DMVA Weekly Highlights
3 January 2003
Joint Chief of Staff,
COL (Ret) Michael B. Smith
Current
DMVA Highlights
- THE
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS HONORS CLOSE
TO 6000 VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES DURING 2002.
- HQ
50TH PSB IS CONNELLY COMPETITION RUNNER-UP.
- G4
TRANSPORTERS ARE ON THE MOVE.
- UNIT
TRAINING EQUIPMENT SITE (UTES) AND DEFENSE RE-UTILIZATION
MATERIAL OFFICE (DRMO) TEAM UP FOR A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.
- RCAS
NETWORK IMPROVEMENT.
- 50th
BRIGADE SELECTS NOMINEES FOR 2002 SOLDIER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.
- VETERANS
HAVEN WINS McKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE COMPETITION
GRANT.
- DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE AND VIETNAM SERVICE MEDALS PRESENTATION CEREMONIES
ARE SCHEDULED.
- ARMORY
HAPPENINGS - CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT AN ARMORY
NEAR YOU.
- THOUGHTS
FOR THE DAY.
* * * * * *
- THE
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS HONORS CLOSE
TO 6000 VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES DURING 2002. Congratulations
to Veterans Benefits Bureau Chief Robert L. Wimberly and
his dedicated staff for awarding 5960 New Jersey military
service medals to veterans and their families during 2002.
This group was responsible for planning, organizing, hosting
the ceremonies, and presenting or mailing the following
New Jersey medals: 3563 Distinguished Service Medals, 388
Meritorious Service Medals, and 2009 Vietnam Service Medals.
DMVA is proud to honor those who faithfully served our great
state and nation through this ongoing program.
- HQ
50TH PSB IS CONNELLY COMPETITION RUNNER-UP. It's
official!! The HQ 50th PSB is
the National Guard Bureau's first runner-up in the 2003
Philip A. Connelly Outstanding Food Service Competition.
The PSB, under the Command of LTC Rand Danielson, has been
a tough competitor for the past three years, and has finally
gained the recognition it so richly deserves. Congratulations
to the entire Food Service team.
- G4
TRANSPORTERS ARE ON THE MOVE. The G4 Transportation
Section, HQ STARC, established a new first this week in
loading equipment for the 1-150th General Support
Aviation Battalion (GSAB) for Operation New Horizons. The
unit will be sending personnel for six rotations for annual
training in Honduras and then redeploying to New Jersey.
This was the culmination of key staff work between the G3,
G3-Air, and G4 over the past six months. This is the first
time NJ units have deployed their equipment via ship since
Operation Desert Storm.
- UNIT
TRAINING EQUIPMENT SITE (UTES) AND DEFENSE RE-UTILIZATION
MATERIAL OFFICE (DRMO) TEAM UP FOR A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.
Recently, SGT Thomas Russo from the G4 office and 1SG
Ralph Chiarvallo and crew from UTES, moved eight M-60 tanks
on their way to their final resting place (we used to use
them for artificial reefs). The tanks, which were transferred
to DRMO, were recently moved from our UTES at Fort Dix to
the Morrisville Rail Yard. Extreme cold weather and icy
rain further hampered this normally difficult mission. The
mission was successfully accomplished on time and without
any injuries. All soldiers are commended for a job well
done.
- RCAS
NETWORK IMPROVEMENT. Recently the outside network connection
for the Reserve Component Automation System (RCAS) in New
Jersey was doubled in size. All computers on the RCAS network
in New Jersey go out from Ft. Dix to National Guard Bureau
(NGB) in Arlington, Virginia. From there they are connected
to the Nonsecure Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET
or .mil) and from there to the public Internet. All of these
connections are secured by electronic firewalls to protect
the network from hostile intrusions. Our new 3 megabit connection
to NGB will provide improved connectivity to the world outside
of New Jersey for the Army Guard network users and allow
new applications to run on the network.
- 50th
BRIGADE SELECTS NOMINEES FOR 2002 SOLDIER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.
A selection
board was convened on 18 December 2002, at Fort Dix, New
Jersey, for the purpose of selecting the 50th
Brigade's nominees for the Soldier of the Year competition.
Enlisted
Soldier (PV1- CPL) |
|
SPC
Quron Wynn |
2-113 |
SPC
David Engelhardt |
3-112 |
SPC
Adam Khoudja |
5-117 |
CPL
Michael Traenkner |
1-114 |
|
Non-Commissioned
Officer (SGT-SFC) |
SFC
Edmundo Rios |
2-113 |
SGT
Frank Carvill |
3-112 |
SSG
Ronald Ambrose |
5-117 |
SSG
Angel Rosario |
2-102 |
SSG
John Coulter |
1-114 |
SSG
Steven Katkics |
HHC |
CPL Michael Traenkner
and SSG Steven Katkicks were selected to represent the 50th
Brigade at the State Appearance Board on 11 January 2003.
This board will select the soldiers who will represent New
Jersey at the First Army competition, Camp Rowland, Connecticut,
5-6 April 2003. All of the nominees are outstanding members
of the Brigade whose units proudly chose them.
- VETERANS
HAVEN WINS McKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE COMPETITION
GRANT. In a letter dated December 27, 2002, Roy Bernardi,
the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, notified DMVA that Veterans Haven
was selected for a McKiney Vento Grant. The $354,313.00
grant is designed to help homeless veterans move to self-sufficiency
and permanent housing.
- DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE AND VIETNAM SERVICE MEDALS PRESENTATION CEREMONIES
ARE SCHEDULED.
14
Jan - 1100 hrs. |
Vietnam
Service Medal |
Bordentown
Armory |
16
Jan - 1100 hrs. |
Distinguished
Service/
Meritorious
Service Medal
|
Woodstown
Armory |
- ARMORY
HAPPENINGS - CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT AN ARMORY
NEAR YOU.
16-19
Jan |
Tool
Show |
Cherry
Hill Armory |
18-19
Jan |
Dog
Show |
Vineland
Armory |
16-20
Jan |
Home
Design & Landscape Show |
Morristown
Armory |
23-24
Jan |
Antique
Show |
Morristown
Armory |
23-26
Jan |
Tool
Show |
Lawrenceville
Armory |
25
Jan |
Medieval
Festival |
Westfield
Armory |
28
Jan - 2 Feb |
Tool
Show |
Mount
Holly |
-
THOUGHTS
FOR THE DAY as the NFL playoffs begin.
- "Nobody in the
game of football should be called a genius. A genius
is somebody like Norman Einstein." -- Joe Theisman
- "Pro football
is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only
survivors." -- Frank Gifford
- "If you can imagine
it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can
become it." -- William Arthur Ward
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