New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

On Monday, 20 October 2003, Congressman Jim Saxton and LTG Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau, visited Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. Their itinerary included a tour of the new section of the T3BL, a briefing at NJ National Guard Joint Headquarters, and a briefing from the 108^th Air Refueling Wing inside a KC-135. Both Congressman Saxton and LTG Blum were very complimentary about the personnel, facilities, and leadership of the NJ National Guard.

The NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will participate in Make a Difference Day this year by joining the NJ Departments of State, Law and Public Safety, and Personnel in offering Community Emergeny Response Team (CERT) training for its State employees, on state time.

Cert Training is a 20-hour course offered over a 7-week period in two-hour classes. The NJ State Police and other Emergency Management agencies will provide professional instructors. Subjects covered will include disaster preparedness, basic fire prevention and suppression strategies, basic medical assessment and treatment, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology and team organization, and an overview of terrorism. Employees who complete the training will become state-certified. The resultant corps of trained state employees would be available to assist during crises at their state facilities, prepared to assist their communities in times of emergency, and making the state government a role model for communities througout New Jersey to promote citizen participation in disaster preparedness and response. Training will be conducted at various DMVA locatons around the state based on employee interest and instructor avialability. Further details will be provided. DMVA's point of contact is LTC (Ret) Jack Dillie (john.dillie@njdmava.state.nj.us). For more information concerning Make a Difference Day and other opportunities for you to make a difference, go to: www.makeadifference.org.

29 October

11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Distinguished Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal

National Guard Armory

National Guard Training Center, Sea Girt

19 November

11 a.m.

Distinguished Service Medal

National Guard Armory

500 Rahway Ave., Westfield, NJ

The New Jersey National Guard Combined Federal Campaign officially kicked off its 2003 Campaign on 15 October 2003. The CFC provides each of us with an annual opportunity to voluntarily help others and ourselves by donating to community, national, and international level human, health, and environmental organizations. This year, over 3000 human and health service organizations are listed in the CFC catalog. There is certainly at least one cause deserving consideration for your personal contribution.

Over the years, our Department has been most successful in its endeavors because of your personal generosity and concern. Therefore, we urge every employee to wholeheartedly support this worthy cause. Coffee mugs will be given to the first 72 people to make a contribution. See your organization's CFC Coordinator for campaign booklets and forms, or call MSgt Kathy McCready at 609-562-0854.

The State Employees Charitable Campaign kicked off last week and provides an opportunity to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate than ourselves. The organizations and agencies that are covered by the ECC provide a support system for those who find themselves without the economic resources or social benefits to see them through their time of difficulty. Contributions can be made by payroll deduction, cash or check. Please be generous when your Canvasser contacts you!

Congratulations to Private Paul Ciervo, Jr., the son of COL Paul Ciervo, New Jersey's State Army Aviation Officer. PV2 Ciervo just graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He is currently at Fort Gordon, Georgia attending his Advanced Individual Training, and will become a 31C Communications Specialist. PV2 Ciervo is assigned to Battery D, 112^th Field Artillery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

For more information about any of these events, please call the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation office at (732) 335-0033.

Kelly Cup Champions, the Atlantic City Bullies ice hockey team, will honor all military personnel on Military Appreciation Night, Friday, November 14^th at 7:05 p.m., as they take on the Las Vegas Wranglers. Group benefits include: $15 tickets for only $12. These tickets are available to veterans, enlisted Military and members of their families, and family members of those military currently serving away from home. You may win a chance to drop the puck or participate in intermission activities. For more information, contact Jessica Adams at 609-348-7811.

A Random Anti-Terrorism Measures Program (RAMP) and increased security measures will be implemented at the Lawrenceville campus and other facilities designated as Mission Essential Vulnerable Areas (MEVA's). Due to current world events that have reshaped our lifestyles, it is now necessary to implement additional security measures that are designed to insure the safety of personnel and to safeguard our equipment and facilities. The Homeland Security Division AT/FP will be conducting RAMPS at the Lawrenceville campus that will include a random vehicle check at the campus front gate. It is vital that all personnel have and carry proper identification, i.e. valid military or DMVA identification card. Visitors to the Lawrenceville campus will be required to display proper identification. A call may be made to their point of contact prior to their entering the campus.

24 - 26 October	Craft Show and Sale	Morristown Armory
24 - 26 October	Tool Show	Woodbridge Armory
25 October	Fundraiser - Breast Cancer 5K Race	NGTC, Sea Girt
31 Oct - 2 Nov	Antique Show & Sale	Morristown Armory
2 November	NASCAR Collectibles	Bordentown Armory
7 - 9 November	Craft Show	Westfield Armory
21 November	Boxing Match Benefit	Westfield Armory
21-23 November	"Home for the Holidays" Gift Fair	Morristown Armory
30 November	Toy Show	Freehold Armory
12-14 December	Craft Show and Sale	Morristown Armory
26-28 December	Wrestling Tournament	Teaneck Armory

The DMVA 2003 Holiday Dinner has been scheduled for Friday, 12 December 2003, in the Garden Room, Lawrenceville, NJ, from 6 - 11 p.m. (Open Bar 6-11 p.m.) Cost is $30 per person, $55 per couple. Menu will consist of Salad, Pasta, choice of Stuffed Capon, Flounder or Top Sirloin of Beef, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans Almandine, Dessert, Coffee and Tea. Reservations are limited to 80 people. Please forward your check to your Office Representative NLT 5 Dec 03.

Today is Friday, October 24th, the 297^th day of 2003. There are 69 days left in the year. On this day.

J 1980 - Guinness Book of World Records gave Paul McCartney a rhodium-plated disk for being history's all time best selling songwriter and recording artist.

J 1992 - The Toronto Blue Jays became the first non-U.S. team to win the World Series.

J 2001 - NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Mars.

To set the record straight - Just in case you were wondering where you were and what you were doing, the American troops defeated British forces in Saratoga, NY in 1777, not 1977 as reported last week.

Christmas Around the World is this year's Holiday Open House theme. Enjoy magnificent seasonal decorations created by these fabulous Garden Clubs: Bridgewater, Dogwood, Essex Falls, Fair Haven, Montclair, New Providence, New Vernon, Pinelands, Spring Lake, Westfield, and Woodbury. Open House dates are: Wednesdays, December 3, 10, and 17, and Sunday, December 14, 2003, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are required at (609) 683-0591 or www.drumthwacket.org. Free admission - Parking on site - Gift Shop.

The phrase "Spring forward, Fall back" helps people remember how Daylight Saving time affects their clocks. At 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, we set our clocks forward one hour ahead of standard time ("spring forward"). We "fall back" at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October by setting our clock back one hour, thus returning to standard time.

Fire departments encourage people to change the battery in the smoke detector when they change their clocks, because it can be so easy to forget otherwise. A working smoke detector more than doubles a person's changes of surviving a home fire. More than 90% of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but one-third are estimated to have worn-out or missing batteries.

Ø Strict, strong, stingy Stephen Stretch slickly snared six sickly silky snakes.