1
Office of the Secretary of
hope to abused women
Defense and Congress “have
both been very supportive in
providing us the funds that we
have asked for.
Off Duty
“And you can never have
enough, you can never build
quick enough, but we are cer-
tainly satisfied with the
President’s budget as well as
the commitment the American
people have made to us.” he
said.
Sports
Wilson pointed out that
when Army Chief of Staff
Gen. George W. Casey and
Secretary of the Army Pete
Geren assumed their current
positions, the U.S. had been at
war for more than five years
and Soldiers were on their
second and third deployments.
Timeline
“Families had invested in
this too, and they are feeling
stressed and we need to con-
tinue to provide the right sup-
port for them,” he said. “There
are many working couples
with young children who need
Spotlight
care … and so the Army lead-
ership made a commitment to
our families by launching the
(Army) Family Covenant
Campaign last October at the
annual AUSA conference.”
On the topic of community
support, Wilson said, “We
have strong communities
On Point
throughout the country, but I
can tell that the El Paso and
surrounding communities are
some of the best I have seen.
“I was here from 1994 to
1996, and I see a big change
in community involvement in
support through schools,
through assisting spouses with
Happenings
jobs education, and health
care,” he said. “It is an incred-
ible experience.”
Wilson said the recent hir-
ing of family readiness sup-
port assistants – full-time
employees funded and
resourced for all deployable
BackBliss awards
front
battalions – have been a great
stress reliever and readiness
environmental advocates
tool for the family readiness
groups throughout the Army,
particularly here.
“One thing General Casey
said when he came on board
was that family programs
Go Youth
were great, but they weren’t
fully resourced and there is no
standard across the Army,” he
said. “So he and Secretary
Geren made a deliberate deci-
sion to fund these down to
battalion level and throughout
Team
Bliss Outlook
the Army. Wilson concluded
by thanking Fort Bliss
Soldiers, civilians, family
members and the community
“for what they do for our
country and what they do for
our Army.”
“It really helps the Soldier
focus on what they are doing,
knowing that the families are
well taken care of and loved
by the people around them.”
SGT. JONATHAN MONTGOMERY
11th ADA Public Affairs
After 20 years of marriage, Blanca
Villarreal was left to roam the streets
with nothing. “Just my babies and my
luck,” she said. Her husband, who had
a history of domestic violence, chose
to abandon his family without
remorse, leaving them penniless with
nowhere to go.
“I wanted revenge,” said Blanca, a
mother of three. “I had a lot of anger
in me. It’s very sad (what happened). I
never thought I’d be in this situation.”
In order to alleviate her hardship,
Blanca moved in with her brother, who
lived in Reno, Nev. But when he relo-
cated to Mexico, she and her children
were again left to a life on the street.
Immigration services eventually
became involved, offering to refer the
Grass Valley, Calif., native to an El
Paso relief center for abused women
called Dame la Mano.
Since arriving at the community
outreach establishment four months
ago, Blanca has since focused her
efforts on landing a job in daycare,
getting her own place, and starting a
new life.
“They opened their doors for me,”
she said. “They help a lot of women.
I’m grateful for that.”
Dame la Mano – Spanish for “Give
Me Your Hand” – remains a nonprofit
organization funded by local business-
es, churches of all denominations and
private individuals.
Formed in 1997 as means to help
homeless women, the organization has
since provided support to more than
15,000 women and their children in
the community. On average, they
assist 1,600 women each year arriving
from New York to Guatemala.
“We took (Blanca) in because we
believed in her,” said Rosa Cabrera,
director of Dame la Mano, whose
organization’s domestic violence
counseling and career planning assis-
tance has put Blanca on the path
SGT. JONATHAN MONTGOMERY
Cpl. Nicholas Crawford, 11th ADA
Brigade command section, picks
up leaf trimmings in front of the
unit’s headquarters during a post
clean-up effort Tuesday.
First Lt. Marie Louis-Jean, left, executive officer of A Battery, 4th Air
Defense Artillery Regiment, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and Rosa
Cabrera, director of Dame la Mano, discuss the organization’s mission of
helping homeless women in crisis during a Friday visit.
toward self-sufficiency, independence
and a set of work skills necessary to
prevent homelessness.
Oftentimes, the relief center
receives women, including military
veterans, suffering from bad situations
stemming from broken homes, post-
traumatic stress disorder, prostitution,
drugs and domestic battery.
In the past, local police, hospitals
and immigration services have
released custody of these women to
Dame la Mano so they can get help for
these types of troubles.
The 14 women and 35 children who
currently reside at Dame la Mano are
going to school and working to learn a
new skill. Each resident is required to
work, go to school or do volunteer
work for 20 hours per week.
The organization also provides
emergency shelter, medical care and
baby items to expectant mothers, along
DANIELA VESTAL
Monitor Staff
The 13th annual Environmental
Quality Awards were held Tuesday at
the Fort Bliss Air Defense Artillery
Museum and Study Center.
Twenty-three people and organiza-
tions were honored and recognized for
their contributions in helping Fort
Bliss meet its environmental obliga-
tions, which are unique in that they
must meet not only Federal standards,
but those of Texas and New Mexico as
well.
Due to the hard work and dedica-
tion of the Directorate of Public
Works’ Environmental Division and
the environmental quality awardees,
Bliss has 100 percent compliance with
all applicable laws and enjoys an
excellent reputation with state and fed-
eral regulators, said Col. John Rossi,
Fort Bliss chief of staff.
3
The Monitor • April 24, 2008 •
SGT. JONATHAN MONTGOMERY
with free pregnancy tests.
“This (place) keeps you grounded,”
said 1st Sgt. Jonathan Cruz, first ser-
geant of A Battery, 4th Air Defense
Artillery Regiment, Terminal High
Altitude Area Defense, which is an
upcoming unit with a scheduled acti-
vation ceremony next month. “It
makes you thankful for what you have
instead of being mad and jealous of
what you don’t have.”
Cruz, along with 1st Lt. Marie
Louis-Jean, 4th THAAD executive
officer, delivered paint buckets and
cleaning supplies to Dame la Mano
Friday during a visit to the women’s
relief center.
“They operate on the kindness of
the community,” said Louis-Jean. “The
women receive counseling to figure
out how to place their self in a better
position so they don’t repeat history.”
One of the awardees, Staff Sgt.
Crispen W. Hanson, motor sergeant,
Headquarters and Headquarters
Battery, 11th Air Defense Artillery,
32nd Air and Missile Defense
Command, won the Recycling
Advocate award.
He set up a recycling program
where Soldiers in his unit could turn in
and sort their recyclables and all the
money made would go into the unit
fund. It took about two months to edu-
cate and get the Soldiers used to the
practice and now, four months into the
venture, the unit has made approxi-
mately $250.
Eleven top awards and 12 honor-
able mentions were also given out.
“Each individual honored is a trail-
blazer in saving the environment for a
secure future,” Rossi said. “I thank
(them) for all of (their) efforts in sav-
ing the environment.”
4 • The Monitor • April 24, 2008

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Soldiers from the
50th IBCT trains at Indiantown
50th Infantry
Brigade Combat
Team conduct
pre-mobilization
training at Fort
Indiantown
Gap, Penn.
Gap for Bliss mobilization
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE • FORT BLISS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
INDIANTOWN GAP, Penn. – About
3,000 Soldiers from the 50th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team conduct-
ed pre-mobilization training
during their annual training in
preparation for their
upcoming mobi-
lization at Fort
Bliss.
The 50th IBCT
is composed of National Guard
units from across the state of
New Jersey, with specialties
ranging from combat arms to serv-
ice support units, said Maj. Michael
Bobinis, adjutant, Headquarters, 50th
IBCT.
“That is the best part of this (annual
training) period – we are learning to work
with our counterparts” said Bobinis. “As
you start learning what the mission is, you
become more confident of what’s going
Sgt. Joseph on.”
Genovese, Most of the pre-mobilization training
from B Troop, focused on individual Soldier skills like
102nd Cavalry
Battalion, 50th weapons qualification, driver training and
IBCT, approaches combat lifesaver training. Mastering these
a building during skills will prepare Soldiers for the collec-
urban operations tive tasks on which they will train at Fort
training. Bliss, said Capt. Richard Colton, com-
mander, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 50th IBCT.
“(In the past) we trained for a linear
battlefield against a mechanized enemy,”
said Colton. “Today, it is not a mecha-
nized enemy that we are fighting any-
more. It is a new kind of war. So that is
what we are preparing people for down to
the lowest level.”
Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Spc. Wilbert Bynum, A Troop, 102nd Cavalry, 50th IBCT,
move toward their objective. role-plays as a detainee during pre-mobilization training at
Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn.
The Monitor • April 24, 2008 • 5
“I just got out of basic training so I’m
used to the whole ‘train, train’ deal,” said
Pvt. Zeshan Haroon, B Troop, 102nd
Cavalry Battalion.
The Guardsmen used every opportuni-
ty to train as many tasks as time allotted,
including urban warfare, said Sgt. Steven
Webb, B Troop, 102nd Cav.
“In cities and built-up areas, tactics
change dramatically,” said Webb.
Webb said the threats Soldiers are
exposed to range from booby traps and
improvised explosive devices to sniper
fire and noncombatants. Soldiers have to
maintain 360-degree security at all times
and be aware of no-shoot areas, as well.
“We have to calculate in a split second
whether to shoot or not (or) if a person is
a combatant or a noncombatant,” said
Webb.
Soldiers said even though Fort Dix,
N.J., is a closer mobilization site, they feel
Fort Bliss was a wise choice.
“I don’t see any desert at Fort Dix,”
said Spc. Priscilla Arias, A Troop, 102nd
Cav.
Arias said the weather and environ-
ment at Fort Bliss are more conducive to
preparing Soldiers to adapt to the theater
of operations.
“You are never going to look forward
to going away from home or from your
family,” said Spc. John Bedoya, A Troop,
102nd Cav., “(but) it was a smart idea (to
choose Fort Bliss) because it helps pre-
pare us to keep our minds set on the train-
ing instead of thinking you can go home
and see your family when they are only
half an hour away.”
Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade
Combat Team exit classrooms and
proceed to vehicles to conduct drivers
training.
6 • The Monitor • April 24, 2008

Commandants discuss NCOES transformation

SGT. MARY E. FERGUSON Academy hosts the workshop annual- they play on today’s battlefield.
The NCO Journal ly as both a training seminar and a “We’re here to share and to work,”
More than 150 Army commandants forum for sharing and brainstorming said Col. Donald Gentry, USASMA
and senior noncommissioned officers NCOES and NCO academy topics. commandant, as he welcomed atten-
gathered for the 2008 Commandants This year, subject-matter experts from dees and challenged them to exercise
Workshop, held April 15 through the academy’s Directorate of Training their voices during the workshop.
Thursday at the Centennial Club on and Doctrine and Quality Assurance “This is an incredibly powerful forum
Biggs Army Airfield, to share their Office and from the Army and (and) we need your input so (USAS-
professional opinions and discuss Training and Doctrine Command G3 MA) can provide a unified front as we
ways to make the Noncommissioned shops educated attendees on the ongo- relay your experiences and sugges-
Officer Education System transforma- ing and future changes intended to tions to (TRADOC).”
tion as successful and beneficial as transform NCOES into an accelerated, But before answering Gentry’s
possible. constant and relevant system that will challenge, the attendees were briefed
The U.S. Army Sergeants Major prepare NCOs for the expanded roles on the strategic-level vision of where
NCOES is and the direction in which
it must go to truly meet the mission of Col. Donald Gentry, USASMA com-
training the NCO Corps of an expedi- mandant, opens the 2008
tionary force. Commandants Workshop, held
“Our NCOES is imitated through- April 15 through Thursday, by wel-
out the world,” said Sgt. Maj. Robin coming the more than 150 atten-
Bercaw, TRADOC G3/5/7 sergeant dees from NCO academies
major. “The system we have now is a throughout the Army.
great foundation, but in the next cou- really a refocus of how, what, who and
ple of years we need to make some when we train, which, in many cases,
sweeping changes … our NCOs must can be more tactical than strategic ...
prepare for full-spectrum operations.” happening among the commandants
Bercaw explained the parts of and instructors who are actually train-
NCOES transformation that many ing the NCOs and seeing first-hand
attendees were already aware of – what works and doesn’t.”
NCO development will be migrated He added that NCOES must exist at
downward so Soldiers will receive three different levels – operational,
certain training earlier in their careers, institutional and self-developmental –
the current Basic Noncommissioned and must leverage technology, all
Officer Course will be renamed the while being able to “move forward,
Advanced Leader Course, and the adapt and be flexible” in order to cre-
PHOTOS BY SGT. MARY E. FERGUSON
Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Chandler, USASMA command sergeant
Advanced Noncommissioned Officer ate the broadly skilled warriors neces-
major, challenges the more than 150 commandants and senior noncom- Course’s new title will be the Senior sary today.
missioned officers from NCO academies throughout the Army to share Leader Course. But, he said, “there is Establishing structured self-devel-
their experiences during the 2008 Commandants Workshop, held April 15 so much more to (NCOES transforma-
through Thursday at the Centennial Club on Biggs Army Airfield. tion) than just a name change; it’s See NCOES, Page 10

Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct weapons training at one of the ranges at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn.
Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team prac-
tice tactics for clearing buildings during urban operations
training at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn.
Spc. Jared Hummer, B troop, 102nd Cavalry Battalion, 50th
Infantry Brigade Combat Team, searches Spc. John
Sucameli, also from B Troop, during prisoner-of-war train-
ing at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn.
Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team con-
duct “glass house” training at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn.
MAD Soldiers travel to validate 50th
IBCT’s pre-mobilization requirements
MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE
Fort Bliss Public Affairs
INDIANTOWN GAP, Penn. – A team
of Soldiers from the Mobilization and
Deployment Brigade traveled 2,000 miles
to validate the training of administrative
and individual Soldier tasks conducted by
the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
which is scheduled to mobilize at Fort
Bliss this summer.
“We came here to help (the unit),” said
Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Payan, validation
noncommissioned officer, MAD Bde.
The New Jersey Army National Guard
unit started its pre-mobilization training
and administrative requirements at the
beginning of the year after being alerted.
A few months later the 50th received its
mobilization order. During annual train-
ing here, the unit continued to train on key
tasks and focus on weapons qualification
and driver’s and combat lifesaver train-
ing.
“I feel this is very good preparation for
everybody to get out here and practice
before hitting the (mobilization) station,”
said Spc. Bryan Schooley, motor trans-
port specialist, B Company, 250th
Brigade Support Battalion. “I would hope
not to have to fire the (.50-caliber
machine gun) at somebody, but in the
instance that I would, at least I would
have the adequate training behind me to
be able to use it proficiently.”
“Having the weapons qualification
done is a big plus,” said Sgt. 1st Class
Raymond Swann, validation NCO, 5th
Armored Bde. “This shows the unit is
eager to go in and start their other training
right away.”
Payan said she and her team gathered
all of the IBCT’s training documentation
and will input it in their system when they
return to the installation. This information
will be used by the 5th Armored Bde. so
they can create a training schedule and
train the unit during its mobilization at
Fort Bliss, she said.
“It saves a lot of time because if we
input it before they get to (Fort Bliss),
The Monitor • April 24, 2008 • 7
PHOTOS BY MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE
then they will already have a good train-
ing schedule where they can (move for-
ward) with their training and we will not
have to double train them,” said Payan.
“Once the training that is done here has
been validated, they will not have to
repeat it at (Fort Bliss). This is why it is so
important that we capture it before they
get (there).”
Lt. Col. Brian Scully, executive officer,
50th IBCT, said the pre-mobilization
training piece is more important now than
it has ever been because of the limited
amount of post-mobilization time the
units now have to meet the training
requirements. Because the 50th IBCT
now has additional increased require-
ments during pre-mobilization, the earlier
they can start the relationship with the
MAD and 5th brigades, the better, he said.
Scully said the training requirements
for a mobilizing brigade have not
changed, however; the time the 50th will
spend at the Fort Bliss mobilization site
has been significantly reduced. The secre-
tary of the Army’s new policy says a unit
can only be mobilized for one year; there-
fore, all those requirements now got shift-
ed to the left and the unit still has to do
them, but in a pre-mobilization environ-
ment.
“We have doubled up our training
requirements,” said Scully. “We went
from a two-week to a three-week (annual
training) period and doubled up on drill
weekends. We have been going at it pret-
ty hot and heavy.”
Establishing contact with both
brigades to make sure the 50th under-
stood the requirements was critical, said
Scully. It is important for the people who
are responsible for validation and training
accreditation to ensure everything is
being done to standard, he said.
“We are not going at this blind where
we are showing up at the (mobilization)
site (at Fort Bliss) saying, ‘Here we are,
train us,’” said Scully. “We are going into
this with eyes wide open. We know exact-
ly what to expect (post-mobilization).”
8 • The Monitor • April 24, 2008
Patch ceremony officiates 50th IBCT
MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE
Fort Bliss Public Affairs
INDIANTOWN GAP, Penn. – About
3,000 Guardsmen from various New
Jersey National Guard units removed
their respective unit patches and affixed
the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
patch April 16 during a ceremony at the
Pennsylvania National Guard Center.
“This brigade combat team is off and
running,” said Maj. Gen. Keith K. Reith,
adjutant general, New Jersey National
Guard. “This is history, and everything
you do going forward is history. We are
going to continue to work and make the
No. 1 priority ensuring success of the
brigade combat team as you complete
your training in the state of New Jersey
and as you transition over to Fort Bliss,
complete your post-mobilization train-
ing and then your deployment to Iraq.”
“I’m glad to be part of the 50th IBCT
and the history it represents,” said Spc.
David Pereda, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion,
113th Infantry. “I’m proud to serve my
country overseas as the Jersey Blues.”
The 50th IBCT patch replaced the
42nd Infantry Division patch. The 50th
Bde. of the 42nd Inf. Div. consisted of
two infantry battalions, one cavalry bat-
talion, one field artillery battalion, a
brigade support battalion and a brigade
special troops battalion. The 50th Bde.
transformed to 50th IBCT and is sched-
uled to deploy in the fall. It will deploy
as an independent force with the addi-
tion of three companies from the New
Jersey Army National Guard, said Col.
Steven Ferrari, commander, 50th IBCT.
“The 50th Chemical Company, 154th
Water Purification Co. and the 328th
Military Police Co. will be under our
operational control for the deployment,”
said Ferrari. “The mission requirement
for Iraq is over 3,000 Soldiers. We need-
ed additional forces to round out the
brigade and meet that requirement.”
Brigade officials said this will be
New Jersey’s largest National Guard
deployment to a combat zone since
World War II. Fort Bliss will serve as the
50th IBCT’s stateside mobilization train-
ing site in the summer, when troops will
receive realistic “theater immersion”
training, said Maj. Kevin Fetterolf, pub-
lic affairs officer, 50th IBCT.
Many Guardsmen from the various
battalions trained together with their
counterparts for the first time during
PHOTOS BY MAJ. DEANNA BAGUE
their annual training in April and said
this prepared them for the next phase. Command Sgt. Maj. David Kenna, 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
places the new brigade patch on a Soldier during a ceremony at Fort
“I’m pretty excited about working
Indiantown Gap, Penn.
with everybody,” said Sgt. George
Oliveria, scout team leader, 2-113th Inf.
“You always learn different things when
you work with different units. Once you
train with other people, they show you
things that will come in useful when you
go overseas.”
“It feels good to be part of one whole
unit,” said Sgt. Jose Rivera, communica-
tions specialist, 2-113th Inf. “It helps
everyone, especially the newer Soldiers,
understand that we are all one team
instead of different sections.”
“This left Soldier patch is our com-
mon bond now,” said Ferrari. “We stand
as one.” A Soldier from the 50th Infantry A Soldier from the 50th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team removes the Brigade Combat Team places the
42nd Infantry Division patch. new brigade patch on his uniform.
The Monitor • April 24, 2008 • 9
10 • The Monitor • April 24, 2008

NCOES NOW OPESN

Continued from Page 6 SUNDAY
opment programs and transitioning 11am-6pm
the common core phase of BNCOC
from a resident to a distance-learning
delivery method were a few of the
examples Bercaw gave of how
NCOES can attend to those three lev-
els and employ technology.
“Pilots for these things are either
happening or about to happen,” he
said. “But we need the eyes and the Advertising in The Monitor is Pure Bliss
ears of commandants and instructors
to really understand if and how they It’s easy... phone, fax, e-mail
are going to work across all compo- Support our military overseas. The Monitor is mailed weekly to them.
nents in NCOES – if not, then what
do we need to do to make them (They love it and your ad dollars make this possible.)
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He asked the senior NCOs to
answer the question, “With the cur-
rent approach to NCOES transforma- 910 Livingston Loop
tion, is the glass half empty, half full,
or do we have the wrong glass all
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attendees also received more detailed
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learning concept, the Warrior Leader
Course redesign and the migration of ON REM7A’S! Ad Dollars Make It Possible
tasks from and eventual deletion of 200
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Armed with day one’s information
and, more importantly, their own pro-
fessional experiences, the academy
commandants and senior NCOs spent Advertising in The Monitor is Pure Bliss
day two working in one of five
groups – each monitored by subject- It’s easy... phone, fax, e-mail
matter experts and faced with a dif- Support our military overseas. The Monitor is mailed weekly to them.
ferent problem statement related to an
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As they broke into their designated Laven Publishing 772-0934 • Fax 772-1594 • ads@lavenpublishing.com
groups, Command Sgt. Maj.
Raymond Chandler, USASMA com-
mand sergeant major, reminded them,
“This stuff you’ve been briefed on, a
lot of it is not locked in concrete (so)
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we currently do; rather, push the
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The problem statements addressed
a wide range of subjects, including Ad Dollars Make It Possible
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distance-learning phase, compliant
across all Army components; how to
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Course to prepare NCOs for the con-
temporary operational environment;
how to balance conventional and
asymmetrical environments and sce-
narios throughout NCOES; and how
to redistribute the tasks currently
trained in the First Sergeant Course.
Both Gentry and Chandler said the
workshop produced tons of relevant
and critical feedback from the NCOs
who have the front-row seats to see if
what works on paper actually works
when applied.
“So many of us don’t get to see
what it takes on a daily basis to train
and educate our NCOs,” Gentry said.
“That’s why we have and will contin-
ue to have these workshops – we’ve
got to know what’s going on from the
commandant perspective in order to
improve. It’s a complicated thing
transforming like this, but we’ll get
there.”

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