The New Jersey Army and Air National Guard celebrated National Guard Week from 11-17 May 2003. The focus of activity of the weeklong tribute to the Garden State’s 9,000 citizen-soldiers culminated on Thursday, May 15 with National Guard Day at the State House campus on West State Street in Trenton.

The official announcement proclaiming National Guard Day and National Guard Week came directly from the Commander-in-Chief himself, Governor James E. McGreevey via Gubernatorial Proclamation.

The ambitious schedule of National Guard Day activities, displays, and award presentations begin at 9:30 am in the Assembly Chambers when Brigadier General Glenn K. Rieth, the Adjutant General of New Jersey and Brigadier General (Retired) Robert S. Dutko, Sr., State Chairman of the New Jersey Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee presented the prestigious “Seven Seals” Award to Senate Republican President John Bennett, Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, and Assemblymen Jack Connors and Nick Asselta recognizing these legislators for their outstanding support of the more than 9,000 citizen-soldiers serving in units of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard and an additional 8,000 reservists serving in the 5 military reserve organizations throughout the Garden State.

Colonel Michael Moore, President, National Guard Association of New Jersey; Master Sergeant Len Meyersohn, Vice-President Army, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of New Jersey, were joined by a number of both Army and Air Guard personnel in the historic Assembly Chamber to witness the presentations.

Static equipment displays, information booths literally covered the mall area between the Assembly Annex and the State Museum with both Army and Air National Guard personnel on hand to demonstrate various weapons and equipment systems and share information and details with the public about the many diverse federal and state missions the Guard serves.

The 63rd Army band under the Direction of CWO Durinda Roth performed a wide variety of musical selections while the Challenge Youth Cadets performed a synchronized drill routine.

Exhibitors included: New Jersey Army National Guard’s Detachment 1, 1159th Aviation - TRIAGE display; T3BL (Training & Training Technology Battle Lab); Recruiting & Retention; 254th Regiment, Detachment 5, Sea Girt Medical Clinic; New Jersey Military Academy; 42nd DISCOM - HMMWV Ambulance; 50th BDE - MP HMMWV; 21st CST; New Jersey Air National Guard’s 108th Air Refueling Wing, 177th Fighter Wing, and HAZMAT Trailer; New Jersey Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; Family Support Program; New Jersey National Guard ChalleNGe Youth Program; Veterans Health Care Services; Cemeteries / Monuments / Memorials / Museums; BG William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery; Veterans Haven (homeless Veterans transitional housing program), Veterans Service Offices (information outreach); Veterans Memorial Homes (veteran long-term residential care facilities at Vineland, Menlo Park, and Paramus); and the National Guard Militia Museum Trailer.